X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Sam Nedimyer's Bold Predictions for 2016

There’s something about making bold predictions that is just plain fun. We’ve basically been given carte blanche to make 10 absurd statements, support some empirical evidence, and voila. You have yourself an educated baseball piece. Think the Phillies are going to win the pennant? Throw some nonsensical stats out there to prove your point! I wish I could write bold predictions every day. At any rate, enjoy my bold predictions for 2016, with a heavy emphasis on teams in or around our nation’s capital.

Editor's note: Be sure to check out our fantasy baseball rankings assistant. We recently launched this handy new rankings tool - you can easily filter, sort, and export all sorts of rankings for mixed leagues, AL/NL only, top prospects, dynasty formats, keeper values and more! It's all in one place, and all free.

 

10 Bold Predictions for 2016

Bryce Harper Will Crush 60 Bombs

Maybe this has more to do with my Nationals homer-ism more than actual scientific analysis, but I have a gut feeling that Bryce flirts with 65. He had huge jumps last season in a lot of categories and his .369 BABIP is surely unsustainable. Still, the dude is a stud and his 42 dingers last season averaged over 400 feet in distance with an average speed off the bat of 103.1. Look for him to have monster home run numbers, provided of course that pitchers crawl back from the 1950s and not play bean ball with him at the dish.

The Pittsburgh Outfield Will Part-Tay All Year

It’s been hyped for a couple seasons now, but 2016 is the year the Pittsburgh outfield turns it up a notch and becomes a formidable foursome. Andrew McCutchen, when not plundering with mascots, is an MVP candidate. Josh Harrison, though technically outfield eligible in most leagues but will play mostly second base, continues to defy pundits and puts in work. But it’s the other two guys that should see considerable strides. One of the streakiest hitters in the game, Gregory Polanco, is poised to explode way above his ADP in all leagues, while Starling Marte improved his plate discipline last season, but saw a drastic dip in his fly ball rate compared to his career numbers. Expect those fly ball numbers to go up, leading to more par-tay Marte homeruns.

New Marlin Wei-Yin Chen Is Going To Have Amazing Peripherals, But Terrible Fantasy Numbers

When the Marlins signed Chen to a 5 year, $80 million contract in January, I doubt they had him pegged as their Opening Day starter. But that’s just what they announced over the weekend. Over Jose Fernandez. Let that sink in. You would think that Chen would be in store for another solid season, especially in pitcher friendly Marlins Park. However, his rather pedestrian career 18.5% K rate and 1.25 WHIP could mean a lot of contact in those cavernous outfields. Don’t be surprised if his home run numbers drop, but his ERA spikes.

Josh Reddick Will Bounce Back And Wow Us

Two seasons ago, Reddick shocked the world and entered that batter’s box in amazing fashion. The Oakland fan favorite finished 2015 with 20 homeruns and a .270 average, his best season since 2012. Still, he left fantasy baseball and 80s music aficionados wanting more. I guarantee he loads back up with some nice walk up music in 2016. I like him to go .280 with 25 HR and a flock of seagulls.

The Orioles Will Immediately Regret The Chris Davis Contract

The veteran first baseman’s 7 year, $161 million deal sent shockwaves throughout the league and here at Rotoballer. Mainly because the deal is the polar opposite of a fine french wine- Davis will get worse with age. Aside from the business argument that the Orioles were essentially negotiated against themselves, this deal is going to hurt Baltimore faster than you can say, “Omar’s coming.” His 29.4% HR/FB rate cannot possibly be duplicated, as his career average is more aligned with his atrocious 2014 campaign in which he finished with a .196 batting average. Mark my words that there is zero chance he hits 30 long balls, and I’m not even factoring in the average ball player’s increased chances of injury after their thirtieth birthday.

Watch Out For Trea Turner

Well, I have essentially turned this into a Beltway blog, so why stop now. Turner made his way over to the Nationals as a “player to be named later” and now he finds himself smack dab in the middle infield. With Ian Desmond gone, and both Stephen Drew and Danny Espinosa figuring out who should strike out more often, Turner could see a healthy amount of at bats. His contact rate in both the minors and in a small sample size in 2015 is respectable and his defense can’t be worse than Desmond’s. Between second base and shortstop, both of which Turner is eligible, he should be a sneaky addition in standard leagues.

There’s No Escape From Pompey

I pimped out Pompey pretty hard last season and as a result, the Baseball Gods decreed that Pompey was persona non grata from MLB play for 2015. No matter. The dude has silly wheels and once he gets it together, he will be an absolute run force for the Blue Jays. He will most likely start in the minors, but watch out starting in May. We’ve seen how injury riddled the Jays can be. Pompey could be back up in no time.

Don’t Sleep on Justin Verlander

After missing the first portion of the season, Verlander looked downright atrocious to start his 2015 campaign. He had a 6.62 ERA in his first six starts, before ultimately yielding a 2.27 ERA over his final 14 games. His fastball velocity returned to the high 90s during that span and his curveball again showed signs of breaking the way we have always known Verlander’s stuff as breaking. Look for him return some solid value compared to his ADP.

