I was never a letterman jacket guy. Thought they looked silly. What always gave me a chuckle, though, was when I’d see someone wearing a letterman jacket but without the letter! C’mon man! Now, even though I wasn’t a letterman jacket guy, my ego was, so my chest puffed out a bit when I got mine my freshman year. Yes, I’m bragging, but in an Al Bundy sort of way. By the way, I hate the word humblebrag. Anyways, one is not just given a letter for the letterman jacket. One has to earn it by making the varsity team. Jonathan Villar (JV) has been a top 25 player over the past month, so he’s earning that letter. Is it sustainable?

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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

MLB DFS in September is rather similar to beach towns in September: the Shoobies are gone, but the temperature is just right. It’s a feeling that Don Henley captured perfectly in his minor chord opus, “The Boys of Summer.” With the impending NFL season, some players may have stopped playing MLB on Draft.com. That doesn’t mean there aren’t contests to be won; contests you can get a leg up in by digging deep with guys like Eric Young, Jr.

New to Draft.com? 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!

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[brid autoplay=”true” video=”288417″ player=”10951″ title=”Fantasy Baseball Mailbag Week 23″]

The September roster expansion this year was a bit of a dud.  No Eloy Jimenez and no Vladimir Guerrero Jr.  It’s too bad what’s best for baseball and these young players is not what is also best for their teams.  Their rewards and our rewards are not aligned.  It’s like going into the supermarket for pluots and they tell you, “It’s pluot season.  Pluots are best this time of year.  You want to eat dem pluots now so they slobber down your chin like you’re a human St. Bernard.  So, we’re putting our pluots into liquid nitrogen to freeze them until mid-April of next year, and we will serve you pluots once their service time allows us to keep them an extra year.”  However, the Nationals are working on a different schedule apparently because they are calling up Victor Robles, i.e., to the Victor goes the spoiled pluots.  Where will Victor Robles play?  Haven’t a clue, Colonel Mustard.  Bryce Harper (1-for-2, 3 RBIs and his 31st homer yesterday) goes to right and Robles plays center while Adam’s Eaton the pine?  Adam’s Eaton up time while Bryce goes to the bench because the Nationals know Harper is not in their future plans?  Robles just plays periodically unless something goes completely sideways and the Nats will pass ‘o Robles.  On Prospector Ralph’s top 500 fantasy baseball prospects, Robles is about as high a player can be who isn’t A) Not being called up this year.  B) Not already called up.  C) There’s no C.  To give you an idea of Robles’ profile, think Starling Marte without knowing his upside.  I will call you No Ceiling Marte.  Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

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Ramon Laureano (FAAB: 3-5%) is making a name for himself with a couple of viral throws on his record in centerfield. The man possesses an absolute cannon and defensive prowess that will keep him in the lineup every day. However, the young Athletic is also a viable play for fantasy leagues. Rocking a 207 wRC+ over the past 14 days, Laureano is in a good lineup that is fighting for the division. Even though there is some strikeout potential, he can stuff the sheet with homers, steals, and counting stats. Gamble on this exciting outfielder who is riding a season-long hot streak into the fantasy playoffs.

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Welcome back to another round of DFS on Draft.com to start your week off right. As the calendar turns to September and the regular season begins to wane, the focus of many a fantasy player shifts to football. But not us. We are the dedicated ones. The ones who aren’t quite ready to let baseball go. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. For Labor Day, I want to skip past the big names. At this point in the season, you already have an idea of who the top players are, and you don’t need me to tell you to draft a guy like Max Scherzer or Mike Trout; they’re among the best players in the game today, and possibly ever. In light of that, today we’ll be taking a look at some guys who may not be the first names you think of, but whom Stream-o-nator or Hittertron have projected for big days. (And if you are looking for fantasy football advice, we’ve got you covered here.)

