Getting Ahead in Head to Head, Week 19: Never Trust a Man with Two First Names

August 12, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Head-to-Head Leagues |

In the ’80s and ’90s, Mystery Science Theatre 3000 was a staple of my childhood. The show starred Joel Hodgson as Joel Robinson, a janitor stuck on a ship forced to watch B-Movies with his handcrafted robot companions. The show was pretty much just Hodgson and his robotic friends riffing on the terrible movies from a silhouetted view for about 2 hours. The show received Time’s 100 Best TV-Shows awards and was nominated for multiple awards. I would love to put together a fantasy baseball show of Gray playing the role of Joel with his robotic companions. They would just sit back, watch glorious highlights of Giancarlo Stanton, Mark Reynolds, and other Razzball heroes. The riffing would be at any elite SP who underperforms or gets “Gomber-ed”.

Wait, where was I? I got teleported back to the early ’90s as I reminisced about my youth, thinking about drinking an Ecto-Cooler, having some Dunkaroos, and playing clairvoyant to how we all will lose our minds watching a player slide into home on a never-ending loop. So let’s get back to the Man with Two First Names. Joel once said to never trust a man with two first names, especially if one of them is a girls’ name. Well, it’s 2021, people are named after anything they want, and it is acceptable to have two first names, as in the case with Connor Joe. But before I ruin the anticipation, let’s get to the players who will help you win your Week 19 H2H matchup

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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#	MLB Starting Lineups For Wed 8/6
	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

Fanduel: Webb Gem

August 12, 2021 | 2021 Fantasy Baseball, DFS, Fanduel | 1 Comment

by: Butters

Welcome in to a brand new edition of Butters does DFS. Let’s get after some pitching today, which leads us right into…. Logan Webb, SP: $7,600 – This is a juicy matchup for him. His last three starts have been quite good and the Rox on the road is usually good for pitchers as they have the worst team batting average outside of Coors. Combine that with Webb’s price and we’ve got a very compelling option.

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?

Lewis HR’d, Brinson Repeat

August 12, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 273 Comments

by: Grey

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Before Lewis Brinson (3-for-4, 3 RBIs) homered twice (6, 7) on Wednesday, I wrote him up for the Buy column this week — which is available now on the Patreon. I had included him, because I saw recently that Lewis Brinson was hitting near-.350 in the last two weeks, and had hit some homers, so I was pumped to open his Statcast page to see improvement and! And! AND! Well, no, not entirely. He’s been better than he has been for Launch Angle, getting good wood on ball and xBA is up, but, damn, he still misses so much. If you lift balls with good wood–Wait, are we still talking about hitting? Right, right. Yes, good things will happen. Brinson is hitting balls as hard as Tatis, Verdugo, Story and Walsh. Clearly, great guys to be mentioned in the same breath, but they all make far more contact, and have three-plus times as many at-bats. This last few-week stretch has been great, but when I called him recently Byron Pennieston, because he was a poor man’s Buxton, it still applies. Of course, I’d still grab Pennieston in any league. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

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Prospect News: Jorge Mateo All Set to Snag Some Five-Finger Discounts

August 11, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 26 Comments

by: The Itch

Baltimore SS Jorge Mateo has lived multiple lives on fantasy planet, first as a beloved but complicated Yankees farmhand, then as the primary rerun for Sonny Gray in Oakland, then as a utility piece scrambling for ar bats in San Diego, and now as a human being with a pulse in Baltimore. I’m eager to see how this plays out. None of his previous organizations is particularly adept at actualizing their own prospects at the big league level. Baltimore isn’t the cat’s pajamas either in this regard, but unlike his previous clubs, the Orioles are in position to really invest in Mateo, both in terms of playing time and big league coaching. For his part, Mateo might well understand this could be it for him as a big leaguer. I wouldn’t say he’s had any singular career near-death experience, but he’s certainly been passed around enough to understand his clock is ticking. I’m not comparing him to Anthony Santander or Cedric Mullins, necessarily, but he’s in that mold as a player with talent that nobody expects to become a major league mainstay, and I think his natural gifts measure up well against either. He’s a buy for me in just about every league until proven otherwise.

