One Man’s Trash: Where There’s a Willson, There’s a Way

June 21, 2016 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 29 Comments

With the exception of a few dependable options like Jonathan Lucroy, Wilson Ramos, and Buster Posey, the catcher position has (somewhat predictably) been one of the least offensively productive positions in fantasy baseball this season. Yasmani Grandal and Yan Gomes currently have sub-.200 batting averages. Yadier Molina and the recently injured Francisco Cervelli have combined to hit one home run. Arizona backup Chris Herrmann has been a top 10 player at the position thus far this season. I suppose that the term dumpster fire would be a more apt description to characterize the catching landscape. It should come as no surprise, then, that recent Chicago Cubs call-up Willson Contreras (30.5% owned; +27.4% over the past week) is this week’s most added player in ESPN leagues. Considered by many to be the top offensive catching prospect in the game, the 24-year-old rookie slashed .353/.442/.593 in 55 Triple-A games this season and launched a homer in his first MLB at-bat against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday night. His ability to make contact (13.3% K%) while hitting for power (.240 ISO) in the Pacific Coast League this year displayed a rare combination indeed, especially for a catcher. Miguel Montero and David Ross are the incumbents in Chicago, but they shouldn’t provide much resistance for playing time if the rookie hits the ground running. Contreras is certainly worth adding if available. There’s massive upside here at a thin position.

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

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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RCL Update: The Week That Was, Week 11

by: MattTruss

Eleven weeks are in the books and the Master Standings have had a major shake-up. Poe Dameron, fresh off of destroying the Starkiller, has zapped Cram It’s star and taken over first place overall. Poe has been in or right around the top 10 overall for the past 3 weeks, but made a big push this week. Poe gained 3.5 points in the league, The Force Awakens and the league as a whole increased its LCI from 100 to 101. Cram didn’t rest on his laurels while in the #1 overall spot this week either, Poe really earned the top spot. Cram also gained 3.5 points this week in the high LCI league, DFSers Anonymous. However, the overall numbers for Poe were enough to push them over Cram. Both teams are sitting at 80 Games Started, which makes comparisons easy. Despite having about 50 less IP than Cram, Poe has almost the same number of strikeouts. The K/9 is strong with this one. If Poe can pick up the middle reliever streaming a bit, those strikeout numbers could really soar. Saves and ERA are very close between the two top teams. Poe has the edge in Wins while Cram has the advantage in WHIP. Only 0.2 RCL Points separate these two and we’ll keep an eye on them come next week. Here’s what else went down in the RCLs in the week that was, week 11:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

DraftKings: Ole! Jose! Jose! Jose!

June 21, 2016 | DraftKings |

by: AskRotoBaseball

A little rest never hurt anyone, right? The Marlins had this secret preseason plan to rest Jose Fernandez during the season and it happened to fall during his last scheduled start. Well, guess what? He’s back! Fernandez is a machine. He’s filthy, he’s dominant, and he’s mowing down the competition like Clayton Kershaw; only he’s right-handed and gets paid a lot less. Fernandez leads the league with a 13.2 K/9. That equals out to 118 strikeouts in 80.2 innings pitched. His opponent, the Braves, are just so, so bad. Collectively, they’re batting .235 and Fernandez is going to make them look absolutely silly. The only caveat here is that you’re going to have to use just over 27 percent of your salary just to roster him with a $13,700 price tag. Nevertheless, it’s not even a big risk given the opponent. Ole! Use Jose!

New to DraftKings? Well reserve your spot in the 25 Team Razzball Exclusive League set to run Monday June 27th to wet your DK whistle. Just remember to sign up through us before you do. It’s how we know you care! If you still feel helpless and lonely, be sure to subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Podcast: “You Have Popsicle Sticks And A Mess”

June 21, 2016 | All Podcasts, Razzball Podcast | 40 Comments

by: JB Gilpin

Grey and I are back! On today’s show, JB grills Grey on some of his preseason calls that we had debates on including Jonathan Lucroy, Grey grills JB on an awful trade he made earlier this season, then Grey explains why his brain is getting grilled in 120 degree heat. Grey is Fear and Loathing in the California Desert! We also discuss some pitchers who had near no-hitters the past week, a very surprising velocity uptick from a very veteran pitcher, and catch up on the red hot Blue Jays offense. Stupid Google changed what the dance mix song was when I Googled “dance music” at the end too! Ugh, maybe it’s a sign Joe Ross just being OK lately is a sign of things to come… Here’s our latest edition of the Razzball Baseball Podcast:

Download from iTunes

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Steven Wright Isn’t Giving Up Dickey

