ADP Comparison: Biggest Risers From March To May

A delayed start to the MLB season has allowed several relatively high-profile MLB players to heal from offseason and spring training injuries, but improved health isn’t the only cause for a rising ADP. Some players have benefited from adjusted roster projections, and some for unclear reasons. With that in mind, here is a list of […]

Explaining the Struggles of Andrew Benintendi

I, along with many others, was greatly disappointed with Andrew Benintendi in 2019. Last year he was supposed to take a step forward. Unfortunately, he instead took a giant step backward. What happened exactly? Is this what to expect from Benintendi going forward? These are the type of answers I seek to provide answers to. […]

Hidden Gems to Watch - 2020 Infield Prospects

As we continue through this window of uncertainty, the chances of having a “normal” season are getting far less likely. And while we still don’t have any concrete solutions for having a 2020 season, some ideas seem to be more likely than others. Whether implementing regular doubleheaders in a truncated season or a universal designated-hitter, […]

KBO DFS Lineup Picks for 5/8/20 - DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another KBO DFS column. Have you caught KBO fever yet? It’s only been a few days but I’ve been enjoying these games and digging in deep to research these teams and players for you! DraftKings and FanDuel will use the same scoring system that they do for MLB, however, the roster […]

Collin McHugh Has Been Throwing For A Month

Boston Red Sox pitcher Collin McHugh (elbow), who is recovering from a flexor strain in his right arm this spring, said he's "about a month into my throwing program." McHugh definitely wouldn't have been ready had the 2020 season started on time, but he has a chance to be ready to go now that COVID-19 […]

Fantasy Baseball Impact of the Universal DH

With each passing day, we are receiving more news that points to Major Leauge Baseball starting sooner rather than later. Most of the news hints at an 80-100 game season, with the locations of the games still up for debate. There are also some roster changes that are being proposed for this shortened season, one […]

KBO DFS Lineup Picks for 5/6/20 - DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another KBO DFS column. Have you caught KBO fever yet? Our first slate went, well, as baseball slates tend to go! One chalky pitcher busted and one of my favorite stacks was ho-hum. But the process was solid, and that's what matters. It's only day two of KBO DFS and we […]

Alex Verdugo Says He Feels 100 Percent Healthy

Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo (back) stated that he feels 100 percent physically and has recovered fully from a stress fracture in his back that kept him sidelined for the entirety of spring training prior to the shutdown of all baseball activities. The 23-year-old added that "Whenever the season starts I think I will […]

Drafting First Overall In Rotisserie Formats

I really do believe there’s no such thing as too much draft strategy. There are a lot of factors that play into draft selections. I will be discussing topics ranging from positional scarcity to team construction and many things in between. The idea is to go into my strategy and targets through the first 10 […]

Third Base ADP Reflections

Third base is arguably the deepest position in fantasy this year, with plenty of highly productive options outside of the first 20 third basemen being drafted. The position is so deep that if a player isn’t a lock for an OPS above .900, doesn’t have positional versatility, or doesn’t offer stolen bases, then they may […]

Mid-Round Shortstops - Targets and Avoids in 2020

Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, it would be smart to consider drafting 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 […]

Introducing xPA to Project Plate Appearances

I like big rates and I cannot lie. You other readers can't deny. When a rate walks in with an itty PA and an integer in my face, I get sprung...Whoa! Wait just one second, Sir-Mix-A-Nick. Before I go full-Rhymenoceros on everyone, maybe we oughta back the track up a little bit. What I like […]

How a Revamped MLB Season will Impact Fantasy Baseball

No matter how this MLB season plays out it will look like something we have never seen before. Not only is the start of the season already delayed, but there is no definitive end in sight. If we do see baseball this season, the game is going to look very different. First, there will be […]

ADP Champ or Chump Spotlight: Pete Alonso

Peter Alonso was a hyped name heading into the 2019 MLB season. FanGraphs was optimistic, giving him a perfect 80 grade on raw power along with a 70 future grade for game power. He was ranked as the top first-base prospect (and 51st overall) by MLB Pipeline, with scouts noting an advanced ability to access his […]

OPS Overachievers: Using xOPS to Judge Performance

We've already dug into xOPS by looking at the biggest underachievers from last year. Now, it's time to examine the other side of the coin - the less shiny side. Many might believe that wOBA is the stat you should be looking for and people much smarter than I have been duking out this debate […]

