When Hunter Renfroe was demoted two months ago, he had to ask himself, "Did I just lose my job to Jabari?" Since he was holding down his soon-to-be-extinct home button on his iPhone, Siri responded, "You're the jabroni." This sent Hunter Renfroe into a shame spiral not seen since Lorenzo Lamas spun his laser pointer at cellulite. Then Renfroe stepped on more mental rakes that smacked him in his face. He followed The Iron Sheik on Twitter, who promptly called him a Jabroni. He wandered into a Brony convention, and a bearded man dressed as My Little Pony introduced himself as Jay Brony. It was awful! Renfroe, or as Scooby would call him, 'Renfroe,' has a batting average that is the dog's breakfast, which means it's Scooby snacks. Zoinks! That's not why you're owning him; it's for power, that he has in spades (though clubs would make more sense). If you need power in the final ten days, grab Renfroe, you jabroni! Anyway, here's some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:
Monthly Archives: September 2017
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.
FanDuel: Here A Punt, There A Punt, Everywhere A Punt, Punt
September 22, 2017 | DFS, Fanduel |by: cinthree
We’re almost there! There are only 10 more days in the season and hopefully, you’re counting your monies as you excel towards the finish line. Three teams, Washington, Cleveland and Houston all clinched their division already and have nothing to play for. And as we get this deep into September, teams really start throwing out questionable lineups, and Dee Gordon starts trying to pad his stats by trying to steal at every opportunity. One key this late in the season is to make sure to follow all the lineup announcements pretty closely, as teams work in their minor leaguers (who are almost always punt-priced) into the lineup. Yesterday we had Mallex Smith, Austin Hays and Teoscar Hernandez all batting leadoff, all punt-priced, and all in decent enough matchups to be playable. I can’t tell you who specifically will be out there today as a punt-priced hitter at the top of the order, but I can tell you that it’s highly likely there will be a few options to choose from. I will even go so far as to guarantee at least one team will throw out numerous punts (but I’ll get to that later, at the end of the article). Now I’m sure you’re asking - but if there are a bunch of options, how do I choose between all the different uninspiring AAA-level punt-priced hitters at the top of the order? Well it’s a good thing you asked! I’d focus on looking at the rest of the lineup (although it should seem obvious, if AAA-caliber punt OF #1 is batting leadoff for an otherwise great lineup and AAA-caliber punt OF #2 is batting leadoff for an otherwise uninspiring lineup, the former is far more likely to be driven in, if he does luckbox his way on-base, and also is far more likely to get that extra at-bat because the rest of the lineup cycles around), while also focusing on who is facing the inferior pitcher and/or the inferior bullpen (for much the same reasons). I’d also give a lot of weight to each spot in the lineup, so I’d much rather use leadoff-batting AAA-caliber punt OF than fourth-batting AAA-caliber punt OF. Two final notes - first - some managers (*coughDustyBakercough*) love to ask their weak-hitting #2 batter to sac bunt, so I’d also be a little weary of using a punt OF if he’s batting 2nd for a one of these managers who are a little more “old school”. Second - NL teams still (stupidly) have the pitcher hit (seriously, just end this abomination) and they double switch guys out all the time, so your favorite NL punt might be out of the game in the 5th because the Manager must insert himself into the game by using some next level strategery, which you know, proves he’s there.
On to the picks once punting season begins...
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!
What Do Ynoa – Another Ex-Met Pitcher Does Well
September 22, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 93 Commentsby: Grey
Yesterday, Gabriel Ynoa threw a gem, 8 IP, 1 ER, 7 baserunners, 3 Ks, ERA at 3.41 in just under 32 IP. His name is pronounced EE-know-a. As they say, the more you EE-know-a. Ynoa was only at 94 pitches, so don't you let Ynoa try for the complete game? I mean, Ynot? He looks like a number five starter, though on the Orioles that likely means a number three starter. He can touch mid-90's with his fastball, but he's missing a decent breaking ball and tends to get beat up by lefties, like Fox News. Though, better things may await him because the Mets traded him away. He will likely come up a little short of the Mets' all-time worst trade of Nolan Ryan, and even their 2nd worst trade of Amos Otis to the Royals for a prospect with a giant baseball head. Anyway, here's what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Prospect Rankings: Top 10 First Base Prospects
September 21, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 18 Commentsby: Geoff
Have you ever ranked M&Ms? Or Skittles? Or really anything that looks different but is really exactly the same? That my friends is what it's like to rank first base prospects at this point in history. The Cody Bellingers, Rhys Hoskins, Dominic Smiths, and the like have moved onto the show, and we're left with a bunch of guys that should all be ranked tenth. Seriously, you've heard of 1A and 1B, but have you ever seen 1A through 1Z? Realistically I'm splitting more hairs than a louse with an ax on this post. As I type this I'm looking down at a sticky note with about 27 names scribbled on it. I'm old school, I crush sticky notes all day, everyday. My brain is more or less a table with 1,000's of yellow sticky notes. Does that mean I'm organized or a mess? You decide. I don't have time to figure this stuff out, I have first baseman to rank! So far we've covered starting pitchers, outfielders, shortstops, third basemen, and 2nd basemen in our 2017 positional wrap up. Which leaves us just catchers to cover after today, and I think you know how I feel about catching prospects (psst why bother?). Anyway onto the shallowest position in the minors, which is funny because it's possibly the deepest position in the majors. Well, the deepest from a fantasy perspective. On to the rankings!
