X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Valuable Long Relievers of 2020 and the Lingering Impact (Part 1)

The circumstantial insanity of the 2020 MLB season necessitated some adjustments in strategy, both for big-league managers and fantasy baseball GMs. One of these adjustments, prompted by frequent doubleheaders and the three-batter minimum rule, was the greater use of long-relievers and a generally reduced workload for rotation pitchers.

That makes sense from the perspective of an MLB manager, as it was impossible to tell how the altered season would impact each arm, and baseball has been trending towards fewer innings from starters with more specialty bullpen work for some time. However, if you are like me and you constantly found yourself in desperate situations (man, I really thought Justin Verlander would return), this trend presented an interesting strategic alternative: abandoning a weak rotation in lieu of a dominant crop of long-relievers.

The question remains: will long-relief remain a relevant approach for racking up IP, wins, saves + holds, and tolerable strikeout numbers for 2021 and years to come? With uncertainty looming as to the parameters of the upcoming year, let's look at some of the more prominent long-relievers from 2020 and assess their situations to project whether they should be on fantasy baseball GM radars for the 2021 season. For convenience, let's view the field in descending order by teams that made particularly potent use of long-relievers and the staff members they deployed.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:

 

Toronto Blue Jays

First up is the Toronto Blue Jays, who made prevalent use of long-relievers Thomas Hatch, Anthony Kay, Shun Yamaguchi, and (I'm counting it) Robbie Ray. While Ray, Kay, and Yamaguchi each reached extremely up-and-down results in varying roles, the crown jewel of the lot was the now 26-year-old Hatch, a product of Oklahoma State who was making his first go around the big leagues. Out of 17 appearances on the mound, only one came as a start, and in that time Hatch tossed 26.1 innings (1.55 IP per appearance) for a 2.73 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, a 3-1 record, and three holds (actually impressive considering how crowded the Toronto bullpen was at times). Hatch had a clear workload ceiling, but he consistently made the most of that time, never pitching less than o.2 innings (which happened just once) and going 2.0 or more IP on five separate occasions. Hatch's three wins scored him even with Toronto RP A.J. Cole (23.1 IP in 24 games) and were bested only by Hyun Jin Ryu, who notched five dubs in another excellent campaign.

Already we see something significant: only one Blue Jay rotation arm, who happens to be one of the best in the game currently, was able to record more wins with Toronto, while Chase Anderson, Tanner Roark, Matt Shoemaker, Taijuan Walker, and Ray only collectively earned six. Granted, Walker had four wins in 2020 for both the Jays and Mariners, but he had an excellent season in his own right, and his 53.1 IP over 11 starts might net much higher strikeout totals, but he also won't net any holds or make 17 separate appearances spread over a short season. In the situation of needing wins and saves/holds in the very limited window of a weekly format, the option of deploying a guy like Hatch for potentially three games in a week offers a lot of flexibility with the added bonus of additional IP as insurance in case another arm on your roster gets blitzed from the start, without necessarily having to forfeit the strikeout battle.

As it stands, it looks like Hatch, Ray, Kay, and Yamaguchi will remain in Canada barring intervening variables. The Blue Jays stand to lose Anderson, Shoemaker, Walker, Cole, Anthony Bass, and Ken Giles to free agency, and while they most likely will attempt to cook up a transaction or two for the pitching staff and have plenty of young talent waiting in the wings, it looks like the spot occupied by Hatch in the middle innings of extended relief is his to run with entering next season. As for Robbie Ray who tabbed a 4.79 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, and a bittersweet slash of 1.7 HR/9, 6.1 BB/9, yet 10.9 K/9 in 20.2 IP over five appearances (four starts), he is currently penciled in as a returning SP. However, that lone relief showing was of almost equal length as his normal starts, and it went just as well as his few solid starts on the year. If the front office or early results necessitate moving Ray to the bullpen, his rotation endurance coupled with his phenomenal K-rate could turn into a statistical smorgasbord.

For 25-year-old lefty Anthony Kay, the ball is in his court. While never a highly-ranked prospect, the former UConn hurler was one of two pitchers shipped by the Mets for Marcus Stroman, and the Jays definitely have hopes that he can turn into a serviceable mid-tier starter at the least. Kay had a rollercoaster trip in 2020, posting a 5.14 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, two wins, three holds, 6.0 BB/9, yet 9.4 K/9 in 21.0 IP across 13 relief outings (1.62 IP per appearance). Over the first two months, he actually achieved a 2.94 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, with a reduced BB/9 of 4.7 and one HR allowed over 15.1 IP, and would've clinched a marvelous season had it not been for a disastrous month of September (seven ER, two HR, six BB in 5.2 innings).

