Holds Leagues: Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitchers To Target For 2026 Drafts

While most fantasy baseball leagues only score saves as a category, occasionally you may find yourself in a saves+holds league or a league that scores holds as a separate category. In these leagues, relief pitchers that typically serve as the setup man on their respective clubs see a massive surge in value as they are […]

Early-Round Fantasy Baseball Busts? Potential Landmines for Drafts (2026)

When you are building the foundation of a fantasy baseball team in the earliest rounds, upside, a very-overused fantasy term, always figures into the mix. But it should also be a goal to target players with high statistical floors if possible. Established standouts such as Jose Ramirez and Manny Machado are certainly safe earlier picks […]

2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers and Saves: Bullpen Draft Strategies and Later-Round Targets

One of the hardest positions to navigate in fantasy baseball drafts is the closer position. Managers have to decide whether they are willing to go all in on the saves category or wait until the middle-to-late rounds to secure those saves. That makes choosing the right time to select a closer one of the toughest […]

Bounceback Hitters: Fantasy Baseball ADP Values for Hitters (2026)

As someone who lives in New England, dealing with snowstorm after snowstorm this winter, it's heartwarming to have spring training baseball back in our lives and fantasy baseball drafts to take part in. And with the start of spring training, certain players who had down seasons in 2025 now have a fresh start with their […]

Relief Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Breakouts - Undervalued Closers and Saves (2026)

Navigating saves is often the most difficult part of fantasy baseball. While there are players who are near locks to earn 30+ saves, like Edwin Diaz and Mason Miller, managers will have to pay a hefty price to acquire their services and take a hit at other positions. When you invest in an early-round closer, […]

Xander Bogaerts the Leading Candidate to Hit Leadoff for Padres

San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts is the leading candidate to hit leadoff for the team this season, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee. Bogaerts has been the team's most common leadoff hitter so far in Cactus League play and appears to be the club's top choice to fill the No. 1 role […]

Fernando Tatis Jr. Moving to Middle of the Batting Order?

San Diego Padres All-Star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. is expected to hit either third or fourth in the team's batting order this year, according to Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Tatis primarily hit leadoff for the Friars in 2025, so this is a notable development as he enters his seventh year in the […]

Padres Add Alex Verdugo on Minor-League Deal

The San Diego Padres agreed to a minor-league deal with free-agent outfielder Alex Verdugo on Sunday, according to Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Verdugo appeared in only 56 games with the Atlanta Braves last year and was eventually designated for assignment over the summer after hitting just .239/.296/.289 with no homers, 12 RBI, […]

Joe Musgrove to Start Exhibition Game on Wednesday

San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (elbow) will start in the team's exhibition against Team Great Britain on Wednesday, his first appearance in a game since his 2024 Tommy John surgery that October, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Musgrove didn't pitch at all for the Padres in 2025 as the results of his surgery, […]

How To Win The First Three Rounds - Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategies and Players To Target (2026)

We are in the best time of the year for fantasy baseball players; yes, it is draft season. Some sites allow us now to draft year-round, but many of us wait until February to delve into those first drafts. And that time is here. In the first three rounds of your draft, you are looking […]

10 League-Winning Hitters: Fantasy Baseball High Upside Draft Targets and Values

It's that time of year again. It's time to dive into my 10 league-winning hitters for 2026 fantasy baseball leagues. The goal here is to nail a hitter who provides significant profit at their current cost. It doesn't have to be someone who goes super late in drafts. It just has to be someone who […]

Exit Velocity Standouts (EV50) - Power Hitters On The Rise for Fantasy Baseball (2026)

We have so many advanced stats available on Baseball Savant, allowing us to dive deeper beyond average exit velocity. We're using Exit Velocity 50 (EV50), which Baseball Savant defines as the average of the hardest 50 percent of a player's batted balls, giving us a somewhat reliable metric for averaging exit velocity on flyballs and line […]

Can Xander Bogaerts Play a Fully Healthy Season in 2026?

Entering his age-33 season, San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts is not the player he once was at his peak. However, the veteran was still a useful hitter when healthy in 2025, hitting .263/.328/.391 with 11 home runs, 53 RBI, 63 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases across 552 plate appearances. Bogaerts is also locked […]

4 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Breakouts to Target in Drafts (2026)

The term "breakout" gets thrown around a lot, I know. And it's always important to put it in context. For the sake of this article, it's going to refer to pitchers with relatively little MLB experience who could be ready to make a big impact for fantasy teams in 2026. These pitchers check as many […]

Top 50 Catcher Fantasy Baseball Rankings: February Updates

Depending on where you live, your area may have been hit with a ton of snow recently. The good news is we are inching closer to spring and Opening Day for baseball. At Rotoballer HQ, we wrap up our positional rankings series with the catcher position. In this article, you will find our updated 2026 […]

Top 70 Shortstop Fantasy Baseball Rankings: February Updates

It's an exciting time to be a baseball fan, as Opening Day will be here before you know it. At RotoBaller HQ, we continue to update and tweak rankings for fantasy managers to crush their upcoming drafts. We focus on shortstops today with our 2026 fantasy baseball shortstop rankings and tiers for roto leagues (5x5 […]

