Pitcher Statcast: Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball

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 […]

Adventures in Positional Scarcity - Catchers Edition for Fantasy Baseball Drafts

This question of how to handle the catcher position has taken on a new level of tough in 2022, at least in the opinion of this analyst. Catchers have always underperformed offensively relative to the rest of the positions, mainly because the first bullet point on their job description is not to hit the ball […]

Reds Hopeful Luis Castillo Will Debut In April

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo (shoulder) will be traveling with the team to kick off the year, according to Reds manager David Bell. Two fellow injured Reds, starting pitcher Mike Minor (shoulder) and second baseman Donovan Solano (hamstring), will be with the team as well. The hope is that all three players will be […]

Eric Samulski's Top 100 Starting Pitchers

I decided to publish a top-100 starting pitching rankings list! I have no idea why, though. These fantasy baseball rankings lists are often the most scrutinized and criticized of anything anybody publishes, so I'm not sure why I decided to open myself up to this. However, I've also been researching pitching all offseason and constantly […]

Nick Lodolo A Candidate To Start Sixth Game

Cincinnati Reds pitching prospect Hunter Greene was named to the team's Opening Day rotation on Wednesday, but fellow prospect Nick Lodolo is a candidate to start the sixth game of the regular season. Injuries to Luis Castillo (shoulder) and Mike Minor (shoulder) have opened up opportunity at the back end of Cincinnati's rotation to begin […]

Updated Fantasy Baseball Catcher Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Roto Leagues

Welcome back RotoBallers to some more preseason fantasy baseball rankings! RotoBaller is constantly working to try and bring fantasy baseball managers the best advice, especially during draft season. A big part of that includes regular updates to our tiered rankings for all formats. Our MLB rankers, -- JB Branson, Pierre Camus, Ariel Cohen, Nicklaus Gaut, […]

Hunter Greene Makes Reds Rotation

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene has made the team's starting rotation to begin the regular season and will start the fourth game of the year on April 10 against the Atlanta Braves. Greene, the former No. 2 overall pick and Cincy's top prospect per MLB Pipeline, has a 100 mph heater and heaps of fantasy […]

JB's Bullpen Method for 2022 - Building FrankenAces with Relief Pitchers

Two years ago, I finally published an article breaking down my favorite fantasy baseball strategy I have been using for years. It's really less of a strategy and more a state of mind. No, the Bullpen Method is a lifestyle. I always speak about the importance of balance on a fantasy team. For your pitching staff, […]

Catcher's Corner, Episode 27: Reds Deep Dive With C Trent Rosecrans

Eric (@SamskiNYC) and Sami (@Believe_Sami) breakdown the most-discussed starting pitching performances of spring training before welcoming Reds' beat writer C Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) on to discuss all things Reds: When will Luis Castillo be back? Will the Reds use Lucas Sims or any one particular pitcher at closer? Will Hunter Greene and/or Nick Lodolo break […]

Undervalued and Overvalued Players - Fantrax Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings

This year's RotoBaller Challenge is being hosted exclusively on Fantrax - The Home of Fantasy Sports. Whether you are competing against fellow RotoBallers, joining a public league, or creating your own custom league on Fantrax, you'll want to get familiar with the site's rankings and average draft position (ADP) before your league drafts. Each platform […]

Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo Could Begin In Rotation

With Cincinnati Reds right-hander Tony Santillan now in the bullpen, there's a much better shot that pitching prospects Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo open the year in the team's starting rotation with Luis Castillo (shoulder) and Mike Minor (shoulder) set to begin the year on the injured list. Greene and Lodolo are the team's top […]

Tony Santillan Heads To The Bullpen

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Tony Santillan was informed by manager David Bell on Tuesday that he will be starting the season in the bullpen. Santillan will likely be one of the team's go-to relievers in high-leverage situations, so he could have some appeal in deeper leagues that reward points for saves. The former second-round pick in […]

Donovan Solano Injures His Left Hamstring

Cincinnati Reds infielder Donovan Solano (hamstring) left Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Texas Rangers with a left hamstring injury. Solano injured himself running the bases and walked off the field with a trainer. We don't know the seriousness of the injury just yet, but with Opening Day just over a week away, there's a […]

Late-Round Third Basemen - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values and Targets

Welcome officially to the 2022 fantasy baseball season! Now that an MLB deal is in place, a lot more fantasy drafts will be taking place -- and we're here as always to guide you through it. Once you reach the late rounds of drafts, everyone is looking to draft players with upside that can provide […]

Finding Over/Undervalued Third Basemen Using Expected Draft Values

We push on with our Expected Draft Values series, which utilizes historical data and projections to help us identify both over and undervalued players of all types. Power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, with pitchers as well. Today, we'll look at a trio of third basemen and compare their projected statline via my […]

Breakout Infielders That Will Keep Improving in 2022 (Jonathan India, Bo Bichette, Ty France)

