A Day In The Life Of A Razzballer, Part 1: The Preseason

March 2, 2016 | 2016 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 51 Comments

Jay’s Note: I’m happy to present a unique addition to our preseason content, as one of the readers/commenters approached me about writing on the subject of “the Razzballer”. This story isn’t just unique to Webelos Willie, but to all of you as well, and maybe even the most human story I’ve ever read. Okay, maybe not to that degree, I’d probably give that award to L. Ron Hubbard’s “Battlefield Earth”, but regardless, this three-part series was such a great treat to read and because of that, I invite all fans of the site to tell us your story down in the comment section… How do you prepare for the upcoming season? How do you use Razzball? So, without further ado, here’s Webelos Willie’s Razzball story, and it just might be your story too…

It is four weeks before my draft and a lyric from a Tom Petty song plays over and over in my head. The waiting is the hardest part. MLB spring training games haven’t started. My commish hasn’t renewed our league yet. We aren’t even sure if all of last year’s owners are returning.

This is a crucial time for fantasy baseball and nothing has happened yet…

I have found that there are three components to success in fantasy baseball. Each week in this series I will mention one. The first is: Time Invested. Sometimes just showing up everyday leap-frogs you over the owners who are used to fantasy football and forget to change out their lineups some mornings. Look, fantasy football is checkers. Fantasy baseball is chess. Fantasy football takes a little bit of time every week. Baseball requires your attention every damn day for half of the year. But right now – before the baseball season has even begun – is when the time you invest really pays off.

Here’s how I am spending my time right now during the fantasy baseball preseason…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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	ARI \| ATH \| ATL \| BAL \| BOS \| CHC \| CHW \| CIN \| CLE \| COL \| DET \| HOU \| KC \| LAA \| LAD \| MIA \| MIL \| MIN \| NYM \| NYY \| PHI \| PIT \| SD \| SEA \| SF \| STL \| TB \| TEX \| TOR \| WSH \| OAK

My Dynasty Addiction: Navigating First Year Player/MiLB Drafts

March 2, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 43 Comments

by: Geoff

Over the last month a large percentage of your questions have been focused on minors only and first year player drafts. Up until this point I’ve tried to handle your questions the best I could on a case by case basis. On who to take, where, and which player was a better fit. It was fun, I shared my biases, and you thought I knew what I was talking about. See, here’s the thing, I’m not so much an expert as I am an avid player. More than anything else these are my diary entries as I try to deal, day by day, with my crippling fantasy addiction. So today I’ve decided to give a real world snapshot of three different league’s first year player drafts. Below you’ll find a brief description of each league, and a look at the first round or two of each draft. This should give you an idea of what people are doing in actual dynasty fantasy baseball drafts in 2016. Better to show than tell, if you catch my drift.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Aroldis Gunning For May Return

March 2, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 238 Comments

by: Grey

Baseball commissioner, Rob Manfred, took the podium yesterday and said, “Whether it’s the speed of the game, popularity of the game — as indicated by TV ratings — the amount of open-handed palm grabs of a crotch or spousal abuse, we will not become the NFL. For better or worse, the number seven is indivisible under God and so are we!” And with that, Our Man Fred suspended Aroldis Chapman for 30 games. Trying to stay positive, Aroldis commented that he would not appeal the suspension but that “I am very glad I can still own a gun; I am getting married, after all.” One of the top closers takes a huge hit in value, I knocked him out of my top 100 for 2016 fantasy baseball, and took him down in my top 500. His auction value dropped from $20 to $9. Hopefully, he can make up lost salary with endorsements for Smith & Wesson and as the opening act for Smif-N-Wessun. A double threat of new income! Andrew Miller received a slight boost, as well. There’s also a long shot scenario that the Yankees are comfortable with Miller in the ninth, when Aroldis returns, and Chapman becomes the world’s best setup man. Before you scoff, you scoffer, it’s not like Miller isn’t good. Gun to my head, I’d draft Miller in any league. Unless it was Aroldis’s gun, then I’d politely ask him who he wants me to draft and tell him I’ll happily marry him. By the by, in just a few short years, Aroldis has been caught leaving a woman tied to his hotel room bed, choking a woman and firing gunshots. It’s no wonder this is his new Topps baseball card. Anyway, here’s what else I saw in spring training for fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2016 Fantasy Baseball Pitchers With SP/RP Eligibility

March 1, 2016 | 2016 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 67 Comments

by: Rudy Gamble

For those of you in leagues where SP and RP are rostered positions, the below list includes all SP/RP eligible pitchers (defined as 5+ Games Started and 5+ Relief Appearances in 2015). You can arrange the list via seven categories; 2015 games started, 2015 games pitched in relief, projections for both 2016 games started and games pitched in relief, and by ERA, WHIP, and K9. Any questions, feel free to post them below!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Podcast: “Please Be My Friend Again!”

