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.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Learn more about our 2025 Fantasy Baseball Subscriptions!

The best daily/weekly player rankings/projections (hitters, starters, and relievers) for each of the next 7-10 days + next calendar week starting Friday. Kick-ass DFS lineup optimizer and projections for DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo!.

I don’t have enough spam, give me the Razzball email newsletter!

Weekly Razzball news delivered straight to your inbox.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

See all of today’s starting lineups

# MLB Starting Lineups For Mon 8/4
ARI | ATL | BAL | BOS | CHC | CIN | CLE | COL | DET | HOU | KC | LAA | LAD | MIA | MIL | MIN | NYM | NYY | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | TB | TEX | TOR | ATH | CHW | OAK | SEA | WSH

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.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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?

[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″]

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:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

The show is back for another episode and only a few hours after lineup lock in your weekly leagues! We’re such a tease right? Well, give us a break, I have no excuse but Grey, Fantasy Master Lothario, is cultivating a grapefruit on his chest and we all must be understanding of his situation. Out of respect for his growth we pushed the show to Monday and chatted about our big picture takeaways from the first month of the 2021 campaign. Did we say anything of importance? Perhaps, but I ain’t gon’ tell’ya if we did. I want you to listen to the damn show! So listen to the damn show, kapeesh?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

One day, someone working in development at Yahoo(!) woke up and decided that fantasy managers needed new ways to express mirth and/or derision at the players they “owned.” I can’t begin to fathom the reasoning behind giving people with usernames like Uggggghhhhh or 420YrMomm69 the ability to comment on a player’s page via phone. Here is a little snippet of Fernando Tatis’s “Discuss” section.

The Discuss function has everything Twitter offers, only it’s hidden from computer users. This guarantees a bizarre playground of awful takes, trade questions, and add/drop schadenfreude. My dark familiar Nick Solak’s Discuss is full of people cursing him out for producing useful fantasy production after dropping him for the likes of Luis Urias, while everyone else dunks on the droppers. The Luis Urias Discuss page is full of dynasty owners proclaiming him “already better than Tatis.” The Discuss pages for players are car crashes in two ways: It’s absolutely gross and awful, and you can’t look away from it. Will this give way to user-generated blurbs? Will RotoEdgeWorldSport.com become the Buzzfeed of fantasy update sites, letting college students create their most popular quizzes while paying them with email compliments? Probably.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Hey Hey Hey, Welcome and Thank You for starting your week out and dropping by to get some valuable fantasy DFS info to fill up your coffers. I’m sure you have been hitting on a few of those hidden gems (shout out to Brandon Nimmo and Austin Hays this weekend). I can say since starting this article writing once a week it sure has made me a better fantasy DFS player for sure. The more you watch games take a few notes do a little dive into some numbers and genuinely do your homework on players it will benefit you immensely. April has brought a lot of cold weather which resulted in plenty of low-scoring games (6 shutouts on Sunday). Be careful if you are stacking players you are choosing beneficial games to you and taking into account the weather. I for one have not made full stacking a must-have in my lineups but instead have used 3/2/2 stacks to give me an opportunity to hit on a nice low owned 1 off which has made the difference in a few of my slates.

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!
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″]

Congrats to Madison Bumgarner on his no-hitter (7 IP, 0 ER, 0 baserunners, 7 Ks, ERA at 6.31) that isn’t counted by MLB because MLB doesn’t think 7-inning games are real things after making 7-inning games a real thing. MLB where logic goes to die, then Rob Manfred comes along, picks up logic, and chucks it into the garbage. The real story yesterday might have been the Braves who managed one hit in 14 innings. Yo, can I get a woof? In the 1st game daffy’ing the Braves was Zac Gallen (7 IP, 0 ER, 1 hit, zero walks, 6 Ks, ERA at 2.16) as he threw a complete game shutout, which I guess gets an asterisk, too. MLB, embarrassing asterisks since 1961. Gallen should get a hairline fracture in his forearm more often. Maybe shave his other arm’s hair into a hairline too. Can you have too many hairlines? Can he shave hairlines into his legs too? What order on a waxing menu is “shaving a hairline into one’s leg?” A Brazilian nut? A Nice, but pronounced like the city in France, so it sounds like knees? Does the waxing menu have legs options? Someone who grooms their legs, let me know. Gallen is doing exactly what he does every year — 10.5-ish K/9, goofy command, and a 2-ish ERA. Pretty impressive how a hairline fracture in his arm didn’t slow him one bit, but it’s sidelining Cody Bellinger for weeks. Cool, fun stuff that isn’t causing me to have an ulcer at all. Anyway, here’s what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?