Jose Urquidy (SP, HOU) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~190 CURRENT ADP: ~215 overall ANALYSIS: We last saw Jose Urquidy tossing five shutout innings in Game 4 of the World Series, helping the Astros even things up at two games apiece. Entering 2019, the lanky right-hander profiled as more of a spot starter than anything else, thanks mainly to his […]

2020 Fantasy Baseball Busts: Trevor Bauer

Following an offseason that saw them add Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos, Shogo Akiyama, and Wade Miley, the Reds are expected to be right in the thick of a wide-open race for the National League Central crown. The imported bats should provide a significant boost to a squad that finished 25th in the majors in runs […]

Cavan Biggio (2B, TOR) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~105-120 CURRENT ADP: ~132 overall ANALYSIS: Cavan Biggio was selected by Toronto in the fifth round of the 2016 Amateur Draft. In 2019, he looked stellar at Triple-A, slashing .312/.448/.514, earning a promotion to the majors in late May. The 24-year-old quickly moved from the bottom of the lineup to the […]

The 10 Commandments of Auction Drafts

As I've said before, there is no one right way to play fantasy baseball, but auction drafts are the closest you can get. As opposed to the more popular but less fun snake draft, in an auction you can acquire the rights to literally any player you want in the game. You don't have to […]

Kyle Bishop's 10 Bold Predictions for 2020

This will be my sixth season with RotoBaller, and consequently, my sixth time participating in this bold predictions series. Over that time, I've amassed a fairly strong record with bold predictions, generally clocking in with a success rate of 30 percent. I correctly predicted Bryce Harper's MVP campaign in 2015 and Kirby Yates leading the […]

2020 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers - Jose Urquidy

It's been a tumultuous winter for the Houston Astros. Not only were they embroiled in a sign-stealing scandal (which has, naturally, progressed apace to unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about ever more sophisticated methods of cheating), but they watched staff ace Gerrit Cole sign a mammoth free-agent deal with the Yankees. Plenty of virtual ink has been […]

Early ADP Thoughts - Outfielders

♫It's the most wonderful tiiiiiiiime, of the year!♫ Well, sort of. In much of the country, February brings terrible weather and generally feels interminable, despite being the shortest month on the calendar. This being a leap year, we get an extra day of it. Fun! But for fantasy baseball owners, fun is exactly what you […]

Cavan Biggio: 2020 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

Now that the calendar has flipped to February, it's time to begin mapping out strategy in earnest for your 2020 fantasy baseball drafts. That includes identifying potentially undervalued targets, often referred to in the popular parlance as "sleepers." Anyone who has read my work in the past knows my feelings toward that term. It's too […]

Fernando Tatis Jr. - 2019 Season in Review

A year ago, though he was highly valued in dynasty leagues, Fernando Tatis Jr. was viewed merely as a late-round flier in redraft formats. At just 20 years old and with only 450 plate appearances above Single-A, there was a large degree of uncertainty around his 2019 outlook. Would San Diego's front office manipulate his […]

2019 Season in Review: Carlos Correa

Over the first five seasons of his career, Carlos Correa has demonstrated why the Astros chose him first overall in the 2012 MLB amateur draft. He captured American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2015, along with some down-ballot MVP consideration. In 2017, he made his first All-Star team, finishing 10th in the league […]

2019 Season in Review: Danny Santana

One of the first articles I ever published with RotoBaller was a warning. Specifically, this column dissuaded fantasy owners from buying into Danny Santana's breakout 2014 season. (Yes, I've been doing this for a long time/am old.) That year, Santana had emerged from obscurity as a 23-year-old rookie to hit .319/.353/.472 with 70 runs scored […]

Don't Doubt Mike Trout: Why He's Still #1

It has become fashionable for fantasy owners to suggest that perhaps this is the year that Mike Trout should be supplanted as the consensus first overall draft pick. Not one, but two other players - Ronald Acuna and Christian Yelich - are being regularly selected in early NFBC drafts ahead of the 28-year-old Trout, who […]

1B and 3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 26

One last week remains in the 2019 season. For as much as the fantasy baseball campaign is a marathon, it always seems to pass by so quickly, doesn't it? Hopefully this column has been a boon to your pursuit of fantasy hardware. Once more unto the breach, without further ado... As a reminder, our focus […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 26

This is it, folks. One last week and we'll arrive at the conclusion of the 2019 baseball season. Odds are if you're still reading this, you're in the hunt for a championship - or at least finishing on the podium and/or in the money. Hopefully this feature has been of assistance. A reminder before we […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 25

