Fantasy Reflections: Jose Altuve Coming Up Short

First of all, let me apologize for the title. (Only because I feel like I should, though...not because I'm actually sorry.) Okay. Jose Altuve. He has been disappointing! I know it, you know it, the American people know it. People who currently can't agree that the sky is blue are capable of setting aside their... Read More

Trevor Cahill (SP, OAK) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 24% of leagues ANALYSIS: Trevor Cahill has always had an extreme ground ball tendency, but in recent years he's developed into a pitcher who can rack up strikeouts as well. This transformation began when Cahill moved into a relief role, but he's managed to retain that ability to... Read More

Streaming Wars - Waiver Wire Targets for May 24

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire all season long. This article, now in its second year, runs seven days a week. Even at this relatively early juncture, there's plenty of value in streaming. For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to... Read More

Jose Iglesias (SS, DET) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 7% of leagues ANALYSIS: Detroit Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias is starting to garner a bit of love from fantasy owners, as he has a hit in four of the last five games. However, an ownership rate in the single digits has him bringing up the rear... Read More

Brandon Crawford (SS, SF) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 34% of leagues ANALYSIS: On the heels of a putrid April, San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford has been one of May’s hottest hitters. Since the calendar flipped, he is slashing an absurd .449/.459/.652, with nine multi-hit games (including five with at least three hits). That... Read More

Daniel Robertson (2B/SS/3B, TB) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 18% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays infielder Daniel Robertson had a strong weekend that kept him on the fantasy radar. A pair of home runs over the weekend boosted Robertson’s season line to .273/.424/.473. As the gaudy OBP indicates, Robertson has drawn a ton of... Read More

Week 8 Waiver Wire - Second Base (2B) and Shortstop (SS)

DJ LeMahieu is the latest injury casualty in the middle infield. The Rockies’ second baseman has hit the disabled list for the second time already this year, this time with a sprained thumb. If the current rate holds, middle infielders will be extinct by August. (cue depressing photo montage set to Sarah MacLachlan) Every Monday... Read More

Streaming Wars - Waiver Wire Targets for May 20

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire all season long. This article, now in its second year, runs seven days a week. For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be available on... Read More

Brad Ziegler (RP, MIA) - Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 28% of leagues ANALYSIS: Brad Ziegler's traditional numbers (0-3, 5.89 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) are pretty ugly for any pitcher, let alone a reliever. Despite that, he's retained a firm grasp on the closer role in Miami. The veteran submariner has converted all seven of his save opportunities, as... Read More

Adam Duvall (OF, CIN) - Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 41% of leagues ANALYSIS: A significant portion of fantasy owners appear to have given up on Adam Duvall. That's a mistake. Sure, Duvall is still hitting under .200, but the underlying numbers don't support that putrid mark. Not only is Duvall making more contact than usual, he's hitting the... Read More

Andrew Heaney (SP, LAA) - Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 36% of leagues ANALYSIS: When a little-owned pitcher dominates the defending World Series champions, fantasy owners tend to take notice. That's what happened with Andrew Heaney this week, as his ownership rate skyrocketed after he struck out 10 Astros in eight shutout innings. A former first-round pick, Heaney has... Read More

Streaming Wars: Waiver Wire Targets for May 19

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire. This article, which began last season, runs seven days a week. We are always ready to stream. For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be... Read More

Fantasy Reflections: The Unkindest Cut

One of the most challenging aspects of managing a fantasy baseball team is figuring out how to approach player valuations in the early going. It can be difficult to take the long view and remain patient with a struggling star, or resist the urge to make hasty drops for the flavor of the week. And... Read More

Streaming Wars - Waiver Wire Targets for May 17

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire all season long. This article, now in its second year, runs seven days a week. Even at this relatively early juncture, there's plenty of value in streaming. For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to... Read More

Week 7 Waiver Wire - Second Base (2B) and Shortstop (SS)

Another week, another major injury to a marquee middle infielder. This time it’s Robinson Cano, whose broken hand could keep him out of action for the remainder of the first half if surgery is required. We’ll know more about that after he sees a specialist on Tuesday, but regardless, fantasy owners will need to plan... Read More

Streaming Wars - Waiver Wire Targets for May 13

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire all season long. This article, now in its second year, runs seven days a week. For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be available on... Read More

