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

Early-Season Surprises - RotoBaller Staff Buy/Sell Advice

It's hard to believe we're nearly one month into the 2019 Major League Baseball season already. Some players have wasted no time making their mark, namely Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, Jose Altuve, and Domingo Santana.

Does one of those names look out of place? It sure does, but Santana is far from the only player who has gotten off to a shocking start. We recently polled some of our fantasy baseball writers to get their take on which some of the biggest standouts, both positive and negative, and how to deal with them for the rest of the season.

Let's find out who our experts have pegged as buy-low or sell-high candidates based on their surprising early performances.

Featured Promo: Get your MLB Premium Pass for 50% off the regular price with any full-season pass. Exclusive access to our Draft Kit, Nick Mariano's #1 accuracy rankings, Ariel Cohen's #1 accuracy ATC projections, customized advice in the Team Sync platform, Live Draft Assistant, 15 in-season lineup tools, customized rankings and much more! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Which surprising hot hitter is most likely to keep it up in the coming months?

After a couple of middling seasons, Yoan Moncada appears to have figured out his game at the big league level. He's cut his K-rate down over 10% from last season, and he's upped his zone-contact percentage nearly 9% to a healthy 85.0%. Moncada has not only hit the baseball, but he's crushed it, barrelling up a tremendous 20.2% of balls in play. He also holds a top-15 Hard Hit% (53.1%) and a league-leading 96.8% Exit Velocity for good measure. Moncada's terrific start to 2019 has finally rewarded the scouts that have backed him for years and his early season breakout is here to stay.
-Riley Mrack

Peter Alonso's power has been the stuff of legends since his college days at Florida. With seven home runs and a .406 ISO through 80 PA, he's proving that last year's Triple-A numbers were more than a product of the PCL. While he won't maintain his current 60-homer pace, Alonso could still be one of the league's best power hitters in 2019.
-Elliott Baas

Pete Alonso. He has already shown he can overcome obstacles such as improving his defense and breaking camp with the team.
-Scott Engel

Michael Conforto is finally healthy and showing all his skills to the fullest. He will hit for power, average, and take plenty of walks. A few stolen bases are just icing on the cake. Honorable mentions: Austin Meadows, Domingo Santana.
-Ellis Canady

I've already officially declared Tim Beckham as a post-hype breakout, so it must come to fruition. Beckham didn't just have a great first week, he's mostly kept up his hot start and still holds a .293 average despite the Mariners crashing back to reality with a six-game losing streak. Their offense rebounded and Beckham is locked into an everyday job at shortstop, where he belongs. While I'd sell high on certain Seattle hitters, Beckham is one I'm holding onto.
-Pierre Camus

 

Whose hot start is unlikely to continue, making them a sell-high candidate?

Cody Bellinger has maintained a high K% and been wildly inconsistent in his first few years in the majors. He could come crashing back down to Earth soon despite the potentially massive HR ceiling.
-Kyle Ringstad

Dansby Swanson is an obvious candidate here. He's already hit more than 25% of his 2018 home run total. I need to see him sustain this success for several months before I believe in the change.
-Chris O'Reilly

Tim Anderson. While I believe in the power and speed combination, the batting average of .422 is not reliable and ready to drop off. If you can sell this young exciting bat as a complete package in exchange for a superior talent, he's gone.
-Ellis Canady

Trey Mancini is sure to see some negative regression come his way after a hot-start to his 2019. For a player who only hits a fly ball 20% of the time, his six home runs are a bit out of whack as a 30.0% HR/FB rate is rarely ever sustainable. Mancini's .338 average also won't endure as an inflated .367 BABIP is aiding this number. All of his underlying metrics are on par with his 2018 figures, so it's unlikely he'll wind up with much higher year-end stats than what we saw a year ago. The Orioles outfielder is undoubtedly a mixed-league asset but the time is now to try and sell high on Mancini's early season numbers.
-Riley Mrack

Clint Frazier. His value will never be higher than it is right now.
-Scott Engel

 

Which hitter offers the best buy-low opportunity due to a slow start?

