RotoSurgeon's Bold Predictions for 2021

For more than one reason, 2020 sucked. Obvious reasons come to mind but specifically, for the fantasy sports world, there were dozens of random occurrences that could not have been predicted whatsoever due to COVID being so fresh and protocols so flimsy. Guys like Austin Meadows and Eduardo Rodriguez lost a potentially very good season... Read More

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (4/1/21): MLB DFS Lineups

WE ARE BACK!!!!! Opening Day is here, and we have a nice nine-game slate on tap. There are many aces on the mound with it being Opening Day but do not worry as there are still some great places to attack with bats. Pricing is rather soft of a DK slate. You can get the... Read More

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (4/1/20): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

Welcome, RotoBallers to the first FanDuel Lineup Picks of the season! While few of us will be at our local ballpark to inhale all the wonderful sights and smells of Opening Day, it does not take away from that wonderful sense of hope and rebirth that comes with a new season. That applies to DFS... Read More

MLB DFS Cheat Sheet, Stacks & Avoids for 4/1/21 (Premium Content)

  MLB DFS Premium Cheatsheet for 4/1/21 All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard.    Top Tournament Stacks for 4/1/21 This section will highlight the top tournament lineup stacks of the day (depending on the size of the slate) and help you identify the pitchers that are best suited to pick on... Read More

Daily MLB DFS Value Plays for FanDuel, DraftKings for 4/1/21 (Premium Content)

It's finally here! Opening Day! Somehow it feels like we've been waiting an eternity, but we get to revel in a glorious day filled with baseball. With 9 games on the DraftKings main slate and 11 on FanDuel, so there will be plenty of good options to choose from. However, with so many of the... Read More

2021 Outfielder Rankings (Part Two) - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

The outfielder position is deep enough that it warrants another look. Read about the first few tiers right here before diving into part two ahead. When you're done, read our rankings breakdowns at Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Third Base and Shortstop. RotoBaller's rankers, JB Branson, Pierre Camus, Nick Mariano, and Ariel Cohen have been updating 2021 Mixed... Read More

MLB DFS Pitching Primer for 4/1/21 (Premium Content)

  MLB DFS Pitching Primer for 4/1 All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard.   We will be releasing our premium MLB DFS pitching picks every single day of the week for the entire MLB and fantasy baseball season and postseason, at least a few hours before games begin that day. Below... Read More

Later-Round Third Basemen - Targets and Avoids

Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, everyone wants to draft some upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. You can take a risk or two on a variety of different players, including a prospect, forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even players with skills but have playing time concerns.... Read More

Updated Top 250 Dynasty Prospects Rankings

In just a few short days, the 2021 Major League Baseball season will get underway. Fans of Minor League Baseball will have to wait a little longer with clubs operating their alternate training sites for at least the first month of the 2021 season. As we saw in 2020, prospects can develop and thrive at... Read More

Dynasty Catcher Rankings for Fantasy Baseball

Catchers are still a necessary evil in the fantasy realm. For that reason, we will finish our analysis of the dynasty positional rankings with those that wield the tools of ignorance. We've already reviewed the rest of the positions around the diamond. Check out analysis on my dynasty rankings with a look at first base,... Read More

Kole Calhoun Could Return For Arizona's Home Opener

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Kole Calhoun (knee) could be back in the lineup by the Diamondbacks' home opener on April 9, according to Zach Buchanan of The Athletic. Calhoun has been out since the beginning of Spring Training after undergoing surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus in his right knee, and now Buchanan reports that... Read More

Pierre Camus' Bold Predictions for 2021

Can any prediction really be considered bold after 2020? We hope for a return to normalcy but we also have to remember that the very definition of normal is constantly changing. I've never shied away from pushing the envelope when it comes to this bold predictions column, so this year will be no exception. I... Read More

Late-Spring Closer Report: Unsettled American League Bullpens

"Spring stats don't matter." "Grapefruit and Cactus League games don't count." "Everyone is just working on something." These are all things we hear before baseball season, and they're mostly true. However, injuries certainly count, and there have been a few major ones already in March when baseball doesn't count. The National League seems to have... Read More

Which Batters Are Being Overlooked in 2021?

