2017 Keeper Values: Third Base Rankings - Tier Two

What's up RotoBallers. Welcome back to my series on keeper leagues. Today I'll be taking a look at third basemen keeper values for fantasy baseball (tier two)  for those of you deciding what players to keep for your teams. Keeper Value Rankings are intended for Keeper Leagues in which a fantasy owner must forfeit a designated draft […]

Way Too Early Breakout Candidates For 2017 - Quarterback

A stud fantasy quarterback can make a fantasy team the same way a dud can break an owner's heart. 2016 saw the emergence of guys like Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota, while proven commodities Cam Newton and Russell Wilson squandered. The rest of your team can be average but since you only have one shot at a […]

Madison Bumgarner Poised for Another Year of Dominance

Don't fret that late-season slump that Madison Bumgarner went through at the tail end of your 2016 fantasy season - you know, the one where he surrendered eight home runs and pitched to a 4.66 ERA over his last nine starts? Fatigue happens, and when your team is in the midst of a historic meltdown, […]

NBA Fantasy: Boogie in the Big Easy

Last night, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Sacramento Kings were finally actually giving up on mercurial big man DeMarcus Cousins, shipping the historically talented but moody center to the New Orleans Pelicans. Reportedly, the Kings will be receiving Buddy Hield, who was selected 6th overall this past draft, Tyreke Evans, and Langston Galloway (expected to […]

NBA Waiver Wire Bigs (PF, C, PF/C) for Week 18

Two trades in the previous week saw some big men switch sides and that opened up some opportunities for guys who are on the waiver wire in most leagues to become more than just blimps on fantasy radars. All three of the players who we'll be talking about today have benefited from trades their teams […]

Fantasy College Basketball CBB Rankings: NCAA Top 10 (2/20/17)

There is no "I" in team. But, as "Leon" in those old beer commercials once pointed out, to Joe Buck, "There ain't no 'we' neither." (Look it up on Youtube.) Still, the collective at Gonzaga may be proving "Leon" wrong. They certainly are proving a lot of others wrong, as they keep on winning. Here […]

Chicago Cubs Top MLB Prospects for 2017 Dynasty Leagues

Well it finally happened. Thanks in large part to a farm system that has for years been ranked among the best, the Cubs won the World Series for the first time since 1908. They built from within, drafting outstanding prospects like Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Javier Baez, acquired other prospects or young talents via […]

Carlos Martinez Rankings Debate: Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

It's the fantasy baseball draft season. To us baseball nerds, few things are more exciting than arguing about player rankings. Today, we'll discuss and compare Carlos Martinez's RotoBaller staff rankings. He was ranked No. 73 overall by Harris Yudin, and No. 105 by Nick Mariano. Throughout this series, we'll be using our February Staff Rankings […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball Part 2: HR/FB%

Using BABIP to predict a player's batting average is great. Average is a category in many league formats, and every hit is an opportunity to steal a base or score a run. But most owners find the long ball sexier. Every HR comes with a guaranteed run scored and at least one RBI. Many owners […]

2016 Fantasy Baseball Breakouts to Believe In for 2017

Every season, a bunch of players produce way above expectations, and we spend the entire winter arguing over whether or not the improvement was genuine. Separating the men from the boys when it comes to last year’s breakout performances can be the difference between a championship season and bitter, abject failure for your fantasy team. After all, […]

Clearance Sale: Late Round Fliers for Stolen Bases in 2017

Welcome back, my thrifty shoppers, to the second edition of Clearance Sale. We here at Rotoballer are all about a good deal (have you seen our Draft Prep tools?!), and I am the king of good deals. Discount sales, expired goods -- I'm all about value. So to help you prepare for your drafts, we're […]

Fantasy Baseball Points League Primer: Five Rules to Remember

The majority of fantasy baseball advice and analysis is tailored to standard head-to-head and rotisserie leagues. The rationale for this is twofold. First, those scoring formats are significantly more popular than points leagues, and writers naturally want to capture the broadest possible audience. To wit: I make a point of familiarizing myself with ADP data […]

Champ or Chump: Joc Pederson and Byron Buxton

All too often, fantasy owners chase upside in the early rounds. Why take a guy like Gary Sanchez, who might develop into a top C option, when you can take the far safer Jonathan Lucroy instead? You need upside to win in fantasy baseball, but you do not need to take it in the first […]

Sophomore Slumps - Third-Year NFL Players Who Will Rebound in 2017

NFL rookies have it easy. OK, well, maybe not easy. But their first-season struggles are typically chalked up to the difficult transition from the college ranks to the pros. There's no such mercy in Year No. 2, when the struggles get labeled as the dreaded sophomore slump. Sophomore slumps extend beyond just the player's on-field […]

Neftali Feliz (RP, MIL) - 2017 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~210 CURRENT ADP: 233 ANALYSIS: Neftali Feliz has had an up-and-down career since 2014, so he will look for consistency in 2017 as the best candidate to close out wins for the Milwaukee Brewers. Entering the season in a rebuilding phase, the Brewers may trade Feliz if he becomes desired by other […]

