Griffin Canning Has Chronic Changes To UCL

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning's (elbow) MRI exam showed "chronic changes to the UCL" and acute-joint irritation. Canning will take more tests over the next few days before the team updates his status. For what it's worth, the right-hander thinks he has "normal wear and tear" in his elbow. The 23-year-old will be […]

Elite Starters and Pitching Trends Revisited

Last year I wrote a series [Part 1, Part 2, Part 3] on whether we were properly valuing elite starting pitchers. The basic premise was that we were likely to see fantasy-relevant starters (not openers) throw fewer innings again in 2019. I hypothesized that if there were fewer and fewer starting pitchers providing 200 innings […]

ADP Cost Analysis: Gleyber Torres vs Max Muncy

Fantasy baseball is a great game, and there may not be a better time of the season than draft prep. The numbers are flying around, and the group texts are saying that it's Acuna's year to be No. 1 while others take the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach with Mike Trout. The […]

Justin Upton Flying Under The Radar

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Justin Upton will be looking to bounce back this season after a knee injury sidelined him for most of 2019. By the time the veteran could make it on the field, he played only 63 games and slashed an abysmal .215/.309/.416. But Upton claims he is healthy and, even better, is […]

Griffin Canning Going For Elbow MRI

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning (elbow) came up with an elbow issue after his first spring outing on Wednesday, and he's going for an MRI exam on Thursday. Manager Joe Maddon said he's somewhat concerned. The 23-year-old missed the end of last season with right elbow inflammation, but it was precautionary. Canning is […]

Engel's Angles: ADP Insights, Perspectives on Aaron Judge and Ketel Marte (Premium Content)

Spring training exhibition play has just opened and expert draft season is here. The trends are being firmly established on how to draft, and where to draft certain players. We all know pure ace top starters are going to be taken very early, and there will be a high emphasis on garnering top speed merchants. […]

RotoBaller Friends & Family Industry Mock Draft: What the Experts Were Thinking

The RotoBaller Friends & Family Mock Draft has become an annual tradition where we gather some of the biggest names from the fantasy baseball world and put together a mock draft just as spring training has commenced. Thanks to RT Sports for once again hosting and providing a custom draft site where readers could follow […]

H2H Points League Draft Strategy

Points leagues are essentially the rawest version of fantasy baseball. These are not players, these are stat-lines and you want to put up as many points per week as possible. Do not get too attached to underperforming players who have name-value and potential. There is a stark difference in draft strategy when it comes to […]

Ty Buttrey To Throw Again Thursday

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Ty Buttrey (side) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday and will throw another one on Saturday or Sunday and then again on Wednesday before getting into a spring training game in early March. Buttrey is dealing with an intercostal issue but has plenty of time to get […]

Julio Teheran To Make A Start Next Week

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Julio Teheran (hamstring) was scratched from the spring game against the Dodgers due to left hamstring tightness, but he said the injury is minor and is expected to make his next start either Monday or Tuesday. An MRI exam came back clean and the Angels think it was more of […]

Julio Teheran Won't Start Wednesday

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Julio Teheran (hamstring) will miss his spring training start on Wednesday due to left hamstring tightness. An MRI exam came back negative, however, according to general manager Billy Eppler. Griffin Canning will get the start on the mound instead against the Dodgers. It doesn't sound like a serious injury for […]

ADP Showdown: Anthony Rendon vs. Rafael Devers

The first two rounds in your fantasy draft can be challenging because each available player is tremendously skilled with significant upside. Every pick looks desirable, so it’s important to try to determine which player has a greater likelihood of producing superior fantasy production. This can be accomplished by examining overall production and team context.  This […]

Mike Trout Walks And Scores In Spring Debut

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout walked and scored in the first inning of the Angels 7-3 spring training win over the Reds. The Angels unleashed most of their starters for the first time this spring and scored two runs in each of their first three innings played for an early 6-0 lead. The team's […]

Albert Pujols Drives In Two Runs

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Albert Pujols cracked a two-run single in the Angels 7-3 spring training win over the Reds on Tuesday. The Angels got a taste of what this new-look lineup is capable of in the first inning with Mike Trout coaxing a walk, Anthony Rendon smacking a single and Pujols cashing in […]

