ADP Cost Analysis - Sean Newcomb vs. Freddy Peralta
Two pitchers that have the ability to either strike out five batters in a row or walk five batters in a row, this ADP showdown will pit Sean Newcomb and Freddy Peralta. Newcomb was a first-round pick by the Angels in 2014 and Peralta was nothing more than a sleeper leading into 2018, but each […]
Albert Pujols Will Be Ready For Opening Day
Los Angeles Angels first baseman/designated hitter Albert Pujols (knee) said his knee is healthy and that he'll be ready for Opening Day. He is unsure if he will play in Cactus League games right away, but he'll be fine for the start of the regular season. The 39-year-old was limited to just 465 at-bats last […]
Shohei Ohtani Hopes To Hit Off Tee Next Week
Los Angeles Angels designated hitter/starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (elbow) is hoping he can move to hitting off a tee in the next week. Ohtani is a two-way star that won American League Rookie of the Year in 2018, but he had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and won't pitch at all in 2019. […]
NFBC Draft and Hold Strategy - Late-Round Offensive Category Targets (Premium Content)
All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. With the growing interest in draft-and-hold formats, new draft strategy prep is critical for full season runs at the title. For those who are new to the format, typically teams draft 27 starters in a live draft, with 27 players joining the team in […]
ADP Champ or Chump - Justin Turner and Max Muncy
We're heading to the sunny destination of Los Angeles. The Dodgers are coming off back-to-back World Series defeats and are not short of big names in their ranks. However, the success of their hitters is often overshadowed by their pitching. Last year the Dodgers went all-in and had a massive excess of hitting talent across […]
2019 Bullpen Outlooks - American League West
Last up in our coverage of the bullpens in each division is the American League West. The AL West has some solid bullpens and some huge question marks. Two teams feature closers who are brand new to their team and the other three will have relievers returning to their roles. There are both high-upside and […]
Matt Harvey Suffers Gluteus Strain
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Matt Harvey (gluteus) suffered a glute strain during agility drills in camp and will be out for around a week and a half. Manager Brad Ausmus said that Harvey should still be ready for the start of the season. Formerly known as the Dark Knight, Harvey is now approaching 30 […]
Orlando Arcia (SS, MIL) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 315 CURRENT ADP: ~340 overall ANALYSIS: Orlando Arcia was pegged by numerous fantasy baseball experts a year ago as a sleeper for the 2018 season. After polishing off his first full year in the majors in 2017 where he batted .277 with 15 home runs, 56 R, 53 RBI, and 14 […]
Nick Tropeano Suffers Setback With Shoulder
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Nick Tropeano (shoulder) said he had a setback with his right shoulder in December and just recently resumed light throwing. That means he's unlikely to be ready for Opening Day after initially being a candidate for a rotation spot. The 28-year-old also missed all of the 2017 season due to […]
2019 MLB Fantasy Outlooks - Starting Pitchers
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 a player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting […]
ADP Cost Analysis - Eddie Rosario vs. Aaron Hicks
After years of struggles at the plate early in their careers, Eddie Rosario and Aaron Hicks both figured something out in 2017, which they were able to transfer to 2018. Rosario hit .288/.323/.479 last year with 24 home runs, 77 RBI, eight steals, and 87 runs scored. Meanwhile, Hicks hit .248/.366/.467 with 27 home runs, […]
Albert Pujols Cleared For All Activities
Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols (elbow, knee) is in camp already and is cleared for all activities, according to manager Brad Ausmus. Pujols had multiple surgeries last year and is quickly declining at the plate as he enters his age-39 season. The future Hall of Famer still has some pop (19 homers last […]
Zack Cozart Says He's Ready For Season
Los Angeles Angels third baseman Zack Cozart, who missed the second half of 2018 after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, said he's feeling healthy and should be ready for Opening Day. "Honestly, if today was Day 1 of the actual season, I could play," Cozart said Tuesday. He also […]
Angels Targeting May For Shohei Ohtani's Return
Los Angeles Angels manager Brad Ausmus said that designated hitter/starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (elbow) doesn't have a set timetable, but "we're thinking May." He'll miss at least the first month of the season and possibly more, but Ohtani can still be a difference maker at a reduced cost with his bat after hitting .285/.361/.564 with […]
Mid-Round Outfielders - 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 […]
Shohei Ohtani Can Be Game-Changer At DH
Even though Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (elbow) won't pitch at all in 2019 after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, he could be a game-changer for fantasy owners in a DH spot. Ohtani joined Babe Ruth as the only players to hit 20 home runs and make 10 pitching outings […]
How to Approach Rookies in Re-Draft for Success
With the NFL season officially a thing of the past, we can now turn our undivided fantasy attention to preparing for our baseball drafts. We are still waiting on the answers to a few key questions (such as, I don't know, where Bryce Harper and Manny Machado might play their home games?), but we have […]
Three Up, Three Down for Prospects - Shortstop
Shortstops are generally the most athletic players on the field. It is also a very important position, defensively, but we don’t really concern ourselves with that in fantasy, aside from ensuring a player will be able to stay on the field. As usual, there is a vast collection of athletic players to choose from, and the […]
Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 6 - Pull Percentage
Earlier in this series, we saw that fantasy owners generally prefer batters to hit the ball into the air in order to have a chance at a home run. Yet, all fly balls are not equal for this purpose. A player can maximize his power production by pulling the ball in the air. One way […]
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 […]
ADP Champ or Chump - Nicholas Castellanos and Justin Upton
After the third tier of outfielders, fantasy owners have a few options before they find themselves left with only OF3-type candidates. Former teammates, Nicholas Castellanos and Justin Upton are the 24th and 25th outfielders going in drafts. They’re separated by 10 picks in ADP, at 87 and 97 respectively. Upton has the advantage in history […]
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 […]
Top 130 Prospect Rankings for 2019 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Leagues
Prospects. For fantasy baseball enthusiasts, we are always looking to know about the next wave of prospects, rookies and call-ups. More than most other sports, baseball gives us a fresh influx of rookie talent every single year. Impact prospects are called-up both before and during the MLB season. Knowing about the right prospect, and drafting/adding him […]
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. […]
Daniel Palka - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper
With the increase in power production across the board in real/fantasy baseball, owners are finding it much easier to add a 20-plus homer option late in drafts. And yet, not all sluggers are created equal. Take for example the infamous Chris Carter, who even with 41 homers in 2016 has yet to find, or keep, […]
Shohei Ohtani Won't Be Ready For Opening Day
While Los Angeles Angels designated hitter/starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani's (elbow) checkup with Dr. Neal ElAttrache went well, general manager Billy Eppler said the star two-way player won't be ready for Opening Day. Ohtani has been cleared for "full strengthening" rehab but has yet to swing a bat. Dry swings will be his next step. Ohtani's […]
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 […]
ADP Champ or Chump - Eduardo Escobar and Paul DeJong
In the past two years, baseball has seen an explosion in the number of shortstops with legitimate home run power. Everyone from Francisco Lindor to Tim Anderson seems capable of belting 20 dingers on an annual basis. Most of those players are being drafted in the first 10 rounds or so, but both of our […]
Second Base - 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 keystone position. Traditionally a scarce position in fantasy, second base has truly risen over the past few years, and truthfully I'd be happy […]