Break the League: The ESPN Points League Ranker

It might always be in fashion to go after the worldwide leader but this not just some critique de rigueur of their points game and coverage. I actually have a soft spot for ESPN as they were home to my original league for years and our scoring is somewhat similar to their default settings. When […]

Mike Clevinger Feels Good Coming Out Of Bullpen Session

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (knee) took the mound at the Indians spring training facility on Monday in his first bullpen session since having surgery to repair his partially torn meniscus. Clevinger underwent the procedure on Feb. 14 and has since made it a goal to return on the quicker end of his six- […]

2019 Busts Who'll Keep Junking it Up - Infielders

Nothing grinds a fantasy owner's gears quite like a bust. Well, maybe unpaid league dues, but busts are a close second. It doesn't feel good to stare at your lineup all-season and watch a high draft pick torpedo your team's chances at glory. Spurned owners tend to avoid the players who've burned them, but a […]

Eric Samulski's 10 Bold Predictions for 2020

I've read these columns for years, so it's kind of surreal to be putting out my own. As somebody who constantly over-analyzes, I tend to be less risky in my fantasy decisions because a part of my brain always walks me back from the ledge. With that in mind, I tried to mix up the […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook - Injuries, Risers, and Fallers (3/10/20)

Welcome to the Spring Training Notebook for March 10, 2020, where we'll dive into a few of the bigger stories around Major League Baseball's Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. As we head through the thick of Spring Training 2020, players are starting to separate themselves in the eyes of their organizations with hopes of making the […]

Francisco Lindor, Indians Suspend Contract Talks

The Cleveland Indians and star shortstop Francisco Lindor have suspended contract extension talks, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reports. Lindor could still sign a deal with the Indians following the season but will focus on his on-field performance for the time being. "We had good conversations. We couldn't come up with an agreement," Lindor told […]

Tyler Naquin Will Need Doctor's Clearance

Cleveland Indians outfielder Tyler Naquin (knee) will need to go back to Texas to meet with his doctor before being officially cleared to resume full baseball activities, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. He suffered a torn ACL after colliding with an outfield wall in 2019 and had surgery in September. Naquin should be able to […]

Mike Clevinger Will Throw Bullpen Session Monday

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (knee) will throw his first bullpen session Monday after having surgery to repair his partially torn meniscus on Feb. 14, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. He bumped up his rehab last week, throwing from flat ground at 150 feet. This is the next step for Clevinger, who hopes to […]

Late-Round Second Basemen - 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 […]

David A Marcillo's Bold Bullpen Predictions for 2020

Updated on July 6: I stand by all of these predictions! There were plenty of surprises in the last few baseball seasons, including some huge ones that we didn't really find out about until 2020. There's no reason to think that this year will be any less surprising, and if anything, there's plenty to go […]

ADP Champ or Chump: Kole Calhoun and Rafael Devers

Welcome! This column takes a deep dive into two player profiles to determine if they represent value at their current draft day cost or if you would be better off looking at similarly-priced options. We incorporate every grain of relevant data we can, including info from Baseball Savant, Roster Resource, FanGraphs, FantasyPros, and Baseball Prospectus. […]

ESPN ADP Comparison - Overpriced / Underpriced Players

Average Draft Position (ADP) is a must-have piece of information when it comes to drafting. While every league is different and may have a particularly aggressive or conservative group of owners when it comes to certain players, it’s the best tool we have when analyzing players’ value. Now, instead of just talking about total ADP […]

Introducing the RotoBaller Points League Ranker Tool

Its time to shine some love down on point league players and help you crush your leagues with easy to understand and easy to leverage information that will put you streets ahead of the average competition. That's right, you over there who was thrilled last year to draft Ronald Acuna Jr. in the first round […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook - Injuries, Risers, and Fallers (3/9/20)

Welcome to the Spring Training Notebook for March 9, 2020, where we'll dive into a few of the bigger stories around Major League Baseball's Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. As we head through the thick of Spring Training 2020, players are starting to separate themselves in the eyes of their organizations with hopes of making the […]

Joining the Launch Angle Revolution: Potential Power Risers

Launch angle has become perhaps the trendiest stat in all of fantasy baseball. If you turn on any podcast, you hear analysts mentioning that "if a player could only increase his launch angle, he could be a stud" (cough - Yandy Diaz - cough). Often, I think this analysis is oversimplified. Launch angle is obviously […]

Oscar Mercado's MRI Confirms Mild Sprain

Cleveland Indians outfielder Oscar Mercado's (wrist) MRI results confirmed a mild sprain. Mercado sustained the injury while making a diving catch during Thursday's Cactus League game against the Giants. He's being listed as day-to-day and is still hoping to be ready for Opening Day. Mercado started 77 games for Cleveland last year and hit .269 […]

