Reviewing Christopher Olson's 10 Bold Predictions for 2016

I was one of several baseball writers who made a list of bold predictions heading into the 2016 season, and now it's time to see how those predictions panned out. This reminds me of when they used to mail the report card to your home in high school. You know you won't have to deal with the fallout […]

Yesterday's Studs and Duds: Fantasy Baseball Recap from 5/27/16

Every day, we will be taking a quick look at the best and worst fantasy baseball performers from yesterday's games. Friday reminded us how amazing (and frustrating) baseball can be, as a can't-miss prospect struggled, while an undrafted 29-year-old continued his resurgence. Here's a quick look at those who impressed, and those who want to […]

Yesterday's Studs and Duds: Fantasy Baseball Recap from 5/20/16

Every day, we will be taking a quick look at the best and worst fantasy baseball performers from yesterday's games. Friday taught us that no matchup is safe for Sonny Gray at the moment, and Hector Santiago needs to be more polite when questioning the strike zone. Here's a quick rundown of those who impressed on […]

Ervin Santana (SP, MIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 19% of FleaFlicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Ervin Santana strikes me as one of those post-hype guys who flies under the radar simply because he has been around for so long. A suspension for a positive drug test prior to the start of last season likely added to the perception that […]

Yesterday's Studs and Duds: Fantasy Baseball Recap from 5/13/16

Every day, we will be taking a quick look at the best and worst fantasy baseball performers from yesterday's games. On Friday we learned that it doesn't take a big ballpark to pitch a big game. Here's a quick look at those who impressed on Friday, and those who want to pretend the day never happened. […]

Studs and Duds in Fantasy Baseball from 5/6/16

Every day, we recap the best and worst fantasy baseball performers from yesterday's games. The Cubs reminded us yet again that they are the best team in the universe Friday, while the Rays took advantage of Anaheim's misfortune.  Here's a quick look at those who impressed on Friday, and those who want to pretend the day never […]

Yasmani Grandal (C, LAD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Two-Catcher Leagues, Stash in Deep Mixed Leagues OWNED IN: 20 Percent of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Yasmani Grandal was set to start the season on time after undergoing shoulder surgery this offseason, but a forearm injury in spring training resulted in the 27-year-old missing more than a week of action to begin April. Grandal brought his […]

Drew Pomeranz (SP, SD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues OWNED IN: 29 percent of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Drew Pomeranz became an attractive option at the backend of fantasy rotations the moment he was given the job as San Diego's fifth starter, as he is known for sporting an above average strikeout rate and his ability to keep the ball in the […]

Aaron Nola (PHI, SP) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in all leagues OWNED IN: 42% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Aaron Nola seemed like a decent prospect with a capped ceiling prior to his call up in 2015, and he reinforced that belief by replicating the mediocre strikeout rate and home run issues he occasionally showed in the minor leagues. While certainly not perfect, Nola’s […]

Daily Fantasy Baseball Injury News and Lineup Updates for DraftKings and FanDuel - 4/28/16

DFS players looking for a stack may want to grab lefties against Rubby De La Rosa. The 27-year-old has been hammered by southpaws his entire career, and has opened 2016 by allowing a .375 wOBA against his opposite hand. Those looking for a safe value play/SP2 option on this short and (potentially) rainy day could try […]

Daily Fantasy Baseball Injury News and Lineup Updates for DraftKings and FanDuel - 4/26/16

The Orioles are one of the best teams in the league on the road to start 2016, but finished 2015 as one of the worst. I will take Jake Odorizzi to capitalize on the high strikeout potential and fade what looks to be a small sample anomaly. Nathan Karns has tremendous blowup potential against the Astros […]

Daily Fantasy Baseball Injury News and Lineup Updates for DraftKings and FanDuel - 4/21/16

DFS players on Thursday will want to grab every lefty bat they can when the Dodgers face Matt Wisler in Atlanta. Wisler has been absolutely destroyed by southpaws in his career, surrendering a .562 slugging percentage over 55 innings. Those looking for a value/SP2 play could try Jake Odorizzi against the Red Sox. Odorizzi has […]

Daily Fantasy Baseball Injury News and Lineup Updates for DraftKings and FanDuel - 4/19/16

DFS players missed the chance to stack against Alfredo Simon on Monday, but they will get another shot Tuesday against the Rockies. Simon has been walloped in three games (two starts) this season, and doesn't fare particularly well against either side of the platoon. Alex Wood could make a nice value play or SP2 option. […]

4/15 @ 6 PM - MLB DFS Chat with Chris Olson

Friday Evening – Daily Fantasy Baseball Chat RotoBaller daily fantasy expert Chris Olson (@RealChrisOlson) will be answering all of your DFS, matchup, GPP and cash game questions every Friday evening until the end of the MLB season. Join Chris as he discusses the best daily fantasy plays for Friday on FanDuel and DraftKings. Today’s chat is happening on Friday, April 15th at 6:00 […]

Daily Fantasy Baseball Injury News and Lineup Updates for DraftKings and FanDuel - 4/14/16

A look at the DFS landscape for Thursday finds Mat Latos taking on the Twins at Target Field. Minnesota has far too many strikeouts in its starting lineup, making Latos a nice low-cost option to try to rack up points. We can also target Matt Cain against the Rockies. Cain was decent in his season […]

