Kev's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

That's GOLD, Jerry! GOLD! RotoSurgeon here with my first ever "gold predictions" piece. Many of you may not be familiar with my work because I have not been with RotoBaller as long as some of my esteemed colleagues. It is reasonable to not trust nor care about what I say because of my lack of […]

Matt Duffy Placed On Injured List

The Tampa Bay Rays placed third baseman Matt Duffy (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday. Duffy was pretty much hurt all of spring training and might not return until sometime in August. He's only worth stashing in AL-only leagues. Yandy Diaz will start at the hot corner on Opening Day and figures to […]

Yandy Diaz Starting At Third Base On Opening Day

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Yandy Diaz will bat fifth on Opening Day against the Houston Astros. The 27-year-old put together a respectable spring, posting a .286 average to go along with two home runs and nine RBI. Diaz is a versatile infielder that can play all over the diamond and with Matt Duffy (hamstring) […]

Austin Meadows Leading Off, Brandon Lowe Batting Cleanup

The Tampa Bay Rays have released their Opening Day lineup for the game Thursday against Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros. Outfielder Austin Meadows will hit in the leadoff spot. After a blistering spring campaign and a new contract, second baseman Brandon Lowe earns the cleanup spot and will serve as the designated hitter. This is […]

Finding Under and Overvalued OF Using Expected Draft Values

We've been rolling out our Expected Draft Values series, starting with Nick Mariano's look into some undervalued players and overvalued players. As draft season winds down today, we're going to give you some undervalued and overvalued players who qualify at outfield. As a quick primer, Expected Draft Value is the value you would historically expect, on average, […]

Sleeper Prospects to Target Late in Deep Redrafts

As fantasy season approaches, and drafts are in full swing, owners are looking for any unturned rock that might add some late round value. As the Rotoballer team releases an updated prospect list, now is the time to see what players are on the cusp of making the majors, but would be worth the stash […]

Updated Relief Pitcher Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We're back up on the bump for this edition of our mixed rankings analysis, and not a moment too soon. The 2019 baseball season is already here! RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel want to make sure you are prepared for last-minute drafts, so they have given their […]

Updated Catcher Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

As we enter the final stretch for drafting it is time to take a look at the latest iteration of points leagues rankings from our amazing hard working rankings staff. Few things in fantasy baseball are more miserable for many than discussing catchers, with perhaps just injuries and suspensions taking the crown. However, getting the […]

Updated First Base Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

The RotoBaller Head-to-Head rankings review series winds down with a view of first base through the lens of our three-man expert panel of fantasy accuracy champ Nick Mariano and premier staffers JB Branson and Bill Dubiel. The top tier could conceivably have a new kingpin at any point, and not all of our experts believe […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (3/28/19): MLB DFS Lineups

Opening Day is finally here! The baseball season officially got underway last week in Japan but for all intents and purposes this is Opening Day for most fans. Of course that also means the return of daily fantasy baseball. The Opening Day main slate kicks off at 3pm ET with the Houston @ Tampa Bay […]

Updated Shortstop Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

The RotoBaller Head-to-Head rankings review series continues with a view of shortstop through the lens of our three-man expert panel of fantasy accuracy champ Nick Mariano and premier staffers JB Branson and Bill Dubiel. The position is well-stocked with useful starters, but as you get deeper, the H2H negatives will get exposed more. Near the […]

Updated Starting Pitcher Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

We are continuing our updated analysis of points league tiered rankings with a final look at starting pitchers. In H2H points leagues, starting pitchers are the lifeblood of a fantasy team. The more innings and strikeouts a starter can rack up, the further it carries your team toward a championship. There is a solid core […]

Finding Under and Overvalued 3B Using Expected Draft Values

We've been rolling out our Expected Draft Values series, starting with Nick Mariano's look into some undervalued players and overvalued players. Today, we're going to give you some undervalued and overvalued players who qualify at third base. As a quick primer, Expected Draft Value is the value you would historically expect, on average, from a given draft slot. In […]

Where Are The Elite Starters? Looking for 2019’s deGrom

Researching elite starters has taught me a number of things about pitcher development. One of the most valuable has been the reminder that progress is never linear. Blake Snell and Justin Verlander present recent examples of that. Verlander has been in “obvious decline” on two occasions now, and both times he’s bounced back. 2016 Blake […]

