Wasn’t even planning it but my title is quite the send off to my turns at the Fantasy Baseball DraftKings posts this year. I’ve had some highs – Hot Carrasco Sauce! – and some lows (J.A. did NOT, in fact, make me Happ-y) but in the end, I’m happy with how the season went. We learned together, we played in a few 10 team leagues together. we sucked together…of course, the key thing in all of this is the word ‘together’. So without getting all sappy, let me just say thanks and move on to my final DK roundup, shall we? Yes, let’s. I always do my best to not only find value but to find breakout value. I highlighted my Carrasco call because if you’re gonna aim low, you gotta aim high…that made more sense in my head before I typed it. My point is, if you’re not spending beaucoup bucks on an arm, they better offer you the chance to pay up for upside elsewhere or to offer major upside themselves. It’s why Bauer at home was a scary proposition every time but also a 40 point outing possibility that you just couldn’t ignore. Well, maybe it was just I that couldn’t ignore. Speaking of pitching at home, Henderson Alvarez has some pretty drastic splits on the year in terms of DK points. There’s almost a 7 point swing for Henderson pitching away vs pitching at home and he’s also thrown 3 complete game shut outs in the house of the Unicorn vomit. Clearly he’s a home schooler and with that, he gets a prime matchup against a Phillies team that’s not even treading water right now. There just haven’t been many bright days for the Phils of late as they have the 4th worst K%, and the second worst wOBA/wRC+ over the last 14 days. This is not a team out there looking to conquer. They’re looking to be vanquished and Henderson is in a prime sitch to do just that. Given his price tag of $7,200, he makes it easy to roster a pitcher priced over 10K today if you’re so inclined. And for Henderson, that’s really Alvarez to it so let’s move on. Here’s some more hot takes for the Tuesday DK slate…but before you go! Yeah, I’ll still be doing some off-season baseball stuff but if you’re a DraftKings nut and wanna play the football side of this crazy world, keep up with us over on the Football side, would ya? I’ll be your DK guide most weeks so come hang. Ok, now on with the show…
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Cole Hamels, SP: $11,300 – If there are more than 10 runs scored today total, I’ll be surprised. This is gonna be a big pitching day so it’ll be hard to find the offense to compete. That said, I can’t see how Hamels is priced this low. Because of the win? Four measly points, DK. The Marlins without Giancarlo are like Grey without Giancarlo: naked, curled up and whimpering in the corner of the bathroom with a razor in their hand thinking of giving it all away…woah, not suicide. Was just talking mustache. C’mon now! When you consider they’re also without OZUNA for the year, I’d be surprised if this game isn’t a 0-0 tie going into the 18th.
Johnny Cueto, SP: $11,700 – Fun fact: I don’t think I’ve rostered Cueto once this year. If I did, it probably happened because I said ‘I guess I have enough money for him. Why not?’ Well, my last write up for the year, I’m saying Johnny 5 is alive for my roster. His DK home to road splits don’t hurt the argument, either.
Mike Fiers, SP: $10,900 – The great thing about DK is the win is only 4 points. Sure, it would be nice to get but if Fiers goes 7, K’s 10 and barely gets touched, you gonna be sad? Didn’t think so. Don’t see him getting the win but this is a high-k potential matchup against an offense that has been DOA for months. Have no Fiers, Mike is here! And because I find it a waste of typing space, the only pitchers I wouldn’t pay up for over 10K today are Alex Cobb and David Price – inconsistency – and Zack Greinke (?????). Those parentheses filled with question marks are the equivalent of a Super Mario block but in type. I just question Greinke in high leverage situations. Yeah, for once I got no stats, just guts. Maybe more than Zack…OOOOOHHHH BURN. I’ll also toss in that Felix Hernandez is just too priced up given the ballpark. Ain’t no need to pay unless you have the funds and if you do, pay down. Your hitting will thank you.
Gerrit Cole, SP: $9,600 – Cole gets the Notlanta Barves (official team name change as the city no longer wants to be affiliated). I think his opponent in Alex Wood is also a fine get but like Cole’s chances at dominating given he and his team are actually playing for something besides trying to be let back into their own city.
Robbie Erlin, SP: $6,800 – Sweet chocolate gravy, the Rockies are a hot mess on the road. They actually fooled me into thinking they could take advantage of Stults How do you get shut out by Stults? HOW I ASK. Well now I don’t care, I just go back to my ‘Colorado is Rocky on the road’ mantra and take Robbie. And yes, Jorge De La Rosa is in play here as well, I just give Erlin the edge.
