Five Sneaky Second Base Draft Values and ADPs

One of the positions that troubles many fantasy owners at the beginning of the season is second base. Where should I draft the elite players? How long should I wait for middle tiered talents? And finally, can I wait for some sleepers and cover second base later to acquire better talent at a different position? […]

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 […]

Buying Back In To Hunter Pence?

It's an even year, so you know what that means. The Giants are in line for another World Series. If that's going to happen, the team is going to need quality contributions from newcomers Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija, repeat performances from Matt Duffy and Joe Panik, and most importantly, a resurgence from their formidable right fielder, […]

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 […]

Early Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft: The Fourth Round Pitching Run

The lineup (in draft order): Jacob Bogardus, Brad Johnson, Alex Brock, Harris Yudin, Max Petrie, Josh Leonard, Ross Williamson, Andrew Miller (from The Fantasy Fix), Nick Mariano (myself), Tom Bellucco, Brian Dunshee (also from The Fantasy Fix), and Edward Suletan. We put together a traditional 5x5 redraft 23 round mock with 2 catchers, a corner […]

Early Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft: Third Round Breakdown

The lineup (in draft order): Jacob Bogardus, Brad Johnson, Alex Brock, Harris Yudin, Max Petrie, Josh Leonard, Ross Williamson, Andrew Miller (from The Fantasy Fix), Nick Mariano (myself), Tom Bellucco, Brian Dunshee (also from The Fantasy Fix), and Edward Suletan. Scroll to the bottom for an image of the draftboard. We put together a traditional 5x5 […]

2016 Second Basemen Keeper Values: The Other Guys

The Keeper Valuation Formula uses the players’ age, draft round, number of teams in the league, current stats, projected stats, games played percentage, positional value, and some secret squirrel statistical math. The product is a TRUE Keeper Value for each player. These players did not make it into my Top Five Second Basemen Keeper Values, but […]

2016 First Basemen Keeper Values: The Other Guys

To view the top five first baseman keeper values or to read more on the Keeper Valuation Formula, click HERE!   2016 First Baseman Keeper Values: Outside the Top Five Rankings Prince Fielder TEX, 31 (Sixth Round) Keeper Formula Value: 32.10 2015 Stats: 78 R, 23 HR, 98 RBI, .305 BA.  After a miserable 2014 culminating […]

Cueto Signs With Giants

The San Francisco Giants have agreed to a contract with free agent pitcher Johnny Cueto, according to ESPN.com. The right-hander will sign a six-year, $130 million deal, pending a physical. There’s an opt-out clause after the 2017 season. This comes a few weeks after Cueto declined a six-year, $120 million offer from the Arizona Diamondbacks. […]

2016 Catcher Keeper Values: The Other Guys

We talked about the top keeper catchers earlier in the week. Now here are some of the most recognizable non-keepers. To see an explanation for my Keeper Valuation Formula, and the 2016 Top Five Catcher Keeper Values, click HERE!   2016 Catcher Keeper Values and Analysis Outside the Top Five Buster Posey SF, 28 - (Second […]

Greinke's Free Agent Market 'Quietly Heating Up'

The market for free agent starting pitcher Zack Greinke is “quietly heating up,” according to ESPN.com. The runner-up for this year’s NL Cy Young award is the hottest free agent on the market. Greinke backed out of the final three years on his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers for what would have been $71 […]

Johnny Cueto Wants $140-160 Million Deal

Free agent starting pitcher Johnny Cueto is looking for a contract in the $140-160 million range, according to ESPN.com. The Arizona Diamondbacks were believed to be at the top of the sweepstakes. They offered Cueto a six-year, $120 million offer that was turned down, according to MLB.com. The right-hander has been one of the better […]

Who Ya Got: Dickerson or Pence?

Which outfielders spring to mind when you think about the 2015 season's biggest busts? Hanley Ramirez? Carlos Gomez? Jacoby Ellsbury? All good choices, but no. Going by the difference between their ADP and final Player Rater ranking (both courtesy of FantasyPros), here's your 2015 All-Bust outfield:   Player ADP among OFs Final Rank among OFs […]

Future Tense: Arizona Fall League Wrap-Up

Well, another Fall League season has come and gone, so let’s take a look at a few of the things that we have learned from this season.   AFL Updates Jeimer Candelario is Really, Really Good Candelario, a third baseman in the Cubs organization, might not have been on the forty-man roster before the Arizona […]

Dodgers And Giants Checking In On Shelby Miller

The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers have checked with the Atlanta Braves on the availability of Shelby Miller, according to ESPN.com. These National League West rivals are gunning for the same starting pitcher and the Braves are willing to listen to any offers. The 25-year-old is up for arbitration and only made $535,000 […]

