Eduardo?  More like, Eduar…dough, amirite?  No one?  Alright, I understand, Eduardo Rodriguez ($9,800) has been far from money this season but that 3.34 FIP and that 11.3 K/9 just keep drawing me in and suggest we should see a really strong finish for Eddie.  That strong finish started three starts ago, since that game it’s been 16.1 IP, 2 ER, and 24 strikeouts.  Yum.  Tonight, it’s the Texas Rangers coming to town with their league-worst .657 team OPS.  Double yum.  The only thing that can stop Eddie from a money performance is if Hurricane Henri decides to speed up and land before Sunday.  As of right now, this game should play without any issue and I’m looking to cash in.

New to FanDuel? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well, be sure to read our content and subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays. Just remember to sign up through us before jumping into the fray. It’s how we know you care!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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See all of today’s starting lineups

# MLB Starting Lineups For Tue 8/5
ARI | ATH | ATL | BAL | BOS | CHC | CHW | CIN | CLE | COL | DET | HOU | KC | LAA | LAD | MIA | MIL | MIN | NYM | NYY | PHI | PIT | SD | SEA | SF | STL | TB | TEX | TOR | WSH | OAK

Victoria sobre las Aztecas! Yup, that was 100% a Hernando reference for all my conquistador aficionados out there. It’s not so much that I like Hernan Cortes as I just really hate Aztecs, but let me tell you about a Cortes I do really like. Nestor Cortes lead the New York Yankees to their eighth straight win Friday night pitching seven strong innings, allowing just six base runners, and striking out seven for his second win in a row. He’s also struck out seven in back-to-back starts. Nasty Nestor has been somewhat of a savior for the depleted Yankees pitching rotation and in five starts since the end of July, he’s allowed just 10 runs in 28.2 IP (3.19 ERA) with a 26/5 K/BB in that stretch. Must I mention the Jankees are 19-5 since Cortes joined the rotation, and they’ve only lost one of his starts? What about his 2.56 ERA that leads all Yankees starters? That 1.07 WHIP and 60/16 K/BB aren’t too shabby either. He doesn’t have Cole’s fastball or Taillon’s repertoire, but he’s managed to find success by switching up the speeds and styles with which he throws and has kept hitters guessing with his quirky delivery. Whether it’s a rando leg kick or a toe tap, a back show or a quick pitch, no two deliveries seem exactly alike, and that has resulted in confusing the heck out of batters. Unfortunately but fortunately, the NYC City Yankees are about to get real healthy, real quick. With Gerrit Cole already back, and Jordan Montgomery and Domingo German also set to return soon it remains to be seen if the 26-year old will stick in the rotation, but there’s no doubt Cortes has been an anchor when this staff needed him most. Imagine they go with Andrew Heaney (5.51 ERA) over this kid? SMH. Let’s hope not, as Nestor’s been so solid and the Yankees haven’t stopped winning. Cortes would line up for a favorable match-up in Oakland next weekend and he’s worth a speculative add in case he sticks. And I’m not just saying that because he takes the subway home after games all while rocking that amazing Mario mustache. Nasty Nestor conquers all!

Here’s what else I saw Friday night in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

So in that great chatroom of life that we call Twotter (maybe you call it something else), we learn from the greats. I mean, Grey’s there. Rudy’s there. I’m there. Sometimes other people say things too, but I have all of them on mute so I don’t really see anything other than videos of anime Grey talking to shirtless dudes all the time. Every once in a while Donkey Teeth shows up and makes us work. I do the research, I do the discoveries, I make the findings. Or, I steal other people’s findings because they’re shocking and really illustrate better than I could ever do with my droning. Don’t believe me? Check out this awesome graph from Derek Rhoads of Baseball Prospectus that tells us the severity of the injured list we’re dealing with right now: 

Please, blog, may I have some more?

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”848445″ player=”10951″ title=”RZBL%20FB%202021%20FFF%20QBs” duration=”160″ description=”undefined” uploaddate=”2021-08-20″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/thumb/848445_t_1629421419.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/sd/848445.mp4″]

(NOTE: THIS POST WAS RELEASED EARLY THIS WEEK ON OUR PATREON. IT’S $10/MONTH OR $13/MONTH WITH AN EXTRA WEEKLY PODCAST.)

