Cliff Lee: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Or Bust?

  Lee Will Have to Overcome Age & Injuries to be a Contributor Over six seasons from 2008 to 2013, few pitchers were as dominant as Cliff Lee. At times he was virtually unhittable, and achieved greatness despite pitching four of those six seasons in the bandbox that is Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia. Over the six […]

Podcast: Anthony Aniano & Real Talk Raph Discuss Injured Pitchers and ADP

Last week RotoBaller's own Real Talk Raph joined Anthony Aniano's fantasy sports show (War Room Radio) to discuss the upcoming 2015 MLB and fantasy baseball season, including various draft strategies. Listen in on them bantering about injured starting pitchers (SP) like Matt Harvey, Jose Fernandez and Masahiro Tanaka, current ADP trends on players like Bryce Harper […]

J.J. Hardy: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Sleeper

Hardy's Track Record Makes Him a Late-Round Sleeper When identifying a fantasy baseball draft sleeper, I like the guy to fit a few different criteria. First among those is being “under the radar,” but also I need there to be some proof that there’s potential upside when looking beneath the surface. In our 2015 shortstop […]

Chris Owings: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Sleeper

  Multiple-Position Eligibility For A Middle Infield Sleeper With only two years of experience and 393 plate appearances (PA) in the major leagues, Chris Owings has taken the starting shortstop position from Cliff Pennington. Naturally, this will increase his fantasy value significantly in 2015 as will his dual eligibility in both SS and 2B. In his […]

Josh Tomlin: Analyzing His Starting Pitcher Sleeper Potential

  With More Playing Time, Tomlin Could  Be A Fantasy Asset Josh Tomlin isn't a sexy pick. Frankly, putting his name in a 2015 sleeper column seems rather like going to a wine and cheese night with a packet of American singles and a bottle Two-Buck Chuck. It'll get the job done, but people are going to […]

Yasmani Grandal: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Sleeper

  Grandal's Potential Makes Him a Sleeper Candidate Yasmani Grandal was largely a disappointment in 2014. Despite the pedigree of a top prospect and nearly 90 games of experience at the major league level, he batted an anemic .225/.327/.401 with 49 RBIs and 47 runs scored through 128 games. After that campaign, some have written […]

Jonathan Schoop: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Sleeper

  Can Offseason Adjustments Unlock Potential? Set to be the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, Jonathan Schoop definitely has the potential to be an everyday fantasy starter in 2015. I don’t believe that 2014 was a good indicator of his entire skill set, as he hit .209 with 16 homers, 45 RBIs, and […]

Kolten Wong: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Sleeper

  Wong Could Have a Breakout Sophomore Campaign OBP is not a standard category in the majority of fantasy leagues. It is, however, scored in both of my main leagues, and its value in real baseball is well established. Even in standard leagues, looking at OBP and underlying plate discipline metrics is useful, and I […]

Shelby Miller: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Sleeper

  Shelby Miller is Likely to Bounce Back in 2015 One of the biggest shocks of the offseason was when the Atlanta Braves shipped Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden to the St. Louis Cardinals for Shelby Miller and a prospect. Miller is entering his third full season in The Show at age 24. He is […]

Melky Cabrera: Underrated MLB Veteran & Fantasy Baseball Outfielder

Melky Cabrera: A Questionable Past Melky Cabrera will be joining his sixth team this spring after signing a three-year, $42 million dollar contract with the White Sox. Cabrera is coming off a good season with the Blue Jays in which he hit .301 with 16 HR and 73 RBI. His strong performance undoubtedly helped him to […]

Kevin Gausman: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Sleeper Candidate

  Is Kevin Gausman A Starting Pitcher Sleeper? The sudden emergence of the Baltimore Orioles after a decade and a half as the doormat of the AL East is one of the more surprising recent developments in baseball. Most expected Dylan Bundy to be a linchpin for them by now after being selected with the fourth […]

Yasiel Puig: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Stud

It's Time To Face Your Fears The only thing to fear about making Yasiel Puig a high pick in your fantasy baseball draft is Yasiel Puig himself. Blessed with talents on loan from a higher source, Puig has all the tools necessary to be considered a perennial five tool player. The question remains, does he […]

Shane Victorino: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Outfield Deep Sleeper

2015 Could be a Bounce-Back Year for Victorino Looking at the current Red Sox 2015 outfield, there are plenty of guys who will be sharing at bats. Heading into Spring Training, the Sox will have recent signings Hanley Ramirez and Rusney Castillo entrenched as regulars, as well as Daniel Nava, Allen Craig, Shane Victorino and youngsters […]

Oakland's Catcher Platoon: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Sleepers

  Stephen Vogt and Josh Phegley Both Figure to be Sleepers in 2015 The magical world of Billy Beane and platooning every position on the diamond does not seem to be fading anytime soon. One of the more interesting platoons last year was the catcher platoon of Derek Norris, John Jaso, and Stephen Vogt. The […]

Drew Smyly: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Sleeper

  A New Approach in Tampa Bay Makes Drew Smyly Worth Drafting Drew Smyly is a riddle wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in a mystery, wrapped in a Rays jersey. His size, pitch velocity and, most importantly, his strikeout totals get fantasy GMs excited, but his platoon split issues made Smyly a part time fantasy […]