March 1, 2016 | All Podcasts, Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 28 Comments

by: JB Gilpin

Whew, things get spicy this morning on The Razzball Baseball Podcast! Hopefully you like our new publish time, and can enjoy Grey and I yelling at each other during your morning commute! On today’s show we recap the news since the last pod including Dexter Fowler‘s return to the Cubbies and a sleeper OF situation in Cleveland. Then the hot tamale. We debate Grey and I’s (grammatical error just for you!) SP ranks. My top 100 SP will be up Friday morning, but Grey still dissected it like a frog in a 3rd grade classroom. We get heated over the sleeper potential for Joe Ross, Yu Darvish‘s impact off TJ, but make amends with a collective drooling over Carlos Rodon. Here’s our latest edition of the Razzball Baseball Podcast, now with more arguing!!!:

Download from iTunes

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Sonny Gray, 2016 Fantasy Schmohawk

March 1, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Overrated | 240 Comments

by: Grey

This happened during the holiday season in my house: Me, “Do you know what not winning the Cy Young did to your mother? I don’t care, personally, if you throw your life away being an ace while never bringing home the postseason hardware, but your mother, she told all of her friends at her Wally Lamb book club for three straight months that you were going to win the Cy Young. She even made me go to Costco, on a Sunday during their busiest time, and buy burgers and buns for a Sonny Gray Cy Young party. Then you only receive one 2nd place vote and no first place votes. I’m disappointed, and you giving your mother and I Billy Butler BBQ sauce for Christmas doesn’t really make up for it.” Sonny, “Sorry, Pops.” “Did you even buy this or did you get it free?” I then threw Billy Butler’s BBQ into the fireplace and screamed, “Did you?!” It was an ugly scene. He’s my boy, Sonny Gray, and I love him very much, but it’s time we look at him through a non-familial gaze. Last year, he had a 2.73 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 208 IP while breaking out as a number one fantasy starter. Or did he?! Ah, Reversal Question, you are quick…Or are you?! I am!…Or am I?! Anyway, what can we expect from Sonny Gray for 2016 fantasy baseball and what makes him overrated?

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Top 100 Keepers For 2016 And Beyond

February 29, 2016 | Keeper Leagues | 206 Comments

by: J-FOH

What goes through J-FOH’s head when he does these ranks? I’m glad you asked. Wait… you didn’t ask? Are you sure? No? Not at all? Sheesh, thanks guys… and four girls. I’m going to be my usually contrarian self and tell you anyway. I’m looking at players from their floor to their ceilings over the next 3-5 years (and beyond). I’m looking at games played over the previous few seasons, projecting risk going forward, and predicting how they will age based on their skill set. A player whose value is heavily dependent upon speed will usually lose that speed going into the 30’s and players with power will usually keep that a little bit longer. There are always guys who defy the odds like David “I never juiced” Ortiz or Adrian Beltre. They are a special breed that should never be slept on ’til the day they retire. There is science, stats, and anecdotal B.S., and then there are “those guys”. Joey Bats and those sweet bat throws would fall into that class for me. Excuse me while I preach for a second. I love bat flips. I think they should be mandatory for any home run after the 7th, 6th for the Yankees. This is a kids game that is suppose to be fun and guys like Mad Bum need to either throw the punch or shut the front door. Any a-hole can stand there shouting with a team behind him. At least Robin Ventura had the cojones to try and fight. (I want that shirt!) Now that we have my major side track out of the way, let’s move down to some words about the list before we get to the list. Note to self, take an english class at the local adult education center next year.

Take on your favorite writers in the 2016 Razzball Commenter Leagues! Join here…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Podcast: “I Don’t Think You Want That Near Your Blue Moon”

February 29, 2016 | All Podcasts | 15 Comments

by: JB Gilpin

On a special edition Razzball Baseball Pod, I get to sit down with Rudy Gamble and break down his 2016 15-team mixed LABR draft. Huzzah for the deep leagues! We first start with headlines in baseball that got all sorts of out-of-date due to news right after we recorded, then talked some of Rudy’s draft strategy and break down most of his picks and the machine-like decision making that went into them. “It’s IN the computer!” The first-round selection of Kris Bryant drew a lot of flack, Rudy goes through who he felt were value picks, and a few prospect selections he made at the end of the draft. Here’s our latest edition of the Razzball Baseball Podcast:

PS – Starting tomorrow, we’re moving the Podcasts to Tuesday mornings! Unlike our former pre-taping timeline, we’re now going to record much closer to the publish date to give you the Razzball goods without being in our time machine. So we’ll be back tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM EST!

