Week 8 Start/Sit: MLB Starting Pitcher (SP) Matchups

As is the case for most weeks of fantasy baseball, there are some solid two start pitchers available and some starting pitcher sleepers and streamers to consider for Week 8. We believe that it's key to analyze every SP matchup each week, to help determine which pitchers to start/sit, and to hopefully find some hidden […]

Velocity Loss: How Does It Affect Starting Pitchers?

C.C. Sabathia isn't the pitcher he used to be. A former workhorse who was as good a lock as any player in the game for 200+ innings a year, has now been shut down by the Yankees and sent to the DL with what team doctors are calling a 'degenerative knee condition.' Even before his […]

Jenrry Mejia (RP, NYM) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues ANALYSIS: Jenrry Mejia picked up his first career save today, and should be added off the waiver wire in most leagues that count saves, becoming yet another in the recent list of saves sleepers for fantasy baseball. When Kyle Farnsworth was recently removed from the role and released, there was speculation […]

Bryan Shaw (RP, CLE) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues (that value saves) ANALYSIS: Bryan Shaw, and not Cody Allen, may just be the new closer for the Indians, making him a waiver wire pickup to consider for leagues that value saves, and adding him to the list of recent saves sleepers. John Axford was removed from the role last week after struggling […]

Zach Britton (RP, BAL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ANALYSIS: Zach Britton looks to be the new closer for the Orioles, making him an immediate waiver wire pickup and adding to the list of sleepers for leagues that value saves.  He picked up Baltimore's most recent save on Thursday evening with a scoreless inning, and has been filthy all season […]

Five Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 8

Another fantasy week is in the books.  For owners fighting the injury big or looking for outfield help, here are five players to consider adding off the waiver wire, if available in your leagues.   Adam Eaton - (OF, CWS) - 57% Owned BALLER MOVE: Add in All Formats The White Sox leadoff man has […]

Top 5 Two-Start Starting Pitcher Streamers: Week 8 Waiver Wire

This will be a season-long, weekly piece on under-the-radar, two-start pitchers whom you should consider picking up for the following week of play.  I’ll give you a mix of starting pitcher options, some ideal for shallow leagues, some ideal for deep leagues.  This post will always be published well enough in advance of next week […]

Top 4 Hitter Streamers For Week 8: Waiver Wire Targets

  Week 8 Lineup Tools: Hitter Streamers It's been a sad week for baseball. Losing Jose Fernandez to what's looking like season ending Tommy John surgery isn't just a blow for fantasy owners, it's a body blow to baseball as a whole. Fernandez is one of those few players who makes you want to drop […]

Waiver Wire Pickups For Second Base (2B) & Shortstop (SS)

  Middle Infield Waiver Wire Pickups So how’d you do in week 6 and the first half of week 7? Not great if you owned Jose Fernandez, Martin Perez or Carlos Beltran.   Whether you came out of the gate strong or stumbled at the start or owned one of those players who get injured, […]

Digging Deeper into Pujols: Is Albert Pujols Really Back?

The Real Deal with Albert Pujols Albert Pujols had a fantastic April, finishing with a triple slash line of .279 / .346 / .586 with a .927 OPS.  It was quite news-worthy considering the injury plagued 2013 he had. One of the great players of the past decade and generally well-liked, many people were quick […]

Mike Olt (3B, CHC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues if You're Power Starved  ANALYSIS: Mike Olt is similar to Juan Francisco in that he has crushed minor league pitching (28 HR and an OPS over .880 in back-to-back years) to go along with high strikeout rates that have been cause for concern. Olt has less of a sample-size at the […]

Gordon Beckham (2B, CWS) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues & AL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: After spending the first month of the season on the disabled list, Gordon Beckham has returned to his role of starting second basemen for the Chicago White Sox. Beckham is hitting .378 with 6 R, 3 HR & 6 RBI over his past 9 games. […]

MLB Fantasy Baseball DFS Fanduel Lineup Picks for 5/16

Editor's Note: for a little extra something today, check out some more of RotoBaller's DFS lineup picks and value plays for today's MLB games, featured right on FanDuel's insider blog courtesy of our very own Real Talk Raph.    Daily Fantasy Leagues - FanDuel Lineup Picks (5/16) Please check the posted lineups and weather forecasts for each game […]

Eye on the Minors: May Call-Ups & More

  MLB Prospects Who Got The Call-Up We are getting to the point of the season where teams are calling up MLB prospects from the minors faster than I can include them in my weekly reports.  I’ll start this week with two prospects that are already seeing major league action now.   Kevin Gausman, (SP, […]

