The Tampa Bay Rays will promote LHP Shane McClanahan to start Thursday’s game against Oakland. If you watch spring training baseball, you might’ve glimpsed McClanahan hitting 101 on the radar gun while striking out seven batters and allowing one baserunner over three innings. 

If you missed those brief Grapefruit League innings, perhaps you watch the playoffs, where you could’ve seen McClanahan hitting 100 on the radar gun in his big league debut last fall. He got knocked around a bit by the Yankees and Astros but did throw an empty frame against the Dodgers in the World Series. Wild ride for a guy who’d only pitched 18.1 innings above A ball before that postseason stress test. 

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See all of today’s starting lineups

# MLB Starting Lineups For Sun 8/3
ARI | ATH | BAL | BOS | CHC | CHW | CLE | COL | DET | HOU | KC | LAA | LAD | MIA | MIL | MIN | NYM | NYY | PHI | PIT | SD | SEA | SF | STL | TB | TEX | TOR | WSH | ATL | CIN | OAK

We’re close to a month into the season and I don’t think I’ve panicked too much with these rankings. One trend I recently noticed was how many veterans are filling up the stat sheet. Guys like Justin Turner, Josh Donaldson, and Kris Bryant are turning back the clocks to their prime, while shiny new toys like Cavan Biggio and Alec Bohm have struggled out of the gate. There’s no real analysis there, it’s just a quick observation. On the injury front we had Jean Segura head to the IL with a quad strain, and my former bae, Ke’Bryan Hayes reaggravated his wrist injury. Sadly, both fell off of this list. I’m very concerned about Hayes for this year. Even after returning to the lineup, wrist injuries tend to sap power. Let’s get to the list and then we’ll talk about a couple of movers.

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My old boss used to have a sign in her office that read “If you failed to prepare, prepare to fail.” This quote also applies to fantasy bullpen management. At a moment’s notice, your top closer can find himself on the outs and you’ve got to adjust! 

I’m going to take a look at some of the closers who have been disasters so far and help you prepare if the worst is to happen! And I’ll be doing it with the Department of Homeland Security color warning level system!

 

Blue: Nothing to see here.

Green: Maybe something to see here. 

Yellowing: I’m definitely seeing something here. 

Orange: What am I seeing here?!

Red: Oh god, my eyes!

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Welcome to another quirky Wednesday main late. Jacob deGrom has played his way into plug and play status for DFS. Unfortunately, the main slate starts at 7:05 PM EST and the Mets play at 6:40 PM EST. Fear not though as we have a healthy 10-game slate on tap. Well almost healthy as I don’t expect the Cardinals and Phillies game to be played due to rain.

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=”761027″ player=”10951″ title=”RZBL%202021%20WAIVERWIRE%20WEEK%204″ duration=”157″ description=”undefined” uploaddate=”2021-04-23″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/thumb/761027_t_1619147578.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/sd/761027.mp4″]

Every year, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. showed up at camp saying he was in the best shape of his life. He was like a Russian nesting doll of “Best Shapes.” Or a caterpillar. Shed one Best Shape, and reveal another Best Shape. Then another Best Shape gone, and another Best Shape emerged. “I think someone left their earth skin in the washing machine.” That’s the Blue Jays’ clubhouse attendant finding one of Vlad’s Best Shapes. Then, this year, Vlad, the Mini Impala, showed up at camp with his Best Best BEST Best Shape. A Best Shape to best every other Best Shape. And it’s the best. Last night, he went 3-for-4, 7 RBIs, as he hit three homers (5, 6, 7). He’s gonna hit 40 homers and .350, isn’t he? People are going to be talking about Vlad Jr. in a few years the way they talk about Mike Trout. He’s hitting for power without sacrificing average, and it’s gorgeous. Good for you, Vlad. I’m glad he finally is in the Best Best BEST Best Shape of his life. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

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Last week I gave you the NyQuil & Naquin Update. We looked at some hot starters and some early snoozers. So I sat here pondering what I should do about the season so far. After all, we aren’t even a month in yet. Do I stick to my guns, make marginal changes to the board and keep telling people it’s early (which is true) or do I take a leap for faith and dive into the rabbit hole, “what if some of these wild things going on actually mean something, and if everyone is mad, are we all mad? or are those that still haven’t lost their minds the mad ones since it hasn’t driven them mad as of yet?” We ask the tough questions here at Razzball.

You will see things that might frighten you, but don’t be alarmed. These are just the ravings of a madman who dared to ask “what if?” What if Byron Buxton is stayed healthy (he probably won’t), Mitch Haniger stayed healthy (he probably could), Franmil finally broke out for real (maybe so), and Mark Canha was a top tier leadoff man (feels like it). And who the hell is Adolis Garcia and why is he not on your roster yet? These questions and more I shall pursue.

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Well, friends, last week was a tough one for most of my fantasy teams.  I’ve had plenty of ups and downs this month, but felt like things were under control until about a week ago, when a horrible combination of  bad decision-making and unfortunate luck led to some massive hits in the standings.  I was a day late and/or a dollar short on several players that could have helped my teams, but I’m trying to re-group and trying to remember that every roster spot on every team can make a difference, even when my options to replace hurt or underperforming players are limited.  It’s still early, and thankfully we once again have a 162-game season to work with, so time to press on and hope all of the decisions we make are the right ones.  On that note, let’s take a look at some little-owned players who may be of help in AL-only, NL-only, and other deep leagues.

