Man vs. Machine: Nick Mariano and THE BAT's Undervalued and Overvalued Players

What do I, Nick Mariano, have in common with great minds such as Ken Jennings, Gary Kasparov, and Lee Sedot? Before, I wouldn’t have had an answer, but now I can say that we’ve all had the honor of challenging incredible Artificial Intelligence minds! Nevermind that those other three guys got crushed in their “Man […]

Jose Ramirez Takes Grounders Monday

Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez (knee) took ground balls on Monday at the team's spring training complex a day after he fouled a pitch off his left knee and had to be carted off the field. He will rejoin the team for a workout on Wednesday, but it's unknown if he will play on […]

Sophomores Who Have Fallen Between the Cracks?

Baseball prospects and rookies get covered extensively around baseball, whether we’re referring to just fantasy baseball or the sport in general. What we don’t do overly well, is cover the players that fall between the cracks. What I mean by that is the players that play long enough to lose their rookie eligibility but not […]

Updated Third Base Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

We are continuing our updated analysis of points league tiered rankings with the hot corner. Third base has a treasure trove of fantasy stars in the making, if things break right of course. If you are relatively new to points leagues, you need to pay close attention to the difference between these rankings and that […]

Updated Outfield Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

As we enter the final stretch for drafting it is time to take a look at the latest iteration of points leagues rankings from our amazing hard working rankings staff. Starting with the outfield is always fun because there is so much depth at the position, especially if you only require three of them, as […]

H2H Points League Pitchers - Overvalued & Undervalued

If a rotisserie fantasy baseball league had a younger brother, it would be the points league. Not that it’s necessarily inferior, but the points format is trying to make a name for itself after the roto leagues have paved the way for decades. It’s a setup that’s gaining some popularity as it pits you against […]

X-Rays Negative On Jose Ramirez

Updating a previous report, X-rays on Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez (knee) came back negative on Sunday after he fouled a pitch off his left knee. The All-Star third baseman was carted off the field in the spring game in the third inning against the White Sox. There is no immediate timetable for his […]

Jose Ramirez Carted Off Field Sunday

Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez was carted off the field on Sunday in spring action after fouling a pitch off the inside of his left leg in the third inning against the White Sox. The All-Star immediately dropped to the ground and stayed down for several minutes before being joined by the team's medical […]

Indians Sign Brad Miller

The Cleveland Indians signed free-agent infielder Brad Miller to a major league contract on Sunday. Miller signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers on Feb. 27 but opted out of his contract on March 21. He will start the season on the Opening Day roster with both shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf) and second baseman […]

Updated Starting Pitcher Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We're back up on the bump for this edition of our mixed rankings analysis, and not a moment too soon. The 2019 baseball season is already here! RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel want to make sure you are prepared for last-minute drafts, so they have given their […]

Hanley Ramirez To Make Opening Day Roster

Cleveland Indians first baseman Hanley Ramirez has made the team's Opening Day roster, manager Terry Francona confirmed on Sunday. Han-Ram signed a minor league deal in February and entered Sunday hitting .278/.316/.528 with two home runs and eight RBI in 36 spring at-bats. He'll be an option for at-bats at first base but won't be […]

Updated Second Base Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

Continuing on our points league tiered rankings analysis we move over to the keystone position. Second base has the deepest talent pool that it's seen in recent years as it’s full of elite bats at the top and high-upside youngsters in the lower tiers. With two games in the regular season already in the books, […]

H2H Points Leagues First Basemen - Overvalued & Undervalued

For those fantasy enthusiasts that love the head-to-head competition and being able to trash talk their friends every week, the points league is the ideal setup. For the casual player in this format, it’s common to unknowingly draft using a standard top-300 list from a magazine or website. These lists base themselves on roto formats, […]

2019 Fantasy Baseball Busts - RotoBaller Staff Picks

As you get ready for last-minute drafts or reflect on recent results, we wanted to give our staff the chance to share their least favorite preseason ADP values. We recently polled some of our fantasy baseball writers to get their take on which hitters and pitchers they are likely to avoid in the early rounds of […]

Pitchers Who Changed Scenes - Preseason Risers and Fallers

Several impact hitters switched teams for 2019, but other than Patrick Corbin, not so many pitchers, especially as we await the fates of Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel. And, if Milwaukee signs Kimbrel in light of Corey Knebel's elbow, it shouldn't be that different an experience for his shareholders than Boston was last season given […]

