Points Per Plates Appearance 2015, Name Your Bryce

February 11, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Points Leagues | 39 Comments

If there’s one stat you will repeatedly find in my posts it’s “points per plate appearance”, commonly noted as PPPA. How many points does a batter get every time he steps into the batters box. I feel this is a very underrated stat in points leagues. To be honest, I’m not sure if many even given it a second thought or are even aware of this valuable stat. I find it a great indicator of a useful player, especially when browsing the waiver wire for potential fill ins or trying to decide between drafting one of two players.

It should come as no surprise to find that Bryce Harper had the highest PPPA (0.8547) of any qualified batter in the Major Leagues. And by “qualified” I mean they had at least 200 plate appearances. There were 353 batters that made the list. The average PPPA among all qualified batters was an abysmal 0.4928, but if we take just the top 100 batters the bar raises to 0.6368. The actual PPPA of the top 100 was 0.6423

Here are the top ten from last season:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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Top 100 for 2016 Fantasy Baseball

February 11, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 328 Comments

by: Grey

One word about this top 100 for 2016 fantasy baseball, before I give you another 5,000 words. I’m going to avoid repeating myself from the position rankings in the 2016 fantasy baseball rankings. If you want to know my in-depth feelings about a player, then you need to go to his positional page, i.e., the top 20 1st basemen for 2016 fantasy baseball, the top 20 2nd basemen for 2016 fantasy baseball, the top 20 Gucci handbags for 2016– Ah, I almost got you. This post is meant to give you an idea where guys from different positions are in relation to each other. Since this post is only the top 100, there’s more players where this came from. 400 or so, to be inexact. Next up, there will be a top 500. Then after that there will be a top 7,500, then a top 25,000, then a top 600,000, until we end up with a top kajillion in April. Or maybe I’ll stop at the top 500. Yeah, that makes sense. Not to get all biblical on you, but this is the gospel. Print it out and take it to Mt. Sinai and it will say, “Win your 2016 fantasy baseball league, young prematurely balding man.” Projections were done by me and a crack team of 100 monkeys fighting amongst themselves because there were only 99 typewriters. Somebody please buy Ling-Ling his own typewriter! Anyway, here’s the top 100 for 2016 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2016 Minor League Preview: Toronto Blue Jays

February 10, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 28 Comments

by: Geoff

The Blue Jays sort of operate their franchise like your buddy that chases strippers and always ends up with a massive credit card bill to show for it. Sure, sometimes it makes for a once in a lifetime experience (Josh Donaldson), but other times it’s for fleeting exploits with a disappointing outcome (David Price). Only the bill in this case isn’t an actual physical one, but a bare cupboard once chock full of valuable prospects. In recent years, the Jays have upgraded the major league roster for sure, but have seen prospects like Franklin Barreto, Daniel Norris, Jeff Hoffman, and Miguel Castro leave their system. So now we’re left to review a mortgaged farm with a prized cow, a lot of young calves, and some goats. Confused? Me too! Then again is it any more confusing than a team that needs pitching trading away all it’s young pitching? Time to review the Blue Jays Prospects! You’re excited, I can tell…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Top 100 Starters for 2016 Fantasy Baseball

February 10, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 137 Comments

by: Grey

If I told you this post ends our position 2016 fantasy baseball rankings, would you believe me? What if I told you it while holding your mom’s hand while calling you son, would you believe it more or less? Man, you got issues! So, yes, this is the end of our positional rankings, but I’ll be along tomorrow with a top 100 and then a top 500. That’s right, 500! Like a baller! There’s also our Steamer projections for all hitters and pitchers. All of the fantasy baseball auction values are also up for over 1500 players. There’s a ton of different formats located there too, like the 5×5 OBP rankings, 6×6 OBP rankings, 6×6 Holds and a ton more. All of my 2016 fantasy baseball rankings are there. My tiers and projections are noted in this post. Anyway, here’s the top 100 starters for 2016 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2016 NFBC Expert Mock Draft, Recap

February 9, 2016 | 2016 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 83 Comments

by: Big Magoo

Howdy Razzballero! Razzballians? Did we ever come to a consensus on a term to identify the loyal followers of this great site? *checks glossary* Hmmm… don’t see one. I do see the term DLzebub though. That one isn’t used nearly enough. He pays me a visit at least a half a dozen times each season. I hate that guy! But it’s a great term and it probably should be used more often, just hopefully not when analyzing the roster that I recently assembled in an industry mock draft that took place on Wed., Feb. 3rd at Couchmanagers.com (smooth transition, eh?).

The format that was used for this draft was a standard 15 team NFBC format, with no bench spots being the only major difference. The starting positions used were 2 catchers, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, 5 outfielders, CI, MI, Util, and 9 pitchers (any combination of starters and relievers). You can check out the results of the entire draft here.

I drew the #11 pick, and my strategy from that position was simple:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Top 80 Starters for 2016 Fantasy Baseball

February 9, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 209 Comments

by: Grey

With the top 80 starters for 2016 fantasy baseball, we are so close to the end of the rankings I can almost taste it! Wait, that’s not rankings I taste, I bit my lip and it’s blood. I wonder if when Dracula bites his lip it’s like when Cougs goes out with her friends and I’m left at home while Emmanuelle is on Cinemax. You might say to yourself, “Self, everyone is totally fooled by my toupee and do I really need to draft starters this deep in my friendly 12-team mixed league?” You don’t, except you will own guys from this post this year either from the draft or from waivers or your leaguemates will own them and beat you. Last year, in the tier of pitchers I liked in the top 80 starters was Wacha, Carlos Martinez and Heaney. They had an ERA of 3.26 in 467 IP. You put three guys like that together with, say, Kluber and Rodon and you have all the pitching you need. Or team three starters like that with Hamels and Corbin or Ventura and Lester. I’ll go over exactly how to draft starters in a few days, but there are so many ways to skin a cat we should have PETA breathing down our necks. All the 2016 fantasy baseball rankings are there. My tiers and projections are noted. Anyway, here’s the top 80 starters for 2016 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Podcast: “Could You Change My Doorbell Ring To La Cucaracha?”

February 8, 2016 | All Podcasts | 15 Comments

by: JB Gilpin

I’m so glad baseball is approaching! Especially after, well, that happened in football… Anyway, on today’s show we break down the Rockies/Rays trade swapping Jake McGee and Corey Dickerson, I then hijack the show to talk Brewers trades, and we spend the bulk of our show talking Grey’s C and 1B ranks. Grey gets berated by some of JB’s homerism! And we also talk a deep sleeper in the 1B pool. They call him… Well, I don’t wanna give it away… Here’s our latest edition of the Razzball Baseball Podcast:

Download from iTunes

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Top 60 Starters for 2016 Fantasy Baseball

February 8, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 190 Comments

by: Grey

This is another ridunkly long post, I’m just going to cut to the chase, like the city of LA going after OJ. Ah, whatever’s old is new again. Except, oddly enough, the phrase “whatever’s old is new again” is just old. The number one thing I’ve learned from watching the OJ TV show? Marcia Clark perm’d her hair. She chose to look like that! Oh, 1990s, you were a glorious time of an irrational fear of STDs and women wearing large bulky sweaters. All of my 2016 fantasy baseball rankings are there. As with the other posts, my projections and tiers are noted for every player. Anyway, here’s the top 60 starters for 2016 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2016 Minor League Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers

February 7, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 51 Comments

by: Geoff

The best way to describe the Dodgers system is “an embarrassment of riches”. Not only do they have one of the biggest budgets in MLB, but they’re also the proud owner of one of the top farms in all of baseball. With two top ten prospects in Corey Seager and the newly two eyed Julio Urias, there’s a ton of top level talent. Including top 100 darlings Grant Holmes, Jose De Leon, and Alex Verdugo. Additionally, there’s a good amount of depth in the other tiers boosted by good player development (Cody Bellinger), recent trades (Frankie Montas), solid drafting (Willie Calhoun), and an aggressive approach in the international market. One of the biggest components of the Dodgers recent success, and organizational depth, is their ability to hit on late round picks and develop prep arms. Two areas where most franchises miss the mark. With impact specs on both the pitching and hitting side, the Blue Bloods should be a pipeline of fantasy scrumptiousness for years to come.

By the way a big shout out to my Grandma Betty who turned 100 last week, and grew up not too far from “Da Bums” original home, Ebbets Field.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2016 Team Preview: Arizona Diamondbacks

February 6, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Team Previews | 9 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… James Attwood, to provide his take on what the team has in store this season. Now enough rambling, let’s see what 2016 holds for the Arizona Diamondbacks!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Closer Rankings: Spring Training Edition

February 5, 2016 | Closers, Middle Relievers | 68 Comments

by: Smokey

With every first list or preseason edition of anything, there comes question marks. Lots of ifs and buts, with no real sound determination until we actual see the product. I am pretty sure Jane Austen’s first attempt at Pride and Prejudice was an abomination because who knew if Elizabeth Bennett was up to the task of being wifey material? It turns out that I can win a bet and correlate anything into the bullpen situations of the current MLB teams. Until injuries, demotion or a better option arises, we have to go by two main instincts: former ability and common sense. So the list is based off of the news to date that we have gotten on all the potential closers to date and for gigg’s I have ranked them accordingly. I have been doing bullpens for a long time and have been wrong on a few occasions, but I am not the manager or GM for the team pulling the strings, I am merely a fantasy writer. So here is the Spring training edition of the Closer rankings, their set-up men, and the cuffs we covet for fantasy in 2016.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Top 40 Starters for 2016 Fantasy Baseball

February 5, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 294 Comments

by: Grey

The 2016 fantasy baseball rankings are under that link. Why are you lifting your computer? Not literally under that link! Okay, you’re thick like a CVS receipt folded in half twelve times. In years past, the top 40 starters is a mix of guys I like and don’t like. Like a high cholesterol cow, it’s about half and half. This year, I really had to struggle to find guys that I didn’t want to draft in the top 40 starters. There are four starters I wouldn’t draft in this top 40. Four! In the top 20 outfielders, I kept going back to how there was about eighty outfielders I would draft. Here, it’s kinda different. I don’t want to draft so many starters, but there’s a crapton of decent ones. As with past rankings, my tiers and projections are included for the low, low price of $19.99! Kidding, they’re free. The oxygen you need to live while reading them is gonna cost you though. Anyway, here’s the top 40 starters for 2016 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?