Michael A. Taylor, Howie Kendrick Rehabbing In Florida

Washington Nationals outfielder Michael A. Taylor (hip, knee) and second baseman Howie Kendrick (hamstring) continue to rehab at the team's spring training complex in Florida. Kendrick has taken at-bats in a minor league game without running, while Taylor is taking part in light baseball activities such as hitting off a tee, soft toss, light throwing […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (3/31/19): MLB DFS Lineups

As always, our Sunday slate starts early (1 PM EST), so make sure you're double checking your lineups before lock! We have a nice nine game slate, though, giving us plenty of options to choose from. In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 3/31/19. The […]

Opening Day Observations

When are we going to finally get around to making MLB Opening Day a national holiday? I can tell you the only thing that kept me from calling in sick was the fact that technology allows me to stream live games in HD on my cell phone while I sit at my desk waiting until […]

The Friday Meta - How Many Teams is Too Many?

This existential question has plagued perhaps dozens of people since time immemorial (otherwise known as the 80’s). When I posed it on Twitter and Reddit earlier this week, the answers ran the gamut from, “According to my wife, one” to a perhaps-rueful “17.” About 400 votes came in on the poll. Several commenters pointed out […]

Trea Turner Steals Three Bases on Opening Day

Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner went 2-for-4 and stole three bases in Washington’s 2-0 Opening Day loss to the New York Mets. Turner has been encouraged to run more this season and he definitely obliged in Thursday’s game, an aggression and success rate that his fantasy shareholders hope continues. The shortstop may well be on […]

Max Scherzer Drops 2-0 Pitcher’s Duel Thursday

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer was his usual dominant self on Opening Day on Thursday, allowing just two runs on just two hits with 12 strikeouts against three walks in 7 2/3 innings. Robinson Cano’s solo home run in the first inning was the only run the Mets put on Scherzer until Matt Grace […]

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 […]

Victor Robles Hitting Ninth On Opening Day

Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles is starting in center field and batting ninth on Opening Day on Thursday against Mets starter Jacob deGrom. The 21-year-old Robles had 17 hits in 59 at-bats (.288) and three home runs in 21 games for the Nats last year and has a lot of upside, but his ceiling is […]

Predicting the Top 10 Finishers in Stolen Bases in 2019

Predicting the leaders in steals for the upcoming season may sound like a straightforward task, but it’s not as easy as it seems. There is quite a bit of variance involved, and the league as a whole has seen a sharp decline in stolen base attempts since the 2012 season (about 700 fewer attempts). Past […]

Michael A. Taylor, Howie Kendrick Begin On Injured List

The Washington Nationals placed outfielder Michael A. Taylor (hip, knee), second baseman Howie Kendrick (hamstring) and relief pitcher Koda Glover (forearm) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday. All three players likely won't be ready until at least mid-April, with Taylor's injuries likely to keep him out possibly until May. Taylor has an intriguing mix […]

Jake Noll Makes Nationals Roster

Washington Nationals infielder Jake Noll has made the team's Opening Day 25-man roster out of nowhere. He'll be part of a five-man bench that includes Kurt Suzuki, Andrew Stevenson, Wilmer Difo and Matt Adams. Noll is a 25-year-old that hasn't had a single at-bat above Double-A ball, but he'll provide the Nats with infield flexibility […]

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 […]

Three National League Outfielders Set To Break Out in 2019

Before listing the three National League outfielders destined for breakout seasons, it’s best to define what I classified as a “breakout” candidate. I decided to choose players that fantasy owners have seen on the waiver wire over the past few seasons. Perhaps these players have even found their way onto a roster or two. However, […]

Four Sleepers At First Base to Target Late

First base was once the most loaded position in fantasy baseball. All the best hitters played the position, and if you didn't have an elite one on your team, you were in trouble. That's changed a bit over the past few seasons, as younger, more athletic players have emerged at positions like shortstop, third base, […]

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 […]

Nats, Anthony Rendon Not Close To Extension

The Washington Nationals and third baseman Anthony Rendon are not close on contract-extension talks with Opening Day quickly approaching. The talks could continue into the season, but nothing will be finalized before Thursday, March 28. Rendon, 28, hit .308/.374/.535 with 24 home runs and 92 RBI in 136 games in 2018 and has at least […]

Anthony Rendon Homers in Exhibition Game at Nationals Park

Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon hit 2019's first home run at Nationals Park, albeit in an exhibition game against the New York Yankees on Monday. It was Rendon's fifth home run this March as the 28-year-old prepares to bat cleanup in the Nationals lineup. You can expect four strong categories from RotoBaller's seventh-ranked third […]

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 […]

Why You Should Target Injury-Prone Pitchers (Sometimes)

To some fantasy owners, there’s nothing more frustrating than the good but oft-injured starting pitcher. It makes owners just want to wash their hands entirely of pitchers like Rich Hill, James Paxton, and Stephen Strasburg in favor of sub-par innings-eaters and often pushes these fragile hurlers down draft boards. However, in certain league formats, targeting these […]

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 […]

Adam Eaton To Hit Leadoff For Nats

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez announced on Monday that outfielder Adam Eaton will serve as the club's leadoff hitter this year, with shortstop Trea Turner hitting second. Turner is the more prolific base stealer, but Eaton has a better on-base percentage over the last two seasons (.394). Martinez also confirmed that outfielder Victor Robles will […]

Patrick Corbin Goes Six Innings In Last Spring Start

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Patrick Corbin threw six innings in his final start of spring training in a split-squad game against the Houston Astros on Sunday, allowing three runs on 10 hits while striking out seven with one walk. Corbin only posted a 4.88 ERA in 24 innings this spring, with three walks and 19 […]

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 […]

March ADP Musings - Overvalued / Undervalued Shortstops

It's full steam ahead for fantasy baseball draft season before Opening Day hits. Depending on how many leagues you are in, you may already have a pretty good handle on what to expect as far as where and when certain players or position groups are going in drafts. On the other hand, maybe you're only […]

Five National League Outfield Sleepers for 2019

Sleepers, draft values, ADP bargains...whatever you want to call them, every fantasy owner is looking for them at this time of year. Identifying and acquiring players whose production will outstrip the investment required to land their services is the crux of the game. It's often what separates the winners and losers, and it's arguably the […]