Champ or Chump - Jake Odorizzi and Eric Hosmer

It took the better part of four months, but baseball's offseason is finally starting! Eric Hosmer signed a massive contract to vacation play baseball in San Diego, while Jake Odorizzi was traded to the Minnesota Twins for a ham sandwich and a few extra baseballs. One of these players is capable of turning a substantial […]

2018 Catchers - Dynasty Tiered Rankings

As we move closer to the 2018 baseball season, we at RotoBaller have released our Dynasty Rankings. We have been dissecting the tiers of each position, showing fantasy owners where to find value in their draft. At the catcher position, we have a total of 41 players ranked across eight tiers. When looking at dynasty leagues, […]

Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 8 - FIP and xFIP

The first advanced pitching stat most fantasy owners encounter is FIP. FIP stands for Fielding Independent Pitching, and attempts to measure a pitcher's actual skill instead of the effects of luck or his supporting cast. According to the DIPS theory that the metric is based upon, pitchers control only Ks, BBs (and HBP) and home […]

ADP Sleepers and Busts - Third Basemen

Take a quick look at the NFBC ADPs of third basemen. What do you notice? Is Manny Machado going too high? Is Joey Gallo the boom-or-bust pick of the year? Is Josh Donaldson the best early-round value pick? Third base might just be the deepest infield position in fantasy this year, so it's important to […]

Pablo Sandoval Gets Work At First Base

MLB.com's Chris Haft reports that San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval was at first base during infield drills on Monday. Brandon Belt figures to be the primary first baseman, but with Evan Longoria now at third base, Sandoval will need to show versatility if he wants to land a bench spot. Sandoval has been trending down […]

Nick Mariano's 2018 Early-Round Overvalued List (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Fantasy baseball drafts (and their articles) are almost all about finding the next superstar and unearthing talent late, but we can't forget that surrendering value by over-drafting can be just as crucial. In order to evaluate overvalued players here, we're going to utilize Average […]

Tony Watson Agrees To Terms With Giants

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the San Francisco Giants have finalized a contract with free-agent relief pitcher Tony Watson. It has been rumored over the last couple of weeks that this could be a match, and the Giants have found a way to stay under the luxury tax, according to Heyman. Watson started […]

The Most Profitable Pitchers of the Last Five Years

If you missed last week’s column on the most profitable hitters of the last five years, you can find it here. That post explains the methodology behind this work, and acknowledges the considerable help I received from colleagues throughout the process. Today I'm here to take a look at the pitchers - players who have […]

Bruce Bochy Says Chris Shaw Will Only Play Left Field

Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that San Francisco Giants outfielder Chris Shaw will strictly play left field this spring, says manager Bruce Bochy. Pavlovic also notes that infielder Ryder Jones will get some time in the outfield. Shaw, one of the Giants top prospects, made the switch from first base to left field […]

Johnny Cueto Battling The Flu

Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic is reporting that San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto is battling the flu and won’t throw a mound session Wednesday or Thursday. The Giants starting pitcher is coming off one of his worst seasons in which he dealt with multiple injuries, most notably blisters on his throwing hand. Cueto is […]

Manny Machado Rankings Debate: Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We continue our long-running series of articles debating fantasy rankings with a player that is sure to be a first-round pick in all formats. Or is he? RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed on everything. In this space, we'll hear from rankers […]

Will Smith With No Setbacks

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Will Smith (elbow) said he hasn't had any setbacks in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and recently threw his seventh bullpen session. However, he's unsure if he'll be ready for opening day, and the training staff is being cautious with him. It's hard to say how Smith will fare […]

Gregor Blanco Returns To Giants

Free-agent outfielder Gregor Blanco has agreed to a contract to return to the San Francisco Giants. The 34-year-old spent 2017 with the Arizona Diamondbacks after winning two World Series with the Giants from 2012-2016. Blanco announced the news on his Instagram account and it is likely a minor league deal. The career .257 hitter will […]

Champ or Chump - Curtis Granderson and Andrew McCutchen

Five-tool players are among the most sought after commodities in all of fantasy baseball. This is a great thing if they are performing the way you expected them to, but most owners give ex-five tool guys a much longer leash than anyone else on their roster. They end up dropping points in the standings as […]

Giants Continue To Talk With Lorenzo Cain

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports that the San Francisco Giants "have had an active dialogue with Lorenzo Cain of late, and that’s not likely to change" despite the team acquiring outfielder Andrew McCutchen. Crasnick also notes that the Giants would prefer to play McCutchen as a corner outfielder versus in center field. The Giants have […]

