2015 NL Central Spring Training Preview

March 19, 2015 | Fantasy Baseball Team Previews | 5 Comments

Do we know look at the Pittsburgh Pirates as a true contender instead of the team that had 20 straight losing seasons? For the most part, yes, but there are still skeptics out there. For the first time in a long time, the Pirates entered Spring Training with no real position battles…yet. The team surprised brass around baseball when they walked away the winner in the Jung-ho Kang bidding, but as of now, the powerful Korean [Jay’s Note: Hey, that’s my nickname!] is going to back up Jordy Mercer at short and Josh Harrison at third base…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

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See all of today’s starting lineups

#	MLB Starting Lineups For Sat 8/2
	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

Sigh Cobb

March 19, 2015 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 363 Comments

by: Grey

Alex Cobb left his start the other day with forearm tightness, but he’s not concerned. “Not concerned with forearm tightness” is now the number two reason for Tommy John surgery. Number one is “torn UCL.” The number three reason is “I feel great!” If we have one more pitcher say, “I feel great,” without someone else saying they’re “not concerned with forearm tightness,” then it will be a dead heat and could come down to Tanaka’s translator chiming in with how Masahiro feels. A pitcher and manager’s reporting on an arm issue is like reading a Yelp review written by the owner of the restaurant. “I didn’t know scalloped potatoes could be so sublime!” And I didn’t know I had to avoid every other starter in drafts, but here we are. Cobb says he should only miss his Opening Day start, but I’ve lowered Cobb way down in my top 400 and into my top 60 starters to a tier where I would not draft him. There’s enough to worry about when drafting a team, don’t get too cute with “Well, so-and-so fell so far I figured I’d give him a chance even though his arm is dangling at every joint.” Anyway, here’s what else I saw in spring training for fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

DraftKings: What Is This ‘Daily Fantasy’ You Speak Of?

March 18, 2015 | DraftKings | 71 Comments

by: Sky

The world that you live in is now over. Oh God, what have we done?!? I knew we should’ve recycled more! Hrm, maybe that was too dramatic of an intro for the regular reader. But I do agree, you should recycle more. Lots of states give you 5 cents back on those beer bottles, it’s totally worth it. Except those Bud bottles; yes, I’m blatantly judging you. But more to the point, the fantasy sports industry is a’changin’ and Razzball has been in on this shift in landscape since 2013 when JB first offered people a million crappy sandwiches. Believe me, the prizes have improved since then, I swear! For real, though, we’ve been talking Daily Fantasy Sports for the last couple of years and if you haven’t joined the fray, I’m gonna give you as many reasons why to below. But not just any DFS site, of course. That’s like saying you potty trained your kid and now your bathroom looks like Jackson Pollock was only given yellow to paint with. Nah, we gonna hone in that target by sending you to DraftKings. If you’ve never played, that link is where you start. By signing up through us for DK, you get a free ticket into what’s called a Moonshot. That’s a tourney. Don’t worry if you’re already getting lost, we’ll get you ready to go before the season starts so stick with us. This tourney has a $100K prize pool and top prize is $10K. Just think how much leeway with your wife and your obsession over fantasy that could buy. But of course, we’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves. You wanna hear a bit more about this game before you dive in and dive in we shall. So here’s how your bankroll gonna get swole by playing Daily Fantasy on DraftKings for 2015 Fantasy Baseball…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Points Leagues: The Doubt About Trout

March 18, 2015 | Points Leagues | 87 Comments

by: malamoney

What is there not to love about Mike Trout? I know. The fact that I don’t own him in any of my keeper leagues and the chances of me owning him in any of my other leagues is slim. In order to do so I’d have to have the first pick of the first round. Or would the second pick be good enough to land me Trout? Dare I suggest the idea of drafting Clayton Kershaw ahead of Trout in head-to-head points leagues? The thought of not taking Trout with the first pick is one that only Dom Cobb could plant in your subconscious. But would it be such a terrible decision? Let’s look at the numbers.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2015 Minor League Preview: Houston Astros

March 18, 2015 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 69 Comments

by: Mike

Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2014 (5) | 2013 (9) | 2012 (17) | 2011 (26) | 2010 (30)

2014 Affiliate Records
MLB: [70-92] AL West
AAA: [74-70] Pacific Coast League – Oklahoma City (2015: Fresno)
AA: [67-73] Texas League – Corpus Christi
A+: [78-62] California League – Lancaster
A: [70-69] Midwest League – Quad Cities
A(ss): [48-28] New York-Penn League – Tri-City

