The Itch

Prospect News: Welcome to Dumpsville (Final Faab Cuts)

September 23, 2020 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | Leave a comment

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I’m making some cuts today in my 15-team dynasty. More than ‘some,’ I suppose. I currently have 50 claims in for Thursday morning’s free agent run, but that’s mostly because I use my pending transactions screen as a watch list. My style of dynasty play involves building lists of free agents I want and cutting all the guys I think are drop-able before faab runs. I arrange the list by talent/value over need and let the dominoes fall where they may. This presents some drawbacks in terms of balance between MiLB and MLB players at times and occasionally trips me up on the positional-depth front for a couple days, but it remains my preferred method in large part because it enforces a kind of thinking I find beneficial. 

Knowing where the cut line lands in any particular league is endlessly valuable. It prevents you from trading for replacement level talent and invites you to swap out some of those players when their value spikes. It’s a theoretical concept and a moving target, so the more frequently you’re checking in with it, the better grasp you’ll have of who to add, drop, trade and ignore. 

So who’s on the chopping block this week?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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Butters

FanDuel: Bohms Away to End It

September 23, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, DFS, Fanduel | Leave a comment

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Is this it? Are we really at the final Wednesday of the 2020 regular season? Sadly we are at the end of our sprint which means only a few more chances to make some DFS cash with a full slate of games. It’s certainly been a wild ride, and I would even say a fun one so lets go out with a bang. Speaking of a bang, turn your attention to Alec Bohm (3B: $2,900). September has been a good look for him, batting over .350 with three of his four bombs. Look for that hot streak to keep on keepin’ on. He can take you to the top. Let’s keep chasing that dragon. The bot is big on Phillies hitters in general today so keep that in mind. 

It’s been real, it’s been fun but it hasn’t been real fun. Oh who am I kidding? Fantasy baseball is a hoot and this season has been crazy fun. Stay safe out there party people and best of luck.

New to FanDuel? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well, be sure to read our content and subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays. Just remember to sign up through us before jumping into the fray. It’s how we know you care!

Please, blog, may I have some more?
 
Grey

Soto’s Box Score Is A Juanderland

September 23, 2020 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 64 Comments

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This is what they call in the biz a GAP — a General Appreciation Post. It has not been a general appreciation type year, but Juan Soto (1-for-4, 3 runs, 3 RBIs and a slam (12) and double legs (4, 5), hitting .345) aka Sexy Dr. Pepper makes me wake up at quarter to 6 every morning, jump out of bed like Dicky Fox and scream, “I love Juan Soto!” Then Cougs rolls over and mutters, “865,” which is the number of times she’s said to stop screaming that first thing in the morning. Listen, it’s been a trying year, and I appreciate all of you sticking with us through what was the craziest year on memory, and I’m not gonna get choked up, because I’m way more appreciative of Juan Soto. HE’S BETTER THAN TROUT. Sorry, but Mr. Al Caps is right. Sexy Dr. Pepper is 12 years old and he’s doing things not seen since 2002 when a headless ghost Ted Williams was teaching a bone-sober and dead Babe Ruth why he was striking out so much. It’s an absolute joy to watch. I think I like Treat Urner (3-for-6, 1 run and his 11th and 12th steals) partially because he plays with Juan Soto. In 2021, I’m not sure yet if I’m going to have Juan Soto in the top two, three, four or five, but this is only the beginning of that discussion which will go until 2030, when we’re all finally stepping out of quarantine like a bunch of vampires. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
 
Richardo

Heads Up! H2H Categories Strategy Week 9 – Smyly From Ear To Ear

September 22, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Head-to-Head Leagues | Leave a comment

