Let My Love For Francisco Open Lindor

July 3, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 444 Comments

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”262532″ player=”10951″ title=”Fantasy Baseball Mailbag Week 14″]

Across the media landscape yesterday, people who vaguely know sports were giving hot takes like, “Cleveland lost their sports hero.” “What do we hang on this LeBron sports banner now?” “All Cleveland has left is the Browns, what will they ever do?” I blame myself. People don’t know baseball like they should. That pains me. What MLB was hoping for from Judge and Giancarlo is currently going on with Francisco Lindor (2-for-4, 3 runs, 7 RBIs and his 22nd and 23rd homer, hitting .298) and Jose Ramirez (2-for-4, 15th steal, hitting .298) and people outside of Cleveland have no idea. Don’t worry, you’re not absolved of blame either. I blame you, as well. We need to shout from the rooftops at what these two are doing. They are neck-and-neck in the top five on the Player Rater. I can’t remember another time two teammates, who are hitters, were both in the top five. (If you can think of an instance, hit me up in the comments. I racked my brain, which is to say I placed my head on a video of a stripper’s rack.) Together, they are worth nearly $90! To swoop your pretty face back to the preseason, if your team added up to $260, you were at least working on even money. Combined they’re worth more than a third of a total team! Which one of them is going to end up worth more? No idea, but this will be the greatest battle since Apollo-Rocky I. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Ambulance Chasers, Week 13: Strickland Teaches Door a Lesson

June 20, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Injury Report | 14 Comments

by: Kerry Klug

Well, you can’t fix this malady. After blowing a save on Monday night, Hunter Strickland punched a wall and broke his hand. He’s expected to go 6 to 8 weeks without blowing another save.. Stash or Trash: I’m in a 14 team league and I’m trashing him. Replacement: Yoshihisa Hirano (4.9%.) With Brad Boxberger looking far from perfect, expect the Diamondbacks to start switching things up. I have a feeling that they’ll leave Archie Bradley as the set-up man because “he’s good in that role” or whatever BS the manager wants to say which could leave Hirano as a major option for saves in the desert. Hirano hasn’t allowed a run since May 5th and has 18 Ks in 17.1 IP over that time. Don’t forget that Hirano averaged 28 saves over the last 5 years he was pitching in Japan.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Ambulance Chasers, Week 11: Take Up Your China Dahl

June 6, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Injury Report | 10 Comments

by: Kerry Klug

Has anyone started calling David Dahl (OF, Broken Foot) China Dahl yet? If not, let me be the first. ANOTHER major injury for China Dahl that will see him miss 6-8 weeks. Stash or Trash: Trash. He wasn’t getting consistent playing time and now two months on the shelf? You deserve better! Replacement: You know who will never let you down? Leonys Martin (17%.) Oh god, what did I even just type? Oh well, let’s commit to the bit. Martin actually has been downright ownable in 12 team mixed leagues. 34 runs, 7 HRs, 20 RBI — only two steals which is what we all wanted — really not bad. The athleticism was always there with Martin but he never seemed to be able to get out of his own way. Well he’s out of his own way now and hitting pretty well. Leonys more than anyone else on the planet has committed to the launch angle revolution — he’s hitting a staggering 51% of balls in the air. I don’t know how sustainable that is with only a 16% line drive rate — but we’re not going to find gold on the waiver wire — only pyrite.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

FBI’s G-Man Raids Chicago For A Fantasy Baseball Investigation

May 23, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 476 Comments

by: Grey

[brid video=”228554″ player=”10951″ title=”FantasyBaseballMailbag8″]

To find my preseason article, I Googled “Kevin Gausman sleeper” and Google asked, “Did you mean 2015, 2016, 2017 or 2018?” Google can be such a little snitch sometimes. Yo, Google, mind your own business! “Did you mean ‘How do I start my own business?’ or ‘How do I start my own business that actually makes money?'” I hate you, Google! In the preseason, I said, “In the 2nd half, Gausman was a top 20 starter-ish. Top 20-ish? Top-ish? You get the drift. In the 2nd half, he had the 16th best K/9 with a 2.8 BB/9. He had the 21st best ERA with the 23rd best xFIP. He had the 24th best fastball with the 3rd best splitter. Or spliiter, if Desiigner is reading. He averaged the 12th fastest, uh, fastball while throwing it the 12th most in the majors. Some of these factoids are neither here nor there, but I’m filling in your charcoal sketch.” And that’s me quoting me! Yesterday, he went 6 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 10 baserunners (1 BB), 10 Ks, ERA at 3.48, and xFIP down to 3.65, which is the 29th best in the majors, between Hendricks and Newcomb. And I ranked him 31st for starters in the preseason! What does this mean? Nothing really, but cool. He has carried over that newfound command from the 2nd half and still striking out guys around mid-8 K/9. Do I love owning an Orioles starter? Do I look daffy? But Gausman has been solid. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Someone Put A Tiger In Detroit’s Tank

