Deep Thoughts: A Chatwood Lead To Dirty Talk

August 7, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball | 8 Comments

Haha, 2020 is quite the year, isn’t it? What a wonderful time to be alive. Hahahaha. You can do this Coolwhip, hold it together man. So I wrote nearly all of this before his Thursday start against the Royals. Or as I will call it, “the Night that the Gates of Hell Overfloweth with Wickedness and Malice.” Life was different then, pitchers had a roll, Trent Grisham was a world-beater, Mike Trout had a baby, and life made sense. Then it happened. Sigh… we’ll proceed ahead with a dose of sobriety as everyone can have off nights (gulp), let’s dive in!

Tyler Chatwood is filthy (I swear). Just like you want a pitcher to be. And there’s something different about him. The movement on his pitches is crisp AF and that cutter’s late movement gets the mood going. So far in 2020, he has 19 Ks through 2 starts and only 4 BBs. This is not the same Chatwood that has tormented us before with command issues. He’s pitching deeper into games and getting more swinging strikes than ever at an absurd 17.4% clip, twice as much as his career mark last year. What gives?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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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

Bullpen Report: A. Scrubb By Any Other Name

August 7, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Closers, Middle Relievers | 7 Comments

by: Roto-Wan

Having fun chasing pitching yet? At least this short season won’t be boring. There has been no shortage of actionable bullpen moves. They’re not likely to slow down anytime soon. Get aggressive on middle relievers and closer spec plays.

Somethings not right with Ryan Pressly. He blew the save in his first opportunity for Houston without recording a shot. Andre Scrubb worked a clean inning and a third before that. Cy Sneed and Blake Taylor gave up a bunch of runs prior to that. We’ll see which way the wind blows next time the ninth comes up with a lead. Brad Peacock is probably worth a stash as he works his way back from arm soreness.
The Cardinals are going to need Kwang-hyun Kim in their rotation upon their restart from quarantine. That leaves the closer role open. Giovanny Gallegos should be ready to go at this point. Many fantasy managers have also made a bet Ryan Helsley will get opportunities.
Poor, cursed Nick Burdi has been placed on the season-ending 45-day IL with an elbow issue. At least he was able to earn his first career save before being struck down again. Richard Rodriguez should get the ninth until Keona Kela returns shortly.
Brad Hand has shown us the rumors of his demise were somewhat exaggerated. He’s notched two uneventful saves this week. I’d still expect Cleveland to try and rest him between appearances when they’re comfortable with James Karinchak handling the ninth.
The Angels are an unexpected dumpster fire in the backend of their bullpen. Hansel Robles has washed out as the closer. Ty Buttrey is filling in but has 1 K to 3 BBs in 6.1 innings. Kenyan Middleton is serving up gopher balls. Felix Pena is the only one treading water.
Jairo Diaz is cementing himself into the Rockies closer gig. His Ks and ratios don’t blow you away but the job security is nice.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

FanDuel: Boyd Back

August 7, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, DFS, Fanduel |

by: TroyKlauder

Matthew Boyd ($7,900) had a tough time in his first two starts this year, but a night against the Pirates is what Boyd needs to bounce back. The Pirates were the weakest lineup in baseball against left-handed pitching last year with a .289 wOBA. They’ve hit lefties well so far this season, but I’m willing to bet against that small sample performance… glances in the direction of Philip Evans and Guillermo Heredia… I wouldn’t be worried about Boyd tonight. After posting a 30.2% K-rate last year, Boyd’s got lots of upside to chase in GPP tournaments.

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?

