DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (8/20/18): MLB DFS Lineups

We have a 10-game slate on Monday, with the first contest starting at 7:05pm EST (ATL/PIT). Three matchups have an over/under of at least nine total runs. The CWS/MIN matchup leads the docket with 9.5 projected total runs. However, we are still waiting on the lines between KC/TB and TEX/OAK. As far as favorites go, […]

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (8/20/18): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

We have another nice Monday slate, this time with 10 games on the main slate. There are a number of intriguing pitching options that span from high-end to GPP fliers, including Gerrit Cole, Zack Wheeler, Kevin Gausman, and Derek Holland. Some early standout stacks include the Brewers, Astros, and Athletics. In this article, I will […]

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (8/19/18): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

This set of games is broken down into two slates, with 10 games coming on the early, or main, slate. That is the slate we're going to be breaking down throughout this article. In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 8/19/18. The lineup picks will […]

Jeff Samardzija To Begin Rehab Assignment Wednesday

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday, and he'll likely make two starts before he rejoins the rotation. Samardzija has either been ineffective or injured in 2018, and he hasn't made a start since July 14. Fantasy owners won't be rushing to add him […]

Hunter Strickland Activated From Disabled List

San Francisco Giants reliever Hunter Strickland (hand) has been activated off of the 60-day disabled list. Strickland was recovering from a fractured right hand. Pablo Sandoval (hamstring) was put on the 60-day disabled list to accommodate Strickland's return. Will Smith has been fantastic in the closer role, and Giants manager Bruce Bochy has said that Smith has […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (8/18/18): MLB DFS Lineups

We've got five different slates on this busy Saturday, with the featured slate starting at 7:05 pm and covering 11 games. In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/18/18. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value […]

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (8/18/18): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

We have a split slate of games with only three in the early window and then an 11-game main slate. Options are a bit thin across the board, so it could be a time to take a shot in some tournaments, where it's easy to be different. In this article, I will be providing you […]

Alen Hanson Moves Up in the Batting Order

San Francisco Giants infielder/outfielder Alen Hanson will bat second and play left field versus righty Anthony DeSclafani on Friday. Hanson normally bats sixth or lower in the order, but will move up to second for this contest. He's hitting .300/.325/.531 with six home runs and 29 RBI off right-handed pitching this season, so that could […]

Hunter Strickland To Come Off DL Saturday

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland (hand) will come off the disabled list when he's eligible on Saturday. With Will Smith filling in so well in the closer's role in Strickland's absence, there's a good chance that Strickland will return to a setup role. That's not good for his fantasy value, but there's also […]

Fantasy Reflections: Dumb Draft Decisions

2018 is shaping up to be my worst fantasy baseball performance of the decade. I’m on track to win my home league, but I’m doomed to finish in the bottom half of the standings in most of my entries this season. There are plenty of reasons why obstacles with which we’re all familiar. It’s frustrating, […]

Week 21 MLB Closers and Saves Report

The buzz around preseason football means we are making our way closer and closer to fantasy baseball playoffs! While parity can be an issue in some fantasy leagues, once you make the playoffs, you're facing off against some pretty solid owners. We're sure you loyal Rotoballer readers are well on your way to another playoff […]

Week 21 Waiver Wire: H2H Category Streamers

I like to consider myself a pioneer of the streaming approach. I won a league about seven years ago by completely ignoring saves and just stacking up the starts each week. While streaming is undoubtedly more directly associated with pitching, there's plenty of value in streaming for offense as well. Maybe you have a stacked […]

Dereck Rodriguez Lands On DL

The San Francisco Giants placed starting pitcher Dereck Rodriguez (hamstring) on the disabled list on Thursday with a hamstring strain. He injured himself during a benches-clearing incident against the Dodgers on Tuesday. It's a shame for his fantasy owners, since he was set to face the Reds on Friday. Rodriguez has been great for San […]

Power Risers/Fallers for Week 20: Buy or Sell?

Welcome to Week 20 of the 2018 MLB season and a new week of our investigation into the steepest power trenders in baseball, whether those trends are positive or negative. As the season has blown by into August and the MLB trade deadline has passed, the window of opportunity to snag a surging slugger or […]

Week 20 Start/Sit Matchups - Starting Pitchers

You know what it is--it's my updated starts/sits column for Week 20! Your friendly neighborhood @Roto_Dubs is back again this year with his weekly starting pitcher matchups. This is our fifth year now writing this weekly column, helping fantasy baseball managers pick the best pitchers weekly. Below are the projected starting pitching matchups for Week 20, and […]

