Roto Riteup: July 17, 2026
A great start for those of us with Aaron Nola in earned runs leagues!
On the Agenda:
- Quick Hits
- Various News and Notes
- Streaming Pitchers
Author Archive
Post All-Star Break Starting Pitchers to Target
Some call it the second half because it’s easier that way, but there is only 40% of the Major League season remaining. Assuming starting pitchers remain healthy and in the rotation, most will start anywhere from 11 to 14 games between now and the end of the season. There is more than enough time to make up some of our pitching category deficiencies in Rotisserie leagues. Let’s dive into some of the starting pitchers who should be helpful in all fantasy formats and help us finish the season strong.
FAAB Frenzy and Waivers Wild: Week 17
Every Monday, this column will break down the most popular waiver wire and free agent acquisitions of the weekend. I dig into the top adds on the ever-popular Fantrax and in the NFBC Online Championship (OC), a national mid-stakes contest with 240 total leagues of 12 and a six-figure grand prize. Reviewing player adds between the two should provide us with a well-rounded perspective and barometer of the fantasy baseball marketplace.
Roto Riteup: July 10, 2026
Did not have Caleb Durbin, Power Monster, on my bingo card.
On the Agenda:
- Closer Chaos
- Quick Hits
- Various News and Notes
- Streaming Pitchers
Roto Riteup: July 9, 2026
Daullton Varsho is incredible!
This one preserved the no-hitter, but then it became a hitter.
On the Agenda:
- Closer Chaos
- Quick Hits
- Various News and Notes
- Streaming Pitchers
Second Half Expectations from First-Round Busts
Every baseball and fantasy season brings wonderful surprises and massive disappointments. Among the top hitters in our Fantasy Player Rater are two Nationals (James Wood, CJ Abrams), post-200 ADP breakouts Otto Lopez and Jordan Walker, and Liam Hicks, a catcher added off FAAB and waivers in April. We know that it takes more than just our first-round selection to win our leagues, and we strive to avoid traps and busts, but it’s impossible to know who those are ahead of time. That’s why we play the game. We can break down first-rounders into three groups: those who return first-round value ($25+), those who don’t return it, but don’t sink our squad ($15-$24), and those who outright destroy us. Over the last decade, only 35-45% annually return first-round value or come close to it. Last season was a positive outlier in this regard. Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani were the top producers ($40+). Juan Soto, José Ramírez, Bobby Witt Jr., Fernando Tatis, and Corbin Carroll easily returned first-round value. Elly De La Cruz was on the bubble ($24.8, 16th hitter per the 12-team Player Rater) and technically counts as a hit. Fernando Tatis Jr. had a Round 2 ADP in 12-team leagues and was a borderline first-rounder in 15s. He, too, earned $24 and change. We also had the unique occurrence of the first three pitchers off the board — Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, and Garrett Crochet — all ending the season as the top three fantasy pitchers.
FAAB Frenzy and Waivers Wild: Week 16
Every Monday, this column will break down the most popular waiver wire and free agent acquisitions of the weekend. I dig into the top adds on the ever-popular Fantrax and in the NFBC Online Championship (OC), a national mid-stakes contest with 240 total leagues of 12 and a six-figure grand prize. Reviewing player adds between the two should provide us with a well-rounded perspective and barometer of the fantasy baseball marketplace.
Roto Riteup: July 3, 2026
Endy’s Game this year is apparently power.
On the Agenda:
- Closer Chaos
- Quick Hits
- Various News and Notes
- Streaming Pitchers
Roto Riteup: July 2, 2026
O’Neill! Oh, Canada!
Now where has this power been all season?
On the Agenda:
- Closer Chaos
- Quick Hits
- Various News and Notes
- Streaming Pitchers
Follow-Up: Lucky and Unlucky Starting Pitchers
Back in late April, I discussed how I use ERA-SIERA and other pitcher metrics to identify lucky and unlucky starting pitchers. Since it was so early in the season, we were working with a very small sample. Some of the pitchers highlighted as incredibly lucky have continued to perform well (e.g., Justin Wrobleski), while others have massively regressed (e.g., Bryce Elder). From the list of unlucky starting pitchers, most have performed much better over the last 10 weeks. Let’s review those pitchers from April and assess a few new candidates using a half-season of pitching data.