2016 Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings: Relief Pitchers (March)

It's only fitting that we close out the March rankings with the closers. Because these "firemen" are often on the hot seat, the value of a closer can change more quickly than any other position. While it is beyond the scope of this article, it is important to monitor the closer handcuffs as the season […]

Carson Smith (RP, BOS) - 2016 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Target ~275 CURRENT ADP: 285 ANALYSIS: Carson Smith was traded from the Mariners, where he was in the mix for saves last year, to the Red Sox, where he is behind Craig Kimbrel and probably Koji Uehara. If you just want relievers for the sake of saves, Smith might not be someone to […]

Puig Unscathed, McCullers Sidelined, Nicasio Fans 10, Peralta Returns Wearing Cast

Fantasy Baseball Spring Training News and Notes from 3/17/16 Yasiel Puig and the Los Angeles Dodgers Can Now Breath Easy As reported last week, Yasiel Puig was the next target of MLB's Domestic Violence Policy. However, Puig will not be suspended, as the league has decided to take no action against the Dodgers outfielder. "The Office […]

2016 Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings: Starting Pitchers, Part 1 (March)

 Our starting pitching rankings will be split into two parts. Today's edition will examine only the top five tiers of starters, as determined by our staff's composite rankings (which differ a bit from my own evaluations where noted). Using the composite rankings to guide discussion helps to highlight personal preferences while also providing a more balanced view of […]

2016 Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings: Outfield, Part 2 (March)

Smoothly transitioning from yesterday's top four tiers to today's best of the rest, let's start my overvalued/undervalued list with a player who recently snuck up from tier 5 to tier 4 and thus snuck his way into this column. Editor's note: Be sure to also check out our 2016 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It's already loaded up […]

Yu Darvish (SP, TEX) - 2016 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Target ~105 CURRENT ADP: 119.3 ANALYSIS: Yu Darvish hasn't pitched since August 9, 2014 due to Tommy John surgery. He missed his age 28 campaign, a time frame when most pitchers are hitting their prime. In 22 starts in 2014, Darvish had a 3.06 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP and a 182/49 K/BB ratio. He […]

Enrique Hernandez (2B/OF, LAD) - 2016 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Target Late in NL-Only Leagues CURRENT ADP: 428 ANALYSIS: Enrique Hernandez is really more of a deep sleeper, but there is some potential here. His versatility will help him garner fairly regular at-bats. The versatility, depending on the league, can also add to his fantasy value by letting owners slot him in at different […]

Tom Bellucco's 10 Bold Predictions for 2016

Fellow writer Kyle Bishop had a great idea for us "experts" to come up with a plethora of bold predictions. So far we've see the 10 bold predictions from Kyle and Max. Now it's my turn. I like to think I did fairly well on my more conservative predictions last year (believing in the Gerrit Cole, […]

2016 Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings: Outfield, Part 1 (March)

This is the fourth and final update to our outfield staff rankings. Once again, I was joined by colleagues Kyle Bishop, Bill Dubiel, Brad Johnson, Nick Mariano, Max Petrie, and Harris Yudin. In case you missed them, you can see our updated March tiered rankings and analysis breaking down our thoughts for catcher, first base, […]

2016 Fantasy Baseball Tiered Third Base Rankings (March)

Oh yeah, you know you love yourself some hot corner action. Third base is one of those premier power spots where you know your team can’t be slouching. If you don't know us by now, the seven rankers are Brad Johnson, Kyle Bishop, Max Petrie, Harris Yudin, Jeff Kahntroff, Bill Dubiel, and myself. In case […]

2016 Fantasy Baseball Tiered Shortstop Rankings (March)

Welcome to our final round of rankings. We've been guiding you throughout the offseason and it has all culminated to this. These rankings will be your guide in fantasy drafts, and while they shouldn't be seen as an end-all, be-all assessment, it's wise to have an understanding of where the market values the players you […]

2016 Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings: Second Base (March)

It seems like only yesterday that we kicked off our preseason coverage back in December with the first round of our RotoBaller staff rankings. Just kidding – it feels like an eternity whenever we’re waiting for baseball to return. But the weather is warming, the days are getting longer, and spring training is in full […]

Max Petrie's 10 Bold Predictions for 2016

Welcome to round two of our Bold Predictions segment. If anyone asks, Kyle bullied me into doing this. But in all seriousness, the best hitter on a team bats second, so I'm honored to be included. In this edition I'll be highlighting the hitters and pitchers I believe have the best chance to make crazy […]

Corey Seager (SS, LAD) - 2016 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Target ~50 CURRENT ADP: 61.3 ANALYSIS: Thrust into the middle of a playoff race, Corey Seager soared in his limited action. In 113 plate appearances, he slashed .337/.425/.561 with 13 XBH and a 19/14 K/BB ratio. If eligible, his .986 OPS would have ranked fifth in baseball, ahead of Miguel Cabrera, Nelson Cruz […]

2016 Fantasy Baseball Tiered First Base Rankings (March)

Many fantasy baseball drafts have already been held, and there are more on the way. I finally have a drafted team to look over every single day and check for injuries (so far, so good), so all is right in the world. But for those of you who have yet to draft, we've got the rankings and […]