Jeff Samardzija To Face Hitters Friday

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija (shoulder) will face live hitters on Friday and is expected to begin a rehab assignment after that, barring any setbacks. It's been a nightmare season for the Shark, who just hasn't been able to stay healthy. The 33-year-old is 1-5 with an ugly 6.25 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and […]

Hunter Strickland To Make Back-To-Back Rehab Appearances

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland (hand) will throw in back-to-back games with Triple-A Sacramento for the first time and is eligible to come off the disabled list on Saturday. He's nearing a return, but it's unknown if he'll boot Will Smith out of the closer's role upon his return. Those desperate for saves […]

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (8/15/18): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

Welcome back, friends, to another edition of split-slate Wednesday. I don't have the best news about the split, unfortunately. There are four early afternoon games that make up the Early Slate, and 10 under the lights for the Main. Was hoping for a 6-8 split, but we'll have to wait for another time to see […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (8/15/18): MLB DFS Lineups

Boy, do we have an interesting 10 game slate under the lights this evening. Pitching looks like it could be tough sledding, as there aren't many reliable arms, but stacking offenses should be a fun exercise with a lot of potentially lucrative directions to go in. There is a four game Early Only slate, but […]

Derek Holland (SP, SF) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 17% of leagues ANALYSIS: San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Derek Holland continues to turn back the clock to his All-Star days with the Rangers. The end result did not look good, but Holland had notched a quality start before his bullpen shattered it into itty-bitty pieces during his […]

Week 20 Waiver Wire - Starting Pitchers

Who's ready to take advantage of leagues whose owners are slipping on baseball in lieu of prepping for the fantasy football season? I know I am! Don't be that owner who puts in a considerable amount of work between March and July, only to let your season slip away due to the buzz of football. […]

2018 Prospects: Top 30 Impact Rookies for Fantasy Leagues (Week 20)

Hello everyone, and welcome to my weekly Top-30 Fantasy Rankings for Impact Rookies! In this series, I will be going over the top prospects in baseball and discussing which ones figure to have an impact for the rest of this fantasy baseball season. Ronald Acuna cannot be stopped when leading off a ball game. He […]

Will Smith Unavailable Tuesday

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy wants to avoid using closer Will Smith on Tuesday after the lefty reliever threw 20 pitches to earn the save on Monday. Smith has thrown back-to-back days. The southpaw has been great with Hunter Strickland sidelined, posting a 2.06 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 12.4 K/9 and nine saves. Because of […]

Brandon Crawford Expected To Avoid Concussion DL

San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (head) was feeling better on Tuesday and is expected to avoid the seven-day concussion disabled list after a nasty collision with outfielder Gorkys Hernandez on Monday. Both players were out of the lineup on Tuesday. “He’s feeling pretty good,” manager Bruce Bochy said of Crawford. “I think he’s feeling […]

Brandon Belt Activated From DL Tuesday

The San Francisco Giants activated first baseman Brandon Belt (knee) from the disabled list after batting practice on Tuesday. Belt will be available off the bench against the Dodgers and will play in the series finale on Wednesday. You'll want to make sure you have Belt back in your lineups on Wednesday. The first baseman […]

NL-Only Waiver Wire Team of the Week: MLB Week 20

Every week in baseball, a significant player will hit the disabled list, slip into a slump, or get traded out of a good spot. How fantasy owners adapt to these situations can make or break the season as a whole. One lousy add might not hurt the long-term standing of a team, but failing to […]

Madison Bumgarner To Face Well-Known Dodgers Monday

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner is no stranger to Dodger Stadium. He's no stranger to the Dodgers lineup nor is he a stranger to fellow left-handed elite pitcher, Clayton Kershaw. In fact, Monday's game will be the 11th meeting between Bumgarner and Kershaw. Kershaw has a 2.00 ERA in these matchups, while MadBum […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (8/13/18): MLB DFS Lineups

We have a 10-game slate on Monday night for DraftKings and some big pitchers will be taking the hill. Yet, only one team is considered to be a heavy favorite (-200 odds, or greater): the Dodgers. We’ll see more from their pitcher in a little bit. First, let’s talk offense. Four games have an over/under […]

Statcast Hitter Analysis - xSLG Risers/Fallers (Week 20)

We've looked at expected slugging numbers in comparison to actual slugging percentage before, so I'll spare you the full explanation. In this edition, we'll look at the last month's worth of data only to find risers and fallers for possible buy, sell, add or drop possibilities. Many fantasy baseball owners are starting to see the […]

Derek Holland (SP, SFG) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 18% of leagues ANALYSIS: Despite earning the victory, Derek Holland didn't pitch particularly well on Friday against the Pirates. That, however, was the first time he had allowed more than three runs since May 30, or more than two since July 1. The veteran southpaw has had a […]