Two-Start Pitchers, Week 11: Stroman My Pain

by: M@

One of the greatest artists of the last twenty years has essentially been missing from the music scene for the last decade. In the mid-to-late 90’s, far and few between could grace the airwaves quite like Lauryn Hill. Her Miseducation album from 1998 painted the scenes of my 7th grade love for R&B, and before that she was proclaiming to the world that ‘His eye is on the sparrow‘ in Sister Act 2 (yep, same girl…and nope, not the High Sparrow). And then sandwiched in between she rocked these lines with The Fugees that will be forever transfixed as genius in musical lore:

Stroman my pain with his fingers
Singin’ my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Tellin’ my whole life with his words
Killing me softly with his song

Little did I understand that she was also blasting prophesy through the radio as I heard that song back in the 90’s, not knowing that she was singing about a pitcher from Duke who would take the mound north of the border and effectively kill the ERA of every team that owned him. Crazy, right? That girl’s onto something…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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DraftKings: Gas Cans Galore

June 12, 2016 | DraftKings | 2 Comments

by: Zach

Hello everyone, and welcome to Sunday!

After a week off in which I studied game film of the 2003 Grey Cup QF’s (single greatest game in Canadian Football history), I am back and what a day to return to! There are many fantastic games on tap for today, and many high scoring ones at that as well, as we see some with very high O/U’s on the docket, with six games over 9 total runs scored. So why is this? Superb offenses? Maybe, but I have to say, I’m not excited about pitching options for the day, as there are many weak guys taking the mound today, and are likely to give up a whole bunch of runs. Gas cans.

There are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of. Kendall Graveman and John Lamb are two very mediocre pitchers facing off in what is shaping up to be a shootout. Adam Morgan is facing a Nats’ team that is primed to hang up a lot of runs. And for those of you playing the all-day slate, the Rockies-Padres games has a O/U at a whopping 12 total runs scored.

With many great offensive opportunities and gas cans to target, how do we attack pitching on a slate like this?

You’ll have to keep reading.

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 June 13th 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?

2016 MLB Draft: It Happened, No Really!!!!

June 12, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 79 Comments

by: Geoff

So it happened…. What????? The 2016 MLB Draft stoopid! I mean I am Ralph Lifshitz Prospector Esquire, and what else would I be talking about on a Sunday? Everyone else deals with the right now, but I, I deal with the future, the dreams of dynasty owners everywhere. So let’s get into the most difficult thing to predict, project, or understand. No, not Donald Trump’s campaign!!!! Are you even paying attention?!? The MLB Draft wake up!!! If you need proof as to why the MLB Draft is unpredictable, then click here and see how badly I missed on like 90% of my picks. Seriously after months of study and careful and thoughtful attention, I hit on 5 picks..FIVE out of 34! It’s cool I own it, I wear my mistakes like the rings of a pimp. So, let’s get into the steals, the stupid, the possible, and my general thoughts on the first few rounds of the draft.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

OPS Leaguers Unite! So Much Drama In The LBC

June 11, 2016 | OPS Leagues | 21 Comments

by: Phil B.

So now I’m an official Long Beach resident I figure I have to do two things: One, change my Logo; the second was trying to figure out where all the drama is, cause Snoop told me there was and how hard it was many moons ago. Harder still was throwing the first pitch Padres game the other night. Snoop’s terrible first pitch made sports news segments across our great land, one more in the long line of famous/semi-famous people throwing baseballs when they shouldn’t with the best, and still champ, Carl Lewis. Why don’t these guys and gals take a practice toss or two? Does it seem easy? At slow pitch softball the pitchers take practice throws; and that’s slow pitch softball!

Or, is it a greater scheme to bring these arguably famous (and Snoop is famous, but he’s certainly not relevant and hasn’t been for a while) people back into the spotlight? Nah, I think it’s just cause baseball games need someone to throw out the first pitch, and if you can get a has-been or flavor of the moment, all the better over the state controller, or assistant district attorney, or a dying kid (actually it should only be dying kids if I ran the world).

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Jesus, Mary And Tommy Joseph

June 11, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 86 Comments

by: Dan Pants

Tommy Joseph continued his early success last night going 2-for-4, with two home runs, and four RBI. I felt it was appropriate to go with the biblical headline because for those in desperate need of a corner infielder, Joseph has been heaven sent. The big game Friday brought his season stats to a .323/.333/.677 triple slash with seven home runs and 12 RBI in just 21 games (65 at bats). All this coming on the heels of Manager Pete Mackanin naming Tommy Boy the starter Friday afternoon over Ryan “I’m Not Sure How Old You Are Anymore, But I Would Have Guessed Older” Howard. Joseph has really turned on the jets in the past week hitting .438 with six runs, 4 homers, and 7 RBI. This isn’t coming completely out of nowhere either. After an abysmal 2015, Tommy was slashing .347/.370/.611 in 100 ABs at AAA this year. The advanced stats are a bit wonky for Joseph at the moment (.333 BABIP, 26.1 K%, .354 ISO), but don’t necessarily suggest Joseph is playing over his head. Regardless, TJ has carved out a nice spot for himself batting clean up for the Phils and I could see his success continuing. Grey told you to BUY, Joseph is available everywhere and is definitely worth grabbing in all leagues where you need a corner infielder with some pop.

