Willians Astudillo (C, MIN) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 18% of leagues ANALYSIS: With Bartolo Colon at least theoretically nearing the end of his career, there's an opening for a hefty baseball man to capture the hearts and minds of the Internet. Willians Astudillo could be that man. The Twins' backstop has hit well thus far since... Read More

Fantasy Baseball: #2EarlyMock, Rounds 1 - 10

As I mentioned last week, I'm one of more than 100 fantasy analysts participating in this year's #2EarlyMock. Before we get into the blow-by-blow, kudos to Justin Mason for putting the whole enterprise together. If you're curious as to how other analysts are approaching their drafts, another tip of the cap to Smada, who is... Read More

Brandon Lowe (2B/OF, TB) - Week 25 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 5% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays utility player Brandon Lowe went deep again on Saturday, bringing his total to five homers in just 101 plate appearances since arriving in the big leagues. Tampa’s recent surge is too little, too late for them to force their... Read More

Adam Frazier (2B/OF, PIT) - Week 25 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 6% of leagues ANALYSIS: After a forgettable first half, Pittsburgh Pirates utility player Adam Frazier has had a post-break surge that has flown under the radar in most fantasy formats. The small number of owners who have rostered him over the past two months have enjoyed... Read More

Week 25 Waiver Wire - Second Base (2B) and Shortstop (SS)

The finish line of the 2018 season is in sight. If you’re still in the hunt, congratulations are in order. Even if you fall short, to have successfully navigated the slings and arrows of five-plus months to get to this point is commendable. Hopefully, this column has and will continue to aid you in your... Read More

Friday Five: Vexing Valuations

With almost all of my fantasy teams dead in the water at this point, my attention has already begun turning toward the future. Naturally, upon receiving an invitation from The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational overlord, RotoGraphs writer, and t-shirt inspiration Justin Mason to participate in this year's Too Early Mock Draft, I jumped at the... Read More

Week 24 Waiver Wire - Second Base (2B) and Shortstop (SS)

Just three weeks remain in the 2018 fantasy baseball season. Given my personal trials and tribulations this year, I can’t say I’m sorry to see it end – at least, not until the offseason begins. Kudos to you for remaining in the hunt at this late juncture. I wish your teams better fortune than mine... Read More

Dansby Swanson (SS, ATL) - Week 24 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 19% of leagues ANALYSIS: Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson may never live up to the hype he generated as a rookie a couple years ago, but he has been swinging the bat well lately. Over the past four weeks, the Braves’ shortstop has batted .293/.358/.573 with... Read More

Niko Goodrum (1B/2B/3B/OF, DET) - Week 24 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: Though his seven-game hitting streak came to an end on Saturday, Detroit Tigers utility man Niko Goodrum filled up the box score during that week. He homered three times, stole two bases, and scored seven runs while driving in an additional four. Goodrum’s... Read More

Willy Adames (2B/SS, TBR) - Week 24 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Willy Adames has cooled slightly over the last week or so, but he has still produced a .321/.397/.491 line with five homers, five steals, and 33 R+BI since the beginning of August. Saturday’s two-hit showing was his 11th... Read More

Jason Kipnis (CLE, 2B/OF) - Week 24 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 37% of Yahoo leagues ANALYSIS: 2018 has not been a great season for Cleveland Indians infielder/outfielder Jason Kipnis overall, but he has caught fire at the plate in recent days. Over the past dozen games, the veteran is hitting .357/.404/.738 with four home runs, two stolen bases, and... Read More

Jamie Barria (SP, LAA) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 20% of Yahoo leagues ANALYSIS: The Angels have dealt with an avalanche of injuries to members of their starting rotation from the jump this season, culminating in the news from earlier this week that Shohei Ohtani will require Tommy John surgery. Jamie Barria's performance stands as a silver... Read More

Ryan Yarbrough (SP/RP, TB) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 14% of Yahoo leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ryan Yarbrough has allowed just 15 batters to reach base and two to score in his last five appearances, spanning 21 innings. Only one of those was an official start, as he is most often been used... Read More

Friday Five: Pitchers for the Stretch Run

Last week, we covered five under-owned hitters who could provide a boost to fantasy owners in the season's final month. Today, it's time to do the same for pitchers. With the end of the 2018 campaign rapidly approaching, it can be difficult to find worthwhile arms on the waiver wire in competitive leagues. That's true... Read More

Adam Frazier (2B/OF, PIT) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 3% of leagues ANALYSIS: Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier has found a way into the lineup and onto the fantasy radar. The Pirates have fallen out of the playoff race in recent weeks, but it is not for lack of effort or results from Frazier.... Read More

