Brandon Drury (3B/OF, ARI) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 41% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: In Arizona, if you can hit, you'll stay on the field. Brandon Drury is a fine example of that. He has played four different positions this year, seemingly a new one each night. His eligibility at both infield and outfield is useful, but he […]

Joe Panik (2B, SF) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 46% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: After two straight years hitting over .300, many thought Joe Panik might actually be a contender for the batting title in his third Major League season. It hasn't panned out that way so far, with Panik hitting a mere .251. Panik is not a […]

Eduardo Nunez (3B/SS, MIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 42% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: One of the biggest surprise performances this season has been Eduardo Nunez and his .338 average. He is currently seventh in the majors, ahead of even Jackie Bradley Jr. A quick look at his career stats will tell you that this season is looking more and […]

NL-Only Leagues: Deeper Waiver Wire Pickups for Week Eight

Some familiar faces return to the list this week. Several players who were identified as sleepers as early as week one in this series are still contributing in fantasy leagues. Suffice to say, most of these players are not five-tool guys or elite prospects. Rather, they are role players or category specialists who may fill […]

Poetry in Motion: The Speed of Jonathan Villar

Jonathan Villar is your National League steals leader. No, really. Villar has 15 SB in 21 attempts and shows no sign of slowing down--literally. Stolen bases are a highly coveted asset in fantasy baseball, as only a precious few players are capable of putting up 30+ SB in a given year. But speed alone won't […]

Alcides Escobar (SS, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 49% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Alcides Escobar is nothing if not dependable. He has not had a significant injury since becoming a full-time starter back in 2010. Last year, the 148 games he played was actually his lowest since that time as well. In terms of production, Escobar might […]

Chris Herrmann (C, ARI) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues OWNED IN: 21% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Chris Herrmann was a limited source of offense as a backup catcher in Minnesota the last couple of years. He seems to be enjoying the Arizona climate a great deal more. The former Miami Hurricane has jumped into fantasy relevance with a few […]

Ender Inciarte (OF, ATL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ team leagues OWNED IN: 30% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Fantasy owners have had to display a great deal of patience so far in dealing with Ender Inciarte. Not even a full week into the season, Inciarte strained a hamstring and was on the shelf until May 7, missing an entire month. Upon […]

Jason Castro (C, HOU) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in two-catcher leagues OWNED IN: 13% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: You might not think there would be room for a career .236 hitter with a 26.8 K% on fantasy rosters, but in two-catcher leagues, beggars can't be choosers. Jason Castro provides enough power upside to earn starting consideration. He was an All-Star selection just […]

Sophomore Slump - Five 2015 Rookies Who Won't Live Up To 2016 ADP

The dreaded sophomore slump can strike without warning. It is widely assumed that rookies will improve with experience, but that is not always the case. Whether it's a change in usage, a new coaching staff, stiffer competition or simple regression, a player may not match the expectations raised by their rookie performance. Here is a look […]

Poetry In Motion: The Strikeout Prowess of Aaron Nola

Nola? More like Nolan! While Aaron Nola may not be as physically imposing as the Ryan Express, his strikeout rate is in elite territory this season. Nolan Ryan's career 9.5 K/9 doesn't reflect the dominance of his era, as he led the league in strikeouts 11 times. These days, hitters are more aggressive and pitchers […]

NL-Only Leagues: Deeper Waiver Wire Pickups for Week Seven

Mid-season call-ups are a fantasy owner's dream. Those prospects you followed throughout spring training and have been waiting too see in action will soon get the chance to prove themselves. The problem is that everyone else is waiting for the exact same thing. Smart owners will have to decide which prospects to target and when […]

Brett Lawrie (2B/3B, CHW) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in all leagues OWNED IN: 56% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Brett Lawrie has been the poster boy for unfulfilled promises since breaking in with Toronto in 2011. He may never be the All Star-caliber player he was expected to be, but he is still a serviceable fantasy player. The former first-round pick posted career […]

Kevin Gausman (SP/RP, BAL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in all leagues OWNED IN: 55% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Baltimore has been waiting on acclaimed pitching prospects Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy to match the production of their star hitters. It appears Gausman is ready to deliver on that promise. Although he has yet to win a game, Gausman has delivered three quality […]

Evan Gattis (OF, HOU) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues OWNED IN: 33% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Evan Gattis started the year on the disabled list, recovering from a hernia. He was stashed by some on draft day, in hopes he would return to his 20+ HR form of the past three seasons. He made his season debut on April […]

