The Razzball Podcast — The One Where We Start 2014 With A Bang (And Syrup)

March 11, 2014 | All Podcasts | 152 Comments

Nick welcomed me back for our first fantasy baseball podcast of 2014. Rudy was at SXSW (SWSX? I always confuse that acronym), so it was Nick and me with me updating Nick on what had happened in the last six months on the fantasy baseball front. He didn't ask about my wedding, and now that I think about it, he didn't come to my wedding after being invited. I wonder if Nick is jealous of the Cougs. I've love to see that Jell-O wrestling match, is that weird? Could they do it in pudding? Is that less weird? I had to fill in Nick that [player]Matt Kemp[/player] wasn't a 2nd rounder and that [player]Wil Myers[/player] and [player]Yasiel Puig[/player] are good. I tried to keep the sarcasm to a level 4, but at points I feel myself going into the red. Nick, being Canadian, does know maple syrup, and, for that reason, this podcast got its title and its thick, rich flavor. Also, Nick dropped clues that there's a big surprise coming next week. Even I don't know what it is (I know). Anyway, here's the Razzball Podcast (with me trying to find out if there's special maple syrup that Canadians keep for themselves):

Learn more about our 2025 Fantasy Baseball Subscriptions!

The best daily/weekly player rankings/projections (hitters, starters, and relievers) for each of the next 7-10 days + next calendar week starting Friday. Kick-ass DFS lineup optimizer and projections for DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo!.

I don’t have enough spam, give me the Razzball email newsletter!

Weekly Razzball news delivered straight to your inbox.

See all of today’s starting lineups

#	MLB Starting Lineups For Mon 5/19
	ARI \| ATH \| BAL \| BOS \| CHC \| CHW \| CIN \| CLE \| COL \| DET \| HOU \| KC \| LAA \| LAD \| MIA \| MIL \| MIN \| NYM \| PHI \| PIT \| SEA \| SF \| STL \| TB \| ATL \| NYY \| OAK \| SD \| TEX \| TOR \| WSH

Razzball’s 2014 KFFL Fantasy Baseball Analysis Draft

by: Rudy Gamble

I was fortunate enough to be invited to this year in KFFL's Fantasy Baseball Analysis Draft (which leads to a BAD acronym). It has historically been a 12-team mixed snake draft league but has now been expanded to 15 teams. Some drafts require a lot of prep time - this one had the prep time of a TV dinner. It came right on the heels of LABR which follows the same format. Then my pals at KFFL (Nick Minnix and Tim Heaney) were nice enough to 'randomly' assign me the same pick (#8) I had in LABR. Sweet. My strategy going into the draft was similar to LABR - draft 9+ SPs, be AVG-conscious, get two top 15 closers, try to nab one of the speedy/solid AVG MIs, and anticipate and/or dodge position runs. There were a couple of post-LABR draft learnings I incorporated:

2014 AL East Spring Training Preview

March 11, 2014 | Fantasy Baseball Team Previews | 21 Comments

by: Jeremy

The hardest division in the league, which includes last year’s world champs, looks to be just as intense again. For that matter, it probably will be that way for the foreseeable future. My favorite team is also being covered here. I’ll do my best not to be biased about the Yankees, and I think I’m pretty good at keeping my emotions away from the reality of the team. That being said, I think the Yankees are going to win 120 games this season. (You can check out the NL West Spring Training Preview here, the AL West Spring Training Preview here, the AL Central Spring Training Preview here and the NL East Spring Training Preview here.)