Rays Consider Extensions For Willy Adames, Brent Honeywell

The Tampa Bay Rays have reached out to shortstop Willy Adames and pitching prospect Brent Honeywell about potential long-term contract extensions. Honeywell was approached after he had Tommy John surgery. This comes after the Rays inked long-term deals for ace Blake Snell and utility man Brandon Lowe this spring. Tampa is looking to the future […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball Part 14 - Statcast Expected Stats

Statcast is a valuable tool for fantasy analysis, and it can be easy to look at a stat called "Expected Batting Average" and blindly use it as your projection moving forward. Of course, proper use of these metrics is a little bit more nuanced than that. Our series on how to make sabermetrics more accessible […]

Updated Third Base Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

We are continuing our updated analysis of points league tiered rankings with the hot corner. Third base has a treasure trove of fantasy stars in the making, if things break right of course. If you are relatively new to points leagues, you need to pay close attention to the difference between these rankings and that […]

Updated Outfield Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

As we enter the final stretch for drafting it is time to take a look at the latest iteration of points leagues rankings from our amazing hard working rankings staff. Starting with the outfield is always fun because there is so much depth at the position, especially if you only require three of them, as […]

Second Base Draft Sleepers for 2019

I've written before about my qualms with the term "sleeper." In an age where more information is available than ever before, the odds that you'll catch any of your rivals napping on a particular player are fairly low. Having said that, it's still useful to consider players whose average draft position comes in well below […]

Updated Starting Pitcher Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We're back up on the bump for this edition of our mixed rankings analysis, and not a moment too soon. The 2019 baseball season is already here! RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel want to make sure you are prepared for last-minute drafts, so they have given their […]

Updated Second Base Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

Continuing on our points league tiered rankings analysis we move over to the keystone position. Second base has the deepest talent pool that it's seen in recent years as it’s full of elite bats at the top and high-upside youngsters in the lower tiers. With two games in the regular season already in the books, […]

2019 Fantasy Baseball Busts - RotoBaller Staff Picks

As you get ready for last-minute drafts or reflect on recent results, we wanted to give our staff the chance to share their least favorite preseason ADP values. We recently polled some of our fantasy baseball writers to get their take on which hitters and pitchers they are likely to avoid in the early rounds of […]

Pitchers Who Changed Scenes - Preseason Risers and Fallers

Several impact hitters switched teams for 2019, but other than Patrick Corbin, not so many pitchers, especially as we await the fates of Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel. And, if Milwaukee signs Kimbrel in light of Corey Knebel's elbow, it shouldn't be that different an experience for his shareholders than Boston was last season given […]

Jose Alvarado (RP, TB) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 190 ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays reliever Jose Alvarado has performed well enough to cement himself as the opening day closer for the team. He followed up a solid introductory year in 2017 with an even more impressive performance in 2018. Alvarado threw 64 innings, striking out 80 batters and racking up eight […]

Joey Wendle (3B/2B/SS/OF, TB) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 185 CURRENT ADP: ~240 overall ANALYSIS: In 139 games in 2018, Joey Wendle slashed .300/.354/.435 with seven home runs and 16 stolen bases. After earning 11% of American League rookie of the year votes (fourth behind Ohtani, Andujar, and Torres), he is set to return as a main contributor for the Rays […]

Matt Duffy May Start Season On Injured List

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Matt Duffy (hamstring) was scratched from the lineup Saturday and could open the season on the injured list. Although Duffy can be left off of fantasy rosters, there are a few promising candidates for at-bats behind him. Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe have both impressed this spring training and could […]

2019 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers - RotoBaller Staff Picks

As we get set for the 2019 MLB season, it's time for our crack staff to reveal their favorite preseason sleepers. We recently polled some of our fantasy baseball writers to get their take on which hitters and pitchers they are targeting the most in the mid-to-late rounds of fantasy drafts. While you've likely heard […]

Updated Shortstop Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

Our updated fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis rolls on with the shortstop position. With the 2019 MLB season technically underway in Japan, RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel have given their rankings a final update. Check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard for a current list any time. Shortstop […]

Updated Outfielder Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with a look at the star-studded outfield position With the 2019 season beginning in a matter of days, RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel have given their preseason rankings a final update. Check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard for a […]

Nate Green's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

Here at RotoBaller, we offer only the best, most factually-grounded fantasy analysis. Then, once a year, along comes everyone's favorite exercise: the Bold Predictions. Ah yes, wherein those of us who write analysis about a sabermetric-driven sport are encouraged to make the wildest guesses about the coming season in fantasy baseball. Some statistical basis ought […]