Jose Ramirez. Some might say he hasn't hit well since last season. This is true but he still possesses the power/speed that few can match. Many will be surprised by the positive effect that the return of his double-play partner, Francisco Lindor, will have on him as a whole, including at the plate.
-Ellis Canady

Jose Ramirez is too good of a hitter to fall off a cliff for no apparent reason. He had a 15.2% walk rate in 2018, and he's nowhere near that to start 2019. A simple return to his old plate approach will get him back on track. It will also help to have Francisco Lindor back in the Indians lineup.
-Chris O'Reilly

Jesus Aguilar - Few hitters have gotten off to a more miserable start than Aguilar, who is hitting just .153 with a 22 wRC+ and no home runs through his first 70 PA. Aguilar has been so bad his owners probably have one finger over the drop button, but there is reason for hope here. His 27.3% line drive rate is about a 4% increase compared to last season. He's also cut his strikeout rate to 23% and upped his walk rate to 11.4%. He probably won't put up a full repeat of last season, but Aguilar costs nothing in a trade right now and should be a good run producer when he comes around.
-Elliott Baas

It's only a matter of time before we see Jesus Aguilar start mashing the baseball again. The slugger has a superb 34.1% line drive rate but only has a .160 AVG and .195 BABIP to show for it. His expected batting average of .242 is encouraging, and he is only just over a full MPH lower on his average Exit Velocity. Aguilar has also improved on his 25.3% K% and 10.2% BB% in 2018 to 16.4% and 13.1% respectively so far in 2019. Remember, Aguilar never hit a home run until April 21 last season and he still ended up as an All-Star with 35 HR and 108 RBI.
-Riley Mrack

I recently wrote an article explaining reasons to be optimistic about Ryan Braun (opportunity, potent lineup, low BABIP, impressive Statcast numbers). It's too early to be pessimistic about the former MVP.
-Kyle Ringstad

 

Which slumping hitter should you cut bait on now despite great expectations?

Get whatever you can for Joey Votto, if you still can get anything.
-Scott Engel

Jose Peraza was already walking a tight-rope in terms of his hit profile, with his low strikeout rate and speed helping him overcome his shortcomings at the plate. Well, his strikeout rate has more than doubled to 25%, his contact rate has fallen almost 10%, and he's swinging 12% more of the time. He also joined the launch angle revolution, with a 51.4% flyball rate and 18.4-degree average launch angle thus far, which is not what we want to see from a light-hitting speedster. Peraza's entire profile has changed for the worse, and either he's trying something different, pressing, or his swing is all kinds of messed up. Whatever his problem is, it's not worth riding out.
-Elliott Baas

I'm throwing in the towel on Brian Dozier. At least I would if I owned him anywhere. Dozier isn't just hitting well below the Mendoza line (.177 as of April 21), he's posting a 19/4 K/BB line and his .204 xBA is even lower than last year's .210 xBA, which placed him in the bottom 2% of all hitters. All of his six RBI this year have come via home run, three of them solo shots. Dozier's days as a fantasy asset seem to be over.
-Pierre Camus

I'm concerned about Charlie Blackmon. He's always been a much better hitter at Coors Field, and he only just hit his first home run of the season on April 19. That's certainly not what you signed up for if you drafted him in the first three or four rounds.
-Chris O'Reilly

It's sad to admit, but Francisco Mejia isn't finding enough at-bats to warrant a roster spot in single-catcher redraft leagues. The young backstop has only started seven of the Padres first 19 games and hasn't done anything with the bat to earn more playing time. Mejia's teammate Austin Hedges is surprisingly out hitting him so far and he is the clear superior defender on a team that needs to focus more on the handling of a pitching staff.
-Riley Mrack




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

Isaiah Stewart42 mins ago

Injured Against Boston
Duncan Robinson1 hour ago

Doesn't Return On Monday
Jackson Chourio1 hour ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Anthony Davis1 hour ago

Cleared To Meet Atlanta
Blake Snell2 hours ago

Heading To The Giants
Onyeka Okongwu2 hours ago

To Return On Monday
Bryce McGowens3 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Tyus Jones3 hours ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
Deni Avdija3 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Nick Martinez3 hours ago