Two weeks. That's all that separates us from the end of the 2019 season. It feels like we only just got started. Alas, all good things must come to an end. Hopefully this season has qualified as such for you - and if this feature played a role in making it so, even better. A […]

1B and 3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 25

With just two weeks remaining in the 2019 season, every move takes on added importance. The finish line is in view. It's quite literally now or never for those with title hopes. In the final stretch, the waiver wire is your only avenue for reinforcements, and though you'll have fewer rivals to outmaneuver, those that […]

1B and 3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 24

Only three weeks left in the 2019 season. If you're reading this, your team is almost certainly still in the hunt for a championship. Congratulations on surviving the grind of a long season. We're not at the finish line yet, though. In the final stretch, the waiver wire is your only avenue for reinforcements, and […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 24

With just three weeks remaining in the 2019 season, the stakes are at their highest. There is precious little room for error as we barrel toward the conclusion of the year. That's true regardless of format; head-to-head owners have to navigate their league's postseason, while rotisserie players must make every move count as they scratch […]

1B and 3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 23

Somehow, it's already September. If you're still in the championship hunt, congratulations on navigating the first five months of the long grind that is the fantasy baseball season. With trade deadlines firmly in the rearview mirror, the waiver wire is your only recourse for reinforcements. A well-timed pickup could prove to be the difference between […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 23

This is it, folks. We've officially crossed the rubicon into September. Almost all head-to-head leagues have commenced postseason play, and rotisserie owners are scrambling for any edge they can find as we rapidly approach the end of the 2019 season. Pitching has been a trouble spot for many owners this season. Hopefully, this column has […]

Tips for Head-to-Head Playoff Success

Anyone who has read my work, followed my Twitter feed, or in some other fashion engaged with me on the subject of fantasy baseball knows my strong preference for rotisserie formats over head-to-head. While the appeal of the latter is obvious, the idea of successfully navigating the grind of a six-month season only be to […]

1B and 3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 22

Only five weeks remain in the 2019 regular season. Some leagues have already commenced postseason play; most of us are still fighting for positioning. With trade deadlines firmly in the rearview mirror, the waiver wire is your only recourse for reinforcements. A well-timed pickup could prove to be the difference between a championship and a […]

Delino DeShields (OF, TEX) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 10% of leagues ANALYSIS: Delino DeShields is not a great hitter, as evidenced by his .674 OPS and 17 home runs in 1,841 career plate appearances. He can draw walks, but strikes out too much for a guy with no pop. If you're rostering him in a fantasy […]

Oscar Mercado (OF, CLE) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 34% of leagues ANALYSIS: Since being promoted to the major leagues in mid-May, Oscar Mercado has compiled roughly a half-season's worth of plate appearances. With the usual caveat that we can't simply extrapolate that sample over a full season, what he has done in that time is worthy of […]

Joe Jimenez (RP, DET) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 32% of leagues ANALYSIS: The Tigers are terrible, but bad teams still get save opportunities (unless they're the Orioles, perhaps). Joe Jimenez has assumed the closer role after Detroit shipped Shane Greene to Atlanta at the trade deadline, and done well thus far. The hard-throwing righty has converted four […]

Kevin Pillar (OF, SF) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 43% of leagues ANALYSIS: Kevin Pillar has been one of the game's hottest hitters in recent weeks, and fantasy owners have begun to take notice - his ownership rate has more than doubled in the last few days. You can still add him in the majority of Yahoo leagues, […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 22

Just over a month remains of the 2019 season. Playoffs have already begun in some fantasy baseball leagues, but most of us are still fighting for position regardless of scoring format. Pitching has been a bugbear for many owners in 2019. Hopefully, this column has helped you navigate the waters thus far and will continue […]

1B and 3B Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 21

The end of the 2019 season is now, incredibly, just six weeks away. With fantasy football kicking into high gear and many owners out of the running in baseball leagues, we can expect there to be fewer suitors for any waiver wire pickups moving forward. The owners who remain, of course, are generally of a […]

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 21

Time marches on, and with it the 2019 fantasy baseball season. With playoffs looming in head-to-head leagues, rotisserie formats barreling toward crunch time, and trade deadlines either near or already behind us, outmaneuvering your rivals on the waiver wire is of the utmost importance. Good thing you're reading this column, eh? A reminder before we […]

Managing For The Stretch Run

If you've gotten this far into the season and remain firmly in contention, congratulations! The fantasy baseball season is a grind, and maintaining a competitive squad for four and a half months presents a challenge to which many owners can't measure up. Still, as we approach the playoffs for those of you in head-to-head leagues […]