Pitcher Profile: The Jesse Chavez Experience

More terrible relievers turning into dominant starters, mo problems! So it’s been an up-and-down start to this young season – pretty much all of my sleepers except maybe [player]Corey Kluber[/player] (who I still like a lot) are doing great, [player]Nathan Eovaldi[/player] still looks pretty good and I remain bullish on him, but [player]Tyson Ross[/player] who I bailed on turned in a gem on Saturday. Then to my rankings, where, yes, I didn’t have [player]Jesse Chavez[/player] ranked last week. I had him at 102 and couldn’t break him in, then Monday night he went out and carved up the Angels for 9 Ks in 7 innings with only one earned. I mentioned that night in the comments I would have to add him in there, but before Monday he was a terrible career-reliever with only one eye-popping start at the Twins. I’m regretting not adding him somewhere (“welcome to the party, pal!”), as I streamed some guys yesterday who weren’t awful, but would’ve preferred Chavez. And I would’ve been right too, as he dealt another solid game. Here’s how he looked yesterday against the Astros:

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See all of today’s starting lineups

#	MLB Starting Lineups For Tue 5/20
	ARI \| ATH \| ATL \| BAL \| BOS \| CHC \| CIN \| CLE \| COL \| DET \| HOU \| KC \| LAA \| LAD \| MIA \| MIL \| MIN \| NYM \| NYY \| PHI \| PIT \| SD \| SEA \| SF \| STL \| TB \| TOR \| WSH \| CHW \| OAK \| TEX

Ambulance Chasers: Buying Low and Selling High on Injured Players

April 21, 2014 | Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell | 56 Comments

by: SethDaSportsMan

People get hurt. It’s one of the downsides of life – like a Katherine Heigl movie or the script for Season 4 of The Walking Dead. Like all of God’s creatures, baseball players will also get hurt (they’re people, too, right?). So unless you can put in a Cal Ripken “max health” cheat code into your fantasy baseball players’ bodies, dealing with injuries is something you’ll have to stomach for the next five months. In each of the past two weeks I’ve covered some of the top players to stash on your team’s DL. That route can be pretty cut and dry. All fantasy owners should continue that process, but there are other ways to maximize injury potential. It may sound a little grim, but targeting injured or injury-prone players in trades, or players that you may want to give up in a trade, is a savvy strategy that could net you a nice return. To succeed in fantasy baseball you can’t be complacent. Opposing owners often get frustrated with players who are constantly on the trainer's table, and that’s always a good time to buy low. It’s also a smart move to trade away a player who may be healthy now, but who’s been known to have worse luck than a cast member in one of the Final Destination flicks. It’s a dirty business, but gambling on a player’s health can be profitable…

Dyson Sucks Up Steals

April 21, 2014 | Steals | 27 Comments

by: Mike

[player]Jarrod Dyson[/player] gets a nice short-term spike in value with the injury to Royals center fielder [player]Lorenzo Cain[/player]. Dyson had been placed on the bereavement list heading into the weekend, but he is expected to rejoin the team today. So while he missed the Twins series to sit in awkward silence with his mee-maw and step-peppers, he’ll be deployed in the Royals outfield from today forward until Cain returns. This means a great opportunity for SAGNOF. I mentioned Dyson in my 2013 wrap-up because he was really one of the most productive base-stealers in baseball last season. Dyson stole 34 bags in just 239 plate appearances. That’s roughly a steal every 7 plate appearances and was the best rate in baseball outside of billy Hamilton. Dyson is your best bet right now for free steals. I say free because I doubt he was drafted in most standard leagues and his ownership percentage at ESPN right now is a whopping 0.0%. He’ll draw the Indians and Orioles this week for seven games. The Orioles have been tough to run against, but the Indians are in the middle of the pack in terms of steals allowed.

DraftKings – Monday April 21, 2014 Candy Hangover

April 21, 2014 | DraftKings | 7 Comments

by: thereason

Did a little bunny hop around your yard this weekend and leave you brown little nuggets of joy? Well, since we are in the business of informing around here at Razzball, THOSE are NOT candies! Do you know who does have something sweet and tasty for you? Our friends at DraftKings were nice enough to have this Sweet Spot drawing so go get some of that and get the taste of bunny nuggets off your tongue. As always you don't have to listen to me you can use sweet Razzball tools like Stream-O-Nator and Hitter-Tron for yourself if you like doing work you don't have to. It looks like since yesterday was 4/20 and I guess that means something we will keep you mile high and stack up heavily on Rockies and Giants at least in the hitters department. The pitching matchup of [player]Jorge de la Rosa[/player] and [player]Ryan Vogelsong[/player] is music to hitter ears. The Stream-O-Nator puked out the fact that they are second and third to last ranked starting pitchers respectfully for tomorrow.ve to.