Jose Miranda as played by Cynthia Nixon in her most challenging role yet: Minnesota Twins prospect. The sun sets through the West Village window, as clickety-clack from Carrie’s word processor is heard. She reads the words out loud as they make their way onto her 64-bit screen, “Miranda wasn’t going to come, so to speak, up for the Twins until they were good and ready. With Josh out of the picture–Is Josh out of the picture?–Gosh, Miranda really needs to find a new position, so to speak, to play in. Maybe Miranda can get in, so to speak, some time at 2nd base, like Samantha after five minutes knowing a guy.” And that’s me quoting Carrie Bradshaw! Jose Miranda has no speed, but his bat is more than ready, and it is explosive. Possesses the usual Twins’ tendencies — Twindencies? — he doesn’t strike out at all and doesn’t walk a ton. Are the Twins developing prospects or just cloning a Luis Arraez who was dipped in amber? Developing, because Miranda actually has power, unlike most Twins prospects. As Prospect Itch said recently, “Minnesota has demonstrated an appreciation for precisely this sort of profile, and Miranda is a better all-around hitter than some of the other guys they’ve hidden the past few years (Astudillo, Sano, Rooker). And much better than Grey, who sucks.” Okay, that’s hurtful. I’m stashing Miranda now. “I know just the slot for him,” says Samantha as Miranda groans. Anyway, here’s some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

For many of you, your fantasy season is likely over. Most leagues are approaching the playoffs and with only about 30-something percent of teams in a league making the playoffs, at least half are out of it by now. For those in that boat, be sure to continue setting your lineup as there are teams still fighting. Don’t be that guy. Unless of course you’re tanking for the first pick. But that’s a debate for another post. It’s important to remember, anything goes during the playoff stretch. Every point counts. That means every plate appearance counts. Make sure you have guys in your lineup that are going to give you the best chance at points. It’s a lot easier to cut ties with a player at this point in the season that you might have had a hard time doing two months ago. Like the Emperor said to Anakin in Revenge of the Sith, “Do what must be done“.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Dansby Swanson ($3,600) has been on a tear over the last month, batting .351 with eight homers and three steals for Atlanta. Lieutenant Dans should keep rolling tonight as he takes on Keegan Akin, owner of an abysmal 8.13 ERA. Swanson leads a Braves stack that can include power hitting outfielder Jorge Soler ($3,300), who has an .815 OPS against lefties, along with cleanup hitter Austin Riley ($3,800). This is a terrific spot for the Braves in a hitter’s park in Baltimore, and they could be the key piece to succeeding in tournaments.

New to FanDuel? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well, be sure to read our content and subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays. Just remember to sign up through us before jumping into the fray. It’s how we know you care!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Went looking for Joey Votto stats since the All-Star break and I found this tidbit:

In case you missed the fine print, that’s from 2016, so kinda pointless, but it shows he loves himself some hot air. Joey is filled with it! And so am I. Wanna elbow bump or shake hands? Elbow? Okay, cool. Here’s another one:

That was 2015. I’ve proved my point. Earlier this year, during the trading deadline week, he came within one homer and about two feet in Metco of tying the Devil Dale Long’s Home Run Record, which is the best baseball record. With his 27th homer last night, Joey Votto has 16 homers and 39 RBIs in the 32 games since the break. Not only is Votto hitting for a solid average (.281), but he’s also hitting for power, and, you kinda get the impression, he could do whatever he wanted with whatever pitch he saw. Personal anecdote alert that I’ve recounted before. Fast forward a blurb if you’re not interested. When I was in my teens, I went to baseball summer camp. The guy who ran it was a Yankees’ scout, so he’d have players come in to teach us fundamentals. One guest was Mike Pagliarulo. I know, I know, this is like the opening monologue before someone sings Springsteen’s Glory Days at karaoke. Any hoo! Pags was the best hitter I ever saw within three feet of me. One kid there was a minor league pitcher, and Pags was so dramatically better than him, it was obvious the kid would never go anywhere. If Pags wanted to hit a home run to right against this kid, he did. Up the middle? No problem. Home run to left? Sure, why not? So, my point (!), against this minor league pitcher, Pags did what I imagine Votto does against major leaguers. Votto is my Pags of the majors. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

