The Tommy Was So Bright I Had To Put On My Ray Phams

September 20, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 200 Comments

[brid autoplay="true" video="297637" player="10951" title="Fantasy Baseball Mailbag Week 25"] This is going to blow your mind. Before you read any further, I want you to take some precautions. Grab some masking tape from your "Never Used Shizz" drawer and wrap it around your head. Whoa, whoa, whoa! You didn't just wrap your head with masking tape, covering your eyebrows, did you? Hmm, well, when you remove that tape, you're gonna look like Phil Simms. (Hint: He's got no eyebrows.) Okay, I told you to avoid Tommy Pham in the preseason, due to his draft price, and ranked him 31st for all outfielders. On our Player Rater going into yesterday's game, he was ranked 31st. *does Ace Ventura victory dance on the porch* I have exorcised the demon! Yesterday, he had one of his best games of the season, if not best (yes, too lazy to look), he went 3-for-5 with his 18th and 19th homer, hitting .266, but hitting .327 on the Rays, and if he wasn't derailed by an injury when he first arrived in Tampa, he'd be doing better (or worse as his BABIP stabilized; it's ~.500 in September). I could see letting up on my hate on Pham in 2019, but he's still old and has stopped running, so the price will need to be much more reasonable. Okay, you can remove the tape now. Hey, eyebrows are overrated (like Tommy Pham coming into this year). Anyway, here's what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

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Fantasy Baseball Podcast: Interview With Razzball’s Own Paul Martin

September 19, 2018 | Ditka, Razzball Podcast |

by: B_Don

Razzball’s own Paul The Martian (on Twitter @PaulTheMartin) makes a guest appearance on this week’s Ditka, Sausage Pod! Discussion topics include 2019 #2earlymock drafts, Yankees players, The Martian’s expectations for Nolan Gorman, Alex Kiriloff, Keston Hiura, and Jesus Luzardo, as well as, potential tax evasion techniques, and of course, some flat earth discussion. Are Aaron Judge and Christian Yelich fantasy first rounders for 2019? Acuna or Vlad in dynasty leagues? Gleyber or Andujar for rookie of the year? Who is Black Grapefruit? Find out the answer to all of these questions in addition to why Mallex Smith was forced to seek a restraining order against Paul, right here:

Draft: Sup Pham

September 19, 2018 | DFS, Draft | 1 Comment

by: TroyKlauder

Even though he may not have reached his preseason expectations, Tommy Pham has put together a strong season and could still finish as a top 30 outfielder. His power-speed combo out of the Rays' cleanup spot makes him an attractive target today in Texas. Globe Life Park is one of the best hitting environments in the league, especially during the day. Facing off against Yohander Mendez makes this an even better matchup for Pham, because: A) Mendez sucks B) Pham hits lefties better than righties, and C) he's projected for 0.0 points on Draft. That's right, as at time of writing, Draft has placed a 0 point projection on Pham (I'm assuming accidentally), so you should be able to grab him with one of your last picks. New to Draft? 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 you do. It’s how we know you care!

Jameson’s > Crown Royals

September 19, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 171 Comments

by: Grey

[brid autoplay="true" video="297637" player="10951" title="Fantasy Baseball Mailbag Week 25"] Why do I keep hearing in my head Deniece Williams? "Let's hear it for the boy! Let's give that ball a hand!" Am I the only one hearing that? Recently, Jameson Taillon mentioned that he always smells the ball before playing catch. What is with guys smelling balls? Don't pretend I'm the only one! Is that a carryover from our gorilla days? I'm like John Scopes with a monocle! Speaking of evolution, I was recently thinking about how we've managed to stand upright, but thousands of years and we're not using our feet as hands yet? Like you wouldn't take three hands and hop on one leg all day, please. Any hoo! Jameson Taillon threw a gem yesterday -- 7 IP, 0 ER, 5 baserunners, 11 Ks, ERA at 3.24. I'm going to like him in 2019, as I've liked him for the last few years, but I can't say I'm as excited about his 8 .4 K/0, 2.2 BB/9 and 3.56 xFIP as I wish I were. His fastball velocity of 95 MPH should be producing a tad more. I think there's a 10 K/9 in there somewhere, but since he's basically repeated his previous year's stats, it's hard to expect that much more in 2019. Still, have to give the ball a hand! Anyway, here's what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Fantasy Baseball Podcast: Potential Bounceback Pitchers for 2019