RCL Update: The Writer’s League Draft Happened, Not Sure I Remember It…

March 11, 2014 | Razzball Commenters League | 61 Comments

by: Jay

We've got a crazy post ahead of us, so let's get started. But before we do, AHHH, pit stop already? Seriously, I just want to thank all of the commissioners. You have taken my goal of 75 RCL's and shattered it, like those bad guys in Superman II. I'd also like to thank everyone who joined a league, because without you, there would be no us. And you plus me equals us. Because, wait for it... wait for it... I know my calculus. ALL THE POINTS. I want you to know that it really is important to me. There's no money, no fame, no female boobs in it for us. Only a sense of community, and, well, that's why we do this. So seriously, I love you. Let's date. (Oh, and if you still want to join a RCL, there are still spots open! Just scroll to the bottom to get in on some RCL fun.) So yeah, we didn't just have the writer's draft. We had a bunch of drafts. So let's go over some of those in random ways before we go over whatever you want to call what us writer's did. I'd call it sexual chocolate, but you might call it flailing loins. Something like that. Okay, whew, pit stop over. Now we can get started...

Fantasy Baseball Auction Draft Strategy — Fake Cash Values Rule Everything Around Me

March 11, 2014 | Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy | 236 Comments

by: Grey

I know how much you love draft strategy (do you? Yeah, of course you do!). Whether it's snake draft or auction draft. You gobble this shizz up. Okay, I wasn't speaking literally, take the corner of your computer monitor out of your mouth. Auction drafts are the best. They're like that time you followed a man with a pony tail into the gym locker room only to realize his broad shoulders were that of a large lesbian and you were in the women's locker room and had to run out. Happy accidents! So, lots of you know my fantasy baseball auction tips already, but some of you just joining us -- Hey, close the door behind you! Were you raised in a barn? -- may not. Lots of the strategy for my snake drafts also applies here. If you ask me — and you kinda did ask me by reading this shizz — auction drafts are where it’s at, yo! You get in a room with your best fantasy baseball buddies. The guys you haven’t seen since last year’s draft. The guys you don’t want to see until next year’s draft. One guy, and there’s always one, has to show you why the Droid is better than the iPhone. Then you have the guy who will go the extra dollar for (fill-in favorite player from his favorite team). You know that’s his favorite player because he’s wearing his jersey. There's also the guy who wears a jersey of a player he would never draft from a team he hates just to throw you off his scent, only he points this out to show you how clever he thinks he is; he's not. There's the guy that makes you question why you're even friends with him. There's the guy who has a solar calculator and insists on sitting by the window. There's the guy who is allergic to cats and, even though there's no cat, insists someone's clothes are 'covered in dander.' There's the guy who brings healthy snacks and something with bean sprouts that he says is wrapped in a lavash just so no one will ask him for any of it. And, of course, you have the guy who brings only Cheetos and turns everything he touches orange, and, if he touches something that was already orange, he makes it oranger. Through all of this, it always turns out, this day is the best day of the year. Auction draft day is better than your wedding day. I can now speak from experience. As for online auction drafts, they’re just a’ight. Anyway, here’s some tried and true tips to help you through your auction fantasy baseball draft:

11 Bold Predictions for 2014: Jay vs. Eno Sarris vs. Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja

March 10, 2014 | Y to Z | 94 Comments

by: Jay

Folks, the time is finally here for Razzball's 2014 Bold Predictions, and I'm happy to once again be your host. This year, it gets real crazy, as you might be able to tell from the title. That's right. Dragon Ninja's, yo. Word is, they have lasers, but that's okay. We have something called an Eno. Not to be confused with being emo, which I hear involves a lot of mascara and Dashboard Confessionals. Sounds dangerous. And like a girl I dated in college. Regardless, here's the deal-- Eno Sarris of FanGraphs has agreed to take on your very own lovable and quite handsome Jason Longfellow (yes, that's my name, don't wear it out) in a duel for the ages. His bold predictions will battle my bold predictions for COMPLETE AND UTTER SUPREMACY. Sort of like Highlander. We certainly need more Sean Connery, that's for sure. And what's at stake in this epic battle? Heads? Lightning swords? Shinobi's? Naw. It's beer. That's right, beer. Whomever get's the most predictions right, well, the loser has to buy him a six-pack of the beer of his choice. In this case, Eno has chosen DC Brau. Great selection, but it might come with side effects such as too much hipster and listening to Mumford. My choice? Koko Brown, because Hawai'i is the greatest thing ever known to man besides ice cream and blow jobs. Have I intrigued you? I HAVE INTRIGUED ME, because, you know, alcohol. And Sean Connery…

