2020 Fantasy Baseball Busts: Trevor Bauer

Following an offseason that saw them add Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos, Shogo Akiyama, and Wade Miley, the Reds are expected to be right in the thick of a wide-open race for the National League Central crown. The imported bats should provide a significant boost to a squad that finished 25th in the majors in runs […]

2020 Keeper Value Rankings - Starting Pitchers

I've already revealed the 2020 Keeper Value Rankings for the hitters: First Base, Second Base, Third Base, Shortstop, Catcher, and Outfield.  Now let's go to the rubber. Keeper Value Rankings are intended for Keeper Leagues in which a fantasy owner must forfeit a designated draft pick in order to keep a player into the upcoming season. These rankings are […]

Michael Lorenzen Will Keep Working Out

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Michael Lorenzen plans to continue to work out, despite MLB shutting down Spring Training earlier in the week thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. While the Reds closed down their spring facility on Friday for cleaning, Lorenzen told reporters that he will treat the break as "an extended offseason." The right-hander has been […]

JB's Bold Predictions for 2020

I'm going to let you in on a little secret... JB stands for "JUST BOLDNESS". Okay that's a lie... it's actually not a secret because I use that every year in my bold predictions intro. Nevertheless welcome to the latest rendition of RotoBaller's 2020 Bold Predictions. You have now come to the stop where you […]

Sam Chinitz's 10 Bold Predictions for 2020

Bold predictions can be the key to fantasy seasons. Predicting players who will outperform or underperform expectations by extreme amounts can win leagues. Bold predictions can also be entirely unhelpful, speculative thoughts that are just fun to consider. With that in mind, I do think that each of these predictions has a legitimate chance of […]

2020 Keeper Value Rankings - Outfield

Keeper Value Rankings are intended for Keeper Leagues in which a fantasy owner must forfeit a designated draft pick in order to keep a player into the upcoming season. These rankings are based on Keeper "Values." In the marketing world, Value can be defined as the extent to which a good or service (player) is […]

Late-Round Catchers - Targets and Avoids in 2020

Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, it would be smart to consider drafting some upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. You can take a risk or two on a variety of different players, including a prospect, forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even players with skills but have […]

2019 Busts Who'll Keep Junking it Up - Infielders

Nothing grinds a fantasy owner's gears quite like a bust. Well, maybe unpaid league dues, but busts are a close second. It doesn't feel good to stare at your lineup all-season and watch a high draft pick torpedo your team's chances at glory. Spurned owners tend to avoid the players who've burned them, but a […]

Eric Samulski's 10 Bold Predictions for 2020

I've read these columns for years, so it's kind of surreal to be putting out my own. As somebody who constantly over-analyzes, I tend to be less risky in my fantasy decisions because a part of my brain always walks me back from the ledge. With that in mind, I tried to mix up the […]

Finding Over/Undervalued Second Basemen Using Expected Draft Values

A couple weeks ago, we introduced our Expected Draft Values and explained how they would help us identify both over and undervalued players of all types. Power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, with pitchers as well. Today, we'll look at four "power" hitters, as identified by our site projections. Stay tuned over the […]

Nick Senzel Hits First Spring Homer

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel went 1-for-4 with a leadoff solo homer in a 3-3 Cactus League tie with the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Senzel is off to a slow start this spring, with that homer going into the books as his first hit in 10 spring at-bats. The former top prospect's camp got […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook - Injuries, Risers, and Fallers (3/10/20)

Welcome to the Spring Training Notebook for March 10, 2020, where we'll dive into a few of the bigger stories around Major League Baseball's Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. As we head through the thick of Spring Training 2020, players are starting to separate themselves in the eyes of their organizations with hopes of making the […]

Eugenio Suarez Slated To DH On Friday

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez (shoulder) is expected to be the team's designated hitter in Friday's Cactus League game. Team manager David Bell also told reporters that Suarez could possibly play on Thursday if his shoulder feels good. Suarez has been brought along slowly in camp after he injured his shoulder in the offseason […]

Shogo Akiyama Likely To Bat Leadoff

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama is expected to serve as the team's leadoff hitter this season, according to manager David Bell. Bell reportedly likes the on-base approach from Akiyama and first baseman Joey Votto atop the Cincy lineup. Akiyama is embarking upon his first MLB season after spending the entirety of his nine-year career in […]

Late-Round Second Basemen - Targets and Avoids in 2020

Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, it would be smart to consider drafting some upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. You can take a risk or two on a variety of different players, including a prospect, forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even players with skills but have […]