June 21, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 503 Comments

by: Grey

It’s time we address the elephant in the room. Not you, Sandoval. I mean that one-time absurdist comedian and Red Sox knuckleballer, Steven Wright, has a 2.01 ERA in almost 100 IP after yesterday’s line of 9 IP, 0 ER, 8 baserunners, 6 Ks. The Red Sox are so happy with him they are currently combing the minor league rosters for other Boston comic namelgangers, except for any Dane Cooks because people are going to see his Shocker pitch from a mile away. Denis Leary has some decent pitches he stole from other pitchers, and he keeps trying to smoke his teammates’ chew. While Lenny Clarke is a Quad-A pitcher, who everyone says is a great teammate, a real pitcher’s pitcher. None are Steven Wright though. Christian Vazquez came up to the mound during yesterday’s game and told Steven Wright he could throw a knuckleball at any time, and Steven Wright said, “I decided to throw one during the Renaissance.” I did some dirty math on my own fantasy team where I have a 4.03 ERA (yup, my pitching is a mess!). If I had Steven Wright on my team, I’d have a 3.74 ERA — a quarter of a run better — and an extra three points. So, as a Bostonian would say, fahk me for not picking him up in April. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

A’s Go Against AARP Tim Lincecum …And The Top 100 Starting Pitchers, Week 12

June 20, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Pitcher Profiles | 110 Comments

by: JB Gilpin

I know, I know. Most boring Pitcher Profile in the lauded history of the Pitcher Profiles… But Tim Lincecum has been the talk of the town in some circles, that is, if the circle you’re in is at a retirement home…

I was hotly debating writing this week’s profile on the sexy new call-up Cody Reed, but legit decided to flip a coin to see who’s 2016 debut I would go with. One side was Jennifer Lawrence and the other side Sir Laurence Olivier. As in he’s old! Wait, I don’t think he’s even alive… Don’t fact check that…

It’s been several years since Old Tiny Tim has been fantasy relevant, and it’s only fitting that the reason why is a hip issue. He shoulda pressed the Life Alert earlier! But now he’s had the surgery, showed some flashes in his Minor League rehab games (7 inning 1-hitter with 8 Ks his last AAA start), and debuted for the Angels on Saturday afternoon. Here’s how his 2016 debut went down going at the A’s:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Gettin’ Jiggy Whit It …And The Top 100 Hitters, Week 12

June 20, 2016 | Creeper of the Week, Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 40 Comments

by: M@

Why do I continue to highlight songs from my middle school days? I honestly have no idea. But it works. However, I can’t take the credit for this one. Thank you, creative Royals fan and MLB.com. If only I could pull the freakin gif off of Twitter now. Ugh. Am I a Royals fan? No. Do I #VoteRoyals? No. Do I still get jiggy with it? Um, I’m not sure that I ever did. I don’t know that Will Smith did, either. But in terms of a creeper, it’s a perfect moniker for another MI that’s already given the boot to one established veteran, and is proving that he’s more than worthy of his spot at 2B. Since taking the leadoff slot in the lineup, the Royals are 8-2 in their past 10. Who we talking about?

Whit Merrifield, 2B (21.2% owned) – He’s jumped up just above the 20% threshold with a 15.2+ added percentage. And smart of you if you already grabbed him. Is he cracking the Top 100 quite yet? No. But just barely. Consider him the honorable mention of the week. In the past 15 days Merrifield is tied with Robinson Cano and Paul Goldschmidt for the most hits in the majors (21), Rougned Odor for the most at bats (63), and is tied for 11th in total bases (33) while slashing .333/10/2/8/1. His BABIP is an unsustainable .400, but through the minors he’s proven he can get on base (~.350 OBP past three years), provide a little pop and swipe some bases (48 SB in last 750 minors ABs). Hitting atop the Royals lineup should give him ample opportunity to rack up runs, and it seems that he’s here to stay after the Royals DFA’d Omar Infante due to Merrifield’s emergence. He may slow down a tick, but while he’s hot I’d grab him, especially if you need AVG, R and SB help. Let’s safely project .275/40/6/30/15 the rest of the way. I can get jiggy with that.

Enough creepin’…Here are those Top 100 Hitters for Week 12!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

SAGNOF Report – The Steals With Friends Game

June 20, 2016 | Steals | 7 Comments

by: Smokey

With the complexity of scoring, much like that of Scrabble, the steals game is all about the triple word score. With names and with letters that are uncommon for words, you know the J’s and X’s of the world. We all can cheat and make the word “jo” or “ox”, but imagine the scoring erection you will get when you use Rajai This wordsmith of the basepaths has been giving new form to the SAGNOF game. Over the last 14 games, no one in the game has more steals than Davis. Rajai has been the Magi of it for years, and it is crazy to think that he’s crazy Joe Louis old. He is 35, which isn’t quite as old as me, but I also don’t even run when chased, let alone run 90 feet from pillow to pillow. For the most part, Rajai is the goods because he basically fills all your SAGNOF needs and isn’t and absolute void in other categories like a newly DL’d Mallex. Davis, over the last 14, has put up 2 HRs and a cup full of RBIs. It is more than what we get from Mallex, who offers nothing but steals. even is an abysmal in BA, and his one saving grace is that his OBP is decent because he takes walks at almost a 17% clip. So for the few of you that are surfing for a SAGNOF savior to replace your Mallex fix… here are some names that could be good for now and later. Side note, I used to love that candy.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

