Well it’s finally here, we all knew it was coming…. Today is the day all the dollars leave the baseball side of DFS and move on over to football as it’s the unofficial first day of Fall with the NFL’s 2014 season kicking off. It’s okay, me and the other 10 guys playing daily fantasy baseball this afternoon are going to clean up! As you probably gleaned from the heading, I’m going to be playing with my Dickey today. It’s also only fitting to go with R.A on a Hip-Hop Sunday. R.A. Dickey that is; baseball’s own Rugged Man (?) faces the Boston Red Sox at Fenway this afternoon, and I like the cut of his jib. Two starts ago, he put up 18.7 DraftKings points against the very same Boston lineup, and I could see an easy 20ish point performance from Dickey today with his price low enough that you can free up some cash to invest in bats. What’s not to like? The Red Sox have had a couple of good games of late but they’re still far from a lineup to be feared. Look for Dickey to put up a line somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 innings, 6-7 K’s, and under 2 ER’s. So go ahead and grab your Dickey if you love Hip-Hop!
New to DraftKings? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well try out this 10 team league of Razzball writers and friends to wet your DK whistle. Just remember to sign up through us before you do. It’s how we know you care! If you still feel helpless and lonely, be sure to check the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays.
Hip-Hop Sunday Open Mic
J-FOH and I are keeping it loose and laid back this HipHop Sunday with a free form Open Mic concept. So who better to be the host of my little shindig than the original R.A himself. Here’s 4 of my all time Rugged Man favorites for you to jam to while you fill out your daily rosters.
1. Uncommon Valor – Jedi Mind Tricks featuring R.A. The Rugged Man
2. Daddy’s Halo – From Legend’s Never Die
3. Every Record Label Sucks D**K – From 1994
4. 50,000 Heads – Featuring Sadat X of Brand Nubian
Derek Holland, SP: 8,000 – Holland had a great return from knee surgery Tuesday night against the Royals as he struck out 6 and scattered 6 hits and 1 run over 7 innings. The Rangers didn’t have any reason to rush him and judging by his last start, he could be a difference maker in fantasy to close the season. Today he gets the ‘porn for lefties’ Seattle Mariners and their .289 wOBA vs. LHP. Holland is one of today’s best buys at $8,000.
Carlos Carrasco, SP: $8,300 – There have been few players more valuable the last month of the season than Carrasco. In his last three starts, he’s averaged 25.5 points per game on DraftKings, including a 28 point performance against the very White Sox team he faces this afternoon. In the month of August, Carrasco had an ERA of 1.82 to go along with a WHIP of .78, a K/9 of 8.80 and a BB/9 of 1.21. Pretty filthy numbers for a guy that was on almost no ones radar at the All-Star break.
Brad Hand, SP: $5,400 – Much like high school, I’m all about the Hand on Sunday. Only today I’m not talking about trusty Mr. Righty but Marlins lefty Brad Hand who just so happens to be making a spot start against Atlanta in place of Henderson Alvarez. I usually wouldn’t say I trust the Braves enough to stack them against any pitcher, but Hand is an exception. The Braves are getting my Stack-a-mendation of the day today.
Buster Posey, C: 5,400 – I’m not sure I’ve had Buster in a single DraftKings lineup all season. This seems completely crazy because I like the player. I guess it’s just his price tag is always so high for a catcher. Part of my usual strategy is to never spend more than $3,000 on a backstop. But much like any expensive bat on DraftKings, he has his days where he’s worth the price tag. Posey and the Giants face my nephew and Detroit lefty Kyle Lobstein today. His Bar Mitzvah was a blast; they had a 50 Cent impersonator and Kyle rapped a song with him. It was great. His outlook for today, on the other hand, not so much. The Giants have been the best offense in baseball the last month, and have a few guys who hit lefties well, chief among them being Posey. Buster’s slash line against southpaws reads .313/.362/.514/ with a .381 wOBA and a 151 wRC+. To take it one step further, his numbers against LHP on the road are gaudy .360/.429/.520/.415 wOBA/174 wRC+. He’s also had the highest wOBA in baseball the last two weeks with an other-worldly .592. I think he’s a must play in all lineups today.
Victor Martinez, 1B: $5,200 – You know who’s been the best first baseman in fantasy this season? That’s right, non-comatose reader, it’s the name in bold before the blurb. I mean seriously who did you think it was? Miguel Cabrera? Nope, it’s Martinez. Helluva Zombino season from V-Mart this year, and he’s been smoking hot the last two weeks. As he’s dropped a wOBA of .549 and a wRC+ of 260. He faces fellow grandfather and AARP member Tim Hudson today who, amazingly, he’s only faced 4 times in his career. Go figure.
Luis Valbuena, 2B/3B: $4,500 – Valbuena enters Sunday’s matchup with Gerrit Cole at Wrigley scorching hot. Over the last few weeks, Valbuena has hit for an OPS of 1.016, as he’s hot schomatoed all over the place. I’m loving a home matchup against the unpredictable Cole. The best thing about daily fantasy is the ability to not only play the matchups but also chasing the hot bats. Valbuena is the latter.
Gregor Blanco, OF: $4,300 – This is slowly becoming a lineup of hot schmomatoes. But who can blame me for taking advantage of Blanco’s current hot streak? Over the last 7 games going into last night, the Giants outfielder has averaged 14.7 points per game on DK. That kind of hot streak is leaving opposing pitchers shook, and his daily owners paid in full.
Justin Upton, OF: $4,400 – Justin returned to the lineup Friday after suffering a boo-boo on his triceps. He’s been one of the better hitters in the second half as he’s hit .294/.371/.544 with 9 dongs and 36 steaks. He also has the 5th most homers against LHP in baseball. As luck would have it, he gets the Lefty Hand to pleasure his owners with today. Us righties call that “the stranger.” Fellas go grab your Uptons. Unless it’s BJ because he sucks. Double pun point!
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
It’s zeros across the board! Play away my friends.
Doing Lines In Vegas
Tor @ Bos – 9 – Under
LAA @ Min – 9 – Over
Pit @ CHC – 7.0 – Over
As always, be sure to check the lineups, give a look at the weather and I toast your team with slightly chilled Manischewitz
Follow me on Twitter @ralphlifshitzbb or challenge me on DraftKings @ Puigroast