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This is the end. Beautiful friend, the end. We’re at the end of our 60 game sprint and I hope this finds you in the championship game. This is going to be a tough week to sift through to find viable streamers – both hitters and pitchers – that also have something to play for. Let’s start with Mr. Happy himself, Drew Smyly (3% ESPN, 9% CBS). The Giants lefty has thrown 16 innings and has posted an eye-popping 39.1% strikeout rate. Granted, he’s only gone a max of 4 IP in any start so far, but Smyly should help out in strikeouts and ratios. The Giants are still in the playoff fight and get a matchup at home against the Rockies tonight. Colorado currently has a 1.7% chance of making the playoffs according to ESPN and just placed slugger Nolan Arenado on the IL with a shoulder injury. Over the last 14 days, the Rockies have posted a team wOBA of .286 against lefties. During that time they’ve walked just 1.3% of the time. Check that out. Over 155 plate appearances against left-handed pitching, they’ve walked just 2 times. There might be one more play against the Rockies, but we’ll get to that soon. Let’s take a look at some other under the radar options to help you win your fantasy championship.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
 
MattTruss

RCL Update: The Week That Was, Week 8, 2020

September 22, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Our Leagues, Razzball Commenter Leagues | 13 Comments

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We have just one week remaining in our Razzball Commenter League season now.  This funny little sprint of a season is winding down and this is the week when shizz gets whacky.  Every hot schmotato is in play and any big name missing any amount of time is hitting the waiver wire.  Top starters with no remaining starts, they’re out too.  Use those moves, max out those ABs this week and do what you can to max out your innings while holding onto those ratios.  The top ten overall had some shake-ups this week, but the top team remains the same.  We’ll dive into those shake-ups and we’ll also get historical this week.  Someone in the comments last week asked me about historical weekly records, which I didn’t have.  This question sent me down the rabbit hole of historical data and now I have the best RCL weekly records since I started collecting the data way back in 2016.  All that, plus the rest of the week that was, week eight is waiting for you below.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
 
NichFields

FanDuel: Lugo For The Gold

September 22, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, DFS, Fanduel | Leave a comment

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This is the last day of the rest of our lives we will be able to play regular season fantasy baseball DFS, on a Tuesday, in the year 2020. While that does not seem very significant at all, let’s make it significant. Let’s put in the extra effort. Let’s (Lu)go for the gold. He may not be a world-beater, but at his salary Seth Lugo, P: $7,000, is potentially a great value play in this evening’s FanDuel Main Slate contests. Lugo has a career high 12.1 K/9 this season and is facing a Rays team ranked second worst in the majors in strikeout rate. This start is far from a sure thing, but that may also scare off the crowd, making Lugo a perfect GPP play. His salary also allows us to afford more expensive hitters. Let’s get exposure to the high-variance Lugo and hope the value hits. Just don’t (Lu)go overboard. Want more wordplay and additional DFS picks? In Lu(go) of reading something else (Lu)go further down. This has maybe (Lu)gone too far. Please don’t (Lu)go.

New to FanDuel? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well, be sure to read our content and subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays. Just remember to sign up through us before jumping into the fray. It’s how we know you care!

Please, blog, may I have some more?
 
Grey

Lance Looks Dope In A Tour De Force

September 22, 2020 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 141 Comments

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Lance McCullers‘s middle name is Inconsistent. It’s Irish. It was O’Inconsistent, but assimilation through Doc Ellis Island softened the edges. There’s some pitchers I love. That’s it. Just love them. Trevor Bauer, you seem like a total douche, but welcome to my teams! There’s a few pitchers I hate. Good luck getting on any of my teams aging pitcher who doesn’t throw strikeouts. Yo, have fun, Jon Lester, but not here, homey. Finally, there’s pitchers I go back and forth on. Do I love, hate or something else…indifference? This year was indifference for Lance McCullers (6 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 5 baserunners, 7 Ks, ERA at 4.24), due to coming off Tommy John surgery. For 2021, it’s going to be hard to figure out what to expect from him. Will I love, hate or…indifference? McCullers-Cullers-Cullers’s velocity returned, but his Ks have been kinda flat. He’s not getting a ton of guys to chase outside the zone, and hitters are making contact. The zone numbers are pretty average, but he’s also battled back from major surgery, and may not yet be at 100%. Do you really hold against a guy a goofy six weeks of stats with his stuff? Maybe, but if you’re holding anything against a guy to love to hate, then that sounds more just like love and you don’t know how to show it. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
 
everywhereblair

Top 100 Starting Pitchers: Week 9

September 21, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Top 100 Starting Pitchers | 4 Comments

