Later-Round First Basemen - Targets and Avoids

Once you reach the later rounds of drafts, you start thinking about upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. These are the rounds to take risks on more unknown commodities like prospects, forgotten-about veterans, players returning from injuries or players that have previously showed promise but haven't put it all together yet. […]

Jake Bauers (1B/OF, CLE) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 215 CURRENT ADP: ~231 overall ANALYSIS: Jake Bauers exploded onto the fantasy landscape last summer only to fall off late in the season. Primarily a first baseman, Bauers also has shown the ability to play a decent outfield spot and should bounce between the two in Cleveland with a line-up still in […]

Trevor Williams (SP, PIT) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 250 CURRENT ADP: ~390 overall ANALYSIS: After being acquired by the Pirates from the Marlins in 2015, Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Trevor Williams made his MLB debut in 2016 and then pitched 150 1/3 innings in 2017.  His 7-7 record and 4.36 ERA in 99 first half innings in 2018 […]

Josh Hayes' 2019 Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. The fantasy baseball season is here! For those fantasy players looking to get an edge on their 2019 leagues, Best Ball formats are a great way to get a head start on the players that look to be ADP risers this season. One key […]

Top 10 Second Base Prospects - 2019 Redraft Rankings

Continuing our 2019 prospect preview series, the stop today is at the keystone - second base. As noted in the other pieces so far on the position, second base offers a ton of variety in terms of the player profiles, future roles, and proximity to the Majors. In general, though, the players on this list […]

Tyler Clippard Signs With Indians

The Cleveland Indians signed free-agent relief pitcher Tyler Clippard on Wednesday. It's a minor league deal, but Clippard can make $1.75 million if he's on the major league roster with an additional $1 million in incentives. The 34-year-old journeyman reliever had a 3.67 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings with seven […]

RotoBaller's Industry Experts Mock Draft - The King's Perspective

At RotoBaller, we recently assembled a group of fantasy baseball experts to take part in the RotoBaller Friends and Family Expert Mock Draft. Our participants came from all over the industry, representing a host of various sites such as: CBS Sports (Heath Cummings) The Athletic (Nando Di Fino) Fantasy Alarm (Howard Bender) Fangraphs (Alex Chamberlain) […]

Three Up, Three Down for Prospects - Outfielder

The outfield is one of the deepest spots right now in fantasy baseball with names like Ronald Acuna Jr., Victor Robles, and Juan Soto dominating early draft boards for 2019. The minors remain stocked with exciting players, and new talent is still on its way to the Major Leagues, just in time for dynasty and […]

ADP Debate - Rick Porcello vs Shane Bieber

While participating in a fantasy baseball draft, you’ll undoubtedly face numerous hair-pulling decisions that could either make or break your season. Here at RotoBaller, we care about your luscious locks, so we divulge into these anxious situations before they happen to make it easier for you on draft day. Speaking of lack of hair, Rick […]

Carlos Santana Could See Time In Outfield

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona said the team is considering using first baseman Carlos Santana in the outfield this year. Santana could also serve as the primary designated hitter if Jake Bauers ends up playing first base regularly. The 32-year-old Santana has played only 10 games in the outfield in his career after spending most […]

Top 10 Catcher Prospects - 2019 Redraft Rankings

Catching as a position has gotten the brunt of fantasy angst over the past few seasons, with wRC+ rates well below league average. And yet, this is precisely the reason that owners should be looking to add the young talent that will be taking these spots in the Majors sooner rather than later. Owning talent […]

NFBC Draft and Hold Strategy - Late-Round Offensive Category Targets (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. With the growing interest in draft-and-hold formats, new draft strategy prep is critical for full season runs at the title. For those who are new to the format, typically teams draft 27 starters in a live draft, with 27 players joining the team in […]

Three Up, Three Down for Prospects - Starting Pitchers

A starter, a starter! My fantasy league for a starter! We're still three months away from the start of the season, but now is the perfect time to take a look at some starting pitcher prospects on the rise and some that need to turn things around. Last season saw several pitchers make their highly […]

Bradley Zimmer Looking Good In Rehab

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona had good things to say about outfielder Bradley Zimmer's (shoulder) rehab. "I’d be comfortable saying he is kind of knocking it out of the park. He’s really gotten after it. He’s doing really well. He’s coming quick. He has a ways to go, but he’s done a terrific job," Francona […]

ADP Cost Analysis - Mitch Haniger vs. Michael Brantley

The exciting young gun versus the proven veteran. A sports debate older than fantasy baseball itself, and a decision we’re faced with at every draft pick. That’s why we’re comparing the young gun (Mitch Haniger) to the proven veteran (Michael Brantley), two outfielders within the same sub-elite yet startable tier that owners must decide between […]

