A COG(hlan) in the Fantasy Machine and Top 100 Hitters, Week 16

I sat down Friday night and started watching Shark Tank for the first time. Wow, have I been missing out on a beautiful reality show. No B.S., I have been binge watching it all weekend. I know, I know, Grey has been pimping this reality masterpiece for years. Grey, you were right and I won’t doubt your reality lotharioness ever again. This show got me thinking about how I choose my creeper and how in some ways that I am the shark. I’m looking at numbers and schedules every week to buy the creeper. Based on the arguments in my head, I choose my player to invest in. Pretty easy. Now, what would you guys… and girls think of this new concept I thought of yesterday while chatting with Grey? Each week next season, instead of one contributor picking a creeper, we have several contributors each make one sell for a creeper? Take all those sells and combine them into one post and you peeps can decide what creeper you believe in. Just a thought.

This week, the 6% owned left-handed Chris Coghlan gets my Creeper blessing. In the fantasy world, Coghlan is a Schmotatican. He is a resident of Schmotatoland. Every now and then, he tricks people into thinking he is a citizen of Universallyrosteredville. But he isn’t, and that’s fine, use him like a lady of the night and kick him to the curb when you’re done. He opens the week at lefty friendly Great American Ballpark, facing four right-handers. I love the lefties in Cincy, and if you don’t, then you are cray-cray. Over at Rotogrinders ballpark factors, Cincy has the second best HR% for left handed hitters for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. We choose our creepers for two reasons, bags or dongs, and in one of his matchups, DeSclafani, he gets the 14th worst pitcher for giving up steals. Following the Cincy series, he goes back home for three against the Phillies. The Hitter-Tron loves his games against Billingsley and Gonzalez but it hates the Cole Hamels game. On the surface, I agree, but when I looked at his numbers vs. Cole, I found a guy he owns. In 26 AB’s against he has 2 HR’s and 5 total XBH’s. That is enough for me to think they might play him. I’m okay if they don’t, because the rest of the games are sexy enough for me. Before moving onto to frankencatcher, I wanted to give you guys a middle infidel option if you have no need for an OF. Eugenio Suarez (12.2%) gets three at home where he bats .375 and three on the road at Coors. No explanation needed for the Colorado series. Hit me up in the comments if either of these guys are gone in your league and we’ll find you another play.

Frankencatcher opens in Colorado with two options for the first half of the week. Wilin Rosario (14% owned) opens the week against 3 straight left handers. If he is gone then play Robinson Chirinos (2.0%) who is also at Coors to open the week. To close the week, I like Beef Wellington Castillo (5.2%). He has been hitting, is at hitter friendly home, and faces the Brewers who he is familiar with from his days with the Cubs.

The Top 100 Hitters, Week 16

DL – Dee Gordon, Denard Span, Josh Harrison, David Wright, Ryan Zimmerman, Corey Dickerson, Wil Myers, Giancarlo Stanton, Freddie Freeman, Anthony Rendon, George Springer, Miguel Cabrera, Alex Gordon.

• No reason to make any real changes since we only had three games since I last made the list. I’m sticking to my guns…for now. I made the Billy Burns correction and slotted a few guys in different spots as I feel like I get a little do over. Matt Holliday, Steven Souza and Ender Inciarte got added and Yasmani Grandal and Luis Valbuena got dropped out.
• I feel like I am ranking Matt Holliday toooooooo high. Fo’ realzies, I pass out from boredom when I think about his fantasy play but I also can’t forget the zombino factor with him. Couple that with the Cardinals fairy dust for greatness out of mediocrity and I’m sold. I think the 70 rank is fair, he isn’t going to put up top 30 numbers, but feels less risky then lots of others.
• The Matt Duffy or Joe Panik conundrum has been bugging me for weeks. The K rate and walk rate make Panik feel less streaky and safer. Duffy’s BABIP bugs me as I see his average dropping in the second half. Big Magoo likes Duffy’s power upside and I like to be contrary to him when I see an opportunity. I also know he never reads my post so won’t be coming in to argue his side. Panik’s batted ball profile, to me, is trending in the direction I like to see. From last year to this year he has dropped his GB rate, raised his FB rate, increased his hard hit %, and cut his swing strike %. For these reasons I swapped put Duffy for Panik til I see more.
• If Carlos Gomez gets shipped out of Milwaukee then Khris Davis and Gerardo Parra will get into the conversation for this list. We all know Davis has great power upside but wait, what if Parra gets moved too? Yup, that’s possible. I always viewed Parra as a hot schomtato, but this year it feels different with him. I think a trade will kill any value he had.