X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Daniel Murphy to the Rockies - Fantasy Implications

Rockies fans watched a 2018 team that disappointed on offense and the front office might have just made the key addition to fix some of those headaches. Second baseman Daniel Murphy will be joining the Rockies on a two-year deal and should offer an exciting upside bat, with a glove that might not play all that well in the field anymore. This is the good news, whereas the bad news means that some of the young potential stars for the Colorado franchise might have to wait a bit longer, or could be on their way out of town. For fantasy owners, this might be one of the more impactful moves so far this winter and offers an exciting option for players in all formats.

Whatever the case for the Rockies, the need was clear, and this all but signals that DJ LeMahieu will be leaving town to sign elsewhere. With a weak second base pool in general, Murphy adds some value with this move based on the park factors alone. Not surprisingly, Coors Fields sat second, according to ESPN, with 1.271 run factor, and a 1.280 home run factor. Both of these numbers help whoever plays there, and with an elite bat like Murphy, should offer a nice boon for fantasy owners. While every player gets that jump for fantasy rankings, when Murphy grades out as one of the best contact hitters in the game, the gains are even more pronounced.

While questions still exist around the Rockies roster, the obvious impacts are to help an ailing offense. While Murphy was already a top 10 pick at the position, interested owners perhaps need to look at him as a top-six second-baseman with this news.

Be sure to check all of our preseason fantasy baseball rankings for Roto, Points, H2H, dynasty, best ball, prospects and more:

 

Stock Watch

Daniel Murphy (1B/2B, COL)

Stock Up

Readers can see from the intro that this is a move that fantasy owners should be high on, but what and where should they expect to see the jump? First, last year was a bit of a weird one for the slugger with only 91 games played, and a mid-season trade affecting some of the soft factors. The injury time off was expected, with knee surgery happening in the offseason, but his recovery and ultimate strong play should be of interest to owners. Still, Murphy is not young, and any knee injury should be a bit scary for a player, so if he is drafted make sure to add a young back-up later in the draft as cover. The good news is that this was surgery as opposed to general time off for a knee injury, so the issue should be fixed moving into this year.

On the offensive side, Murphy is one of the best pure hitters in the game, and even in limited time in 2018, slashed .299/.336/.454 with 12 homers and 42 RBI. The power was admittedly behind the 23-HR pace from 2017, but the trade to the Cubs took some playing time, and the previously discussed injury limited the return without a Spring Training. His K-rate was up from the career norm at 11.4%, but still down from 2017’s 13% mark.

Similar numbers concerning walk rate and steals show that there is not much else that changed in the profile. All of this is good for owners, as with the move to Colorado, those doubles should creep back to the 43 mark from 2017, and triples will be on the table again. If he can stay healthy for a full season, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Murphy can match his 2016 slash of .347/.390/.595 with 25 homers and 104 RBI. At the very least, after a full offseason of recovery, with a strong line-up context, Murphy is not a candidate for a big step back at this point. While it might be easy analysis to say that moving to Coors is good, the fact that he now hits behind Charlie Blackmon, and in front of Nolan Arenado and David Dahl looks to be an excellent fit.

The other key question will be where does Murphy play? This article has talked about him playing the keystone, and that is the most likely spot, but Roster Resource has him playing at first. This would mean that Ryan McMahon is not making the team, and the Rockies do not have an upgrade in the outfield for Ian Desmond. If Murphy can play a decent second, then there should not be any worries about him holding down that position.

The other consideration is that with the shift, a slower second baseman is not as exposed versus a pull-happy hitter, and this will play well for Murphy's fielding and his ability to stick at second base. According to Baseball Savant, the Rockies shifted the 13th most in the majors last year and were a top-eight team when it came to shifting versus lefties. This means that second base is a real possibility and even if he plays more at first, the second base eligibility keeps him as a great draft asset. Or at the very least, he does not seem to lose eligibility for drafts in the future, keeping him as a legitimate draft target in dynasty drafts as well.

 

Garrett Hampson (2B/SS, COL)

Stock Down

The caveat on this stock watch is the assumption that Hampson is no longer the starting second baseman on opening day due to Murphy, so if the latter moves to first, then Hampson might see a stock jump here. Playing on a team with Murphy adds overall offensive value, so Hampson adds that due to context. Not a huge jump, but again, Murphy seems to make everyone on this team a bit better.