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

Please, blog, may I have some more?

DraftKings: Matt, the Maker of K’s

June 11, 2016 | DraftKings | 1 Comment

by: Gern Blanston

He’s not just good for making shoes! Matt Shoemaker has been making batters look silly. His swinging strike % is at an all-time high of 13.6%, well above the league average of 10%. This could be because he has be getting batters to chase his pitches out of the strike zone 33% of time, where they only are making contact 51% of the time. Now, in stroll the Indians, who have a strikeout rate of 21.3%. He’s found more velocity, reaching nearly 93 with his fastball and 84 with his slider, which have been helping out his splitter. His last outing at Yankee Stadium was spoiled by his bullpen, resulting in 4 earned runs. The good news is he hasn’t allowed a walk in his last 4 starts and has struck out 37! A season ERA of 5.40 doesn’t look very good, but the 2.37 ERA in his last 4 starts looks more similar to his 3.16 ERA at home in his career, where he gets the start today. Shoemaker throws his splitter over 30% of the time, which sits a top of the league, and is generating 22% swings and misses. In addition, his it’s also creating nearly 50% ground balls. Shoemaker is also producing 15.6% pop-ups, good for 10th highest among qualified pitchers. Yan Gomes and Carlos Santana have each seen him 6 times and have only combined for one hit. No other player on the team has faced him more than that. The Indians inexperience against Shoemaker and his increased velocity may help him maintain his newfound strikeout rate. He has averaged 25.6 points in his last 5 starts. For the price of $7,600, I’ll even take 20 points! There’s a lot to like here with Matty K’maker, but let’s get on to the rest of my superb Saturday selections.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Bullpen Report, Week 10 – Dellin The H, The Nonaddictive Kind… Sorta

June 11, 2016 | Closers, Middle Relievers | 34 Comments

by: Smokey

Dellin Betances is basically the fat of the fantasy set-up world. The goods are there, it just takes time and some settling before we all realize it is, what was and what always shall be… I think I just laced this post with some subtle Led Zeppelin reference, but I may be crooked to walk on one leg to let myself know that I did, let alone let you subtly know. So I will just go ahead and say there was a Zep reference-reference. Good, moving on. Success of a bullpen, let alone someone you should be relying on, is correlative of how well the team is performing. It’s science, if you score more you put yourself in a better position to win more, regardless of who is on the bump. Dellin was and is the goods, currently and in post-script. He came into the year as the man to target in any format that coveted fantasy goodness, condensed into a smaller innings unit of measure than that of a starter. Now add in the dash of Holds sassiness, and he is a bullpen god. He is now the king of the Hold in all leagues by quantity and not by just scripture. His 16 holds on the year are tops on the this year’s gig and given the Yankees propensity to not score over 4 runs in a game, his reign may be a run away. He has the good everywhere else; K/9, swagger, ability to tie multiple knots while buoyant at sea. There are no bullpen stats that he isn’t the man at. He basically walks into a bar/club and automatically has the best synchronized music to his step….think Matthew McConaughey in Dazed in Confused…and let here comes the story of the Hurricane ramble through your third eye for a bit. So let’s jump into this fortnights dealing in the bullpen game… alright, alright, alright.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Oh Yeah! Buy Duff, Man!

June 10, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell | 596 Comments

by: Grey

Wikipedia says groupthink is, “A psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints by actively suppressing dissenting viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences. Now spend forty minutes randomly popping around the internet until you somehow end up on an exercise video of Morgan Fairchild.” I’m sure someone has already done this, but you know how there’s Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon? Why isn’t there an internet six degrees to tepid porn? No matter where you are, you are six clicks from tepid porn. Any hoo! I was thinking about groupthink because of the comments on this site, but it’s more like groupspeak. Just listen to what the groupspeak say. Sometimes you get comments that can be helpful, even if they’re not intentionally trying to be helpful. If you see ten to twenty random comments asking about Danny Duffy, a pattern emerges. A beautiful snowflake pattern because every comment is different unless it’s a catcher question. With that many people asking about Duffy, there might be something there. So, I looked at his stats, and, J. Lo and behold, his peripherals are gorge. In 43 IP, he has a 10.3 K/9, 1.5 BB/9 and a 3.52 xFIP. He’s there with a 95.7 MPH fastball and a change that is buckling hitters. These are not waiver wire pitcher peripherals. These are ace pitcher numbers. I’d go pick him up right now…Which should only take you three clicks, so you have three more clicks to find Morgan Fairchild doing crunches. Enjoy (or be careful)! Anyway, here’s some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Disgraces And Delights: The Longo Cometh