Kyle Crick Headed To Pirates In Andrew McCutchen Deal

Pitching prospect Kyle Crick will head to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of the Andrew McCutchen deal, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Crick, 25, was used as a starting pitcher before being moved to the bullpen in 2017. His numbers improved as a reliever for Triple-A Sacramento, and he even appeared […]

Lorenzo Cain Still In Play For Giants

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the San Francisco Giants can still look into free-agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain. The Giants acquired outfielder Andrew McCutchen earlier in the day, but the Giants have been looking to add two outfielders all offseason. Cain was given a qualifying offer by the Royals. Due to this, the Giants would […]

#TrendingNow - Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Risers and Fallers

We are just under 30 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting! Just under 30 days from the smell of pine tar and freshly cut grass. Just under 30 days from the sounds of fastballs hitting catcher’s mitts and the crack of a wood bat. Just under 30 days until another summer full of memories. […]

Giants Still Hopeful To Land Andrew McCutchen

Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that members of the San Francisco Giants are hopeful that starting pitcher Gerrit Cole being dealt to the Houston Astros will clear the way for the team to acquire outfielder Andrew McCutchen. Cole being moved from the Giants is a definite sign that they are rebuilding, and McCutchen […]

Fantasy Implications - Stephen Piscotty Traded to the Athletics

The trade of Stephen Piscotty to the A’s is one of the feel-good stories of the offseason, as the St. Louis Cardinals front office moved the Northern California native to the A’s so Piscotty could be closer to his ailing mother. It was a rough year both on and off the field for the former prized prospect. […]

Joe Panik, Giants Avoid Arbitration

San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.45 million deal, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Panik hit .288 this past season with 10 home runs, but doesn’t hold much value outside of NL-only leagues or deeper mixed leagues.

Giants Remain Interested In Andrew McCutchen

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the San Francisco Giants have remained in talks with the Pirates for outfielder Andrew McCutchen. Nightengale also notes that the Giants offered outfielder Jay Bruce a three-year deal before he signed with the Mets, but it was for $10 million less. The Giants have swung and missed on many […]

Giants Still Searching For Outfield Help, Likely To Avoid Giving Up Draft Pick

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports suggests that the San Francisco Giants have targeted free-agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain. The Giants have knowingly been targeting outfielders all offseason. They missed out on trading for Marlins outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton. They’ve been linked to Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen, but nothing has gained traction. Cain, 31, would […]

2018 Relief Pitchers - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

We wind up our mixed league rankings analysis with a look at the most volatile position of all, relief pitchers. Whether you choose to grab a top-notch closer early or prefer to work the waiver wire all season, these early rankings will give you a good sense of where the current market values each reliever, before […]

Fantasy Implications - Evan Longoria Traded to Giants

After losing out to the Yankees in the Giancarlo Stanton sweepstakes and failing to lure Japanese star Shohei Ohtani, the Giants settled on a trade for third baseman Evan Longoria from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for outfielder Denard Span, infielder Christian Arroyo, and a pair of minor league pitching prospects. Longoria, a former […]

2018 Starting Pitchers - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

Welcome back to the early edition of RotoBaller’s 2018 fantasy baseball rankings! As a reminder, this round of rankings comes to you courtesy of Pierre Camus and Jeff Kahntroff, in addition to yours truly. Today, I’ll be taking a look at how we ranked starting pitchers. As you peruse the info below, keep in mind […]

2018 Outfielders - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

It's a new year, and with that comes our first set of rankings for the 2018 fantasy baseball season. As a reminder, our first round of rankings comes to you courtesy of Pierre Camus and Jeff Kahntroff, in addition to yours truly. Today, I’ll be finishing up the hitter side of things with a look at […]

2018 Shortstops - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

It's time to examine the glamour position of the infield, shortstop. Once considered strictly a defensive position, there are now a host of options that can fit into your fantasy lineup and deliver. 2017 saw 10 different shortstops score over 400 in points leagues. Speed was key component, as five qualified SS stole over 20 […]

2018 Third Base - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

Today, I’ll be taking a look at how we ranked players at the hot corner. Third base offered an abundance of productive fantasy assets last year, and 2018 figures to be no different. In case you missed it, you can also check out our rankings and analysis for catcher, first base and second base - […]

2018 Second Base - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with the second base position. Even though it is only January 6, 2018 in an extremely slow offseason, RotoBaller writers Kyle Bishop, Pierre Camus, and I have come up with our initial pre-draft rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible. As […]