3 Overvalued Closers: Bust Candidates for Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

Relief pitcher is one of the trickier positions to determine fantasy baseball value given the volatility of the position and the limited ways it can provide fantasy output. Generally speaking, relief pitchers are only valuable in most fantasy leagues if they serve as the closer for their team. There are exceptions depending on league type,... Read More

Matt McLain Confident In Opening Day Health

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (oblique) said Tuesday that he will "totally" be ready to start the 2024 regular season healthy after missing most of spring training with an oblique injury. The 24-year-old, who made his Cactus League debut on Sunday, has the support of manager David Bell, who said Tuesday, "I am confident... Read More

Matt McLain Makes Spring Debut On Sunday

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (oblique) made his spring debut on Sunday in a 5-3 Cactus League win over the Guardians. The 24-year-old had been battling an oblique injury this spring but made the start and batted third in the Reds lineup, going 0-for-2 with a strikeout. He's looking to build off a solid... Read More

Frankie Montas Named Opening Day Starter

Manager David Bell announced on Sunday that Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas will be the team's Opening Day starter. This is a bit of a surprise with young 2017 first-round draft pick Hunter Greene in the mix, but Greene hasn't made a statement this spring that he's ready to be the guy, continuing to... Read More

Fantasy Baseball Pitchers Primed For Comebacks After Injury-Plagued Seasons

Welcome to our article about starting pitchers to bounce back in 2024 after injury-plagued seasons last year. You can read about hitters to bounce back as well. Everyone deserves a second chance. We shouldn't always let last year's outcomes dictate this year's decisions, especially when it comes to injuries. Plenty of fantasy managers give up... Read More

Notable Starting Pitcher Improvements in K%, BB% and GB% for Fantasy Baseball

We constantly try to find the right statistics to examine when evaluating pitchers' performances. And while there are many rabbit holes you can head down with spin rates, Stuff +, and any number of ERA indicators, it all usually comes back to strikeouts, walks, and the quality of contact that hitters are making off a... Read More

September Power Surgers - Home Run Risers for Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

Whether their team is in the playoff hunt or not, it's always essential for MLB players to finish the season on a solid note. Often, we see breakout performances in September that can lead to growth in spring training and carry out into the regular season.  A strong September at the MLB level can lead... Read More

Closers and Saves Bullpen Report for Fantasy Baseball - NL Edition

With a little more spring training behind us, we're back with the National League version of Closers and Saves Bullpen Report! Make sure to look over the American League edition that was published last week. There's still plenty of time until Opening Day, so as usual we can expect changes to come, but for now? Looks... Read More

Hitter Sleepers at Each Position for Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

A sleeper in fantasy can mean a lot of different things. It can mean a player who is undervalued in drafts, or it can mean a player who is going super late in drafts that you take a flier on. Either way, though, it's a player you take a chance on later in your draft.... Read More

Dynasty Pitcher Buys and Sells - The Toolshed Fantasy Baseball Podcast (Ep. 280)

Welcome to episode 280 of The Toolshed Podcast with Clegg and Cross brought to you by RotoBaller. The Toolshed is a dynasty and prospects-focused podcast. Each week, hosts Eric Cross (@EricCross04) and Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) dive into the world of dynasty leagues and cover all levels of prospects from the MLB Draft up to the... Read More

Andrew Abbott Hit Hard In Third Spring Start

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott had a second straight ineffective start of the spring on Saturday in a 7-5 Cactus League win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The lefty gave up three earned runs on seven hits (including three doubles) in three innings of work. He walked just one though and struck out five, so... Read More

3 Bullpen Arms To Target In Fantasy Baseball Drafts - NL Edition (2024)

The hardest thing to decide in a fantasy baseball draft is when to grab relief pitchers. Saves are super important in roto leagues, so choosing a closer early could be a nice strategy. Some of the top ones, like Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers, are going super early. Williams is usually off the board... Read More

Nick Martinez Tosses Four Perfect Innings Friday

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Martinez pitched a gem before rain forced the cancellation of the Reds-Dodgers Cactus League matchup on Friday. Martinez tossed four perfect innings, allowing no hits and no walks while striking out six batters. It was a very bright spot for the Reds on a day that started very cloudy with... Read More

Noelvi Marte Given 80-Game Suspension: Questionable Redraft Stash

In a shocking piece of news, Cincinnati Reds prospect Noelvi Marte has been hit with an 80-game suspension for a performance-enhancing drug violation. The 22-year-old is the No. 1 ranked Reds prospect, as per MLB Pipeline, but he will now miss the first half of the 2024 season. Reds top prospect Noelvi Marte has received... Read More

Noelvi Marte Issued 80-Game Suspension

Cincinnati Reds infielder Noelvi Marte has been hit with an 80-game suspension for a performance-enhancing drug violation. The club's No. 1 prospect was projected to be the primary third baseman in the 2024 season but he will have to wait until mid-season to assume that role. Marte appeared in 35 games for the Reds in... Read More

