DraftKings: Jose Can You See, All The Pads Swinging Strikes

September 4, 2016 | DraftKings |

Don’t you just love when baseball fate takes over? Or maybe it’s just the expanded rosters in September. Either way, we’re getting a glimpse of the New Kids On The Block. Jose De Leon is the one we’ve been waiting on – at least as far as pitchers are concerned. He’s got “The Right Stuff.” I mean, come on Jose…..”Baby I believe in you.” If you’ve had a chance to watch him in action this season in Triple A, you know he’s been “Hangin’ Tough.” Okay….that’s enough of the song titles. I mean…I wouldn’t want to waste what’s left of your “Summertime.” I’m done. I promise. Anyway, Jose has a very soft landing spot for his major league debut. He’ll face the Padres in a home tilt where the Dodgers are heavy favorites and for good reason. San Diego owns a 25% strikeout rate, which is second worst in baseball and they’re the proud owners of an 87 wRC+ which qualifies for third worst in the league. If that’s not bad enough, their OBP is a paltry .300 and they’re slugging .395. So what I’m trying to say is……this is a very favorable start. De Leon has produced a 33% strikeout rate in 86 innings (111 Ks) at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, while registering a 2.61 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 2.71 FIP. More good news! His price tag today is a very reasonable $7,700 – that’s an insane value. Sounds good right? I thought so. Thank me later internet friends.

Here’s a look at the rest of my picks for Sunday’s slate:

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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 \| HOU \| KC \| LAA \| LAD \| MIA \| MIL \| MIN \| NYM \| NYY \| PHI \| PIT \| SD \| SF \| STL \| TB \| TEX \| TOR \| ATH \| CHW \| DET \| OAK \| SEA \| WSH

Minor League Update: The Last One Y’All

September 4, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 41 Comments

by: Geoff

Over the course of the past few days, I’ve wondered if mentioning Colin Kaepernick in any way, shape, or form would boost readership here in the doldrums of the fantasy baseball season. Maybe I could say “click here to see so and so nearly naked”, or “this celebrity didn’t want this to get out”. What if I took the plunge into full on click bait and left the days of insightful minor league analysis for dynasty and fantasy baseball behind. Would it be me whining about Odell Beckham Jr. ignoring me at the Met Gala? Imagine prospector Ralph rubbing elbows with the A list. I mean seems appropriate, they’re A-list and I’m known for making a list. Thank you, thank you, you’re all too kind I’ll be here all week. In all seriousness, we’ve come to the end of the regular season in minor league baseball, and with it the end of my minor league updates for 2016. Don’t worry I’m going absolutely nowhere. I’ll be updating you on all things dynasty and prospects throughout the offseason. In fact you’ll probably have a triple dose of me with the podcast and all. So pump the volume on this track, throw some BBQ on the grill, and save some sticky ribs for your homie Ralph. The final minor league update of the 2 dot oh 1-6 is here!

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Pence Trumps Lester’s Campaign For No Hitter

September 3, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 14 Comments

by: malamoney

For those of you expecting Dan Pants, well the pants are off today. And when the pants come off, malamoney comes out. Did I just talk about myself in third person? I love when I do that. I think Grey might have asked every Razzball writer before asking me to fill in. I’m not sure I blame him, but did he really have to ask the Chinese food delivery guy too? Just because it was Chien-Ming Wang doesn’t lessen the blow to my already diminished self esteem. Speaking of self esteem, Jon Lester was on a roll last night. I’m not a big fan of Lester, but I was watching the box score thinking to myself how much easier this post would be if he completed the no hit bid. Nonetheless, with two outs in the seventh, Hunter Pence hit 1-2 pitch over the wall that Trump is going to build to keep the illegal Mexicans out to break up Lester’s no-no. “No no” is exactly what Trump plans to say to any Mexican caught trying to scale his new wall. Rumor has it that Jorge Cantu caught Pence’s home run ball and threw it back over the wall in disgust. Then he and Yovani Gallardo put on sombreros and cracked open some cervazas. Lester went the distance giving up just three hits and the one run. He struck out four and walked two throwing just 102 pitches…

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DraftKings: Super Nova

September 3, 2016 | DraftKings |

by: Gern Blanston

Since being traded to the Pirates, Ivan Nova has exploded! In a good way. He has been different pitcher than he was with the Yankees. In five starts, Nova owns a 2.87 ERA, with 22 strikeouts and only 1 walk! You have to love a pitcher who doesn’t give up a free trips to first very often. In those starts he has averaged nearly 19 points. Tonight the Brewers are in town, and have been struggling all season. Not only are the Brewers brutal at hitting the ball and producing runs, they strike out a ton. The Brew Crew leads the league with a 25.8% strikeout rate vs RHP pitchers. The Pirates are 2.5 games back from a wild card and need to start winning more games. Meanwhile, the Brewers sit 19 games below .500 and are just looking to beat out Cincinnati for last in the division. I see Nova as one of the top picks of the day, and at only $8,900 it’s hard to pass that up. And with that … here are the rest of my Saturday DFS picks.

