That Machado…Man, He Abused The White Sox!

August 8, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 446 Comments

Manny Machado put up his right hand yesterday to measure it against a hand drawing every clubhouse has posted on its wall. The drawing is of Mark Whiten’s hand that once held four baseballs in it. Four baseballs for the four homers he hit in one game. In the Padres’ clubhouse, this hand has been removed because it’s just a not-so-subtle reminder of what will never be. In the Indians’ clubhouse, the hand is made into a turkey to celebrate the first Thanksgiving. In the Astros’ clubhouse, the hand has been cut out and fashioned into a t-shirt for Altuve. Imagine if Donald Trump wins the presidency and throws out a first pitch. He may never make it to the field, too distracted in the clubhouse by measuring his hands against Whiten. Yesterday, Machado came a fingernail short of the hand, hitting three homers with seven RBIs. Now has 25 homers on the year with a .307 average. Terrific, stupendous, adjective! What’s more remarkable is he does not have one steal all year. Almost as crazy, he’s only attempted three. Did he have a knee transplant this offseason with McCutchen as the donor? Machado stole 20 bases last year. To go to none? Wow, his feet definitely don’t measure up to the Rickey Henderson foot drawings in each clubhouse. Anyway, here’s what else I saw this weekend 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 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

Closer Report, Week 18: Miller Ain’t Buffaloing Cody

August 7, 2016 | Closers, Middle Relievers | 23 Comments

by: Smokey

The price that was paid, and the results that led him up to the trade had everyone believing that Andrew Miller would trump the incumbent Cody Allen in Cleveland. Through two-pitched games, he has seen one save opportunity in the 6-7th inning, and the other was in a losing effort. Now, I am not reading the tea leaves here, but after just two appearances and five games overall, I think Cody is not a droppable player in any format, saves holds or NSVH. I mentioned it out loud to myself after the trade was completed, and also to Prospector Ralph. With 55 games to play and save chances in 52 percent of games won… so that would leave 14 or so chances for the Indians and Miller to retain value. And don’t get it twisted, he still has a ton of value with a ridiculous K-rate over 16, and the Indians are still a first place squad. Just everyone that seems to matter has struggled with the Twins. It’s crazy that they are 20-plus games under .500. So for the Allen owners, hold firm, like Gi-Joe style grip type stuff. Miller owners, you have most likely owned him all year, so your peripherals aren’t going to be flawed because of him. As far as saves go, I think it could go 70/30 the rest of the way and be a situational thing on occasion. Let’s look at the plethora of changes that are basically pillaging the relief ranks around baseball…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

DraftKings: If Starting Yu Is Wrong, I don’t want to be (Wain)Wright

August 7, 2016 | DraftKings | 2 Comments

by: Mike Honcho

Oh, hey there fellow degenerates. Another Sunday is upon us, so that means a brand spanking new edition of action-packed “DraftKings” picks straight from the only source I trust….The DFSBot. If you’re not taking advantage of all the great tools here at Razzball – stop what you’re doing and subscribe now. After you finish reading this write-up, of course. So let me tease you with a couple of arms I’m focusing on for today’s action. I’m not usually into starting pitchers on the road in Houston, but this situation can be sorted into the exception file. Yu Darvish hasn’t been gifted with a win in either of his last three outings, but he still sports an impressive 26:2 K:BB ratio over that same period. As we all know by now, wins are nice but in the daily game strikeouts are King. That is precisely why I’m targeting the Astros for today’s action. Houston has been more than generous when it comes to swings and misses this season, striking out at a 23.9% clip, which ranks fourth in all of baseball. Darvish carries a price tag of $13,100 – he’s the highest priced pitcher on the board, but that’s okay. If he plays anywhere close to his elite 12.68 K/9, he’ll easily reach value. Over his last four starts he’s racked up 35 K’s in just 22 1/3 innings so this match up has the potential to be of the highest quality. How high you ask? Well think somewhere in between Rio drinking water and a Tim Lincecum fastball….That’s how high. Just kidding. Yu should be fantastic today…..and if you start him, so should you. Huh? What? We’re not quite done yet. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the potential bargain that Adam Wainwright represents as well. Sure, he stunk up the joint in his last start, but over his last five starts he’s pitched to a 2.41 ERA and 1.10 WHIP and he’s averaging nearly a strikeout per inning. The best part here is that Wainwright is a VERY affordable $8,000 and he’s facing the Braves. Atlanta owns a 21% K-rate and a measly .128 ISO on the road, also, Waino has allowed just 8 ER in his last eight starts at Busch Stadium – so there’s that. In light of all the delicious info I’ve given you to digest, I’ll direct you to the rest of my favorite plays for today’s slate…