Domingo Santana Will Win the NL Rookie of the Year

When the Brewers let Khris Davis go, they must have liked enough in Santana, who himself had come over from Houston near the trade deadline, to give him a fair shot in the outfield. Santana has shown flashes of being a monster home run hitter, but unfortunately that potential usually goes down in three pitches, as evidenced by his career 37.6% K Rate. Yikes. Still, his bat speed is more than capable enough to make up for his swinging strike rate and Miller Park should afford him plenty of chances to display his raw power.

The Chicago Cubs Will Miss the Postseason

C’mon. It’s the Cubs!!!

 

MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-12" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Daniel Suarez20 mins ago

Should Fantasy Players Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar31 mins ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece44 mins ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano2 hours ago

Likely to Lead at Las Vegas, but Will He Lead Enough for DFS Consideration?
Michael McDowell2 hours ago

Wins Spire Motorsports's First Pole at Las Vegas
Austin Cindric2 hours ago

Qualified Third, but Almost Guaranteed to Lose Spots
Chase Briscoe2 hours ago

Las Vegas Performance Hard to Predict
Ty Gibbs2 hours ago

a Solid DFS Option in Theory, but Disastrous Recent Performance Likely Overrides That
Shane Van Gisbergen2 hours ago

Too Inexperienced at Las Vegas for DFS Consideration Despite Trackhouse Speed
Noah Gragson2 hours ago

Finished Well at Las Vegas Last Year, but Ran Worse
Austin Dillon2 hours ago

Decent at Las Vegas, but Not Worthy of DFS Play
Josh Berry2 hours ago

Poor Intermediate Record Likely to Override Strong Qualifying Result
Justin Haley2 hours ago

Spire Speed Suggests Justin Haley Is a Strong DFS Option
Cole Custer2 hours ago

Could be Valuable If Haas Has Intermediate Speed
Cody Ware2 hours ago

Despite Decent Run Last Fall, Cody Ware Still Isn't Worth Considering
Christopher Bell3 hours ago

Quest for Four Wins in a Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson4 hours ago

Should Contend for Another Win at Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney4 hours ago

Once Again the Chalk DFS Pick at Las Vegas
Ross Chastain4 hours ago

Fastest in Practice at Las Vegas
Kyle Busch4 hours ago

Keep Kyle Busch On Your Radar at Las Vegas
Alex Bowman4 hours ago

Can Alex Bowman Contend at Las Vegas This Weekend?
Mitch Garver8 hours ago

Goes Hitless In Return To Cactus League Action
Austin Riley8 hours ago

Doubles In Return To Lineup On Saturday
Jordan Mason8 hours ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
RJ Barrett10 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Sunday
Immanuel Quickley10 hours ago

Won't Play On Sunday
Jerami Grant10 hours ago

Unlikely To Play On Sunday
Marcus Smart10 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Anfernee Simons10 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Sunday
Christian Braun10 hours ago

Available On Saturday
Aaron Gordon10 hours ago

Unavailable On Saturday
Jamal Murray10 hours ago

Will Play On Saturday Night
Nikola Jokić10 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Cleared To Suit Up Versus The Wizards
Colby Thomas11 hours ago

Sustains Injury On Saturday
Dee Eskridge11 hours ago

Sticking With Dolphins
Josh Giddey11 hours ago

Officially Out On Saturday Night
Ja Morant11 hours ago

Ruled Out On Saturday Night
JuJu Smith-Schuster11 hours ago

Returning To Chiefs
Josh Rojas11 hours ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Tennessee Titans12 hours ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Thairo Estrada12 hours ago

Removed From Saturday's Contest
Damian Lillard12 hours ago

Available Versus Indiana
Parris Campbell12 hours ago

Headed To Dallas
Nick Kurtz12 hours ago

Exits After Hit-By-Pitch
Giannis Antetokounmpo12 hours ago

Good To Go On Saturday
Jamal Murray12 hours ago

Added To Saturday's Injury Report
Jiri Kulich12 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tobias Myers12 hours ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Brice Turang12 hours ago

Dealing With Shoulder Fatigue
Tyler Myers12 hours ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov12 hours ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov12 hours ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Cole Anthony12 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Joel Armia12 hours ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk13 hours ago

Available Saturday
Donovan Mitchell13 hours ago

Questionable Against Orlando
Adam Fox13 hours ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Andre Drummond13 hours ago

Out Against Dallas
Ja Morant13 hours ago

Questionable On Saturday Night
P.J. Washington13 hours ago

Returning On Sunday
Philadelphia Eagles16 hours ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Dante Exum16 hours ago

Diagnosed With A Fractured Left Hand
Los Angeles Rams16 hours ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Amed Rosario16 hours ago