Bundy Five Counts The Mariners

August 7, 2020 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 223 Comments

by: Grey

Surprised Dylan Bundy is breaking out, said no one because literally everyone said exactly that when he was traded to the Angels. Okay, maybe the O’s are surprised, but I have a feeling even they knew it was coming. They just like losing, right? “We like to be owned by the good teams.” That’s the O’s front office. Even the Pirates are like, “Damn, for Bundy, we would’ve traded you Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows and…well, we don’t have anyone else. You want Colin Moran?” So, Dylan Bundy was masterful yesterday, going 9 IP, 1 ER, 4 baserunners, 10 Ks, lowering his ERA to 2.08. He has changed his pitch mix in a dramatic way. Leaning way more on a slider and easing off his fastball, that has been become increasingly bleh in velocity. His command and Ks have been outstanding, but, I’ll be honest, I’m not 100% sold. Don’t get me wrong, I can be sold. I’m not saying it’s a mirage, go buy some more tigers, Steve Wynn. I’m just saying it’s 21 2/3 IP in three starts. Oh, I’d own him in 100% of leagues, but decreased velocity makes me want to see more. Promising vs. Promise Land. Me like vs. Me likey. Yummo vs. Gummo is a masterpiece. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

The Full Monte (Harrison)

August 6, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 6 Comments

by: Hobbs

Here’s an excerpt from a real conversation I had with my sister last week:

Her: “Hey, have you ever seen Monty Python? You would like it.”
Me: “Is that the one where those guys get naked for child support money?”
Her: “No… that’s The Full Monty. Monty Python was about the Knights of the Round Table. Camelot. The Holy Grail.”
Me: “Ohh. Right. Well, I saw Spamelot live once at a theater. Does that count?”

It didn’t count. And besides possibly eliminating all remaining faith our readers might have had in my level of intelligence, this conversation provides an excellent segue into one of this week’s more interesting prospect call-ups: Miami Marlins outfielder Monte Harrison. Back on Monday, Grey wrote about Harrison in the lede for his weekend roundup, urging you to add him in every league “for some power and great speed, though he might hit .210.” I’m with Grey and have already added one Harrison share, but as I was doing so, I began digging a bit deeper into one of baseball’s more imposing and polarizing prospects. As a result, I present to you the findings from my report, The Full Monte, fully undressed and free of bias.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

One Man’s Trash: My Hotdog Has a First Name, It’s T-E-O-S-C-A-R

August 6, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, One Man's Trash | 4 Comments

by: Son

I’m not a condiment guy. Dipping fries in ketchup is fine, but I prefer gravy or clam chowder soup. Mayonnaise? Disgusting. Mustard? Repulsive. Relish? Nauseating. So, when it comes to hotdogs, I’m an au naturel kind of guy. I know, boring to most, but whatever. I don’t live for them. As for fantasy baseball, there’s a place for the boring, dependable players, but I’m all about guys that hot dog. I want home runs, ribbies, and stolen bases. One player who’s been doing a little of everything recently has been Teoscar Hernandez of the Toronto Blue Jays. As a result, his ownership percentage has spiked 48% over the past week in ESPN leagues. Does this hot dog have staying power?

Teoscar is 27 years old, 6′ 2″, 180 pounds, and bats from the right side. He signed with the Houston Astros as an international free agent back in 2011. Over his minor league career with the Astros, Teoscar had a high of 17 home runs and 33 stolen bases in a season. The batting average fluctuated from .240 to a high of .313. The walk rate was in the 7-10% range, while the strikeout rate ranged from 16% to 36%. The ISO never dipped below .130 and got to as high as .256. The plate discipline numbers did improve as time went on, culminating in an 8.1% walk rate and 15.6% strikeout rate in 2016. As a result, he got his first call up to The Show that year and produced a .230/.304/.420 slash with 4 home runs, 9.8% walk rate, and 25% strikeout rate.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Ambulance Chasers Week 3 – Misery Loves Company

August 6, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Injury Report |

by: Hammer

The Cardinals, Marlins, and Phillies have born the brunt of the misery in this young baseball season thus far with Covid outbreaks and cancelled games. This week, we’ve got a group of other teams that are getting put through the ringer with your more traditional injury issues…..”injuries classic” we’ll call it. We’ve also lost some more big time arms for the remainder of the season as the herd starts to thin here.

