Royals Won't Have Set Closer In 2019

Even though Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Wily Peralta was perfect in his 14 save chances while filling in for Kelvin Herrera last year, manager Ned Yost said the team won't have a set closer this year. Yost will think of his relievers mainly as "high-leverage" guys, which includes Peralta, Jake Diekman, Tim Hill and […]

ADP Champ or Chump - Jackie Bradley Jr. and Juan Soto

You've probably heard people say that position scarcity is dead, as there is plenty of talent available at every offensive position save catcher and all catchers are about the same level of blech. This is true in standard 12-team leagues and some deeper formats, but it's not the case in the deepest leagues (20+ teams) […]

Updated Catcher Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with everyone's favorite - the catcher 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 current […]

Harris Yudin's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

Despite whiffing on more than half, my 2018 predictions were highlighted by the claim that Christian Yelich would return first-round value. I was also justifiably optimistic about Matt Chapman’s breakout and Khris Davis’ impending title of Home Run King. So, I figured, the best plan of attack for 2019 was to use the same template […]

Bullpen Busts Due to Bounce-Back in 2019

It's almost time for Opening Day! Spring Training is wrapping up and so are fantasy baseball drafts. So as we get ready for the start of the season, let's take a look at a few bullpen guys who might be a little underappreciated in drafts this year. Now with a couple of guys on this […]

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

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with the second base position. With the 2019 season kicking off 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 current list […]

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

The clock ticks ever closer to Opening Day and we here at RotoBaller are back to give one final round of position-by-position analysis with a mixed-league, 5x5 framework. We’re going to start at the most glorious position on the field: first base. No, I didn’t play first myself, why do you ask? While there are […]

Dave Emerick's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

I'll openly acknowledge that I don't really do bold predictions. I sit, read, think, and then watch the players play. If I see something, maybe I'll write an article. But in the spirit of fun, I've put together my own version of 10 Bold Predictions that will definitely, almost probably come to pass.Be sure to […]

Top 690: Updated H2H Points League Rankings

Welcome back RotoBallers. Spring training is in full swing, and we couldn't be more excited for fantasy baseball drafts and the approaching MLB season. Below you will find our staff's updated fantasy baseball points league rankings (top 690) for head-to-head points formats. Be sure to also check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard and bookmark that page. It's loaded […]

Top 770: Updated 5x5 Roto Rankings (Mixed Leagues)

Welcome back RotoBallers. Spring training is in full swing, and we couldn't be more excited for fantasy baseball drafts and the approaching MLB season. Below you will find our staff's updated fantasy baseball mixed league rankings (top 770) for 5x5 category mixed roto formats. Be sure to also check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard and bookmark that page. […]

Brad Keller To Start On Opening Day

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller, 23, will start on Opening Day for the team this year. The former Rule 5 draft pick will face the White Sox at home on March 28. Keller was the team's best starter in 2018, going 9-6 with a 3.08 ERA. He struck out just 6.2 hitters per […]

Danny Duffy A Candidate For Extended Spring Training

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Danny Duffy (shoulder) threw around 10 fastballs off the mound over the weekend and will throw around 25 to 30 pitches (some breaking pitches too) off a mound on Wednesday. He is a candidate to pitch in extended spring training and isn't expected to be ready for the start of […]

Nick Mariano's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

2018 was a banner season for baseball's Marianos, as Mariano Rivera was headed full steam ahead towards a unanimous Hall of Fame entry and yours truly was cruising with the most accurate fantasy baseball ranks of the season per FantasyPros, unbeknownst to me until recently. I'm still riding high off of that and you're all […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball Part 12 - Spin Rate

Spin rate has become one of the most recognizable Statcast metrics, with supporters of a given pitcher highlighting his spin rates to make their case. Unfortunately, the baseball world has done a lousy job conveying what spin rate really means. The result has been a ton of owners who know that spin rate exists, but […]

Kyle Bishop's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

2018 was a season to forget for yours truly, both in terms of fantasy performance and hit rate on bold predictions. In the first three years as a participant in this feature, I connected on three per article, with a few others in the realm of respectable. Last year? An 0-fer, and most of them […]

