Getting Ahead in Head to Head, Week 7; Spelunking for saves and SB’s

May 20, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Head-to-Head Leagues | 3 Comments

As a child, I don’t know if there was a more overblown fear than the inherent fear of quicksand. It seemed from Scooby Doo to Gilligan’s Island, there was always a person falling into quicksand. I learned to carry a stick around with me everywhere I went because that seemed to be the only true action needed to be taken. Simply reach out your stick to passer-by’s and they will pull you to safety. Did I think I was just gonna fall into quicksand while on my way to Pizza Hut to play Mortal Kombat? Who knows? I was a dumb kid.

Saves and Stolen Bases are our quicksand. That was the whole point of that cockamamie story. At the beginning of the season, we knew that Saves and Stolen Bases would be our quicksand. Fearful and hoping that we had that stick with us, to be pulled to safety. Well damnit, I feel like I still haven’t gotten over that fear. I still have that stick, and I wish I could just forget and go back to Pizza Hut, with my BookIt coupon in hand for that free pizza, and just drop $15 into Mortal Kombat. Either way, follow this weeks formula and Finish your opponent with a Flawless Victory.

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: Bye, Bye, B(ye)aez

May 20, 2021 | 2021 Fantasy Baseball, DFS, Fanduel |

by: Butters

It’s Thursday and that means its time to win some sweet sweet DFS money. So let’s get right down to it and find some great values like Javier Baez (SS: $3,300) He’s been doing his thing which is hit bombs and steal bases. And the average ain’t half bad either. He’s on a roll right now so get him in your lineup and wave bye bye bye to the the competition.

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?

CK None

May 20, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 451 Comments

by: Grey

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We have six no-hitters by May 19th. Seven no-hitters is a modern-day season record. At this point, it will be more novel when someone throws a ten-hitter. Soon we’ll be celebrating: Kyle Gibson just threw a 7-hitter! He allowed hits! Never is now, Mr. Gibson! This is like 2001 and Barry Bonds is throwing a no hitter every game. Conspiracy Theory Alert! Rob Manfred is going to use this year to explain why the mound has to move back a foot next year, and then we’re going to have our first 100-homer season. I will bet someone this happens. We’re thinking small, Rob Manfred’s evil mind is thinking big picture. Or pitcher, in this case, because only jacked guys will be able to reach the plate. So, Corey Kluber (9 IP, 0 ER, 0 hits, 1 walk, 9 Ks, ERA at 2.86) threw a no-hitter against his old club, the Rangers. Not the other team that the Rangers killed. The question for us is Corey Kluber fixed. Or at least usable, which I honestly had questions about coming into the year. His numbers look number two to three-ish. He’s not an ace — 9 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 4.17 xFIP, using xFIP there because I do believe he’s been a tad ‘lucky’ on homers. It’s solid, usable, and rosterable, which is what I say before he throws a consecutive no-hitter next time because: 2021. By the way, Johnny Vander Meer’s family moving his crypt from stadium to stadium this year must be exhausting, and there’s no way Johnny Vander Meer’s record makes it out of 2021. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Prospect Spotlight: Ethan Elliott Looks the Part, Jose Siri Phones Home

May 19, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 21 Comments

by: The Itch

Welcome to the prospect spotlight, a cousin of Prospect News, wherein I will set eyes on a handful of guys I’m claiming in my dynasty leagues.

Ethan Elliott — 15 IP, 1 ER, 1 HR, 7 baserunners, 28 Ks

I’m watching Elliott’s season opening start from May 4 because Cleveland’s High A squad in Lake County doesn’t offer video feeds, so we can’t clap eyes on Elliott’s 13 strikeout performance from Saturday night. No matter. I’ve already added him in a 30-team league and will try to get him in a 20 and 15 in the upcoming faab runs.

He’s not throwing all that hard, sitting 89-90, but his arm slot creates issues for opponents, kind of a Bumgarner-esque delivery with a shorter arm swing. It’s a unique look and helps his changeup dominate–not that he’s needed it much. The fastball has good ride and stays up in the zone, where Elliott clearly likes to live. So far so good. He’s a skinny dude, so he might find a tick or two of velocity along the way. I don’t think he’ll really need it if his command holds throughout the upper levels. Like any young arm who attacks the zone, Elliott will get punished at some point by upper level bats, but I think we’ll see a lot of dominant lines, and I suspect his velocity is already up a touch from the season opener. Can’t wait to see for certain.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Top 25 First Basemen Rest of Season – Phantom Premonitions

May 19, 2021 | Rest of Season Rankings, Top 25 First Basemen | 4 Comments

by: Richardo

Normally, I’m pretty aware of the injury plague that happens every season, but doing this list every other week has me hyper-aware of every ding that happens. I wake up with a pain in my hamstring and just know that another one bit the dust. Sleep on my side too long and wonder which first baseman strained a shoulder the night before. My son woke me up at 3 am last night and his tooth fell out. Really sweet moment right? Or the aftershock of Kevin Pillar getting hit in the face? Let’s get to the list and then we’ll talk about some of the movers and players that I’m worried about.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Bear or Bull: Dylan Bundy Hasn’t Been So Money

May 19, 2021 | Bear or Bull | 13 Comments

by: Son

I was famished. I had just written 10,000 words on why this column is named Bear or Bull. The joints in my fingers were popping due to the self-induced arthritis. I was staring at the computer monitor so long that my glasses absorbed so much light that oncoming drivers became disoriented as I screwed with their depth perception while walking on the sidewalk. As I opened the door to my local Mexican restaurant, the intoxicating smell transformed me into Pepe Le Pew as I floated to the front counter. Wolfing the tacos down, I thought to myself, “This is heaven. I’ve never tasted anything so delicious in my life before,” even though I had been there last Friday, and the Friday before, and the Friday before that, and every Friday for the past two years. Sometimes, things just hit the spot better or worse, depending on a confluence of factors. The same thing goes for fantasy baseball. Dylan Bundy was great in 65.2 innings last season during his first season with the Angels. This year? Not so good. He’s the 629th player on the Razzball Player Rater and has been dropped in 16.7% of ESPN leagues.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

SAGNOF, Week 8: Daza Kuduro!