To Open The Year In The Rotation
OG Anunoby3 hours ago

Set For Multi-Game Absence
Kyle Kuzma3 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Luka Doncic3 hours ago

Considered Probable For Tuesday
Matt McLain3 hours ago

Scratched With Shoulder Soreness
Bilal Coulibaly3 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
Kenley Jansen3 hours ago

Scheduled To Make Four More Spring Appearances
Jackson Chourio3 hours ago

"In The Mix" For Roster Spot
Rudy Gobert3 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Scoot Henderson3 hours ago

Returns To Starting Unit Without Restrictions
Matisse Thybulle4 hours ago

Available Again On Monday
Jerami Grant4 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Monday
Lauri Markkanen4 hours ago

Returns To Action On Monday
Alex Caruso4 hours ago

Ready To Roll Monday
Coby White4 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Kristaps Porzingis4 hours ago

Returns To Celtics Lineup
Jaylen Brown4 hours ago

Ready To Go On Monday
Jayson Tatum4 hours ago

Won't Play Against Detroit
Teuvo Teravainen4 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Joshua Dobbs5 hours ago

49ers Reach Agreement With Joshua Dobbs
TOR5 hours ago

Mitch Marner To Miss At Least Two More Games
Jacob Markstrom5 hours ago

Could Return This Weekend
Rico Dowdle5 hours ago

Staying With Cowboys
Mikhail Sergachev5 hours ago

Skates On Monday
Dustin Wolf5 hours ago

Between The Pipes Monday
New Orleans Saints5 hours ago

Saints Expected To Sign Chase Young
Alexander Mattison5 hours ago

Signing With Raiders
DJ LeMahieu7 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Opening Day
Buffalo Bills7 hours ago

Taron Johnson Re-Signs With Bills On Three-Year Deal
José Urquidy7 hours ago

Jose Urquidy Has Forearm Strain, Will Begin On Injured List
Justin Verlander7 hours ago

Expected To Face Hitters "In The Next Day Or Two"
Corey Seager7 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice Monday
Aaron Judge7 hours ago

Likely To Play In Four Of Final Six Spring Games
Garrett Crochet7 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Nolan Schanuel7 hours ago

Scratched With Back Tightness
Dallas Cowboys7 hours ago

Leighton Vander Esch Calling It A Career
DJ LeMahieu8 hours ago

Still Pretty Sore
Aaron Judge9 hours ago

To Return On Wednesday
Jhoan Duran9 hours ago

To Begin Season On Injured List
Bryan Battle9 hours ago

Bout Ends in Controversy
Ange Loosa9 hours ago

Fight Ruled A No-Contest After Accidental Eye Poke
Ovince Saint Preux9 hours ago

Wins Split Decision In A Back-And-Forth Fight
Kennedy Nzechukwu9 hours ago

Suffers Split-Decision Loss To Ovince Saint Preux
Gerald Meerschaert9 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Shohei Ohtani10 hours ago

Cleared To Begin Throwing Program
Bryan Barberena10 hours ago

Submitted In The Second Round
Kyle Manzardo10 hours ago

Sent To Minor-League Camp
Jackson Merrill10 hours ago

Wins Center Field Job
Kenley Jansen10 hours ago

Scratched With Lower-Back Tightness
Byron Buxton10 hours ago

Scratched With Back Tightness
Denny Hamlin11 hours ago

Emerges Victorious For Second Bristol Win In A Row
Alexander Mattison11 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Dak Prescott11 hours ago

Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott's Contract
Dmitry Orlov12 hours ago

Collects Four Points In Big Win
Tyler Toffoli12 hours ago

Dominates Against Columbus With Three Points
Lucas Raymond12 hours ago

Pots Pair Of Goals Versus Penguins
Kaz Grala12 hours ago

Finishes 19th At Bristol Motor Speedway
Bo Horvat12 hours ago

Scores Twice In Losing Effort
Brad Keselowski13 hours ago

Exceeds Value In DFS At Bristol Motor Speedway
Pavel Buchnevich13 hours ago

Delivers Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Ryan Lindgren13 hours ago

Suffers Leg Injury Versus Islanders
Kyle Larson13 hours ago

After 5th at Bristol: "I Hope I Never Have To Run A Race Like That Again"
Chase Elliott13 hours ago