Will a longer year give Kay the time he needs to work past slumps and put his mark on 2021? While it's tough to project how the last year has impacted development for a guy in a notorious hitter's park, his 4.03 FIP compared to his 5.40 MLB ERA suggests the outcomes should start to even out. Notably, Kay was at his best last year when the game was on the line (.547 high-leverage OPS, 1.23 ERA in Wins/Save Situations). With it most likely that he starts the year in a pen that is probably losing a few key gamers, Kay is in great position to get back to capitalizing on scoring chances in the middle innings with extended work like Hatch, with potential to tally wins and holds multiple times in a week with strikeout volume that won't leave you punting.

Ah, now we reach 33-year-old former Japanese League star Shun Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi is signed through 2021, and he will need a huge bounce-back if he's going to be marketable. In 25.2 IP over 17 relief appearances last year (1.51 IP each) he totaled two wins, 0ne hold, 9.1 K/9...and an 8.06 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 2.1 HR/9, and 6.0 BB/9. To his credit, he powered through an ugly two appearances as a start in July before producing a 1.54 ERA and 0.86 WHIP through 11.2 August IP before the wheels fell right back off with 17 ER in 13.0 September/October innings, and he often got the short end of the stick as evidenced by the vast majority of his workload coming in either low-leverage situations or those in which the game had already gotten away.

Even with the arms that will depart from Toronto and the others who have had their share of struggles, Yamaguchi must string together a pair of solid months at a time to survive with the Jays and hold on to any relevance in this incredibly niche situation. It's also possible that he is more at home as a starter, as he ended up with pretty performances when he made it to 2.1 IP or more (up to 4.0). For that to happen, it would probably require struggles from at least two Toronto starters, struggles from Kay (as Hatch seems to be capped at less than 3.0 IP), and probably would still only come to fruition if the top Jays pitching prospects had the organization thoroughly convinced that they aren't ready. With Kay and Hatch swallowing most of the joint wins/holds opportunities, Yamaguchi doesn't just need to pitch better, he needs to start leap-frogging.

 

Cincinnati Reds

Next up is the Cincinnati Reds, who leaned on the long-relief trio of Michael Lorenzen, Lucas Sims, and Tejay Antone amidst Wade Miley's IL stint, Anthony DeSclafani's implosion, and Tyler Mahle's unpredictable innings limit on route to a momentous birth in the postseason. I have to confess: as a Reds fan, I fell in love with the way these pitchers performed in their respective roles of 2020, and Cincinnati wouldn't have seen the postseason without them. Unfortunately, this setup also appears destined to dissolve, but that might just pave the way for something new to bloom. With DeSclafani having signed with San Francisco, Trevor Bauer likely to move on for astronomical money (it was fun while it lasted), and the Reds even engaging in trade talks (no secret that Cincy is chasing an All-Star caliber shortstop) regarding the other aces Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo, Michael Lorenzen currently is slated as the fifth man in the rotation with Mahle in the middle of the pack. If Gray and/or Castillo are sent elsewhere, that leaves some gargantuan shoes to be filled.

With the strong finish between injuries in late-August and late-September (as both a starter and reliever) for Miley and the significant step forward taken by Mahle last season, they make perfect sense as members of the rotation from the offset. While "Mikey Biceps" is the current fifth-man, circumstance could dictate that spot being taken by Antone, Sal Romano, reclamation projects like Jose De Leon or Jeff Hoffman, and especially elite prospects Nick Lodolo, Hunter Greene, or Tony Santillan. The flip-side of the uncertainty is: no matter who ends up in the rotation, those left out will likely occupy similar long-relief roles, and that's good news because with Raisel Iglesias being traded to the Angels, there is no longer as much a frustrating barricade between the long-relievers and high-leverage innings.

After the season that Lucas Sims had, he is almost certain to hop right back into the spot where he has proven most lethal. Though his stints weren't as lengthy as others on this list (25.2 IP, 20 relief appearances, 1.28 IP each game), Sims put together a gorgeous season to watch, netting a 2.45 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, three wins, five holds, a greatly improved HR/9 of 1.1, 3.9 BB/9, and a nasty 11.9 K/9. At 26, he arrived in noisy fashion, and his efficient workload maxing out hard at around 2.0 IP makes it all but certain that Sims is preparing to pick up where he left off as Cincinnati's lights-out middle-inning man.

