Top Hitter Streamers for Week 3: Head-to-Head or Weekly Leagues

Below are my top MLB hitter streamer options for Week 3 of fantasy baseball. All players listed here are under 50% owned in Yahoo leagues and play seven games this week. Streaming hitters is a great way to increase production and fantasy stats off the waiver wire for your head-to-head matchups, or if you're dealing... Read More

Anthony DeSclafani (SP, CIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep NL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: Don’t let Anthony DeSclafani’s 2014 ERA – one that was north of six runs a game – scare you away from taking a small risk and giving the young righty a slot in your rotation. If he can keep the walks to a minimum and locate his... Read More

Deeper League Waiver Wire: NL Edition (Ottavino, DeSclafani, Haren)

In last week's Deeper League NL Waiver Wire, I talked about a few batters that should see pretty consistent at-bats in the coming months. This week, I'm flipping gears to help you find a few "quality" pitchers that should amass a good number of starts, or, at the very least, be called upon from the... Read More

Real Deal or Impostor: Time to Sell on Mesoraco, Hughes, and Pearce?

Three Players Who You Should Considering Selling High On While this weekly column exists to determine whether you should trust a given player's performance, there are not enough data points to consider meaningful analysis of 2015 statistics. Last week we looked at three 2014 breakouts who we expect to continue their improved play, and this week we will look... Read More

Minor Leagues Spotlight: Top Fantasy Prospects from Week 1

The weekly Minor League Spotlight column looks at MLB prospects and rookies who had a good week in the minors, and can make a potential impact for fantasy baseball owners in 2015. Just a quick heads-up -- Kris Bryant is not on the list. Yes he had a good week, but we all know that Kris Bryant is... Read More

Anthony DeSclafani (SP, CIN) - Waiver Wire Analysis

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues / NL-Only Leagues OWNED IN: 4% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: DeScalfani was a sleeper among select fantasy pundits entering 2015 after a strong spring. He did nothing to dissuade them in his debut at Pittsburgh, holding the Pirates to two runs on five hits and one walk with six punchouts.... Read More

Brandon Phillips (2B, CIN) - Waiver Wire Analysis

BALLER MOVE: Continue Scouting in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: ESPN 39.9% owned, Yahoo 38% owned, 61% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Up until last season, Phillips had eight straight years of 17 or more home runs. Owners are certainly hoping that last year's eight home runs were an anomaly, and that he can rebound in 2015. He still was able... Read More

Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups & Adds: Week 2

The first week of baseball has come and gone. Hopefully you haven’t blown up your team already, but if you have you’re going to love this article! In all seriousness, the beginning of the fantasy season is a key time frame for wise owners, as now is the time to strike on those free agent gems.... Read More

Top 10 Projected WHIP Finishers For Starters

In case you missed it last week we covered Daniel Okrent, IPRAT and our projections for which relievers will finish in the top ten in WHIP for this season. Today we will purchase a flux capacitor, install it into the RotoBaller DeLorean, and drive into the future to share with you who will finish in... Read More

Top Five Breakouts from 2014 Due for Regression

Many hitters have great years that seem to come out of nowhere. Players like Todd Frazier and Dee Gordon who perform at a high level, creating the expectation that they can repeat that level of productivity. The difficult part of every hitter's breakout season is the follow up season. Was that breakout year a fluke?... Read More

Age 27 Hitters Primed For A Big Season

The Called Shot, The Billy Goat & The 27 Year Old Throughout its long history, the game of baseball has been surrounded by legends and folklore. Many of us are familiar with Babe Ruth’s called shot, where he pointed to the centerfield bleachers and hit a home run to that very same spot on the next... Read More

Joey Votto (1B, CIN) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target ~8th Round ANALYSIS: In 2014, perennial All-Star Joey Votto watched his entire game sink to career lows as he battled through a left quadriceps strain, which would end up costing him 100 games. All reports out of Reds camp so far this spring suggest that the injury is behind the former MVP. “I’m... Read More

Three First Basemen Who Will Outperform Their 2015 ADP

Bang For Your Draft Day Buck First base is a treasure trove for bargain hunters this year with three players in particular standing out. All three struggled in 2014 and have seen their draft day stock plummet as a result. Ready for some 2015 fantasy baseball bounceback candidates? Let's begin with Mr. Second Breakfast himself...  ... Read More

Top Five Hitters Due for a Bounceback in 2015: Fantasy Baseball Predictions

  We're Baaaaaaaack! What constitutes a bounceback or rebound year for hitters? For the sake of this list, I’m going to provide you with 10 hitters who should return to career averages or at least provide you with more than they gave in 2014.   Below are the first 5 hitters who should return you great “value”... Read More

Jay Bruce (OF, CIN) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target ~80 Overall ANALYSIS: Jay Bruce has been a favorite of mine for the last three years, but he really killed us last year. Bruce was just awful in 2014, and it can be attributed to injuries. Somehow, he managed to talk the Reds into allowing him back on the field 14 days after tearing his meniscus... Read More

