DraftKings: Jameson Shots, On The House

August 5, 2016 | DraftKings, Fantasy Baseball DFS |

Who am I kidding? Jameson is meant to be savored, sip by delicious sip, not shot like some two bit well whiskey. Jameson on the rocks is more like it. Hopefully we don’t see any of Jameson on the ropes tonight though. Tonight is a bit of a weird night as far as pitching is concerned on DraftKings. There’s the big two and then every other pitchers is under $9,800. So, the question is do you pony up for one of the top two or do you cheap out and pay up for bats? My choice will be to drop down and Jameson Taillon will be my main guy. Jameson checks in at a mere $7,800 and has some of the highest upside of the bunch. The Reds are bottom five in all of baseball in team OPS and just traded away their biggest power threat in Jay Bruce. The Pirates are at home, something I always like in my top arm, and to boot, PNC Park is known to suppress lefty power, so Mr. Votto will likely have to settle for taking a walk to get aboard. Walking guys is not something Taillon has been apt to do this year, which is a trait I always adore in a pitcher. Across AAA and the majors, a span of 18 starts, Taillon has a 1.0 walk-rate. I’ll take that and an 8.0 K-rate all day for $7,800. Let’s take a look at some other picks that will have us sipping our finest whiskey in celebration tonight:

New to DraftKings? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well reserve your spot in the 25 Team Razzball Exclusive League set to run Monday August 8th to wet your DK whistle. Just remember to sign up through us before you do. Wanna know what the best part is about signing up with us? The free subscription for the rest of the season to our DFSBot, that’s what! For details on the how to, please visit our Razzball Subscriptions page.

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

Cishek Yourself Before You Wreck Your Labrum

August 5, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 354 Comments

by: Grey

Steve Cishek hit the DL with the same injury that sounds like it once affected Nadia Comaneci –a torn labrum. Grey’s got Olympics fever! Which this year sounds like it can be transmitted by a mosquito. “I’m not wearing my Brazilian national flag t-shirt to sit in the room all day! Actually, I feel a little woozy too.” That’s a family of four coming down with the Zika Virus at this year’s Olympics. With Cishek likely out for the year, grab Edwin Diaz in all leagues. On a related note, I’ll leave you with the Double Dutch Bus, a song that Missy Elliott later made famous on Gossip Folks. The chorus for Double Dutch Bus sounds like it’s just me trying to say the name Steve Cishek. Fast forward to 2:15 if you’re not feeling early 80s funk and just want the guy to say Steve Cishek repeatedly.

Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Bear or Bull: Harper’s Ferry Takes An Unexpected Detour

August 4, 2016 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 25 Comments

by: Big Magoo

Hype is nothing new for Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper. At just 16 years of age, he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and labeled “Baseball’s Chosen One.” He was profiled in his own ESPN special prior to being eligible for the Major League Baseball amateur draft. Just a few weeks ago, he was shockingly listed as one of the top 100 MLB players of all-time. In a local radio interview this past offseason, he suggested that the interviewer shouldn’t sell him short when projecting him as MLB’s first $400 million player, and some within the industry even believe that he might still be a bargain at $500 million. At 23 years old, Harper is basically expected to maintain this lofty career trajectory, become the most highly paid player in MLB history, and waltz into the Hall of Fame twenty years from now. No pressure, kid. Except that the former #1 overall pick and youngest unanimous MVP in baseball history hasn’t quite lived up to expectations this season. This season’s .234/.378/.443 slash line pales in comparison to the .330/.460/.649 line that he produced last season. So what gives? Is it a down year? Bad luck? Or has Harper just been overhyped?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2016 REL Dynasty League Update: Week 18

August 4, 2016 | Razzball Elite League | 14 Comments

by: JB Gilpin

The Trade Deadline hath come and gone! And thankfully, while there was a huge amount of trades, we got through the deadline with minimal confusion and dissent. It’s a lot to buy into that you lose & gain players in AL -> NL trades. But alas, I think we’ve shown the league can work.

Speaking of working it, how about the Indians on the trading block?! They’ve made 4 trades I think it is in the past week, as they gear up for the stretch run. I think for next year I’ll have a trades section as well for these updates, but I’m lazy for now! The Tribe are still chasing the Blue Jays and the Orange Birds in the AL, while the NL is still a snoozefest as the Nats walk all over everyone. Here’s how week 18 went down in the 2016 REL League:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

DraftKings: Counting on King Bart

August 4, 2016 | DraftKings | 1 Comment

by: wheyen3

There are days once in a while when it seems like a good pitcher is nowhere to be found. Days like this may be more frequent as a fan of the Minnesota Twins than as a frequent DraftKings player, but nonetheless, these days do exist. Today is one of those days for DraftKings players. Quite simply, the few decent pitchers on this slate leave a lot to be desired in their matchup, so the best decision is to avoid the top few, pick a few bottom-feeders, and stock up on good bats. One bottom-feeder that I’m guessing eats all the food in the sea, not just at the bottom, is Bartolo Colon, and in a matchup against the wave-the-white-flag Yankees, he is worth a spot in your lineup. Plus, a headline like Counting on King Bart is bound to double the readership for today, since I’m guessing most of your frequent Google searches involve King Bart. You can either admire his ability to throw two seamers that run back to the outside corner, or you can admire his belly. Totally your call; luckily, his appearances will not lose you points on DraftKings (Maybe they should gain points?).