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Closer Report, Week 22: Wade Back To Where You Came From

September 3, 2016 | Closers, Middle Relievers | 20 Comments

by: Smokey

So the inevitable return of Wade Davis came, and just like we expected in typical awful luck scenario, he came into the game for the save. Which any Kelvin owner was dreading, clutching their fists, and shaking it widely. “Curses” they screamed. I have to admit, I didn’t think that the first day off the disabled list he’s be thrown right into the fray. He experienced two set-backs and wasn’t really his normal dominant self in the minor rehab appearances that I noticed. I get that a guy who has the previous experience and job should get the job, but the Royals were cruising along with Herrera in the big boy chair. In fact, he was darn near flawless minus one hiccup, garnering 7 straight saves and 9 appearances in 15 with a clean no-hit inning. I mean, I am no manager, hell I am an admitted couch potato… But I do know closers and that my friends is getting it done. The Royals are still in the thick of the playoff hunt and I think the worst thing to do for them is to change the end game. Davis is going to be dominant in the closer role or set-up role, and he has the goods to be great at either. Now, it may take one more ineffective appearance from him to show it, but I think Herrera is still very much in the foray for save chances in KC.

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OPS Leaguers Unite! In Orlando We Trust

September 3, 2016 | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

by: Phil B.

The post could’ve been about Paulo Orlando; but it’s not, so Royals fans need not apply. Well, they can, I don’t discriminate, I regulate every shade of OPS. Anyway this post is about Orlando Arcia, and you should go add him if you need SS or MI help the rest of the season; let’s get that out of the way first. We’ll dive into him (wait and see, it’s a neat trick) here in a minute but just thinking about Orlando makes me wonder why Orlando, FLA doesn’t have an MLB team. True enough, Tampa is nearby (an hour and ten if you’re not driving with Grandpa) and they don’t draw well; the last time I was at a Rays game we spent most of our time playing pool in the cigar lounge, which was decent enough for a cigar bar in a terrible baseball stadium.

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Buy Ender Inciarteams Improve

September 2, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell | 381 Comments

by: Grey

When I was younger, I played for a Little League team, the Teaneck Yankees, our manager, who went simply by the name John Doe, would spend most of his days stealing the other teams’ signs, but when he gave us advice, through a translator hired by our sponsor, Halliburton, he’d say, “The most important function of the baseball hitter is to get the base. The second most important function of the baseball hitter is to get the WMDs.” I searched Fangraphs for a stat abbreviated WMDs but wasn’t able to find one. Walk-Off Moonshot Dingers? Windup Mechanics Delivery? Weapons of Mass Ducksnorts? Whatever the case, I want to focus on Coach Doe’s first function, get the base. Since the All-Star break, there’s been few hitters who are getting the base like Ender Inciarte. In that time, he’s hitting .360 with 35 runs. That’s the 5th best average and 8th best runs. This is a guy who last year hit .303 in 524 ABs, so it’s not a fluke, or hirame if a sushi chef is reading. Will he give much power? Will a llama do a NY Times crossword? No, he won’t. But for average and runs, you can do much worse. Now, is it a coincidence that Coach Doe was a ringer for Saddam Hussein and you can’t spell Ender Inciarte without CIA? I don’t know. Anyway, here’s some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Bear or Bull: Me And Julio Down By The Ballpark

September 2, 2016 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 12 Comments

by: Big Magoo

2015 was a golden year for rookies. Carlos Correa, Kris Bryant, Noah Syndergaard, Francisco Lindor, Addison Russell, Lance McCullers, Roberto Osuna, and many other youngsters made a huge impact for their respective teams during their first run through the big leagues. This season’s rookie crop hasn’t been quite as impressive as that historically productive group, but it’s been a pretty strong one as well. Corey Seager (technically in his rookie season), Trevor Story, Trea Turner, David Dahl, Jon Gray, and Michael Fulmer are some of the players who have been outstanding in their first full MLB seasons. Perhaps the brightest prospect of them all, however, especially on the pitching side, is 20-year-old Dodgers phenom Julio Urias. He’s considered by many to be the best pitching prospect in baseball over the past several years, and it’s not difficult to see why. With plus velocity (his fourseam fastball can reach 96 mph at times) and a varied arsenal (fastball/slider/curve/change) that can generate swings and misses with regularity, it doesn’t seem to be a matter of if Urias will be successful, but when. Considering he was still a teenager for the bulk of his rookie season, it’s reasonable to question whether or not Urias is ready to contribute down the stretch for fantasy owners this season. What can be expected from him over the next month or so?