The past two weeks have been a return to normality after the trade deadline craziness. Now we’re back to orange on the panic scale, where we’ve learned to live in both fantasy and reality of late. August can be a time that arms start to feel the miles of three-quarters of a baseball season. If you’re still in the hunt and grinding saves a well-timed stash a week early can pay immense dividends. Who’s FAAB isn’t running thin, after all?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Call it a Ponzi scheme, getting flimflammed, or good ole bamboozled.  All are terms that describe getting taken advantage of.  I can tell you for one, that there is no “guarantee” to prevent this from happening to you, but there are precautions that you can take to greatly reduce the chances.  Yes, it is pretty obvious that you shouldn’t send money to a Nigerian prince, or fall prey to the oddly thick-accented “IRS” agent willing to help you out of your upcoming lawsuit by sending him $200 in Chuck-E-Cheese giftcards.  People are looking to get ahead every day, and it is no different to fantasy baseballers (<–Grey's mom's term).  I am here to remind you, albeit 19 weeks too late, that signing up for Razzball's endless list of fantasy tools is the surefire way to avoid getting hoodwinked.  Don't get me wrong, you can get your resources from anywhere you want, and if you like finishing 3rd or worse, keep doing just that.  Simply click this link, and finish the season strong!

So without further ado, here is Week 20's Head to Head heroes with no chicanery!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

They say the best indicator of future results are past results. Past results tell us that when Justin Upton (OF: $2,600) gets hot he turns into a fantasy stud. Well, he’s gone yard in back-to-back games so we could be looking at some serious heat. This is not the time to forget about him or a match-up to run from. Dive right back into those flames for a great price.

New to FanDuel? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well, be sure to read our content and subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays. Just remember to sign up through us before jumping into the fray. It’s how we know you care!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”844743″ player=”10951″ title=”RZBL%202021%20WAIVER%20WIRE%20Week%2019″ duration=”152″ description=”undefined” uploaddate=”2021-08-13″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/thumb/844743_t_1628816018.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/sd/844743.mp4″]

“The 1994 classic, Blank Check, is possibly the best film ever, better than those Godfather films. Did you know they aren’t even about the perils of being a Godfather? Like what gift do I give my godson for his fifth birthday? Or what happens when my god daughter’s mother is hitting on me? Anyway, Blank Check is a ten out of ten, better than Dunston Checks In. The only drawback I can see is I thought Blank Check was initially about what the Braves will be offering Freddie Freeman this offseason.” Sorry! I was just typing up my IMDB Blank Check review. Yesterday, Freddie Freeman acquired his 2nd career cycle, going 4-for-5, 4 runs, 2 RBIs and his 27th homer, as he hits .301. His Ks, walks, BABIP, HardHit%, HR/FB% and spread of balls to his pull side vs. opposite way are all in line with previous–Okay, is he a robot? Thought we were starting to see the beginning of the end when he was struggling with his average in the early months, but that was fraught for naught. I’m sure we’ll see more cycles in the future for Freeman if he ever gets that Braves’ blank check. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Cincinnati SS Jose Barrero returned to the majors this week after an impressive 40 games at each AA and AAA. He’s the club’s best defense shortstop, but I’d be a little surprised if he gets the gig right away. Kyle Farmer has played well enough to make Barrero a utility player for the stretch run, and that might be the perfect spot for him considering the struggles Barrero encountered when forced into an everyday role in 2020. Even so, he’ll likely be the first man off the bench most nights, and Farmer is a capable utility player in his own right, so Barrero could carve out a significant role if starts out hot. His season line in those 80 MiLB games across two levels: .303/.378/.532 with 17 HR and 15 SB. That’ll do, Jose. 

Please, blog, may I have some more?