Week 3 Start/Sit: MLB Starting Pitcher (SP) Matchups

What’s up RotoBallers. Hopefully the start of the MLB and fantasy baseball season is treating you well, and your teams are off to a roaring start. Either way, we are here to help as always. Below are all of the starting pitching matchups for Week 3. For every week of the fantasy baseball season, we look to […]

Tony Watson (RP, PIT) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deep NL-Only Leagues ANALYSIS: Current Pirates closer Mark Melancon has a fastball averaging 88.7 mph, after averaging 91.6 mph last year. The drop in velocity is enough to make you keep your eye on Tony Watson, the primary set-up man in Pittsburgh. Watson was dominant out of the Pirates’ bullpen last year, […]

MLB Closers And Saves Waiver Wire Watch For 4/16/2015

Editor's Note: Bookmark our MLB Closers & Saves Depth Charts for the latest look at all the current closers, setup men, longshots and relief pitcher waiver wire adds.   Waiver Wire Saves & MLB Bullpen Report for 4/16/2015 Adam Ottavino (RP, Colorado Rockies) Manager Walt Weiss named Ottavino the Rockies' closer on Tuesday, and he responded by […]

Josh Harrison (2B/3B/OF, PIT) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft Target Mid Rounds in All Leagues ANALYSIS: Josh Harrison came out of nowhere in 2014 to set career highs in every single major offensive category and finished second in the National League in batting average at .315. With a full season under his belt, I expect year two as a regular starter […]

NL Only Deeper Draft Sleepers: Winter Hibernation Ends

The term sleeper is overused and commonly confused in fantasy sports. Too many people confuse the concept of a player being undervalued (i.e. a player getting drafted in the seventh round that is going to return fifth round value) versus a player being a true sleeper. When I think sleeper, I think Rip Van Winkle. […]

Top Five Breakouts from 2014 Due for Regression

Many hitters have great years that seem to come out of nowhere. Players like Todd Frazier and Dee Gordon who perform at a high level, creating the expectation that they can repeat that level of productivity. The difficult part of every hitter's breakout season is the follow up season. Was that breakout year a fluke? […]

Five Starting Pitchers Due for Regression in 2015

Each year, starters emerge from out of the woodwork to put together a phenomenal season. Pitchers like Jake Arrieta and Jacob deGrom who, from out of nowhere, become both the ace of an MLB pitching staff and turned out to be fantasy waiver wire gold. It is not that rare for a pitcher to have a breakout year, […]

Three First Basemen Who Will Outperform Their 2015 ADP

Bang For Your Draft Day Buck First base is a treasure trove for bargain hunters this year with three players in particular standing out. All three struggled in 2014 and have seen their draft day stock plummet as a result. Ready for some 2015 fantasy baseball bounceback candidates? Let's begin with Mr. Second Breakfast himself...   […]

Neil Walker (2B, PIT) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target ~160 ANALYSIS: Neil Walker has been providing enough value to fantasy owners in recent seasons to warrant an ADP higher than 176. Yes, he has missed time due to injuries in the past three years, but he is still second in HR (53) among second baseman during that span. Aside from speed, Walker is going to be […]

Predicting the Top Ten Finishers for Saves in 2015

  Saves can be one of the most volatile categories for fantasy owners. Often, a pitcher will have the closer’s role seemingly locked up only to be ousted after a slow start to the season. Many believe that the only key to racking up a lot of saves is to pick a closer for a winning team. […]

Top 5 Starting Pitcher Breakouts - 2015 MLB Fantasy Draft Prep

  Hunting for Treasure Most of us in the industry say this every year: starting pitching is the easiest asset to add during the season. There are several reasons for this, not least of which is the number of starters who break out from nowhere on an annual basis.   Among last season’s top fantasy arms were […]

Top 5 Middle Infielders: MLB Prospects and Impact Rookies for 2015

  A Bleak Landscape In 2001, ten middle infielders hit at least 20 home runs. Rich Aurilia, with 37, would have been tied for second in baseball with Giancarlo Stanton and Chris Carter last year. That year? He was tied for second...among middle infielders, with Bret Boone. Alex Rodriguez's 52 bombs, which paced the American […]

Francisco Liriano (SP, PIT) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Rounds 11-13 in All Leagues ANALYSIS: We've all seen the miserable numbers Liriano is capable of putting up in seasons past. But in his previous two campaigns, while battling through injuries, he's managed to gain some control on the mound. Liriano posted an attractive 3.02 ERA in 2013 and a palatable 3.38 ERA in […]

Pedro Alvarez (PIT, 1B/3B) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target Mid to Late in All Leagues ANALYSIS: Pedro Alvarez was a monster in 2013. In 2014, eh not so much. Not only did Alvarez struggle mightily at the plate, but his poor defensive performance eventually led to a change of position. Now a first basemen for the Pittsburgh Pirates, I’m hopeful the Big […]

Francisco Liriano Named Pirates Opening Day Starter

Francisco Liriano will be the first Pirates pitcher to start on opening day in consecutive seasons since Oliver Perez (2005-06). — Stephen J. Nesbitt (@stephenjnesbitt) March 17, 2015 According to a tweet by Pirates beat-reporter Stephen Nesbitt the Pittsburgh Pirates have named Francisco Liriano their opening day starter for the 2015 season. It will mark back-to-back […]

