Break the League: Yahoo Points League Ranker
A hot mess...Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't someone just ask how I would describe Yahoo point leagues in three words or less? No? Oh. Well for the record, if anyone ever wants to know how I would describe Yahoo point leagues in three words or less, my official answer is, "a hot mess". The system was […]
WPC+ Videocast: More Must-Have Players for 2020 Fantasy Baseball
Pierre Camus and Nicklaus Gaut are joined by Eric Samulski to share their must-own players for fantasy baseball drafts in 2020. Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio as well! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel […]
Relief Pitcher Draft Sleepers for 2020
Is there a more frustrating fantasy category than saves? Time and time again, we spend top draft capital on purported "lock-down" closers only to see them lose their roles before May. Based on experience, it is best to wait out closer runs and, instead, target relief sleepers by identifying and drafting for talent over the […]
Industry Draft Recap: Should You Target Injured Players?
I had two fantasy baseball drafts scheduled for this week. One was put up to vote and the vast majority decided to wait until we are closer to the season starting (who knows when that’ll be) to draft, and the other decided it was a needed distraction and everyone is at the same disadvantage drafting […]
2020 Starting Pitcher Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues
Even with the baseball season delayed, many are looking for places to cast their stored up fantasy baseball energy. With no drafts or mocks to do, the Dynasty community becomes the primary source of enjoyment. Your team could be looking to continue their dominance, rebuild, or in a worst-case scenario, stick their hands up in […]
Finding Over/Undervalued Shortstops Using Expected Draft Values
A couple weeks ago, we introduced our Expected Draft Values and explained how they would help us identify both over and undervalued players of all types. Power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, with pitchers as well. Today, we'll look at four shortstops and our site projections for them. Stay tuned over the next […]
Auction Draft Pitching Targets Under $10
The strategy necessary to participate in an auction draft dwarfs that needed for a standard snake draft. While the difficulty level is ramped up, so too are the options and flexibility available to each owner. If someone wants to break the bank for the top three players in baseball, go crazy. No matter someone's plan […]
Finding Late-Round Value for Batting Average
Batting average can be the most difficult of the standard rotisserie categories to manage. Sure, stolen bases are scarcer, and home runs require a higher total to be competitive, but batting average is a different beast. Unlike counting stats, you can never get to a certain projected total and call it quits on targeting that […]
One More Chance: Pitchers Primed for Comebacks After Injury
Too often players come off of seasons riddled with injuries and are forgotten in fantasy drafts. This is something drafters should always look into because forgotten players equal value on draft day. Not only that but injuries can often frighten people from drafting a player regardless of their skill set. The pitchers below barely played […]
Rick Lucks's Bold Predictions for 2020
While the coronavirus has delayed the start of the MLB season, Bold Prediction season is in full-swing here at Rotoballer. Not knowing how many games will actually be played makes numerical positions difficult, as 30 HR are a lot more impressive over 100 games than 162. That said, I've tried to base the predictions below […]
CBS Undervalued and Overvalued for H2H Points Leagues
Over the past week at RotoBaller, we've introduced a brand new approach to preparing for Points Leagues. Typically, analysts give you general points league rankings. We have those as well at RotoBaller. However, this approach falls short. Analysis and ranks must be platform specific, because every platform (ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, NFBC, Fantrax) has wildly different scoring settings […]
Finding Over/Undervalued Third Basemen Using Expected Draft Values
A couple weeks ago, we introduced our Expected Draft Values and explained how they would help us identify both over and undervalued players of all types. Power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, with pitchers as well. Today, we'll look at four third basemen and our site projections for them. Stay tuned over the […]
Willie Calhoun To Start Light Workouts Soon
Texas Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun (jaw) is back in Texas and will be able to resume light workouts soon in his recovery from a broken jaw suffered in spring training. Calhoun had surgery the day after he was hit by a pitch to insert a plate and stabilize his jaw. He believes he'll be ready […]
Adjusting Fantasy Baseball Projections for a Delayed Opening Day
With a heavy heart I write this column. I truly wish that there would have not been a reason to write this column. Coronavirus (COVID-19) has now postponed the 2020 Major League Baseball season. In an effort to employ social distancing, local governments have made the tough call to forbid the gathering of large crowds. […]
September Power Surges That Might Be For Real
As we all sit and overanalyze spring training at-bats and pitch mixes, it's important to remember that the small sample sizes of a few half-games against essentially AAAA talent can often be misleading. Instead, I find it's far more telling to use late-season changes from the year before to try to identify who has made […]
