Franmil Reyes (OF, SD) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 150 CURRENT ADP: ~194 overall ANALYSIS: To begin last season, San Diego Padres outfielder Franmil Reyes was coming off of a 2017 season where he had a .258/.322/.464 slash line in Double-A, hitting 25 home runs and knocking in 102 batters. In 2018, now in Triple-A, he bettered those numbers […]

Francisco Mejia (C, SD) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 225 CURRENT ADP: ~240 overall ANALYSIS: In 2019, there is a new bat ready to make an impact at the catching position which breaks the mold of your prototypical backstop. Francisco Mejia of the San Diego Padres can hit. Not only can he hit, but he can flat out rake. The […]

Willians Astudillo (C, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 315 CURRENT ADP: ~340 overall ANALYSIS: Willians Astudillo just might be my favorite player in baseball. It's almost impossible to look at him, and his stats, and not immediately become a fan. First off, he's just 5'9" yet weighs 225 lbs, so seeing him field and run the bases is fun […]

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 […]

Manny Machado to Padres - Fantasy Impact

After months of waiting, one big fish has landed in an unexpected place. Infielder Manny Machado inked a ten-year, $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres, the largest deal ever given in free agency. Machado had experience in the NL West in his 66 games with the Dodgers last season (posting an .825 OPS), […]

Padres Not Ruling Out Bryce Harper

The San Diego Padres are not ruling out signing free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper after they agreed to a 10-year, $300 million deal with shortstop Manny Machado on Tuesday. Harper is expected to receive a deal that surpasses Machado's, so it remains unlikely that the Padres would land both of the prize free agents of the […]

Manny Machado Agrees With Padres

The San Diego Padres agreed to a 10-year deal for $300 million with free-agent shortstop Manny Machado on Tuesday, according to a league source. The Padres stepped up and landed one of the top free agents this year in Machado, who will play third base for them. The talented 26-year-old hit .297/.367/.538 with 37 home […]

ADP Cost Analysis - Sean Newcomb vs. Freddy Peralta

Two pitchers that have the ability to either strike out five batters in a row or walk five batters in a row, this ADP showdown will pit Sean Newcomb and Freddy Peralta. Newcomb was a first-round pick by the Angels in 2014 and Peralta was nothing more than a sleeper leading into 2018, but each […]

Padres Have Made Serious Offers To Manny Machado, Bryce Harper

The San Diego Padres are believed to have made serious offers for both free-agent shortstop Manny Machado and outfielder Bryce Harper. Their bid for Machado is believed to be for around $250 million and eight years. Their bid for Harper is believed to be for more than that. Recent word in Miami circles has been […]

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 […]

Mid-Round First Basemen - Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

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 player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting stats […]

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 […]

Padres Meet With Manny Machado

San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller flew to Miami to meet free-agent shortstop Manny Machado and his wife at some point in the last week. The 26-year-old is San Diego's first choice to fill their third base vacancy. Along with the Friars, the Phillies and White Sox are also involved, but Machado isn't believed […]

Top 10 Dynasty Starting Pitchers - Fantasy Baseball Prospects

There is no such thing as a pitching prospect, well, except in dynasty baseball. As much as pitching prospects offer headaches to any team, real or fantasy, pitching is still a necessary addition to most rosters. Adding top names offers protections for those busts, but also gives owners the tools to go out and make […]

Undervalued Draft Targets - Staff Rankings vs. ADP

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 […]

The National League Could Use a DH Right About Now

Ken Rosenthal, followed by Jeff Passan, Joel Sherman, and Jayson Stark, recently reported on negotiations between MLB and the Player's Association, especially regarding the rulebook. One of the most provocative pieces in the overarching story has been the possibility of the designated hitter coming to the National League as soon as this coming season. *cue sad trombone […]

Franmil Reyes Fully Cleared For Workouts

San Diego Padres outfielder Franmil Reyes (knee) has recovered from offseason surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee and has been fully cleared for workouts, but the Padres might take it slow with the 23-year-old this spring. "Coming back from a knee injury, we might hold him out of some running drills early," […]

Luis Urias To Play Shortstop This Spring

San Diego Padres infield prospect Luis Urias will primarily play shortstop in the early stages of spring training. Urias debuted at the keystone in San Diego last year, but he's seen time at both short and second in the minors and is projected to start at the 6 this year while the Padres wait for […]

Joey Lucchesi (SP, SD) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 175 CURRENT ADP: ~200 overall ANALYSIS: In his rookie year, left-handed starter Joey Lucchesi made an instant impact. He allowed a total of four earned runs over the first four starts, posting a 25:4 K:BB ratio. It appeared that Lucchesi might be a legitimate candidate for NL Rookie of the Year. An […]

Padres Being Aggressive On Manny Machado

The San Diego Padres have been very aggressive in their pursuit of free-agent shortstop Manny Machado, but he doesn't know if he wants to play there, according to sources. Some of his representatives are pushing for a shorter deal with the Yankees. The Phillies and White Sox are also in on him. San Diego is […]

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 […]

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 […]

Mike Zunino (C, TB) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 225 CURRENT ADP: ~245 overall ANALYSIS: Acquired by Tampa Bay in the offseason, Mike Zunino could exceed his draft value more than anyone at his position. More so than prospects unproven in the majors, such as Willians Astudillo and Francisco Mejia, who are going ahead of him. With catcher being as […]

Marlins Keep Eye Toward Future in Realmuto Deal

After months of speculation, the inevitable finally happened. Catcher J.T. Realmuto was dealt from the perennially rebuilding Marlins to a hopeful contender, namely their in-division rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies. In exchange for the All-Star catcher, Miami received a package of Jorge Alfaro, Sixto Sanchez, Will Stewart, and a quarter-million of international bonus pool money. Given […]

Jake Cave (OF, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 300 CURRENT ADP: ~405 overall ANALYSIS: Bouncing around from the Yankees to the Reds before he found a home in Minnesota, Twins outfielder Jake Cave made his MLB debut in 2018. After a 2017 season where he had a .305/.351/.542 slash line in the minors with the Yankees, Cave was […]

Starting Pitcher - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

Fantasy experts are placing a bigger emphasis on drafting elite starters early this year. It is apparent this strategy is making its way across the fantasy community, as the high-end starters are being valued higher than before. In points leagues, this is a wise methodology, as an ace can serve as the backbone of a […]

Relief Pitcher - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

It’s never too early to start looking toward the fantasy baseball season, and I’m here to continue RotoBaller’s position-by-position rankings analysis series for points league and head-to-head (H2H) formats with the ever-volatile relief pitcher position. The "closer carousel" seems to spin faster and faster every year, and there are very few names in the 'set […]

Top 130 Prospect Rankings for 2019 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Leagues

Prospects. For fantasy baseball enthusiasts, we are always looking to know about the next wave of prospects, rookies and call-ups. More than most other sports, baseball gives us a fresh influx of rookie talent every single year. Impact prospects are called-up both before and during the MLB season. Knowing about the right prospect, and drafting/adding him […]

Shortstop - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

It’s never too early to start looking toward the fantasy baseball season, so I’m here to carry on RotoBaller’s position-by-position rankings analysis series for points league and head-to-head (H2H) formats with the stars of the infield, the shortstops. The position is star-studded, and in roto leagues, I think I'd be comfortable with any of the […]

Joey Lucchesi - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

In his rookie year, left-handed starter Joey Lucchesi made an instant impact. He allowed a total of four earned runs over the first four starts, posting a 25:4 K:BB ratio. It appeared that Lucchesi might be a legitimate candidate for NL Rookie of the Year. An injury sent him to the disabled list temporarily in mid-May […]