Blue Jays Send Gift Ngoepe Down, Call Up Dwight Smith Jr.

The Toronto Blue Jays have optioned infielder Gift Ngoepe To Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday. Ngoepe was only called up on Monday and was thought to be the guy to be sent back down once third baseman Josh Donaldson returned. While the timing of that is accurate with Donaldson returning on Thursday, the specific transaction is […]

J.D. Martinez Aggravates Thumb Injury

Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Martinez aggravated a jammed thumb injury he has been dealing with since April, according to Lauren Campbell of NESN.com. The training staff has been helping him by putting pads around the injured area. The injury isn't really slowing Martinez down, though, as he is hitting .343 with six homers and […]

Power Risers and Fallers for Week 5: Buy or Sell?

Welcome to Week 5 of the 2018 MLB season and the first week of our investigation into the steepest power trenders in baseball, whether those trends be positive or negative. As the season turns the corner into the month of May, the window of opportunity to snag a surging slugger or to deal a down-and-out […]

David Peralta Reaches Base Twice In Return To Lineup

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta (hand, wrist) returned to the lineup Wednesday following a one-game absence after being hit by a pitch on Monday. In his return, he went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. There was some concern early in the game when Peralta dropped his bat following a big swing and miss. […]

Ottoneu Waiver Wire Report - RotoBaller's Staff League

Ottoneu leagues, available on Fangraphs, are a different beast, and for good reason. Most of the scoring formats are more advanced, there are intense roster requirements and it’s a year-round commitment. It warrants constant monitoring and tinkering to fully optimize your lineup, and the innings restrictions per roster slot certainly force you to make some […]

Finding Value on the Fringes: Roster Flexibility and Late Picks

The key to winning any fantasy league is finding value where others have not. Either this means buying in on the Matt Kemps of the world early and getting value late in a draft or using roster construction to maximize stat collection. Where players play matters as much as when and how they play for […]

Preseason Sleepers Yet to Awaken - Hitters

If you are going to win a championship in your fantasy baseball league, you typically need to hit on at least a couple of sleeper selections during your draft. Anyone who took a shot on Ozzie Albies, Gerrit Cole, or Patrick Corbin have an enormous advantage on the rest of their league due to the […]

Rookie Report: Recent MLB Prospect Call-Ups (Week 5)

So much for a slow start for the rookies. For the first few weeks, it felt as though there was very little to write about in the rookie department but recently the youngsters have taken the league by storm. Particularly in this past week, guys like Ronald Acuna, Nick Kingham, Mike Soroka, and Fernando Romero […]

Champ or Chump: Nick Kingham and Miguel Andujar

Scouting minor league lines is often an inexact science. Occasionally, you'll see a guy who seems likely to succeed right away (Rhys Hoskins last year). Sometimes, a guy's complete lack of minor league production leaves you confident that it will take a few years (Byron Buxton), if it ever clicks. Most guys don't fit into […]

Denard Span Drives In Two Without A Hit Wednesday

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Denard Span continued to produce as a leadoff hitter Wednesday versus the Tigers. He would score a run and drive one in (in two separate plate appearances) despite not recording a hit in the game. He did draw two walks, as befits a leadoff hitter. His on-base percentage is a very […]

Streaming Wars: Waiver Wire Targets for May 4

Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire. This article, which began last season, runs seven days a week. We are always ready to stream. For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be […]

Christian Yelich Breaks Out Of Slump With Home Run And Double

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in the 3-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. After going 1-for-15 against the Chicago Cubs and 2-for-8 against the Kansas City Royals in the series before the Cubs, he finished the Reds series with a 5-for-13 line, including the aforementioned […]

Giancarlo Stanton Carries Yankees Offense In Win

The New York Yankees faced off against the Houston Astros once again on Wednesday night with familiar foe Dallas Keuchel on the mound. Entering the game, the Bronx Bombers had never homered off the former Cy Young winner, but that changed early on. Struggling outfielder Giancarlo Stanton delivered a two-run home run in the opening […]

Ryan Braun Exits Wednesday With Calf Tightness

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun exited the game on Wednesday after his calf tightened up in the sixth inning. Brett Phillips replaced him and nothing was really mentioned until after the game. This isn't the first calf injury for Braun, as he's already had one this year, and he's been sidelined numerous times for calf […]

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (5/2/18): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

Two pretty attractive schedules on deck here with five games in the matinee and nine games this evening for the Main slate. Luckily for us there are a handful of good-to-great pitchers in each, and the rest we can pick on with bats. We've got nine games in the Main slate this evening and none […]

Ender Inciarte Helps Beat Mets From Bottom Of Order

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ender Inciarte isn't taking his being moved down to ninth in the order personally. He went 2-for-4 on Wednesday, including hitting a mammoth homer late in the game. Inciarte drove in two runs and also scored two runs. He could be a decent start in a very deep league, but his fantasy […]

