Buying and Selling the Young Friars

As a sport, baseball’s greatest cultural advantage might be its roots as a game which begins with the thaw of winter and the arrival of spring. There is nothing more generally inspiring for all fans than the promise of Spring Training and the potential growth of young players. That’s especially true when those prospects play... Read More

Top 20 Prospects for 2020 Dynasty Leagues (Week 3 Update)

Welcome back to our updated list of the Top 20 impact prospects for 2020. Most minor league teams have now completed a dozen games or so (depending on weather cancellations), so we're starting to see some trends with players off to hot or cold starts. I expect a lot of movement on this list as... Read More

Hot Prospects To Watch - Toussaint, Cease, Manning

All eyes continue to be on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the No. 1 overall prospect, as he works his way back from an oblique strain in spring training. The 20-year-old looks to be fully healthy and is now slashing .360/.448/.560 with a homer and six RBI in seven games for High-A Dunedin and Triple-A Buffalo. It... Read More

Are You For Real? Surprising SP Starts from Week 3

Welcome to our Surprising Starts series, where every week we look at lower-owned starting pitchers who have performed unexpectedly well in their last outing(s). This week we're looking at a trio of NL West hurlers, each of whom once had relatively high expectations at one point in their career but have now been discarded by... Read More

Prospect Stock Watch with Fantasy Implications - Week 2

Well, the Major League season is already 6% of the way done. Some owners think that they are on their way to victory while others are patiently waiting for things to turn around. Still, while all the victory laps are being taken, the smart owner is looking forward to the rest of the year and... Read More

Top 30 Impact Prospects for 2019 Redraft Leagues (Week 2)

Can you believe the baseball season is already flying by?! Some teams already have a dozen games in hand at the MLB level, while the minor league season has been underway since last Thursday. With minor league games now underway, it’s time for another update of the ‘Impact Prospects for 2019.’ Since last we visited... Read More

Buxton, Kepler Have Something to Prove - The King's Insider Report

The Minnesota Twins are going to be a fun team to watch this season, whether it’s for real or fantasy purposes. They could sneak up and win the American League Central, and help fantasy owners a lot in the process if three key offensive players continue to perform well. Byron Buxton is the true cornerstone... Read More

Hot Prospects To Watch in Week 2 - Urias, Kieboom, Robert

Last week we discussed some injury updates on some of 2019's biggest prospect names. We'll continue to give you injury updates on notable names in the minors in this space as the season wears on. But this week we'll turn our attention towards actual minor league performances and those that have turned heads by sprinting... Read More

Are You For Real? Surprising SP Starts from Week 2

Welcome to our Surprising Starts series, where every week we look at lower-owned starting pitchers who have performed unexpectedly well in their last outing(s). Major league batters are striking out at an astounding 23% clip so far this season, which has resulted in plenty of unheralded hurlers racking up massive strikeout totals. We're looking at... Read More

Top 20 Impact Prospects for 2020 Dynasty Leagues

Prospect ranking is similar to picking stocks to invest in. With both areas of focus, you have to consider a number of variables, including overall long-term value, as well as how quickly you want or need a return. Investment advisors will often analyze an investor’s risk appetite to help choose the right investments. If you have... Read More

Is Pete Alonso for Real? The Verdict Is Yes

After hearing what I did in the preseason about Pete Alonso, it’s great for his fantasy outlook that he made the Mets roster out of spring training. Each year, I write the Fantasy Baseball Insider series, which consists of exclusive anonymous interviews with former and current players on key fantasy baseball targets. The FBIS won... Read More

Top Prospect News For Week 1

Baseball is back! Opening Day of the 2019 MLB slate came and went last week, but now we have the start of the minor league season to look forward to this week. Fantasy owners, especially those in dynasty/keeper leagues, are always looking for the next young stud prospect that might be a difference-maker at the... Read More

Digging Up Fantasy Value in Baltimore

In every season there are teams who initially appear so bad that we give up all hope of fantasy value. In 2019 one of those teams was the Baltimore Orioles, who had a very different lineup to last year. 2018 saw the Orioles move on from Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop, and Adam Jones followed... Read More

Prospects Stock Watch for Week 1 of Fantasy Baseball

The first week of baseball has seen disappointments and surprises abound, but none more than looking to early rookie performances. From players not expected to make the team playing key roles, to players not being held down due to service time, this is a great time to jump into the waiver wire to grab those... Read More

Which No-Hit Bid Means the Most?