Joe Musgrove Sharp in Simulated Game, Quickly Approaching Spring Training Debut

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove (elbow) was sharp in a simulated game early this week and is making a strong case to debut in spring training sometime next week. Musgrove is working his way back from Tommy John surgery but is slated to be a full-go for the start of the regular season. […]

Yuki Matsui Ruled Out for World Baseball Classic

San Diego Padres left-hander Yuki Matsui (groin) has officially been ruled out for next month's World Baseball Classic with Team Japan, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Matsui is recovering from a left-groin strain that he suffered in a recent live batting practice session in camp with the Padres. He has resumed playing catch, but […]

SIERA Overachievers - Identifying Fantasy Baseball Pitchers Worth Fading in 2026

It's that time again - time to dig into the advanced stats and see what we can find that will help us make the right decisions in our upcoming fantasy baseball drafts. Every year, I like to analyze the SIERA of starter pitchers to identify those who likely overperformed in terms of their ERA. SIERA […]

2026 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft - RotoBaller Staff's Favorite Picks and Roster Strategies

Hey RotoBallers! Fantasy baseball season is in full swing (pun intended), and it's time to begin enacting our offseason research into mock drafts. Mock drafts are the perfect way for you to simulate a real-draft experience and get a feel of which players will be available for you at your respective picks. This is now […]

Late-Round Fliers and Fantasy Baseball Lotto Tickets: Upside Hitter and Pitcher Value Picks

This premium article is part of our 2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit and a free sample of the expert analysis loaded up in RotoBaller's Draft Kit. Enjoy this premium article for free for a limited time. All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Much is made about your first few picks, […]

JB's Bullpen Method Strategy for 2026: Making FrankenAces Out of Relief Pitchers

Six years ago, our beloved JB Branson published an article breaking down his favorite successful fantasy baseball strategy. The Bullpen Method is a lifestyle that reflects the importance of balance on a fantasy team. That turned into an annual Bullpen Method article, with the 2023 version nominated for the FSWA's Baseball Article Of The Year […]

Saves+Holds Fantasy Baseball Rankings (SV+HLD): Top 150 Relief Pitchers for 2026

Welcome to our Saves+Holds fantasy baseball rankings (SV+HLD or SOLDS) for the top 150 relief pitchers and the 2026 season. Traditional fantasy baseball bullpen content is hyperfixated on saves, with most only concerned with who gets the ninth inning. Therefore, Saves+Holds reliever ranks can be an afterthought, but we love having a reason to dig […]

Top 90 Second Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings: February Updates

It's an exciting time as spring training games are being played and the countdown to Opening Day is on! At Rotoballer, we have been pumping out content all offseason long to help crush your upcoming fantasy baseball drafts. We have freshly updated our rankings, and below you will find our updated 2026 fantasy baseball second […]

Top 230 Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Rankings: February Updates

Spring training is here, and at RotoBaller we have updated our fantasy baseball rankings to account for the latest rotation news and injuries. Today we're back with our 2026 fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings and tiers for roto leagues (5x5 category mixed leagues). These February rankings cover the top 230 starting pitchers for 2026. Injuries […]

Matt Waldron "Week-to-Week" After Undergoing Surgery

San Diego Padres right-hander Matt Waldron (lower body) has been shut down and is labeled as "week-to-week" after undergoing hemorrhoid surgery, manager Craig Stammen told Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. This setback will now make it much more difficult for Waldron to make the starting rotation out of spring training. The 29-year-old knuckleballer […]

Top 75 First Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings: February Updates

All teams have reported to spring training, and actual baseball is being played. Baseball is officially back! Opening Day is right around the corner, giving fantasy managers a brief period to draft their teams. At Rotoballer, we continue our positional rankings series with our updated 2026 fantasy baseball first base rankings and tiers for roto […]

Top 80 Third Base Fantasy Baseball Rankings: February Updates

March is fast approaching as we enter the heart of the fantasy baseball offseason. At Rotoballer, we continue to update our rankings and tweak as spring training news continues to flow in. Today, you will find our updated 2026 fantasy baseball third base rankings and tiers for roto leagues (5x5 category mixed leagues). These February […]

Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers, Values: Middle-Round Discounts With Upside

Welcome back RotoBallers, as we continue our mid-round fantasy baseball values and sleepers series -- today we are focusing on 2026 starting pitchers. In this article we'll highlight five middle-round starting pitcher fantasy baseball sleepers, values, and targets with upside for your upcoming 2026 fantasy baseball drafts. Once you reach the middle rounds of drafts, […]

Sung-Mun Song to Make Spring Training Debut Soon

The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee reports that San Diego Padres infielder Sung-Mun Song (oblique) is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut in spring training in the coming days after recovering from a minor oblique injury that he suffered while taking batting practice last month. The 29-year-old took live batting practice in camp on […]