Five Rookies / Prospects You Should Draft in 2015

MLB Rookies & Prospects to Make Fantasy Impacts Whether you are a 5 year old opening your presents on your birthday or a 40 year old getting a new fancy car during your mid-life crisis, everybody loves new toys. Rookies and prospects are the new cars of the MLB and untapped potential is their fuel. […]

Save Prospecting: Top Five Non-Closing NL Relief Pitchers

  Every year in fantasy baseball leagues about one third of all the opening day closers lose their jobs due to injury or poor performance. It's just the nature of the game. Below are five NL relievers to watch closely in 2015 who could have significant fantasy baseball value if the closer on their team were to […]

Aramis Ramirez Says He Will Retire At End of Season

  A stellar MLB career might soon be coming to an end. Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez told the media this morning he plans to hang his cleats up after the season is over. Whether or not he does retire this season, Ramirez will be able to look back on a long and successful MLB […]

Gerrit Cole (SP, PIT) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target as SP3 ANALYSIS: After being called up to the big leagues in 2013, Gerrit Cole displayed his worth by posting a 10-7 record with a 3.22 ERA. As a sophomore, his record was 11-5, but he carried an inflated 3.65 ERA, partly because of a .311 BABIP, but hitters can’t get lucky […]

Gerrit Cole: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Sleeper

  Strong Finish in 2014 Makes Cole Worth a Look The best kinds of sleepers in a fantasy baseball draft are the ones who have shown the potential to be an all-star fantasy player, but have never really put it all together. Take that with a grain of salt, because over time that optimism should […]

Orioles Acquire Travis Snider

The Baltimore Orioles have had major setbacks in their outfield this off-season. They were not able to resign Nelson Cruz, who ended up signing with Seattle. They also said goodbye to long time Baltimore staple Nick Markakis, who signed with the Braves. In their first addition to their 2015 outfield, the O's today made a […]

MLB Hot Stove 2015: Pirates, Kang Agree To Terms

After extensive discussions, the Pittsburgh Pirates have finally signed 27-year-old South Korean shortstop Jung-Ho Kang to a four-year deal worth approximately $16 million. It had been long rumored that the Pirates would be among the more aggressive suitors for Kang’s services, and won his exclusive negotiating rights on Dec. 22, which gave the club a […]

Gregory Polanco (OF, PIT) - Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target as a OF 3 with OF 2 Upside ANALYSIS: The Pirates initially kept outfield prospect Gregory Polanco in Triple-A for service time considerations last year, creating a fantasy frenzy when he finally got the call on June 10. He exceeded the hype at first, posting a .301/.393/.419 triple-slash line through July 4. After […]

Gregory Polanco: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Outfield Sleepers

  Polanco's "Disappointing" Rookie Year May Make Him a 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Mike Trout's ascension from top prospect to best player on the planet back in 2012 had an enormous impact on fantasy owners--and not just the ones who had him on their rosters. Trout's incredible performance at an age when most players are still working […]

5 Sleeper Hitters That Will Help You Win Your League

  IT’S FOOTBALL SEASON!!....but there’s a pesky little fantasy baseball league or two or three that you still need to keep an eye on. Don’t lose focus on the task at hand. Your fantasy football draft is done and you might be patting yourself on the back or maybe you’re down in the dumps because […]

Daily Fantasy Leagues Advice: Fantasy Baseball FanDuel BvP Lineup Picks (9/1)

  Remember, these picks are posted early in the day for your convenience, and without knowledge of the teams’ starting lineups. ALWAYS check starting lineups before finalizing your FanDuel entries.  Also, you've got to check out RotoBaller's new BvP (batter vs. pitcher) analysis tool, which shows you all the daily matchup stats for every single hitter in the […]

Deeper Waiver Wire Pickups: Hitters & Pitchers For Week 22

  This week's Deep League Pick Ups are players that were not necessarily counted on at the beginning of the season, yet their impressive performances of late are making them invaluable. Take a look and see if there is one for one of these players on your fantasy team.   Waiver Wire Options for Deeper Leagues […]

5 Potent Bats To Pickup Off The Waiver Wire (Week 22)

As the fantasy baseball season slowly winds down and visions of a league championship are dancing in your head, it is very important to steam roll into September with a strong fantasy lineup to back you up. It’s time to change your strategy and play the hot hand. I’ve chosen five potential hitter sleepers who’ve […]

Francisco Liriano (SP, PIT) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ANALYSIS: Since returning from injury on July 13th, Francisco Liriano has been very steady, and worthy of owning in all leagues.  He hasn't allowed more than 2 ER in the 6 starts after his July 13th return (in which he allowed a whopping 3), and after a 6 BB hiccup in […]

Hitters to Buy and Sell in Fantasy Baseball (Week 20)

Can you believe that combined, Carlos Gonzalez and Adrian Beltre have only hit for 27 HR, 99 RBI, and have amassed only four SB?  Jose Abreu, with an average draft pick of 135.8 (ESPN leagues), has bested the previous two first-round picks' homer totals and has almost equaled their combined RBI total, with 86. Speaking of […]