Set Your PVR (Perception Versus Reality): If You Don’t Know Me By Now
September 21, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell | 3 Commentsby: VictoriaB
Over the last couple of weeks, Dr. Easy — my fantasy baseball partner-in-crime — and I having been playing the “Where Are They Now?” game, which has been pretty enlightening — for us, anyway. We’ve looked back to the beginning of the 2017, to compare the top 12 players on the Razzball Pre-Season Player Rater (PS PR) versus the top 12 as of right now per the Razzball Season-to-Date Player Rater (STD PR). With the regular season drawing to a close (<sob>), how have things changed? What can we glean for next season: Who’s steady; who isn’t? In week 1, we looked at Trout, Betts, Kershaw, Turner, Machado, Altuve, Scherzer, Goldschmidt and Arenado. In week 2, we went over Harper, Cabrera, Bryant, Blackmon, Stanton, Sale, Votto, Judge, Kluber and Andrus. This week, we’ll move into the next 6 according to the PS PR and the STD PR.
"Big Maple" James Paxton takes the mound on Thursday in his second start off the disabled list, facing the Rangers at home. Paxton's first start off of the DL was a disaster, but that's often the case - it normally takes at least one start for a pitcher to regain form after missing more than a month. And plus, it was against the Astros, so it's completely forgivable. Paxton's full-season stats are drool-worthy, so to get him at just $8,400 on FanDuel is an opportunity to pounce on. As for the Rangers, they strike out 24.7% of the time against lefties. If he's back to form, it will be a big night for Big Maple.
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!
Chris Sale’s Version Of 300 More Homoerotic Than The Movie
September 21, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 128 Commentsby: Grey
You know how they say think about baseball to make sex last longer? Okay, so I was thinking, to make the baseball season last longer do we think about baseball? Maybe we think about sex. This is a riddle for the Sphinx! I saw Chris Sale struck out his 300th batter of the season, and I got a pit in my stomach. I mean, I know the season's quickly approaching its French end title, "Fin," but it still bums me out like a mid-20's Evan Gattis. Yesterday, Chris Sale went 8 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners, 13 Ks, lowering his ERA to 2.75. He became the first Red Sox player to record 300 Ks in a season since Pedro Martinez in 1999. And Pedro had his good luck charm, little person, Nelson de la Rosa! Well, I guess Sale does have Pedroia. You look at Sale's peripherals and you kinda wanna drool -- 12.9 K/9, 1.8 BB/9, 2.62 xFIP, and averaging 94 MPH on his fastball. His K-rate is the third best for a starter since 1900. Okay, so maybe Kluber doesn't win the Cy Young. Anyway, here's what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Rolling In The Deep, Week 25: Looking For Sunshine Through The Hays
September 20, 2017 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball |by: Laura Holt
Here we are, everyone! And by everyone, of course I mean the few souls out there who still have something to play for in a deep league over the next week and a half. And by here, I mean my last NL/AL only column of the season.
It’s been quite a year. I have much more to say about it, and I probably will over the next few months. While everyone is off playing fantasy football, enjoying the holiday season with family and friends, and generally braving the long winter months ahead, I’ll be hunkered down, obsessively thinking about and occasionally sharing my thoughts on the fantasy baseball season that is behind us, as well as the shiny new one that lies ahead of us in 2018.
But for now, I need to clear my head a bit. I’m still having trouble processing the fantasy seasons that [player]Ryan Zimmerman[/player] and [player]Gio Gonzalez[/player] have had, and am not sure when I will be able to move on from the burn I’m feeling, as I think this is literally the first year in the last five or six that I haven’t owned both of them in at least one NL-only league. Thinking about the way they treated me in the past, all while watching them wine and dine their current owners with more home runs and quality starts than they know what to do with – well, as with any nasty breakup, it has not been easy. But, it’s time to move on… and if nothing else, I can spend the winter daydreaming about who my 2018 imaginary fantasy baseball boyfriends will be (look out, Zack Godley, I may be coming after you!)
