If Derrek Lee’s Pirates debut Monday night is any indication of things to come, then you should be running to your fantasy league’s waiver wire and grab him while you can. 2-for-4 with 2 HR and 3 RBI? Sounds like someone’s happy with his move to the Steel City. If you’re looking for a boost from your corner infield spot, then Lee will certainly fit the bill. Read the rest of this entry »
At the MLB trade deadline, the Los Angeles Dodgers sent veteran shortstop Rafael Furcal and cash considerations to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for minor league outfielder Alex Castellanos. Tommy Rancel, over in the FanGraphs section, covered the deal when it happened, so now here at RotoGraphs, we’re going to discuss the fantasy ramifications. Read the rest of this entry »
There is no MLB trade deadline information or secret fantasy baseball advice to be had here. No sleepers, no breakouts, no rookie names for you to be the first to know. Today is merely a day of appreciation; a chance to thank one of the greatest baseball players of the new millennium for something which he gets very little credit or notoriety. Thank you, Albert Pujols, for changing the game of fantasy baseball forever. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the trends fantasy baseball has witnessed over the last few years is the decline in value of the closer. Not so much that closers are mere one category contributors, as we all know that not to be the case, but that, with the volatility at the position, saves have been much easier to come by on the waiver wire throughout the season. Last year, we saw 14 teams change closers during the course of the season and that doesn’t even include the long term injury replacements for Huston Street and Brad Lidge. It seemed like every time you scoured the waiver wire in need of saves, there was someone there. This year, the trend seems to be bucking in the opposite direction and those that thought they could bypass reliable closers in their drafts and pick up saves throughout the year are finding it more of a struggle than they anticipated. Read the rest of this entry »
As you’re tweaking your lineup here and there, looking for a way to steal some points from your opponents, check out how adding some stolen bases to your squad can help you out. It always seems to be a very movable category in roto leagues and an often disregarded category in head to head. Adding an extra stolen base guy can give you a nice cheap way to to boost you in the category while also helping you out in areas like runs scored and even batting average. Here’s a pair of speedsters that seem to be available in plenty of leagues. Read the rest of this entry »
There are certain catchers out there — Joe Mauer, Victor Martinez, Brian McCann, Miguel Montero, just to name a few — that are automatic starts for you. They get left in your lineup, through good starts and bad, because you know, for the most part, the level of overall production you’re going to get. But for those that don’t own a top-rated backstop, sometimes you have to play the waiver wire and go with the hot hand. With that, we’ll leave the top guys out and talk about some risers and fallers at the catcher position that you may want to put in, or take out, from your lineup. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s really time to start looking deeper into your free agent pool these days. Of course, it looks better when a player is owned in 40% of ESPN leagues, but does that really mean he’s outperforming a guy that may only be owned in 15%? Not always the case. It may just mean that fewer people are paying attention and don’t know as much about him to realize that he is the superior fantasy option at this point in time. Here’s a pair of guys that just might fit that description. Read the rest of this entry »
We’re now sitting here in mid-July and four times the Catcher Rankings have been adjusted to reflect both the current season’s performance and expected rest of season projections. For the most part, the criticisms have been mild as we all seem to be, reasonably, on the same page. However, there’s one thing that continuously sticks out at me and today, I feel it’s time to address it. The title obviously says it all, but still, I feel it necessary to ask the question: What’s up with all the Chris Iannetta love? Read the rest of this entry »
With the second half of the season beginning this weekend and your league’s trade deadline rapidly approaching, keeper league owners are making the same tough decision that numerous MLB teams are making. Are they buyers or sellers? If in contention for a top finish, keeper league owners are deciding which stud protect to deal off to bolster their roster for a run at the title while the bottom-feeders are licking their chops, ready to give up the world to get their man. It turns into quite the ugly battle in most leagues and is usually a primary source of fantasy angst. But like it our not, it’s reality. Welcome to the dump trade. Read the rest of this entry »
While most are taking a little breather from their fantasy baseball teams during the All Star Break, it can’t hurt to scour your waiver wire and see who’s still out there that may help you out for your second half push. Players coming back from injury are always a good target as well as players recently called back up from the minors. Here are two for you to consider… Read the rest of this entry »