Mike Soroka is out for the season after suffering an achilles injury in his latest start. It’s a brutal blow for the young righty, and even a bigger blow for the Braves, who are now in a real crunch for arms. This solidifies Touki Toussaint and Sean Newcomb’s spots in the rotation, but the rest of the rotation couldn’t really be worse shape given the recent DFA of Mike Foltynewicz and Cole Hamels still ailing. Without a trade, it’s hard to see any potential fill in being roster worthy here.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

FanDuel: Missing Pearson

August 6, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, DFS, Fanduel | 1 Comment

by: MattTruss

It’s days like Thursdays where we are thankful that FanDuel only requires us to pick one starting pitcher. The pickings are slim in this five game slate and the pitchers are mediocre at best. There is only one starter today that I have a high degree of confidence in and that is Nate Pearson ($7,500). As a Braves fan, I hate going against this offense, but facts are facts and the fact is, the Braves are striking out…a lot. As of this writing they have an 18 strikeout lead over the next closest team, the Mets. So, while the offense might be a little scary to face, the DFS bills are paid by way of the K and Pearson should end up with plenty. Ozzie Albies is out of the lineup now too, which gives me even more reason to like Pearson. Not to mention, when you see the other options, you may have to keep from laughing out loud.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Reds Shop For Pitchers At Tejay Max

August 6, 2020 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 259 Comments

by: Grey

It’s 1993. Funny man and lady slayer, Billy Crystal hosts the Oscars; Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time becomes a bestseller because guys buy the book to put on their shelves to be a lady slayer like Billy Crystal, and a mother and father fawn over a newborn: “What do you want to name him?” “I like the name Tejay.” “I think it’s an abbreviation.” “Does it have to be?” And with that Tejay Antone was brought into the world. Yesterday, he announced himself with a start vs. the Indians of 4 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 6 baserunners (4 BBs), 4 Ks, ERA at 2.08, but the line might not do it justice. He had a solid number of called/swinging strikes in yesterday’s game, and his 83 MPH slider, and 80 MPH curve really dips off the table from his 96 MPH fastball. Honestly, he looked to me like a great bullpen arm, or, if he can command his stuff, a high-upside starter. I kinda drooled at some of his offerings. Don’t think he’s there yet for mixed leagues, outside of favorable Streamonator matchups, but he went from off my radar, to definitely on it. As T.J. Lavin would say to a mirror, “You’re killin’ it, Teej!” Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Stash List Volume 2: Top Ten Prospects Who’ll Soon be Rookies

August 5, 2020 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 43 Comments

by: The Itch

I’d been thinking this would be a Sunday feature, but that’s partly because alliteration is word-weed for the brain, and Sunday Stash List feels like a party and mainly because I thought making the list once a week might naturally accommodate the list’s inherent turnover.

Well this week brought a bit more turnover than the typically three-day window, so we’ll reshuffle the stashes like a 70’s skin flick and bump prospect news to Sunday.

NOTE: This ranking is focused on redraft impact of players who’ve yet to debut in 2020. It’s a snapshot of all the information I can synthesize as of today.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Charting the Future: Hitter $ Value Changes

August 5, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball | 8 Comments

by: TheTinDoor

In a typical season, after less than two weeks fantasy owners are (trying) to exercise patience. With a 6-month season stretching out in front of us, we have plenty of time to assess changing player skills, see roles slowly evolve, or react to injuries. In this 60-game sprint of a season, all that is out the window. The owner who can assess what’s different today, and react the quickest, will win this season. That may mean cutting a high draft pick, or trading for an unexpected source of power. It all starts by assessing what’s changed in just 12 days.

I’m analyzing Rudy’s pre-season and rest-of-season projections (Razzball/Steamer), with custom dollar values based on a standard roster, 12-team mixed league. The specific dollar values aren’t as important as the relative changes: who’s value has gone up/down, in less than two weeks?

Below, I’ve charted all players who’s value has changed by $2+ since the preseason:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

FanDuel: Dominating With Donovan

August 5, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, DFS, Fanduel |

by: Butters

Now here’s a surprise, Donovan Solano (2B: $3,300) is red hot and even though the G-men aren’t the strongest supporting cast he has found a way. The top part of the order can lead to good things no matter who you are or what the rest of the team looks like. The average is sky high and shockingly he’s near the top of the league in delicious RBIs. Mix that all together and we have a supreme sundae. Coors is just the cherry on top. Let Donovan take you to the promised land.

Please, blog, may I have some more?