Three MLB starters, Detroit's Jordan Zimmermann, Chicago's Lucas Giolito and Baltimore's Davis Hess, all took no-hit bids deep into their first start of the MLB season. Unless you play in an AL-only league however, you probably don't own any of them. Now, they sit staring at you atop the waiver wire with their sparkling ERA... Read More

Are You For Real? Surprising SP Starts from Week 1

Welcome to our Surprising Starts series, where every week we look at lower-owned starting pitchers who have performed unexpectedly well in their last outing(s). Even though the first week had just four days of baseball, there were so many surprising starts to chose from that it was hard to decide which pitchers to break down.... Read More

Top 30 Impact Rookies for Redraft Fantasy Leagues (Preseason)

It’s no secret that teams are relying more and more heavily on young hitters and pitchers to not only fill out the 25-man rosters but to be key, impactful members of the club. That, in turn, means that prospect watching and analysis plays an increasingly important part of fantasy baseball. Jumping on the promising, raw... Read More

Opening Day Observations

When are we going to finally get around to making MLB Opening Day a national holiday? I can tell you the only thing that kept me from calling in sick was the fact that technology allows me to stream live games in HD on my cell phone while I sit at my desk waiting until... Read More

What to Expect from the Marlins' Young Rotation

In the days leading up to the start of the 2019 season, the Miami Marlins made it clear that the youth movement has completely taken over. Veteran Dan Straily was released and Wei-Yin Chen was sent to the bullpen, paving the way for a pitching rotation that doesn't boast a player over the age of... Read More

Sleeper Prospects to Target Late in Deep Redrafts

As fantasy season approaches, and drafts are in full swing, owners are looking for any unturned rock that might add some late round value. As the Rotoballer team releases an updated prospect list, now is the time to see what players are on the cusp of making the majors, but would be worth the stash... Read More

Rookie Catchers that Could Help You in 2019

It’s not enough to just be overflowing with talent to have a good rookie season. You also need to have an opportunity. And $1 buys, or late-round selections likely won’t win you a championship on their own but most championship seasons in fantasy baseball need a little luck from those picks or a lucky waiver... Read More

Prospect Starters that Could be Impact Relievers

Last year around this time I wrote some words about Dakota Hudson and how he could be a stud in 2018 — but as a reliever, not a starter, which had been his role in the minors to that point. From last March at Rotographs: “And for me, Dakota Hudson has immense potential as a high-leverage reliever. He... Read More

Top 10 Shortstop Prospects - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Rankings

We're back with another list of 2019 impact prospects. Today the focus is on shortstop. The crop of talent this year starts off very strong, and then does a few hops and jumps bouncing around the skill and potential spectrum. Few positions are completely stocked with premium talent in the top-10, but compared to others,... Read More

Under-the-Radar Pitching Prospects for 2019

We are thrilled to announce that Marc Hulet has recently joined the RotoBaller team! Marc is also the longest-serving, active writer at FanGraphs. For 10+ years he has been focused on MLB prospects and their fantasy baseball impacts. Follow along all season! This week I’ve kicked off my tenure at RotoBaller with a two-part series... Read More

Spring Training Notes from the Field - Early Reactions

Finally, baseball is back. There might be no better feeling than being able to turn on the television and see a live game, even if it does not count for anything in the win column. While some of the players are new to fans, and some players even lack names on their jerseys, the energy... Read More

Top 10 Dynasty Third Base Prospects

Taking a look at the top third base prospects in dynasty, you can split the list into two categories: Vladimir Guerrero Jr and everyone else. Clearly, Guerrero is the most exciting prospect in fantasy right now after his monster 2018 campaign where he hit .381 with 20 home runs and a 1.073 OPS over 408... Read More

Top 10 Starting Pitching Prospects - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Rankings

"There is no such thing as a pitching prospect." For fantasy owners who have lived and died by this mantra, this article might be a bit of a jinx. Often when the fantasy community gets in on a player, they break, or roles change. Some of this is the odds with pitching, but otherwise, the... Read More

Top 10 Outfield Prospects - 2019 Redraft Rankings

We're back with another list of 2019 impact prospects. Today the focus is on the outfield. With a whole host of candidates ready to make the jump to regular roles, this might be the deepest prospect position heading into 2019. With the growth of five-outfielder leagues as well, the need to know who will be... Read More

Winning Strategies For Your Dynasty League Startup Draft

Some people enjoy playing fantasy baseball one season at a time, drafting a new roster every year. Others are fascinated with drafting a team and managing it year after year towards multiple championship trophies. The latter individuals are best suited to play in dynasty leagues. For rosters to be competitive annually, they have to possess... Read More