Earns First Top 10 Finish Of 2024
Justin Haley13 hours ago

Earns Best NextGen Short Track Finish for Rick Ware Racing
Ty Gibbs14 hours ago

Has Dominant Day at Bristol but Fades Late
John Hunter Nemechek18 hours ago

Found Speed At Bristol
Chris Buescher18 hours ago

Secures Top 10 At Bristol
Alex Bowman21 hours ago

Late Charge to Fourth Masks Early Race Struggles
Christopher Bell21 hours ago

Ran Well, But His Teammates Were All Better
Martin Truex Jr23 hours ago

. Matches Career-Best Finish At Bristol
Ryan Blaney23 hours ago

Fades to 16th at Bristol After Handling Struggles
Russell1 day ago

Wilson Still Considered The Starter
William Byron2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Bristol
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Starts 19th At Bristol After Damage In Practice
Justin Haley2 days ago

Scores A Starting Position Of 32nd For Bristol
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Should Compete For The Win At Bristol
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

History Indicates Brad Keselowski Being A Favorable Bristol Play
Joey Logano2 days ago

Should Be Rostered With Caution At Bristol
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is Tyler Reddick Worth Rostering At Bristol This Week?
Martin Truex Jr2 days ago

. Could Work As A Tournament Play At Bristol
Alexander Nylander2 days ago

Totals Three Points In Saturday's Win
Sebastian Aho2 days ago

Leads Hurricanes To Victory In Toronto
Owen Tippett2 days ago

Delivers Three Assists In High-Scoring Loss
Steven Stamkos2 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Four-Point Performance
Nick Schmaltz2 days ago

Records Three Assists In Win Over New Jersey
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Racks Up Five Points In Saturday's Win
Brady Tkachuk2 days ago

Sinks Islanders With Third Hat Trick
Pannie Kianzad2 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Macy Chiasson2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Isaac Dulgarian2 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss
Christian Rodriguez2 days ago

Overcomes Early Adversity At UFC Vegas 88
Tai Tuivasa2 days ago

Suffers Fourth Straight Loss
Marcin Tybura2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission
Justin Fields2 days ago

Traded To The Steelers
NHL2 days ago

Lukas Reichel Will Be In The Lineup Sunday
Cale Makar2 days ago

A Game-Time Decision Saturday
Zach Parise2 days ago

Likely To Return Saturday
Michael Gallup2 days ago

Panthers Bringing In Michael Gallup For A Visit
Mike Williams3 days ago

Panthers To Host Mike Williams On A Visit
New York Jets3 days ago

Jets Expected To Sign Tyron Smith
AJ Dillon3 days ago

Officially Re-Signs With Packers
Van Jefferson3 days ago

Steelers Signing Van Jefferson
Jakobi Meyers3 days ago

Raiders Restructure Jakobi Meyers' Contract
Jimmy Garoppolo3 days ago

Rams Agree With Jimmy Garoppolo On One-Year Deal
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

To Fight In Main Event Of UFC Vegas 88
Bryan Barberena3 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Kennedy Nzechukwu3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Ovince Saint Preux3 days ago

Set For 27th UFC Appearance
Bryan Battle3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ange Loosa3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 88
San Francisco 49ers3 days ago

De'Vondre Campbell Heading To San Francisco
Dallas Cowboys3 days ago

Leighton Vander Esch Being Cut By Cowboys
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Cowboys Releasing Michael Gallup
Kenny Pickett3 days ago

Steelers Sending Kenny Pickett To Eagles
Pannie Kianzad5 days ago

Looking For Redemption At UFC Vegas 88
Macy Chiasson5 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Vegas 88
Isaac Dulgarian5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 88
Christiaan Bezuidenhout5 days ago

Looking To Put It All Together At TPC Sawgrass
Eric Cole5 days ago

Rebounding Well In The Sunshine State
Brian Harman5 days ago

Playing The Dark-Horse Role Again At The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

Searching For Answers Thus Far In 2024
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

One Of The Tour's Fastest Risers To Start The New Year
Sam Burns5 days ago

Brings A Stellar Run Of Form Into TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Sungjae Im Trending Up After Arnold Palmer Success
Jason Day5 days ago

