2018 Third Base - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

If you play in a head-t0-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 […]

2018 Saves Risers and Fallers - What We Learned

For the fourth straight season we have a new No. 1 at the top of the closer leaderboard. Alex Colome concluded the 2017 regular season with 47 saves, six more than the second-place finisher, Kenley Jansen. No one has repeated as the top save-earner since Jim Johnson (2012-2013). As for consistency, Jansen slammed the door shut 41 times […]

2018 Strikeout Risers and Fallers - What We Learned

For the second straight season, we witnessed the highest strikeout totals in MLB history. There was an average of 8.25 strikeouts per MLB game in 2017, up from 8.03 strikeouts per game in 2016. Strikeouts have increased in baseball every year since 2005, and there is no indication that this trend will reverse any time […]

Using xwOBA as a Predictive Tool for Hitters

With spring training on the horizon, fantasy baseball draft season is in sight, as well. That means it’s time to pore over rankings, go through countless mock drafts, and do plenty of research trying to find that diamond in the rough other owners are undervaluing. Luckily, more statistics are available than ever before to determine […]

2018 Second Base - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

Aside from catcher, second base is amongst the shallowest positions heading into the 2018 season. Assuming a standard 10-12 team league, depending on the bench size it makes sense to roster only one 2B upon conclusion of your draft. If you can’t scoop up Jose Altuve, Jose Ramirez or Anthony Rizzo, you may need to […]

2018 First Base - 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 […]

Chris Sale Working on Strength From Start to Finish

Tim Britton of the Providence Journal has reported that Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale is executing a plan to increase his physical ability to stay strong and prevent fatigue at the end of the season. Sale stated he has had conversations with the trainer and manager regarding a plan that includes not only […]

Red Sox Make Five-Year, $125 Million Offer To J.D. Martinez

The Boston Red Sox are believed to have offered five years and roughly $125 million to free-agent outfielder J.D. Martinez, according to a source. It's around the same deal that oufielder Josh Hamilton received from the Angels five years ago. Martinez, who hit .303 with 45 home runs and 104 RBI in 119 games between […]

2018 Batting Average Risers and Fallers - What We Learned

The great thing about batting average is that it’s a great starting metric for building a strong fantasy team. It’s one of those rare stats that, when correctly targeted and prioritized, sets the foundation for a season of nearly guaranteed success. In fantasy football, it’s a good idea to acquire players who get red zone […]

Boston's Reported Offer To J.D. Martinez Not Correct

The Boston Red Sox's reported offer of five years and $100 million to free-agent outfielder J.D. Martinez is "not accurate," according to his agent, Scott Boras. Martinez and Boras were said to be looking for a deal close to $200 million at the beginning of free agency, and while the free-agent market has been especially […]

Top 100: MLB Prospect Rankings for Fantasy Baseball

Prospects. For any fantasy baseball enthusiast, it's all about knowing about the prospects, rookies and call-ups. More than any other sport, baseball offers a fresh influx of rookie talent every year, both before and during the MLB season. And adding the right guy at the right time can be a league winner (see Aaron Judge and […]

Top 450: Points Leagues Tiered Staff Rankings (January)

In case you haven't noticed, we've already been cranking out all sorts of 2018 fantasy baseball rankings at RotoBaller HQ. It's only mid-January but you can already find preliminary staff rankings for mixed leagues, points leagues, AL/NL only leagues, dynasty leagues, top 2018 prospects, dynasty prospects and more. Today we are here to start looking […]

Champ or Chump - Yangervis Solarte and Mitch Moreland

Much is made of a team's projected batting order early on in the offseason, but the discussions quickly become moot as the realities of the regular season alter every team's plans. Slumping players move down the batting order, replaced by their more productive teammates. A utility guy could escape the bench and become a fixture […]

Jackie Bradley Avoids Arbitration

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $6.1 million deal, according to a source. Bradley remains one of the best defensive center fielders in the game, but his bat took a step back in 2017, mainly in the power department. His inconsistencies at the plate have led Boston […]

2018 Relief Pitchers - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

We wind up our mixed league rankings analysis with a look at the most volatile position of all, relief pitchers. Whether you choose to grab a top-notch closer early or prefer to work the waiver wire all season, these early rankings will give you a good sense of where the current market values each reliever, before […]

2018 Starting Pitchers - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

Welcome back to the early edition of RotoBaller’s 2018 fantasy baseball rankings! As a reminder, this round of rankings comes to you courtesy of Pierre Camus and Jeff Kahntroff, in addition to yours truly. Today, I’ll be taking a look at how we ranked starting pitchers. As you peruse the info below, keep in mind […]