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Please, blog, may I have some more?

Minor League Update: Don’t Fall in Love with Your Cozens…

August 7, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 42 Comments

by: Geoff

Back in 2012 a 26 year old Phillies first base prospect by the name of Darin Ruf hit 38 homers while playing for AA affiliate Reading. Ruf never approached a season like that before or since, and quickly washed out as he reached AAA and the majors. Over the seasons that have followed any Reading player with a power surge is looked at with skeptical looks and side eye. Dylan Cozens is the latest in a long line of Phillie farmhands to bear this cross. Over the past week Cozens has accelerated the home run pace of his magical 2016, hitting 6 homers and slashing .360/.429/.1.240. As of Saturday night Cozens’ home run total for the season sits at 32 in just 106 games. I’ve written about Cozens a few times over the past few months, and quite honestly the gaudy offensive numbers are tough to ignore. Prior to the 2016 breakout, Cozens was an intriguing prospect. Built like an NFL tight end, and blessed with raw power and base running ability. Cozens presents raw potential that would entice any dynasty owner to take a second look, but the red flags are there and shouldn’t be ignored. First and foremost, though Cozens has always produced raw power it never materialized until he reached Reading. To say that Cozens success is Reading aided is an understatement. Of his 32 homers he’s only connected for 6 away from FirstEnergy Stadium. The home and away slugging % splits are staggering, as he boast a Bondsian .801 SLG% at home, but a .415 on the road. That’s an absurd difference of .386! Or he’s a full Dee Gordon different at home. Next on the red flag rundown is Cozens long lefthanded swing. While it’s picturesque when it connects for a long fly, it’s down right ugly when he misses, particularly on balls to the outside part of the plate. Look no further than his nearly 30% k rate for evidence. The last, and in some ways, the most alarming of the red flags is Cozens splits vs southpaws. A .307/.391/.677 hitter vs righties, he morphs into Freddy Galvis when a lefty is on the mound, slashing .204/286/.387. Cozens has certainly made improvements this season, but he does come with risk; and even if he’s only a 15/15 threat with some split issues, he’s worth a spot in your minors in dynasties where 100-150 prospects are owned.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Two-Start Pitchers, Week 19: Rick Rollin’ in Boston

August 6, 2016 | Two Start Fantasy Starters | 13 Comments

by: M@

I’ve made jokes about the man. I’ve dropped the man. I’ve laughed at the thought of the man. And now I’ve referred to him as the man. Yet he’s a kid. Somehow still only 27, Rick Porcello is bucking the trends and rolling in Boston this year.

Truthfully, it’s not even fair to say he’s ‘bucking all trends.’ Yes, his numbers are significantly better than last year, and he’s been absolutely lights out in the second half with a 22:4 K/B ratio, but not that much has changed for Porcello over the past four years. His K/9 is similar to the past two years. His BB/9 is on par. He’s leaving a small portion of more runners on base than last year, but not at a high enough clip (6%+) to truly make an impact. Yet we sit here at the start of August 2016 and Rick Porcello is 14-3 for the Red Sox after tossing a CG last week with 8 K in the win. He’s been largely yawnstipating since coming up as a 20 year old for the Tigers in 2009, but he shouldn’t be ignored due to his past or his potential negative name perception. Porcello will end up in the Top 10 for Cy Young, if not higher. Now, after the last 200 words hopefully you’re thinking the same thing I am…but why? If pitch percentages are similar over the past four years, and there are no changes with the surface stats, how is it that Boston has an ace in Porcello (a gift from baseball heaven since David Price apparently forgot how to lead a staff)?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Pirates Driving Around With Broken McClutch