ESPN ADP Comparison - Overpriced / Underpriced Players

Average Draft Position (ADP) is a must-have piece of information when it comes to drafting. While every league is different and may have a particularly aggressive or conservative group of owners when it comes to certain players, it’s the best tool we have when analyzing players’ value. Now, instead of just talking about total ADP […]

Introducing the RotoBaller Points League Ranker Tool

Its time to shine some love down on point league players and help you crush your leagues with easy to understand and easy to leverage information that will put you streets ahead of the average competition. That's right, you over there who was thrilled last year to draft Ronald Acuna Jr. in the first round […]

Sonny Gray Allows Three Runs

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Sonny Gray allowed three runs in 2 1/3 innings of work in a spring start against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. Gray struck out three and walked one while allowing five hits, including a homer. The veteran right-hander had bone chips removed from his elbow back in September but it hasn't […]

ADP Reflections: American League Starting Pitchers

The draft season is in full swing. The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational (TGFBI) is wrapping up on the NFBC site, and more and more draft data is filtering through to the masses. We’re now at the point where draft data is shaping draft strategies as people look for value against ADP. There are lots of […]

Predicting the Top-10 Finishers in ERA for 2020

Earned Run Average (ERA) is one of the most important stats when it comes to pitching. The best pitchers in the league have the lowest ERA, because, quite simply, if a pitcher doesn’t let up runs, they are inherently more valuable. Determining the top ERA leaders for the upcoming season can be extremely useful, because […]

2020 Shortstop Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues

As the season draws near, we realize suddenly that it's draft season. There is a large portion of fantasy baseball busy with mock drafts, rankings, sleepers, and more mock drafts. The Dynasty community, on the other hand, is looking to continue their dominance, rebuild, or in a worst-case scenario, stick their hands up in frustration. […]

Eugenio Suarez Taking Swings

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez (shoulder) took some swings in the batting cage on Friday. The Reds have not yet set a date for when he will be available to play in Cactus League games but they are still hopeful that the star third baseman will be ready for Opening Day. Suarez had offseason […]

Third Basemen Set to Breakout in 2020

The purpose of this article, as the title suggests, is to identify third basemen who have shown the potential to have a breakout season heading into 2020. These will be players that were likely on waivers at some point in your league during 2019 and may or may not have been added down the stretch. […]

Using Expected Draft Values to Find Over and Undervalued Speed Hitters

A couple weeks ago, we introduced our Expected Draft Values and explained how they would help us identify both over and undervalued players of all types. Power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, with pitchers as well. Today, we'll look at four "speed" players as identified by our site projections. Stay tuned over the […]

Luis Castillo Strikes Out Five

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Luis Castillo was sharp in his spring start against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. Castillo allowed one run over three innings while notching five strikeouts. The young flamethrower has allowed just two runs over his past five innings of work in Cactus League action. Castillo struck out 226 batters over 190 2/3 […]

Raisel Iglesias Allows Two Runs Wednesday

Cincinnati Reds closer Raisel Iglesias allowed two runs in one inning in a 6-6 tie with the Chicago Cubs in Cactus League action on Wednesday. Iglesias allowed two hits and struck out one in the frame. The rough outing raises Iglesias' ERA to 10.80 this spring. Iglesias struggled at times in 2019, posting a 3-12 […]

Yandy Diaz (1B/3B, TB) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~260 CURRENT ADP: ~297 overall ANALYSIS: The Tampa Bay Rays took a chance when they traded for Yandy Diaz last year after he spent two years developing in Cleveland with partial playing time. In 2019, Diaz slashed .267/.340/.476 with 14 HR, 53 R, 38 RBI, and a 10.1% walk rate, despite missing 83 […]

Freddy Galvis Dealing With Quad Tightness

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Freddy Galvis was scratched from Wednesday's Cactus League game with left quad tightness. Galvis was originally slated to serve as the team's designated hitter in the contest. Utility man Derek Dietrich will instead operate as the team's DH against the Chicago Cubs. There is no indication as to the severity of Galvis' […]

Jesse Winker Dealing With Illness

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker will not participate in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Chicago Cubs as he is dealing with an illness. Winker has already dealt with a bruised left wrist/forearm this spring after getting hit by a pitch a few weeks back. There is no reason to expect Winker to miss more […]

Nicholas Castellanos Expected Back Thursday

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nicholas Castellanos (illness) is expected to return to Cactus League action on Thursday. Castellanos was scratched from the lineup last Friday after he got sick and hasn't played since. The veteran outfielder appears to be over the illness and should be back as in the lineup as he gets ready for his […]