Get Off Buy Vaughn!

April 2, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell | 464 Comments

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

I enter a cave in the coastal region of the Sierra Leone, wearing a pith helmet and other garb you’d see on someone butterfly hunting. Only I’m not searching for a Pussycat Swallowtail. I press my hands to my mouth and call out, “Hey, Buy/Sell column, hey, are you in here!” My echoes reverb back to me with not a sound more. No indication it’s here. Then, suddenly, the Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell column rises like the WWE wrestler, The Undertaker, and holds a flashlight to its face for great effect, “What do you want?” We need you for another year of fantasy baseball Buy/Sell columns. “Okay, I was bored just laying here under an inch of dirt.” To get in the Buy section of this post, a player needs to be rostered in less than 50% of leagues, and more than 50% for the Sell side, i.e., Welcome back to another year of, “This guy is only owned in 7% of ESPN leagues?! WUT DA WUT!?” Or simply WDW. Okay, enough dinging-a-linging on the side note tip, let’s get down to bidness. Our first buy of the year is Andrew Vaughn. There’s Hobbs’s Andrew Vaughn fantasy, which I won’t be able to supplement in any meaningful way. He covers the stats. The White Sox are on the cusp. They had nothing to wait for in promoting Vaughn, and they didn’t wait. It’s White Boy Summer and Vaughn Chets all the boxes. T. Hanks. The projections don’t love Vaughn — 20/6, .215 average. Yes, that’s 20 homers and six steals in 500 ABs. But there’s not one league where I wouldn’t take a Vaughn flyer. With Eloy going down, the White Sox need all help they can get and they’re not turning to utility man Mendick to starch their socks, so to speak. Anyway, here’s some more players to buy or sell this week in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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Making A Late Mitch

April 2, 2021 | 2021 Fantasy Baseball |

by: Jay

A name as old as, well, I’m not exactly sure how old the name “Mitch” is, but it certainly colors a perfect picture of a 40-year-old something software “cubicle” engineer. And why someone would want to engineer cubicles, that’s not really the issue at hand, it’s just like, what, a bunch of three walls put together? But one Mitch Haniger has officially piqued my interest, and y’all know what that means! I am about to hem and haw, waxing poetic during a roller coaster of emotion and analysis (more crying than math, as I always say) on the pros and cons of this right fielder for the Seattle Mariners. And yes, while the season has begun (sorta-kinda-lolCovid-sadface), and perhaps it’s a little late to pontificate on such matters, but I would make the argument it’s never too late to talk about these types of players. And do I mean about “these types”? Well, the fringe-types. But we’ll delve more into cubicles, math (oh god), and whatever random thing pops into my head. Abstract art, if you will…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Points Leagues: Players to Watch

April 2, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Points Leagues | 2 Comments

by: Butters

It’s finally time, baseball is back. Drafts are done and you all won your leagues already. Wrong, you don’t win at the draft. Now the real work starts. Working the wire and staying on top of matchups is what brings home the trophy. So how do you do that? I’m glad you asked. Don’t over react to the way a guy starts the season, hot or cold. Too often we are tempted to put way more stock into the first two or three weeks of the season than we do for any other two or three week stretch. Don’t be that guy or gal. This is especially important with “stud” players who struggle out of the gate. You drafted them highly for a reason so don’t be too eager to cut bait. Baseball is a beautiful, weird, fluky game where tenths of a second or an inch can be the difference between an out or a hit. In a few weeks or so we’ll take a look at who’s start is legit and who isn’t. But basically it will boil down to the process behind the results. Don’t panic if one of your top guys puts up a couple zeros to open the season. If a guy is crushing the ball but always right at the defense, you just have to be patient. Eventually those will start turning into hits and hits are points. Now I know that this isn’t specific to points leagues, but the general principle still holds true.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

FanDuel: The Calm After the Storm

April 2, 2021 | 2021 Fantasy Baseball, DFS, Fanduel |

by: TroyKlauder

It feels odd to see a small FanDuel slate on a Friday, especially after a full day of action yesterday. But we’ve all waited so long for our baseball fix that a six game main slate isn’t going to stop us from building some lineups. Smaller slates arguably provide more of an edge than usual if you commit to stacking players from the same lineup, which is an important part of winning DFS contests. You will be rewarded for hitting on the right teams and making smart pitching decisions.

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?