June 10, 2016 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 31 Comments

by: LT Murray IV

Greetings! Back at it again with the fresh Disgrace/Delight posts. Naaaaaaasty! We are here, my goodmen, to discuss the downfalls and risings of some of the most skilled athletes on this planet. I shall do my utmost to lock the derogatory comments in my cranium and not bestow them on the good readers of Razzball, for I am not here to offend, but to teach. I am not here to decry these talented young men, only to track their progress as professional athletes and root them on towards future glory and the type of massive wealth that peasants such as ourselves could truly never comprehend. Buuuuuuuuut, you’ve got to be realistic about these things. For I, favorite son of the Elder Gods, just can’t pass up an opportunity to roast a slap-dick hitting, noodle-armed throwing, ass shaving pansy, that would be better served mowing the lawn at Beddict manor, than being rostered in our fantasy lineups.

I am Tehol Beddict, and this Disgrace/Delight. Take heed!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Points Leagues, Insert Witty Title Here

June 10, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Points Leagues | 1 Comment

by: malamoney

Before anyone accuses me of forgetting to replace the title of this post, slow your roll. That is the title. You don’t like it? Guess who doesn’t care. Yours truly. Sorry, but it’s true. I can only try so hard and this is me trying. So the 2016 MLB First-Year Player draft was last night. Once again, guess who doesn’t care. Once again, yours truly. Oh wait, I just thought of a better title. How about this one. What The Puk. Those were the words muttered by Harold Reynolds in reaction to A.J. Puk sliding to the sixth pick. I’ve got another. How about He’s a Moniak, Moniak on the floor? Ok, I’m done.

With the 2016 MLB All-Star game about a month away, voting is in full effect. I just voted and here is for whom I voted. I have no idea if that last sentence even resembles proper grammar, nor do I give a hoot.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

DraftKings: Aces Full Of Sevens

June 10, 2016 | DraftKings, Fantasy Baseball DFS | 5 Comments

by: MattTruss

There’s a trio of aces going tonight and it’s really picking your own poison as to which of them you choose (Kershaw, Strasburg, Sale). I always like to defer to a pitcher at home when it’s a close call. That, and the opponent give Stephen Strasburg the edge when it comes to the aces. However, Chris Sale’s price point is very intriguing. Even facing a good offense that doesn’t strike out a ton, I’d be very tempted to take the discount on Sale’s upside. Beyond those three is a whole bunch of sevens. You know the type; they aren’t tens, they’re not a four, they’re just right there in the middle. I’ll leave the aces up to you and help you through picking the couple of sevens to complete our full house. My seven of choice tonight is Jason Hammel at $11,100. Surprise, surprise, I’m picking on the Braves yet again. These things tend to happen when you’re dead last in team OPS. The Braves are barely ahead of Mark Trumbo for home runs on the season (23 vs. 20) and only 10 of those 23 homers have come at home. It’s a whole lot of ugly for the Braves this year and to put a cherry on top, Bud Norris gets the start tonight. Bud Norris against the hottest team in baseball should go swimmingly, meaning Hammel should cruise to the easy win. Hammel’s FIP suggests he’s actually been a bit lucky so far this year, likely due to his 0.6 HR/9. That’s about 0.5 HR/9 less than his career norm. A correction is coming for Hammel, but I’d bet that comes at Wrigley field against a legitimate offense, not tonight in Turner field against Freddie Freeman and a Quad-A lineup. Here’s some more sevens and some offensive plays for tonight’s slate:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

I Feel A Draft — Get Me My Don’t Give A Shit Cardigan

June 10, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 312 Comments

by: Grey

And, with the first pick of the MLB draft, the Philadelphia Phillies take… Someone that was born in 1998. I have a bottle of ketchup older than that. In fact, I think I have an entire shelf of condiments older. Mickey Moniak or Grey’s Worcestershire sauce? What? That doesn’t ever go bad and it’s used for one thing. I think I dated a girl in 1998 who wanted a Bloody Mary. What else am I going to do with it?! Lea & Perrins conspired to add it in the recipe of the Bloody Mary so everyone would have to buy it. But you done messed up, Lea & Perrins, because there’s no use-by date! Seinfeld pulls me aside like Bania, “You have fifteen minutes of Worcestershire sauce material, maybe you diversify? What’s the deal with soy sauce? If it’s soy, shouldn’t it be white?” Wanna feel really old, look at Mickey Moniak. He makes Christian Yelich look like a blue-hair. I’m sure Prospector Ralph will be along on Sunday to talk about the MLB Draft in total, but the Phils grabbed Mickey Moniak, an eighteen-year-old lefty who has a line-drive stroke. Said to have a high floor, which means low upside. Hey, he actually might be just like Christian Yelich, two brothers from nearly this millennial. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?