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Top 25 First Basemen Rest of Season – Looking Like A Fool

August 11, 2021 | Rest of Season Rankings, Top 25 First Basemen | 9 Comments

by: Richardo

I can’t believe that it’s been over 11 years since “Looking Like A Fool With Your Pants On The Ground” happened. And yet, the goofy, quippy tune is ringing strong in my ear. My version is slightly different though. It goes, Votto too low, Votto too low, looking like a fool with Votto too low. After missing four games in the middle of July, Joey Votto has gone on a torrid stretch mashing 12 homers in 23 games while batting .325. I don’t feel that bad for not predicting an unreal power pace, but there were some indicators that pointed towards success. From the start of the season to July 11th, Votto posted a career-best 13.1% barrel rate along with a 48.8% hard-hit rate. Those numbers have since increased even higher, but not before making me look like a fool. Votto takes a big leap up this list and while we shouldn’t expect another 24 homers over the last 49 games, he’ll provide above-average power, a steady batting average, and decent counting stats down the stretch. Let’s take a look at the list and then we’ll talk about some of the movers.

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FanDuel: Heat Hays

August 11, 2021 | DFS |

by: Barrelman

We are officially into the dog days of summers. Where has the time gone? NFL teams are all in camp and the Hall of fame game was last week. Tonight, however, we will have a full 10 game slate. Pitching will be hard to come by tonight. There aren’t any true aces on the slate and plenty of mediocre pitchers toeing the rubber. That, along with a heatwave over the central and eastern parts of the country, offense should be plentiful.

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Ant-Man and the Whops

August 11, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 274 Comments

by: Grey

Is the title anti-Italian discrimination? Lucky I didn’t go with Whop, Whop, That’s How You Drive A Rig-A-Tony. It’s whop as in making a loud blow, like a homer! Hey, I’m half-Italian, I can’t be discriminatory. You can tell I’m half-Italian because I can be loud about absolutely nothing. If I mention Tony Soprano and you don’t do the stations of the cross, I can’t trust you. Taken too soon. *crosses self, kisses hand* I can’t wait for the prequel, that’s got ugatz on nothing not for nothing. Anthony Santander, vaffanculo, where’s this guy been? Anthony, you should be so good, what happened to you? You upset me, you know that? Yesterday, Santander went 2-for-4 with his 8th and 9th homer, as he hits .245. You kiss your mother with those stats? His Launch Angle came down this year, unlike the price of gabagool. It’s brought down his fly balls. *grabs balls* What’s it to ya? His HR/FB% is in the basement with my old Z. Cavaricci pants. He looks like he split his great, although short, 2020 season and his just okay 2019. Yesterday might’ve been the start of hot streak, like this blond going through my rat tail, but his numbers look fairly mediocre, unlike the sleeper he was coming into the year. Unless he can drive through the ball like a Fiat, and Fix It Again, Tony. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Rolling In The Deep: Ruf Times on the Waiver Wire, Indeed

August 10, 2021 | Rolling In The Deep | 4 Comments

by: Laura Holt

Last week, we looked exclusively at American League players, so for this week’s installment we’ll keep things entirely in the NL. As usual, there may not be a ton of talent hanging around most deep league waiver wires at this point in the season, but no reason not to keep digging for hidden production (or at least help with a few counting stats), so let’s take a look at some names that might be on the radar for those of us in NL-only or other particularly deep leagues.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Fantasy Baseball Podcast: Grey Sues Ramón Laureano

August 10, 2021 | All Podcasts | 2 Comments

by: Geoff

Grey overate… Too many dumplings for the fantasy master lothario. So, he leaves mid-show several times to take bathroom breaks. We edited those out. As for the baseball, we talk Ramón Laureano’s suspension, Abraham Toro’s current burner, Zack Wheeler’s emergence as an ace, and who exactly is Luis Gil. All that and more on this week’s show. Don’t forget to listen for Easter eggs, which are really just Grey’s muffled farts in the background.

