Rookie Report: Recent MLB Prospect Call-Ups (Week 18)

The calendar has turned to August and we still have yet to see some of the big-name prospects that were expected to come up this season. Yes, Kyle Tucker, Willie Calhoun, Juan Soto, and Willy Adames have all made their debuts this season but I seriously doubt that we will see any more of the […]

Power Risers/Fallers for Week 18: Buy or Sell?

Welcome to Week 18 of the 2018 MLB season and a new week of our investigation into the steepest power trenders in baseball, whether those trends are positive or negative. As the season has blown by into August and the MLB trade deadline has passed, the window of opportunity to snag a surging slugger or […]

Nats Cut Shawn Kelley After Mound Meltdown

The Washington Nationals designated relief pitcher Shawn Kelley for assignment on Wednesday a day after he threw a tantrum on the mound after giving up a home run. "You should never throw your glove. We should act like adults," Kelley said. He had also given up a homer in two of his last four outings […]

Contact Rate Risers and Fallers for Week 18: Buy or Sell?

Welcome to Contact Rate Risers and Fallers! Our premium tools allow us to get out ahead of trends in player performance, including contact rate. Every Wednesday, we'll be looking at some players that have seen an increase in contact rate and some that have seen it decline. Contact rate can foretell a player's batting average […]

2018 Prospects - Top 30 Impact Rookies for Fantasy Leagues (Week 18)

Hello everyone, and welcome to my weekly Top-30 Fantasy Rankings for Impact Rookies! In this series, I will be going over the top prospects in baseball and discussing which ones figure to have an impact for the rest of this fantasy baseball season. What a crazy week it has been! The trade deadline passed with […]

Week 18 Start/Sit Matchups - Starting Pitchers

You know what it is--it's my updated starts/sits column for Week 18! Your friendly neighborhood @Roto_Dubs is back again this year with his weekly starting pitcher matchups. This is our fifth year now writing this weekly column, helping fantasy baseball managers pick the best pitchers weekly. Below are the projected starting pitching matchups for Week 18, and […]

Anthony Rendon Makes Impactful Return to Lineup on Tuesday

Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon had a monster night in his return to the lineup on Tuesday. Rendon went 3-for-6 with a double and four runs batted in against the New York Mets. The third baseman joined in on the Nationals hit parade, as the team mashed New York pitching for an insane 25 runs […]

Daniel Murphy Has Monster Day on Tuesday

Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy had a night to remember on Tuesday against the New York Mets. Murphy went 3-for-4 with two home runs and six runs batted in during a 25-4 rout of his former team. The veteran second baseman continues to torture the Mets, and it is possible a big night like […]

Stephen Strasburg Cleared To Throw

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (neck) has been cleared to throw and played catch on Monday. Manager Dave Martinez said he doesn't think Strasburg will need long to build back up. The Nats could really use Strasburg at the top of their rotation as they fight to remain relevant in the playoff picture. The […]

Nats Activate Anthony Rendon

The Washington Nationals activated third baseman Anthony Rendon from the family medical leave list on Tuesday, and he's back in the starting lineup. He's hitting second and starting at the hot corner against Mets starter Steven Matz on Tuesday. Get Rendon back into your lineups in all leagues.

Bryce Harper Won't Be Traded

Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said that outfielder Bryce Harper won't be traded. "Bryce is not going anywhere. I believe in this team," Rizzo said. The Nats had deals "lined up" for multiple players, including Harper, but the sense is that ownership pulled the plug late Monday night, according to The Washington Post's Jorge […]

Statcast Hitter Analysis - Left-Handed xwOBA Splits (Week 18)

A left-handed pitcher takes the mound, a left-handed batter hits the bench. We see it all too often, especially in the later innings when managers love to play the same-handed split matchups in the bullpen. Your star players (does Bryce Harper still count?) won't be affected, but many others will. Not all left-handed batters suffer […]

Potential Risers/Fallers After the MLB Trade Deadline

The MLB Trade Deadline is one of the most exciting parts of the baseball season. Contenders get to bolster their rosters for the playoff push while rebuilding clubs get to add potential studs to their growing farm system. With players such Manny Machado, Zach Britton, Mike Moustakas and many others already moved, teams around the […]

Statcast Pitcher Risers/Fallers - Middle-Inning xBA (Week 18)

Welcome back to Rotoballer's series using Statcast to extrapolate, dig into, and commiserate over data to examine pitching performances. The weekly series will be dynamic as we fine-tune our findings and enlighten ourselves on the information and tools at our disposal. Throughout the season, a common theme in our discussions has been pitcher efficiency. Whether […]