Regarding Tejay Antone, it's likely he will be a bit more liquid in his usage, being asked to toss long-relief and make occasional spot-starts. It took Antone just 13 games (only four starts) to rack up 35.1 IP in 2020, finishing with a 2.80 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 11.5 K/9, yet just one hold and zero wins. Month by month, rotation or bullpen, it didn't matter: Antone was rock-solid, and was a workhorse in relief, powering through 19.0 innings in nine relief showings. However, he as good as his starts were, his relief outings were distantly superior, as he struck a 1.89 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, and punched 27 strikeouts over those 19.0 IP. For the reason of his relief dominance alone, it is more likely that Antone persists in his swing-man role moving forward.

Especially with Lorenzen producing inverse results over the same period. The rightful winner of the 2018 NL Silver Slugger award at pitcher (argue with me...make my day) clocked in 33.2 IP over 18 appearances, two of which were starts. With a 4.28 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 4.5 BB/9, and a goose egg for saves after achieving seven in 2019, it would appear that multi-talented Mikey took a sizeable step back. However, he did manage to strike two holds, three wins, career-high figures for HR/9 (0.8) and K/9 (9.4), and his FIP (3.87) combined with his .297 BABIP on just 26.6% hard contact indicates that his stat line will trend in a preferable direction over time. Lorenzen also performed better as a starter than he did from the pen, in contrast with Antone, posting a 2.79 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 9.2 IP in two starts against a 4.88 ERA and 1.58 WHIP in the remaining 24.0 IP.

Taken together, as very close, yet different sides of the spectrum, that probably will lead to Lorenzen starting 2021 in the rotation, with Antone doing the heavy lifting in relief, and Sims occupying slightly fewer innings in higher-leverage situations. The trick is, as mentioned, it is easy to see how Miley, De Leon, Hoffman, Lodolo, and multiple others could end up in the rotation and/or the bullpen at different times this year. The Reds pitching staff is worth keeping an eye on for their long-relief assets, as with Iglesias out as closer in Cincinnati, that could leave an early closing committee of Amir Garrett, Noe Ramirez, and possibly Ryan Hendrix or Joel Kuhnel at the helm. With less of an established hierarchy, that lends a great window of opportunity for the Reds long-relief men to put in even more middle work, increasing the chances each week of tallying wins, holds, saves, and pleasantly surprising strikeout numbers, with the low ERA and WHIP holding up over time due to the volume of innings.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More 2021 Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Rafael Devers12 mins ago

Wilyer Abreu Starting On Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.22 mins ago

Ronald Acuna Jr. Could Run Less To Stay Healthy
Brooks Raley31 mins ago

Drawing Interest On Market
Miguel Ullola40 mins ago

Has Right Shoulder Discomfort
Matt Waldron48 mins ago

Diagnosed With Oblique Strain
Endy Rodríguez58 mins ago

Endy Rodriguez Expected To Begin Season With Triple-A
Eeli Tolvanen1 hour ago

Scores Twice In Victory
WPG1 hour ago

Kyle Connor Strikes Twice On Friday
Jack Roslovic2 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Friday's Victory
Leon Draisaitl2 hours ago

Leads Edmonton To Victory
Liam O'Brien2 hours ago

Exits With Undisclosed Injury
Josh Manson2 hours ago

Exits On Friday
Carlos Estévez9 hours ago

Carlos Estevez Feels Great After Cactus League Debut
Jon Gray9 hours ago

Leaves Game Friday After Being Hit By Comebacker
Kevin Porter Jr.10 hours ago

Expected To Be Available Saturday
Atlanta Falcons10 hours ago

Falcons Agree To Terms With Morgan Fox
Damian Lillard10 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Saturday's Game
Giannis Antetokounmpo11 hours ago

Probable For Saturday
Lonzo Ball11 hours ago

Remains Out For Saturday
Indianapolis Colts11 hours ago

Colts Sign Corey Ballentine To One-Year Deal On Friday
Trendon Watford11 hours ago