2020 Fantasy Baseball Busts: Trevor Bauer
Following an offseason that saw them add Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos, Shogo Akiyama, and Wade Miley, the Reds are expected to be right in the thick of a wide-open race for the National League Central crown. The imported bats should provide a significant boost to a squad that finished 25th in the majors in runs […]
2020 Keeper Value Rankings - Starting Pitchers
I've already revealed the 2020 Keeper Value Rankings for the hitters: First Base, Second Base, Third Base, Shortstop, Catcher, and Outfield. Now let's go to the rubber. Keeper Value Rankings are intended for Keeper Leagues in which a fantasy owner must forfeit a designated draft pick in order to keep a player into the upcoming season. These rankings are […]
JB's Bold Predictions for 2020
I'm going to let you in on a little secret... JB stands for "JUST BOLDNESS". Okay that's a lie... it's actually not a secret because I use that every year in my bold predictions intro. Nevertheless welcome to the latest rendition of RotoBaller's 2020 Bold Predictions. You have now come to the stop where you […]
Sam Chinitz's 10 Bold Predictions for 2020
Bold predictions can be the key to fantasy seasons. Predicting players who will outperform or underperform expectations by extreme amounts can win leagues. Bold predictions can also be entirely unhelpful, speculative thoughts that are just fun to consider. With that in mind, I do think that each of these predictions has a legitimate chance of […]
ADP Reflections: Edwin Diaz and Jose Leclerc
Opening Day may be delayed, but fantasy baseball draft season is still in full swing. We’re now at the point where draft data is shaping draft strategies, as owners look for value relative to ADP. The sample of ADP available from early NFBC drafts has given us a good basis to ascertain if certain players […]
2020 Fantasy Baseball Busts? Danny Santana
The Texas Rangers finished the 2019 season with a record 0f 78-84, which was good for a third-place finish in the American League West. The finish was actually above preseason expectations and now has the team looking to make a push forward in 2020. The Rangers have plenty of youth and have brought in the […]
10 Deeper Prospect Sleepers for Dynasty Baseball Leagues
We are inching closer and closer to Opening Day for the 2020 MLB season. That means that the Minor League season is also just around the corner. With that comes exciting new breakout prospects, as they rise up from both likely, and unlikely, places. In the past few years, I’ve recommended a number of key […]
2020 Keeper Value Rankings - Outfield
Keeper Value Rankings are intended for Keeper Leagues in which a fantasy owner must forfeit a designated draft pick in order to keep a player into the upcoming season. These rankings are based on Keeper "Values." In the marketing world, Value can be defined as the extent to which a good or service (player) is […]
Roto Strategy - Is Punting Steals a Good Idea?
In fantasy baseball, there are two scoring categories that are somewhat exclusive to a certain type of player: stolen bases and saves. Saves are obvious; only closers can earn them. As such, fantasy owners must decide how important that category is to the overall construction of their roster. If we value the stat, we'll draft […]
Four Late-Round Fliers for Runs
Run production is a valuable stat in all fantasy baseball formats, but it is not always an easy stat to predict. Locating solid run production late in drafts becomes even more difficult. Ideally, you want players who will hit at the top of lineups that are expected to score plenty of runs and can get […]
Late-Round Catchers - Targets and Avoids in 2020
Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, it would be smart to consider drafting some upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. You can take a risk or two on a variety of different players, including a prospect, forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even players with skills but have […]
Yahoo ADP Comparison - Overpriced / Underpriced Players
Average Draft Position (ADP) is a must-have piece of information when it comes to drafting. While every league is different and may have a particularly aggressive or conservative group of owners when it comes to certain players, it’s the best tool we have when analyzing players’ value. Now, instead of just talking about total ADP […]
Cody Allen Gives Up Two Runs On Wednesday
Texas Rangers reliever Cody Allen gave up two runs and two hits in one inning of relief on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants. He has an 11.25 ERA through four innings this spring, and it's not what Allen or the Rangers were hoping for when they invited him to camp. The nine-year veteran battled […]
Jeff Mathis Injured, Jesse Chavez To Miss Opening Day
There's a chance that Texas Rangers catcher Jeff Mathis (hamstring) won't be ready for Opening Day, alongside relief pitcher Jesse Chavez (elbow, shoulder). Mathis, 36, pulled his left hamstring in the game on Tuesday and was sent for an MRI exam. With Jose Trevino (finger) sidelined with a hairline fracture on his right index finger, it […]
ADP Champ or Chump: Christian Walker and Luis Robert
Fantasy owners love prospects, especially shiny new toys that they've never had an opportunity to play with before. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was drafted very highly last season, but his fantasy production didn't really live up to his draft-day cost even after Toronto finished playing service time games with him. This year, Luis Robert is poised […]