Let’s take a look at his profile to determine how the rookie has been performing during his first run in MLB. Here are a few thoughts and observations:

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DraftKings: You Bet Urias We Are

September 2, 2016 | DraftKings |

by: MattTruss

With the turning of the page to September comes the rookie nookie of September call-ups, but it also brings the doom of inning limits. My guess (hope/wish) is, Julio Urias will end up with one more start before he heads to the ‘pen, but this could be his final go around. I’ve started Julio more times then I care to recall this year and gotten 4 IP, 5 ER and a severe case of WHIPlash. That 10 K/9 is so delicious though, I keep coming back for more; I’m a glutton for punishment and Ks. Julio’s come around lately though, only giving up 2 ER in his last 3 starts. He’s even pitched enough innings in each of those starts to earn a win. He’s been the king of K-put this year (shameless, I know). If it’s one thing the Padres know how to do, it’s strikeout. They are currently second in the majors in strikeouts and that makes them a prime DFS target. Syndergaard might be a better bet for a win and Price might be a better bet to go more innings, but I think Julio has the biggest upside of the bunch and comes in at ~$2,000 cheaper. That’s the difference between a struggling Miguel Sano in your lineup or a hot-fiyah Yasmany Tomas in Coors. Your call my friends. Now, (in my best Paul Harvey voice) for the rest of the picks:

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Oh Lord, Byron’s Back, Don Juan Him?

September 2, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 155 Comments

by: Grey

I went over some September call-ups primer yesterday. It was written pretty smoothly. Meaning: I took a laxative and crapped out a post. I’m a modest man of modest means. What can I say? Everyone wants Yoan Moncada all over their fantasy shizz. Some of y’all got Tom Murphy on the brain. Others of you are wondering about Jose De Leon and how his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-uncle’s quest for the Fountain of Youth was shorter than the time it took the Dodgers to call Jose up. None of you are interested in Byron Buxton. Been there, eff that. I hear you, prematurely balding internet friend. He’s all served us a steak that later turned out to be tofu that left us scrubbing our tongues with our fingernails. All the way back in March, Buxton was still considered a sure-fire, can’t miss prospect. I think he still is. Not everyone takes the path of least resistance. For unstints, I saw a video of a McNugget on Twitter that showed much resistance. Yesterday, Buxton went 1-for-3, 3 RBIs and his 2nd homer, and I would grab him in all leagues looking for A) Spark. B) Speed. C) No C. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

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2016 MLB Draft Update, Part Three: “Sleepers Are the Cousins of Death”

September 1, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 17 Comments

by: Geoff

If Nasty Nas is correct, and sleep is in fact the cousin of death, then these guys are whistling past the graveyard on the way to see Uncle Quilly. Today we climax together, like a perfectly symmetrical couple only we’re probably two dudes who like the most deviant of fantasy baseball hobbies, dynasty leagues. By climax I don’t mean actual climax, that would be weird, and could have lasting repercussions on my marriage, but rather we’re climaxing by finishing off my draft update series. Calm down guys it’s here; today’s post will be focusing on sleepers. This series is in no way a ranking of the best fantasy players in the most recent draft. I’ll save that for the early part of the offseason. So for today, we’ll leer at those outside the first round and compensation round, and look at who could be the next breakout guys a la Willie Calhoun.

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2016 REL Dynasty League Update: Week 22

September 1, 2016 | Razzball Elite League | 9 Comments

by: JB Gilpin

Dude, it’s September already?! This season has absolutely flown by… Talk about your cliche open! We say this every year, and I think I said this in a similar open… I’m at a lack of creativity during the grind!

With rosters expanding today, it should be a fun final 2-and-a-half-weeks of stashing as the non-competitors head into the offseason. For the races though – the AL is looking like it’s going to be a brutal finish! The Tribe take a 1.5 point lead this morning, after being tied with the Blue Jays yesterday. TIED at this point of the season! Out of control… Unfortunately the NL is less intriguing, with the Cubs continuing to make a little bit of noise, but not enough to really challenge the Nats. Here’s how week 22 went down in the 2016 REL League:

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