Will Miss Saturday's Game
Chet Holmgren11 hours ago

Resting Versus Detroit
Nicolas Claxton11 hours ago

Resting On Saturday
Pittsburgh Steelers11 hours ago

Brandin Echols Signs Two-Year Deal With Steelers
Josh Giddey11 hours ago

Not Likely To Play Saturday
Noah Clowney11 hours ago

To Remain Out Against Celtics
Kenny Yeboah11 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Lions
Avery Williams11 hours ago

Signs With Eagles
Cam Thomas11 hours ago

Sits Out First Leg Of Back-To-Back Saturday
Jalen Williams11 hours ago

Still Out On Saturday
Coby White11 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Saturday
Kene Nwangwu11 hours ago

Jets Re-Sign Kene Nwangwu To One-Year Deal
Cody Martin11 hours ago

Cleared To Return Friday
Eli White11 hours ago

Appears Likely To Open Season In Utility Role
Trey Lyles11 hours ago

Misses Friday's Game Due To Back Soreness
Tommy Henry11 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Grayson Allen11 hours ago

Not Playing Friday
Trey Jemison III11 hours ago

Unavailable Against Nuggets
Blake Walston12 hours ago

To Have Tommy John Surgery
Jacob Misiorowski12 hours ago

Brewers Reassign Jacob Misiorowski To Minor-League Camp
Gabe Vincent12 hours ago

Sits Out Friday's Game
Nick Richards12 hours ago

Sitting Out On Friday
Dorian Finney-Smith12 hours ago

Sidelined On Friday
Erik Swanson12 hours ago

Diagnosed With "Median Nerve Entrapment"
Domantas Sabonis12 hours ago

Back In Action On Friday
Shane Baz12 hours ago

Not Worried About Spring Training Results
Zeke Nnaji12 hours ago

Active On Friday
Mason Adams13 hours ago

Exits With Elbow Injury
Will Klein14 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A Tacoma
Simi Fehoko14 hours ago

Signing With Cardinals
Kylen Granson14 hours ago

Headed To Philadelphia
Jared Shuster14 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Sterling Shepard14 hours ago

Remaining With Buccaneers
José Buttó14 hours ago

Jose Butto Dealing With Groin Injury
Cincinnati Bengals14 hours ago

Bengals Not Ruling Out Trey Hendrickson Extension
Wenceel Pérez14 hours ago

Wenceel Perez Receives Injection, Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
Jose Trevino14 hours ago

Exits Early On Friday
Cooper Kupp14 hours ago

Signing With Seahawks
Jake Cronenworth14 hours ago

Not Expected To Play First Base
Karel Vejmelka15 hours ago

Makes Ninth Consecutive Start Friday
Dustin Wolf15 hours ago

Set To Face Avalanche Friday
Mikael Backlund15 hours ago

Out Week-To-Week
Sam Colangelo15 hours ago

Deemed Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Michael Bunting16 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Dallas Cowboys16 hours ago

Dante Fowler Jr. Heading Back To Cowboys
Andrei Svechnikov16 hours ago

Expected To Return Next Week
Nikolaj Ehlers16 hours ago

Good To Go Against Stars
Buffalo Bills16 hours ago

Larry Ogunjobi, Michael Hoecht Both Facing Six-Game PED Suspensions
Tee Higgins17 hours ago

Bengals Making Headway On Contracts For Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase
Ben Skowronek17 hours ago

Back With Steelers
Minnesota Vikings17 hours ago

Eric Wilson Returns To Minnesota
Pharaoh Brown17 hours ago

Heading To Miami
Minnesota Vikings18 hours ago

Justin Skule Signs With Vikings
Mackenzie Blackwood18 hours ago

Battling Illness, Not Starting On Friday
Rasmus Ristolainen18 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Upper-Body Injury
Lian Bichsel19 hours ago

Not Playing On Friday
Josh Norris19 hours ago

Undergoing Evaluation
JJ Peterka19 hours ago

Not Playing On Saturday
Neal Pionk19 hours ago

Viewed As Week-To-Week
Kareem Hunt19 hours ago

Chiefs Bring Back Kareem Hunt On One-Year Deal
Philadelphia Eagles19 hours ago

Eagles Open To Trading Bryce Huff
Cooper Kupp19 hours ago

Asking For $15 Million Per Year
Roman Dolidze24 hours ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori24 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani24 hours ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos1 day ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh1 day ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez1 day ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson1 day ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear1 day ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Quinton Byfield1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Straight Game
Jesper Bratt1 day ago

Posts Second Straight Three-Point Performance
Brendson Ribeiro1 day ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay1 day ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA1 day ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos1 day ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman3 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard3 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips3 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith3 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala3 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick3 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler3 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter3 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim3 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy3 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa3 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre3 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth3 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young3 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim3 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas3 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele3 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy3 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA3 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman4 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee4 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Power-Steering Failure Foils Tyler Reddick's Bid For Potential Victory
William Byron5 days ago

Recovers From Being Trapped A Lap Down To Finish Sixth
Josh Berry5 days ago

Gives Wood Brothers Team Best Run Since 2021
Alex Pereira5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 313
Magomed Ankalaev5 days ago

Becomes The New UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
Justin Gaethje5 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev5 days ago

Loses Third Fight In A Row
Ignacio Bahamondes5 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 313
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Scores His Third Consecutive Victory Of The Season At Phoenix
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Strong Phoenix Performance Falls Short Of Victory
Chris Buescher5 days ago

Quietly Earns A Top-Five Finish At Phoenix
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Leaves Phoenix With His Best Finish At The Site Since 2016
Zane Smith5 days ago

Quietly Nabs His First Phoenix Top-10 Finish
Jalin Turner5 days ago

Retires After UFC 313 Loss
Iasmin Lucindo5 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 313
Amanda Lemos5 days ago

Dominates At UFC 313
King Green5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 313
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Buy or Sell: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Jordan Addison (2025)

The 2024 NFL Draft class had seven first-round wide receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were Day 1 selections. More importantly, Nabers and Thomas finished their rookie seasons as top-7 wide receivers in half-point PPR […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers, Draft Targets: Early 2025 Analysis

One of the biggest factors in winning fantasy football teams is finding middle-to-late-round sleepers. With wide receivers typically carrying the most drafted players of any position, it makes sense that taking multiple stabs at the position in search of hitting multiple-round values is the way to set yourself apart in drafts. For 2025, the draft […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 NFL Free Agency Frenzy: Biggest Winners and Disappointments at Every Fantasy Football Position

NFL franchises will have an opportunity to reshape their rosters before the draft. Fantasy managers will have a chance to read the tea leaves and make measured strikes against their fantasy football opposition ahead of rookie drafts. Savvy managers will use this period to try to get the best return on some previous investments, as […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Free Agency Fantasy Football Analysis: Fallers On New Teams (2025)

With the first wave of NFL free agency coming to an end, several fantasy-relevant players have signed on to new teams. The quarterback carousel still has several dominoes to fall, but Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, and Kenny Pickett have found new homes within the first few days of the new league year. The running back […]


James Conner - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Fallers - Players Trending Down In 2025

Fantasy football players trending "down" can mean a few different things. It can mean aging veterans, a new situation for players, regression in production after a stellar season, a change in coordinators, or all of the above. It doesn't necessarily mean these players won't produce; it's just a warning sign to proceed cautiously. Ultimately, marking […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Free Agency Fantasy Fallout!

Michael F. Florio is back going over the any signings and trades that free agency week brought us! He discusses his winners and losers of players that changed teams - then does the same for players who were not moved but still had their value impacted! Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

The NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Drake Maye - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Players To Target In Deep Leagues

Fantasy football sleepers are what make the game fun. There is nothing like landing an absolute stud in the double-digit rounds of your fantasy draft. The more teams in your league, the more important sleepers become. As the player pool shrinks, it is an absolute must to hit on at least one or two sleepers. […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Avoids, Busts: 2025 NFL Free Agent Signings

The 2025 NFL free-agency period is well underway, and many wide receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks, and running backs have already found their new homes. While some of them are in better landing spots, or at least should continue having solid production relative to their ADP (anticipated draft position) in fantasy football, some of them should […]


Jaydon Blue - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Picks, NFL Draft

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Sleepers: Late-Round Prospects With Immediate Upside

Players who are thought of as less likely to succeed in the NFL are typically selected later in drafts. When a player falls through the rounds, it's generally because teams have doubts about their ability to produce. It takes a specific family of skill sets to succeed in the big leagues. But sometimes, players fall […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Tight End Sleepers For Best Ball Drafts

Tight end is one of the most important positions in fantasy football, and heading into 2025, the position seems even deeper than it has been in past seasons. Sure, there’s the new cream rising to the top with Brock Bowers and Trey McBride, but a lot of veterans are seen much lower in best ball […]