2021 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values Based On Contact Quality

In part one of this series, I established that zxwOBAcon is the primary driver of season-to-season changes in xwOBAcon and that the biggest risers in zxwOBAcon each season tend to be rebound candidates. Furthermore, rebound candidates recover all of their zxwOBAcon losses more often than not and frequently outperform their season x zxwOBAcon in season […]

Dissecting Contact Quality In Search Of Fantasy Bargains

Of the 1,015 hitters sampled(1) between 2015 and 2019, there were only 14 instances of hitters making more productive contact against pitches outside of the strike zone than against pitches inside of the strike zone based on xwOBAcon. Based on the same sample, the average hitter was a whopping .116 points better against pitches inside […]

MLB DFS Prop Picks for Monday, October 12th - Monkey Knife Fight

The MLB playoffs are now well underway, and Monday features a pair of intriguing ALCS games. Although full-season fantasy leagues have been finished for more than a week now, fantasy players still have opportunities to make money with DFS. Our friends at Monkey Knife Fight offer some of the coolest, and easiest to win, MLB […]

MLB DFS Prop Picks for Monday, October 5th - Monkey Knife Fight

Baseball is back after a weekend-long hiatus, and Monday features a pair of intriguing ALDS games. Although full-season fantasy leagues have been finished for more than a week now, fantasy players still have opportunities to make money with DFS. Our friends at Monkey Knife Fight offer some of the coolest, and easiest to win, MLB […]

MLB DFS Prop Picks for Monday, September 21st - Monkey Knife Fight

Monday kicks off the last week of the 2020 MLB regular season, but there's still time to rake in some more money with DFS props. To that end, fantasy players should take a look at Monkey Knife Fight, where plenty of opportunities exist for profit every day. Our friends at Monkey Knife Fight offer some […]

Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 10

The abbreviated  2020 season has gone by quickly, and this week represents the last week of regular season baseball this year. Like last week's article, my recommendations will be largely short-term focused as a result. Many of these players have been recommended before, and some (like Clint Frazier) were recommended as recently as last week. […]

Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 9

It's hard to believe, but the last day of the 2020 MLB regular season is only two weeks away. Like last week's article, my recommendations will be largely short-term focused as a result. Also of note this week is that several players recommended are rostered in between 20% and 30% of leagues, but those players […]

MLB DFS Prop Picks for Monday, September 14th - Monkey Knife Fight

There are only two weeks left in this year's MLB season, and with many fantasy managers eliminated from their playoffs, their focus may be shifting to DFS. Those fantasy players should take a look at Monkey Knife Fight, where there are plenty of attractive DFS options. Our friends at Monkey Knife Fight offer some of […]

Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 8

Up to this point in the season I've mostly focused on long-term contributors for fantasy outfields. Fantasy playoffs are drawing near, though, so my recommendations will focus on more immediate contributions over the last few weeks of the season. To that end, schedules are going to play a larger role in my recommendations over the […]

MLB DFS Prop Picks for Monday, September 7th - Monkey Knife Fight

With less than one month left in the season and full-season leagues nearing their playoffs, many fantasy managers may be shifting their focus to DFS. That makes Monkey Knife Fight an attractive fantasy option for the rest of the season. Our friends at Monkey Knife Fight offer some of the coolest, and easiest to win, […]

MLB DFS Prop Picks for Monday, August 31st - Monkey Knife Fight

Several teams have now finished more than half of their 2020 seasons, but the season is still relatively young with no teams having played more than 35 games. At the player level, no pitcher has thrown more than 52 innings yet this season, and the small sample of performance has resulted in some attractive DFS […]

Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 7

There wasn't very much movement for outfielders on waivers over the past week, so most of the players listed in last week's article are still attractive pickups this week. Namely, Bryan Reynolds, Joc Pederson, Clint Frazier, and Brad Miller are all still rostered in fewer than 50% of leagues and remain worth a look from outfielder-hungry […]

Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 6

It's hard to believe that most teams are nearing the halfway point of their seasons, but let's not forget that point sits at only 30 games. 30 games is still a small sample of performance for most players, and it's worth taking a look at some strange numbers from this season so far to illustrate […]

MLB DFS Prop Picks for Monday, August 24th - Monkey Knife Fight

Monday marks the beginning of the sixth week of the MLB season, and many teams are now nearing the halfway point in their seasons. 30 games is still a small sample for most metrics, though, so fantasy players should still rely on multiple season's worths of data (when possible) when making DFS decisions. Our friends […]

Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 5

Through four weeks of the 2020 MLB season, almost all teams have played more than one-quarter of their season. The Cardinals, on the other hand, have played only six games. Although a significant number of the remaining Cardinals games will last only seven innings, Cardinals hitters are set for an exceptionally high workload over the […]