2016 Fantasy Baseball Tiered Catcher Rankings (March)

Welcome to our final round of rankings. We've been guiding you throughout the offseason and it's all culminated to this. These rankings will be your guide in fantasy drafts, and while they shouldn't be seen as an end-all, be-all assessment, it's wise to have an understanding of where the market values the players you seek. […]

Seager Sprains Knee, Elbow Soreness for Wieters, Wright and Ready, Cain Resumes Throwing

Fantasy Baseball Spring Training News and Notes from 3/13/16 Corey Seager Out 1-2 Weeks, Could Start Season DL Seager, MLB's top ranked prospect, was recently named the Los Angeles Dodgers starting shortstop. Now, he could begin the season on the disabled list after spraining a ligament in his left knee. An MRI revealed that the injury won't […]

Industry Mock Draft Reactions: Most Regrettable Pick?

Back again with more insight into the industry mock draft that took place last Thursday. This time we’re looking at the picks that each of us wished we could give the ol’ Men in Black memory wipe to everyone else. Again, I’ll be following everyone’s thoughts with a brief commentary of my own because it’s […]

Los Angeles Dodgers Top MLB Prospects for 2016 Dynasty Leagues

It is crazy to think that a team could spend over $300 million in a single season only to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, but that is exactly what happened with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015. Even with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke going one and two in the rotation […]

Tanaka and Stroman Look Healthy, Injuries Strike Freeman and Cabrera, Joc Pederson Named Starter

Fantasy Baseball Spring Training News and Notes for 3/12/16 Tanaka, Stroman Look Healthy After 2015 Injuries Initial questions regarding the health of starting pitchers Masahiro Tanaka and Marcus Stroman, two AL East pitchers who had their 2015 shortened by injury, have been answered with smiles after recent Spring Training outings. The Yankees' Tanaka, ranked 29th […]

Five Deeper Starting Pitcher Targets For 2016: National League

Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies Nola was impressive in his rookie 2015 campaign-- a 3.59 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 68 strikeouts in 77.2 innings pitched. He owns a 2.57 minor league career ERA, including a 3.58 ERA in Triple-A earlier in 2015, and was a top-50 prospect in baseball before cracking the big leagues last year. He […]

Healthy Harvey, Puig's Suspension Looms, Altherr Injured, Upton Leaves Game Early

Fantasy Baseball Spring Training News and Notes from 3/9/16 Year After Tommy John Surgery, Matt Harvey Focuses on Pitching Around this time last year, the media swarmed Harvey with one question: Are you healthy? This year, he's just another pitcher working out the kinks in spring training. And yes, he's healthy. In a surprise expedited comeback […]

2016 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values: 5 Busts Due for a Rebound

t’s really hard to admit when we have made a mistake. But sometimes, we look back on our fantasy season and we slap ourselves around for drafting a player who just didn’t cut it. The preseason hype was there, we were so excited to see the player tear it up, and he completely failed us. […]

2016 Outfield Prospects and Dynasty Rankings - NL West Edition

Last time out, the ridiculously deep NL Central was the topic of the day. Now we're moving west to the considerably shallower NL West. We've already profiled the AL Central, AL East, and NL East. Fantasy owners will find few distinguished prospects on the left coast, but there are still a few treasures available - 26 […]

RotoBaller Rankings vs. ADP: Undervalued Catchers

If you’re a regular reader of RotoBaller (and how could someone as smart, funny, and handsome as you not be?), you’ve without a doubt already checked out our rankings assistant tool. We just finished rolling out the February update, and we’ll have one final revision for you later this month. With draft season ramping up […]

Five 2016 Second Base Sleepers

After you get past the elite options at second base, guys like Jose Altuve, things can get a little iffy. Because of that, it is pretty easy to just settle for a low-end player, punt that position, or even worse, reach for an overvalued player. As we get closer to Opening Day, here are some […]

Joc Pederson (OF, LAD) - 2016 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Target ~100 CURRENT ADP: 169 ANALYSIS: Despite a second-half collapse, Joc Pederson still hit 26 home runs and posted a 15.7% walk rate in his rookie season. Yes, the contact issues will continue to suppress his batting average, and the lack of stolen bases (just four in 11 attempts) was a disappointing development, […]

Justin Turner (3B, LAD) - Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Target ~170 CURRENT ADP: 313 ANALYSIS: Justin Turner, 30, had only eclipsed 400 PA once in his career (2011), and only got a shot in 2014 after injuries to Hanley Ramirez and Juan Uribe depleted the Dodgers' depth. He responded by hitting .340 in 322 AB. Considering his .404 BABIP, many folks called for regression. But […]

Saves & Holds: NL West Bullpen Depth Chart

With the 2016 fantasy baseball season approaching, bullpen depth charts can be tricky to decipher when entering your fantasy drafts. Projections of who will be vital to their respective team and to your fantasy team will be analyzed over the course of the next two months. Below I've identified the projected NL West closers, setup men, and […]

Five Hitters to Target in OBP Leagues

Not all leagues are created equal. What I mean is not all leagues abide by the same standards. Some owners have stuck by the traditional 5X5 roto leagues, while others have transitioned to 6X6 leagues with such exotic categories as OBP, K/9 and SLG. I’m not here to say which format is best, (though I […]