Jake Fraley On A Heater This Spring

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley is enjoying himself a fine spring to this point in Cactus League action. After a two-hit effort on Wednesday, Fraley is now 5-for-13 (.385) with three doubles, three walks, a stolen base, and three runs scored across 16 trips to the plate, good for a 1.115 OPS in the small... Read More

Spencer Steer Plays Long Ball Thursday

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Spencer Steer slugged a solo home run as part of a 2-2 tie on Thursday versus the Chicago Cubs. The 26-year-old didn't waste much time as his first homer of the spring got the Reds on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Steer impressed in his first full tour... Read More

Spencer Steer Blasts First Homer Of Spring

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Spencer Steer went 1-for-3 with his first homer of the Cactus League on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs. Steer, 26, is one of the influx of young talented players that the Reds will deploy in their lineup and is coming off a season in which he helped managers across the board. In... Read More

Five Overvalued Starting Pitchers For 2024 Fantasy Baseball Drafts

Sometimes in fantasy baseball, it's just as important who you don't draft as who you do. This is yet another pitching article from yours truly this preseason where I attempt to evaluate which pitchers are being overvalued in drafts so far. If you're looking for another list of pitchers I am avoiding, check out this... Read More

Rising Sophomores - Second-Year MLB Players Set To Shine In 2024

Throughout the past couple of seasons, we have seen second-year players explode in the majors. Last year, players like Julio Rodriguez, Adley Rutschman, and Bobby Witt Jr. really took that leap in their second years. Last year, Rodriguez hit .274 at the plate with 32 home runs, 103 RBI, 37 doubles, and 37 stolen bases.... Read More

Nick Lodolo Will Pitch Sunday, Regular Season Debut TBD

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo (tibia) is progressing well and will pitch in Sunday's Spring Training game, manager David Bell told the media. Although Lodolo will return to face opposing batters this weekend, he's still a few hurdles away from being fully ramped up. As a result, Bell said that Lodolo "probably isn't in... Read More

Tyler Stephenson Showing Power Early In Spring

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson has shown off some pop so far in Cactus League action, even if he hasn't been fantastic overall. The 27-year-old is just 3-for-18 (.167) in seven spring outings so far but two of those three knocks have gone for home runs. He has driven in six runs in the process... Read More

Starting Pitchers With Bad Fastballs to Avoid for Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

There's one pitch that every pitcher in baseball throws -- and that's a fastball. Some are faster than others, and some pitchers throw their fastball far more often than others. But unless you're a relief pitcher (and we are talking starters here), you can't get away from throwing a fastball to set up the rest... Read More

Fantasy Baseball Injury Reports for Pitchers - Updates for Walker Buehler, Kenley Jansen, Nick Lodolo, Lucas Giolito, and more

The 2024 MLB season is fast approaching, and there is a key group of pitchers dealing with bumps and bruises. Injuries could affect draft values and early-season production, so let's take a look at injured pitchers Walker Buehler, Kenley Jansen, Nick Lodolo, Lucas Giolito, and more This is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury... Read More

Fantasy Baseball Injury Reports for Hitters - Updates for Nolan Jones, Josh Lowe, Ha-Seong Kim, Ian Happ, Cedric Mullins, Jeff McNeil, Jonathan India, Bo Naylor, and more

The calendar has turned March, meaning fantasy baseball draft season is here, and the MLB season is just around the corner. Despite the season not starting yet, there are plenty of key injuries to keep tabs on. It's never too early to check in on the latest injury updates, so let's take a look at... Read More

Nick Lodolo Throws Successful Simulated Game

Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo (leg) threw a two-inning simulated game in camp on Wednesday that went great, and he said his next step is pitching in a Cactus League game. "I'm good. That was another progression that I hit… I'm excited," Lodolo said. A stress reaction in the 26-year-old southpaw's left tibia last year... Read More

Jonathan India To Make Cactus League Debut Friday

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that second baseman Jonathan India (foot) is on track to make his spring training debut on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. India dealt with plantar fasciitis in his left foot last year and was still bothered by it at the start of spring training, so the Reds have... Read More

Third Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Tiers, Analysis - Roto Leagues (2024)

Spring training is underway, which means fantasy baseball draft season is going to reach a fever pitch very soon. In my last article, I walked you through RotoBaller's first base rankings. This time around, we will take a look at who is available at the hot corner in 2024. The elite talent is concentrated on... Read More

Starting Pitchers Spring Training News and Notes For Fantasy Baseball

Baseball is back and spring training is here! Every player is reportedly in the best shape of their lives or has worked on their weaknesses in their game. Hitters have fixed their launch angles, while pitchers have changed arm slots or added a new pitch to their arsenal. How do we know how much of... Read More

Overvalued Infielders To Avoid In Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

We're well into fantasy baseball draft season. Most people who have partaken in a draft (mock or real) will have identified where they need to take their favorite players before someone deprives them of that joy. But as in all drafts, you'll never be able to get all your favorites and will need to pivot... Read More