And, if you are one of the lucky ones soldiering on in a deep NL or AL-only league over the next ten days or so, here are some fellows that are owned in only a few percent of leagues… but who, if all the stars somehow align correctly, could end up giving you that magic stolen base or 3-RBI game that puts you over the top.
Alex Wood ($9,400) takes on the Phillies tonight. He's fresh from his little procastination break, and decided to post 8 K's across 6.0 IP last week - whatta guy! Despite that one good outing though , Wood's ERA this month is still as fat as a butcher's dog (4.76). He clearly went on a serious earned run bender towards mid season, but against a Phillies team that has been hovering around .245 this week, he's the cheapest semi-elite option you'll come close to. Here's who else I like on this fine Wednesday:
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!
Gausman Turns Boston Bats Into Baked Beans
September 20, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 164 Commentsby: Grey
Who loves irony? Did you just answer your mom? I said irony, not ironing. As the British will tell you, irony is not a well-pressed shirt. Though, now that I think about it, if I had a well-pressed shirt, and I said, "This thing is real irony," I wouldn't be wrong because I was saying it. Any hoo! The irony I speak of is Alex Gordon hitting the major leagues' record 5,694th home run on the year, while there was less offense around the league last night than I could remember in some time. Granted, from around September 11th to 14th is a bit of a blur. A true highlight (building shizz up now!) was Kevin Gausman and his dismantling of the Sawx (really overselling) with the line 8 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners, 7 Ks, ERA at 4.61. This year, like a case of lice, Gausman is a real head scratcher. Looking at his perfs (kids say this; think it's short for perfumes), Gausman is having a garbage year. Velocity is there, so doubt it's a hidden injury. The walks are way up, Ks are down, and the culprit appears to be his fastball. Went from a near-10 in pitch value on his speed ball to a negative. FS shouldn't abbreviate fastball, it should be for "F**k's sake." The good news is this sounds like a mechanics problem, and might've been fixed already. Thanks, Pep Boys! His 1st half vs. 2nd half: 5.85 ERA vs. 3.44; 7.7 K/9 vs. 9.6 K/9; 4 BB/9 vs. 3.2. Yeah, sadly enough, it's going to be hard to avoid him in 2018 again. Now, that's real irony (no, it's not). Anyway, here's what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Wanna take a guess at who the title is? Anagrams are fun, and by fun, I mean about as fun as going to a baseball game and staying sober. Since that first sentence merely took eight seconds to read, I would assume that your guess of Fernando Valenzuela was wrong. The real answer is Amed Rosario. I could have went with endless possibilities, but a "sore diorama" sounds like a science fair experiment gone wrong. So onto the SAGNOF usefulness for the man that could have been "armoire soda," but alas the diorama wins. Over the last 15 games with the Mets on coast mode to losing, the question is: are they in a coasting mode for losing and futility? Anyways, over his last 15 games, he has a .364 batting average, a .391 OBP, 7 runs, and the all important 3 steals. He never exuded elite-type speed in the minors, maxing out at 19 across two levels this year and last. So the speed could be blossoming like the ability to make pumpkin spice anything nowadays and have lonely single people furnish an entire apartment with it. With the season less than two weeks from finish, look high, look low, look Amed Rosario.
RCL Update: The Week That Was, Week 24
September 19, 2017 | Our Leagues, Razzball Commenters League | 6 Commentsby: MattTruss
It’s that time of year again, when teams looking to max out their counting pitching stats (strikeouts and wins) or who hope to get lucky (or have nothing to lose) and lower their ratios, stack up nine starting pitchers on their final day of starts and see what happens. This is a strategy that has caused quite a bit of consternation over the years of the Razzball Commenter Leagues, but in the end, it’s not against the rules and if you want to take the risk, that’s your prerogative. Y! Leagues feature the same characteristic where, on the day you go over your IP limit, all stats count. This is no different. Thus far, 4 teams have maxed out with 188 Games Started. I have two teams that have taken the plunge, as has Simply Fred of ECFBL and # Sozo of Cougs R Us. ECFBL and Cougs R Us are routinely two of the most competitive RCLs and, speaking on behalf of the 5 years I’ve played in ECFBL, typically 75% of the league will hit the 188 threshold. Strikeouts and wins are usually so tightly contested, that every inning counts. Unless you are holding a slim lead in the ratios that you don’t want ruined, there’s not much to lose in maxing out your stats. So, how have our trio managers made out? We’ll look at that and more from the week that was, week 24 below:
