Rays Died On Cahill For Our Freedom

May 29, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 383 Comments

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Hope everyone’s well rested and had a joyous Michael Bay Day. If you couldn’t be American yesterday, I hope at least you got drunk and ate a bunch of hot dogs. As they say in Mississippi, Amurica, “Spelling’s for sissies!” In honor of Amurica’s half birthday, I hope you put a hot dog in your fly and went up to a female reporter, then let Roger Clemens watch you have sex with his wife. Amurica would’ve wanted it that way! Trevor Cahill did his part of keeping Amurica as true as the red, white and blue underwear you wash once a year and shut down those Rays, who we know want to have Devil in their name. Cast out their demons, Trevamurica! Yesterday, Cahill went 8 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners (zero walks), 6 Ks, ERA at 2.25. He’s never gonna give you a fire emoji of 98 MPH or even throw his fastball more than 45% of time. He is throwing his slider twice as much as last year, cutting his curve’s usage, and after about 11 years in the league, it looks like its paying dividends. His ground ball rate is over 60% and his walk rate is down to 1.8 with a 8.4 K/9. What, you a rich man’s Dallas Keuchel? I will call you, Dynasty’s Carrington. I could see owning him in almost all mixed leagues. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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See all of today’s starting lineups

#	MLB Starting Lineups For Thu 8/14
	ARI \| ATL \| BAL \| CHC \| CLE \| COL \| DET \| MIA \| MIN \| NYM \| PHI \| SEA \| TOR \| WSH \| ATH \| BOS \| CHW \| CIN \| HOU \| KC \| LAA \| LAD \| MIL \| NYY \| OAK \| PIT \| SD \| SF \| STL \| TB \| TEX

Is Chris Archer Really Declining?

May 28, 2018 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 15 Comments

by: Lance

The answer to this question would ease the minds of owners all across the fantasy universe [insert Avengers joke here]. Chris Archer hasn’t performed well enough to warrant selection in the same stratosphere as his preseason ADP. His strikeout rate is down, walks are up, and he’s getting hit harder than he ever has. This has created the notion that the Rays’ ace is declining, simply because he is approaching the age of 30 with numbers that don’t represent his past performance.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

SAGNOF Report, Walking a Mile For a Gamel

May 28, 2018 | Uncategorized | 8 Comments

by: Smokey

Last week we touched on the Mariners and the propensity for steals in a post-suspension world. Since then, the navigators of the sea have acquired Denard and Colome, making more SAGNOF situations. The scorching hot filterless hitter I wanna concentrate your gaze on this week is from the same team with ample speed to be used. That hitter is Ben Gamel. The addition of Span to the outfield mix is a bit of a head scratcher fantasy-wise, because someone has to sit and three outfielders have to play. Gamel over the last 7 games is going streaking across the quad and down the street to On Base Percentage-ville. His batting average alone is a nice coup for a short term pick-up. Hitting .381 and an OBP of .458 is a nice end of the OF problem to have. He is getting his fair share of AB’s and is putting his on base skills to good work too, stealing 3 bases in the past week. That may seem like small potatoes, but in the world of steals that is a lot by its own standards. So if you are surfing the waiver wire looking for outfielders with small potatoes to offer, take a long hard look at the Marines outfielder. On to better and pressing news in SAGNOF-dom, we got charts and snippets of joy for this Memorial Day. Cheers!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Draft: Picks For May 28th, 2018

May 28, 2018 | DFS, Draft |

by: Butters

What is up, party people? Welcome to this lovely Memorial Day. Thanks for taking some time out of your busy holiday weekend to play some DFS on Draft. Fantasy baseball never rests.

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?

