What to Make of Jose Martinez, Matt Davidson, and a Couple Other Quick Starts

Even though it's barely 50 degrees in Brooklyn, it feels like spring is finally nigh now that the 2018 MLB season is underway. As a Yankees fan, I'd been especially looking forward to opening day ever since Giancarlo Stanton was signed. He certainly didn't disappoint when he launched an opposite field home run at 117 […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (3/31/18): MLB DFS Lineups

We've got a full slate of games on Saturday, and that means it's time to build some lineups. With several different contests being offered across DraftKings, we'll have lots of different lineup options. For our purposes, the following picks have been made for contests running all day. In this article, I will be providing you with […]

Today's Starting Pitcher Rankings (3/31/18)

Below you will find our fantasy baseball and DFS rankings for all of today's projected starting pitchers (March 31st). We published this column last year, and the feedback was great so here we are doing it again. Let us know what you think on Twitter too. The concept is pretty straight forward. We round up […]

Joe Musgrove Targeting Six Innings in Minor League Tuneup

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Joe Musgrove (shoulder) broke camp as the team's fifth starter and will pitch in a minor league tuneup game on Saturday before making his first start next weekend against the Cincinnati Reds. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Liz Bloom, Musgrove will pitch either six innings or until he hits 100 pitches. The […]

Felipe Rivero Has Nightmare Outing on Friday

Control was an issue for Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Rivero throughout spring training, and the problem reared its ugly head again on Opening Day. Even with a comfortable 10-6 lead in a non-save situation, the left-hander couldn't get out of the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers on Friday, allowing four runs on one hit […]

Josh Bell Racks Up Three Opening Day Hits

Expectations are high for Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell after finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting last year, and his first game of 2018 didn't disappoint. The switch-hitting slugger went 3-for-6 with three RBI and a run scored in his team's extra-inning win on Friday. He looked locked in after […]

Gregory Polanco Hits Go-Ahead HR in Pirates Win

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco wasted no time in putting his injury-filled 2017 in the rearview mirror. The 26-year-old smacked a go-ahead, three-run home run on Friday, giving his team a 13-10 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Opening Day. He filled up the stat sheet as well, going 3-for-5 with four RBI, a double, […]

Ivan Nova Dances Around Trouble, Turns In Solid Start

Although he dealt with command issues early on, Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Ivan Nova steadied himself and had a respectable outing against the Detroit Tigers on Friday. In his first Opening Day start, Nova lasted five innings and allowed two runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out four. It looked like his day […]

Colin Moran Batting Eighth on Opening Day

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Colin Moran is slotted to bat eighth on Opening Day versus the Detroit Tigers. The 25-year-old was acquired from the Houston Astros in January as a part of the Gerrit Cole trade and immediately supplanted David Freese as the starter at the hot corner. Moran unlocked some power in Triple-A last […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (3/30/18): MLB DFS Lineups

Thursday was Opening Day. Friday is Lefty Day. Ten left-handed pitchers take the mound in the 11-game slate. When building your DFS lineups, it’s important to note which players make specific appearances, or get boosted in the lineup, when a southpaw is on the hill.However, be aware that as soon as the lefty leaves the […]

Top 30 Impact Rookies for Fantasy Leagues (Preseason)

Hello everyone, and welcome to my weekly Top-30 Fantasy Rankings for Impact Rookies! In this series, I will be going over the top prospects in baseball and discussing which ones figure to have an impact for the rest of this fantasy baseball season. This might be one of the most star studded prospect lists to […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (3/29/18): MLB DFS Lineups

Happy Opening Day! Baseball is back, and that means it's time to build some lineups. We've got a nearly full slate of games and several different contests being offered across DraftKings, so you'll have lots of different lineup options. For our purposes, the following picks have been made for contests running all day. In this article, […]

Felipe Rivero Finishes Shaky Spring on High Note

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Felipe Rivero had a breakout 2017 and emerged as the team's closer, but his momentum didn't carry over into spring training. The left-hander allowed a 5.14 ERA (plus seven unearned runs) and struggled primarily with his command, walking five and allowing two home runs in only seven innings. Fortunately, Grapefruit League play […]

Francisco Cervelli Could Re-Emerge on Fantasy Rader After Hot Spring

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli had arguably the best spring training of any hitter on his club, slashing .405/.488/.838 with four home runs and 12 RBI in 15 games. The 32-year-old appears to be healthy for the first time in two years, and that could again make him an option for fantasy owners. Cervelli had […]

Gregory Polanco Batting Third in Pirates Opener

Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco will bat third on Opening Day against the Detroit Tigers. Whether he sticks in that spot moving forward is unknown, as Starling Marte doesn't figure to hit sixth all season and some shuffling will occur once the team gets out of interleague play after this weekend. Regardless, Polanco should […]