Mets Go From JV To Junior Farnsity

April 21, 2014 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 785 Comments

by: Grey

Terry Collins announced a change at the top of Mets bullpen system on the down, [player]Jose Valverde[/player] would concede the job to [player]Kyle Farnsworth[/player]. Valverde handed him the ball, and like a true sportsman said, "You can't be worse than me, but I know you'll try." Terry Collins, or Mr. C as the players call him, told Valverde to sit on it, Farnsy's cool. Some have speculated on [player]Vic Black[/player], Frank's little brother. Didja you know when Vic was a young Black he went to his brother Frank and asked if he could play drums in the Pixies and Frank said, "Do drugs for six more years and then we'll talk." Rock 'n roll, doodes and four doodettes! Will Farnsworth do a decent enough job as closer to hold it for the whole year? Seems doubtful, but I like his odds better than Valverde ever had. Farnsworth could get 25 saves and be a Donkeycorn by September. Likely, he gets around 12 saves, has a 4-something ERA and the Mets give [player]Gonzalez Germen[/player] a little guten tag a'la vater, which is 'how's your father' in Germen from someone who never took Germen. Anyway, here's what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball:

Jam It or Cram It: It’s a Beautiful Day For a Roster Resurrection

April 20, 2014 | Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell | 148 Comments

by: The Guru

Happy Easter, festive heathen Razzaholics. You look so cute in your Easter bonnet. Have one of these Cadbury eggs I injected with Makers Mark, all Hunter S. Thompson-style. Now that’s a scotch egg! Come on funny feelings. Eat three of these and you’ll be seeing that Donnie Darko bunny in the mirror for a week. We’re going on a little Easter egg hunt today looking to fill our basket with sweet delicious bargains that’ll resurrect our ruined roster. Despite being crucified by injuries this season (I’ve lost [player]Matt Latos[/player], [player]Ryan Zimmerman[/player], [player]David Robertson[/player] and now [player]Michael Cuddyer[/player]) your humble-but-nonetheless-handsome Guru is still hanging in there with three of my five RCL teams in the top three of the standings. While it’s still early, standings can change quickly and one bad week could ruin me. I’m hurting for power and the SAGNOF! has been elusive thus far. That’s what we’re looking for today – homers, steals and saves. So strip out your Sunday best, toss the Easter tree out onto the front porch and stuff your face with Peeps, it’s time to jam it or cram it.

Jack’s Hit of the Week: Aoki Smurf is the Bomb

April 20, 2014 | Creeper of the Week | 36 Comments

by: J-FOH

They say the more things change, the more they stay the same. This might actually apply here for my column name change. Last year, Sky put up a stellar Creeper of the Week every week, something I am still striving to live up to. But now I have my new feathered haircut, my acid washed Levi's, seat covers for my El Camino... all these things have given me a different look, but underneath, I was still the same. The haircut scored me no brownie points with the ladies, the jeans made it look like I was wearing girls pants, and the seat covers were to cover up a cheap whiskey and firecracker incident... don't ask. This isn't like when they introduced New Coke, which I loved because I was a Pepsi drinker (the formula is the same, it just has my name inserted in a nothing kind of way). So in case this made no sense, I am still writing the Creeper of the Week, it's just under a new title.

DraftKings – Stanton Lights Up Easter Sunday

April 20, 2014 | DraftKings | 20 Comments

by: Mike

[player]Giancarlo Stanton[/player] ($5,800) is locked in to start the season, hitting .329 with six homers and 26 runs batted in. He’s taking his walks as well, but when the young slugger gets a pitch to hit, he’s not missing. Hitter-Tron is liking him to the tune of $40 for this Easter Sunday / four-twenty festivus for the rest of us. Where did we hide the Easter baskets, guys? Nobody can remember, but someone ate all of the Peeps. Not cool. I’m liking Stanton today against [player]Blake Beavan[/player], who’s got a great name but a not-so-great arm. Let’s crack a few Easter eggs and make a DFS omelette, shall we? As always, there are some great tools here at Razzball for daily match-ups. The Hitter-Tron and Stream-o-Nator will give you an idea of each hitter and pitcher value for the day. If you’re thinking about getting your feet wet in daily fantasy sports, sign up with our friends at DraftKings. In addition to the daily contests, there’s also a big Sweet Spot event happening that you really need to check out. Sign up via our promo and get a free ticket. Here are today’s picks...

Minor Accomplishments — Week 3

April 20, 2014 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 98 Comments

by: Scott Evans

2013 was supposed to be a breakout year for Trevor Story, who was coming off of an exciting 2012 campaign at Low-A Asheville where hit .277/.367/.505 with 18 HR and 15 SB. That line, combined with the fact he was stepping up to the hitter-friendly environment of the Cali League, made for some serious hype last spring – hype which his on-field performance couldn’t match. Story ended 2013 with a forgettable .233/.305/.394, 12 HR, 23 SB line. He’s out to repair his image in 2014, though. In a repeat assignment at High-A Modesto, the 21-year-old SS/3B is hitting .306/.394/.516 with 9 XBH (1 HR), and 11 SB in 71 PA.