Opening Day Rules For Us April Fools

April 2, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 247 Comments

by: Grey

*rubs ancient lamp, a blue genie appears* I have three wishes for this baseball season. My first wish is “No one I own get hurt.” I didn’t draft Dinelson Lamet, Josh Donaldson or Trevor Rosenthal, so I made your job easy for you, great, powerful Genie. My 2nd wish is “Everyone I drafted do well.” I drafted Juan Soto, Trevor Story and Alec Bohm, so, really, I’m doing much of the heavy lifting for this wish too. My 3rd and final wish is “All defensive shifts are eight catchers stacked on top of each other like a totem pole.” Thanking you in advance, Genie. Wait a second, you’re not a genie, you’re Bartolo Colon in Blue Man Group paint. Damn you!

Okay, breathe in, breathe out. Take a moment. Really feel the ground below your feet. The air in your lungs. The soon-turds in your lower intestine. You’re alive. That’s the feeling. April baseball, you giant love muffin! I missed you so much. I’d get choked up, but I cried out all my tears at Luis Castillo’s start. Remember, the only thing you really should take away from yesterday’s player performances is: It’s one game. Anyway, here’s what I saw yesterday for fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2021 Bold Predictions on Vaughn, Harper, Trout and More

April 1, 2021 | 2021 Fantasy Baseball | 2 Comments

by: Hobbs

It is I, Hobbstradamus, here to predict all things as it relates to the 2021 fantasy baseball season! Well, rather, here to make eight detailed predictions about the upcoming campaign, all of which have played some role in how I constructed my onslaught of 2021 fantasy teams. What if we call it Baseball Hobbspectus? Any better? No? Okay, I’ll keep trying. But no matter what we call this or how creative I try to get, in the end, these are not empty predictions. I have stock in all of these. While some are much bolder than others, all of the statements to follow, if true, will translate to a varying degree of success across my teams this year. So, close your eyes, walk slowly towards the creepy humming sound reverberating through the walls, and enter the void with me as we run through some of my favorite and more interesting predictions regarding the upcoming season.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

One Man’s Trash: Andrew Benintendi

April 1, 2021 | 2021 Fantasy Baseball, One Man's Trash | 12 Comments

by: Son

MLB The Show is THE greatest sports video game. To be fair, baseball is the easiest game to make due to the fundamental nature of baseball, which is essentially a one-on-one battle with cursory pieces in the background. Basketball, football, hockey, and soccer all have multiple players moving in synch simultaneously which increases the number of variables that need to be accounted for. Anyways, San Diego Studios has done a masterful job of putting the best product out there. This isn’t an ad for The Show, though, but it’s relevant for this post. In The Show, the X button is for a normal swing, the O button is for contact, and the square button is for power. But with great power comes great responsibility because while you can check your swing with the x and o buttons, it’s all or nothing with the square button. Now, I don’t use the square button much except in 2-0 or 3-0 counts. I prefer to just use the x button because even with the mashers, it’s more than enough to drive the ball out of the park. In my early days of playing, though, I used to utilize the square button with the contact guys in favorable counts. There would be a stretch when I’d bop some over the fence which would get me to start utilizing the square button with those hitters in other counts. Like Pookie from New Jack City, the more I hit out, the more my thumb moved to the left side of the controller. Even while the average and OBP declined, and the strikeouts increased, the adrenaline rush from connecting kept the gig going. Kind of like our debt-fueled economy, which is a separate topic for another day. This reminds me of Andrew Benintendi. He always showed some pop, so he wasn’t some Juan Pierre-esque slap hitter, but he was known more for his power/speed combo. But then he started sniffing the power and bulked up, gaining over 20 pounds of muscle, mashing that square button. The strikeouts increased while the average and overall production decreased. As a result, he is no longer in Boston. Trash or treasure?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Fanduel: Play Ball

April 1, 2021 | 2021 Fantasy Baseball, DFS, Fanduel | 2 Comments

by: Butters

What is up party people? We are back live with baseball and it’s not a prank, this is the real deal. I, for one, am beyond excited that the season is starting in April. This is it, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Today, after what seems like an eternity, we get to feast on a full slate of delicious MLB action. It’s the most exciting time of year because every team has a chance. Ok, maybe not every team. We have an idea of who to target and who to avoid but now we get to find out how much we really know. What better way to celebrate than with some Fanduel DFS action? We’ll be here all season for all your DFS needs to help you crush the competition and win some money.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Add IL Brr To Mondesi