Graduated Prospects
George Springer, OF | Jon Singleton, 1B | Jake Marisnick, OF (from Marlins) | Collin McHugh, RHP

The Gist
This is a fun system for fantasy prospects and reminds me of the Rangers’ farm with a stud building block, toolsy outfielders, and a couple of nice arms to round things out. The Astros have talented young players surfacing on the major league team as well, with George Springer entering his sophomore season and Jake Marisnick in the mix for an outfield gig. I like Marisnick as a sleeper this year, as he’s always had that 20/20 type of profile and now finds himself in a better park for hitting. Jon Singleton needs some polish after hitting just .168 in his rookie year, but I’m still buying the 23-year-old in dynasties thanks to his power potential. Mike Foltynewicz and Rio Ruiz would have both been towards the top half of this list prior to being traded to Atlanta.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Outfielders To Target, 2015 Fantasy Baseball

March 18, 2015 | Uncategorized | 404 Comments

by: Grey

We (me) have gone over the catchers, 2nd basemen, shortstops and 3rd basemen to target. Last year, I dedicated this post to one player. I started last year’s post with, “Ahoy, all of youse that are apathetic about Michael Brantley, what follows is a one long love letter to said player, because, really, someone has to!” And that’s me rubbing it in your face that you didn’t listen to me. Sorry, that was petty, said Tom as he filed a lawsuit against Sam Smith. You know who I’m caca-cuckoo on this year? Same first name, same skill set, same set of worries, Michael “Be Mine” Saunders. It should be fun (for me) next year when I point out I tried to get y’all to draft Saunders, but no one wanted any part of him, until, of course, it was too late. Sad story (for you). (By the by, in last year’s outfielder sleeper post: Brantley, Ozuna, Yelich, Springer, Calhoun and Corey Dickerson.) Okay, so this post is all the outfielders that are being drafted after 200 overall that I have uber-sexy feelings for. Now, this is a (legal-in-all-countries-except-Canada) supplement to the top 100 outfielders for 2015 fantasy baseball. Click on the player’s name where applicable to read more and see their 2015 projections. Anyway, here’s some outfielders to target for 2015 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Rudy’s 2015 Tout Wars Team

March 17, 2015 | 2015 Fantasy Baseball Draft, Our Leagues | 99 Comments

by: Rudy Gamble

Thanks to the fantasy baseball sabbatical of our longtime pal Nick Minnix, the Tout Wars Mixed League (15-team, snake draft) had an extra spot for good ol’ Rudy. Grey is also in the league (his draft review here) which gives Razzball two chances to win and me three chances to beat Grey in a 2015 league (RCL and Yahoo Friends & Family the other two). It is also the 3rd straight expert draft (LABR Mixed, CBS AL) that fellow Austinite Paul Sporer was in the same draft as me. So I have the opportunity for two hat tricks this year (or to be hat tricked….grr, pessimistic parentheticals).

Please, blog, may I have some more?

RCL Update: Records Have Been Broken

March 17, 2015 | Our Leagues | 20 Comments

by: Jay

If there were a Guinness World Records for fantasy baseball (not to be confused with Guinness beer, much to my chagrin), we’d break the entire book. For you, the readers, have answered (well, nearly) my call for 100 Razzball Commenter Leagues. This is truly a historic moment to be remembered for all eternity. Well, for the next few weeks at least. As of this writing, we are at 95 total leagues, which goes to show you not just how much support the community has offered, but also speaks to the growth of Razzball itself. Last season, we barely had 75 leagues. The year before that? 50ish. True, it’s not something you can truly use as a marker to tell you what direction we’re all going in, but let’s call it an arbitrary rough estimate. Now I’m calling on you fans of mustache and sarcasm to join the remaining leagues that are open. You no longer have to create & commish (the two c’s of life, as they call it…who they are, I have no idea, but let’s just go with it), but instead, just simply join. That’s it. Join a league and you’re done. And there are a bunch left to choose from, money leagues, ones hosted by our very own contributors, and ones that are hosted by readers like yourself. While it might matter in the micro, remember, this is a macro competition, a universal way to assert fantasy baseball dominance. Join now, and assert your dominance. Assert it.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

2015 AL Central Spring Training Preview

March 17, 2015 | Fantasy Baseball Team Previews | 12 Comments

by: waterloo

Let’s head on over to our friends in the American League Central to see which position battles they have going on during Spring Training.

First, in Cleveland, Brandon Moss will bring his power bat to Jaco…I mean, Progressive Field. Moss will look to prove his success in Oakland is who the real Moss is, not the one that Pirates’ fans dealt with. I’m not bitter, I promise.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Mets Taking Their P Wheeler Off Road

March 17, 2015 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 605 Comments

by: Grey

I swear to you with the sincerity of someone you’ve never met, I woke up yesterday and saw the news about Zack Wheeler and decided it wasn’t a catastrophe for my already-drafted teams. At least I only drafted him in one of three leagues. I liked him a lot, so things could’ve been worse. I felt downright well-adjusted. Breathe in, breathe out, Grey’s fine. So, I went to my car to go on my morning trip to Starbucks, where I have the pleasure of buying an overpriced coffee and having my name misspelled, but, when I got in my car, it wouldn’t start. The car’s not a clunker, never had problems before. Then I realized something very profound. There was a higher power that would not let me be well-adjusted to Wheeler breaking down. A higher power that insisted I mourn the lose of my Wheeler even if it meant hitting me over the head with sad, sad irony that my four-wheeler wouldn’t start either. That higher power’s name, the Fantasy Baseball Overlord. Now I have no car and no number two starter on one of my teams. As I said in yesterday’s podcast that was taped on Sunday prior to the official Wheeler news breaking, the Mets said Wheeler’s elbow was fine so that meant he’d need Tommy John surgery. I was being facetious at the time, but is there any such thing as being facetious when talking about the Mets? Not to answer, but to ponder. Terry Collins said on Sunday, and I quote to let you absorb fully what teams say vs. what is actually going on, “There is nothing alarming or different from what’s been going on before. I know (Wheeler)’s got some issues with the finger (a blister). Other than that, just a little rest and he’ll be fine.” On Monday, Wheeler’s UCL was fully torn and needed Tommy John surgery. That’s one heckuva blister! Wheeler’s biggest challenge will now be finding time to see Dr. James Andrews. He’s getting booked up quickly! I’ve removed Wheeler from my top 40 starters and my top 400. To add insult to Wheeler’s injury, the Mets will moved Dillon Gee into the rotation and not Noah Syndergaard. Gee, terrific. Gee’s a 4+ ERA, 6+ K-rate guy that I won’t add into the rankings because he’s a streamer in most mixed leagues. Also, he’ll be bumped in June for Syndergaard, assuming no more Mets pitcher injuries– Ha! Damn, almost got through that last sentence without laughing. Anyway, here’s what else I saw in spring training for fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

The Numbers Game: Special Ks (SP Edition)

March 16, 2015 | Uncategorized | 80 Comments

by: Big Magoo

Writing for Razzball is a pretty sweet gig. The fantasy master lothario himself, Mr. Grey Albright, has provided me with a tremendous amount of creative control over the subject matter that I choose to write about. All that I’m required to do in return for this freedom is ensure that the topics that I choose to discuss are fantasy-relevant as well as consistently heap praise upon my employer (nice stache Boss!). While this arrangement is usually a blessing, it can also be a bit of a curse at times. There are so many different things to write about, so many potential angles to pursue when analyzing statistics. It can be difficult to narrow it down and focus on a specific set of search criteria. Sometimes, I know exactly how this guy feels.

Want to take me on in a Razzball Commenter League? Join my league here!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Find Value in Speed by Exploiting ESPN ADP

March 16, 2015 | Steals | 42 Comments

by: RotoLance

Speed is the easiest 5×5 category to find late in the draft. In most drafts last year, Rajai Davis was an afterthought. A guy to pick up in the late rounds of 12-team drafts and a guy who probably went undrafted in many 10-team drafts. Last year I played in one Razzball Commenter League, and in that league I took Davis at pick #240. He ended up finishing #111 on Rudy’s Player Rater thanks in part to amassing 36 stolen bases. His performance wasn’t particularly above his normal levels, with the exception of batting average. He did receive more ABs than projected. Even if he hadn’t played more than projected I’m fairly sure he would still found his way into the top 150-200ish on the 2014 player rater. Which is to say, in multiple ways, that he was a value.

Please, blog, may I have some more?