Folty(Is Good I)newicz

May 28, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 308 Comments

by: Grey

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I went into the Mike Foltynewicz vs. Red Sox in Fenway matchup a spry, jovial young rascal. The mischievous imp of Chinese food, the rapscallion. Then Mike Faultywirewitz went 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 baserunners (3 BBs), 7 Ks, ERA at 2.55, and I aged forty years. “I was told just the painting of me is supposed to age.” That’s me trying to get a refund for my Dorian Grey Albright portrait. The time Finkynewhitch was on the mound was like the three-year span when I lost my fortune investing in Beanie Babies compressed into two hours. He just loses all semblance of the strike zone out of completely nowhere. It’s like, “We’re cruising….so cruising…And now I’m throwing five feet outside the strike zone.” With that said, it’s hard not to be encouraged — his velocity is up to 96 MPH; his K/9 is up to 10.4; he’s got the best xFIP of his career, and his team should provide run support. He’s also in his third full year when I like to look for starter breakouts. The only drawback is his command is a mess. As long as you watch him pitch with cucumbers on your eyes to combat the wrinkles, you’ll be fine. Anyway, here’s what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Top 100 Hitters, Week 9: Washington Names Soto Mayor

May 27, 2018 | Uncategorized | 39 Comments

by: Kerry Klug

Juan Soto & Austin Meadows: Two of the league’s highest touted minor leaguers, Juan Soto and Austin Meadows, were called up within days of each other this past week. Soto obviously was the biggest shocker as he is only 19 years old and had only played eight games in Double-A. Austin Meadows, however, was a bit more of a realistic call up as he is 23 and has been on the call-up radar for over a year now. Prospect lovers are going to freak out that I don’t have them ranked (yet!) in this column. Well the problem is they’re just a bit unknown. There are already reports that Meadows is going to go go back down as soon as Starling Marte is healthy again, despite Meadows crushing the ball in his first 29 ABs (6 runs, 13 hits, 3 HR, 2 SB, .448 AVG.) And Soto also has minor league options left on his contract so with Bryce Harper, Matt Adams and Michael Taylor still on the big league roster and Adam Eaton so slowly, but surely coming back soon — Soto might not be a Nat for long. Where would they rank if they were both given starting jobs for the rest of the season? Well despite the Soto surprise and hype — I like Meadows more. He was looking like a bat that might develop into a 20/20 hitter. His star has definitely dimmed since he was ranked as the #6 prospect before the 2017 season — but the potential is still there. Soto would only be ranked lower because of his age. It’s rare for a 19 year old with barely over 500 plate appearances to make the majors and positively contribute to their team. That’s why the minors exist in general. “Enough jibber and jabber — where Kerry, where?!” Due to their uncertainties I’d start them in the 70 to 80 range with a lot of upward mobility.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Top 100 Starting Pitchers, Week 9: You Must Stash The Mustache

May 27, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 25 Comments

by: Dokken

Hey, for a change we didn’t have a devastating injury this week! Huzzah! Not only that, we got ourselves a few newcomers to the list who are pretty exciting. The top 20 remains relatively unchanged, although Patrick Corbin gets a bit of a ding for the continued diminished velocity and a dip in his whiffs. Speaking of whiffs, can you Snell that Snell? Snell has a freakin’ 2.78 ERA and has had to face the Red Sox three times already. He’ll come down from that mark for sure, but he’s still really good. I didn’t write him up fully, but I trashed Zack Godley nearly 20 spots. I was as patient as I could be, but those 2017 K:BB gains have evaporated. I also believe I had Reynaldo Lopez a bit high given his lack of strikeouts, and his .218 BABIP through 10 starts is pretty absurd. Let’s check out some more of the interesting movers and shakers this week.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

FAAB Five: Jack Flaherty And The Pips

May 27, 2018 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball |

by: Paul "The" Martian

This week’s edition of the FAAB Five begins with a pitcher most of us have been waiting for all season, Jack Flaherty. Consensus would lead one to believe that the St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect will not go cheaply. He has been hyped all season as his domination of the minor leagues have been witnesses by anyone doing a bit of research to win their league. Flaherty has been a top arm in that system for quite some time, and this is a system that is known for the development of top-quality arms. Flaherty joins Adam Wainwright, Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha, Alex Reyes, and more that have grown and continue to flourish from within the St. Louis ranks. The talent is becoming undeniable after a couple more juicy starts in the majors this past week. Look for him to go for at least 10% of your budget, if still available. Jack Flaherty can be a successful pitcher in the majors right now posting nearly a strikeout per inning, limiting walks, and stepping up for impressive outings like his last performance on May 20th, 7.2 IP with 13 K and only 3 baserunners allowed.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Hold on Loosely – Part Two

May 27, 2018 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 10 Comments

by: Donkey Teeth

So you found a second girl willing to touch your wood? Nice work! Now let’s focus on what really matters: your fantasy baseball erection. No, don’t look down! Focus! I’m talking about erecting your fantasy squad. Did I lose the five girl readers again? I always scare them off so quickly.