Download from iTunes

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Fantasy Master Lothario’s Strategic Method of Domination Henceforth (Otherwise Known As FML SMDH)

February 29, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy | 256 Comments

by: Grey

For those that are new here, welcome. I’ve gone over my fantasy baseball draft strategy previously. Luckily for you, I will happily coddle you. Unluckily for you, I think coddle means to fart on your pillow when you’re out of the room, causing you to get pink eye. For all your previous misguided attempts at drafting in fantasy baseball leagues, you might be SMDH or telling yourself FML, but now you will be SMDH like, “Look at me smiling like I just smoked some reefer and shaking my damn head at my new knowledge of fantasy baseball drafts.” Or you might be telling yourself FML, but now you mean it like, “I just got my life drunk on a case of Pabst and we’re going to screw for the first time real romantic-like. Could someone light a candle while I eff my life?” Fantasy baseball strategies are as old as the earth, if the earth were ten or so years old. There’s a LIMA Plan (Low Investment Mound Aces) by Ron Shandler. There was a ZIMA Plan by Matthew Berry; it involved a lot of stumbling around, groping and the hiccups. There’s been a Punt One Category draft strategy. There’s been a Punt Two Categories draft strategy, which was conceived by a leaguemate of Punt One Category who just couldn’t stand being upstaged, and there’s the Forget When Your Draft Is So Your Team Is Autodrafted strategy. I love when my leaguemates use that one. Then there’s my fantasy baseball snake draft strategy, Fantasy Master Lothario’s Strategic Method of Domination Henceforth or FML SMDH. (You might even want to use this strategy for our Razzball leagues. Join now. Thank you.)

FML SMDH has five basic steps. If you follow these steps, you will place near the top in all of your leagues. No plan is foolproof because, unfortunately, they still have to play the games, but FML SMDH puts you in the best position possible to win coming out of your draft. Actually, this plan is foolproof and you should ignore the previous sentence that said no plan is foolproof. No sentence is foolproof, that’s more accurate. Okay, onto the steps:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2016 Top 100 Prospects for Fantasy Baseball

February 28, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 193 Comments

by: Geoff

Well here it is the post you’ve been hollering for in the comments since November hit. That’s right ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, cats and dogs, pastrami sandwiches and tuna melts, white wall tires and low profile tires, good guys and bad guys, curved brims hats and flat billed caps, and anyone else that reads Razzball; it’s the top 100 live from my garage in suburban Massachusetts. Ahh-huh you’re being magically whisked away to a garage, with flickering lights and an awkwardly handsome gentleman with a laptop. That’s me, and on my computer is a list, it is yours to read, berate, discuss, commit to memory, burn to keep you warm. What you do with it, is really up to you I suppose. This ranking is pretty straightforward, it lists each player, their position, and a link to their team’s minor league preview. Within each preview you’ll find that players blurb. On one final note, all of these ranks take into consideration a variety of factors including ceiling, proximity, and floor. Consider this post interactive, instead of me waxing poetic after each player explaining why I rank so and so where, I leave it to you to call me to the mat and defend my rankings. Without further ado the 2016 Top 100 Prospects for Fantasy Baseball

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2016 Team Previews: Kansas City Royals

February 27, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Team Previews | 13 Comments

by: M@

Welcome to the 2016 Razzball Team Previews! You’ll find everything you need to know about each team to get yourself ready for the upcoming fantasy baseball season. And I mean everything, folks. We’ve got line-ups, charts, Slurpees, lube, a guide for beginner electricians, and even a cactus! Well, that’s a lie. That’s what Jay had last year sitting in front of him. This year? Um…a little less lube? Take that as you will. But hey, we’ve got teams to preview and questions to ask, so let’s hop to it. We a very special guest for this post…Max Rieper, to provide his take on what the team has in store this season. Now enough rambling, let’s see what 2016 holds for the Kansas City Royals!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Closer Report: Sneaky Saves and Late Round SAGNOF

February 26, 2016 | Closers, Middle Relievers | 49 Comments

by: Smokey

Not everyone loves the buy-early and coast theory of closers. I am not a full on component of it, but I don’t like to be left without, at worst, a top-12 option to anchor my save chase. So for those that procrastinate, there is nothing wrong with y’all. Every theory has a proven outcome, whether it be wrong, backwards, or completely made up by several fortune cookies. The wait game for saves can still be fortuitous, the only problem is being right when it matters most. The last rounds of relievers needs to be decisive. After all, we don’t have 4-5 rosters spots designated for save speculation. Lucky for you, your ole’ pal Smokey is here to give you several options for late game options that you can try and strike it rich with late in your drafts. These guys are in situations that are either committee based, the closer is in jeopardy (yeah already), or I can just foresee a change of the imminent. So hold tight my fellow SAGNOF’ers and cast your fishing pole into the deep waters that I reside. Just for the people that skimmed this whole intro, this post is about the guys who aren’t closing currently and could net you saves on cheap.

Please, blog, may I have some more?