Pre-season analysis has achieved peak velocity, and at this point, we've started to hear certain names mentioned again and again: Jarred Kelenic, Andrew Vaughn, Randy Arozarena. Those three examples follow the expected pattern: young, exciting players whose potential outstrips the established knowledge. Put more simply, there are interesting things to say about Kelenic, Vaughn, and Arozarena. But... Read More

Updated Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Prospects for 2021

Opening day is just around the corner. So what better way to celebrate the occasion than to refresh the Top 50 prospects list for 2021 redraft leagues. If you're a habitual prospect watcher then you could have a leg up on your fantasy competition in 2021. Managers around baseball will heavily rely on rookies like... Read More

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Pitcher Statcast

Statcast metrics such as Barrels and Brls/BBE are great ways to evaluate a batter's performance, so it is only natural to assume that the metrics would be predictive for pitchers as well. As much as batters want to hit a Barrel every time, pitchers want to avoid them at all costs. Yet there is evidence... Read More

NL-Only Starting Pitchers: Late-Round Draft Fliers

This year more than ever, starting pitchers are a sought-after position in fantasy drafts. Understandably, with uncertainty about innings limits in 2021, fantasy managers are keen to bolster their rotations with the defacto top-tier starting pitchers available. As important as it is for your top starting pitchers to perform at an elite level, success in... Read More

Advanced MLB DFS Strategy: Sneaky Stacks Against Reverse-Splits Pitchers

With Opening Day of the MLB season right around the corner, it's time to start getting your mind right and preparing for a full season of MLB DFS action. Last summer we missed out on several months of MLB games due to the COVID pandemic, but we are going to get 6 months worth of... Read More

Nicklaus Gaut: Bold, Bolder, Boldest Predictions

Ahh, the time-honored tradition of making bold predictions is upon us. We hem and we haw; we make outrageous claims like Adalberto Mondesi invented the question mark, and bicker about the proper definition of "bold". In the NotBurtatorium (totally a real word), however, we worry not about this or that definition. Our goals are simple... Read More

Kole Calhoun Getting Closer To Facing Live Pitching

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Kole Calhoun (knee) is getting closer to facing live pitching in a simulated game, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Manager Torey Lovullo told Piecoro, "I think that's the next step after several days of BP (batting practice) to where he could stand in the box, take his normal at-bat,... Read More

Stefan Crichton Allows First Runs Of Spring

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Stefan Crichton allowed his first runs of the spring on Thursday, surrendering three runs — two earned — on two hits while striking out one in one inning of work against the Orioles. Crichton had looked solid this spring prior to Thursday's outing, having allowed just four hits and one walk... Read More

RotoBaller Friends & Family Industry Mock Draft Recap

The 2021 RotoBaller Friends & Family Mock Draft is the continuation of an annual tradition where we gather some of the biggest names from the fantasy baseball world and put together a mock draft just as spring training has commenced. Thanks to RT Sports for once again hosting and providing a custom draft site where... Read More

JB's Bold Predictions for 2021

I'm going to let you in on a little secret... JB stands for "JUST BOLDNESS". Okay that's a lie... it's actually not a secret because I use that every year in my bold predictions intro (three years in a row now, sure saves time on writing a new intro though). Nevertheless, welcome to the latest... Read More

2021 Points League Ranks - First Base

Draft season is in full gear as we're only less than two weeks from Opening Day baseball. And here at RotoBaller, we're about more than just roto leagues. We're here to cover your whole fantasy spectrum. So let's do some point ranks, shall we? If you've forgotten from last year, I have strong opinions on... Read More

Daulton Varsho Optioned To Triple-A Wednesday

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher/outfielder Daulton Varsho was optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday, according to Zach Buchanan of The Athletic. After struggling in his rookie campaign last year with a .188 average and .653 OPS in 37 games, Varsho looked worse in Spring Training with a .136 average and .469 OPS in 17 games. He managed to... Read More

Zac Gallen Has Stress Fracture, No Timeline On Return

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (arm) has been diagnosed with a "hairline stress fracture of his right lateral forearm at the radial end" and has not been given a timeline to return to action, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports. Gallen was scratched from his start on Monday with forearm soreness, and while there... Read More

Frank Ammirante's 10 Bold Predictions for 2021

Making bold predictions is one of my favorite topics to write about. There's no better feeling as a writer than when you tout an overlooked player and it hits. Hitting on your bold prediction can really help you win your fantasy leagues. To secure a championship, you need your top players to approach their ceilings and... Read More

Zac Gallen Scratched On Monday With Forearm Soreness

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (forearm) was scratched from his scheduled start against the Oakland Athletics on Monday. He is experiencing right lateral forearm soreness. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo explained that Zac Gallen felt the discomfort while swinging a bat, not while pitching. Forearm issues are always a bit scary for pitchers, but we... Read More

Daulton Varsho Shows Signs Of Life With Two Hits

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Daulton Varsho showed some life on Sunday with two hits after a slow start to the spring. He's just 6-for-42 (.143) with a BB-K of 1-13 this spring. The two singles broke a seven-game hitless streak in which he struck out eight times. Varsho entered the spring as the favorite for the... Read More

MLB Sophomores: Who Will Improve, Who Will Stumble?

We all expect excellent rookie seasons from the most hyped prospects in baseball. But the reality is that some players just don’t hit their strides for a year or two. Other prospects start off strong but then fade away. If we look back at 2015, Corey Seager, Miguel Sano, Carlos Correa, and Kris Bryant had... Read More