Mallex Smith (OF, ATL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in NL-only leagues OWNED IN: 6% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Mallex Smith is gradually adjusting to big league pitching and it is reflecting in his stats. Given the chance to start early in the year due to Ender Inciarte's hamstring injury, Smith has held down center field ever since. At the end of April, he […]

Billy Burns (OF, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in all leagues OWNED IN: 57% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: A waiver wire revelation last year, Billy Burns rewarded owners with 26 steals and a .294 average. Higher expectations have been placed on Burns this year and as a result, his "slow start" has been perceived as a disappointment. Realistically, Burns is on pace to produce […]

Marcus Semien (SS, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues OWNED IN: 41% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: Marcus Semien plays like a corner infielder stuck at shortstop. No doubt, he has athleticism and range, but his 35 errors last year had many doubting he would stick in the middle of the diamond. Semien has improved his fielding, only committing two […]

Melvin Upton Jr. (OF, SD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues OWNED IN: 23% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: The resurgence is real - Melvin Upton Jr. continues to produce with power and speed this year, defying expectations. Upton has nearly matched his production from all of last season with five homers, 16 runs batted in, and seven steals in 39 games. An elevated […]

Which Half of These 2016 Wide Receiver Duos Should You Target? Part 2

NFL teams with two or more fantasy-worthy receivers present an interesting dilemma. How high do you value one player over another, relative to his ADP? It may be clear who is the better player and #1 receiver, but if the difference between the two is not significant, often #2 represents a better value. With receivers […]

Poetry in Motion: The Five Tools of Jose Altuve

Jose Altuve is the American League Most Valuable Player. OK, it's still a bit early, but if a vote were taken right now, he would be heavily considered along with Manny Machado and Robinson Cano. In reality, he might finish third at the moment, mainly because the other two are on first-place teams. The Astros have been one […]

Melky Cabrera (OF, CHW) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues OWNED IN: 38% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Like the entire White Sox team, Melky Cabrera is exceeding expectations this season. Currently at .308, he is on pace for a fourth season over .300. After his 50-game suspension for elevated testosterone in 2012, many have expected Cabrera to fall off, but he continues […]

Angel Pagan (OF, SF) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 43% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Angel Pagan shot out of the gate with 13 R in his first 11 games. He was also hitting .385 at that point in time, with two stolen bases to boot. Since that time, Pagan has been grounded. His average remains at .315, but he […]

Jonathan Villar (3B/SS, MIL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues OWNED IN: 39% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Jonathan Villar has seemingly come out of nowhere to post fantasy-worthy numbers. In three years as a utility infielder for Houston, he showed speed but little else. Villar is currently showing exceptional base-stealing skills, leading the NL with 11 SB. He has a respectable .268 […]

NL-Only League Waiver Wire Pickups for Week Six: Cozart, Eickhoff, Rodney and more

One thing fantasy baseball managers can be guilty of at times is trying too hard. In search of the next hot prospect or hidden gem, we can look right past a productive player because he is already a known commodity. These players may not go on to suddenly have career years, but there is something […]

J.A. Happ (SP, TOR) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 50% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: J.A. Happ has mostly been an afterthought for fantasy purposes until last season. Happ hadn't finished with a sub-4.00 ERA since 2010. In the last half of 2015 with Pittsburgh, however, something clicked. Happ went 7-2 with a 1.85 ERA, 1.02 WHIP for the Bucs. […]

Khris Davis (OF, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 44% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: For Khris Davis, the move from Milwaukee to Oakland in the off-season wasn't a fantasy-friendly one in terms of ballpark or supporting cast. Nevertheless, power like his tends to travel well. After a slow start in which Davis was homerless for the first 13 games, […]

Fernando Rodney (RP, SD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 63% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Fernando Rodney is a perfect 8-for-8 in save opportunities this season. He is yet to allow an earned run in 12 innings of work. His 9.8 K/9 average is one full strikeout above his career mark. He is the undisputed closer in San Diego, with no real […]

Poetry in Motion: The Power of Byung Ho Park

Byung Ho Park: The Korean Giancarlo Stanton! Maybe he's not quite there yet, but the Minnesota Twins certainly hope it turns out that way. After paying $12.85 million just for the right to negotiate with the slugger, Park has been slotted as the regular DH for the rebuilding Twins. The comparison may be misleading, because Stanton […]

Martin Prado (2B/3B, MIA) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 24% Fleaflicker ANALYSIS: Martin Prado has been lauded as a consummate professional in the clubhouse. This may not mean much to fantasy owners, but Prado can contribute the same to your team as he does in real life - consistency. Prado has a career line of .293/.341/.426 and has […]