MLB DFS Prop Picks for Monday, August 17th - Monkey Knife Fight

The high number of seven-inning doubleheaders is going to lead to some interesting DFS results this season, particularly for pitchers. Monday's slate of games only includes one doubleheader, though, so fantasy players can feel comfortable relying on relatively "normal" analysis when looking for opportunities on Monday. Our friends at Monkey Knife Fight offer some of […]

Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 4

It's easy to hyper-analyze slow starts with nearly a quarter of the season gone (for some teams, at least), but it's important to keep in mind that teams have played fewer than 20 games. That's an extremely small sample of performance, and overreactions to poor early results have left some likely to be productive outfielders […]

MLB DFS Prop Picks for Monday, August 10th - Monkey Knife Fight

It's hard to believe, but some teams are already a quarter of the way through the MLB season. Unfortunately, with the quarter-season mark sitting at just 15 games, early-season trends are difficult to rely on. Although that can make decisions difficult for fantasy players, it can also lead to opportunities for DFS players. Our friends […]

Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 3

We’re already through two weeks of the MLB season, and although the remainder of the season remains uncertain, fantasy players should continue being active on waivers as if the season will finish on schedule. Trying to predict how the rest of the season will pan out structurally is a fruitless exercise, and it’s valuable to […]

MLB DFS Prop Picks for Monday, August 3rd - Monkey Knife Fight

Postponed games have wreaked havoc on the MLB schedule so far this year, but there’s a solid nine-game slate on Monday. With 18 teams playing, there are some solid opportunities for DFS players to cash in at Monkey Knife Fight. Our friends at Monkey Knife Fight offer some of the coolest, and easiest to win, […]

MLB DFS Prop Picks for Monday, July 27th - Monkey Knife Fight

For all of the oddities in the 2020 MLB season, DFS is business as usual. With full-season fantasy baseball leagues disrupted by a short season, fantasy players can turn to DFS for more certainty as they try to turn a profit. Our friends at Monkey Knife Fight offer some of the coolest, and easiest to […]

Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 2

Only three days’ worth of games separate last week’s waiver wire from this week’s, but there are still new players worth picking up this week. In addition to players making their first appearance on this list, some players still aren’t close as highly rostered as they should be after last week. With that in mind, […]

Updated Third Base Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues (July)

Opening Day is quickly approaching, and we’ve got some updated fantasy baseball rankings here at Rotoballer. The 2020 season will be unusually uncertain, with even minor injuries potentially forcing players to miss significant portions of the season and a short season creating small samples of key stats. Certainty should be a little easier to find […]

Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 1

The first week of waiver wire pickups for the 2020 season is here and Opening Day is approaching quickly. Some teams have endured a lengthy period between draft day and the start of the season, making Week 1 waiver pickups unusually important this season. In the same vein, many of the players worth picking up […]

Six-Man Rotations: Who's Doing It and Why It Matters

With only 60 games making up the 2020 regular season, it appears likely some unconventional pitching strategies will be featured. One strategy that is likely to be somewhat popular is the six-man rotation. So far, two teams have already committed to using six starters for at least the beginning of the season. Others could follow […]

Rethinking DFS Strategies for a 60-Game MLB Season

The 2020 MLB season is going to be weird. In a 60-game season, previous in-season game performance holds limited value, making game-to-game projections unusually difficult across the entire season. Consider what some player production looked like 60 games into last season: David Dahl had a .457 BABIP Jose Ramirez had a .202/.303/.307 slash line Jake […]

Is Aaron Judge Worth The Draft Risk?

On September 18, 2019, Aaron Judge suffered a stress fracture in his rib while attempting to make a catch in right field. Judge played through the injury, but he was forced to take a break from hitting in early March thanks to shoulder and pectoral discomfort. Judge recently began swinging again, and GM Brian Cashman […]

Three NL Outfielders Set To Bust in 2020?

A good portion of busts each year are the result of freak injuries, but some players are particularly risky. Spotting those bust candidates and avoiding them early in drafts can be a difference-maker for fantasy teams.  Although a delayed and shortened season has helped some players recover from injuries and boost their fantasy values, it’s […]

Three Hitters Set To Break Out Earlier Than Expected

MLB hitters often tend to experience their best seasons between ages 26 and 29 years old. Even so, many players have breakout seasons before that peak. The cheapest path to talent acquisition is by successfully targeting players before they have their first big year and this article will take a look at three players who […]

Overvalued and Undervalued First Basemen for Points Leagues

First base is bottom-heavy for fantasy purposes this year, with just one player drafted in the top-30 picks on average. As a result, there are relatively few first basemen who are excessively overvalued and several who can provide solid value in late rounds. Below are first basemen who are particularly poorly valued in drafts. These […]