The apparent piece limiting Hampson is that less playing time makes him more of a bench utility player at best. Hampson had a breakout 2018 campaign, as not many viewed him as a great hitter coming into the year, but a .275/.396/.400 slash showed real value over 24 games last year. Maybe “breakout” is too strong a label, but Hampson impressed during his stop with the team and shed the utility label at the least. Hampson still seems to be the longterm future, and perhaps might take over if Trevor Story moves around the diamond. It would be shocking to see him not make the roster, but with Colorado, owners need to be paying attention.

Back to what owners can expect from the utility player, Hampson's minor league numbers in 2018 were great with a plus .300 average at both stops up the ladder, and complemented by a total of 37 steals. While he did not steal much with the Rockies, the speed is there for a player with tremendous steals upside. And yet, with the park, and the type of players hitting around him, do not expect Hampson to steal all that much, as a Nolan Arenado homer brings him home anyway. Hampson is a player worth looking at very late in drafts if he's not projected as a full-time player. If he is projected to start, he moves closer to the 13-18 round range, and he could see his value steadily rise during the Winter.

 

Brendan Rodgers (2B/SS, COL)

Stock Down?

In some early drafts and mocks, Rodgers seems to be one of the sexy rookies to pick way too early. In dynasty drafts, this is still a good target, even as his stock has dropped a bit over the past 12 months. With Murphy's addition, there is not a clear path to him joining the Rockies in 2019, even with Murphy possibly playing at first.

With Ian Desmond already on the roster, even a strong Spring makes Rodgers the victim of the numbers game, but perhaps a late-season call-up is the best bet. To be fair to the Rockies, 2018 was not a great campaign for the Rodgers, with only a .232 batting average in 19 games at Triple-A. While this is a small sample size, the K-rate shot up to 22.2% and the walk rate dropped to 1.4%. Without knowing much more, it seems that Rodgers could use another year at least before joining the team, and at that point, might be a third baseman to fill for other free agents leaving.

With the Murphy signing, Rodgers should no longer be drafted in mixed leagues and is at best a long-shot stash for NL-only teams. The other thing to watch is the possible trade of Rodgers to add an outfielder or pitcher to a team that might think it can overtake the Dodgers this year. While this is not the likely outcome, it would not be the first time this offseason that the idea was dangled.

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nick Senzel15 mins ago

Suffers Broken Thumb
Jason Foley23 mins ago

Earns The Save For Tigers
Dejounte Murray33 mins ago

Available Versus Boston
Xavier Tillman34 mins ago

Sr. Cleared For Thursday Night
Al Horford42 mins ago

Won't Face The Hawks
Jrue Holiday47 mins ago

Available On Thursday
Tarik Skubal1 hour ago

Tosses Six Scoreless Innings On Opening Day
Corbin Burnes1 hour ago

Pitches A Gem On Opening Day
Royce Lewis2 hours ago

Exits With Quad Injury
Max Scherzer3 hours ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw3 hours ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler3 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager3 hours ago

Active On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz4 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Alex Caruso4 hours ago

Ayo Dosunmu Probable Friday
Darius Garland4 hours ago

Probable Against 76ers
Donovan Mitchell4 hours ago

Upgraded To Questionable
Duncan Robinson5 hours ago

Heat Rule Out Duncan Robinson Friday
Bryan Reynolds6 hours ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jimmy Butler6 hours ago

Probable Against Portland
Onyeka Okongwu6 hours ago

Remains Out Thursday
Dejounte Murray6 hours ago

Questionable With Back Soreness
Jordan Romano7 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Gerrit Cole7 hours ago

Yankees Put Gerrit Cole On 60-Day Injured List
Elly De La Cruz7 hours ago

Batting In Six-Hole On Opening Day
Anthony Rendon8 hours ago

Hitting Leadoff On Opening Day
Wander Franco8 hours ago

Placed On Administrative Leave
Aaron Ekblad8 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov8 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto8 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin9 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard9 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins9 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist9 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear9 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Keita Bates-Diop9 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season
Dyson Daniels9 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday But Nearing Return
LaMelo Ball9 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of 2023-24
Jose Alvarado10 hours ago

