Jon Anderson's Shortstop Tiered Rankings and Projections

I am on to shortstop in my position-by-position tiered rankings. Check out the rest of the series at the links below: First Base Second Base Third Base This is quite a different position than what we've seen so far with first and second base. There are four studs at the position, and lots and lots […]

Breakout Hitters and Late-Round Draft Targets: WPC+

Pierre Camus and Nicklaus Gaut identify hitters who could break out in 2021. Target these batters late in fantasy baseball drafts! Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio as well! Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius […]

Does Pitch Arsenal Really Matter?

In my research over the last couple of months, I have been paying close attention to the pitch mix of each pitcher I study. This means I want to know how many different pitches they can throw and how they distribute those different offerings. It seemed logical to me that pitchers with more pitches in […]

Emmanuel Clase (RP, CLE) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 400 CURRENT ADP: ~447 overall ANALYSIS: A suspension wiped out his 2020 season but it only serves to make him an even better value in 2021. With Brad Hand gone, there's a good chance Clase gets at least a handful of saves even if he doesn't win the job outright. The question is […]

Jon Anderson's Third Base Tiered Rankings and Projections

Welcome back to my own personal rankings series! Today we're covering third base, but you can check out the rest of the series at the links below: First Base Second Base Shortstop Third base may be the deepest position in terms of total statistical production that will come out of it, but that does not […]

Is J.T. Realmuto Worth the Draft Cost?

Every year, there seems to be one catcher who stands above all others when it comes to fantasy value and consequently draft price. In 2017, it was Gary Sanchez. In 2018, Salvador Perez. After the 2019 and 2020 seasons, J.T. Realmuto has clearly emerged as the top backstop in fantasy. Catcher is one of the […]

Edwin Rios Expected To See More Playing Time In 2021

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Edwin Rios will not be an everyday player in 2021 with the newly re-signed Justin Turner back in the fold. Nevertheless, Rios has serious sleeper upside, as the Dodgers will try to preserve the health of the 36-year-old Turner. Rios slashed .250/.301/.645 with eight homers and 17 RBI across 76 at-bats […]

Cody Bellinger Ahead Of Schedule Following Shoulder Surgery

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger (shoulder) underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right (non-throwing) shoulder after dislocating it in Game 7 of the NLCS while celebrating a home run. Bellinger said he's ahead of schedule in his recovery. He took dry swings and hit off a curveball machine on Tuesday and stood in during batting […]

Jon Anderson's Second Base Tiered Rankings and Projections

Happy drafting season everybody! We are back with another tiered ranking look, this time at second base. You can read about first base here. The way I went about this was to use current projections for each player and then average out each player's percentile rank in each of the five standard rotisserie categories (R, […]

2021 Third Base Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

We continue to move past the chaos of 2020 and onto a new baseball season full of promise. For fantasy baseball managers, draft season is already upon us. RotoBaller's rankers, Pierre Camus, Big Pick Nick Mariano, and I have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings as we now move on to evaluate the hot corner. […]

Cody Bellinger Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger (shoulder) is expected to be ready for Opening Day, according to manager Dave Roberts. Bellinger underwent shoulder surgery in November after injuring it in the final game of the World Series, but it wasn't expected to limit him at all entering the 2021 season. After winning the National League […]

Forty-Plus Homers In Reach For Cody Bellinger

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger won the National League MVP in 2019 when he hit .305 with 47 home runs and a 1.035 OPS, but his OPS fell by 246 points last year. While he may never be able to replicate that special 2019 season, there are reasons for optimism. Bellinger hit .284 with […]

Digging Into BB% Leaders - Cavan Biggio

When looking at a player’s stats, what we really want to know is how skilled he is, not necessarily just how a particular year happened to pan out. An output stat like walks can give us some meaningful information, but there is a lot more going on that might help us better understand how and […]

RotoBaller Mock Draft Review - Biggest Draft Value Picks

Welcome back RotoBallers! Today we're looking at some of the best value picks from our recent RotoBaller staff mock draft. You can also read about everyone's biggest draft reaches and regrets. As we steamroll into fantasy baseball draft season, the team here at RotoBaller continues to practice what we preach by partaking in mock drafts. […]

Roster Construction Strategies from the Middle

Drafting a great roster is the vital base for a successful fantasy baseball season. In order to do that, you'll need to find an optimal draft position. All draft spots are not created equal. Finding the right spot for you is your first task. Everyone has their own preference on the best spot to start […]