New to DraftKings? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well reserve your spot in the 25 Team Razzball Exclusive League set to run Monday August 8th to wet your DK whistle. Just remember to sign up through us before you do. Wanna know what the best part is about signing up with us? The free subscription for the rest of the season to ourDFSBot, that’s what! For details on the how to, please visit our Razzball Subscriptions page.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Napoli Is En Firenze

August 4, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 500 Comments

by: Grey

Mike Napoli hit his 27th homer yesterday. He now has five straight games with a home run. On the year, he is top 30 for fantasy value on our Player Rater. Dude is such butter right now brioche buns be jumping up on his back. (Why am I not writing rap lyrics?) Uh-oh, Napoli’s so hot, he’s bringing out my rap alter ego, B-Fire. Napoli is such butter right now brioche buns be jumping up on his back! Yo, he’s not whack like some homeboy going to a strip club with a quarter stack! In fact! Grey’s got more indoors, then you got outdoors, and technically there’s more room outdoors for you to have more but nope, my room’s got floors! *dance, prance, romance off your pants* My action lines got asterisks, smooth. Your action lines got an asterisk with an excuse down below why you can’t move. *said while bowing sushi chef-style* Napoli. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Razznasty Dynasty League Update: The Hippo, The Bug, and The Raskal(s)

August 3, 2016 | Our Leagues | 68 Comments

by: Geoff

As the season begins to wind down, and the grind of the first four months feeds into the stretch run of the final two months. The contenders begin to rise to the top in Razzball’s own dynasty league the Razznasty. We got a serious race going, with the top spot changing hands multiple times over the last few days. RCL Czar Matt Truss sits atop the mountain, for the next few hours at least. BTW Matt you are a Czar, watch out for Commies old friend. Look at that a Russian history lesson mixed with fantasy baseball. I’m gunning for a Smithsonian gig one day. In the meantime I’ll keep providing you with gushing articles about prospects, dynasty strategy, and PROSPECT PODCASTS!!! I hope everyone is ready for our first episode coming tomorrow!!! We’ll be talking the prospect side of the trade deadline, and some of the recent weeks callups. Benintendi anyone? Yes, I have to mention him twice a post.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

No Whammies! Week 17: Are Scooter’s Sexy?

August 3, 2016 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 36 Comments

by: Son

Y’all miss me? Of course you did. My Tony Robbins’ tapes keep telling me to be positive. For those that care…thank you kind sir in the back. Oh, you’re just smelling your armpit? I was at LegoLand. An amazing place. The patience and dedication required to build those structures are legendary. Kind of like our fantasy teams. We’ve toiled and perspired for months constructing our teams. Now, we are in the end of days. A month left in the regular season for a chance at fantasy immortality. Don’t be this guy.

In this weekly column, I highlight some lower-owned players that performed well over the past week. I will help you navigate the fantasy landscape and steer you clear of those pesky whammies. If you are not familiar with whammies, please go watch old episodes of Press Your Luck.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

DraftKings: Pop And Locke

August 3, 2016 | DraftKings | 2 Comments

by: Sky

Hey, you here cuz you thought this was a post saying to pick on Atlanta? Well you just got punk’d worse than Ashton Kutcher did when got told he was getting introduced to Demi at a party and thought it was Lovato. Don’t think about the age of her when Kutcher got married, it ruins the joke. And it’s really gross…let’s move on! Hey, here’s Jeff Locke and he sucks! Really, normally I wouldn’t care that a bad pitcher was facing the Braves, but Matt Kemp has been low-key throwing up crazy big numbers of late. Kemp has been making his normal second half surge and actually started a bit early in June. Overall, since that June start, has hit near .300 and has hit .315 overall in the second half to go with seven HRs. Of course, this isn’t just about Matt Kemp but yes, if you wanna get loco with me ese, I think we have some good times ahead if we roll with Atlanta bats. The Braves have actually *looks both ways cautiously* average on offense in the second half. Factor in they have a typical second half bat in Kemp and you’re looking at a one time at band camp girl kind of lineup. Yeah, don’t click that at work if you don’t have headphones on. Fair warning! All that said, I think going all in is appropriate. Gimme some Adonis Garcia, Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis, the aforementioned Kemp, and Gordon Beckham even if you’re really digging this call. On a day where Coors is on everyone’s mind, sneaking in a way under the radar play gets even sexier. So go against the grain and go #Barves. But you maybe don’t like these ideas so let me give you a few more. Or maybe you don’t like my outdated dance references. For those people, go dab…HA! You’re so 2015! Now on with the show. Here’s my Do the Bernie hot taeks for this Wednesday DK slate…