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I’m freshly back from The Hotties, which is the annual Razzball award ceremony for the “hottest taeks” in fantasy baseball. With the sharp-toothed piranhavirus in full swing, Grey called for a “Mask-erade” ball, but the Eventbrite invitation auto-corrected it to a “masquerade” ball. Everybody showed up with the wrong parts of their face covered. I thought Grey would be upset but he seemed to take everything in stride, saying that he had been waiting for this day since “Eyes Wide Shut” was released. Is that a movie or a novel or a contact delivery service? Anyway, Grey started giggle-whispering “Fidelio!” at everybody. Hey, Grey, I get it. Fidel Castro liked baseball. Let’s get with the times!

I did manage to record Grey’s speech to all the writers and Instagram models who attended. Here’s the transcript if you want to read it:

“I’ll get right to the point: I’m proud to announce a new partnership between Razzball and the San Diego Padres. 2021 will be known as STAN DIEGO around here, and all hot taeks will involve Padres players. The top 10 pitchers? Lamet, Davis, Clevinger, and Paddack [audible hissing from the crowd]. The top 10 hitters? Tatis, Machado, Grisham, and Myers. Trevor Rosenthal is a top 30 pick. You will all write sleeper articles on Joey Lucchesi, Adrian Morejon, and yes, Eric Hosmer. [pause while Grey dodges thrown masks] Fear not, for STAN DIEGO comes with perks! You will all get a free hot dog with a purchase of an annual pass to Sea World, and you’ll get a personal tour of the tiger enclosure at the San Diego Zoo. Now, writers, start hyping Jake Cronenworth!”

At that point, all the people Grey whispered “Fidelio” to disappeared into Grey’s private grotto, which he named “50 Shades of Play” because of the underwater mini-golf course he installed. Myself? I was left standing in the foyer with a mysterious note that only said, “MacKenzie Gore, 2021 hot taek.”

Please, blog, may I have some more?
 
Laura Holt

Rolling In The Deep: Deep League Hot Finishers

September 21, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Rolling In The Deep | Leave a comment

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As we head into the final week of the season, it seems like a good time to look back — well, back a few days or weeks anyway.  Even with only 60 games, many players who started the year as deep leaguers were able to prove they belong in a much shallower stratosphere in 2021.  Take Luke Voit… I told you in my post way back on January 14th of this year that I’d already drafted as my first baseman in a league, liking his value at the time, which was around #200 in terms of NFBC ADP.  Let’s just say that I don’t think any of us will be getting Voit with anything close to a 200th pick next spring.  I’m also pretty sure Alec Mills’ no hitter will keep me from being able to scoop him up at the end of an NL-only draft next year the way I did this year.  So let’s move on and look at a handful of players who have very recently — and a little more quietly — been playing well, with an eye not only on last minute help in 2020, but also potential consideration in 2021.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
 
Roto-Wan

SAGNOF: Hardley Quinn

September 21, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, SAGNOF | 1 Comment

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This has been a peculiar season to say the least. Hot streaks, injuries, and canceled games have shifted mountains. Hopefully you’re grinding the final week for a finishing place. Best of luck to your fake teams my fake friends.

  • When mining for steals it’s best to target the Mets. They’ll face the Rays and Nationals this week. Manny Margot or Josh Harrison are a couple of names to look up.
  • Roman Quinn leads the Phillies in steals and plays most days. He’s not giving you much anywhere else but if it’s speed you need go get him.
    • Please, blog, may I have some more?