Francisco Lindor Still Uncertain For Opening Day

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor's (calf) status for Opening Day on March 28 remains uncertain. However, he batted every inning in a modified minor league game on Wednesday and went 0-for-6 with two walks in eight plate appearances. Lindor doesn't think he needs to play in a Cactus League game to be ready for the […]

ADP Champ or Chump - Jackie Bradley Jr. and Juan Soto

You've probably heard people say that position scarcity is dead, as there is plenty of talent available at every offensive position save catcher and all catchers are about the same level of blech. This is true in standard 12-team leagues and some deeper formats, but it's not the case in the deepest leagues (20+ teams) […]

Updated Catcher Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with everyone's favorite - the catcher position. With the 2019 season beginning in a matter of days, RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel have given their preseason rankings a final update. Check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard for a current […]

Francisco Lindor Close To Running Bases

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf) played in another four or five innings on the minor league side on Tuesday and simulated running the bases before the game. The next step for him will be to run the bases at full intensity. Lindor's value has dropped a tad because it looks like he won't be […]

Jon Denzler's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

With official regular season games on the horizon, there is one last tradition to the fantasy offseason: bold predictions. Those articles that will populate our sites, and others, with the predictions of what might happen during the upcoming campaign. And yet, it is baseball, and as the Moneyball quote says, “You still have to play […]

Updated Second Base Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with the second base position. With the 2019 season kicking off in a matter of days, RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel have given their preseason rankings a final update. Check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard for a current list […]

Updated First Base Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

The clock ticks ever closer to Opening Day and we here at RotoBaller are back to give one final round of position-by-position analysis with a mixed-league, 5x5 framework. We’re going to start at the most glorious position on the field: first base. No, I didn’t play first myself, why do you ask? While there are […]

Corey Kluber Gets Lit Up in the Fourth Inning on Sunday

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings on Sunday. He made it through the first three innings just fine, but the fourth inning hit him hard. His ERA in the Cactus League is now 9.82, but it's spring training, and no one cares (yet). It could knock him […]

ADP Draft Sleepers Tool - Quickly Find Draft Day Gems

RotoBaller Premium Subscribers can click here to access the ADP Draft Sleepers Tool. RotoBaller’s ADP Draft Sleepers Tool is a powerful yet simple tool that can help you unearth fantasy baseball gems on draft day. It's a sleek tool that's easy to use, and will have a huge effect on your draft selections and help you […]

Shane Bieber's Spring Line Standing Out

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Shane Bieber is sporting a 0.64 ERA, 0.36 WHIP and .067 batting average against in four games started this spring. He posted a top-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio as a rookie and already has great core skills, although he obviously won't be this good during the regular season. The 23-year-old went 11-5 with […]

Dynasty Buy or Sell - Catchers, First Base, Second Base

As the season continues to drag closer, fantasy baseball owners are waiting, or willing, to make that first move of the year. For dynasty owners, this means trading talent for future assets or plugging those gaps that currently exist on teams hoping to compete. And yet, the other concern for owners is what players are […]

Indians Agree With Carlos Gonzalez

The Cleveland Indians agreed to a one-year deal with free-agent outfielder Carlos Gonzalez on Saturday worth $2 million in base salary with $1 million in incentives. Car-Go will also receive a non-roster invite to spring training. The left-handed slugger hit .276/.329/.467 with 16 home runs in 132 games in his final season with Colorado. The […]

Top 690: Updated H2H Points League Rankings

Welcome back RotoBallers. Spring training is in full swing, and we couldn't be more excited for fantasy baseball drafts and the approaching MLB season. Below you will find our staff's updated fantasy baseball points league rankings (top 690) for head-to-head points formats. Be sure to also check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard and bookmark that page. It's loaded […]

More Hot September Hitters Ready to Break Out in 2019

We all want to find the next breakout player that can serve as that hidden gem in the later rounds of fantasy drafts. Sometimes a look at the second half of last season can provide us with valuable hints as to who is ready to take a big step forward. I already looked at three […]

Is It Legit? Harrison Bader's Breakout

We're still going strong with our preseason edition of "Is It Legit?" to discuss a surprising breakout performer from the 2018 MLB season in order to assess his value heading into 2019. With so many players seemingly becoming fantasy baseball darlings overnight, it can be challenging to sift through the multiple hype trains and determine […]

Top 770: Updated 5x5 Roto Rankings (Mixed Leagues)