Breakouts are perhaps the most fun part of playing fantasy baseball. Being able to identify and grab guys as they reach their potential can often be the difference between winning it all and being lost in the shuffle. Breakouts come in all shapes in sizes. They can be guys that come out of nowhere or […]

Pierre Camus' Bold Predictions for 2022 Fantasy Baseball

Normally, I would begin this annual column by saying how grateful I am for the opportunity to be able to take up space on a major website like RotoBaller with my predictions for the upcoming season and follow with the number of years running I've done this. Truth is, I don't remember. Not that it's […]

Lucas Sims Will Open Season On Injured List

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Lucas Sims (back) suffered from an illness and back spasms in the offseason that prevented him from ramping up his throwing program ahead of camp, and he will open the regular season on the injured list. Sims has started throwing off a mound in camp, but there are no plans to rush […]

Luis Castillo Expected To Open Season On Injured List

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo (shoulder) is expected to open the season on the injured list due to shoulder soreness that slowed his preparation in camp. He has not appeared in a Cactus League game yet, but he appears to be progressing well. "Castillo is probably ahead of Mike Minor right now," manager David […]

Michael Florio's Pitchers to Target in Points Leagues

Starting pitchers are important in all fantasy baseball formats, but perhaps none more so than fantasy baseball points leagues. It's easy to understand why so much emphasis is placed on this position once you understand the scoring system. You build your hitters and your pitchers, and while they are all apart of one team, they […]

Hunter Greene To Make Another Start Thursday

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene is starting another Cactus League game on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox. With Mike Minor unlikely to be ready for the start of the season, Greene, the No. 22 overall prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline, has a legitimate shot at starting the season in Cincy's starting rotation. The […]

Updated Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Roto Leagues

With Spring Training upon us, and the fantasy baseball draft season in full swing, it's time to look at the shortstop position and see who may or may not be fantasy-relevant and worthy of a draft pick this season. RotoBaller's lead MLB rankers - JB Branson, Pierre Camus, Ariel Cohen, Nicklaus Gaut, and Nick Mariano […]

Updated Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings for Roto Leagues - Ronald Acuna, Randal Grichuk, Luis Castillo, Dylan Floro, Shane Baz and More

Welcome back RotoBallers! Spring Training is upon us, and fantasy baseball drafts are about to get busy. Below are our updated 2022 fantasy baseball draft rankings and tiers for roto leagues. We will be updating these rankings constantly, and releasing updates every few days along with relevant injury updates to be aware of. Five of […]

Jon Anderson's 2022 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide

Baseball is happening in 2022, and it is happening in full force. With the excellent news of the lockout ending, we are ready to dive full steam ahead into the fantasy baseball draft season! I have had my head deep in baseball data since before Christmas, so I wanted to come out with a miniature […]

Lucas Sims (RP, CIN) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 190 CURRENT ADP: ~244 overall ANALYSIS: Cincinnati doesn’t owe Sims the job, I know, but his stretch run last year should give him the upper hand. Despite logging zero saves following his August return from an elbow injury, Sims would post a 32/3 K/BB with seven earned runs in just […]

Michael Florio's Hitters to Target in Points Leagues

Points leagues are becoming more and more popular in fantasy baseball. They have long been my favorite format because they are great both for the newcomer and the seasoned vet. The thing about points leagues is that while the scoring can vary based on platform, they tend to reward more outcomes than traditional Roto leagues, […]

Mid-Round Catchers - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values and Targets

Welcome officially to the 2022 fantasy baseball season! Now that an MLB deal is in place, a lot more fantasy drafts will be taking place – and we're here as always to guide you through it. Once you reach the middle rounds of drafts, everyone is looking to draft players with upside that can provide […]

RotoBaller Staff Mock Draft Analysis: 12-Team Roto League Draft

Fantasy prep is never complete without mock drafts. So in doing our best to prepare for the 2022 season, my fellow RotoBaller writers and I got together for a 12-team 5X5 Roto mock draft. The only difference is that we used Quality Starts instead of Wins. I’ll be breaking down our draft round-by-round and highlighting […]

Let's Overreact to Spring Training News and Tweets: Part Two

Baseball is back, spring training is here, and every tweet from every beat writer is getting scrutinized to an outrageous level. It's wacky season at its best, but instead of shying away from that, we're going to lean into it. I've found some bits of news that are interesting and also, at times, amusing, and […]

Updated 2022 Fantasy Baseball Rankings for Points Leagues - Matt Olson, Carlos Correa, Josh Donaldson, Justin Verlander and More

Welcome back RotoBallers! Spring Training is in full swing, and fantasy baseball draft season is about to pick up in a big way. Below you'll find our MLB team's updated 2022 fantasy baseball points league rankings, specifically catered and adjusted for for points leagues and head-to-head (H2H) points league formats. In the last few days […]