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RCL Update: The Week That Was, Week 18, 2021

August 10, 2021 | Our Leagues, Razzball Commenter Leagues |

by: MattTruss

Welcome to trade deadline week for the Razzball Commenter Leagues. Once Saturday at midnight ET rolls around, you’ll be stuck with the team you have. Well, minus the plethora of free agents out there on the waiver wire of course. This is the time of year where you can really see some overpaying. Just remember, if it helps you win, who cares. Scrutinize those standings and uncover every avenue for gaining points. This is easily one of my favorite parts of fantasy baseball roto leagues. I love analyzing where I can gain the most points, or where you can trade a player to ding an opponent. There’s nothing to be gained by winning HRs by 50, especially not if there are points to be gained in another category. Be diligent, leave no stone unturned and happy trading!

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FanDuel: Showdown In Philly

August 10, 2021 | 2021 Fantasy Baseball, DFS, Fanduel |

by: RyanStar

Welcome back to Tuesday’s edition of FanDuel DFS here at Razzball. It’s a hot and humid day across the land with many interesting matchups. Max Scherzer ($10,600) is back in Philly for the 4th time this season, but this time he’s wearing blue. He should be the top option tonight as he battles Aaron Nola ($9,900) and the 1st place Phillies. I can see both these guys being jacked up and ready to battle, however, I can also see both offenses taking advantage of the weather. Either way, if you have the opportunity to watch this game, it should be as entertaining as August baseball can get.

Sean Manaea ($10,000) is the 2nd highest-priced arm on the road vs Cleveland. The heat index in this one is going to be over 100 degrees with over 85% humidity, so it’s not the best spot for Manaea who is having a career year. One of my go-to guys tonight is going to be rookie Logan Gilbert ($8,900) at home vs Texas. He’s been average to this point with plenty of ups and downs, but the strikeout stuff is there and the matchup is prime for a big game.

Good luck tonight, and remember to stay positive and visualize that bankroll spiking. Visualize your success! You HAVE to believe it to be true before it can happen. Go with your gut and do it with confidence. Let’s go!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

La Pantera, ft. Eloy Jimenez — Don’t Worry, It Only Sounds Like A Pitbull Song

August 10, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 229 Comments

by: Grey

Roughly three months ago, we were talking about the grave, man. Not Kendall, but the one where Luis Robert (2-for-5, 1 RBI) was placed with care next to Eloy Jimenez (2-for-4, 5 RBIs and his 4th and 5th homer). Where Yermin Mercedes later joined him, then Yasmani Grandal, then Billy Hamilton, then Adam Eaton, but who cares about him. Really, the only ones not missing time for the White Sox has been the pitching staff. I just jinxed them, didn’t I? No, I haven’t because to offset my jinx, I took a cat-o-nine-tails and whipped my back 27 times, Lucas Giolito’s uniform number. Do I have to whip myself 33 times for Lance Lynn too? I’m not asking you, I’m asking the voodoo high priestess I am Zoom’ing with! The brutal truth is I didn’t have room for Luis Robert to sit on my IL for the last three months, and I dropped him. Well, that’s not the brutal part. The 88 lashes I’m being told to administer to myself for Robert’s uniform number is the brutal part. SOMEONE SAVE ME is what I scream into a Pringles can for later. You never scream an SOS into a can, then cap it in case you can’t scream later? Hmm, weird, must be me–Any hoo! I see Luis Robert as a top 30 bat again. Unlike, say, Chris Sale, hitters don’t need as much time to get up to speed, and if Robert’s healthy, I’m all-in. As for Eloy, well, he’s a top 20 bat. He homered twice on Sunday, followed that with a different song, same verse on Monday and, if he homers twice a game from now until October, I’ll prolly just mutter about how awful Cody Bellinger is and about how I dropped Eloy when he was supposedly out all year. Absolutely owning the day and the night, Grey Albright! Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?