August 6, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Points Leagues | 9 Comments

by: malamoney

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been riding the clutch for the last six years and it seems the damage has been done. Now the clutch is slipping and there might be damage to the flywheel. Some people just don’t realize that it’s much cheaper to replace brake pads than it is to replace your clutch. Especially when your clutch was a first round draft pick.

Since 2011 Andrew McCutchen has been a top ten outfielder in points leagues. From 2012-2015 he was in the top five, scoring 499, 490, 471 and 465 points respectively. The wear and tear on the clutch can be seen in his decline in point production. This season he is on pace for a meager 298 points. Wait, that must be a typo right? Wrong! With 195 points so far McCutchen finds himself right between Yasmany Tomas (197) and Brad Miller (189), both of whom have had about 50 less plate appearances. This means they have both technically been more valuable with better points per plate appearance ratios. Essentially Andrew McCutchen has been useless in 2016. Perhaps even detrimental to your team considering the wasted early round pick. He has had just two weeks in which he scored more than 20 points and is averaging just 11 points per week. Jose Altuve scores 11 points per game! Okay, so that’s not an accurate statement, but has done so several times this season. So have many other hitters. Heck, a grand slam is 9 points with one swting! At this point there’s not really anything you can with McCutchen except put him on your bench. Given his history I would buy low on him, but it would have to be a legit buy low offer.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

DraftKings: Swiss Archer

August 6, 2016 | DraftKings |

by: Gern Blanston

Like Swiss cheese, Chris Archer‘s 2016 pitching performance has holes in it. A few things concern me with Archer’s numbers this season. The main concerning being the 91.2 mph average exit velocity hitters are getting off his pitches. That 91.2 mph puts him in the top 10 highest average exit velocity among qualified starting pitchers. This may be the reason for his 17.5% home run to fly ball ratio, which is 6.4% higher than his career average. Hitters have been doing most of their damage off his fastball. Hitters have averaged a .545 slugging off it this season. However, not is all bad for Archer. His ERA may sit at 4.38 (the lowest it’s been since may), but his xFIP sits at 3.47, which is in line with his 3.54 career average ERA. In his last three starts, he has racked up 25 K while only issuing 3 walks. Walks were an issue for Archer earlier in the season, but over his last 5 starts he has only gave up 6. Archer only has 5 wins on the season which is not good for DFS, but today the Rays are facing off against the Twins. Chris Archer should have a much higher chance at a win as the Twins have the second lowest winning percentage in the entire league. And with that I give you the rest of my Saturday DFS picks…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Devon Intervention

August 6, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 50 Comments

by: Dan Pants

Devon Travis hit two home runs Friday night including one to lead off the ballgame and a heroic, Olympic-sized tie-breaking shot in the ninth inning to give the Jays the lead. Clearly, Travis just wanted to get back to his hotel room so he could catch the Opening Ceremony in Rio. Speaking of which, that ceremony was really…something, wasn’t it? When you watch four hours of the Olympics and not a single event is played. Hmm, I think I might be burned out on the games already and the torch was just lit. At least Gisele was there. According to my sources, Tom Brady would have held the flag for the U.S.A. but he’s busy at training camp. Devon Travis, however, was busy leading off his third straight game for Toronto. The second year infielder is batting .313 over the past week with three homers, 4 runs, and 5 RBI, including that game-saving shot Friday night. It’s Devon Providence! Let’s call him Christ the Redeemer. Remember last April when he hit .325 with 6 home runs? I do. The dude can get hot in a hurry, and batting in this stacked Blue Jays line up could mean big things for your fantasy team. He is slashing .290/.332/.479 with nine homers in 217 at-bats to date, and Travis is currently available in about 70% of fantasy leagues and he’s feeling the Olympic spirit. I’d grab him if you need a middle infielder who plays for Canada but bleeds for the red, white and blue.