Rise of an Empire: Bryce Harper Leads Fantasy’s Underrated Team to Glory

March 10, 2014 | Uncategorized | 102 Comments

by: LT Murray IV

It began as a whisper... a promise... the lightest of breezes danced above the cries of men and women cheering him on in little league. That breeze became a wind. A wind of freedom... a wind of justice... a wind of vengeance. The time has come, my Beddictites, to prepare yourselves for a breakout of epic proportions. I speak not of the Herp, but of the Harp; [player]Bryce Harper[/player] to be clear. Some would argue that Nostradamus's greatest prophesy was made in the year 1566, mere days before his horrific case of the Gout brought him to his death bed. "What prophesy is this you speak of, oh wise and charming Beddict?" Ask and thou shalt receive. A deep search into the annals of Nostradamus's journals produced this historic find-- "In the year of our Elder Gods, 2014, a breathtakingly handsome young writer will come out of the shadows and change the world forever. He will no doubt be criticized by many a troglodyte [Ed. Note-- Good word usage bro.], but he shall not hold it against them, for they not know better. On March 10, 2014, this debonaire young man, who will be known as the Mark Twain/William Shakespeare of his generation, will make a prediction about another chosen one, another young man I have seen in my dreams, an athlete of sorts. These overwhelmingly powerful visions of this brutish boy swinging what seems to be a wooden stick at a bloodless round object have seemingly pushed me to the brink of my grave. It's either these visions or this Mother F'ing gout! Anyway, I know not what this prediction shall be, but whatever it is, it will have an 85 percent chance of coming to fruition. These two young men's futures will be forever intertwined for better or for worse. Take heed, for it has been written. I can now die in peace knowing my last true vision has been recorded in my leather-bound and padlocked journal. Now, if only this useless peasant, wife of mine would bring me my favorite chocolate sprinkled crepes along with some brie. Tis a virtual certainty she's yet again, getting bent over in the barn by my stable boy, Mortimer. By the Gods, I despise that whore." It's been said those were the last sentences ever written by Damus, as he passed and now resides with Hood in "House Death."

The All Late-Round Flyer Team

March 10, 2014 | Uncategorized | 132 Comments

by: J-FOH

This is the year of the pitcher, it's so deep that people are even naming their kids deep. But that doesn't mean you need to wait til the end of your draft to fill out your staff. It means don't waste your top-3 picks on arms and be wise when you grab a pitcher because you might be able to take a bat and then get a pitcher the next round that is on the same tier as the guy you passed on. I drafted with the writers the other day and wow, that turned out to be one big hangover with a side of blurred vision the next day. I still have no idea how I got this cut on my head. Two things I learned, don't drink and draft because you might end up with Michael Saunders in your OF and taketh what the draft giveth's. Yes, I said it, plans are nice, but don't miss a great opportunity when something beautiful appears and the guy you had penciled in at that round is also on the board. I don't mind a few stretches here and there but don't make it a habit. I'm a best player available drafter, I like to punt the middle infield positions and Catchers can go hang out with kickers on the football side of the site... except you [player]Wilin Rosario[/player], you can come sit next to Big Papa. Here is my all Late-Round Flyer Team, LRFT for short. It's comprised of guys I like and people that Grey and other Razzball writers like. I'm here to serve them and fill their coffee and weird requests. Sky likes his green skittles separated into a wooden bowl, Guru makes me starch his turbans and JayWrong makes me tag everything that belongs to Nick at the Razzquarters... Best Internship Ever! Here are the guidelines, this is written for the default ESPN style format and the players have to be less than 20% owned and drafted after the 20th round, yup that's it.

