Matt Carpenter Could Start Swinging on Tuesday

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter (back) could start swinging a bat as early as Tuesday. Carpenter hasn't appeared in any Grapefruit League games yet and has been limited in practice since the start of camp due to tightness in his back. Unless Carpenter has another setback, he should still be on track for Opening […]

Brandon Belt (1B, SF) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~240 CURRENT ADP: 299 ANALYSIS: San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt missed the final two months of the 2017 season with a concussion, his fourth of his career, yet still remains a solid option in 2018. Belt was on his way to a nice season before landing on the disabled list, posting 18 home runs […]

Adam Lind Perplexed By Lack Of Attention

Finally signed with the New York Yankees to a minor league deal, veteran first baseman Adam Lind remains dumbfounded about the lack of attention from teams. The 34-year-old is coming off a season with the Washington Nationals that saw him hit .303 with 14 home runs and 59 RBI in 116 games. The veteran is a […]

Nick Gordon, Brock Stassi Likely To Return Sunday

The Minnesota Twins expect to get second baseman Nick Gordon (wrist) and first baseman Brock Stassi (back) back in time to participate in Sunday's spring training game. Gordon has been sidelined since straining his wrist sliding into third base earlier in the week, while Stassi has been dealing with back spasms throughout the week. Gordon […]

Chris Davis Getting MRI on Forearm

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis will be getting an MRI on his troublesome forearm. This is not a welcome development for him and might be an indicator of a more serious injury than first thought. We'll let you know as soon as the results come in.

Champ or Chump - C.J. Cron and Carlos Gomez

As promised, it's time to take a closer look at the players Tampa Bay brought in to replace those that the team shipped out of town. C.J. Cron has been buried behind uninspiring fantasy options such as Albert Pujols in recent years, but his underlying power metrics suggest a 30-HR campaign if given regular PAs. […]

RotoBaller Industry Expert Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft

On Thursday, February 15th, we brought together an illustrious group of industry experts to take part in the RotoBaller Friends and Family mock draft. We'll be playing this out as a best ball league. Our participants represented sites like: Creative Sports (Lawr Michaels) Fangraphs (Alex Chamberlain) GuruElite (Ray Flowers) Fantasy Alarm (Howard Bender) CBS (Heath […]

Kris Bryant Could Play Again On Saturday

Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (flu) returned to action on Friday and went 1-for-2 before being pulled in the third inning. Bryant isn’t at full strength but may still play Saturday. Bryant should be good to go and is one of the safest picks if you are looking for hitting early on.

Ryan Zimmerman Makes Solid Contact In His 2018 Debut

Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman went 1-for-2 in his spring training debut on Friday. The veteran 33-year-old had been held from playing earlier due to stiffness and a history of injury. He lined a shot to the right fielder in his first at-bat and doubled the second time up. Zimmerman regained his youthful form […]

Eric Thames Expected To Play Saturday

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Eric Thames (back), who was scratched with back tightness Thursday, is feeling better and is expected to play Saturday, according to manager Craig Counsell. Thames came out of the gates hot last year, hitting 11 home runs in April, but he only hit 20 bombs the rest of the way, and […]

Sam Travis To Expand Versatility

Boston Red Sox first baseman Sam Travis is likely to have his positional eligibility expand, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. The Red Sox are looking for Travis to play some corner outfield later this spring. Travis does not fit the mold of the traditional first baseman ,as he lacks power. Also, another […]

Kris Bryant Returns To Lineup

Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (flu) has returned to the Cubs lineup. Bryant missed much of the week battling the flu, but it’s nothing for fantasy owners to worry about. Bryant will bat second Friday and remains one of the better offensive options in 2018 drafts.

Ryder Jones Out 10 Days

San Francisco Giants infielder/outfielder Ryder Jones (hamstring) will miss a minimum of 10 more days. Jones suffered a hamstring injury early in camp. Jones struggled last year in his first big league action, hitting just .173 in 155 at-bats. With first baseman Brandon Belt healthy and third baseman Evan Longoria in the picture, Jones has been working […]

Buster Posey Remains Out With Ankle Injury

San Francisco Giants catcher/first baseman Buster Posey (ankle) will be held out at least through next Tuesday. Manager Bruce Bochy said that Posey’s left ankle still “barks” when he hits and that he doesn’t want him catching until next Tuesday at the earliest. Posey has seen his power numbers decline in recent years, but still […]

Chris Davis Will Rest on Friday

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (forearm) will either serve as the designated hitter or not play in the spring game Friday. It's a measure to try to let the tightness in his forearm go away. The team doesn't seem overly concerned about it now. We'll keep monitoring the situation.