New to Draft? 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=”288085″ player=”10951″ title=”Fantasy Baseball Buy Sell Hold Week 23″]

Real baseball is weird.  Real sportswriters are even weirder.  From Sportsnet.ca, “Donaldson trade marks abrupt split from Blue Jays after promising start.”  Abrupt?  Maybe I’m just heartless, but why would the Blue Jays be salty about getting rid of Josh Donaldson?  If he would’ve stayed with the club, he could’ve opted into a $18 million contract and been back next year in Toronto insanely overpaid and blocking Vladimir Guerrero Jr.  Then, from Sportsnet.ca, “But trading the star third baseman and cash to the Cleveland Indians, who visit Toronto next week, of all places?  Even the New York Yankees would have been a more palatable destination.”  I’m sorry, what?  Why are the Indians worse than the Yankees?  Because Edwin is there?  Because the Jays’ GM used to be in Cleveland?  Is this just bad writing?  Or is real baseball just odd.  I seriously have no idea.  Elsewhere, other sportswriters were talking about what a great move this was.  No wonder people come here and get floored when I say something about a guy like Josh Donaldson being overrated.  They’re being lied to everywhere else.  This was not a great move by the Indians.  Donaldson can’t stay healthy and has no place to play.  Maybe he can give them a solid at-bat off the bench, but Curtis Granderson might’ve been able to do that too.  Don’t worry, will get to him and all the other September roster news.  As they say at gang initiation, after the jump.  Anyway, here’s what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

That’s the question that’s been on my brain as I worked on these rankings the past few weeks. I’m not over the past 10 years, not for next year, not for the next 10 years — right now — is Mike Trout still the #1 hitter this year? Even with a lengthy DL stint, Trout is still one of the top players in the league and is close to surpassing all of his numbers from last year’s (also) injury shrunken season (88 runs/31 HRs/2 SBs in 116 games so far this year vs. 92/33/22 in 114 games last year.) But while he missed 19 games in August this year, three players have kept chugging right along and putting up phenomenal numbers. Let’s take a look at these three challengers for the crown.

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Here we go, ladies and gents! It’s the home stretch! We’re into the last month of the season, and I moved some guys around on the list to reflect that. I don’t like to be super aggressive moving guys around for the most part. However, with just a couple weeks left, it’s more about “who do I trust now” than “who do I trust long-term”. More than ever it’s about immediate return and playing the matchups. This is the point where I’m a lot more apt to cut a fringy player for a matchup I like (shameless Streamonator plug here). We’re going to look at more risers and fallers this week as opposed to any new blood, since there isn’t much of interest. I imagine that will be quite different next week with September call ups flooding our rotations. We did have one last waiver trade of note (I guess) with Gio Gonzalez moving to Milwaukee. It’s a pretty lateral move for him, which is to say that his value will remain close to nil in mixed leagues. Perhaps the Brewers will be able to unlock something in him the way the Cubs have with Cole Hamels, but Milwaukee’s pitching coaches haven’t been known to work wonders, so I’m pessimistic on that potential outcome.

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And just like that, we enter the cluster**** that is September baseball. Rotations change early and often now with expanded rosters, moving rotation regulars around here and there for extra rest in lieu of spot starters. On top of that, we’ve still got the Rays working their Opener angle, which I’m pretty sure they’re doing just to give me gray hairs (but not Grey’s hairs). Expect to see fewer double dippers the rest of the way because of this. Even this first week is a bit light on two start action, but what we do have is surprisingly acceptable, like hitting on your supervisor after five shots of Jager at the company Christmas party.

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Some people love cake, others pie and ice cream.  For pure joy in confections today, look no further than the Cleveland Indians’ ace, Carlos “Cookie” Carrasco.  Carrasco has a 16-7 record this year, with a 3.38 ERA and 1.112 WHIP.  Add to the mix a Tampa Bay team that hits him to a paltry .083 batting average and .328 OPS, and it makes Carlos Carrasco one tough cookie today.  There are plenty of other big names on the slate, but none with a clearer path to dominance. Now let’s look at a few more early-, middle- and late-round picks for your Draft…drafts!

New to Draft? 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 you do. It’s how we know you care!

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A great season of live looks comes to a close, as Lance and I each discuss our final games of the season. Luckily we have some great names to bring you this week, but not before we briefly hit on Arizona Fall League rosters, and some of the recent MLB callups including the early returns on one Michael Kopech, Tyler O’Neill, Harrison Bader and Luis Urias. It’s another show not to miss, as we navigate the minor leagues over the last week. Don’t forget to checkout our sponsor Rotowear, by heading over to Rotowear.com and using our promo code SAGNOF to save 20% on all Rotowear brand shirts. It’s the latest episode of the Razzball Prospect Podcast

Follow me on @ProspectJesus and check out the first edition of my Top 500 Prospects! Follow Lance on Twitter @LanceBrozdow

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