2019 Bullpen Outlooks - American League West

Last up in our coverage of the bullpens in each division is the American League West. The AL West has some solid bullpens and some huge question marks. Two teams feature closers who are brand new to their team and the other three will have relievers returning to their roles. There are both high-upside and […]

Michael Pineda - The Dogma of Disappointment Returns

In fantasy baseball, there’s always that player who underperforms during a season and gets plenty of hype going into the following year. We all have the belief that good fortune will come at a low cost. For most of his career, Michael Pineda has been the epitome of this type of player. If you’ve ever […]

Trevor Bauer To Make $13 Million In 2019

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer won his salary arbitration case and will make $13 million in 2019 instead of the $11 million the Indians offered. Bauer's Cy Young season was interrupted by a fractured leg in the second half, but it was still an all-out success in 2018 in what was his breakout year. […]

2019 MLB Fantasy Outlooks - Starting Pitchers

Here at RotoBaller, we've been producing fantasy baseball analysis all offseason. As part of that, our awesome MLB team has written up detailed 2019 fantasy baseball outlooks for 400+ players. These player outlooks include RotoBaller's analysis on how we expect a player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting […]

Danny Salazar Hopes To Pitch Late In Spring Training

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Danny Salazar (shoulder) is playing catch, but his goal is to be back on the mound by the end of spring training. If he's able to achieve that goal, he thinks he will be ready to pitch in a game before the All-Star break. The 29-year-old didn't pitch at all in […]

Three Up, Three Down for Prospects - Catcher

While this is not a hot take, the catcher position has been dreadful for fantasy owners over the past few seasons. And yet, this does not mean that catching prospects are also on the decline. For example, this writer has four catchers in the top-60 dynasty prospect rankings, and two close to jumping into that […]

Corey Kluber Likely To Stay With Indians

Trade talks surrounding Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber have quieted to a whisper of late and multiple sources said there is almost no chance that the two-time American League Cy Young winner will be dealt before the start of spring training. The Indians aren't expected to be receptive to trade talks during spring training […]

Melky Cabrera Agrees With Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a minor league deal with free-agent outfielder Melky Cabrera on Sunday, according to sources. The 34-year-old outfielder should have a decent shot at making the Opening Day roster in Pittsburgh, especially with right fielder Gregory Polanco not expected to be ready. Cabrera hit .280/.335/.420 with six home runs and 39 […]

Alex Wilson Agrees With Indians

The Cleveland Indians agreed to a minor league deal with free-agent relief pitcher Alex Wilson on Friday, according to a league source. He will make $1.25 million if he makes the big league roster and can earn an extra $750,000 in performance bonuses. Wilson had a 3.36 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 6.3 K/9 in 61 […]

Francisco Lindor Could Miss All Of Spring Training

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf) is dealing with a right calf strain and could miss all of spring training. The Indians expect him to "return to major league game activity" in seven to nine weeks. While this is definitely concerning, it doesn't necessarily mean that Lindor won't be ready for the regular season, but […]

Indians Sign Matt Joyce

The Cleveland Indians signed free-agent outfielder Matt Joyce to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training on Friday. The 11-year veteran announced the move on his Twitter page. Joyce had 25 home runs and 68 RBI in 2017 but played in just 83 games for the A's last year due to back […]

2019 Bullpen Outlooks - American League Central

Moving right along with our pre-season coverage of the bullpens around the league, let's give the American League Central a look. Most "baseball people" are predicting the AL Central to be one of the worst divisions in the league in 2019, but that doesn't mean there won't be plenty of fantasy value coming out of […]

ADP Champ or Chump - Nick Pivetta and Victor Robles

As a general rule, fantasy owners like to play with shiny new toys. Victor Robles has less than 100 MLB PAs to his credit but is frequently taken just outside the top-100 based on his speed. The current 21-year-old (he turns 22 in May) has talent, but this writer sees several red flags that may […]

J.T. Realmuto to Phillies - Fantasy Impact

While Manny Machado and Bryce Harper remain on the free agent market as spring training approaches, the Phillies have continued to improve their 2019 roster via other means. After trading for Jean Segura and inking Andrew McCutchen and David Robertson to three-year deals in free agency, Philadelphia brought star catcher J.T. Realmuto into the fold […]

Brewers Sign Josh Tomlin

The Milwaukee Brewers signed free-agent starting pitcher Josh Tomlin to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training on Thursday, according to a source. The veteran right-hander will receive a $1.25 million base salary if he's in the majors and can reach $2.25 million with incentives based on innings pitched. He can max […]