When you think of the top shortstops in baseball, you automatically think of Fernando Tatis Jr. first, then probably Bo Bichette, Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, Trevor Story, and Corey Seager - when he is healthy. Perhaps we need to add two names to that list.
Perhaps it is time everyone considers Jorge Polanco and Dansby Swanson as two of baseball's top-hitting shortstops.
Monthly Archives: August 2021
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Last week was full of mixed results. We got some great performances from Ranger Suarez, Reynaldo Lopez, and Tarik Skubal, but we also got a serious dud from Vladimir Gutierrez. That's just how this racket goes, though, and it's almost impossible to be perfect. What's important is that you maximize your moves and use as many of these streamers as possible. That should help the volatility of a random blow-up and help you gain an edge in some of the counting categories. I'm actually tied for first place in my Razzball commenter league, and you better believe I'll pivot to some of these guys to try to break that tie!
Ranger Suarez $6800 built up to 86 pitches Wednesday, so he could handle a more traditional starter's workload moving forward. Predicted total of 26.8 pts today, You should expect a solid effort against Arizona and get a W. I think he gets over 30 ! If you want a high dollar SP then Tyler Mahle @ $9600 against the Fish, might be more your style. With our hiters, try to find a way to roster Cubs/WSox sticks and let the wind be our friend.
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!
Prospect News: Jake Meyers Breaks Out in Time for Halloween
August 29, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 17 Commentsby: The Itch
I have added and dropped Texas 2B Andy Ibanez more times than I can count. Or remember, rather. I guess I could count to nine or so if pressed. The time I remember best was in the Razz 30 dynasty where I’d added him over Danny Santana back in 2019, when Santana decided he’d hit 28 bombs and swipe 21 bags. Now his watch has ended, but man was I kicking myself for thinking Ibanez had earned the first look. The Razz 30 was broken into six divisions like the real league at that time, and the rival Twins landed Santana if I remember right. Think they got him in a trade for approximately nothing, which looks about right today but really impacted the standings at the time. All the while I was left staring at Andy Ibanez on my roster, waiting to execute the old rage drop.
Well now, we’re in a world where I was right and wrong several times over: right that Ibanez could hit enough to hold down a gig, wrong to pick him up when I did, right to drop him when I did, then wrong to hesitate on picking him up. Probably wrong a few more times in the middle there, too. I struggle to just stay sunny enough about these things to convince myself I was right all along. That it just took time to materialize. This seems to be the preferred path of many in this chamber, and I can certainly see the appeal. For what it’s Weurtz, I do have Ibanez on a 15-teamer, and I’ll place a bid on him this Sunday in TGFBI, but it’s always a little painful when a guy you’ve always liked breaks through for another team. Unavoidable side effect of the churn and burn style I play, and I’m totally fine with that at the end of the day. What was I gonna do? Hold Ibanez for two years while the Rangers waited to give him a chance. Hard pass. We can do a lot with a single roster spot across time, and the benefit of getting some return on holding that spot several years down the road is far outstripped by the value in playing the game, trying to win now, cutting who you have to cut to keep the lineup legal and keep talent coming through the doors.
So who’s knocking today?
While I would have preferred to critique and analyze (hey-oh) Trevor Story's thus far lackadaisical season when healthy, his recent leg injury (which to be fair, has him listed just day-to-day as of this writing) does kinda take the wind out of the proverbial content sails. Wow, a nautical proverb, who would have thought? And while it might be a slightly awkward time to take a look at the player who might not get starts in the meantime, I'm willing to take that hit for the good of not wanting to change my subject and start this whole post over. So while Story is considered to be available in the upcoming series against the Dodgers, let's focus on how he hasn't been available to us for most of the year...
The numbers are in, and my unofficial spreadsheet says that the hottest player of the last few weeks deserves to be part of a blind resume! Who do we want for the rest of the season as we look at three power-hitting outfielders with season lines of:
Player A: 60/27/71/8/.247
Player B: 49/22/65/0/.267
Player C: 70/25/77/0/.256
Three sluggers having much different seasons tell us that season-long stat lines matter little at this point in the season. Early season darling, Aroldis Garcia (Player A), has a strong season line. However, in the last two months, he has scuffled to a .206 average with a 35% strikeout rate and merely seven long balls. Giancarlo Stanton (Player B) continues to be a Savant with his underlying power numbers but has been an overall disappointment considering relatively positive health this season. That brings us to Player C, Hunter Renfroe, who is coming on at the right time for the fantasy stretch and jumping into our top 100 rankings for the rest of the 2021 fantasy baseball season thanks to a .333 average, seven homers, and a combined 21 R + RBI over a baker’s dozen games. On the back of that performance, we will look at the other hot bats jumping up the rankings for the rest of the season.
What's up folx? Tough night for me in DFS Wars last night, with an 11th out of 15th finish -- far worse than my 6th place finish in week 1. Yesterday, I went with two great pitchers in my DK lineup -- Shane McClanahan and Aaron Nola -- and received an acceptable number of points, but I was really hoping for one of them to hit 25 points. I stacked the Rangers, which was a fine decision for the cost, but my complimentary grouping of Red Sox batters did zilch to help out. Meanwhile, the White Sox and the Cubs combined for a billion runs, so nothing much I could do against the chalk donkeys. Of course, any team playing against the Cubs now are considered chalk. Let's check out some of today's plays!
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!