Jason Castro, C: $3,200 – I’m so desperate for offense on this day, I’m actually thinking about an Astros stack. How sick is that? Nick Martinez at home has been a mess, especially against lefties. In just over 24 IP on the year, he’s given up 9 HRs to LHBs. That’s 3.375 HR/9 given up and that’s INSANE. I’ll be looking at bats like Alex Presley, Robbie Grossman, and Dexter Fowler to put this unholy abomination together. Heck, whoever plays short, whether it be Jonathan Villar or Gregorio Petit is probably in play as well here. Pray for me.
Adrian Beltre, 3B: $4,600 – The power numbers haven’t been special but a guy who doesn’t walk much who hits .368 against lefties at home is just fine by me, thanks. A good cash game play but nothing to get frothy in the loins over for GPP. Same goes for Josh Donaldson going against Wade LeBlanc. Hey baseball Gods, I only got one Donaldson AB vs a lefty last night. Couldja give me three minimum tonight? Thanks.
Stephen Drew, 2B/SS: $2,400 – If you’re paying up at pitching, you’ve got to pay down somewhere and Drew actually has a few things going for him here. One, he’s a lefty in Yankee’s stadium. Two, Ubaldo Jimenez is currently slated to start. And finall three, he’s hit Ubaldo well in his career, going 10 for 36 with 2 HRs and a .937 OPS aaginst him. The one thing he has going against him, you ask? He sucks. Sigh, there’s always a catch…but in all truthiness, going after Ubaldo with all the lefties you can muster from the Yanks lineup isn’t a bad strategy.
Nick Franklin, 2B/SS: $2,500 – Much like Drew, I have no idea if this kid is even gonna get a chance to start but at this price point, he makes for an interesting cash game target if he’s playing so you can afford the big arms. And let’s not forget, the kid homered on Saturday so this isn’t a ‘pray for a 1/4 with a single and a run’ kind of play here, folks.
Alejandro De Aza, OF: $4,100 – It’s called doubling down. You can’t just walk away from a situation like De Aza’s 0/4 night on Monday and say the call was wrong. He’s still in a hitter’s park that caters to lefties. Pineda pitched a great game last night. Tip your cap and get back on the horse because the power/speed potential is still alive and well here.
Miguel Cabrera, 1B/3B: $5,700 – Hey look at you. You went with Erlin and Henderson and now you’ve got all this cash to spare. Why not pay up for Miggy? Hell, why not pay up for the Tigers offense in general? Get crazy ese! The Tigers had been hitting well heading into the KC matchup and blew their opportunity to run the score up yesterday. I don’t think this problem happens again with Carroll on the mound.
Kolten Wong, 2B: $3,700 – This is really only a call if he bats second in the order. Wong moved back up to the 2 spot recently and if it sticks, his power/speed combo plays nicely for cash games as well as his walk rate. If he moves back down to 7th or 8th in the lineup, well, his chances for cashing for you in DK are a Wong shot…hey, where’s my rimshot!
Kennys Vargas, 1B: $4,700 – So far, Vargas has totally been a homeschooler as 8 of his 9 HRs have come in the not so friendly confines of Target Field. Granted, his numbers have mostly come from hitting as a lefty and he won’t be afforded that against Chafin but I don’t see Andrew sticking around long enough to see Vargas’ dong. Yeah, maybe I should just start calling them homers, that sounded wrong.
Aramis Ramirez, 3B: $3,600 – It’s looking like father time is catching up with Aramis a bit. The power has been down this year and who knows if it will return but if there was ever a good, cheap play that could pay huge dividends, Aramis and his 5 career HRs in 42 ABs against Cueto would be one of them. If you’re off Cueto and looking to go GPP rogue, this BvP play might get you on the road to victory.
Jose Bautista, OF: $5,200 – Similar concept of contrarianism (not a real word) but you’re paying up to do it which makes it ultracontrarian (also not a word). Joey Bats has 2 HRs and a career 1.066 OPS in 19 AB off the King. Crown his @$$, Joey! And yes, I will be doing a Blue Jays stack on Felix. It’s a dirty habit I have to stop. Like picking my nose and wiping the boogers under your chair when you’re not looking. Those aren’t screw tops you’re feelin!
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
The only game with a chance of heavy rain is MIAvsPHI but they put in a retractable roof so as not to have the Unicorn vomit wash away. Sad times…but in other words, one of your final days of baseball shall be weather free.
Doing Lines In Vegas
The ‘big’ game on the docket today is TEXvsHOU with an o/u of 8.5. I’m praying for the ‘o’ here because the other games give me the ‘OMGs’. The game I could see going well into the over is CHIvsSTL. I didn’t mention any Cubs because it’ll be extremely dependent on a healthy Rizzo. If he’s in, game on for stacks. And while we’re on the subject of the over, gimme that on the 7.5 in the MINvsAZ game. I’m feeling saucy with a slight twinge of cheese curd.