Returning On Saturday
Cam Thomas16 hours ago

Expected To Miss Rest Of The Season
Jose Trevino16 hours ago

Going For CT Scan
Kirk Cousins16 hours ago

Set To Receive Roster Bonus
Bryce Eldridge16 hours ago

Will Not Play On Saturday
Aaron Rodgers17 hours ago

Wants To Play In Minnesota
Blake Perkins17 hours ago

Cleared For Light Baseball Activities
Doug Nikhazy17 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Jung Hoo Lee17 hours ago

Scratched On Saturday With Back Tightness
Cody Bradford17 hours ago

Won't Throw For At Least Four Weeks
Colorado Rockies17 hours ago

Charlie Condon Out At Least Six Weeks With Broken Wrist
Bryce Miller17 hours ago

Ironing Out The Kinks In Spring Training
Logan Gilbert17 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Mookie Betts18 hours ago

Missing Tokyo Exhibition Games Due To Illness
Jesús Sánchez18 hours ago

Jesus Sanchez To Miss Four Weeks With Oblique Strain
Jon Gray18 hours ago

Has A Fractured Right Wrist
Washington Commanders18 hours ago

Clelin Ferrell Returning To Washington
New York Jets18 hours ago

Kris Boyd Signs With The Jets
Los Angeles Chargers18 hours ago

Mekhi Becton Inks Deal With Chargers
Tyler Johnson19 hours ago

Links Up With Jets
Kyle Juszczyk20 hours ago

Returns To 49ers
Eeli Tolvanen23 hours ago

Scores Twice In Victory
WPG23 hours ago

Kyle Connor Strikes Twice On Friday
Jack Roslovic23 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Friday's Victory
Leon Draisaitl24 hours ago

Leads Edmonton To Victory
Liam O'Brien24 hours ago

Exits With Undisclosed Injury
Josh Manson24 hours ago

Exits On Friday
Atlanta Falcons1 day ago

Falcons Agree To Terms With Morgan Fox
Indianapolis Colts1 day ago

Colts Sign Corey Ballentine To One-Year Deal On Friday
Pittsburgh Steelers1 day ago

Brandin Echols Signs Two-Year Deal With Steelers
Kenny Yeboah1 day ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Lions
Avery Williams1 day ago

Signs With Eagles
Kene Nwangwu1 day ago

Jets Re-Sign Kene Nwangwu To One-Year Deal
Simi Fehoko1 day ago

Signing With Cardinals
Karel Vejmelka2 days ago

Makes Ninth Consecutive Start Friday
Dustin Wolf2 days ago

Set To Face Avalanche Friday
Mikael Backlund2 days ago

Out Week-To-Week
Sam Colangelo2 days ago

Deemed Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Michael Bunting2 days ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Andrei Svechnikov2 days ago

Expected To Return Next Week
Nikolaj Ehlers2 days ago

Good To Go Against Stars
Mackenzie Blackwood2 days ago

Battling Illness, Not Starting On Friday
Roman Dolidze2 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori2 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani2 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos2 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez2 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson2 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear2 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay2 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA2 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos2 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman4 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard4 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips4 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith4 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala4 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick4 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler4 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter4 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim4 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy4 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa4 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre4 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth4 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young4 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim4 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas4 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele4 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy4 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA4 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman4 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee4 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
Alex Pereira6 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 313
Magomed Ankalaev6 days ago

Becomes The New UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
Justin Gaethje6 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev6 days ago

Loses Third Fight In A Row
Ignacio Bahamondes6 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 313
Jalin Turner6 days ago

Retires After UFC 313 Loss
Iasmin Lucindo6 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 313
Amanda Lemos6 days ago

Dominates At UFC 313
King Green6 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 313
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Florio's Free Agency Fantasy Football Winners and Losers!

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - 2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Buy or Sell: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Jordan Addison (2025)

The 2024 NFL Draft class had seven first-round wide receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were Day 1 selections. More importantly, Nabers and Thomas finished their rookie seasons as top-7 wide receivers in half-point PPR […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers, Draft Targets: Early 2025 Analysis

One of the biggest factors in winning fantasy football teams is finding middle-to-late-round sleepers. With wide receivers typically carrying the most drafted players of any position, it makes sense that taking multiple stabs at the position in search of hitting multiple-round values is the way to set yourself apart in drafts. For 2025, the draft […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 NFL Free Agency Frenzy: Biggest Winners and Disappointments at Every Fantasy Football Position

NFL franchises will have an opportunity to reshape their rosters before the draft. Fantasy managers will have a chance to read the tea leaves and make measured strikes against their fantasy football opposition ahead of rookie drafts. Savvy managers will use this period to try to get the best return on some previous investments, as […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Free Agency Fantasy Football Analysis: Fallers On New Teams (2025)

With the first wave of NFL free agency coming to an end, several fantasy-relevant players have signed on to new teams. The quarterback carousel still has several dominoes to fall, but Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, and Kenny Pickett have found new homes within the first few days of the new league year. The running back […]