Giants Closing In On Kyle Blanks

The San Francisco Giants are closing in on a contract with utility player Kyle Blanks, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. The deal would be a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. The move potentially deepens the roster of the 2014 World Series champions after a season where they failed to make […]

Future Tense: Arizona Fall League Updates (November 12th Edition)

This seems like a good time to check in on some of the names we spotlighted weeks ago, to see who’s been able to live up to their potential and if any have been busts. We’ll start things off with a Rays’ first baseman that we were really high on to open the Arizona Fall […]

Breakout Players at 2B, SS, and C and What It Means For 2016

Having some baseball withdrawal yet? Welcome to the club. That's why I'm starting a weekly series running through November looking at players at each position who experienced breakout campaigns. I'll also run another segment detailing the busts at each position. This edition will focus on middle infielders and backstops. My selections will be influenced by their […]

Future Tense: Arizona Fall League Surprises (November 7th Edition)

We’ve looked at some successes and some not-so-successful (we want to be positive here, so no negative thoughts coming from Future Tense today…) over the last two installments. This time around, we are going to look at some truly surprising performances, starting with a Brewer shortstop that has gone from mediocrity in the PCL to superstar […]

Future Tense: Who's Struggling In The Arizona Fall League (November 3rd Edition)

Last time around, we looked at some of the hottest players in the Arizona Fall League. This time around, it’s time to look at who isn’t.   Underperformers Of The AFL Mike Yastrzemski, Outfield, Baltimore Orioles A sad reality in baseball is that people seem to think that just because a relative can play baseball, so […]

Giants Making A Run At Greinke?

The San Francisco Giants are going to make a run at free agent pitcher Zack Greinke. Greinke opted out of the final three years of his contract to become a free agent. The right-hander left $71 million on the table by leaving his deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. There is now “a ton of […]

Giants Will Exercise $5.5 Mill Option On Aoki

The San Francisco Giants will exercise Nori Aoki’s $5.5 million option for the 2016 season. The defending World Series champions are under the impression that the right fielder will continue to heal from a concussion that forced his 2015 season to end early. The hope is that Aoki will be back in time for Spring […]

Future Tense: The Arizona Fall League, Part VI: Scottsdale Scorpions

The Boston Red Sox. The Cleveland Indians. The Detroit Tigers. The Minnesota Twins. The San Francisco Giants. What do they have in common? Two things: one, they all missed out on the playoffs this year, and they are the teams that seed the Scottsdale Scorpions. The roster has some interesting names to check out, and this […]

Has Colin Kaepernick Finally Turned a Corner?

Oftentimes, when a loss occurs, it can be hard to find a positive takeaway or two. As far as the San Francisco 49ers and their struggling quarterback are concerned, however, that certainly isn’t the case. Unfortunately, Colin Kaepernick’s struggles out on the field of play have been well documented. Yet, after Sunday night’s Week 5 […]

Bumgarner Won't Pitch On Sunday's Finale

Madison Bumgarner won't start the in the regular-season finale on Sunday for the San Francisco Giants. There’s no physical issue that is keeping the Giants ace off the mound against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. The 2014 World Series champions are simply going to shut Bumgarner down and let him start to prepare for the […]

Angel Pagan (SF, OF) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 19 Percent of Leagues ANALYSIS: Pagan's overall numbers don't inspire much confidence, but he's been quite valuable as of late. The veteran is hitting .307/.378/.489 with three homers and five steals since returning from the disabled list on September 1. The Giants are out of the […]

Week 26 Start/Sit: MLB Starting Pitcher (SP) Matchups

What’s up RotoBallers. Welcome to the final week of this column, as we approach the home stretch of the fantasy baseball season. Thank you all for RotoBalling with us all season long, and I hope that this column (along with the rest of our MLB content) has helped you win some leagues. Now let's get […]

Five Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups & Adds for Week 26

Here we are - the final week of the season. Congratulations on making it this far. Good luck, and thanks for reading all year! RotoBaller will bring you plenty of offseason content, but for now, let's take one last look at the waiver wire.   Editor’s Note: to read about even more waiver wire options […]

Minor League Spotlight: Top Fantasy Pitching Prospects from Week 24

I was very ecstatic to hear that Barry Zito and Tim Hudson would oppose each other in their final career starts. It is just a nice story: former teammates who both started their careers in Oakland would face off against one another for one last hurrah. I hope they both pitch well. It would be […]

Angel Pagan (OF,SFG) - Waiver Wire Pickup

BALLER MOVE: Add in 10+ Leagues OWNED IN: 14% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Angel Pagan is healthy right now and even though that seems like a rarity he is a must play while he is sitting atop the San Francisco Giants lineup. Pagan has shown off his health by stealing bases like fantasy owners knew […]