Carlos Carrasco Dealing With Elbow Inflammation

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (elbow) will have his next start bumped back a few days because the right-hander is dealing with mild elbow inflammation. Manager Terry Francona doesn't seem too concerned about it, however. “Every spring after his first outing, he gets mild elbow inflammation,” Francona said. “I would call it more maintenance than anything.” […]

Predicting the Top-10 Finishers in ERA for 2020

Earned Run Average (ERA) is one of the most important stats when it comes to pitching. The best pitchers in the league have the lowest ERA, because, quite simply, if a pitcher doesn’t let up runs, they are inherently more valuable. Determining the top ERA leaders for the upcoming season can be extremely useful, because […]

2020 Shortstop Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues

As the season draws near, we realize suddenly that it's draft season. There is a large portion of fantasy baseball busy with mock drafts, rankings, sleepers, and more mock drafts. The Dynasty community, on the other hand, is looking to continue their dominance, rebuild, or in a worst-case scenario, stick their hands up in frustration. […]

2020 Fantasy Baseball Busts - RotoBaller Staff Picks

As you prepare for fantasy baseball drafts in 2020, it's crucial that you avoid the dreaded bust who could sink your team. As we did with sleepers, our staff came together to share their thoughts on preseason ADP values, this time on their least favorite picks. While you've likely heard some of these names already […]

Shane Bieber To Start On Opening Day

The Cleveland Indians officially named starting pitcher Shane Bieber as the starter for Opening Day on March 26 against the Tigers. Bieber struck out seven with no walks in a dominating four-inning performance against the A's on Friday and has allowed just two hits and a walk in 7 2/3 innings in the Cactus League. […]

Roberto Perez Ready To Take Next Step

Cleveland Indians catcher Roberto Perez (ankle) is coming into the 2020 season feeling healthy and energized. Perez had offseason surgery to remove bone spurs in his right ankle and hopes to improve on last year's breakout season. “So far by hitting and catching, my movement is a lot better, my range of motion is much […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook - Injuries, Risers, Position Battles (3/6/20)

Welcome to the first edition of our Spring Training Notebook, where we'll dive into a few of the bigger stories around Major League Baseball's Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. As we head through the thick of Spring Training 2020, players are starting to separate themselves in the eyes of their organizations with hopes of making the […]

Using Expected Draft Values to Find Over and Undervalued Speed Hitters

A couple weeks ago, we introduced our Expected Draft Values and explained how they would 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 four "speed" players as identified by our site projections. Stay tuned over the […]

Oscar Mercado Diagnosed With Sprained Wrist

Cleveland Indians center fielder Oscar Mercado was diagnosed with a sprained left wrist, Zack Mesiel of The Athletic reports. Mercado sustained the injury while making a diving catch during Thursday's Cactus League game against the Giants. He's being listed as day-to-day but will undergo further testing Friday morning. Mercado started 77 games for Cleveland last […]

Shortstop & Third Base ADP Debates: Fantasy Baseball 2020 ADP Analysis

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2020 fantasy baseball season and keeps you updated with all the latest news and analysis. Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - every weekday morning between 6-7 AM ET, every weekday afternoon from 1-2 PM ET and Saturday nights from 9-11 PM […]

The 10 Commandments of Auction Drafts

As I've said before, there is no one right way to play fantasy baseball, but auction drafts are the closest you can get. As opposed to the more popular but less fun snake draft, in an auction you can acquire the rights to literally any player you want in the game. You don't have to […]

Oscar Mercado (OF, CLE) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~85-100 CURRENT ADP: ~116 overall ANALYSIS: Oscar Mercado flashed his dual-threat ability in his 2019 rookie campaign by slashing .269/.318/.443 with 15 HR, 54 RBI, 70 R, and 15 SB. He managed to do this in 438 at-bats after getting called up in the middle of May. What can he do with […]

Triston McKenzie Could Make Spring Debut Soon

Cleveland Indians pitching prospect Triston McKenzie (back, pectoral), who missed the entire 2019 season with injuries, could see action in a spring training game soon, but the Indians are still trying to determine what is best for the youngster. McKenzie hasn't pitched in a game since August of 2018, but he's thrown in live batting […]

Mike Clevinger Making Promising Progress

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger's (knee) extended his flat-ground throwing sessions to 150 feet on Tuesday and moved to the mound to start doing simulations on the mound to test his surgically repaired knee. Clevinger said "it was a really, really, really promising day of catch." He's been pleased to be pain-free so far, […]