Mark Canha (1B/OF, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Very Deep Leagues / Draft Target Late OWNED IN: 0% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: A Rule 5 selection this offseason, Mark Canha will platoon with Ike Davis at first base in Oakland. While it’s not ideal, being on the short-side of the platoon where he will get fewer at-bats, it gives fantasy owners,... Read More

Kendall Graveman (SP, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues / Draft Target Late OWNED IN: 8% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Sometimes you just get a good vibe about a pitcher. If you’ve paid attention to the sound bytes coming out of A’s camp, they are extremely high on Graveman, who they acquired from Toronto in the controversial Josh Donaldson trade... Read More

Fantasy Baseball Spring Stock Watch: Deep League Waiver Adds

Deep leagues don’t get enough attention. I hear you. It’s also true that your definition of a deep league might be a shallow league to someone else. It's considerably more difficult to write about deeper formats, which is why most fantasy writers stay away. With all of the roster moves taking place around the league,... Read More

Jesse Hahn (SP, OAK) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target ~240 Overall ANALYSIS: It’s not often that minor league statistics can be used to predict the performance of a future major leaguer, but when it comes to Jesse Hahn, it’s safe to say the writing has been on the wall all along. Hahn has just 73.1 innings of major league experience, but in... Read More

Scott Kazmir (SP, OAK) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft Target in Mid-to-Late Rounds ANALYSIS: With a current ADP of around 195 Scott Kazmir finds himself on our list of ADP draft sleepers for starting pitchers, and is in a position to return a healthy return on his draft day investment. Kazmir had practically fallen off the face of the baseball earth before joining on... Read More

Top Five Second Base Sleepers for 2015: Hitters Who Will Outperform Their ADP

  Five Undervalued Second Basemen for 2015 You've got the strongest pitching staff in your league. Your outfield is stacked. You make sure to pick up a catcher early, pick up a hard-hitting first baseman, and - oh no - all of the decent second basemen are gone. It's common knowledge that one must focus... Read More

5 AL Players Whose New Teams Will Impact Their Performance

Who Will Be Helped or Hurt by a Change of Scenery? J.A. Happ, Seattle Mariners Let’s be honest: Happ did not post Cy Young-caliber numbers in his most recent campaign. A 4.22 ERA and lackluster 7.6 K/9 IP made Happ one of many problems for the Blue Jays in 2014. That’s exactly why a transition... Read More

Fantasy Baseball Spring Stock Watch: Semien, Norris, Betts, Davis

  Welcome to the Stock Watch First of all, welcome to the RotoBaller fantasy baseball “Stock Watch”. This will be a recurring weekly column which attempts to gauge the value of certain hitters and pitchers who are trending in the right and wrong direction. The goal is to help you make more informed decisions with... Read More

Evaluating the A's Outfield After Josh Reddick's Injury: Fantasy Analysis

On March 7th it was announced that A's Outfielder Josh Reddick will miss 4 to 6 weeks with a strained oblique. Reddick was poised to be a main run producer for a lineup already missing 3 of last years opening day starters: Yoenis Cespedes, Brandon Moss, and Josh Donaldson. With these stars out of the... Read More

Save Prospecting: Top Five Non-Closing AL Relief Pitchers

Last week I looked at the top five non-closer NL relief pitcher options. Today we take a look at the top AL relief pitchers currently not occupying closer roles.   Top Five Non-Closing AL Relievers Wade Davis - RHP, Kansas City Royals If we are talking about American League bullpens, you have to start the... Read More

Marcus Semien (2B/3B, OAK) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target as MI in late rounds ANALYSIS: Marcus Semien should see consistent playing time in Oakland (unlike during his tenure with the White Sox), not only due to his position versatility, but also because of Oakland’s glaring need for middle infield help. Semien’s major league stolen base numbers don’t jump off the page, but in 2013... Read More

Marcus Semien: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Middle Infield Sleeper

With 85 games under his MLB belt and still just 24 years old, newly acquired right-handed-hitting Marcus Semien could provide a lot of value to the Oakland Athletics and fantasy owners alike this season. The former White Sox second baseman should see an ample amount of playing time in Oakland, while possibly maintaining eligibility at... Read More

MLB Closer Breakdown: AL West Edition - 2015 Fantasy Baseball

  Los Angeles Angels The Angels received Huston Street in a six-player trade in July of last year, and they were not disappointed. He converted 23 of his 24 save chances with the Padres, and would go on to save 17 more games for the Halos in an All-Star caliber season. The 41 saves were... Read More

A Look Ahead: The Top 5 Free Agents of 2016 by WAR

Poet Alexander Pope once wrote "hope springs eternal," but had he ever gotten the chance to attend Spring Training he may have shuffled those words around and come out with something along the lines of "spring brings eternal hope." Spring Training is finally in full swing and with those familiar sounds of bat on ball... Read More

Pitchers Advanced Statistics: Keys to Analyzing Fantasy Trends

Advanced Pitcher Stats for Fantasy Baseball One of the most misunderstood books in the last decade or so was Moneyball, the Michael Lewis novel about the Oakland A's that really brought advanced statistical analysis into the mainstream. A lot of people thought it was just about valuing On-Base Percentage looking at college players, but those were just... Read More