If you recall “Hold on Loosely – Part One”, we discussed not only the failings of your love life, but also some of last year’s surprise players who went undrafted in a majority of leagues. As June approaches we now have a large enough sample on our hands (that’s what she said!) to begin speculating which late round draft picks/free agents could help most in erecting your fantasy powerhouse.

In part one I brought forth the theory that elite offensive statistics are becoming more attainable via the waiver wire now than ever before. The chart below highlights some of this season’s surprise hitters drafted with an NFBC ADP of 300 or later.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Draft: Mining for Cole

May 27, 2018 | DFS, Draft |

by: Thomas Howland

Have no fear of black-lung, no lonesome Cowboy Junkies song mentioning silicosis. Instead you can grill without care for carcinogens and feast on the red meat of victory with Gerrit Cole. Mr. Cole is pitching like a Cy Young candidate this year with a record of 5-1, 1.86 ERA, and leading the league with 101 strikeouts. He’s facing the Indians in Cleveland who are only a .500 team despite leading their division. Chris Sale is tempting, but there’s a few Braves who hit him; the same with Strasburg in Miami. Tag Gerrit Cole with a first-round pick and celebrate Memorial Day in style. Let’s look at a few more early-, middle- and late-round picks for your Draft…drafts!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Minor League Preview: Tampa Bay Rays

May 27, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 24 Comments

by: Geoff

I have a soft-spot in my heart for the Tampa Bay Domers. Not only do they have to play in possibly the worst MLB stadium in active duty, they split much of their local media market with annoying snowbird Northerners with their Red Sox and Yankees caps! To the good people of Tampa, the Rays Up faithful, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. I can’t promise they’ll be up anytime in the next 4-20 years based on your callup principals and tendencies. There is hope. The Rays squeeze more service time out of prospects, than Tropicana does juice from Florida’s organ groves. Some might say it backfired on Brent Honeywell, but the most hardened Rays defender will say it was all part of the plan! Now Honeywell won’t start his service clock until September of 2029! I kid, I kid! But there is no team that gets more blood from their stones than the Rays. They have an impressive development track record spanning back a decade, and the current farm is full of talent with varying degrees of upside, but plenty of MLB futures. This is one of the more underrated systems in the game. It’s the Tampa Bay Rays Top Prospects for 2018 Fantasy Baseball.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Bullpen Report: I Dub Thee Seranthony of Dominguez

May 26, 2018 | Closers, Middle Relievers | 15 Comments

by: Smokey

Tap on the shoulder, now tap on the other shoulder. Swords and knights yadda, yadda. Pun joke and title inclusion over. I could probably draw it out to upmost degree, but I’ll just end it and rip the bandaid off and jump into the welcome back Kotter bullpen of Philadelphia. If the collective bullpen in Philly isn’t called the Sweathogs, they are doing something wrong. The Vinnie Babarino that is emerging as the future leader is most definitely Seranthony Dominguez. Dude set a record with hitless streaks to start the year for a rookie and is now the go to, end all be all holds guy for the Phillies. His arsenal screams future closer, but Kapler’s fear of commitment and Neris owning pictures of some relative of his. Dominguez is the guy, for now and for later. With 5 holds and 1 save in his last 6 appearances, he is involved in almost every winning game the Phillies are. He checks all the proverbial boxes that we have previously discussed when looking for a reliever to roster. Plus he has the save appeal, which is similar to curb appeal, minus the fact that you don’t need shrubs or a Chinese maple tree to accent how dominant he has been. Holds for now, saves for later for the Sir of the Cheesesteak. Roster with confidence as his results are great, but be patient as Kapler is a mad scientist with his bullpen decision making skills. Holds week brings the best out of all of us, because you play in a league with holds. That’s why we are fake internet friends.

Please, blog, may I have some more?