Anthony Rendon Makes Instant Impact

Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon went 2-for-2 in his first spring game with the Angels on Tuesday. The big-name offseason signee of the season wasted little time, singling and later scoring in the first inning of the Angels 7-3 victory. He came up with runners on base in the second inning and promptly […]

David Fletcher Hears Praise From Joe Maddon

Los Angeles Angels infielder/outfielder David Fletcher has earned early praise from his new manager Joe Maddon. Fletcher enjoyed a solid season last year, hitting .290 while playing excellent infield defense and appearing in a career-high 154 games. Now Maddon wants to utilize him in the outfield. "I want to get him in the game as […]

Brandon Marsh Injures Elbow

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Brandon Marsh (elbow) suffered a left elbow strain and could be on the shelf for the rest of the spring. The 22-year-old prospect suffered the injury attempting a diving catch in the outfield and his timetable to return is unknown at this time. The Angels were hoping that Marsh could compete for […]

Felix Pena Likely To Open Season As Reliever

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Felix Pena (knee) is likely to open the season as a reliever instead of a starter if he makes the team's Opening Day roster. Pena is recovering from a torn ACL last year and hasn't been built up as a starter this spring. The 29-year-old (30 on Tuesday) Dominican pitched in […]

Hansel Robles Expected To Be Closer

Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon said it's a pretty safe bet that relief pitcher Hansel Robles will enter the season as the team's closer. This was the expectation all along, with Ty Buttrey likely to serve as the primary eighth-inning setup man. Robles had a nice 2.48 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 23 saves […]

Tommy La Stella Hitless In Debut

Los Angeles Angels infielder Tommy La Stella went 0-for-2 in his spring training debut on Monday. La Stella got off to a fantastic start last season but it was derailed on June 30 when he broke his leg. In his first 78 games, La Stella slashed .300/.353/.495 with seven doubles, 16 home runs and 44 […]

2020 Outfield Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

We've been breaking down rankings for points leagues over the last couple of weeks in order to prepare fantasy owners for draft day. To check out previous analysis articles by position, click the following links: first base, second base, third base, shortstop, catcher, starting pitcher, relief pitcher. Outfield is obviously the deepest of all positions […]

Shohei Ohtani Throws Bullpen Session

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (elbow) threw a light bullpen session on Sunday. This is an intriguing step in the right direction for the two-way player, who played primarily as an offensive player last season while he recovered from Tommy John surgery. Ohtani has plenty of hurdles to continue to clear before he […]

2020 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers – Jo Adell

The most coveted type of player in fantasy baseball is the batter who can hit home runs, steal bases and hit for contact. Stolen bases are harder to find, as more big-league teams are opting to take a cautious approach to baserunning. Additionally, batting average has declined because hitters are striking out more often, as […]

ADP Showdown – Trevor Story vs. Trea Turner

Pitchers and catchers have officially reported and position player workouts are getting underway, which means baseball season is officially upon us! Maybe you haven’t started prepping for your drafts, but fortunately for you, there have already been plenty of drafts, which means that fantasy players out there have already started dealing with tough draft position […]

Finding Combo-Player Values Using Z-Scores and ATC Projections

Towards the end of last season, I asked the question – “Draft Speed or Pound the Power?” Loaded in this seemingly simple query are two contradictory approaches – one for power and one for speed. Power Approach 1: Home run totals are dramatically up in baseball these days. Therefore, there are many power bats available […]

2020 Keeper Value Rankings - Third Base

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 […]

Ty Buttrey Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Ty Buttrey (oblique) played catch on Thursday and threw at around 60-70 percent intensity and "felt good, no pain, throwing." Buttrey had an MRI exam less than week ago on his oblique, but he's expected to be ready by Opening Day as the primary eighth-inning setup man for Hansel Robles. […]

2020 Second Base Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

Points leagues may seem like a slight variation from traditional 5x5 category scoring leagues but you must approach draft day with a different strategy if you wish to truly compete. Rankings themselves are a different beast altogether, as category specialists like Mallex Smith and Dee Gordon (stolen bases), Kyle Schwarber and Franmil Reyes (home runs), […]

2020 Second Base Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues

As the season draws near, we realize more and more 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 […]

Six Undervalued Draft Targets for Mixed Leagues

Heading into 2020, there are a number of players who had poor 2019 campaigns that should bounce back strong. Some of these players are presently undervalued by fantasy owners for one reason or another. In this article, I'll identify a few such players who should outperform their current ADP in 2020. While each of these […]