Here’s what else I saw Friday night in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Fantasy Prospect Podcast: The Pilot “Hologram Tupac’s Favorite Minor League Team”

August 6, 2016 | Prospect Podcast, Razzball Podcast | 74 Comments

by: Geoff

Here it is the inaugural Razzball Fantasy Prospect Podcast, it only needed to be recorded 6 times to get it right. It stars yours truly the Prospector and Chief with the incomparable Michael Halpern of Imaginarybrickwall.com. If you’re not familiar with Michael he’s a legend in some circles. Squares, triangles, and octagons too! We rank our top 20 prospects moved on Sunday and Monday, and then discuss the recent callups of A.J. Reed, Orlando Arcia, Joe Musgrove, Gary Sanchez, and Mi Novio Andrew Benintendi. You know I’m obligated to type his name every time my fingers touch the keys, right? Either way check it out! We do this all with a dynasty slant. Here’s the debut of the Razzball Prospect Podcast!

(And don’t forget to join Jay, Tehol, Jenn, Kevin, and Zach on this season’s first episode of the Fantasy Football Podcast!)

Please, blog, may I have some more?

The Vulture sAVe Club

August 5, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell | 424 Comments

by: Grey

Rather than list fifteen closers that all became available in the last week, I’m going to tell you a story. Ken you dig it? Ooh, Giles (Things Are Gonna Get Easier) was a song they played at my prom. This was going to be the best day of my life. My date, Susie, had just broken up with her boyfriend, Jake, and she looked radiant that night, Barretts lined her hair like a crime scene. Only not a bad crime scene like some gruesome murder, but instead like a yellow rose Tyler’d around another rose’s Thornburg like a noose. A rose murder, which is heartbreakingly beautiful. Also, in play on this great night was Prom King, I was going to Edwin it, right as I was Diaz’ing to the Macarena. Wait, maybe my dancing would help me win a Tony too, ya know, this wasn’t elementary school my dear, Watson. This felt like a scene out of an 80s movie with Charlie Sheen née Carlos Estevez. When the announcement came, I held Susie’s hand, it was hot — 373 on the Kelvin scale — and her palm was Herrera. Gadzooks, I exclaimed. Then Jim won, and I went home with my Johnson, but no Herrera palm. Oh well, guess I’ll have to take down my Cam I set up by my Bedrosian. Anyway, here’s some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

OPS Leaguers Unite! Do We Even Need Pitching?

August 5, 2016 | OPS Leagues | 5 Comments

by: Phil B.

I was talking to a couple of friends about baseball and the necessity of pitching and we agreed that we don’t need it. IN Fantasy that is. Don’t get me wrong, I like pitchers and realize they are an integral part of the game; I mean someone has to throw the ball. Or do they? We have pitching machines already, and we don’t have to worry about them getting hurt. All we have to do is make them look cool. Let Kayne design them. Nah, you say, c’mon man, that’s crazy. I know it is; I’m just looking forward to when we have half man/half machine and full on robots like Super Baseball 2020 for the Super Nintendo (or if you were a rich kid back in the day you had it on Neo Geo). I don’t expect we’re getting there soon, and definitely not by 2020, but when we do I will be there cheering on Barry Bonds (if anyone is getting fused with a robot to play baseball it’s him, right?).

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Ambulance Chasers: Drew Vertigo

August 5, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Injury Report, Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 6 Comments

by: Joseph Patrick

We might be entering the home stretch of the 2016 baseball season, but there is still much to be decided. Not only are the pennant races beginning to heat up, things on the fantasy front are getting tense as well. If you are an avid player and have stashed players currently on the designated injury list, it is time to take a close look. There are quite a few players set to return for the final months, and they could have a dramatic effect on the eventual outcome of the 2016 fantasy season. Let’s take a quick look at some of the more notable players set to return soon.

Please, blog, may I have some more?