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.
Fantasy baseball can be cruel! One minute, Chris Sale is sitting there as a great first-round choice; the next, the fantasy baseball gods — along with the Red Sox long-term taking-it-easy schedule due to their stranglehold on the AL East — land Sale on the DL. In his stead there is a savior, however, and his name is not who you might expect. Mike Clevinger is number 1 on Streamonator, above such luminaries as Verlander, Greinke and Kershaw, for a very good reason. He’s facing the lowly Baltimore Orioles at home; they hit him to only a .132 batting average with a .408 OPS. Keep your faith in those long, flowing locks and roll to a win. Now let’s look at a few more early-, middle- and late-round picks for your Draft…drafts!
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J.A. Happ, SP: Middle – He’s young at heart, which explains his latest ailment, but he’s back and ready to go against his former team, the Blue Jays. The Jays hit him to just a .222 batting average and .784 OPS, and he makes for a very solid mid-round pick.
Jake Odorizzi, SP: Late – This Minnesota starter is looking like a great late-draft risk. He’s facing the Tigers, who hit him to a weak .188 batting average and .619 OPS. And those numbers include when Miguel Cabrera is in the lineup, which is not the case today, or for the foreseeable future.
Jose Ramirez, IF: Early – This MVP candidate is tearing it up, and today he gets poor Yefry Ramirez (no relation) of the Baltimore Orioles. Ramirez (the hitter; not the pitcher) is killing the league generally, and his numbers at home versus righties are sweet: .305 and .307, respectively. Meanwhile, Ramirez (the pitcher) sports a 5.40 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP.
Bryce Harper, OF: Early – This perennial MVP candidate is finally playing like it. Today he’s up against young right-hander Jose Urena of the Miami Marlins. It’s a tiny sample size, but Harper has hit him for .375 and an OPS of 1.115. Generally, Harper has better career numbers against righties and is sporting an OPS over 1.000 this month. It’s probably safe to take him early in your draft.
Jose Abreu, IF: Middle – This lefty masher goes against Royal righty Heath Fillmyer. Who’s that, you may ask? Abreu knows: He’s faced him once and gone 2-2 with a home run. Abreu is another hot bat this month with a high OPS, and makes for an excellent pickup in the middle rounds.
Michael Brantley, OF: Middle – So many big names around, he can just get lost. But picking him in the middle rounds could net you a win. He’s never faced Yefry Ramirez, but the lefty-righty match-up should suit him. On top of that, at home in Cleveland, Brantley is hitting .335 with a .909 OPS.
Wilson Ramos, IF: Late – This former Tampa Bay Ray is loving it in his new home in Philly. He’s tearing it up and should get the start today against Mets lefty Jason Vargas. Ramos hits left-handers to a .337 batting average and .973 OPS.
Adam Eaton, OF: Late – Eaton has pretty ridiculous lefty-righty splits this season: .319 versus .167. Plus he’s been hot lately, hitting .316 with a homer over the last 7 days. Here’s hoping for all these trends to continue against Jose Urena of the Marlins.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
There’s a chance of thunderstorms in Atlanta for Rockies and Braves and rain for Mets and Phillies. And if anything can make Oakland a smaller ballpark, it’s the wind blowing out, and that’s the case today for the Astros and A’s. Lastly, there’s a strong wind blowing in in Boston for Rays and Red Sox.
Doing Lines In Vegas
Stack ’em, pack ’em and rack ’em: The highest projected runs scored today are the Indians (5.97) vs the Orioles, the Nationals (5.71) vs the Marlins, and the Rangers (5.01) vs the Angels.
The best and the brightest: The biggest favorites today are the Nats vs. Miami (-198), the Indians (-255) vs the Orioles, and the Astros (-207) at the A’s.