Kris Bryant Returns To Cubs Camp

Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (illness) has returned to Cubs camp Thursday. The former National League MVP should once again be one of the better offensive players in 2018 and should see his run production improve from 2017.

Chris Davis Hits Homer In Loss While Battling Forearm Tightness

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (forearm) was supposed to play first base in Wednesday's game against the Cardinals. He wound up being the designated hitter while outfielder Mark Trumbo took his spot at first. Davis, who hit a three-run homer in the loss, explained after the game that he was experiencing forearm tightness, possibly because of […]

Blake Swihart Plays The Field For First Time

For the first game this spring, Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart played first base on Wednesday against the Pirates. He went hitless in three at-bats and struck out once. The plan to increase Swihart's versatility has begun, and now we will see what he does with it and how it affects his future with […]

Kris Bryant Remains Out With Illness

Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (illness) remains out of the team’s lineup on Wednesday. Bryant has been absent all week while he is sick, but it should be nothing for fantasy owners to worry about. He remains one of the best hitters in the game and should see his run production improve in 2018.

Ryan Zimmerman Still Awaiting 2018 Debut

Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who came alive last season after a couple of injury-plagued campaigns, has yet to play in spring training. This is by design, according to new manager Dave Martinez, who is mindful of Zimmerman's history and in no hurry to push him. The Nationals starting first baseman was scheduled to start […]

Hanley Ramirez Makes A Bold Declaration

Boston Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez has made an outrageous pronouncement, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. “I’m going 30/30. Write that down,” said Ramirez. Evidently, Ramirez is feeling very good this spring. Assuming health, it is not out of the question that Ramirez can hit 30 homers in this homer-friendly age, […]

Tommy Joseph Shifting To Outfield

After spending last season as the starting first baseman of the Philadelphia Phillies, Tommy Joseph finds himself fighting for a spot in 2018. The 26-year-old hit .240 with 22 home runs and 69 RBI in 142 games last season, but will give way to newly-signed Carlos Santana this upcoming season. As a result, the Phillies […]

Matt Carpenter "Not Concerned At All" About His Back

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said he is "not concerned at all" about his sore back. Carpenter experienced discomfort in his back nine days ago in Cardinals camp and has yet to resume "baseball activities." The extent of his activity has been standing in the batter's box during batting practice without taking any swings. […]

Kennys Vargas Enjoying Improved Vision

Minnesota Twins first baseman/designated hitter Kennys Vargas has been benefiting from better vision after getting a a new contact-lens prescription for his left eye. The switch-hitter told reporters that both eyes are now 20/20 as he heads into the season. The young slugger is out of options with the Twins and has heard his name […]

Dominic Smith Taking Swings On Tuesday

In what may be the first piece of positive news we’ve heard on New York Mets first baseman Dominic Smith (quadriceps) in months, Smith is taking swings Tuesday after being officially diagnosed with a strained right quad. He was only expected to miss a few days to begin with, so this sounds about right. Smith has […]

Brock Stassi Day-To-Day With Back Spasms

Minnesota Twins first baseman Brock Stassi was sidelined on Monday after he developed back spasms. The team is calling the 28-year-old day-to-day. Stassi made a name for himself with a hot camp during Spring Training in 2017, when he was with the Phillies. He appeared in 51 games with Philadelphia in 2017, batting .167 with […]

ADP Myth Busters - Debunking Myths in the NL West

This series will attempt to help fantasy baseball owners make informed opinions on players whose ADP may not be in line with their value for the 2018 season. As fantasy owners, we can fall into a "group think" mentality and start to overlook certain teams and players. If we aren't careful, those ideas can turn […]

Top 500: Mixed Leagues Tiered Staff Rankings (February)

Spring training is officially here! To celebrate, today we are here to look at our staff's updated 2018 fantasy baseball mixed league rankings for February and the top 500 players. Our rankings are updated weekly, but enough changes have taken place recently (see humidor, Arizona) to release a new overall list. Over the next few weeks we will also be publishing individual tiered […]

C.J. Cron Could See Consistent Playing Time

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman C.J. Cron may see consistent time in 2018. Manager Kevin Cash says Cron will be more than a platoon player and could play "a lot." One possible alignment could see Brad Miller playing second base while Cron plays first and outfielder Denard Span serves as the designated hitter. Cron might also see […]

Freddie Freeman Collects Hit In First Spring Training Action

Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is batting .500 so far this Spring. Then again, he's only had two at-bats. Freeman went 1-for-2 in Monday's win over the Washington Nationals. There's not much to say about him -- he's a high-round pick who can hit well over 30 homers if he stays healthy. That's all […]