May 19, 2021 | Steals |

by: Kerry Klug

Another fortnight, another group of low-owned speedsters! Yes, readers under 20 years old, fortnight is a real word, it’s not just the name of an insanely overrated video game. Right now, the runaway SB leader is an old favorite: Whit Merrifield with 12 SBs. Then there’s a handful of guys with eight (Jazz Chisholm Jr., Garrett Hampson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Ramon Laureano, Dylan Moore) and then a few more handfuls of players with seven. One of those handful is tied for the lead in SBs over the last two weeks: Niko Goodrum. Here is who else has contributed in that column in the last 14 days:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

FanDuel: Mr Rogers Neighborhood

May 19, 2021 | DFS, Fanduel | 1 Comment

by: Barrelman

What an amazing day for baseball. We get a healthy 12-game night slate with no threat of postponements. It’s also Ohtani day for all those who observe. There is plenty of current star power on the mound and a few in the making. We also get to take a second look at the Mariners’ top pitching prospect Logan Gilbert. He struggled mightily in his first start, but to me, he just looked more nervous than overmatched.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Charles Barkley Sums Up Tigers’ Starter And M’s Bats In No-Hitter As “They’re Both Turnible”

May 19, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 422 Comments

by: Grey

They should have a contest where one lucky fan tries to no-hit the Mariners. Yesterday, Spencer Turnbull no-hit the Mariners (9 IP, 0 ER, 2 walks, 9 Ks, ERA at 2.88), because the Mariners are being no-hit every day of the week that ends in Y. Armando Galarraga called and said big whoop. Yo, he sounds bitter. Didn’t they give Armando Galarraga a car after his kinda perfect game? They should give Spencer Turnbull a salmon thrown to him by someone in Seattle wearing rubber boots. How about teams that have a team batting average under .205 get to use the juiced ball? Sure, it’s an arbitrary rule, but so is the dropped third strike rule if you think about it. So, I hope you used the Streamonator that told you to start Turnbull. Beyond that, Turnbull looks like he’s, uh, turned a corner. He’s throwing his offspeed stuff more, and results are good: 8.1 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 2.75 FIP, so close to neutral luck outside of home runs allowed, but he doesn’t allow homers ever. He’s not an ace, but that’s a usable number three to four, and since the no-hitter happened after I wrote the original opening, you’re getting a special treat today. A double lede! Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Rolling In The Deep: The Season Is Still Young

May 18, 2021 | Rolling In The Deep | 7 Comments

by: Laura Holt

Hey Deep Leaguers! Somehow it’s the third week of May, and suddenly we’re already a quarter of the way through the baseball season. What that really means, I suppose, is that we still have three-fourths of a season left to go, and a ton of baseball ahead of us in 2021. Let’s get right to it, and take a quick look at some little-owned players who may be of interest to those of us in NL-only, AL-only, and other deep leagues.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Fantasy Baseball Podcast: Can Grey Pronounce Johneshwy? Can Anyone Really?

May 18, 2021 | All Podcasts |

by: Geoff

One Grey Albright is many things, a fantasy master (lothario), a collector of Reggie Jackson memorabilia, a dog lover, and a man that struggles with names. He still hasn’t figured out the LL in the Spanish alphabet. This week he is met with his greatest challenge yet, saying Johneshwy without butchering it. That said, I’m not sure I did any better! Outside of our general lack of feel for other cultures we talk about some underperformers you should target, why punching walls is dumb, and a bunch of our typical nonsense. It’s Razzball in it’s purest form.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

RCL Update: The Week That Was, Week 6, 2021

May 18, 2021 | 2021 Fantasy Baseball, Our Leagues, Razzball Commenter Leagues | 15 Comments

by: MattTruss

Week six marks the approximate spot where we can stop saying, “it’s still early” in the Razzball Commenter Leagues. This is the point where I assess and cut bait on all those underperformers. Some might say it’s too late for that. These would be the people who have already dropped Ryan Mountcastle. I’m the sucker who has picked him back up everywhere he’s been discarded. I’ve noticed Mike Yastremzski getting tossed to the curb this week as well. Personally, I’ve cut ties with pretty much all catchers at this point, there are so many over-performing catchers to choose from, there’s always one on the waiver wire who is in a lineup. I like to think I’ve mellowed in my old age and have better self control with the rage-drops, but Nick Madrigal has started to wear me thin. The batting average is great and all, but one steal and no homers doesn’t warrant a roster spot for a .270 average. Sorry Mads. (Naturally, as I type this Monday night Madrigal is having a career night) I also managed to cut bait on Kyle Schwarber, finally, only to see him have a two homer week. (and yet another one tonight, again, as I type. I feel like a moron typing this right now.) Figures. Who have you been rage-dropping across your leagues? Has it burned you like Kyle Schwarber has me? Who are you scooping and holding hoping for a turnaround? Come on Mountcastle, get hot! Let’s commiserate in the comments, misery loves company and with any luck our complaining will jump start some of these guys. Now, for the rest of the week that was, week 6 in the RCLs:

Please, blog, may I have some more?