Two-Startapalooza — Week 4

April 19, 2014 | Two Start Starters | 63 Comments

by: Pete Nice

As always, probable pitchers are subject to change. For a look at all fantasy baseball streamers, click that link. Before a big test, my high school history teacher would always announce that it would “separate the Dukes from the Chiefs.” Since he liked to be known as Chief, and he called everyone he liked Chief, I’m assuming that this meant that the “Chiefs” were the good guys. Then again, Chief also liked to transport himself back to ‘Nam sometimes, stalking around the classroom looking for “Charlie.” The weirdest thing? I’m not even sure he was in ‘Nam. Anywho, this legendary teacher from my youth came to mind as I was writing this week’s Two Startapalooza because at Week 4, we’re starting to be able to separate the Dukes from the Chiefs. As in, it’s obvious that Darvish, King Felix and James Shields are still Chiefs. [player]Yordano Ventura[/player] and Julio Teheran are looking like Chiefs. Cliff Lee, who was starting to look a little Duke-ish to me, is still pretty much a Chief. David Price, a surefire Chief a few years ago, is very much a Duke right now. It’s becoming a lot easier to fill out the Third Tier and Don’t Starts, because we know who is a Duke and who is not. And to get in the Must Start category, you are most certainly a Chief or you have two starts against the Astros next week. Aight, Chief, let’s get to it.

Simon Says Pick Up Alfredo

April 19, 2014 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 146 Comments

by: Dan Pants

"I know it was you, Alfredo, you broke my heart--because I should have picked you up yesterday. You're nothing to me now. Not a brother, not a friend--but, I'll admit you may be an intriguing add in fantasy baseball this week." Michael Corleone's words for his fantasy team are harsh but true. Reds pitcher [player]Alfredo Simon[/player] continued his streak of success yesterday, pitching six scoreless innings versus the Cubs, allowing just six base runners and striking out three. Coming off the heels of an eight inning gem last week against Tampa, where he allowed just one run and struck out four, Alfredo now has pitched 21.0 innings, allowing just 2 ER and 13 hits, while grabbing two wins. It looks like he'll stick in the rotation while [player]Mat Latos[/player] is on the shelf. Simon's sparkling 0.86 ERA is good for top 3 in the league, and the 0.81 WHIP sure is purdy. But before you go racing to the waiver wire dropping your [player]Stephen Strasburg[/player]s or your [player]R.A. Dickey[/player]s for this guy, just wait a second. Because I didn't say Simon says? Got ya! I know. Bad. I'm sorry. Anyway, let's examine if Simon says you should grab Alfredo or not. If we look closer into the starts, it's a small sample size but we get the sense he's been pretty lucky so far, and not just because he's faced the Mets, Rays and Cubs. Simon's .194 BABIP is good for top 10 in the league. Along with a 3.14 FIP (3.90 xFIP) and an insane 94.3 LOB% we have a ton a nerdy stats that say major regression coming. Translation: Alfredo is probably gonna get sauced. Mama mia! That's not to say that those numbers are not still very good. After moving to Cincinnati from Baltimore, Simon was awesome in relief, with a 2.76 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in two years from 2012-2013, way above his career averages (3.98 ERA and 1.33 WHIP). And he's been extremely efficient as a starter this year as his 13.4 pitches thrown per inning (roughly 3.5 per batter) shows. Doode is doing work. The 13/4 K/BB ratio is nothing special, but he is working efficiently in his starts, going deep into games. So Simon says, if you need a streamer you can grab AlFredo for his next start in Pittsburgh. He's under 20% owned, and he's making us an offer we can't refuse. Ride this hot streak out for now, but if he's ready to sleep with the fishes don't hesitate to take him out to the middle of Lake Tahoe and take care of business. Here's what else happened Friday night in fantasy baseball:

DraftKings – Squirrels, Yahtzee and History

April 19, 2014 | DraftKings | 21 Comments

by: Smokey

While I would love for you top just give me all your money and draft your daily team over at DraftKings, I can not in good faith just take your money with out giving you a free pen like the deaf people at the airport or mall cafeteria. So last week was my first shot at learning you good people some of my picks for Saturdays games, I did ok. I am not going to go back and see because I am like Magellan or De Soto and have the expression ever forward. We here at Razzball provide you with all the tools necessary like the Hitter-Tron and Stream-O-Nator that you will need to construct your team. We unfortunately don't offer common sense or crocheting tips however so you are unfortunately out of luck. Over at DraftKings they have games for all comers; size, smell, and upright walking status are not discriminated against. You got the loot, they have the league. So check out their Sweet Spot contest, along with a cavalcade of other emotion daily roller coaster that the have to offer. Good luck on the days games.