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About George Bissell - RotoBaller
George Bissell also writes for Baseball Prospectus. You can follow him on Twitter @GeorgeBissell
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George Bissell - RotoBaller has written 33 articles so far, you can find them below.
Advanced statistics should come with a warning label: Do not ingest without full, proper context. Analyzing player performance is complex to say the least. Spend five minutes on Twitter and you will find a pair of fantasy writers (everybody’s doing it, apparently) who disagree. At a basic level, a singular statistic, like exit velocity on... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 14% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: If you take away a pair of awful outings against the Houston Astros, Graven has been quietly excellent this season. Since making his return to the A’s rotation on May 23, he’s 2-2 with a 2.27 ERA with 30 strikeouts and just nine... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 63% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: If Garcia were a robot, he would have blossomed into one of the premier southpaws in baseball years ago. He’s failed to crack 150 innings since 2011, which feels like an eternity. After years of shoulder woes, he’s finally healthy and has done a... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: During internal discussions with other industry fantasy analysts about Matz this offseason, the question which always came up was whether or not he had front of the rotation upside. He’s done everything possible at Triple-A Las Vegas to answer in the affirmative. Not only does... Read More
We've reached that point in the season when current production outweighs our pre-season expectations or what we thought we knew about a pitcher. The starters at the back end of fantasy rotations are the most volatile assets on the entire roster. They can be easily discarded after a bad outing, or ride a hot streak... Read More
It's never too early to look ahead to next season, especially if the current fantasy campaign has been a profound disappointment. If you're floating at the bottom of the standings in a re-draft league, your odds of making a playoff push are slim at this point. Sure, you can play daily fantasy, but this is... Read More
Prospects are an essential part of any keeper or dynasty league. Keep in mind - they are also a valuable commodity in re-draft leagues if you have a keen awareness of which prospect's value is on the rise and can make an immediate fantasy impact once he gets the call. This week's edition of the... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ANALYSIS: Every season, a nondescript utility man (think Josh Harrison for a recent example) turns some batted ball magic into a full-time gig and immense fantasy value for savvy owners who bought in early. Jimmy Paredes seems like just the latest comet streaking across the sky, except it’s hard to fake being... Read More
May is where deals that can make or break a fantasy roster typically occur. Most fantasy owners look to cash in on hitters off to hot starts with limited track records, while others finally decide to cut bait on hitters with a long track record of success and a lack of recent performance. Week 6's edition... Read More
One month down, five months to go--unless you’re trapped in the Twilight Zone of small samples, luck (both good and bad) and inconsistency that accompany daily fantasy baseball. It's an exercise in futility, but I digress. In season-long traditional fantasy baseball formats, playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played (I sound like... Read More
This week’s edition of the RotoBaller Stock Watch takes a look at five hitters, whom some fantasy owners shied away from this offseason for a variety of reasons, but have so far impressed through the early part of the season. All five are owned in virtually every league, but with their stock on the rise,... Read More
If you’re anything like me, you don’t like to be told what to think when it comes to fantasy baseball. I want to make my own judgments when it comes to assembling my fantasy roster. I’m convinced that you feel the exact same way. I respect that. If you’re anything like me, you want to... Read More
“This ain’t a football game, we do this every day,” said Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver back in 1982. His words still ring true over 30 years later. It’s only one game, but it’s still exciting to have baseball back in our lives and it’s hard not to be excited right now. It can... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues / Draft Target Late OWNED IN: 4% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: The Rule 5 pick is slated to open the season as the Phillies everyday center fielder and bat second in their lineup. He’s had a whirlwind offseason, winning the MVP of the Venezuelan Winter League, to now starting in Philadelphia.... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues / Draft Target Late OWNED IN: 43% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: With veteran Denard Span sidelined for the first month of the season, Taylor will get a chance to show if last season's impressive Double-A campaign, in which he slashed .313/.396/.539 with 22 home runs and 34 stolen bases, carries over... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues / Draft Target Late OWNED IN: 7% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: One of the hottest prospects in baseball, Micah Johnson’s sterling spring training has him positioned to open the season as the White Sox starting second baseman. His .455 batting average was trailing only Mike Trout’s .486 mark as of... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper 2 Catcher Leagues / Draft Target Late OWNED IN: 2% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: The O’s fascinating ability to turn replacement-level waiver wire flotsam into key contributors is unparalleled. In the wake of Matt Wieters setback with his elbow, coming off Tommy John surgery, Joseph could be ticketed for a solid amount of... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues / Draft Target Late OWNED IN: 8% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Acquired from Detroit in exchange for Anthony Gose this offseason, Travis arrived north of the border as one of the best contact hitters in the minor leagues, hot off the heels of a stellar campaign in which he batted .298/.358/.460... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Add in Very Deep Leagues / Draft Target Late OWNED IN: 0% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: A Rule 5 selection this offseason, Mark Canha will platoon with Ike Davis at first base in Oakland. While it’s not ideal, being on the short-side of the platoon where he will get fewer at-bats, it gives fantasy owners,... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues / Draft Target Late OWNED IN: 13% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Pompey’s meteoric rise from High-A to the Majors last season was capped off with a majestic blast off “The King”, Felix Hernandez, in late September. The Ontario native could end up being the biggest thing to hit Toronto since bacon... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues / Draft Target Late OWNED IN: 8% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Sometimes you just get a good vibe about a pitcher. If you’ve paid attention to the sound bytes coming out of A’s camp, they are extremely high on Graveman, who they acquired from Toronto in the controversial Josh Donaldson trade... Read More
Deep leagues don’t get enough attention. I hear you. It’s also true that your definition of a deep league might be a shallow league to someone else. It's considerably more difficult to write about deeper formats, which is why most fantasy writers stay away. With all of the roster moves taking place around the league,... Read More
Over the last several weeks, we have touched on a few of the bigger name MLB prospects who have impressed this spring, solidifying their status as some of the games premier up and coming stars, like Mookie Betts, Kris Bryant, and Joc Pederson just to name a few. As we near the conclusion... Read More
Can you believe it? We are less than one week away from Opening Day when Jon Lester and the Chicago Cubs square off with the Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals. These two storied franchises are poised to write the opening chapter in a new rivalry on national television. The young upstarts, playing without... Read More
Earlier in the week here in the RotoBaller Stock Watch, we took a look at some fantasy prospects on the rise, who have a legitimate shot to break camp with a starting gig in-hand. A pair of prospects who we didn’t mention in that space, who went out and dominated on Wednesday night were Carlos... Read More
With March Madness in full swing, and the regular season still two weeks away, the temptation to take a break from the monotony of spring training is there for most fantasy owners right now. Heck, David Ortiz doesn't even care about these games, (though if you ask the Red Sox, he's just dehydrated). ... Read More
Welcome to the Stock Watch First of all, welcome to the RotoBaller fantasy baseball “Stock Watch”. This will be a recurring weekly column which attempts to gauge the value of certain hitters and pitchers who are trending in the right and wrong direction. The goal is to help you make more informed decisions with... Read More
Draft day is the most important day of the year for fantasy owners. Forget about your birthday, your significant other's birthday (well maybe not that one, unless you like couches or hotels) and holidays because none of them compare to the adrenaline rush of an auction fantasy draft. A successful draft does not guarantee a... Read More
BALLER MOVE: Target in Late Rounds ANALYSIS: According to Baseball-Reference, the league averaged a 3.74 ERA in 2014, the lowest mark in baseball since 1989. In the current run-scoring environment that is major league baseball, fantasy owners are rightfully placing an even greater emphasis on drafting impact hitters early. A pitching staff can be assembled in... Read More
Last week I looked at the top five non-closer NL relief pitcher options. Today we take a look at the top AL relief pitchers currently not occupying closer roles. Top Five Non-Closing AL Relievers Wade Davis - RHP, Kansas City Royals If we are talking about American League bullpens, you have to start the... Read More