2021 Shortstop Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

Once upon a time, shortstop was one of the toughest positions to fill in fantasy baseball, just a small notch above catcher. 10 years ago, we were prioritizing Troy Tulowitzki and Hanley Ramirez near the top of drafts just because they filled that elusive shortstop spot. Sure, they were fantastic hitters – when healthy – […]

Jon Anderson's First Base Tiered Rankings and Projections

One way to improve at drafting a fantasy baseball team is to shift your focus away from straight-ordered rankings and into tiered rankings. This helps you identify spots in the draft where you need to prioritize a certain position and times when you can wait. The difference between the #2 and #3 first baseman is […]

Clayton Kershaw Plans To Pitch Beyond 2021

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who is entering the final season of his three-year, $93 million deal in 2021, made it clear that he plans to pitch again in 2022. "I have no intentions of hanging them up," Kershaw said Sunday. "I'm only 32. I feel like I have a few more years […]

RotoBaller Mock Draft Review - Biggest Reaches and Regrets

As we steamroll into fantasy baseball draft season, the team here at RotoBaller continues to practice what we preach by partaking in mock drafts. It's the best way to test out plans, gather information to have a better idea of what to expect for the real thing and try out new ideas you've been working […]

2021 Second Base Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

We continue to move past the chaos of 2020 and onto a new baseball season full of promise. For fantasy baseball managers, draft season is already upon us. RotoBaller's rankers, Pierre Camus, Big Pick Nick Mariano, and I have updated our 2021 Mixed League rankings as we now move on to evaluate the keystone position. […]

Fastball Barrel Board - Bases Loaded Podcast

Carmen Maiorano (@CarmsClubHouse) joins the show discuss his newest bit of research, his fastball barrel board. Subscribe to the Bases Loaded podcast, part of RotoBaller Radio's Podcast Network. Like and Subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio as well! Be sure to also tune […]

Are We Overvaluing Innings Pitched Projections?

One of the biggest questions that the 2020 season has caused for 2021 is concerning starting pitcher inning totals. The league leader in regular-season innings last year, as you've probably heard, was Lance Lynn with 84 innings. The average total for pitchers who made 10 or more starts was just 60 innings. In years prior […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Hitter Batted Ball Distribution

Fly balls can turn into home runs. Ground balls never do. It would seem as though fantasy owners want their batters to hit nothing but flies, yet this is not always the case. Why would this be? The answer, of course, comes down to batted ball distribution and how batters make contact. The league average […]

Gavin Lux A Forgotten Man Heading Into 2021

Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux was MLB's No. 2 prospect heading into last season, but he wound up playing just 19 games (69 plate appearances) while slashing .175/.246/.349 with three home runs in 2020. While Lux's playing time is still unclear on a loaded Dodgers roster, you shouldn't forget that he hit .392/.478/.719 […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: HR/FB

Using BABIP to predict a player's batting average is great. Batting average is a category in many league formats, and every hit is an opportunity to steal a base or score a run. But most fantasy managers find the long ball sexier. Every HR comes with a guaranteed run scored and at least one RBI. […]

Andrew Benintendi and Franchy Cordero Trade - Fantasy Impacts

We've seen a few blockbuster trades so far this offseason. Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco went to the Mets, while Yu Darvish and Blake Snell went to the Padres. These trades have significant fantasy implications, but it's important to also consider the impact of a minor trade that went down about a week ago, where […]

Top 250 Dynasty Prospects Rankings (Part 2)

Welcome back RotoBallers to Part 2 of my dynasty prospects list, breaking down the 51-150 ranked prospects. You can also read Part 1 and Part 3 from a few days ago, looking at the 1-50 and 151-250 ranked prospects. RotoBaller's Top 250 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects list is back and refreshed for the 2021 season. Baseball has […]

Kenley Jansen Expected To Close To Start 2021

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Kenley Jansen is expected to serve as the team's closer to start the 2021 season, according to manager Dave Roberts. Jansen struggled during the 2020 postseason and recorded an ERA over 3.00 in the regular season for the third straight year. The 33-year-old is no longer the dominant ninth-inning option he […]

Playing For Keeps: Making Keeper Decisions for 2021

Spring training is officially underway, and with that comes the start of fantasy baseball draft season. While the majority of people participate in redraft leagues, keeper formats are also popular, and fantasy managers in those leagues are already weighing their decisions on which players to retain and which to toss back into the pool for […]

Trevor Bauer to the Dodgers - Fantasy Impact

The biggest domino in this year's free agent market has finally toppled, as Trevor Bauer is taking his talents to Los Angeles for the next three years with the Dodgers. It'll be a return to familiar territory for the reigning NL Cy Young winner, as he returns not only to where he grew up but […]