Jeremy Hellickson Tosses Mediocre Outing on Sunday

Washington Nationals right-hander Jeremy Hellickson took the loss on Sunday against the Miami Marlins. Hellickson lasted just 4 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and five runs (three earned). He struck out four and was pulled after just 81 pitches. The Nationals have been reluctant to allow the righty to pitch deep into games, despite a […]

Stephen Strasburg Might Miss Less Time Than Expected

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (neck) and his fantasy owners got some good news on Monday. According to Jon Heyman, Strasburg — who was originally expected to miss anywhere between six to eight weeks with a pinched nerve in his neck — might return sooner after receiving "a shot to calm down [the] area." […]

Max Scherzer's ERA Steadily Climbing Every Month

Washington Nationals ace pitcher Max Scherzer is one of the most dominant strikeout artists in the game, but a telling statistic is being revealed this year. Scherzer's earned run average has risen every month of the 2018 season. In April, his ERA ended at 1.91. In May, 2.21. In June, it rose just .10 points […]

Trading Up: Pitching Category Targets

This article is the fourth in our series on trade and acquisition targets for the second half of the season. Part 1: Top-50 Players to Target Part 2: Mid-Tier and Bargain Targets on Offense Part 3: Mid-Tier and Bargain Pitchers Part 4: Offensive Category Targets Part 5: Pitching Category Targets Each section focuses on players […]

Tanner Roark (SP, WAS) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 34% of leagues ANALYSIS: Washington Nationals starting pitcher Tanner Roark was remarkable in his last start: 8 IP, 0 ER, and 11 K (@ MIL).  This was a good sign for Roark, who had a .442 BABIP for over the last 30 days coming into the start. […]

Anthony Rendon Placed On Family Medical Leave List

Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon has been placed on the family medical leave list, per The Washington Post's Jorge Castillo. He has been on the paternity list since Thursday but will need more time before returning to the team. Mark Reynolds will continue to man the hot corner in his place. Reynolds has hit […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (7/29/18): MLB DFS Lineups

We've got an 11-game slate this Sunday on DraftKings, with OAK @ COL predictably posting the biggest total with a 12.0 O/U. KC @ NYY, PHI @ CIN, and TOR @ CWS are all tied for second highest with a 9.5 O/U. In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup […]

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (7/29/18): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

We have a solid 10 game slate today, and FanDuel opted to avoid the game in Colorado. That's great for fantasy, as it takes away chalk and adds a bit of fun to the slate. In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 7/29/18. The lineup […]

Trea Turner Stays Hot on Saturday

Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner had another productive day at the plate on Saturday against the Miami Marlins. Turner went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases. The two steals give him 24 on the season. Over his last three games, the 25-year-old is 7-for-17 with a double, triple, home run and four runs scored. Turner has […]

Gio Gonzalez Notches Quality Start on Saturday

Washington Nationals southpaw Gio Gonzalez impressed on Saturday against the Miami Marlins. Gonzalez threw seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits to go along with four strikeouts. It was the left-hander's longest outing since July 2, when he also went seven innings. Although Gonzalez does not typically go deep into games, he provides […]

Nathan Eovaldi to the Red Sox - Fantasy Implications

As if the Boston Red Sox didn't already have one of the top rotations in baseball this year, they managed to improve upon it by acquiring Nathan Eovaldi from the Rays on Wednesday. Eovaldi has been working his way back from his second Tommy John surgery, and in his first action in over a year […]

Adam Eaton Not in Starting Lineup Saturday

Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton is riding the bench Saturday in Miami. Michael A. Taylor will replace Eaton in the starting lineup and bat seventh against right-hander Trevor Richards. Taylor has been a menace on the base paths this season but just hasn't gotten the consistent playing time lately to take advantage of his speed. Expect […]

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (7/28/18): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

We have an 11-game slate giving us plenty of options to pick from. A few high priced pitchers on the slate along with a game at Coors Field should give us a nice variety of options when we are trying to build out our lineups. In this article, I will be providing you with my […]

Two-Start Pitcher Streamers: Week 17 (July 30th-August 5th)

Now that the weird Week 16 schedule is in the books, we can return to our normal seven-day forecast in the two-start streamer world. However, to continue to avoid confusion, I’ll label these articles with both the week of your fantasy season (for head-to-head players) and also the dates for relevance. This week’s list will […]

Stephen Strasburg Receives Neck Injection On Thursday

Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg (neck) received an injection on Thursday in hopes of solving his neck problems. The team will wait 72 hours before making a decision on if he could resume his throwing program. Strasburg was able to make just one start before returning to the disabled list with his neck issue earlier […]

Victor Robles Activated From Minor League Disabled List

Washington Nationals outfield prospect Victor Robles was activated from the minor league disabled list and is back in action at Triple-A. Robles had been sidelined for three months with an elbow injury. Robles has had his name called in trade rumors involving Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto, however, it's unclear if the Nats have made him […]