Ron Roenicke Sheds Interim Tag

The Boston Red Sox are removing the interim tag from manager Ron Roenicke's status as manager on Wednesday. This comes after the Red Sox were punished by Major League Baseball for their part in sign-stealing during the 2018 season. Then-manager Alex Cora is suspended for all of the 2020 season, but it was for his […]

Red Sox Disciplined Amid Sign-Stealing Investigation

Commissioner Rob Manfred disciplined the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday after an investigation of sign-stealing from the 2018 season. J.T. Watkins, the team's video replay system operator will be suspended for the 2020 season and playoffs, and he'll be prohibited from serving as a replay room operator during all of 2021. Boston will forfeit their […]

Gavin Lux (2B, LAD) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~150 CURRENT ADP: ~169 overall ANALYSIS: Lux earned a call-up in September just in time to earn a starting job as the Dodgers second baseman. Although he had some strong moments, including five multi-hit games and a pinch-hit home run in Game 1 of the NLDS, he ultimately hit .240 in […]

Fantasy Baseball ADP Reflections - Relief Pitchers

We’re still awaiting concrete news on how a 2020 baseball season will look like (if it does exist). Different possibilities have surfaced in recent days which includes an option of multiple doubleheaders being played every week. It’s still far too early to tell how serious or plausible this is but should it come to fruition, […]

Alex Verdugo Will Be Ready For Start Of Season

Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo (back) appears to be on track for the beginning of the season as a result of the delay to the 2020 MLB campaign. "Unfortunately with the shutdown of the camp at JetBlue, he [Verdugo] hasn’t been able to continually progress as fast as we’d like him to. He is […]

OPS Underachievers: Using Differences in xOPS to Judge Performance

Add a player's on-base-percentage to his slugging-percentage and you wind up with OPS. Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy. But some things don't need to be complicated to be useful and descriptive. There are a hundred ways to judge a baseball player's performance but OPS remains one of the best proxies for quickly judging a player's overall offensive […]

Stock Your Dynasty Farm: AL East Sleeper Prospects

The AL East features the top farm system in baseball, two uber-prospects, the only Canadian team, as well as two of sports’ most prestigious franchises. Needless to say, there are some storylines to mine for content here. And yet, what may be the richest and most influential division in baseball is, in my humble opinion, […]

AL Players Who Could Benefit From Expanded Rosters

Although we still don't have baseball, we're starting to get a lot of proposals on how we COULD have baseball this summer. The plans may wind up just being a fantasy, but, hey, this is a fantasy site, so it makes sense for us to take a look at it. One of the facets of […]

The King's Fantasy Baseball Insider Report: Exclusive Scouting Reports From an MLB Veteran

The award-winning Fantasy Baseball Insider Series continues on RotoBaller, this time with the seasoned input of a current Major League Player. Every year during fantasy baseball draft season, Scott Engel talks to prime MLB sources to get exclusive nuggets of information. On the condition of anonymity, former and current players, executives, scouts, media members and […]

JB's Bullpen Method - Building Aces out of Relief Pitchers

If you read my Top 10 Draft Tips piece, you got a preview of the method I have been using for many years in fantasy baseball. It's really less of a method or strategy, and more a state of mind. The Bullpen Method is a lifestyle! I always speak about the importance of balance on […]

Dustin Pedroia Not Close To A Return

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) is "still not at a point where he's thinking about trying to be ready to come back and joins us," according to manager Ron Roenicke. Pedroia hasn't officially retired, but things are quickly headed that way. The nine-time All-Star and former MVP (2008) and Rookie of the […]

Alex Verdugo Has Progressed Slowly Due To Shutdown

Boston Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said that outfielder Alex Verdugo (back) hasn't progressed as quickly as the team had hoped because of the coronavirus shutdown. Verdugo has been swinging, but it has been difficult for him to get in other baseball activities with baseball at a standstill. Despite the slow progression, Verdugo has plenty […]

Steve Pearce Officially Retires From Baseball

First baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce announced his retirement from baseball on Monday night, while appearing as a guest on WEEI's broadcast of the 2018 Red Sox World Series run. The 37-year-old was named World Series MVP in 2018 after totaling three home runs, eight RBI, five runs scored and a .333 batting average through 16 plate […]

Mid-Round Second Base - Targets and Avoids in 2020

Once you reach the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, it would be smart to consider drafting 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 […]

Closers Due for Regression in 2020

Finding reliable closers is always a challenge. There is a high turnover rate in the role every season, and in today's game, a lot of teams are going to a closer-by-committee approach, which adds a layer of confusion to the saves category. In each of the last three seasons, exactly 11 relievers have saved 30 […]