Alcides Escobar (SS, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues or Shallow Leagues for SB ANALYSIS: Alcides Escobar was a pretty promising fantasy SS going into the 2013 season. He had recorded career highs in just about every category in 2012 (he fell one run short of all categories), but in 2013 he took a step back in every way and […]

George Springer (OF, HOU) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ANALYSIS: When George Springer was first called up he was added in tons of leagues...and then subsequently dropped after a brutal start with an average dipping into the .170's. Of late Springer is hitting more like we expected him to. In particular, in nine games since May 6th he is […]

Buy & Sell Hitter Targets for Fantasy Baseball

Hitter Trade Targets for Your Fantasy Baseball Team Finally, some of the usual stars are making their way to the top of the fantasy totem pole.   The Jose Reyes’s and Troy Tulowitzki’s are really starting to hit stride and pay off for fantasy owners who chose those valuable top picks.  Even Adrian Beltre hit his […]

Starting Pitcher Streamers For Week 7 (Part 2)

1. Jonathon Niese (New York Mets) Next scheduled start: Friday at Washington Considering that Niese is pitching for New York and has arguably been the team's most consistent pitcher, it's odd that he's owned in only 41% of Yahoo! and 44% of ESPN leagues.  Nevertheless, he is available and he's an excellent streamer on Friday. […]

Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups: First Base (1B) & Third Base (3B)

There is a blend of youth and experience in this week's list of potential waiver wire pickups and sleepers at the corner infield spots, as both rookies and veterans that are widely available have been producing solid numbers so far in 2014. One of the beauties of fantasy baseball is that the player pool is […]

Rougned Odor (2B, TEX) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Very Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Left handed hitting second baseman Rougned Odor is certainly no Hall of Famer, but there have been more than a few Wally Pipp and Lou Gherig comparisons drawn between him and the injured Jurickson Profar. Although it's anticipated that Profar should come off the DL in mid or late […]

Dallas Keuchel (SP, HOU) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add Immediately (If not sooner!) ANALYSIS: Ladies and Gentlemen, Houston has a starting pitcher worthy of owning in all leagues. You read that right. It's been a long time since Houston had a rosterable starting pitcher, so it's ok if this shocks you a little bit. Let it sink in for a minute.  Now here […]

Deep League Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 7

My weekly look at the fantasy baseball diamonds in the rough is here! This week we have a prospect, some potential daily league players, and some waiver wire fillers that might get you through a tough stretch with your teams. Take a look and see if there is a good fit, some of these players […]

7 Biggest Surprises in MLB Season So Far

The early going in the MLB season is always filled with some shocking surprises, some jaw dropping and welcoming, and others depressing and difficult to digest.  We'll take a look at the 7 Biggest surprises in the early going of the 2014 MLB season.   The Positive Surprises Miami’s Young Pitching Staff The Marlins currently […]

Phil Hughes (SP, MIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: We had a hunch that moving from homer haven Yankee Stadium to homer graveyard Target Field would really help Phil Hughes. He is a heavy fly ball pitcher, and Target field is where fly balls go to die. Not only has Hughes slashed his HR/FB rate from ~12% over the […]

Danny Duffy (SP, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Very Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Danny Duffy was a well-regarded prospect in the not too distant past. Tommy John surgery and some struggles since have put him well off the radar. Now, following a successful stint as a reliever in the first month of 2014, Duffy has been promoted to the rotation and made […]

Juan Francisco (1B / 3B, TOR) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep Leagues ANALYSIS: Juan Francisco has always tantalized fantasy owners by putting up big numbers at AAA (.901 career OPS) and then failing to deliver at the Major League level (.731 OPS heading into the year). Last year he did hit 18 HR but it came at the price of a .227 batting […]

Jason Hammel (SP, CHC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ANALYSIS: Jason Hammel has had a nice start to his 2014, going 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 37 Ks in 47.2 innings. Considering he’s on the Cubs in the bottom of the ever competitive NL Central, it’s an immediate handicap in terms of fantasy relevance. However, […]

MLB Power Rankings: The Top and Bottom

The MLB season is really heating up and some teams have emerged as legit title contenders. The top part of NL West has really taken off with two teams getting involved in the latest power rankings.  Other teams are not looking as good, and find themselves towards the bottom of the barrel. These MLB rankings […]

Top Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 7

  Using Sabermetrics to Find Waiver Wire Pickups This weekly column will examine some good starting pitchers you should look to add over the next month. The quality of the pitchers will range between thin and deep leagues in order to reach the largest spectrum of fantasy owners. Each pitcher will be examined from a […]