September 18, 2018 | All Podcasts, Razzball Podcast | 11 Comments

by: Geoff

Everybody needs to be on high alert, Razzball HQ's location might possibly be in flux. While most of the operations this summer have been run from Grey's desert fortress, (apologies again, to all the interns that passed talking Ted for walks in the Palm Springs sun. We'll tip a Steel Reserve in your memory.) Madam Cougs has been hard at work preparing the SAGNOF mansion for the marketplace. For the first 70 or so minutes Grey takes us through the trials and tribulations of the Albright's real estate venture. All the while assuring us, that the fact their entire building is selling has nothing to do with roaches, mice, vagrants, or the murder that happened on the 3rd floor. After that we talk baseball, lots of it. Mostly pitching as we dive into some names that under-performed in 2018, but could be due for a bounce-back in 2019. Yeah we talk Luis Castillo, Madison Bumgarner, Michael Wacha and more. It's the latest episode of Razzball Fantasy Baseball Podcast. As always, go and checkout our sponsor Rotowear.com and use our promo-code SAGNOF to get 20% off all of your purchases.

Bear or Bull: This Puigy Going Yard

September 18, 2018 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball |

by: Son

This little piggy went to market. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy had roast beef. This little piggy had none. This little piggy went....Wee, wee, wee, all the way home! (Head Shoulders Knees and Toes and Other Action Rhymes). Well, my Puigy went to the ballpark. My Puigy stole second. My Puigy stole third. My Puigy sometimes sits which makes him sad. But when he plays and gets a pitch to hit.....Wee, wee, wee, he flips the bat and makes his way home! Yasiel Puig has been en fuego since the start of the month: .367/.457/1.000 with 6 home runs and 2 stolen bases. The ISO is at .633, walk rate is 14.3% while the strikeout rate is 11.4%!!! I'm squealing like a little piggy right now. Anyways, can this Puig make championship banners fly high?

RCL Update: The Week That Was, Week 24

September 18, 2018 | Our Leagues, Razzball Commenters League | 19 Comments

by: MattTruss

Something came up in the comments of my last Razzball Commenter Leagues article that I thought I’d address this week. This is something veteran RCLers from the ESPN days will recall and you’ll also be familiar with this concept if you play in Yahoo Pro Leagues or something similar. The idea is that you can maximize your pitching counting stats by manipulating the day you go over your 1400 IP. In the ESPN days this was manipulating the day you went over the 180 GS limit by getting to 179 GA and then loading up 9 starters and hitting 188 GS. The same thing applies here with the IP limit (and also in Yahoo leagues) in that on the day you go over the 1400 IP limit all of your pitching stats count for that day. So, let’s say you work it so you get to 1398 IP, then you load up 9 starters the next day. If all 9 starters last 5 IP, you’d hit 1443 IP and thus gain an extra 43 IP of strikeouts and possibly earn an extra win or two along the way. The risk is obvious. I have a hard enough time pulling one streamer out of the free agent pool that won’t obliterate my ratios, nevermind eight! 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 though. So far we’ve had one manger take the shot. We’ll take a look at how they made out and more from the week that was, week 24 below:

Draft: Agent Jake Bauers

September 18, 2018 | DFS, Draft |

by: Roto-Wan

Get in as much MLB on Draft.com as you can before the summer is gone. Football is already pulling at our attention. The weather will (hopefully) begin to cool and windows can be left open through the night. There's nothing quite like the strong sleep brought on by cool outside air moving through your bedroom. A good DFS lineup is a close second, though. Unearthing a gem like Jake Bauers on the right night is a great rush. Here are a few more plus plays. New to Draft.com? 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!

Are You Feeling Borucki, Punk?

