Three Up, Three Down – 2018 First Base Prospects

Power. Nothing else defines the first base position more than pure, raw power. If you have it, you better display it in abundance or there will be concerns. If you are smaller in stature, there will be concerns. If your talent is just hit tool, there will be concerns. If your defense is lacking, there […]

The Most Profitable Pitchers of the Last Five Years

If you missed last week’s column on the most profitable hitters of the last five years, you can find it here. That post explains the methodology behind this work, and acknowledges the considerable help I received from colleagues throughout the process. Today I'm here to take a look at the pitchers - players who have […]

Hanley Ramirez Feels Fantastic

Boston Red Sox first baseman/designated hitter Hanley Ramirez (shoulder) said he feels "fantastic" and that throwing won't be a problem for him this year. Han-Ram continued his downfall in 2017, hitting .241 with 23 home runs and 62 RBI in 133 games, but his shoulder injury might've been the main culprit. Ramirez was also terrible […]

ADP Sleepers and Busts - Catcher

Catcher is generally considered the weakest position in fantasy baseball. That is exactly why getting reliable production from the position is so important. There won’t be many good options on the waiver wire to replace a bad pick. This article looks at some catchers that are undervalued and overvalued based on their NFBC ADP (as […]

Xander Bogaerts Expects Power To Re-Emerge

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts expects a significant uptick in his performance, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. When asked if he expects to regain his power, Bogaerts stated, "Yeah, I definitely do think so. I can definitely go out there and put up the same numbers as '16." In 2016, Bogaerts hit 21 […]

Xander Bogaerts (SS, BOS) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~65 CURRENT ADP: 82 ANALYSIS: Boston Red Sox infielder Xander Bogaerts has been a troubling fantasy shortstop to own. Annually, there is a concern whether he will provide power or stolen bases. In 2014, he provided power, but little speed and even lower batting average. In 2015, Bogaerts provided more speed and much higher […]

Three Up, Three Down - 2018 Shortstop Prospects

Much like the wave of third basemen to sweep the league, we’ve had an equally impressive push of young shortstops. Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, and Corey Seager are all 24-years-old, or younger, and are in the Top 30 in fantasy baseball rankings. Who will be part of the next breath of fresh air […]

Nick Mariano's 2018 Late-Round MLB Fliers (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Howdy, RotoBallers! I hope you're ready to take chances, make mistakes and get messy. We’re here to dig a little deeper into the draft room and look for players that would be wise to take a flier on in the late rounds. It can […]

Manny Machado Rankings Debate: Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We continue our long-running series of articles debating fantasy rankings with a player that is sure to be a first-round pick in all formats. Or is he? RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed on everything. In this space, we'll hear from rankers […]

Red Sox Offer To J.D. Martinez Around $100 Million

The Boston Red Sox's current five-year offer to free-agent outfielder J.D. Martinez is in the vicinity of $100 million, closer to that mark than the $125 million figure that has been reported, according to major league sources. Boston covets Martinez's power bat in the middle of their lineup, but they are hesitant to bid against […]

Andrew Benintendi Equates Extra Weight To Health And Consistency

Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi has arrived at JetBlue Park weighing 190 pounds, 25 pounds more than when the 2017 season ended, according to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. “Trying to stay a little stronger this year and getting through the season healthy. The extra weight will help,” said Benintendi. “I want more […]

Post-Hype Outfielders Set to Breakout in 2018

Fantasy owners are way too quick to cast aside players who initially underperform their talent level. It's safe to say we’re too obsessed with age-adjusted production. If a rookie shows up with a ton if hype and busts early, fantasy gamers have no problem tossing the player aside in search for a shinier untested asset. […]

Top 600: Dynasty League Fantasy Baseball Rankings

What's up RotoBallers. Today we are bringing you our top 600 fantasy baseball dynasty rankings for the 2018 MLB season. Dynasty leagues, or keeper formats, are becoming more and more popular in the fantasy sports landscape. For those of you who are playing in dynasty formats, or are interested in long-term valuations of fantasy players, this is […]

The Most Profitable Hitters of the Last Five Years

As you may have heard me mention on Twitter or the fantasy baseball subreddit, I recently acquired the last five seasons’ worth of average draft positon (ADP) data for NFBC and all three of the major fantasy platforms (Yahoo, ESPN, and CBS). I am terrible at Excel, so it’s taken a lot of trial and […]

Should Fantasy Managers Swipe Left and Chase Steals?