Barry Zito, Oakland Athletics Sign Minor-League Deal

  After taking a year off from baseball, Barry Zito will return where it all started. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Oakland Athletics and Barry Zito agreed to a minor-league deal on Monday and it includes an invite to Spring Training. Blast from the past: Barry Zito is going to... Read More

Stephen Vogt (C, OAK) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Late Rounds as Backup Catcher ANALYSIS: Stephen Vogt had a modest fantasy year in 2014, with only nine HR, 35 RBI and a .279 AVG. With only one other catcher, Josh Phegley, on the A’s 40-man roster, expect Vogt to see a healthy increase in PA from the 287 he had last... Read More

Oakland's Catcher Platoon: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Sleepers

  Stephen Vogt and Josh Phegley Both Figure to be Sleepers in 2015 The magical world of Billy Beane and platooning every position on the diamond does not seem to be fading anytime soon. One of the more interesting platoons last year was the catcher platoon of Derek Norris, John Jaso, and Stephen Vogt. The... Read More

Athletics Flip Escobar to Nationals for Clippard

Only five days ago, Yunel Escobar was traded from the Rays to the Athletics along with Ben Zobrist. Now, Escobar is on the move again, this time to Washington, after Oakland general manager Billy Beane’s latest dealing. In a straight-up swap, the A’s have dealt Escobar to the Nationals for former All-Star reliever Tyler Clippard,... Read More

MLB Hot Stove 2015: Athletics Deal For Zobrist, Escobar

It’s been a busy offseason for Oakland general manager Billy Beane, seeking to rectify his club after a monumental collapse in 2014. He continued that trend by making a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. In a five-player trade, the Athletics acquired two-time All-Star Ben Zobrist and shortstop Yunel Escobar in exchange for catcher John... Read More

Putting the "O" in R.O.I.D.S to Find Late Round Sleepers

  My Apologies Let me start by offering my most sincere apology. I should not have offered nudes of my Dad, as I learned they are almost impossible to get. He has a beard and is quite wily. Nevertheless, in an attempt to reconcile, I offer a scintillating and sensual description of two of the downright... Read More

Josh Donaldson: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Third Base Sleeper

  Josh Donaldson Can Still Be a Sneaky Draft Day Value All-Star Josh Donaldson is taking his talents up north, crossing the border to the launching pad known as the Rogers Centre. This is great news for his fans and current owners. Donaldson’s trade was part of Billy Bean’s dismantling of the Oakland A’s. The trade was... Read More

Adam Dunn (1B / OF / DH, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in AL-Only Leagues / Deep Mixed Leagues for Power Boost ANALYSIS: Adam Dunn may be sacrificing the Hall of Fame by retiring at season's end, less than 40 home runs shy of 500, but is being given a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in his 14-year career. Even though... Read More

Getting A Grip On Holds: Relief Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups

While the holds statistic is even harder to predict than saves for closers, the players we highlight today feature some sleeper setup men and some relief pitchers looking to reclaim glory they once had. The more likely an MLB team is to win, the more likely these following relief pitchers will be eligible to earn the holds... Read More

Eric O'Flaherty (RP, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ANALYSIS: With the recent news that stud closer Sean Doolittle hit the DL, Eric O'Flaherty has stepped in as the Oakland closer and has made his way onto our waiver wire sleepers list for saves. Let's be honest here - there is no replacing Doolittle. He has been absolutely filthy this year. But... Read More

Getting A Grip On Holds: Relief Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups

While the holds statistic is even harder to predict than saves for closers, the players we highlight today feature some sleeper setup men and some looking to reclaim glory they once had. The more likely an MLB team is to win, the more likely these following relief pitchers will be eligible to earn the holds that could... Read More

Top 5 Hitter Streamers & Waiver Wire Targets For Week 22

Depending on the league you play in, your fantasy season may be almost over at this point in the year. Especially if you play in any sort of format involving a playoff bracket, this could very well be the last week that you have to make a difference before the playoff spots are determined. That... Read More

Fantasy Baseball Players Trending Up and Trending Down (Week 19)

The march to the fantasy baseball playoffs and league titles continues. Fortunately, I'll be providing you some handy insight into what players are getting hot at the right time and what players you need to ice. Depending on your team needs and what stats you need to focus on going forward, you may be able to find some sleepers... Read More

Josh Reddick (OF, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues / Stream in All Leagues ANALYSIS: Since coming off his most recent DL stint, Josh Reddick has been absolutely raking, and is the latest addition to our waiver wire sleepers list. If you need outfield help, have the ability to easily stream hot players, or are just looking to add some hitting... Read More

Top 5 Hitter Streamers For Week 19: Waiver Wire Targets

  The trade deadline has officially passed, and I for one must say it was a week to remember, to be sure. Lester is now an Oakland Athletic, David Price is now a Tiger, and somehow the former MVP candidate Allen Craig has found his way onto the Red Sox. Most importantly for fantasy owners,... Read More