Yoenis Cespedes Stays Hot In Loss

When you lose the game 7-0 and your ace starting pitcher departs early due to injury, you can safely say just about nothing went right. Unless you’re New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, of course. It may have been a depressing night overall for the Amazins, but Cespedes was the lone highlight by finishing 1-for-4 […]

Mookie Betts Has Three-Homer Game

Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts returned to action and hit three homers in a 5-4 win against the Royals Wednesday. It was his second three-homer game of the season and fourth in his career. Betts also passed Ted Williams for the most three-homer games in Red Sox history. He finished the night 4-for-4 with […]

Jorge Soler Continues To Rake

Kansas City Royals outfielder Jorge Soler was a known quantity coming into 2018 -- a post-hype sleeper who packed a prodigious punch when he made contact but whose bat could cool an entire section of the stadium with all the whiffing it did. He got a surprise opportunity to start after Jorge Bonifacio got popped […]

Gerardo Parra Doubles Twice

Colorado Rockies outfielder Gerardo Parra may have to fight his way back into a regular starting role, and Wednesday’s performance at Wrigley will certainly help. Parra doubled twice, scored two runs and stole his third base of the season. With David Dahl playing well since his call-up and Carlos Gonzalez returning from his tweaked hamstring, […]

Charlie Blackmon Stretches Hit Streak

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon extended his hitting streak to five games on Wednesday, and he continued to be a constant presence on the basepaths by walking twice in the game. Over Blackmon’s current hitting streak, he’s generated a ridiculous on-base percentage of .478 while still hitting two home runs and stealing a base. Blackmon […]

Chris Taylor Sits, Joc Pederson Leads Off, Alex Verdugo Bats Second

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson will start in center field and lead off in place of Chris Taylor. Top prospect Alex Verdugo will play in left and bat second. In the last seven days, Pederson is 9-for-19 with eight RBI. Verdugo was just called up last Saturday and has gone 3-for-9 with a double. […]

Lorenzo Cain Will Rest On Wednesday

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain (rest) will sit out on Wednesday against Luis Castillo and the Cincinnati Reds. This is just a customary rest day and he will be back in the lineup Thursday. He will more than likely get a pinch-hit situation for the pitcher, however, he is best suited on the bench Wednesday […]

Clint Frazier Activated, Optioned To Triple-A

In a flurry of moves that came after Jordan Montgomery’s injury, the New York Yankees activated outfielder Clint Frazier (concussion) off the seven-day disabled list on Monday. He was assigned to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders following a lengthy battle with a concussion and subsequent symptoms. The 23-year-old has already been with the minor league club […]

JaCoby Jones Tallies Three Hits, Scores Winning Run

Detroit Tigers outfielder JaCoby Jones had a nice day at the dish on Wednesday, going 3-for-5 as the Tigers beat the Rays. Jones hit a couple singles early in the game, but it was his leadoff triple in the bottom of the 12th inning that turned out to be one of the biggest plays of […]

Josh Harrison Has Begun Fielding Grounders

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder/outfielder Josh Harrison (hand) has reportedly begun fielding ground balls on Wednesday. He still has not been cleared to swing the bat, but he is making some progress. The Pirates expect Harrison to be ready to return by June, but it's unclear if he'll make that timetable. Fantasy owners with a disabled list […]

Andrew McCutchen Leaves Game on Wednesday

San Francisco Giants outfielder Andrew McCutchen (elbow) left Wednesday's game against the Padres after being hit by a pitch. He was replaced by Gregor Blanco and underwent testing on his elbow. The X-rays reportedly came back negative, and McCutchen is dealing with an elbow bruise. He could miss a game or two, but this does […]

Scott Kingery Out Against Marlins

One day after getting hit in the elbow in the ninth inning of a loss against the Miami Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Scott Kingery will not suit up for the Phillies on Wednesday. The 24-year-old started at shortstop on Tuesday but exited in the 10th inning. Pedro Florimon will start in his place on […]

Dee Gordon Swinging A Scorching Bat

Seattle Mariners outfielder Dee Gordon is on quite a streak right now, going 11-for-14 (.785) over his last three games. Gordon hit everything in sight on Tuesday night, posting his first ever career 5-for-5 game with two stolen bases. That performance was an encore from a four-hit game the night before, and he is scorching-hot […]

Jacoby Ellsbury Transferred to 60-Day DL

On Wednesday, the New York Yankees announced that outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (oblique, hip, foot) was transferred from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. Ellsbury has yet to resume on-field activities after being placed on the DL with an oblique injury before the start of the season, and he has since dealt with hip […]