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We have a new leader on the top of the Razzball Commenter Leagues Master Standings this week, which will most likely be the norm as things shift in the early going.  Although, if the current top team continues on the tear they’ve been on, it’ll take some time to catch them.  We have our first normal week of data this week as well, which means we have the bar set for the weekly records.  We’ll dive into that soon, in the meantime I thought I’d toss out a friendly reminder about pacing yourself.  No, this is not a PSA reminding you to mix a glass of water into your whiskey drinking (but do that too).  This is about pacing your innings pitched.  Some simple math tells us there are 25 weeks in the season and we need to get to 1400 IP.  That means you should be looking at about 56 innings pitched per week in order to stay on track.  In other words, you should be sitting at between 170 and 180 IP as of this writing.  FanTrax does offer you a glimpse of your current pace if you click the Min/Max button on your team screen.  I’m not sure I trust their math though.  I followed their pacing in the past and with about a month and a half to go had to stream my arse off in just about every league to catch up.  I’m not sure where the breakdown was, but I prefer my own tracking.  With any luck, you’re reading this early enough this season that you won’t fall into the same trap.

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Is it possible for a trade to be fair in one league but not in another? I think the answer to that question is pretty obvious. If it wasn’t at first, the fact that I asked should be a dead giveaway. The answer is yes. The key here is tied to the simple fact that not all points leagues are created equal. It’s an extremely important principle that needs to be understood and one I have mentioned countless times over the years. Ronald Acuña Jr. is even more valuable in a league that does not penalize for strikeouts. Using 2019 stats as an example, with 188 strikeouts he finished as the 13th most productive (most points) hitter with 516 points. Cody Bellinger finished top of the list with 623 points. If hitters didn’t lose a point for a strikeout, Acuña would have had 704 points. That would have made him the number two hitter behind Bellinger. Just in case you didn’t think he could be more valuable. The key here is that the scoring system of the league directly affects a player’s value. That is why I put together my draft day spreadsheet that allows you to enter your league’s settings.

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A HUGE slate on this beautiful Tuesday evening. This is classic GPP territory tonight as ownership across the board shouldn’t be too much of a factor. On a 13 game slate with near-perfect weather, we are in for an interesting night of baseball. The top arms include Max Scherzer ($12,000), Lucas Giolito ($10,600), Walker Buehler ($9,800), and Christian Javier ($9,400). I wouldn’t blame anyone for going the Scherzer route, as he looks fantastic of late and is a good bet to go deep. However, I’m seeing offense spike a bit in TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, where the Blue Jays are calling home this summer. At that price, I rather go down to the next few guys and fit those bats that should be alive and well tonight. 

NOTE: If you’re building multiple lineups (7-12)  and are using 4 or 5 different main stacks, be sure to get those stacks in with the different pitchers you’re using. If you’re going with 3 different arms, be sure to get those bats you like in with each arm the best you can. This sounds like a no-brainer but when you’re building all those lineups, it’s easy to make edits and then inadvertently have four line-ups of the same stack and same pitcher. Use each entry to your full advantage. Search out the single or 3 entry max contests. Don’t always feel like you have to try and win $30,000 every night. Learn how to cash in the smaller contests, build that bankroll and then start taking shots for the big money. Most importantly, have fun! If losing $20 or $30 bucks on a given night is going to ruin your day, you are doing it wrong. 

 

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!

NOTE: If you’re building multiple lineups (7-12)  and are using 4 or 5 different main stacks, be sure to get those stacks in with the different pitchers you’re using. If you’re going with 3 different arms, be sure to get those bats you like in with each arm the best you can. This sounds like a no brainer but when you’re building all those lineups, it’s easy to make edits and then inadvertently have four lineups of the same stack and same pitcher. Use each entry to your full advantage. Search out the single or 3 entry max contests. Don’t always feel like you have to try and win $30,000 every night. Learn how to cash in the smaller contests, build that bank roll and then start taking shots for the big money. Most importantly, have fun! If losing $20 or $30 bucks on a given night is going to ruin your day, you are doing it wrong. 

 

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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In March, World Famous Orioles Manager Brandon Hyde, lined up all his outfielders to get a lay of the land. “Anthony Santander, run to the fence and back…Trey Mancini, jumping jacks…Mountcastle, solve crimes in the English countryside…D.J. Stewart, play some funky beats…”

Then, one guy stepped forward, “Hey, what do you want from me, skip?”

Hyde stopped and looked this kid up and down, “Listen, if you want a World Famous Orioles Manager Brandon Hyde’s autograph, there are proper channels to go through.”

Cedric Mullins, coach. I play for you, if you want.”

“World Famous Brandon Hyde doesn’t know you, but likes how you use third person.” And so began Cedric Mullins’s introduction. Yesterday, Cedric Mullins went 3-for-4, with two homers (2, 3), raising his average to .365, as he solidifies himself in the leadoff spot with a .419 OBP. Showing he’s not hitting wall scrappers, each home run was an ‘Okay, boomer’ with the second out to the deepest part of the field, and the first going out to Eutaw Street, the 1st homer of its kind this year. He got Eutaw-of-it. Mullins only has two steals so far, but he’s got 20-steal speed to go with his potential 17+ homer power. World Famous Orioles Manager Brandon Hyde has a ton on his plate managing the Orioles, and his fame, but Cedric Mullins has a left a lasting impression with the Orioles, and should be with you for fantasy. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

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Welcome to “I Can’t Believe It’s Another No-Hitter,” with your host, E-Dub B! Our previous guests included Carlos Rodon and Joe Musgrove. This week, we’ve got Madison Bumgarner, the one-time love of your life, World Series hero, the original Shohei Ohtani (or is it Jacob deGrom?), and current fantasy friend zoner. How many hats can one person wear in their career? Come, join me after the jump and let’s talk about the one that got away: MadBum!

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