Zach Eflin (SP, PHI) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: Zach Eflin entered the 2018 season with 22 MLB starts spanning 128 innings on his ledger. In those games, he went 4-10 with a 5.85 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 4.65 K/9, and 1.97 HR/9. Hard-hitting expert analysis incoming: Those numbers are bad! But since... Read More

Eduardo Rodriguez (SP, BOS) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 35% of leagues ANALYSIS: Just looking at his career numbers, Eduardo Rodriguez doesn't jump off the page. He's struck out about a batter per inning, but middling walk rates and a vulnerability to the long ball have kept him from producing good ratios. Dig a bit deeper, though,... Read More

Mitch Moreland (1B, BOS) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 30% of leagues ANALYSIS: Mitch Moreland has never been a terribly exciting player for fantasy purposes. His struggles against left-handed pitching and streaky nature generally have put him firmly into the streamer or bench bat bucket. You can give him points for consistency in the power department, though;... Read More

Fantasy Reflections: Buying Generic

For a game that’s all about numbers, we often tend to get more hung up on names. Fantasy owners naturally gravitate toward the ones they recognize. It’s understandable, and logical much of the time. These players became brand name assets because they’ve proven themselves capable of sustained success, or their skills or tools are immediately... Read More

Ryon Healy (1B/3B, SEA) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 34% of leagues ANALYSIS: Ryon Healy has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball in recent days. Since returning from an ankle injury on April 26, the 26-year-old is hitting .349/.364/.744 with five home runs, 10 R, and 11 RBI in 11 games. That he's managed such... Read More

Streaming Wars - Waiver Wire Targets for May 10

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire all season long. This article, now in its second year, runs seven days a week. Even at this early juncture, there's value in streaming. For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest... Read More

Kyle Gibson (SP, MIN) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 26% of leagues ANALYSIS: "Is Kyle Gibson good now?" It's the question gripping the nation...and by "nation" I of course mean "a small portion of the already niche population that is fantasy baseball owners." With another quality start on Sunday in Chicago, Gibson now has a 3.49 ERA... Read More

Caleb Smith (SP, MIA) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 32% of leagues ANALYSIS: Based on nothing more than history and simple probability, there were bound to be a few no-names who emerged in the wake of the Marlins' latest fire sale. Enter Caleb Smith, acquired from the Yankees in a barely-reported trade last November. The 26-year-old lefty... Read More

Jorge Soler (OF, KCR) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 36% of leagues ANALYSIS: Jorge Soler looked like a budding superstar when he slashed .292/.330/.573 in a cup of coffee with the Cubs back in 2014. He failed to deliver on that promise in two more seasons with the Cubs before falling out of favor (and the outfield... Read More

Robinson Chirinos (C, TEX) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Two-Catcher Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: It's not often that you'll see us recommend picking up a player with a strikeout rate north of 40 percent, but the scourge of the two-catcher format makes for strange bedfellows. Chirinos has homered four times in his last nine games, giving him a total... Read More

Lourdes Gurriel (2B/OF, TOR) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 3% of leagues ANALYSIS: You can ignore him for the moment in standard leagues, but Toronto Blue Jays infielder Lourdes Gurriel represents an interesting flier for deep and AL-only owners. Toronto’s roster has a lot of moving parts on the infield, but another injury – this... Read More

Alen Hanson (2B/OF, SF) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 6% of leagues ANALYSIS: Even though it seems like he has been around longer, San Francisco Giants second baseman Alen Hanson is only 25 years old. Formerly a well-regarded prospect with the Pirates, he failed to impress in limited MLB time with Pittsburgh and is now... Read More

Jedd Gyorko (1B/2B/3B, STL) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 17% of leagues ANALYSIS: St. Louis Cardinals infielder Jedd Gyorko is hitting the snot out of the ball. A home run on Sunday brought his season line up to a cool .400/.525/.767. As those relatively round numbers and his low ownership rate imply, of course, it... Read More

Week 6 Waiver Wire - Second Base (2B) and Shortstop (SS)

As we move into May, many of the season’s early performers have been snapped up from the waiver wire. That necessitates digging a bit deeper, especially in the wake of a season-ending injury to Corey Seager. Eduardo Escobar was a fixture on this list through the first five weeks and has seen his ownership shoot... Read More