Breakout Relievers Due for Regression In 2019

One of the hardest positions to pinpoint fantasy value for each season is a relief pitcher. You have your handful of dominant closers who are fantasy staples, but the remainder of fantasy value usually comes from surprise players who step into the closer role or are starters with reliever eligibility. With the progressing shift towards […]

More Later-Round Closer Candidates - Targets and Avoids

Once you reach the later rounds of drafts, you start thinking about upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. These are the rounds to take risks on more unknown commodities like prospects, forgotten-about veterans, players returning from injuries or players that have previously showed promise but haven't put it all together yet. […]

Nick Mariano's Early-Round Avoids in H2H Points Leagues (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Fantasy baseball drafts (and their articles) are almost all about finding the next superstar and unearthing talent late, but we can't forget that surrendering value by over-drafting can be just as crucial. There's insight out there for most anything, but coverage of points leagues […]

How to Avoid Cognitive Bias on Draft Day

Cognitive bias: whether or not we fully understand what it means or how it operates, we have all seen it at one time or another on draft day, regardless of the sport in question. It can take the form of a co-worker who insists on drafting a full roster of players from their favorite hometown […]

The Winning Way to Draft Relief Pitchers

We've gone through each division, team by team. We've talked about the top setup men you should know about this season. We've looked at handcuffs and which closers you should have a backup for on draft day. It's a lot of information, but how does it apply to your league? Most people play in standard 5x5 […]

Spring Training Notes from the Field - Early Reactions

Finally, baseball is back. There might be no better feeling than being able to turn on the television and see a live game, even if it does not count for anything in the win column. While some of the players are new to fans, and some players even lack names on their jerseys, the energy […]

RotoBaller H2H Draft Strategy Primer

Fantasy baseball, much like the sport itself, it is one of the more complex to follow closely. Compared to fantasy football, in which nearly every league was head-to-head before the advent of best-ball, fantasy baseball comes in a variety of formats. Many leagues are roto-style, 5x5 category-scoring, with cumulative season-long stats. While that is the […]

Danny Duffy Behind Other Starters

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Danny Duffy has been dealing with left shoulder tightness in camp and played catched on Monday and Wednesday with no issues. However, his readiness for the start of the season is in question and he is behind the other pitchers in his progression. Duffy thinks he'll build his arm strength […]

2019 Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Outlooks - Closer Handcuffs

We've covered each division and we've looked at the top setup men around the league. So what's next? Something that's too often overlooked in fantasy baseball yet maybe too often hyped up in fantasy football: The Handcuff. Anyone who plays fantasy football knows about handcuffs and usually spends a roster spot or two on a […]

Salvador Perez Out For 2019 Season

A second opinion on Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez's injured right elbow from specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Tuesday confirmed a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. Perez is scheduled to have season-ending Tommy John surgery on Wednesday. He could be ready for Opening Day in 2020 if the surgery and rehab go […]

ADP Champ or Chump - Garrett Hampson and Rougned Odor

Traditionally, fantasy talent is evenly distributed between the keystone and shortstop positions, but shortstop looks considerably stronger heading into 2019. As such, you should probably plan to draft at least two SS-eligible players to cover your SS and MI slots. That said, you still need at least one second baseman to fill out your roster. […]

ADP Comparison - Overpriced / Underpriced Players on CBS

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 […]

ADP Comparison - Overpriced / Underpriced Players on ESPN

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 […]

Salvador Perez Reportedly Needs Tommy John

Kansas City Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez has been diagnosed with ligament damage, and the team fears that he will need Tommy John surgery according to manager Ned Yost. The team has not confirmed the report yet and Perez is seeking a second opinion, but all indicators point towards Perez not playing this season. With […]

Platoon Watch - Part-Time Infielders Worth Drafting

Platooning in major league baseball is becoming more common every year. With this mentality, teams play lefty/righty matchups to get the daily batter versus pitcher advantage. They also use this method to try to defend players against a potential injury and keep them fresh. While platooning may look smart on the surface, it’s not always […]