Facing Iron Hiccup Heading To The Players
Tom Hoge6 days ago

Brings Strong Form And History To Sawgrass
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

Ready For Second Trip To Sawgrass
Will Zalatoris6 days ago

Working Toward A Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2024)

The legal tampering period for NFL free agency begins on March 11 at noon EST, so news of signings will be flying in all week. Veterans like Russell Wilson and Jonnu Smith were released before their contracts expired, meaning they got a head start on free agency and have already reached agreements with new organizations.... Read More


Rome Odunze - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Coach Knows Ball: Rome Odunze NFL Draft Film Breakdown of Washington 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


Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Winners and Losers of 2024 NFL Free Agency (Teams)

Well, strap in, folks, because the first week of 2024 NFL Free Agency was a rollercoaster ride. Some teams made power moves while others seemingly snoozed at the switch. The Houston Texans, for instance, came out swinging, pulling off some of the savviest deals that could very well tilt the scales in their favor this... Read More


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

Next Gen Stats Review: 2023 Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

A while back, we covered the Next Gen Stats for running backs, including rushing yards over expected and the percentage of plays with eight or more defenders in the box. Check out the running back review of the Next Gen Stats, as it adds a layer to player analysis. We love the advanced stats for... Read More


Keenan Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Keenan Allen Traded To Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Star wide receiver Keenan Allen has been one of the more underrated players in the NFL over the past few years. He spent the first 11 years of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, playing for the franchise since their days in San Diego. However, the team reportedly asked Allen to take a pay... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Marquise Brown Signs With Chiefs: Fantasy Football Impact

Veteran wide receiver Marquise Brown signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. Brown hopes to follow JuJu Smith-Schuster’s footprints by playing on a one-year deal with the Chiefs and earning a multi-year big-money contract the following offseason. The former Oklahoma star spent the first three years of his career with the... Read More


Justin Jefferson - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

Will The Vikings Trade Justin Jefferson? 2024 NFL Outlook

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is one of the top players in the NFL. The superstar was part of an impressive 2020 NFL Draft class. Yet, he was the fifth wide receiver off the board. Jefferson has been a superstar since his rookie year, making three consecutive Pro Bowl teams and All-Pro rosters to... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Free Agency Fits For Marquise Brown – 2024 Free Agent Outlook

Free agent wide receiver Marquise Brown is one of the more explosive players in the NFL. The veteran wide receiver ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at his Pro Day coming out of Oklahoma. He was a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 NFL Draft. Brown has spent most of his career as... Read More


Nico Collins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings For 2024 Best Ball Leagues (Tiers 4-9)

We have now entered the process of free agency, which is providing pathways for some wide receivers to seize significant roles in their new landing spots. The player movement that has ensued will also decrease the stock of other receivers whose roles will decrease within their reshaped depth charts. Participation in the best ball draft... Read More


Cade Otton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2024 Best Ball Tight End Sleepers

Top tight ends such as Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce are bound to put up quality fantasy football numbers weekly, but most tight ends are unpredictable. The top tier of tight ends are reliable for fantasy football purposes, but most tight ends are boom-or-bust type of players. Even though it is hard to hit on... Read More


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

D'Andre Swift Signs With Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Newly signed Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift has been one of the most promising, but also underperforming running backs across the NFL and the fantasy landscape in recent years. After three injury-riddled seasons in Detroit where he showed flashes of greatness but didn't quite live up to the hype, Swift was traded to the... Read More


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Top 50 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings After the 2024 NFL Combine

With the NFL Combine in our rearview mirror, now is a logical time to put out an up-to-date rankings for this year’s NFL Draft. Below, you will find my top-50 players who have declared for this NFL Draft. Below those ranks, you will also find several fantasy-relevant notes I have on this class, and on... Read More


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Calvin Ridley Signs With Titans: Fantasy Football Impact

The Tennessee Titans made a huge move once NFL free agency officially opened. They signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million contract with $50 million fully guaranteed. Ridley was the top receiver on the open market. The Titans swooped in out of left field and signed him to give second-year quarterback Will... Read More