Welcome back RotoBallers. Spring training is in full swing, and we couldn't be more excited for fantasy baseball drafts and the approaching MLB season. Below you will find our staff's updated fantasy baseball mixed league rankings (top 770) for 5x5 category mixed roto formats. Be sure to also check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard and bookmark that page. […]

Tyler Clippard to Miss Time With a Pectoral Strain

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Tyler Clippard will miss the next three to four weeks due to a mild pectoral strain. Clippard was removed from a March 9 appearance and felt continued discomfort when attempting to restart his throwing program this week. Clippard is competing for a spot in the Cleveland bullpen, but he will now […]

Starting Pitchers Who'll Continue to Break Out in 2019

I'm sure many of you are familiar with the concept of "TINSTAAPP". Spelled out it means "There's No Such Thing As A Pitching Prospect" and it basically implies that it's impossible to predict which starting pitching prospects will pan out and which will flame out. There are plenty of examples in both directions; for example, […]

Predicting the Top 10 Finishers for RBI in 2019

If you so much as mention the acronym "RBI" in the wrong baseball circles these days, you run the risk of being ridiculed. Because RBI is such an opportunity-driven statistic, it is no longer viewed as an accurate measurement of a player's overall value. J.T. Realmuto didn't have any control over the on-base percentages of […]

Where Do Elite Starters Come From?

Among expert drafts, starting pitchers are coming off the board earlier and more rapidly than in previous years. For instance, the LABR mixed league saw nine starters drafted in the first two rounds in comparison to just six in 2018 and five in 2017. Pitcher selection in expert drafts has been somewhat more aggressive than […]

Breakout Relievers Who'll Keep Succeeding in 2019

"Don't pay for saves." That has always been the advice repeated ad nauseum by veteran fantasy baseball players and while that sentiment is true on the surface, dealing with bullpens in fantasy baseball is a lot murkier in 2019 than it was in 2009. With specialized pitching roles leading to starters being left in the game […]

Bradley Zimmer Getting Close To Game Action

Cleveland Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer, who underwent arthroscopic surgery to fix the labrum in his right shoulder last July, is hoping to get into a spring game soon. The 26-year-old has already been taking batting practice on the field and has received some at-bats in simulated games. He's also scheduled to throw from the outfield […]

Francisco Lindor Will Play in a Controlled Game on Wednesday

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf) will play in a "controlled" game in minor league camp on Wednesday. He is expected to get three at bats and will only jog if he puts the ball in play. He will also play what is being called "controlled" defense. Lindor hurt his calf in February and may […]

Nick Mariano's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

2018 was a banner season for baseball's Marianos, as Mariano Rivera was headed full steam ahead towards a unanimous Hall of Fame entry and yours truly was cruising with the most accurate fantasy baseball ranks of the season per FantasyPros, unbeknownst to me until recently. I'm still riding high off of that and you're all […]

Corey Kluber Coughs Up Three Runs in First Cactus League Action

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber made his Cactus League debut on Monday and allowed three runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings of work. Kluber had been working in simulated games before Monday's almost-real game debut. It's not the usual dominance expected from Kluber, but it's still early and he'll be ready to […]

Kyle Bishop's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

2018 was a season to forget for yours truly, both in terms of fantasy performance and hit rate on bold predictions. In the first three years as a participant in this feature, I connected on three per article, with a few others in the realm of respectable. Last year? An 0-fer, and most of them […]

JB's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

It is such an honor to have been selected to hit lead-off for the 2019 RotoBaller staff Bold Predictions. Sure, I asked for it due to time constraints but that's not how I will tell my story to the grand-kids. Bold predictions are everyone's favorite articles. They are fun, not always entirely plausible, while still […]

One Dollar Bids - Auction Draft Targets

Auction drafts are an interesting animal. This especially comes through at the end of drafts. In a snake draft, that sleeper you really wanted may get picked just before your turn, but if he does get to your spot, he's yours. In an auction draft, someone you had tabbed as a $1 sleeper can be […]

When and How Do You Target Sleepers on Draft Day?

If you're the type of fantasy baseball enthusiast who enjoys the preparation as much as the draft itself, chances are you've been filing away names as potential under-the-radar breakout candidates. Maybe you've got your eye on a young utility player who is one injury away from regular playing time (not that anyone should be rooting […]

Predicting the Top 10 Home Run Hitters of 2019

Last year 14 players hit over 35 or more home runs; the year before that it was 18. The point is, narrowing such an impressive pool of players down to 10 is challenging. The list is realistic but I wanted to be slightly bold as well. It wouldn’t be much of a prediction if we […]