Outfielders Returning from Injury - 2018 Undervalued ADP Targets

Getting tagged "injury prone" can mean a lot of things to fantasy owners. The floor for a guy sitting on the DL is just that: the floor. A big fat goose egg at a position of importance can crater a season, and the guys in this piece all contributed to their fair share of zeros […]

Deeper NL Starting Pitcher Sleepers - Undervalued ADPs

Nothing helps deepen a fantasy rotation like scooping up late-round values. Having a few sleepers in your back pocket allows for a heavier investment in hitting earlier in the draft, and gives you some names to target once the player pool gets thin. For those who love to do last-minute drafts, start their league a […]

Top Starting Pitching Prospect Rankings - 2018 Impact Rookies for Fantasy Baseball

Welcome back, RotoBallers. All preseason I've been breaking down impact prospects by position. Today I'm bringing you my top 15 starting pitchers - MLB prospect rankings for the 2018 fantasy baseball season. The final positional prospect rankings of the offseason, the depth at starting pitcher is as it always seems to be--deep. There are tons […]

Top Fantasy Baseball Prospects - NL Central

The next stop in our journey through the top prospects in the league is the National League Central. The NL Central is home to some of the top pitching and outfield prospects in the National League, if not all of baseball. The Reds have one of the top 10 farm systems in baseball — as […]

Corey Dickerson Batting In Heart Of Pirates Lineup On Opening Day

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Corey Dickerson will bat fifth for the Pirates on Opening Day against starter Jordan Zimmermann and the Detroit Tigers. He's also expected to bat leadoff at times this year, though his power and low walk rate leave him better suited for the middle of the order. Dickerson was the team's biggest acquisition […]

Josh Bell To Bat Cleanup On Opening Day

After finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2017, Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell will bat fourth for the team on Opening Day. The 25-year-old batted .255/.334/.466 with 26 home runs and 90 RBI in his first full season and .294/.351/.608 with four homers and 12 RBI this spring. He's […]

Jameson Taillon Finishes Strong Spring On High Note

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jameson Taillon appears ready for the regular season after another strong outing on Tuesday in the team's final spring training game. The right-hander tossed three innings of shutout baseball, allowing only two hits and striking out four. He ends the spring with a 2.13 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 12 1/3 […]

Jordan Milbrath Returned to Cleveland

The Pittsburgh Pirates returned Rule 5 pick Jordan Milbrath to the Cleveland Indians, who then assigned him to the Triple-A Columbus roster. Milbrath was the eighth overall pick in the Rule 5 draft, but the Pirates just couldn't find a spot for him on the 25-man roster. He's a 26-year-old right-handed pitcher who will serve […]

Pirates Option Jose Osuna to Triple-A

The Pittsburgh Pirates are officially going with an eight-man bullpen, as first baseman Jose Osuna was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday. Osuna led the team with five home runs and 16 RBI during spring training and was competing for the final bench spot. The club decided to go with a four-man bench consisting of […]

Pirates Eight-Man Bullpen Appears Set

After a few days of speculation, the Pittsburgh Pirates all but made their eight-man bullpen official on Monday. In addition to sending first baseman Jose Osuna to Triple-A, the team also optioned reliever Kyle Crick and reassigned reliever Kevin Siegrist to minor league camp. Pittsburgh also placed Rule 5 pick Jordan Milbrath and Jack Leathersich […]

Joe Musgrove To Throw Minor-League Game Before Joining Pirates Rotation

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Joe Musgrove got off to a late start in spring training due to shoulder discomfort, but he is expected to join the Pittsburgh Pirates' rotation in their third series of the season against the Cincinnati Reds. To keep him fresh, he will pitch in a minor-league game on March 31 before rejoining […]

Pirates May Be Leaning Toward Eight-Man Bullpen

After a flurry of moves on Saturday, the 25th spot on the Pittsburgh Pirates' roster will come down to first baseman Jose Osuna or an eighth reliever. MLB.com's Adam Berry believes the team is leaning toward another bullpen arm, but nothing is set in stone yet. Osuna has been one of Pittsburgh's best hitters this […]

Predicting the Top 10 Finishers for Stolen Bases in 2018

Predicting the top 10 of anything is usually an exercise in futility. No matter how much research one does, how many numbers are crunched, or how much time is put into compiling a top ten list like the one below, there will always be injuries, breakouts, and other surprises to throw everything off. Who would […]

2018 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values - NL Starting Pitchers

If you've been following along with this series over the last week or so, you've heard my spiel about sleeper being a slippery term. "Values" feels more precise. It would come as a shock if you hadn't heard of any of the guys we're going to be discussing today. All we're trying to do here […]

ADP Sleepers and Busts: First Basemen

This is the time of year when most average draft positions are generally appropriate and reasonable. We’re quickly approaching Opening Day and most players are sitting right where they should be, but there are a few value opportunities that look too good to pass up. At the same time, however, a few guys are still […]