April 1, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 377 Comments

by: Grey

“Hello, Proprietor of a Milliner, I understand your trade is hat-making. I was wondering if you could make this Dairy Queen sundae helmet into a normal-sized head helmet…Right, right, I get that. Yes, I guess I could just buy a helmet from the John Olerud collection, but I’d like this exact Kansas City Royals sundae helmet. It’s for Opening Day for the 2021 baseball season, Mr. Milliner–Wait a second, I’m seeing news come across my ticker…Adalberto Mondesi has an oblique strain? Forget it, Opening Day is called off. Goodbye.” How do you strain your oblique on the one day without baseball between now and July? Was he reaching up to get a suitcase out of overhead baggage? Well, I too have baggage, but I push my baggage down until I randomly start crying at red lights! Why, why whywhywhy…Well, I guess, Happy Opening Day! It feels less happy now with Mondesi news. The Royals recalled Nicky Lopez, which is objectively just funny. If you have late drafts, like after Opening Day, I updated top 500 for Mondesi, conservatively removing 100 at-bats, which is roughly three weeks to a month. It seemed like a big stretch to have Mondesi hitting 3rd in that lineup. Obviously too big of a stretch for his oblique. Hopefully, he can get back soon, because it’s Opening freakin’ Day! Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday for fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Attack on RazzSlam: The Itch’s Final Draft Rundown

March 31, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 20 Comments

by: The Itch

Grey explored the essence of our contest in Grey’s RazzSlam Recap: I Don’t Know What I’m Doing and Neither Does Anyone Else.

The pith of that essence?

“Unlike roto leagues, I think Points Leagues are more about exploiting the format than about what players you draft.”

Dude.

Yeah.

Same.

Love it.

I wanted to recap a different points league I’m in with Grey and 29 other people are playing via Prospects Live, but we’re in round 32 of 50, and the will to continue is waning, so I guess that’ll have to wait.

But anywho, Grey’s quote up top perfectly describes how I’m playing that league. I’ve been mentioning it occasionally in this space: The Dynasty Baseball Championship. Played it last year, and it feels a lot more like a points league stretched across five years than a dynasty. Most of the league is taking players they like, irrespective of the five-year time frame. I’m playing it like a board game, or any kind of strategy game really.

I feel an Eldritch Horror (board game) segment coming on here but suffice it to say that Eldritch is all about building up to a point and then sprinting for the finish before the turn clock runs out. I tend to walk that line too closely, preferring to build a buff enough character to actually seal the deal when the time comes rather than rushing into a battle I’m not ready for just because we might run out of turns. It’s a devastating co-op game that way. A hard cap of total turn cards and several soft caps the game can hit to kill your crew if it’s not keeping up with the pace. It’s all about timing that big push.

Similarly, RazzSlam doesn’t give players the error bar of a season-long league or even a game of Pandemic, where the timeframe is dictated by the player’s competence. If you’re not good enough to finish top 3 during that first stretch of RazzSlam, that’s that. You’re done by July. Sure, there’s a consolation game for those who missed the cut, but who wants that? Nobody. That’s like adding turns to the Mythos deck after Eldritch Horror has ended your night. Not cool. Game’s over, bub. The elder gods have won.

Alright, so with the fate of the world in flux, let’s see how I did.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Getting Ahead in H2H, Week 1: Joc Jams Presents “Don’t Come Around Here Nimmo”

March 31, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Head-to-Head Leagues | 15 Comments

by: NateMarcum

I have waited a very long time to say this, Happy Opening Day! Now, with that out of the way, let’s get down to business. Your H2H league has drafted, we have an 11-day Week 1 (in most formats), and I am here to help you tighten up those categorical needs to help you win every week. In this weekly segment, I am going to give you some players that can help you win your categories. Contrary to ROTO, you need to strike while the iron is hot on a week-by-week basis! While I would love to help you out in your 6-team 15×15 with caught stealing and crotch grabs, I am simply going to look at Runs, RBI, HR, Wins, and Saves. The Ratios will get some love here and there! Without further ado, let’s get started!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

SAGNOF: Week 1, The Stolen Base Zone

March 31, 2021 | SAGNOF, Steals | 5 Comments

by: Kerry Klug

You’re traveling through another dimension — a dimension not only of coaching decisions and slow catchers but of plate appearances. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of your lineup slots. That’s a signpost up ahead: your next stop: the stolen base zone!

Not too long ago on this very site, I wrote an article about which catchers had the slowest pop times and worst caught stealing percentages.

Even less long ago I wrote about which team managers allowed their players to attempt the most stolen bases.

Now comes my honors thesis at the Grey Albright School for Fools: which players each week are on a team run by a manager who likes to steal bases AND are facing a catcher who isn’t great at throwing out runners!

Please, blog, may I have some more?