September 18, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 144 Comments

by: Grey

[brid autoplay="true" video="297637" player="10951" title="Fantasy Baseball Mailbag Week 25"] *spraypaints Foltynewicz incorrectly on the bumper of my car* "Okay, Cougs, now back this car up over my head. Why are you arguing with me? I see the way you look at me when I burp in public, just back the damn car up over my head! I'm looking for a visual metaphor here!" So, how was your Monday? Mine was just terrific! Not as terrific as Ryan Borucki, apizzarently. On my tombstone it's going to read, "He died from a miserable September in his fantasy leagues, of course. Dur." I mean, Jesus Aguilar Christmas Effin' Christ, what in the holy name! Okay, okay, OKAY! Back to Borucki. Yesterday, he went 8 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners, 7 Ks, ERA at 3.86, which is a helluva lot better than Faultywhichwhich! Borucki's K-rate (6.1), his walk rate (2.8) and his 4.57 xFIP leave piles and piles to be desired. However (throw out everything Grey just said!), the Stream-o-Nator does like his next start a teensiest bit, and I could see streaming him. "Now back up the car!" Anyway, here's what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

SAGNOF Report: The Royal Scam

September 17, 2018 | SAGNOF | 10 Comments

by: Roto-Wan

Maybe it's the weather. Summer's heat is starting to break, after all. A handful of teams have been running like gangbusters lately. The Royals are one such team. They've taken advantage of weak pitcher/catcher combos. That's likely to continue as teams look to squeeze a few more wins from the 2018 season. Here are some teams that are in good position to continue that trend.

Those running Royals are at it again. The top two base stealers the last week were Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi. You could take a stab at Alex Gordon for some steals.
Rumors of Shohei Ohtani's speed from his time in Japan were hard to believe. It's been legit. The A's and Astros also make for a plus schedule. It's a good thing you don't need a functional UCL to steal bases.
The Rays have a pretty cushy week steals-wise, facing the Rangers and Blue Jays. Joey Wendle is probably the most actionable Ray. Wendle hasn't been running much lately, but he had five steals in August.
Trea Turner and the Nats have a four game series on tap with the Mets this week. Turner will certainly get his. Adam Eaton could also make for an interesting play if he happens to be on your league's wire.
Saves chase: with Trevor Hildenberger having a hard time holding onto leads this weekend Taylor Rogers figures to see some extra saves opportunities. Rogers is a lefty, so Trevor May is worth a speculative add in the event the Twins give up on Hildy.

Below is a table of the top ten catchers to run on...

Draft: Glas Half Full

September 17, 2018 | DFS, Draft | 2 Comments

by: Butters

Here we are, the penultimate Monday edition of Razzball does Draft. But don’t let that get you down -- look on the bright side. We’ve still got two more weeks, and the pennant races mean we get some of the best baseball yet. Taking on the Rangers puts a pitcher in a favorable spot. Texas has been known to whiff on many occasions, which is always good for fantasy. With Tyler Glasnow, the strikeout potential is always there, and I love it. He has a top-prospect pedigree and is finally getting a chance to stretch his legs and show what he can do with the Rays. That makes Glasnow my favorite value pitcher to turn in a winning performance and fill up your glass. New to Draft? 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!

Homer Did The Iliadalberto & The Mondesi

September 17, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 318 Comments

by: Grey

[brid autoplay="true" video="292022" player="10951" title="Fantasy Baseball Buy Sell Hold Week 25"] Didja you know The Captain from Captain & Tennille's real name is Daryl Dragon? Why would this guy have a nickname? Your name's awesome, you don't get a nickname. Daryl Dragon has bedtime slippers that are cooler than you. Daryl Dragon washes his hands, then breathes a not-very-intense fire on his hands to dry them. Daryl Dragon can’t get a speeding ticket. "Okay, Mr. Dragon, I’ll let you go this time with a warning because your name is Daryl Dragon." Raul Mondesi? Now that name sucks as bad as Thanksgiving dinners with the Mondesis (Mondesii?). "Please pass the potatoes and change your name back to Junior." "NO!" and chucks mashed potatoes at his father's head. "You throw like your mom!" "I hate you" And so on. I don't hate Adalberto Mondesi though. Yesterday, he went 3-for-5, 2 RBIs and had a slam (9) and legs (25). He has nine homers and 25 steals in only 219 ABs. Mr. Prorater says, "In a full season, he'd have 20 homers and 55 steals. And if I ate an orange a day for a year, I'd have enough Vitamin C for a Mars colony." You could consider this your first 2019 sleeper, assuming I don't get too crazy with myself and rank Mondesi in the top 25 next year. Anyway, here's what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball: