Mick Abel is a Breakout Pitcher Carrying Elite Upside

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Mick Abel has strung together two dominant outings after two rough ones to start the season. The right-hander hasn't allowed a run in his last two turns through the rotation, allowing just eight hits and three walks while striking out 16 batters in 13 innings pitched. The former first-round draft pick flashed similar […]

Bryan Baker the New No. 1 Closer in Tampa Bay?

Tampa Bay Rays closer Bryan Baker has already doubled his career total in saves with the four games he has locked down this year. Baker came into the season with one save from the 2022 season and three from last season, split between two teams. He has four this year, putting him two behind the […]

Paul Sewald the Priority Target for Saves on the Waiver Wire

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald is tied with Mason Miller for the league lead in saves with six. Injuries limited the veteran to just 59 1/3 innings pitched between 2024 and 2025, but he saved 34 games in 2023 while registering a 3.12 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 22.5 percent K-BB%. The 35-year-old appears fully healthy and currently […]

Willson Contreras Returns to Red Sox Lineup on Friday

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (back) is starting at first base and is hitting in the two-hole in Friday's series opener against the visiting Detroit Tigers and right-hander Casey Mize at Fenway Park, according to MLB.com. Contreras suffered from back tightness earlier this week and was held out of Wednesday's game against the […]

Abner Uribe Emerging as New Closer in Milwaukee?

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Abner Uribe notched his first save of the season in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Blue Jays. The right-hander needed just 12 pitches to dispatch Toronto in the top of the ninth, throwing eight of them for strikes and striking out one batter. With Trevor Megill's recent struggles, Milwaukee's closer has been […]

Andy Pages Continues to Rake, but Will it Continue?

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages had a breakout season in 2025, but so far is on pace to outproduce that campaign in the early going of 2026. With two hits in his latest contest, the right-handed slugger now has hit safely in 14 of 18 games, with nine multi-hit performances included in there. In […]

Daniel Palencia Goes on 15-Day Injured List With Oblique Strain

Chicago Cubs right-handed closer Daniel Palencia (oblique) was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 14) on Friday with a left-oblique strain, according to Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune. It's yet another injury for Chicago's pitching staff, which has been decimated early in the 2026 season. The 26-year-old Palencia has yet to […]

Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts - MLB Bullpens and Saves

Saves are an important component for many fantasy baseball leagues. Closers are one of the most volatile positions in fantasy baseball and one of the highest turnover positions in MLB. Each year, closers drop like flies, and many MLB teams make in-season changes due to injuries or poor performance. Relief pitchers are becoming increasingly important […]

Carson Benge Hitting Leadoff on Friday Against Cubs

New York Mets rookie outfielder Carson Benge is starting in right field and is hitting leadoff for Friday's series opener in Chicago at Wrigley Field against the Cubs and right-hander Edward Cabrera, according to MLB.com. With Benge moving up to leadoff, shortstop Francisco Lindor will drop down to the three-hole for the struggling Mets lineup. […]

Juan Soto Still on Track to Return Next Week

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (calf) is progressing with his baseball activities and is "still on track" to return from the 10-day injured list next week, but the Mets will want to do a supplemental MRI exam to ensure that Soto is OK before activating him, according to Laura Albanese of Newsday. Soto landed […]

Garret Anderson Dies at 53 Years Old

Outfielder Garret Anderson, who is a member of the Los Angeles Angels' Hall of Fame, died at the age of 53 on Friday, according to ESPN. No cause of death was given. Anderson played 15 of his 17 major-league seasons with the Angels after he was drafted by them in the fourth round in 1990. […]

Jorge Polanco Now Dealing With Wrist Issue

New York Mets infielder Jorge Polanco (Achilles, wrist) is in a "better place" with his Achilles bursitis on Friday, but now he's dealing with a right-wrist issue, manager Carlos Mendoza told Max Goodman of NJ.com. The Mets are waiting for MRI results on Polanco's wrist. Although his Achilles bursitis is not considered serious, Polanco could […]

Cade Horton Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

Chicago Cubs right-hander Cade Horton (elbow) had Tommy John surgery on Thursday and will need 15 to 16 months of recovery, according to Taylor McGregor of the Marquee Sports Network. Horton needed a full right-elbow reconstruction. He will miss the rest of the 2026 campaign and most likely the first half of next season as […]

Eric Cross' Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups: Hitters and Pitchers (Week 4)

We're still only around three weeks into the 2026 major league season, but slow starts and injuries have forced many managers to hit the waiver wire more frequently than they hoped when drafting their teams this spring. But that's baseball for you! The players below are all under 40 percent rostered in Yahoo! leagues. Some […]

Braydon Fisher to Serve as Opener for Toronto on Friday

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Braydon Fisher will serve as the opener for the team in Friday's series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. Left-hander Eric Lauer, not Fisher, is who fantasy managers will want to consider starting in this matchup at Chase Field in Arizona. Fisher, however, has been lights-out […]

Jorge Polanco Remains Out on Friday

New York Mets infielder Jorge Polanco (Achilles) is not ready to rejoin the starting lineup for Friday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, according to MLB.com. Bretty Baty will make the start at first base and is batting eighth, while MJ Melendez is serving as the designated hitter and is batting sixth […]

MLB DFS Picks for 4/17/26: Daily Fantasy Baseball Strategy and Tips For FanDuel, DraftKings

We have an awesome Friday night baseball slate on our hands to bring us into the weekend. I would advise sitting back, relaxing, and watching some very good matchups on tonight's slate. As always, if you want to play a lineup or two, you have found the right place. I'm continually refining my model and […]

Ramon Laureano to Stick in Leadoff Spot for Padres

San Diego Padres outfielder Ramon Laureano is the team's leadoff man "until further notice," manager Craig Stammen told AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. The skipper cited Laureano's quality of at-bats wherever he's hit in the lineup so far this season, whether it's first or "seventh, eighth, whatever, when I was dumb, putting him lower in the […]

Nick Mariano's Closer Rankings and Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 4)

The Mariano Bullpen conglomerate is pleased to offer you, the dear readers, a one-stop shop article with my rest-of-season closer ranks and waiver wire recommendations! This piece will focus on our updated fantasy baseball closers rankings for Week 4 of 2026, and provide you with a tiered closers rankings table and relievers to add. We'll […]

Kyle Teel to Start Rehab Assignment on Monday

Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel (hamstring) will be with the team in Sacramento for their series against the Athletics and will then report to Triple-A Charlotte to start a minor-league rehab assignment on Monday, per MLB.com. Teel's last recovery component will be running at 100% after he was placed on the 10-day injured list […]

Jackson Holliday to Resume Rehab Assignment This Weekend

Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday's (hand, wrist) father, Matt, said on Foul Territory on Friday that his son is fine after he experienced inflammation on the other side of his right wrist recently. Holliday will resume his minor-league rehab assignment at Double-A Bowie this weekend and then potentially join Triple-A Norfolk next Tuesday/Wednesday before […]

Trey Yesavage Could Return to Jays Next Week

Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitching prospect Trey Yesavage (shoulder) could return from the 15-day injured list next week after throwing 4 1/3 innings during a minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Yesavage got up to 71 pitches this week in his third rehab start while he […]

Top-5 Hitter Fantasy Baseball Prospects To Stash For Week 4 - Redraft Leagues (2026)

We're into the fourth week of the 2026 MLB season. As always, it's important to think about which hitting prospects to stash. Finding a young gem can bring more upside to your fantasy baseball teams. In this column, I choose five different hitting prospects to stash to highlight each week. Some of these hitters could […]

Weekend Waiver Wire Rankings: Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 3

The MLB season continues to roll, and at RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more waiver wire advice with our weekend fantasy baseball waiver rankings for Week 3 -- April 13  through April 19 for leagues that allow daily moves. The list covers the top 100 hitters and pitchers. Below, you will find where key […]

5 Bargain Basement Hitters - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 3 (2026)

With another week of MLB action in the books, it's time to do another deep dive into some undervalued hitters. These hitters are under 25% rostered on Yahoo and will likely not blow your FAAB budget, as they seem to be going under the radar in the vast majority of leagues. This week, we will […]

Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Breakouts or Fake Outs? Pitchers On The Rise (Week 3)

Another week has come and gone, and we're now getting a larger sample size from our starting pitchers, with most pitchers now having three or four starts under their belts. This week, I'll look at three new pitchers who have performed well, and all three are pitchers who are likely already rostered in standard-sized leagues. […]

Top 101 Starting Pitchers: Rest-Of-Season Rankings for Fantasy Baseball Week 3 (2026)

Congratulations on making it roughly 10% of the way through the 2026 fantasy baseball season! The cold weather is easing up, and the offensive output may warm up alongside it, and injuries are always keeping us on our toes. We're here to run back the FSWA-award-winning Best Baseball Series, our weekly updated "Top 101 Starting […]

Hitter Fantasy Baseball Breakouts - Risers to Watch and Waiver Wire Outlooks (Week 4)

Welcome back to my Fantasy Baseball Breakout Hitters article for Week 4 of the 2026 MLB regular season. The focus of this article is to highlight players who could be on the verge of a breakout, citing current active hitting streaks along with recent leaders in batting average, isolated power (ISO), stolen bases, and more. […]

MLB Prospect Debuts: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups and Rookie Stashes (Week 3)

The first wave of prospects has settled in, and now it’s time to start looking ahead to the next group. This week, we’re focusing on two players who could provide an immediate boost to your fantasy roster, and two others who may not arrive until later in the summer. As we discussed last week, the […]

Fantasy Baseball League Winners: Unlikely Aces Worth A Roster Spot? (Week 3)

Welcome to the third edition of our Unlikely Aces series in 2026. We're into the third full week of the 2026 fantasy baseball season. It's fun to stream starting pitchers and find success. However, sometimes streaming pitchers can destroy the ratios. We should have a process for any waiver wire move, start/sit decision, or player […]