Brandon Kintzler (RP, MIN) - 2017 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~240 CURRENT ADP: 270 ANALYSIS: Brandon Kintzler pitched to a 3.15 ERA with just 17 saves, but his job appears to be secure. Former closer Glen Perkins is recovering from a significant injury so his likelihood of being ready for the start of the season is slim. Until Perkins proves he's healthy […]

Jim Johnson (RP, ATL) - 2017 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~220 CURRENT ADP: 251 ANALYSIS: Last year, Jim Johnson showed that he may have turned back to a better time in his 11-year career. Having recorded 20 saves on a 3.06 ERA while striking out just over a batter per inning, Johnson appears to have found success as closer of the Atlanta […]

Addison Russell (SS, CHC) - 2017 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~110 CURRENT ADP: 133 ANALYSIS: While Addison Russell didn’t have the huge breakout many were projecting for him last year, he was still pretty darn good, hitting 21 home runs with 67 runs scored and 95 RBI while mostly batting seventh in the lineup. We saw big improvements in his plate discipline […]

Clearance Sale: Late Round Fliers for Runs in 2017

Welcome, my thrifty shoppers, to the first edition of Clearance Sale. We here at RotoBaller are all about a good deal (have you seen our Draft Prep tools?!), and I am the king of good deals. Discount sales, expired goods -- I'm all about value. So to help you prepare for your drafts, we're bringing […]

ADP Values for Fantasy Baseball: Relief Pitchers

What's up RotoBallers. Welcome back to another article in our series of early ADP value analysis for fantasy baseball. Today, we'll cover some undervalued and overvalued relief pitchers, to try and help identify draft targets and avoids based on ADP. Opening Day is still over a month away, but it's never too soon for draft prep. […]

Turning Two: Who Will Hit 50 Homeruns in 2017?

Welcome, Rotoballers! Having trouble surviving without fantasy sports? (No offense, basketball). We've got just the remedy to prepare you for the upcoming baseball season with the return of a 2016 favorite, Turning Two. So what is Turning Two? Turning Two is a weekly segment where fellow Rotoballers JB and Ben Ruppert will be tackling various topics (Who will […]

Sophomore Slumps - Breakout Rookies Who Will Underperform in Year Two

Rookies are the ultimate unknown in the NFL. Teams review hours and hours of game film, analyze enough numbers to make most banks jealous, and scout players at individual workouts, but there's still an unknown quality to rookies. It is difficult to predict how they'll perform as professionals. When they do perform well, general managers and coaches […]

Advanced Auto Parts Clash: Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings DFS Lineup Picks

"Gentlemen, Start your Engines" Who isn't ready to hear these iconic words tonight? In what is one of sports shortest off-seasons, it has felt like forever since Jimmie Johnson was crowned Champion back in November at Homestead, Miami. There has been a lot going on in the three months leading up to tonight's Clash. It starts […]

Daily Fantasy Hockey Lineup Picks (2/18/17): NHL DFS Cheat Sheet

RotoBallers, welcome back to our daily fantasy hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings. Below you will find our NHL cheat sheet - DFS lineup picks, sleepers and stacks for Saturday, February 18 of the 2016/2017 NHL season. Another split slate Saturday with three games in the afternoon and eight on the main slate, in which we will […]

2017 Keeper Values: Third Base Rankings - Tier Three

What's up RotoBallers. Welcome back to my series on keeper leagues. Today I'll be taking a look at third basemen keeper values for fantasy baseball (tier three)  for those of you deciding what players to keep for your teams. Keeper Value Rankings are intended for Keeper Leagues in which a fantasy owner must forfeit a designated draft […]

Champ or Chump: Masahiro Tanaka and Garrett Richards

Last season, most fantasy owners decided to fade Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka in light of reports that he was attempting to pitch despite needing Tommy John surgery. Those who invested were rewarded with a quality season, as Tanaka went 14-4 with a 3.07 ERA in a full season of pitching (199.2 IP). Last year's discount […]

Expert Mock Draft: Mariano in the Middle

I was fortunate enough to be invited to mock with some of the industry’s brightest on Thursday night, where I was able to test out how picking No. 6 in a 12-team roto league would go. Organized by fightingchancefantasy.com, I locked horns with folks such as Steve Gardner, Tim Heaney, John Halpin and Joel Henard […]

2016 Fantasy Baseball Underachievers Who Will Bounce Back

Each season, a bunch of players produce way above or below expectations, and we spend the entire winter arguing over whether or not the improvement or decline was genuine. Separating the wheat from the chaff when it comes to last year’s performances can be the difference between a championship season and bitter, abject failure for your fantasy […]

Los Angeles Angels: 2017 Fantasy Team Preview and Outlooks

Spring training is officially underway, and your fantasy draft preparations have likely begun in earnest. As part of RotoBaller's ongoing effort to help you win your leagues, we're previewing all 30 MLB teams. In these articles, we discuss each team's offseason moves, as well as their hitters, pitchers, and prospects. Today's installment covers the 2017 Los […]

RotoBaller Radio: 2017 Starting Pitcher Tiered Rankings, ADP & Draft Valuations (PART 3)

RotoBaller co-founder Real Talk Raph and esteemed co-host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss 2017 starting pitcher tiered rankings, ADP and draft valuations. Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - every Saturday and Sunday between 5-8 PM EST. You can also find new weekly shows on BlogTalkRadio live or on demand, SoundCloud and […]