Buy an Otto Ticket for the Fantasy Lotto
August 28, 2021 | August's Daily Notes, Daily Notes | 25 Commentsby: Dan Pants
Adam Ottavino notched his ninth save of the season Friday night pitching a scoreless ninth inning, allowing a walk, and striking out two to lower his ERA to 3.51. Matt Barnes has lost all his steam and possibly will to live and Manager Alex Cora's options include a couple of Garretts: Garrett Whitlock with his 1.60 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and arguably Boston's most consistent bullpen arm all season, or Garrett Richards (4.86 ERA, 4.60 WHIP) who has a 0.90, 1.00 WHIP in his past 10 IP in relief. So yeeaah ignoring Hansel Robles, the answer is clearly Adam Ottavino who has done the job before and set up Barnes all year. Grey told you to BUY Adam because Robles scarred him for life, and as far as late-season closer adds go Ottavino could be a real cherry. Or should I say Fenway frank? As hard as this team has stumbled post-break, they still appear to be trying to win baseball games and there should be plenty of save chances to be had as they battle for the wild card. I'd grab Ottavino wherever I needed saves. But wait! We're not done yet, as this headline is doing double duty today. Glenn Otto pitched five scoreless innings in his Tejas Rangers debut Friday night and allowed just two hits and struck out seven Astros. "His name is Otto, he loves to get blotto!" Thanks for that Ottoman! If you dominate the Asstros like that you have my attention, sir, and his 3.20 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 134/24 K/BB rate in the minors this year show me he might have the stuff to hang with the big boys. With half the Rangers starting rotation on the COVID list, Glenn should get another shot next week versus Colorado. I could see streaming him if you're as desperate for pitching as I am for positive feedback. There you go, a two-fer lede! Not bad right? Larry David might even say it's pretty good. So go play the fantasy lotto and grab one of these Ottos!
Here's what else I saw in fantasy baseball Friday night:
Ambulance Chasers: Jack Flahurty
August 28, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Injury Report | 8 Commentsby: JKJ
Howdy, Razzfolks!
Really great to be back to blessing all of you with my wisdom and A+ puns/jokes. But seriously, massive thanks to EWB for filling in for me while I was taking some time off with family. My wife lost her mom to pancreatic cancer. Prayers and good vibes still appreciated, but we're doing well, all things considered.
Anywho, let's get on with the injury updates you're here for!
Little Nicky Is A Devilishly Good Buy
August 27, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell | 172 Commentsby: Grey
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(NOTE: THIS POST WAS RELEASED EARLY THIS WEEK ON OUR PATREON. IT’S $10/MONTH OR $13/MONTH WITH AN EXTRA WEEKLY PODCAST.)
"Your mascara isn't as thick as I'd expect from someone named Billie Eyelash." At a podium, Billie Eilish laughs at Billy Crystal, and the banter fades away as they get serious to announce Best New Artist. Hoping to join previous winners like Evanescence, Bruce Hornsby and the Range and Paula Cole, Nicky Lopez sits in the audience with his fingers crossed. His head bowed in pray. This is his first day off in weeks from the basepaths, where he's put out such hits as: "A 2-for-4 with three steals," the top 40 hit "1-for-4 with two steals," and "Can't Keep My SAGNOF To Myself," the Grammy nominated song in another category. A song Nicky co-wrote with the 71-year-old George Thorogood. Nicky Lopez is also the Least Likely Player To Get A Buy Lede. He's got less power than Nick Madrigal, who has the power of a June bug in July when it's just exhausted. By the by, they should have a Home Run Derby of guys like Lopez and Madrigal. Alonso can hit 30 homers in four minutes, whoop-dee-doo. Let's see someone who can't hit it out of the infield try to hit two homers in four minutes! Any hoo! Lopez might have no power like Madrigal, but he's hitting like Nick Madrigal in every other way too. His contact rates are amongst the most improved, and he should hit ~.280. The real clincher here is obviously how he's stealing multiple bags per game, and the Royals have no reason to stop him. I know in most of my leagues that ten random steals in September might be the difference in multiple standings points. Okay, back to the show...The envelope is ripped, as Billie and Billy lean in to announce together, "Best New Artist is...Nicky Lopez!" As Lopez heads up to the stage, past winners Hootie and the Blowfish cheer him on, and George Thorogood doffs his cowboy hat. In the audience, Lorde mutters, "Freakin' Royals." Anyway, here's some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:
Points Leagues: Pick Em Up and Start Em
August 27, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Points Leagues |by: Butters
This is it, the fantasy baseball playoffs are almost upon us, if you're still in the running for a championship you deserve a pat on the back. But the season isn't over yet and you've got one more week to lock up your spot. With that in mind lets take a look at some guys who are primed for a big final week. You don't need me to tell you to start your studs so I'll to focus on guys who may be out there for you to pick up and put right into your lineup so consider this a wavier column. For all your start/sit decisions don't forget to check out Hittertron.
And without further ado, on to the targets.
For a player looking to break out of a slump, there are few things more attractive than a game in Camden Yards against Matt Harvey. Rays outfielder Austin Meadows ($3,300) is in the perfect spot to buy low on, as he's still got a 147 wRC+ against righties on the year and is in a great spot batting cleanup for Tampa Bay. Meadows can be used as a standalone or as part of a Rays stack against a pitcher in Harvey who has a 6.27 ERA with a 1.43 HR/9. Other Rays bats to target include Nelson Cruz ($3,800) and Brett Phillips ($2,500).
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!
