Digging Deeper into Closers: AL East Bullpen Report

  AL East Bullpen Report Baltimore Orioles Presumed closer: Jim Johnson % Chance to start the season as closer: 100% % Chance to be closer at All-Star break: 95% Jim Johnson and his MLB-leading 51 saves (in 54 opportunities) were a major reason the Orioles posted an outrageous 29-9 record in one-run games in 2012, […]

Top Ten Middle Relievers Who Could Be Closers in 2013

Closer is an important spot on any fantasy baseball roster, but you should avoid spending too much on draft day, because as many as a third of Opening Day closers are replaced by the end of each season. RotoBaller says to keep an eye on the setup men that sit behind some of the shakier […]

RotoBaller.com Rankings: 2013 Closer (RP) Rankings + The Dos and Don'ts of Drafting Closers

*UPDATE 3/21: With the HUGE Reds' news that Aroldis Chapman will remain in the bullpen as the team's closer, Chapman instantly vaults to the first tier of the Relief Pitcher rankings and joins Craig Kimbrel as the most dominant relievers in the game. There are some clear Dos and Don'ts when it comes to drafting […]

Q&A: Who Should my 3rd Keeper Be: Dickey, Motte, Altuve or Rosario?

Question Submitted to RotoBaller >> Name: Charly Fantasy Baseball Question:  I am in a keeper league with 16 teams and 20 rounds of drafting. 2 of my keepers will be Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout; I am debating on the third keeper... My best options (I think) are R.A. Dickey, who would be a 5th round pick, […]

Digging Deeper into Starting Pitchers – 2013 Fantasy Baseball SP Rankings (Part II)

This is Part II of the Digging Deeper into SP series, in which we take a look at pitchers number 21 through 40. Check out Part I of the series, and ask the experts for in-depth advice on any player in the majors at the Ask Us section of RotoBaller.com. Also, don't miss RotoBaller.com's full […]

Digging Deeper into Starting Pitchers - 2013 Fantasy Baseball SP Rankings (Part I)

In this series, RotoBaller.com will take a look at the top 40 starting pitchers, beginning with numbers 1 through 20. Now, while the top 40 are important, the top 41-100 can provide you even more value, so ask the experts for in-depth advice on any player in the majors at the Ask Us section of […]

Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Ian Kennedy

  Take a look at Ian Kennedy’s three seasons in Arizona: IP K/9 BB/9 FB% LD% HR/9 BABIP ERA 2010 194 7.79 3.25 44.1% 20.6% 1.21 .256 3.80 2011 222 8.03 2.23 39.5% 21.9% .77 .270 2.88 2012 208.1 8.08 2.38 42.1% 18.8% 1.21 .306 4.02   Other than shaving his walk-rate and progressively seeing […]

Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Jon Niese

Jon Niese is coming off a solid 2012 campaign that brought him onto the fantasy radar. He had strong across the board numbers – 13 wins, 3.40 era, 1.17 WHIP and 155 K’s. The Mets are counting on Niese to continue his upward trajectory and RotoBaller likes Niese for a modest move forward in the […]

RotoBaller.com Rankings: 2013 Starting Pitcher Rankings with ADP Comparison

Starting pitchers are my favorite position in fantasy baseball. They give you a ton of draft flexibility, and help you win your leagues. If you can pick the right guys in the later rounds, then your early rounds can be used to stock up on hitting. Let’s put it this way... fantasy SPs are like […]

Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Aroldis Chapman

Update (3/21): The Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that Chapman is headed back to the bullpen, with an announcement coming as soon as today. Along with Craig Kimbrel, Chapman is now one of the two best closers available in drafts. RotoBaller advises against drafting a closer too early, so avoid reaching and hope Chapman falls to […]

Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Jon Lester

In a season where seemingly everything went wrong for the Boston Red Sox, it was only fitting that Jon Lester-- one of baseball’s more reliable pitchers from 2008-2011-- would suffer a career-worst campaign, a campaign so poor that his character was questioned by Boston fans and sports media alike, and his name even surfaced in […]

PED Rumors: 2013 Fantasy Baseball Outlook for Braun, Cano, Granderson, A-Rod

So what are we to make of this entire situation with some significant names potentially getting suspended for 50 games? Well for one thing, it's certainly a bit of a shocker, even with all the news in the past few years about steroids and performance enhancing drugs. On the other hand, it's not really THAT […]

BREAKING NEWS: Braun, Cano, A-Rod, Granderson all suspended for PEDs?

Here is some potentially HUGE breaking news released by rotoinfo.com earlier today. RotoBaller will be monitoring this story 24x7 - and are available to discuss, consult, and answer any questions you may have about this matter as you prepare for your fantasy baseball drafts. RotoBaller.com's Fantasy Analysis: A potential bombshell report is beginning to circulate […]

Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Yovani Gallardo

Yovani Gallardo, coming off a 17-win season in 2011 and a 16-win season in 2012, is becoming a model of fantasy consistency, which is to say an above-average pitcher who will contribute solid (if unspectacular) overall stats. Now entering his age-27 season, he should continue to solidify himself as a #3 fantasy pitcher who will […]

Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper? Matt Moore

(This article was recently updated based on current ADP trends)   Darvish-mania aside, no rookie pitcher entered 2012 with more hype than Matt Moore. The Rays lefty had laid waste to minor league competition since entering the Rays’ system in 2007, then came into the majors at the end of 2011 and hung 11 K's […]

Digging Deeper into Shortstop – 2013 Fantasy Baseball SS Rankings

As a follow up to RotoBaller.com's 2013 Shortstop Rankings, here is a little more info on the top 12 shortstops to be on the lookout for in 2013. We often make reference to keeper potential in our articles; if you are interested in a player's keeper potential and have any questions or advice requests ask […]

RotoBaller 2013 Impact Prospects, Part III

This is the last of a three-part series counting down the top fifteen prospects who will make a fantasy impact in the 2013 season. See Part I and Part II for a thorough discussion of #15 through #6. Keep in mind that this list is specifically focused on fantasy impact players– those guys who you […]

Digging Deeper into Outfield - 2013 Fantasy Baseball OF Rankings

As a follow up to RotoBaller's RotoBaller's 2013 Outfield Rankings with ADP Commparison article, here is a little more info on the top 30 outfielders to be on the lookout for in 2013 fantasy baseball. Whether it's speed, power or a combination of both, the outfield has it all. We often make reference to keeper […]

RotoBaller 2013 Impact Prospects, Part II

This is the second in a three-part series counting down the top fifteen prospects who will make a fantasy impact in the 2013 season. Keep in mind that this list is specifically focused on fantasy impact players– those guys who you can expect to contribute significantly to their teams and yours in the coming campaign. […]

RotoBaller 2013 Impact Prospects, Part I

This is the first in a three-part series counting down the top fifteen prospects who will make a fantasy impact in the 2013 season. Keep in mind that this list is specifically focused on fantasy impact players-- those guys who you can expect to contribute significantly to their teams and yours in the coming campaign. […]

RotoBaller.com Rankings: 2013 Outfield Rankings with ADP Comparison

Outfield is a slightly deceptive position in fantasy baseball, and that may be even more true this year than in years past. Each year, there are lots of real studs at the top, and lots of really solid players on the middle. Naturally, my first reaction was that I can wait to draft a top […]

Digging Deeper into Second Base - 2013 Fantasy Baseball 2B Rankings

If you haven’t checked out the RotoBaller 2013 Second Base Rankings with ADP Comparison, you need to. Second base provides the epitome of all “tier breakdowns” as you can see on the website. The separation between tiers is rather drastic and the rankings are a must-use tool for your draft preparation! 1. Robinson Cano – […]

Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Josh Hamilton

Josh Hamilton had a career season in 2012-- a .285 average 43 HR, 128 RBI, 103 R and 7 SB-- that no one seems to be talking about. Instead, there is a lot of focus on his second-half swoon and his sour departure from Texas. Fact check: his second half was a drop-off, but not […]

Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Jose Altuve

Jose Altuve is coming off a solid first full season that saw him bat .290 with 80 R and 33 SB. Those are very solid numbers for a 22-year-old player who had just 221 AB before the start of 2012, especially in the pitiful Houston Astros lineup, and we saw that Altuve is a very […]

Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Chase Utley

  It wasn’t long ago that we all loved Chase Utley. After all, what wasn’t to like? The guy was a lockdown early-round pick year-in and year-out. But that was then, and this is now. Chase Utley hasn’t been an impact fantasy player since 2009, and in the past three seasons he’s missed 47, 59 […]

Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Jason Kipnis

  Jason Kipnis is entering 2013 as a trendy pick thanks to the overall solid stat line he contributed in his 2012 breakout campaign. His 76 RBI placed him fifth among all 2Bs, and his 31 SB were topped at the position only by Jose Altuve. He finished the first half with All-Star caliber numbers: […]

Q&A: Who are the two best keepers of: McCutchen, Weaver, Bumgarner and Bruce

Question Submitted to RotoBaller >> Name: Steven Fantasy Baseball Question: Which two guys should I keep out of these 4: Weaver, Bumgarner, McCutchen, Bruce? Player Pool: Mixed # of Teams: 11-13 League Info and Categories: Weekly Points League. Pitching weighted toward IP, W/L and K. Hitting weighted toward OPS. Overall elite pitchers more valuable than elite hitters. Roster […]

Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Starlin Castro

  Starlin Castro is a very good and very consistent ballplayer. He’s not a "great" ballplayer, at least not yet, and he probably won't make the jump in 2013. Several years ago he came into the league with too much hype, and too many people expected him to put up numbers similar to the late-1990s […]

RotoBaller.com Rankings: 2013 Shortstop Rankings with ADP Comparison

Shortstop. Ah yes, good 'ole Shortstop. Has to be one of the least fun positions in all of fantasy baseball. Year-in and year-out, the only thing you can count on out of your SS, with few exceptions, is consistent across-the-board yawn-inducing stats. After you get past the first nine or ten, the options always start […]