Kevin Gausman: 2015 MLB Fantasy Starting Pitcher Sleeper

  Kevin Gausman – Worth the Hype in 2015? Sporting a fastball that averages 95 mph and often sits just shy of 100, and a splitter that misses bats at a high rate, Kevin Gausman will likely be a popular sleeper pick in 2015 fantasy baseball drafts. But is he worth the hype? This author thinks his […]

Yusmeiro Petit: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Sleeper

Yusmeiro Petit: Sleeper Or Illusion? Yusmeiro Petit shined for the Giants in 2014. As a spot starter and long reliever, he logged 117 innings with a 3.69 ERA, setting a new MLB record for most consecutive batters retired in the process. With Bruce Bochy apparently open to the idea of Petit wrestling a rotation spot […]

Christian Yelich: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Outfield Sleeper

  Christian Yelich: Deceptively Good Christian Yelich is an intriguing player. He's a former first round pick and top prospect. He's posted high BABIPs and walk rates at every level, including the majors. He's got good instincts and ability in the field and on the base paths. At 6'3", 200, he's got the kind of […]

Collin McHugh: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Sleeper

  Can Colin McHugh Replicate His Breakout 2014? Nobody had Collin McHugh on their fantasy radar prior to 2014. Around this point last year, McHugh was designated for assignment by the Rockies and picked up by the Astros. At the time, his small sample performance in the majors was a 0-8 record with an 8.94 ERA, […]

Dylan Bundy: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Prospect

  Background Between Dylan Bundy’s injuries and Kevin Gausman’s ascension, it is easy for non-Orioles fans to forget about or discount Bundy. Opposing GMs have not, as most reported trade rumors note a request for Bundy. Those discussions end shortly thereafter and with good reason. When healthy, Bundy is potentially a generational talent. While Gausman is […]

Chase Utley: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Sleeper

  Chase Utley's First Half of 2014 Makes Him a 2015 Sleeper Candidate There’s something inherently flawed with how we rank fantasy baseball players. For fantasy amateurs, draft day is simply going through a top 250 player ranking and drafting the next best available player based on need. But once you’ve been around the block […]

T.J. House: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Sleeper

  T.J. House is a Break Candidate for the Late Rounds in 2015 Of all pitchers who threw at least 100 innings in 2014, only two possessed ground ball rates above 60%. One was Dallas Keuchel, Houston's young ace who took the league by storm last year, throwing 200 innings with a 2.93 ERA. The other […]

Jacob deGrom: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Sleeper

  2014 Rookie of the Year is Poised to Take a Step Forward in 2015 Starting pitcher Jacob deGrom was one of the best mid-season fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups of 2014. Originally expected to work out of the Mets bullpen, deGrom gave many fantasy baseball owners a much needed jolt to their pitching lineup […]

Nolan Arenado: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Third Base Sleeper

  Nolan Arenado: Burgeoning Star When Nolan Arenado reached the majors, he was one of the most hyped prospects in the Rockies organization. While he did not have a huge immediate impact on the Rockies, he more than realized his potential in 2014. It may have gone unnoticed. A broken finger stole more than a […]

Ubaldo Jimenez: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper or Bust?

  Is Ubaldo Jimenez Worth Drafting? Why, you ask, would I waste my time writing about Ubaldo Jimenez? First and foremost, because I’m an Orioles fan. But more importantly, from a fantasy perspective, are the following two reasons: He has the most room for improvement among Orioles’ starters. Even though he had a horrible 2014, he […]

Jean Segura: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Sleeper

  Can Jean Segura Return to Early 2013 Form? Last season was a year of tears for Jean Segura owners. Most fantasy baseball pundits (cough, yours truly, cough) tried to warn fantasy GMs away from Segura during the offseason. We told you the power wasn’t real, the steals would likely slow down, and the batting average was […]

Mookie Betts: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Second Base / Outfield Sleeper

  20/20 Potential Makes Mookie a Player Worth Betting On I voiced my qualms with the sleeper designation in my first article for RotoBaller. Moving into 2015, few players prove my point more than Mookie Betts. While highly-touted teammate Xander Bogaerts labored through a disappointing rookie season, Betts thrived in his debut, posting a .291/.368/.444 […]

Phil Hughes: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Sleeper

11.63. That's how many strikeouts Phil Hughes posted for every walk he issued last season, the best ratio in MLB history. Here is a list of the starting pitchers who have achieved a double-digit K/BB ratio in a season: Jim Whitney, Brett Saberhagen, Ben Sheets, Cliff Lee, and Hughes. That's it, in 140-plus seasons. Pedro Martinez […]

Jedd Gyorko: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Sleeper

Jedd Gyorko was a popular sleeper candidate coming into 2014. Having just hit .249/.301/.444 with 23 home runs in 2013, it wasn't hard to see him as reminiscent of Dan Uggla. Sadly, Gyorko's sophomore season was more 2014 Uggla than the 2010 version. A .210/.280/.333 line with only 10 home runs just doesn't cut it in […]

George Springer: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Outfield Sleeper

  Tons of Upside for this Breakout Candidate You are not excited enough about George Springer. Yeah, I know: He strikes out a lot. His 33.0 K% last season would have tied Chris Davis for the MLB lead if he’d had enough AB to qualify, and prospect graveyards are littered with the bones of guys […]