Daily Fantasy Baseball Injury News and Lineup Updates for DraftKings and FanDuel - 4/12/16

In this article, we’ll be providing you with critical lineup updates and injury news for MLB games on 4/12/16. We’ll try to update this article up until games so you have the latest information to set your daily fantasy baseball lineups on FanDuel and DraftKings. Tuesday’s DFS slate places Jeff Samardzija in Colorado for his […]

Daily Fantasy Baseball Injury News and Lineup Updates for 4/7/16 for DraftKings and FanDuel

  MLB Injury Updates for 4/7/16 As we attempt to navigate through the minefield that is fantasy baseball, it is important to be aware of the day-to-day happenings throughout the league. A platoon or injury plugin at zero hour can sometimes make the difference between a good and a bad day. As we look over […]

Fantasy Baseball Draft Values: Rougned Odor

2015 in Review It was looking like the Rangers were going to have to look elsewhere for a second baseman during Jurickson Profar’s convalescence, as Rougned Odor followed up a mediocre showing in 2014 with a .144 batting average in April and May before being sent to Triple-A Round Rock. The time spent in the […]

Christopher Olson's 10 Bold Predictions for 2016

I must say I quite enjoy being involved in lists like these. If you are wrong, no one can say anything because they’re supposed to be long shots! I did my best to keep in line with things that might actually happen. Let’s see how we do. Editor's note: Be sure to check out our fantasy […]

2016 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values: Robinson Cano

Former player and coach Andy Van Slyke made headlines in November when he went on 920 AM in St. Louis to say that Robinson Cano was “the single worst third-place, everyday player” he had ever seen for the first half of a season. Even the most rabid Cano hater would likely agree that the comment […]

Fantasy Sleepers: Patrick Corbin

When searching for sleepers in the fantasy universe, it is important to remember that players recovering from injury often make the best candidates. The reason for this is prospective owners are sometimes hesitant to believe a player coming back from an extended absence will be able to replicate their past success. While this is a […]

Yu Darvish Could be Worth the Risk

It's difficult to know what to expect from Yu Darvish after the 29-year-old missed the entire 2015 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Darvish posted a strikeout rate of over 30 percent in each of his last two seasons. He also brought his HR/9 rate down to 0.8 after if had risen to 1.12 […]

Elvis Andrus may Struggle to Return Value as Stolen Base Totals Fall

Elvis Andrus' value has come on the basepaths throughout his career, but the 27-year-old is no longer an elite stolen base threat, as he swiped just 25 bags last season. He has stolen less than 30 in three of the last four campaigns. It wasn't all bad news for Andrus in 2015, as he hit […]

Matt Shoemaker Looks to Reestablish Relevancy

Fantasy owners were excited about Matt Shoemaker's potential over a full season after he posted a 3.04 ERA in 27 games (20 starts) in 2014, but the 29-year-old wilted under the bright lights, notching just a 4.46 ERA in 135.1 innings. Shoemaker's home run rate exploded in his bid to build on the excellent campaign, […]

Mike Trout Remains Candidate for Top Pick

Mike Trout lost headlines as the result of Bryce Harper's unbelievable season, but put together a fantastic campaign in his own right. The 24-year-old quieted concerns regarding his escalating strikeouts, lowering his whiff rate by three percent en route to a career-best 41 home runs. Prospective fantasy owners would likely take that number and run, […]

Hector Santiago Looks to Rebound After Inconsistent Season

It was a tale of two seasons for Hector Santiago in 2015. After allowing just 28 earned runs in 108.1 innings prior to the All-Star break, the 28-year-old went on to post an unsightly 5.47 ERA in the second half. Those watching Santiago's stock can find encouragement in the fact that his strikeout rate (21%) […]

Mitch Moreland Could Bring Power and RBI at Cheap Price

Mitch Moreland was something of an underrated contributor in the power department last season, slugging 23 home runs and notching a .204 ISO while totaling 85 RBI over 132 games. While his high strikeout rate (21.7%) and low walk rate (6.2%) can make him look like a one-note player, he isn't a complete liability when […]

Cole Hamels Should Translate Well to American League

Cole Hamels put an exclamation point on his time in Philadelphia by throwing a no-hitter in his final start before being traded to the Texas Rangers at the end of July. While no similar theatrics followed the 32-year-old to Arlington, he was largely able to hold on to his consistency, notching an ERA just 0.02 […]

Rougned Odor Will Need to Sustain Power to Justify Price Tag

Rougned Odor was sent back to Triple-A after opening the 2015 season with just 13 hits in his first 27 games, but set Round Rock ablaze over 108 at-bats with a .352/.426/.639 slash line, prompting his recall to the big club in June. Odor continued his impressive display of power in the major leagues, finishing […]

Huston Street Could Provide Reliability in 2016

Huston Street has been worth every bit of the price the Los Angeles Angels paid when they acquired him from the San Diego Padres for two top prospects in 2014, as the 32-year-old has notched 57 saves while allowing just 27 runs in 88.2 innings since joining the squad. Street tallied a 3.18 ERA last […]