Cards Sign Diaz, The Cuban Descalso

March 10, 2014 | Uncategorized | 360 Comments

by: Grey

Another Cuban has washed ashore, dreaming of American capitalism and getting seriously laid in Miami. The Cardinals signed shortstop, Aledmys Diaz. Let's give you a comparison that may or may not do it for you. Diaz hit 12 homers and stole 11 bases with a.315 average in his last year in Cuban ball. Recent raftee by the Dodgers, Alexander Guerrero hit 21 homers, stole 2 bases and hit .290. Right now, Guerrero might be losing the starting job to Dee Gordon who can't hit his weight, and he weighs 143 pounds. It's nice that another Cuban gets to realize his dreams like Yasiel Puig and Tony Montana, but I'm not even sure if Diaz will make an impact this year, or ever. Despite his name resembling "All Days," he's being projected as a bench player. Oh, and I just had a great idea. I'm not sure who can make this happen, but we should get Fidel Castro on the podcast to talk about baseball. Speaking of which, we're recording the first podcast of the year today and it should be on-site tomorrow. You can hardly wait. No, you! Anyway, here's what else I've seen in Spring Training for 2014 fantasy baseball:

2014 Mets Fantasy Baseball Preview

March 9, 2014 | Fantasy Baseball Team Previews | 42 Comments

by: Mike

We at Razzball realize that exporting our views across the country has damaging consequences on the blogosphere. To help make amends, we are reaching out to leading team blogs and featuring their locally blogged answers to pressing 2014 fantasy baseball questions regarding their team. We feel this approach will be fresher, more sustainable, and require less energy consumption (for us anyway). The 2014 Mets Fantasy Baseball Preview comes courtesy of Eno Sarris from FanGraphs.

2014 Minor League Preview: Miami Marlins

March 9, 2014 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 43 Comments

by: Scott Evans

Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America 2013 (5) | 2012 (28) | 2011 (29) | 2010 (8) | 2009 (2) 2013 Affiliate Records MLB: [62-100] NL East AAA: [72-72] Pacific Coast League — New Orleans AA: [73-63] Southern League — Jacksonville A+: [68-69] Florida State League — Jupiter A: [65-72] South Atlantic League — Greensboro A(ss): [39-36] New York-Penn League — Batavia Graduated Prospects Ed Lucas (INF); Marcell Ozuna (OF); Christian Yelich (OF); Derek Dietrich (2B); Jose Fernandez (RHP); Tom Koehler (RHP); A.J. Ramos (RHP); Dan Jennings (LHP) The Run Down The Marlins graduated a slew of high-impact prospects in 2013, including [player]Jose Fernandez[/player], [player]Christian Yelich[/player], and [player]Marcell Ozuna[/player]. That sort of talent exodus will drag any system down the organizational ranks, but fortunately for Miami, this farm still features exciting fantasy potential in the form of Andrew Heaney, Colin Moran, and [player]Jake Marisnick[/player]. It's probably safe to say that this system experienced the biggest drop-off from 2013 to 2014, but there's still plenty of intrigue here.

First Base, Lou Gehrig

March 8, 2014 | Y to Z | 33 Comments

by: Paulie Allnuts

“The Iron Horse”

After the 1938 season, Yankee pitcher Wes Ferrell, who played golf with Gehrig on a regular basis, noticed that Lou refrained from wearing golf cleats; instead he wore sneakers, and was sliding his feet along the ground. He became frightened that something was wrong, and notified Yankee skipper Joe McCarthy. Gehrig played the first 8 games of the 1939 season, but it was apparent that he was not the same player as before. When Gehrig made a routine play with more then a small bit of difficulty, several Yankees, including Bill Dickey and Joe Gordon, patted him on the back, complimenting him on his effort. It was at that point that Gehrig knew the gig was up, and feeling utterly humiliated, took himself out of the game.