They call Draft fantasy for the people, and why not? It’s easy as Sunday morning. Sign up at Draft.com, do a quick snake draft of 3, 4, 6 or 10 players, and get a piece of the payouts. Here at Razzball we recommend using Value-Based Drafting (VBD) to make the most of your roster. Using Rudy’s tools, you can easily sort values and take the projected points for the final player drafted at each position (P, IF, OF) and subtracting from all the players at that position, then re-ranking based on VBD. In other words: Razzball will give you the inside knowledge you need to dominate your DFS opponents.
It’s days like today, when there appears to be only one ace and then all the rest, that Razzball can give you a clear edge over the competition. Hiding behind the giant shadow of Gerrit Cole lurks a man striking out the world and leading one of the surprising teams of the year. J.A. Happ is a monster right now, leading the league in K/9 with a mark of 12.7. He and his 14-11 Toronto Blue Jays get to face the last-place Texas Rangers today. It doesn’t hurt that current Rangers hit Happ to the woeful tune of a .473 OPS. After these two pitchers, it’s a significant drop-off, but the edge of grabbing J.A. Happ a pick or two after Cole is enough to bring home the bacon. Now on to some more Draft.com recommendations for today.
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Rick Porcello, SP: Middle – Porcello can be trick or treat, but this year he’s been the straight most-popular-house-on-the-street full-size-candy-bar treat. He takes his 1.98 ERA and .73 WHIP against the surprisingly hot Tampa Bay Rays. It’s possible to build a winning roster with him, a better bet as the 7th-ranked pitcher than Robbie Ray (3rd) or Kevin Gausman (4th).
Luke Weaver, SP: Late – Today he pitches in Pittsburgh against the Pirates, who have hit a weak .570 OPS against him. Look past his surface numbers and there’s the glimmer of a stacked offense with Weaver carrying you to victory. Ranked as the 13th pitcher on Draft.com, he can be had near the end of large drafts.
Freddie Freeman, IF: Early – This lefty masher gets to swing at homer-happy Citizens Bank Park against RHP Vince Velasquez. He’s heating up, 1.364 the past week, and a great play today as the 5th-ranked infielder on Draft.com.
Mike Trout, OF: Early – When he is healthy and on his game, as he currently is—leading the league with 10 HR with 5 steals thrown in—there’s no other choice. Who do you pick over Griffey Junior or Mickey Mantle or Hank Aaron in their heyday? On Draft.com today, he’s ranked as the 13th outfielder. Jump on him.
Manny Machado, IF: Middle – Don’t look now, but Machado’s making his contract push: Hitting .356 with 9 HR and 20 RBI. Today he gets a lefty at home, his favorite combo. He’s ranked as the 9th infielder on Draft.com today. Slam dunk, touchdown, nothing but net, and any other cliché you can think of for picking this guy today.
Eddie Rosario, OF: Middle – All of Rosario’s home runs have come against RHP this year, and today he gets Tyler Mahle of the Reds. He’s also home in Minnesota, where he’s hitting like an All Star: .932 OPS. He’s ranked 13th among outfielders and you should be able to get him in the middle rounds. Yes indeed, it’s rosy for Rosario in the Twin Cities today.
Nelson Cruz, IF: Late – Let’s face it, he’s aging like fine wine. Today he faces junk baller Josh Tomlin. Look for his power to play in Cleveland in the middle of a good Seattle lineup.
A.J. Pollock, OF: Late – When he’s hitting homers, he can really fill up the stat sheet, and today is a great mix for him as he faces the struggling Nationals and LHP Gio Gonzalez. Pollock and his righty stroke have hit Gonzalez to the tune of .364. Look for power and speed from him today. As the 20th-ranked outfielder, he’s a bargain.
I’m Only Happy When It Rain(e)s
The only place Hall of Famer Tim Raines might stay inside is Boston, where the Rays are playing the Red Sox. There’s a light rain on and off all day. The wind is blowing out at a good clip in San Francisco for the Giants vs the Dodgers, and in Pittsburgh for the Cardinals vs the Pirates. Conversely, the wind is blowing in in Washington for Nationals vs Diamondbacks and in Cleveland for Indians vs Mariners.
Doing Lines in Vegas
The Vegas Golden Knights keep winning. It’s incredible. Now on to this Sunday’s Vegas info.
Stack ’em, pack ’em and rack ’em: The highest projected run-scoring teams are the Twins (5.54 runs), the Red Sox (5.41 runs), and the Blue Jays (5.41 runs).
The best and the brightest: Today’s biggest favorites are the Blue Jays (-218) over the Rangers, the Astros (-210) over the As, and the Twins (-180) over the Reds.
