Nick Mariano's 2019 Draft Sleepers List (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. It's everyone's favorite pre-draft word to throw around and likely threatens to take the top spot on some Google Analytics the closer we get to that premier fantasy baseball draft season. Yup, we're talking about sleepers. But let's just get this out of the way: […]

Top 10 First Base Prospects - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Rankings

We're back with another list of 2019 impact prospects. Today the focus is on first base. While it is never fully stocked with quality depth, this might be the weakest the position has ever been heading into the season. With such a shallow group of options, it is important to know who will be called […]

Josh Hayes' 2019 Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. The fantasy baseball season is here! For those fantasy players looking to get an edge on their 2019 leagues, Best Ball formats are a great way to get a head start on the players that look to be ADP risers this season. One key […]

Jorge Soler Says He's Fully Healthy

Kansas City Royals outfielder Jorge Soler (foot) showed up healthy and ready to go in camp this week. He was hitting .265 with 18 doubles, nine home runs and 28 RBI in mid-June last year when he fractured the first metatarsal bone in his left foot and missed the rest of the season. Soler (27 […]

Top 10 Second Base Prospects - 2019 Redraft Rankings

Continuing our 2019 prospect preview series, the stop today is at the keystone - second base. As noted in the other pieces so far on the position, second base offers a ton of variety in terms of the player profiles, future roles, and proximity to the Majors. In general, though, the players on this list […]

RotoBaller's Industry Experts Mock Draft - The King's Perspective

At RotoBaller, we recently assembled a group of fantasy baseball experts to take part in the RotoBaller Friends and Family Expert Mock Draft. Our participants came from all over the industry, representing a host of various sites such as: CBS Sports (Heath Cummings) The Athletic (Nando Di Fino) Fantasy Alarm (Howard Bender) Fangraphs (Alex Chamberlain) […]

ADP Debate - Mallex Smith vs. Victor Robles

When given the choice between a mostly-unproven talent who could contribute something in five categories on one hand, and a newly-successful player likely to be limited in HR and RBI, who would you pick? This is essentially the choice presented by Mallex Smith and Victor Robles this draft season. Both are being drafted within the […]

Orioles Sign Alcides Escobar

The Baltimore Orioles signed free-agent shortstop Alcides Escobar to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training on Saturday. The 32-year-old former All-Star and Gold Glove winner will give the team experience and middle infield depth for 2019. He hit just .231/.279/.313 with 29 extra-base hits and 34 RBI in 140 games for […]

Three Up, Three Down for Prospects - Starting Pitchers

A starter, a starter! My fantasy league for a starter! We're still three months away from the start of the season, but now is the perfect time to take a look at some starting pitcher prospects on the rise and some that need to turn things around. Last season saw several pitchers make their highly […]

Platoon At First Base For Ryan O'Hearn, Hunter Dozier?

Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost said he's considering a "loose" platoon with first basemen Ryan O'Hearn and Hunter Dozier this year. Fantasy managers may not have heard of either player, but that is the state of the rebuilding Royals in 2019. O'Hearn, who swings left-handed, hit .262/.353/.597 with 12 home runs and 30 RBI […]

Mid-Round Shortstops - Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Here at RotoBaller, we've been producing fantasy baseball analysis all offseason. As part of that, our awesome MLB team has written up detailed 2019 fantasy baseball outlooks for 400+ players. These player outlooks include RotoBaller's analysis on how we expect player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting stats […]

Ned Yost Not Defining Closer Role

Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost may not name a specific closer heading into the regular season. "The roles will define themselves over time," Yost said. "My mindset has been [to go with a] closer in the past. Now, I think more in terms of high-leverage situation. When do you use that guy in high […]

ADP Champ or Chump - Kyle Gibson and Miguel Sano

Fantasy owners frequently like drafting players on good teams because of the benefits of playing in a strong lineup. In 2019, the Astros, Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, and Dodgers clearly fit into this category. We also like drafting upside plays from rebuilding clubs like the Marlins or Royals because of the opportunity they have. A […]

Mid-Round Third Basemen - Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Here at RotoBaller, we've been producing fantasy baseball analysis all offseason. As part of that, our awesome MLB team has written up detailed 2019 fantasy baseball outlooks for 400+ players. These player outlooks include RotoBaller's analysis on how we expect player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting stats […]

Royals Sign Homer Bailey

The Kansas City Royals signed free-agent starting pitcher Homer Bailey to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training on Saturday. Bailey had spent his whole career with the Reds until he was sent to the Dodgers in the trade involving outfielder Yasiel Puig this offseason. The Dodgers then released the oft-injured veteran. […]

Ricky Nolasco Looks To Resurrect Career In Arizona

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training on Friday. The team also added veteran relief pitcher Mark Rzepczynski on a similar deal. Nolasco was released at the end of spring training in 2018 after a failed bid to make the roster of the Kansas […]

Jorge Soler (OF, KC) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 325 CURRENT ADP: ~345 overall ANALYSIS: You’ve probably heard this one before, but for the umpteenth time, Kansas City Royals outfielder Jorge Soler is officially on sleeper watch. The 26-year-old has been flirting with a breakthrough ever since he made the move to the American League in 2016. Amid their […]

Mallex Smith (OF, SEA) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 75 CURRENT ADP: ~100 overall ANALYSIS: After debuting back in 2016, Mallex Smith played his first full year in the majors and finally lived up to the hype revolving around his speed. Spending over half of his bats at the bottom of the order with the Tampa Bay Rays, Smith […]

2019 Bullpen Outlooks - American League Central

Moving right along with our pre-season coverage of the bullpens around the league, let's give the American League Central a look. Most "baseball people" are predicting the AL Central to be one of the worst divisions in the league in 2019, but that doesn't mean there won't be plenty of fantasy value coming out of […]

Nate Karns Signs With Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles signed free-agent starting pitcher Nate Karns to a one-year, $800,000 deal on Thursday. The deal includes $200,000 in incentives. It speaks to how bad the Orioles pitching staff is that Karns will have a shot to win a rotation spot in spring training. The 31-year-old right-hander didn't pitch at all in 2018 […]

Royals Agree With Brad Boxberger

The Kansas City Royals agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal with free-agent relief pitcher Brad Boxberger on Wednesday, according to a source. Boxberger was an All-Star with the Rays in 2015 when he notched a career-high 41 saves, and he had a 4.39 ERA with 32 saves for the Diamondbacks last season while striking out […]

Starting Pitcher - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

Fantasy experts are placing a bigger emphasis on drafting elite starters early this year. It is apparent this strategy is making its way across the fantasy community, as the high-end starters are being valued higher than before. In points leagues, this is a wise methodology, as an ace can serve as the backbone of a […]

Scooter Gennett - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

Sleepers typically have one or more of some certain characteristics that make them seem undesirable. That may include playing for a bad team, old age, lack of the “big name” or “big prospect,” or the “too good to be true” factor. Scooter Gennett is safely in his prime at age 28, but he plays for […]

RotoBaller's Triple Play Podcast - AL Central Breakdown with MLB OF Greg Allen

RotoBaller fantasy baseball experts Mike the Roto Cop, Anthony Aniano, and Danny Baseball take a look at the at latest fantasy baseball free agent news, and dig deep with MLB Outfielder Greg Allen. In this podcast you will hear about: Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, Nelson Cruz, Eddie Rosario, CJ Cron, Jose Berrios Miguel Cabrera, Nicholas […]

Relief Pitcher - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

It’s never too early to start looking toward the fantasy baseball season, and I’m here to continue RotoBaller’s position-by-position rankings analysis series for points league and head-to-head (H2H) formats with the ever-volatile relief pitcher position. The "closer carousel" seems to spin faster and faster every year, and there are very few names in the 'set […]

Shortstop - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

It’s never too early to start looking toward the fantasy baseball season, so I’m here to carry on RotoBaller’s position-by-position rankings analysis series for points league and head-to-head (H2H) formats with the stars of the infield, the shortstops. The position is star-studded, and in roto leagues, I think I'd be comfortable with any of the […]

Outfield - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

It’s never too early to start looking toward the fantasy baseball season, so I’m here to continue RotoBaller’s position-by-position rankings analysis series for points league and head-to-head (H2H) formats with the incredibly deep outfield position. There is a seemingly neverending stream of useful bats, but there are still clear chokepoints where the risk portfolio thickens. […]

Catcher - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

It’s never too early to start looking toward the fantasy baseball season, and I’m here to continue RotoBaller’s position-by-position rankings analysis series for points league and head-to-head (H2H) formats with the increasingly scant catcher position. Traditionally a thin position to begin with, catcher seems to be growing thinner every year as far as fantasy production […]

Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 5 - Plate Discipline

No matter how high a particular player's BABIP may be, his average will be mediocre at best if he strikes out too much. This is why fantasy owners have known for years that players like Chris Davis are potential drains on a fantasy team's batting average. Furthermore, players that whiff a lot tend to continue […]

Third Base - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

The hot corner is stacked like never before, especially with the anticipated arrival of mega-prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Waiting on a third baseman won't hurt given the relative depth of the position. With the multi-position eligibility of several players on this list, one could easily grab several of these names within the first few rounds […]