Questionable To Face Milwaukee
Jaden Springer10 hours ago

Considered Questionable
Xavier Tillman10 hours ago

Sr. Questionable Thursday
Gabe Vincent10 hours ago

Expected To Return To Action On Sunday
Al Horford21 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Derrick White21 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
TJ Friedl22 hours ago

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Aaron Gordon22 hours ago

Cleared To Face Phoenix
Jackson Chourio22 hours ago

Will Start In Right Field Friday
Eduardo Rodriguez24 hours ago

Starts Throwing Program
Garrett Mitchell24 hours ago

Will Miss 6-8 Weeks
Chad Green1 day ago

To Lead Closer Committee In Toronto?
Mark Hubbard1 day ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson1 day ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen1 day ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers1 day ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers1 day ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers1 day ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers1 day ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels1 day ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby1 day ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds1 day ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA1 day ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry1 day ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan1 day ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg1 day ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord1 day ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala1 day ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler1 day ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder1 day ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama1 day ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley4 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

2024 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! With the 2024 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire on draft night. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones previews the 2024 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the first round of the draft. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller!... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Early Look At Wide Receivers In 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts

The upcoming NFL Draft is less than a month away. While everyone is excited for the NFL Draft, fantasy players are looking forward to the regular season. While we won’t have meaningful NFL football for months, it’s never too early to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Last year, the fantasy football world saw multiple... Read More


Spencer Rattler, College Football Transfers

Underrated Rookie Draft Targets - Early 2024 Sleepers for Dynasty Fantasy Football

We are a month out from the NFL Draft, meaning if you are here, you are probably looking for draft content and reading up on prospects. You probably have all of the information you need on stud prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s not what you’re here for.  Rookie draft season for... Read More


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part II

The NFL's offseason, including trades and free agency, can strongly impact a player's fantasy football value. This effect can be positive or negative. For this series, we're focusing on fantasy football players who have seen their fantasy value increase. This can occur via a player's direct movement, such as a trade or signing with a... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 1: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

It's finally here: the UFL season is set to kick off with two games on Saturday, March 30 and two games on Sunday, March 31. Saturday's games will be broadcast on Fox Sports while Sunday's matchups will be on ESPN. The most anticipated Week 1 matchup pits the 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions against the... Read More


Jared Goff - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Will the Lions Extend Jared Goff's Contract This Offseason? 2024 NFL Outlook

Jared Goff's career in Los Angeles didn't take off like many expected after his appearance in Super Bowl LIII, and he was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff's first season in the Motor City was terrible, but he has completely turned things around over the last two seasons. In 2022, he almost led... Read More


Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part I

Free agency symbolizes the start of a new NFL season. It's the first opportunity for NFL clubs to start addressing their weaknesses and considerably impacts how the upcoming season plays out. Just as free agency can improve or worsen a team's outlook, a player's fantasy football value is also impacted. Free agency marks the real... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Coach Knows Ball: Malik Nabers 2024 NFL Draft Film Breakdown of LSU WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Avoid These Running Backs in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The staff is already looking ahead to the 2024 season to help our readers get the jump on their competition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones discusses five Running Backs that you should AVOID in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio... Read More


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

Brock Bowers 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Georgia TE Be Selected?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was arguably the top tight end in college football over the past few years. Bowers was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 56 receptions for 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slightly slipped in 2022 as defenses started to game plan for the star tight end. Bowers had... Read More


Xavier Worthy 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Texas WR Be Selected?

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been one of the top pass-catchers in college football over the past few years. The explosive receiver was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 62 receptions for 981 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slipped in 2022. Worthy had 60 receptions for 760 receiving yards and nine touchdowns... Read More


Blake Corum - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, RB, NFL Draft Sleepers

Blake Corum 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update - When Will the Michigan RB Be Selected?

Former Michigan running back Blake Corum is one of the most popular prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The 23-year-old is fresh off a College Football National Championship victory and a 2023 campaign consisting of over 1,300 yards from scrimmage. However, given the devaluation of the running back position and Corum not being an... Read More


Brandon Aiyuk - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News

Will The 49ers Trade Brandon Aiyuk?

Brandon Aiyuk had a career year last season, finishing seventh in the league in receiving yards (1342), second in yards per catch (17.9), and catching seven touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named to the Second-team All-Pro. However, despite many expecting them to do so, the 49ers failed to win Super Bowl LVIII and now... Read More