Carlos Santana (3B/1B, CLE) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 170 ANALYSIS: Carlos Santana has been fairly consistent, and to some extent, you know what you are getting. Depending on your league and needs, that can be a good thing or a bad thing. If your league and roster construction require an upside play, then Santana would not be your guy. […]

Hitters Who Changed Scenes - Preseason Risers and Fallers

The constant and inevitable churn of players and teams continued this offseason, as it does being "constant" and all. A change of scenery having an effect in and of itself is a bit cliche and probably inaccurate, but changing parks and changing teammates will certainly have its effect on a player's stat line. One player […]

March ADP Musings - Overvalued / Undervalued Relief Pitchers

If you've played fantasy baseball long enough, you've heard some variation of the phrase "don't pay for saves" before. If you're new to the fantasy baseball community, you'll get used to it soon enough. The long-form version, for those of you who are indeed trying out fantasy baseball for the first time, is this: bullpen […]

2019 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers - RotoBaller Staff Picks

As we get set for the 2019 MLB season, it's time for our crack staff to reveal their favorite preseason sleepers. We recently polled some of our fantasy baseball writers to get their take on which hitters and pitchers they are targeting the most in the mid-to-late rounds of fantasy drafts. While you've likely heard […]

Bradley Zimmer To Start Season On Injured List

Cleveland Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer continues to advance in his rehab from right shoulder surgery last July, but he will begin the regular season on the injured list. “[Zimmer] has done a terrific job of rehabbing and things,” manager Terry Francona said. “He’s light years ahead of where we thought he’d be at this time. […]

Jason Kipnis Out 7-10 Days With Calf Strain

Cleveland Indians second baseman/outfielder Jason Kipnis won't do any baseball activities for seven to 10 days after an MRI exam showed a low-grade right calf strain. He has battled tightness in his right calf for the last week and was taken out of Wednesday's spring game after the pain continued. Eric Stamets had some tightness […]

Francisco Lindor To Start On Injured List

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf) will start the season on the injured list. The All-Star has been out since Feb. 6 with a moderate right calf strain but has checked off almost every box in order to get back into major league games. The earliest he can return to the lineup is now April […]

Updated Shortstop Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

Our updated fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis rolls on with the shortstop position. With the 2019 MLB season technically underway in Japan, RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel have given their rankings a final update. Check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard for a current list any time. Shortstop […]

Updated Outfielder Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with a look at the star-studded outfield position With the 2019 season beginning in a matter of days, RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel have given their preseason rankings a final update. Check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard for a […]

Nate Green's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

Here at RotoBaller, we offer only the best, most factually-grounded fantasy analysis. Then, once a year, along comes everyone's favorite exercise: the Bold Predictions. Ah yes, wherein those of us who write analysis about a sabermetric-driven sport are encouraged to make the wildest guesses about the coming season in fantasy baseball. Some statistical basis ought […]

First Basemen Set To Break Out in 2019

First base is no longer the premier position it once was for fantasy baseball. Aging sluggers have not been replaced by all-around talents for the large part and it has left a massive gulf in quality. Part of the decline in hitting has been due to the demand to get better fielders at first base, […]

George Valera May Be Best Pure Minor League Hitter

Cleveland Indians outfielder George Valera, the team's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, could emerge as one of the best pure minor league hitters, according to scouts. His season was cut short after just six games in 2018 due to a broken hamate bone, but he has a sweet left-handed swing, an advanced approach, plate […]

Adam Plutko Sent to Triple-A

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Adam Plutko was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Thursday. Plutko filled in for a few games as a starter last season, but struggled to a 5.28 ERA. He'll serve as rotation depth at Triple-A, but will likely see at least a few starts if injuries strike the Cleveland starting rotation. He […]

Updated Third Base Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We move to the left side on the infield now in our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with the third base position. The 2019 baseball season is already here! RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel want to make sure you are prepared for last-minute drafts, so they have […]

Ellis Canady's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

Bold predictions. The time where we come up with ideas that should happen because in our minds they make sense. Statistical analysis, prognostication, voodoo, card reader, etc. None of these are completely certain methods to achieve the forecast that we have in mind. So, we put our idea to text, bury them in the digital […]