Joey Wendle (2B/3B/OF, TB) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 23% of leagues ANALYSIS: Since June 28, Tampa Bay Rays utility man Joey Wendle has failed to record a hit in just eight of 50 games played, and one of those was just a pinch-hit appearance. A two-hit night on Saturday gave him 19 such efforts... Read More

Adalberto Mondesi (2B/SS, KC) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 14% of leagues ANALYSIS:  Kansas City Royals middle infielder Adalaberto Mondesi has been one of the best waiver wire pickups over the last weeks because of his speed and average. An 0-for-4 performance brought an end to a four-game multi-hit streak for Mondesi. He blasted a... Read More

Week 23 Waiver Wire - Second Base (2B) and Shortstop (SS)

It’s September, which means that children are back in school where they belong, football is back (yawn), and both the summer and the fantasy baseball season are winding down. With trade deadlines in the rearview mirror, the waiver wire is your only mechanism for improvement as we move into the home stretch and/or playoffs. Every... Read More

Friday Five: Hitters for the Stretch Run

It's hard to say where the time has gone, but we're on the cusp of September baseball. Expanded rosters and pennant races will lead to different types of drama and intrigue as we bring the 2018 regular season to a close. More importantly, of course, your fantasy teams are sprinting toward the finish line. Whether... Read More

Dansby Swanson (SS, ATL) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 19% of leagues ANALYSIS: Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson does not offer eligibility at multiple positions, but he has also been one of the hottest hitters in the game recently. In the last two weeks of action alone, the Braves’ shortstop has nearly doubled his home... Read More

Jonathan Villar (2B/OF, BAL) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 43% of leagues ANALYSIS: Baltimore Orioles outfielder/second baseman Jonathan Villar is working to rehabilitate his career with a move to Baltimore. At this point, it seems fair to say that Villar’s incredible 2016 performance was an aberration. However, since returning to everyday player status after his... Read More

Week 22 Waiver Wire - Second Base (2B) and Shortstop (SS)

With just over a month remaining in the 2018 season, the patient approach goes out the window to a certain extent. The shorter the remaining runway, the greater latitude you should allow yourself in making roster decisions – and the more context-dependent these decisions become. Tailor your transactions to the situation at hand; if it... Read More

Todd Frazier (3B, NYM) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 36% of leagues ANALYSIS: It's been a difficult season for the Mets on pretty much every front, and Todd Frazier's first year in Queens has been similarly challenging. After a solid start to the year, Frazier slumped badly and found himself on the disabled list for two... Read More

Mitch Garver (C, MIN) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Two-Catcher Leagues OWNED IN: 5% of leagues ANALYSIS: Mitch Garver is far from a household name - if memory serves, I may not have even known who he was before this season - but he's quietly been one of the more productive catchers in baseball in the season's second half. The Twins'... Read More

Melky Cabrera (OF, CLE) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: If your reaction to seeing Melky Cabrera as a recommended waiver wire add is, "Really?" you are not alone. I may or may not have said the same thing, in part because it seems like Melky should be about 50 years old by... Read More

Mike Minor (SP, TEX) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 13% of leagues ANALYSIS: Mike Minor's return to starting has been somewhat of a mixed bag. He's actually improved his control compared to last season's sterling bullpen effort with Kansas City, which has helped him compile a tidy 1.12 WHIP. However, his strikeout rate has taken a... Read More

Pat Neshek (RP, PHI) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: Pat Neshek missed most of the season's first half thanks to a forearm strain, but he's been quite effective since returning to the active roster. The submariner has allowed just two runs in 19 appearances covering 17 innings, good for a 1.06 ERA, though... Read More

Joe Musgrove (SP, PIT) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 35% of leagues ANALYSIS: When the Pirates received him as part of the return from Houston in the Gerrit Cole trade, Joe Musgrove instantly became more fantasy relevant. Moving to a pitcher-friendly park in the National League figured to help ameliorate his biggest weakness - vulnerability to... Read More

Kendrys Morales (1B, TOR) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 39% of leagues ANALYSIS: Kendrys Morales enters Friday's action having hit five home runs in his last four games. That surge has him among the most added players in fantasy baseball this week, but he's still available in over 60 percent of Yahoo leagues at the moment. The... Read More

Willy Adames (2B/SS, TBR) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 27% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays infielder Willy Adames had a rough start to his rookie season, but he has looked much better since the calendar flipped to August. In 20 contests so far this month, the 22-year-old has slashed .348/.413/.576 with four homers and four... Read More