Breaking news! The MLB season is doubling the season to 324 games. There will now be 8 bases. In the new Star Wars movies the character will be renamed Han Duet.
So doubling things doesn’t always work, but it does for some things – like a double cheeseburger becomes a quadruple and getting to second base would be, well, that much better in high school. And it also works for our RAZZBALL EXCLUSIVE CAN YOU BEAT RUDY GAMBLE contest hosted by our friends at DraftKings returning back to Friday night. This week the entry is $10, but the prize pool so much more cheddar-y. The top spot gets entry into the biggest DraftKings contest we’ve won tickets into to date – their huge $500,000 Midsummer Classic where the top spot nabs $125 large. Not only that, but 600 spots will get paid! For our contest, the entries are limited to 30 total (up to two per person) and spots 2-10 will double-up to $20. That’s enough to sing about having in your pocket. Good luck this week!
Using a time machine to warp back and look at last week’s picks:
SP – Ervin Santana 7.2 IP 5 H 0 BB 3 Ks (23.65 Pts)
CI – Adrian Beltre 1-4 (3 Pts)
MI – Ben Zobrist 0-3 (0 Pts)
OF1 – Nate McLouth 0-3 2 BB 1 HBP (6 Pts)
OF2 – Lorenzo Cain 1-5 2B 1 RBI R (7 Pts)
UTIL – Billy Butler 2-4 R (8 Pts)
TOTAL: 47.65 (Previous weeks’ finishes – 54.3, 93.85, 76.9, 68.8, 47.7, 67.3, 92.4, 75, 83, 96)
So a pretty tough week and technically my worst week, but on a slate of only five games last Thursday, I’m not as upset I didn’t hit on any batters. Well that was just this week, when I saw Bryce Harper at a DC bar I pretty much took my panties off. As I mentioned on this week’s podcast, I spent big on Cliff Lee and a little less on Santana that brought me a 20th place finish and the final money shot. Hey Oh! Maybe I’m just in that kind of mode after Grey’s headline this morning. I’ll be out there again vying for that $200 ticket (jbrazzball) so good luck keeping me out of the money this week (I’m 3-3)! Here’s who I like this Friday:
SP – Ricky Nolasco ($7,500) – “Ewww, Ricky Nolasco really JB?” Thanks random commenter hater! Nolasco has been pitching fairly decently this season despite having a 4-7 record. What, wait? Am I rating this pitcher as an 80-year old broadcaster? Nooooooooo I was kidding! A 3.61 ERA and 1.15 WHIP are usable in the right situations, and at San Fran against the Giants who he has a career 1.83 ERA and 0.97 WHIP against in 59 innings has me thinking he’s a solid value and I can buy better hitters.
CI – Freddie Freeman ($4,900) – So my Brewers have one of the worst rotations I can ever remember. Bring back Randy Wolf! Oh god, I’m joking, I promise, don’t! So we’re throwing the terrible Wily Peralta out there on Friday Night, who is a lot like Gerrit Cole in that he has power stuff but doesn’t strike anyone out. Then again Peralta can’t get anyone out either, so I guess that’s a difference too. Long story short, lefties are teeing off of Peralta at a .327 clip with 6 homers in 175 batters’ faced this year, and Freeman hits righties at a career .291 average with 37 of his 52 homers off them.
MI – J.J. Hardy ($3,800) – Yup I’m loading up on guys teeing off the R.A. Dickey. Wow that sounds weird. J.J. has given everyone a hard-on this season who have drafted him and in a homer prone park against a slow-pitch softball pitcher, I think he can get it done.
OF1 – Nate McLouth ($3,800) – If you’ve been following my picks this year, McLouth seems to end up on my roster almost every week. A solid value and against that Dickey, I think he has a shot at a homer and definite steal/extra base potential. He’s 3-7 against Dickey as well, and Dickey hasn’t gotten a CS yet with that flutterball taking a century to get to home plate. Plus an interesting strategy – guys hitting early in the order get that hopeful extra at-bat, and since there’s no penalty for batting average – it’s all counting stats – why not take a stab with a guy with an extra PA? And no, not Matt Pond, I don’t get why he can just add PA…
OF2 – Jason Heyward ($4,000) – Despite the rough season, Heyward is an incredible value on Friday against the aforementioned terrible Peralta, and Heyward is a career 2-3 against him. Like McLouth, a little bit of speed upside, definite power upside especially at Miller Park and will probably hit second giving him some shots against a shaky bullpen late as well.
UTIL – Torii Hunter ($4,100) – Hitting at home against the mightily struggling Jon Lester, I think Torii will be overlooked by a lot of DraftKingers on Friday. He’s a career 8-16 against the Sawks pitcher and another guy in my strategy this week that is hitting second and maybe get that extra PA with good pitches to hit in front of Miggy and Prince-y. I’ve gotta stop with the dash-y’s.
As always, if you have any questions about anyone else, or for any other DraftKings contests, shoot them below, thanks for checking our friends out!
WIN A TICKET FOR A SHOT AT $500,000!