DraftKings: From The Law Office of Kershaw, Strasburg & Bumgarner

June 20, 2016 | DraftKings | 4 Comments

by: Teddy Heater

That totally sounds legit right? Clayton Kershaw, $14,200 & Stephen Strasburg, $13,200 are squaring off in LA tonight and the place is going to be on fire, literally. Game time is temperature is set to be around 97-100 degrees, so between the fastballs and the the sun, Chavez Ravine it’s going to be muy caliente. Gun to my head, I’m going with Kershaw tonight because he seems like he’s going to be able to get through the heat and still go 7 or 8 innings. Strasburg left early a few starts ago with cramping, so if dude doesn’t hydrate he may only go 5 or 6 innings, leaving precious points on the table for you. If you want to stay away from this matchup all together then go with Madison Bumgarner, $12,800 at Pittsburgh, who just got victimized by Kyle Hendricks with 12 K’s in 6 Ings. Granted the Pirates have no game vs the Cubbies, but if Hendricks can miss that many bats then look for Madbum to continue mowing guys down. From a pitching stand point, those are the studs that will be highly owned, so lets take a look at a couple other guys who might be flying under the DK radar.

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 today to wet your DK whistle. Just remember to sign up through us before you do. It’s how we know you care! If you still feel helpless and lonely, be sure to subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Teheranonehitus Rex

June 20, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 554 Comments

by: Grey

You know how they have pink bats for Mother’s Day? They should have bats in the shape of penises for Father’s Day. “Ooh, a swing and a miss. Damn, he had that schlong just out in front of that ball.” “You know socialism never worked, but penises have worked for thousands of years, depending on what interpretation of the Bible you ascribe to.” “Wow, what size bat is David Ortiz using?” Happy Father’s Day to all of our readers minus five ladies! Yesterday, for Dad’s Day, Julio Teheran showed us Americans how they do it in Iran on Father’s Day. Teheran #1 — ptooey everyone us! His line was 9 IP, 0 ER, 1 hit, zero walks and 7 Ks, lowering his ERA to 2.66. I’ve been saying for a few weeks now that Teheran is worth picking up. He’s obviously not this good. His xFIP is 3.97, but his walk rate is down from last year and his ground balls are up, not literally. Other than last year, he was a consistent low-3, high-2 ERA guy, and he looks like he found his way back there. By the way, if you’re thinking what I’m thinking, agreed, we should not allow any university lacrosse teams access to the penis bats. Anyway, here’s what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

This Week in Razz: Week 11

June 19, 2016 | This Week in Razzball | 1 Comment

by: Viz

On behalf of everybody at Razzball, Happy Fathers Day to all of the fathers out there! We’re closing in on the halfway point of the season and the Large Father himself, David Ortiz, comes in at #12 overall in our Player Rater. Would I be looking to sell high? The correct answer is it probably doesn’t matter. Odds are you won’t be able to because he’s a DH only who is 40 years old. The good news is that you more than likely got him pretty late in your draft and he’s giving you incredible value. While I don’t expect him to hit 40 bombs, he should still contribute plenty down the stretch so feel free to ride him out on his retirement tour. Let’s take a look at everything that has been posted on Razzball over the last week:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

OPS Leaguers Unite! Consider Jefry (Not Jeffrey) Marte

June 19, 2016 | OPS Leagues |

by: Phil B.

Now that the closest baseball stadium to me is in Anaheim I’m watching more Angels games. Truthfully I’m watching more MLB network, and then Cubs games, and then Angels games. It’s still more than just the Mike Trout highlights I would normally but in any event I’ve seen some of this guy, Jefry Marte. Jefry Marte? Who is that? And why can’t he spell Jeffrey right?

Well this Jefry is seeing time in left field for the Angels, who really stink out there to the tune of an MLB worst .550 OPS (thanks Yahoo!, as that tidbit is on his player page). That is pathetic. So they’re running Marte out there, who is normally a corner infielder. Only 24 years old from the Dominican Republic, which is on the island of Hispaniola (which is such a fun word to say, especially if you throw a lisp in there), Marte has been around in his short career. He originally started with Mets at age 17, played in the Futures game at the 2011 All-Star Game, was traded to the A’s for the not aptly named Collin Cowgill (he’s not a cow at 5’9, 190), and then was released by Oakland after the 2014 season. Signed by Detroit two weeks later, he wound up being designated for assignment so the Tigers could sign Justin Upton (I can’t imagine that Detroit could foresee that Marte would be almost as good so far in 2016 as Upton) and traded to the Angels.

Marte did play in the majors in Detroit last year, hitting four homers in 80 at-bats; this season in limited action he’s hit four homers in 42 at-bats and has an OPS of 1.078; which is good. His 4.5% BB and 29.5% K are not. Those numbers last season on the Tigers were 8.9% BB and 24.4% K. So he looks like a hacker. A power hitting hacker in the same lineup as Mike Trout? Are you sure I’m not really talking about Albert Pujols? No, I’m not. Not even I can recommend Albert anymore. Just think, the Angels get him for how many more years? Five more? And full no-trade protection? Ha!

Please, blog, may I have some more?