2018 Outfielders - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

It's a new year, and with that comes our first set of rankings for the 2018 fantasy baseball season. As a reminder, our first round of rankings comes to you courtesy of Pierre Camus and Jeff Kahntroff, in addition to yours truly. Today, I’ll be finishing up the hitter side of things with a look at […]

Chris Young Signs Minor League Deal With Padres

Free-agent pitcher Chris Young has agreed to a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres. Should Young make the opening day roster, he will receive $1 million plus an extra $6 million in incentives. Young, 38, struggled this past season with a 7.50 ERA in 30 innings. Even if he makes the opening day […]

2018 Shortstops - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

It's time to examine the glamour position of the infield, shortstop. Once considered strictly a defensive position, there are now a host of options that can fit into your fantasy lineup and deliver. 2017 saw 10 different shortstops score over 400 in points leagues. Speed was key component, as five qualified SS stole over 20 […]

2018 Third Base - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

Today, I’ll be taking a look at how we ranked players at the hot corner. Third base offered an abundance of productive fantasy assets last year, and 2018 figures to be no different. In case you missed it, you can also check out our rankings and analysis for catcher, first base and second base - […]

2018 Second Base - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with the second base position. Even though it is only January 6, 2018 in an extremely slow offseason, RotoBaller writers Kyle Bishop, Pierre Camus, and I have come up with our initial pre-draft rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible. As […]

Astros Could Be Landing Spot For Greg Holland, Addison Reed

The Houston Astros could emerge as a landing spot for free-agent closer Greg Holland, who is the top remaining closer on the free-agent market. Some people within the Astros organization see the closing spot as a potential issue for the team, according to sources, with current closer Ken Giles struggling during the playoffs. Free-agent relief […]

Dodgers Considered Yasiel Puig For Jackie Bradley Swap

The Los Angeles Dodgers floated the idea of trading outfielder Yasiel Puig to the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Jackie Bradley, according to major league sources. However, sources say the Red Sox quickly declined the idea and no substantial talks ensued. Bradley is coming off a season in which he hit .245/.323/.402 with 17 home […]

2018 First Base - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with the first base position. RotoBaller writers Kyle Bishop, Jeff Kahntroff, and I have come up with our initial pre-draft rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible. There are plenty of free agents yet to sign, so keep in mind that these rankings […]

Dynasty Third Basemen - Top MLB Prospects for Fantasy Baseball

Welcome back, RotoBallers. I'll be breaking down impact prospects in dynasty leagues by position over the next several weeks. I’ve already covered catchers, first basemen and second basemen. Today I'm bringing you my top 10 third basemen - dynasty prospect rankings for 2018 dynasty baseball leagues. This is one of the more top-heavy prospect groups in […]

Dynasty First Basemen - Top MLB Prospects for Fantasy Baseball

Welcome back, RotoBallers. I'll be breaking down impact prospects in dynasty leagues by position over the next several weeks. I’ve already covered catchers. Today I'm bringing you my top 10 first basemen - dynasty prospect rankings for 2018 dynasty baseball leagues. The group of first base prospects simultaneously lost its star-power and recovered. Cody Bellinger, Josh […]

2018 Dynasty Baseball Strategy - There Are No More Wins

Pitchers have always made for awkward dynasty assets. There's no denying that you need some highly productive arms if you want to win your league. However, pitchers - both starters and relievers - have this bad habit of turning into pumpkins with very little warning. It's relatively rare for a hitter to pull a Prince […]

Reviewing JB's 2017 Bold Predictions

What’s even more fun than making bold predictions? Looking back at the end of the season to see how good (or so, so hilariously bad) they were. As Michael Scott once said, "It takes a big man to admit his mistakes, and I am that big man." Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball […]

Reviewing Pierre Camus' Bold Predictions for 2017 MLB

Never have I looked forward to writing a season recap so much. I didn't do as well in my fantasy leagues this year, mainly due to lack of time attending to my lineups. Nor did half of these predictions come close to coming true. Sometimes it just takes one thing to make it all worthwhile. […]

Reviewing Harris Yudin's 10 Bold Predictions for 2017

So, it makes sense that the worst fantasy season of my life coincides with my worst bold predictions. I failed to finish in the top five in any league for the first time, which I guess makes sense considering how heavily I bought into Joc Pederson and Yu Darvish— as you’ll soon find out. I […]