New to DraftKings? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well reserve your spot in the 25 Team Razzball Exclusive League set to run Monday August 8th to wet your DK whistle. Just remember to sign up through us before you do. Wanna know what the best part is about signing up with us? The free subscription for the rest of the season to our DFSBot, that’s what! For details on the how to, please visit our Razzball Subscriptions page.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Orlando’s Story Begins, While Another Story Ends

August 3, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 704 Comments

by: Grey

Stashed Orlando Arcia in a few of my deepest leagues back in March. What a waste. Well, 59 games left — guess that’s something. If he Lindors. No idea why he hadn’t been called up until now. Milwaukee’s 3rd base position has been bratwurst casings all year and Jonathan Villar plays shortstop like the guy who hacks the meat to fill those casings. Were the Brewers afraid Arcia would’ve been too confused by the fact Will Smith was white? Did they need to first move Jeffress due to language stipulations? “Wait until we trade Jeffress — he might hurt his tongue saying the R’s in Orlando Arcia’s name. Remember Higuera hit the DL when he yelled Robin Yount.” If the Brewers didn’t drag their heels worse than the kielbasa in the sausage race after he bet five-large on the chorizo, I would’ve had Arcia months ago! *takes deep breath* Okay, I’m good. So, what can we expect from Arcia? A little pop and solid speed — think Jean Segura or Villar over the course of the final two months. Yes, I’d grab him if I were hurting at shortstop. Speaking of hurting at shortstop (DO YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE?!), Trevor Story hit the DL with a torn UCL in his thumb, and will be out for the season. Colorado already has DL forms with SS written in. Just have to cross out Tulo for Story. Save that piece of paper for rolling! Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

One Man’s Trash: Escape From L.A.

August 2, 2016 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 39 Comments

by: Big Magoo

After producing disappointing results over the first four months of the 2016 season, it was pretty clear that the Los Angeles Angels would be sellers prior to this year’s trading deadline. The problem was that, outside of Mike Trout, there didn’t appear to be too many desirable players to sell off to contending teams. Jered Weaver and Huston Street have been absolutely terrible. Garrett Richards and C.J. Cron are currently injured. Perhaps Kole Calhoun could be moved for something of value, though it’s unlikely that any serious contenders would view him as a significant upgrade for their teams. Getting another team to take on even a fraction of Albert Pujols’ massive contract would be an effort in futility. Outside of Trout, the Angels have basically been the Bad News Bears of Major League Baseball. However, there has been one bright spot for the Halos recently. This week’s most added fantasy player, 25-year-old starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs (37.4% owned; +28.4% over the past week), looks to be a potential building block for the Angels going forward. Since returning from Tommy John surgery earlier this summer, Skaggs has looked like a different pitcher from the one that he was pre-injury. The velocity on his fourseam fastball has spiked to a career high 93.46 mph, and his curveball looks as good as ever. He’s followed up seven dynamite rehab starts in triple A (12.53 K/9, 1.67 ERA) with two scoreless outings (0 ER and 13 Ks in 12.1 IP) following his big league promotion just over a week ago. The big southpaw has always kept the ball on the ground (46.4% career GB%), and he’s only allowed 2 homers in 51.2 combined innings across all levels this season. If you’re looking for an upside arm down the stretch, take a flier on Skaggs.

Here are a couple of other interesting adds/drops in fantasy baseball over the past week:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

RCL Update: The Week That Was, Week 17

August 2, 2016 | Our Leagues, Razzball Commenters League | 36 Comments

by: MattTruss

Frequent commenter, The Big Yabu backdoored his way into the top spot in the Master Standings this week after threatening to do so for the past several updates. This wasn’t a case of Cram It slacking off either, has he put up a very strong week himself. In fact, when looking for this week’s Team of the Week, Cram It checked in at 18th overall and Backdoor Sliders 1 came in at 29th. The TOW leaderboard was a who’s who of big names and top RCL performers this week, but more on that in a bit. The biggest difference I can see in this battle at the top of the Master Standings is the slightly higher LCI in the FCL compared to DFSers Anonymous. That LCI can really have a big impact down the stretch, but at the same time, the competition in FCL should be stronger and odds are someone will start cutting into the Slider’s lead. Interestingly, Cram It is also in the FCL and is one of the teams trying to chase down Backdoor Sliders. He could really help his own cause two-fold if he was able to even take a nibble out of the Slider’s FCL tally. It will be fun to watch these two duke it out as we head towards the finish line. Here’s what else went down in the RCLs in the week that was, Week 17.

Please, blog, may I have some more?