Steals are an important statistic in fantasy baseball. They represent 10% of scoring categories in 5x5 leagues and earn an equivalent value or more to singles, runs and RBI in points leagues. Comparing runs and stolen bases, the fantasy significance of a steal is certainly overvalued versus its real baseball relevance. The Run Expectancy table […]

J.D. Martinez Still In Negotiations With Red Sox

Free-agent outfielder J.D. Martinez is not "fed up" with the Boston Red Sox, per earlier reports. "J.D. is involved in multiple negotiations and is pleased with the participants and the good-faith process," Scott Boras, Martinez's agent, reportedly said. "Suggestions otherwise are not accurate." The Red Sox have been viewed as the favorites to land Martinez […]

Using xwOBA for Predictive Purposes in Pitchers

When it comes to predictive metrics, MLB's statcast has afforded the baseball community a wealth of data since its league-wide installation in 2015. One of the more intriguing metrics is expected wOBA, or xwOBA. This statistic gives us the expected wOBA for a player based on the hit probability of batted balls, calculated using exit […]

2018 First Basemen - Dynasty Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball dynasty rankings analysis with the first base position. RotoBaller writers Kyle Richardson, Chris Zolli, and I have come up with our pre-season rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible. In a dynasty league, it can be tough to decide between a proven veteran or a high-upside […]

Judge or Bellinger - Goliath versus Goliath?

Let’s set the table before we dig in: choosing between Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger is like deciding between bacon or chicken wings. Both are delicious. And to put this analogy in overkill, let’s assume anyone that dislikes bacon and chicken wings just isn't a baseball fan. Judge and Bellinger are two faces of baseball’s […]

Clayton Kershaw Rankings Debate: Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

This is the first in a long-running series of articles debating the overall ranking of some of the most fantasy-relevant players of the 2018 baseball season. RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed on everything. In this space, we'll hear from rankers with […]

Three Up, Three Down - 2018 Third Base Prospects

We’ve been spoiled with some outstanding, young, talented third basemen in recent history. Kris Bryant, Nolan Arenado, Manny Machado, Jose Ramirez, and Miguel Sano (just to name a few) are all 26 years old or younger. All five of those players produced at least 28 home runs and 73 RBI in 2017. Now, it’s time to […]

Kill the Quality Start?

“Kill the win” entered the baseball lexicon years ago. It originally referred to the disproportionate attention a pitcher victory got from the casual fan, and it was one of the major arguments advanced during the rise of analytics. The phrase has been adopted by fantasy owners as well, as more and more leagues ditch – […]

2018 Dynasty Baseball Strategy - Discovering Closers

When looking to develop talent in a dynasty league, there are two paths to follow. The first is to select prospects. The depth of your league will determine how far you have to reach into the minors. In a 12-team league, you're probably looking to find the next Fernando Tatis Jr. In a 20-team league, […]

2018 Early Bullpen Outlooks - American League East

Baseball season is almost back, but before that comes fantasy baseball draft season. In this series of articles to be published over the next several weeks, we will look into the bullpens of all 30 teams, taking a look at closers, setup men, and other bullpen arms in the process. Some teams have roles already […]

2018 Relief Pitchers - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

It's time to round out our early points league rankings with a look at the bullpen. Relief pitcher values will fluctuate greatly throughout the season, so choosing wisely on draft day can save you a lot of grief. Here are the first round of RotoBaller’s 2018 fantasy baseball points league rankings for relief pitcher in the month […]

Mitch Moreland (1B, BOS) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~275 CURRENT ADP: 406 ANALYSIS: Mitch Moreland had a 2017 line (.246/.326/.443 with 22 HR) that was far from impressive for a 1B, but it masks a lot of positive indicators in the 32-year old's profile. For instance, he bested his career BB% (9.9% vs. 8%) while simultaneously holding his career K% (20.8% to […]

2018 Catchers - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

If you play in a head-to-head points league, or season long format, you already know how difficult it can be to find fantasy analysis tailored to the format. Not only are the traditional rotisserie and head-to-head arrangements more popular, but the very nature of points leagues makes them difficult to cover in a general sense […]

January Expert Mock Draft Analysis - Round 1

We at RotoBaller love to draft. In fact, we love it so much we couldn't wait until March or even February to start drafting! So we decided to share the results of our latest fantasy baseball mock draft, taking place on RT Sports, accompanied by a series of articles analyzing each round. Here's the complete […]

Boston Red Sox Top MLB Prospects for 2018 Dynasty Leagues

This is a farm system that a year ago looked loaded and now looks depleted. But that was expected. The top three prospects last offseason were Yoan Moncada, Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers. Most figured that all three would graduate in 2017, and even if not Devers, at least Benintendi and Moncada looked like locks […]

2018 Outfield - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

I have the honor of tackling the ever-so-deep class of outfielders for you, the esteemed points-league owner. We realize that many sites tailor their analysis toward the standard rotisserie league, but we love everyone equally. That said, we have to recognize that standard 5x5 categories are also much easier to create white-label rankings that anyone […]