Predicting the Top Ten Finishers for Saves in 2015

  Saves can be one of the most volatile categories for fantasy owners. Often, a pitcher will have the closer’s role seemingly locked up only to be ousted after a slow start to the season. Many believe that the only key to racking up a lot of saves is to pick a closer for a winning team.... Read More

Joey Votto (CIN, 1B) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Rounds 6-8 ANALYSIS: Joey Votto is arguably the most polarizing player in baseball. Sabermetricians praise his game of prioritizing reaching base. Old-school baseball fans believe that he should be willing to strike out at a higher rate to drive in more runs and hit more home runs. In spite of his... Read More

MLB Closer Breakdown: NL Central Edition - 2015 Fantasy Baseball

  We previously looked at the closer and bullpen situations in the AL East, AL Central, AL West, and NL East. Today we chck out the NL Central. Make sure to also bookmark our MLB Closer Depth Charts, which are updated every day for your viewing pleasure.   Chicago Cubs Head Honcho – Hector Rondon; Next in line –... Read More

Five Sabermetric Overperformers: 2014 Studs Due for Regression

Hitters and pitchers will disagree on the ratio - but there is a general idea in baseball that for every hard-hit out you make, a blooper will fall in for a hit. This idea that chance plays a part in the game is the concept underlying the definition of regression. A hitter can sting the... Read More

Reds Share Details on Rotation Plans: Cingrani to the Pen

After Latos and Simon were traded and Bailey was injured and deemed unable to start by Opening Day, the Reds have 3 rotation spots open with Cueto and Leake manning the top two positions. Early in the offseason, it looked as if Tony Cingrani and newly-acquired Anthony DeSclafani would be the choices for the spots... Read More

Cuban Defectors That Will Have Most Fantasy Impact In 2015

Cuba lost some of its top players as they signed blockbuster deals to come over and play in the MLB. Each team hopes their guy follows in the footsteps of last year’s Cuban defector Jose Abreu, who hit 36 home runs, 107 RBI and a .317 batting average, winning the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2014. There... Read More

Eugenio Suarez (SS, CIN) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target Late in Deep, NL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: Last season, Eugenio Suarez broke into the big leagues with the Tigers in June, who struggled to find a consistent shortstop after losing Jose Iglesias in Spring Training. Suarez spent five seasons in the minors before getting the call last year. He showed the ability to get... Read More

Eugenio Suarez: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Deep Sleeper

  Suarez Can Help Fantasy Owners Now and in the Future Last season, Eugenio Suarez broke into the big leagues with the Detroit Tigers, who struggled to find a consistent presence at shortstop after losing Jose Iglesias in Spring Training to stress fractures in both shins. When the season started, Alex Gonzalez filled that role,... Read More

Devin Mesoraco Out Indefinitely With Concussion

Cincinnati Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco will be sidelined indefinitely after suffering his third concussion as a pro. He suffered the injury in the Red’s Saturday game against the Kansas City Royals. There is no timetable for his return as the Reds start to look for help filling his void to start the season. The 26-year-old... Read More

Top Five Starting Pitchers Due for Regression: Fantasy Baseball Predictions

  The Regression Monster Cometh While it isn’t an end-all, be-all stat – because those don’t exist – FIP is a much better tool for analyzing pitchers and predicting future performance than raw ERA. Case in point: In the past three seasons, the 10 pitchers who outperformed the FIP by the highest margins saw their... Read More

Billy Hamilton (OF, CIN) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target as OF2 ANALYSIS: Billy Hamilton's 56 SB last year still were good for the second-most in the league (Dee Gordon, 64). However, Hamilton left a lot to be desired last year, with only 72 runs scored and a mediocre .250 batting average. Understandably, Hamilton owners were driven crazy by his inconsistency, but he... Read More

Billy Hamilton: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Outfield Sleeper

The Flash, Sometimes While Billy Hamilton didn't steal 100 bases last year, his 56 still were good for the second-mostin the league (Dee Gordon, 64). However, Hamilton left more to be desired last year, with only 72 runs scored and a mediocre .250 batting average. Understandably, Hamilton owners were driven crazy by his inconsistency. It was... Read More

Tony Cingrani (SP, CIN) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Analysis

CURRENT ADP: 325 RANKINGS STATUS: Undervalued ANALYSIS: An injury to the shoulder and a breakout campaign by Alfredo Simon limited the production of Tony Cingrani in 2014. He was unable to match his rookie season success in which he logged 104.2 innings with a 2.94 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and 120 strikeouts (an incredible 10.4 K/9)... Read More

Jay Bruce (OF, CIN) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Rounds 7-9 ANALYSIS: Jay Bruce smacked 34 HR in 2013, driving in 109 runs and finishing tenth in MVP voting. But in 2014, his numbers fell significantly, as he hit just .217 with only 18 HR, marking the first time in his seven-year career that he didn't reach 20 HR. Following knee surgery... Read More

Jay Bruce: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Undervalued Outfielder

Jay Bruce is a Bounce-Back Candidate for 2015 With the exception of 2014, Cincinnati's Jay Bruce has tallied 20+ HR in each of his 7 MLB seasons. His highest totals came during the 2011, 2012, and 2013 seasons, in which he hit 32, 34, and 30, respectively. In 2013 he also drove in 109 RBI... Read More