April 26, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 543 Comments

by: Grey

The Tigers have filled their corner outfield with eight year olds that would be friends with the little white kid from The Blind Side and Friday Night Lights that won the hearts of stoic football players. “Gotta go, Mikie. We invited, JaCoby over!” You know the little white kid aka Brandon Inge. “Hey, Ron Gardenhire, can we invite Leonys Martin to live with us?” Ron thinks about it for a second, then, “Sure, if you’ll help me check my blood sugar.” “Ron, no more Ben & Jerry’s!” “Aw geez.” Ron musses Brandon Inge’s hair and they walk off into the sunset, which in Detroit is a spray-painted sun on a wall. In the doubleheader yesterday, Leonys Martin (3-for-10 and his 3rd and 4th homer) continued his recent brilliance. This was why I begged numerous past teams to give him a starting job! Also, in the do-he (totally an abbreviation), Jeimer Candelario (4-for-10, 6 runs) kept being red-hot schmotato hot, hitting his 4th homer, and his 4th homer in the last 11 games, while hitting near-.400 in that time, raising his average almost hundred points. Candelario also must drink a lot of Mexican tap water, because he’s got the runs! Then there was Nicholas Castellanos (5-for-9, 5 RBIs, 2 runs, hitting .333, and his 2nd homer). It’s the Greek God of Hard Contact from the country of Hekindahitit. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Opening Day And The Balls Are Juiced (So Are The Baseballs)

March 30, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 289 Comments

by: Grey

For Opening Day, I woke up at the crack of dawn on the West Coast, because no one in this godforsaken country cares about the West Coast. Once I had my coffee and vape set up for a full day of baseball, I saw the Pirates/Tigers game was postponed and thought about how they should have their seasons postponed. “I Mahtook you for a friend of the Tooks!” That’s Mikie Mahtook. Finally, I opened the MLB app on my iPad to find I had forgotten my password. Cut to two hours later, and I was ready to watch some baseball! Then Carlos Martinez gave up multiple runs on multiple fantasy teams of mine and I was ready to nap again. Ah, it’s good to be back! Speaking of which, I’ll trade you Carlos Martinez for a bag of Dick Pole’s. Doesn’t matter which bag. Maybe the one Salvador Perez was carrying. You know what would’ve been Sweet Baby Jesus of me? If I benched that goofy-haired, can’t-keep-his-hands-to-himself Cardinals pitcher. Not to worry, I had Chris Archer going later in the day. *sees Kiermaier and Span misplay a Eduardo Nunez ball into an inside-the-parker, crawls under bed* Fantasy baseball: When everyday stress is just not enough. Any hoo! It’s good to be back, now let’s get down to business. Matt Davidson went 3-for-4, 4 runs, 5 RBIs with his 1st, 2nd and third homer. Someone wants to be Tuffy Rhodes. “Not bad for five innings.” Oh, shut up, Mark Whiten! Do we have our first hot schmotato?! I schmay schwe schdo! Sounded better in my head! Davidson won’t be in today’s Buy column, but he could’ve been. I grabbed him in my RCL, because I’m in straight panic mode and Joe Panik is already owned! Yes, there’s a Buy/Sell later today. You’re welcome. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Two-Start Starters, Week 26: Snells Like A Championship

September 25, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Two Start Pitchers | 6 Comments

by: mikeMaher

Greetings and welcome to the last Two-Start Starters post of the year. With it being the last week of the season, make sure you take this list with the biggest grain of salt you can find. Just stay away from the bath salts. That will lead to entirely different issues in the coming weeks.

For the last week, obviously, our problem is that these rotations are written in pencil. As more and more teams clinch the playoffs and become locked into their spots, they will rest starters. Some teams, looking ahead to a potential one-game playoff (which is the dumbest thing baseball has ever decided to do, but that is a rant for another time), may even tweak their rotation to get a certain starter lined up for that crucial game. So, disclaimer over. Take this list as a starting point, but know that it could be very fluid throughout the week.

The first thing you may notice is that Chris Sale is scheduled to make two starts, but I did not include him in the rankings. That is because that second start is not a certainty by any means, and I would argue it is very unlikely. If the Red Sox have already clinched the division, there is little chance he starts or, if he does, that he pitches deep into the game. If the Red Sox might be destined for a Wild Card Playoff game, then they will likely want to keep Sale fresh to be able to start that game. Sale is obviously still worth starting for his one start, but don’t bank on getting two starts from him this week.

There are others who are probably in similar situations. I removed Dallas Keuchel, Jon Lester, Luis Severino, and Jake Arrieta because I would avoid them strictly for two start purposes. Obviously, those are still pitchers worth starting; they just are not reliable options if you absolutely need two starts. While I left them on the list, I would also avoid Yu Darvish, Alex Wood, and Carlos Martinez.

As for the Streamonator picks for this week, there are actually seven starters with positive money values who are owned in less than 75% of RCLs:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

FantasyDraft: Yu Nola It’s The Last Monday For DFS Baseball

September 25, 2017 | DFS, FantasyDraft |

by: Teddy Heater

Wow! Time really does fly when you’re having fun. I honestly can’t believe that the 2017 fantasy baseball season is already over…well, almost. Kudos to you who are still fighting the good fight all the way til the end. Tip of the cap to you. It’s been real fo sho and I hope you all have a great offseason but before you go, let’s talk about our two top arms tonight. Yu Darvish at $24,00o is the top pitcher on the board tonight and I love the start against the Padres. I know we’ve been picking on them all year and if my calculations are correct, it’s paid off, about 82% of the time. Darvish had a rough time finding his groove in Dodger blue right out of the gate, but he’s thrown up two 23+ fantasy point starts in the last 2 weeks. I’m crossing my fingers for a 30+ night, time to let the big dog eat. Meanwhile, Aaron Nola at $15,600 is facing the Nationals tonight and the Streamonator loves this start right behind Darvish. Frankly, Nola has been great all year and the Nats have been resting guys. If Nola gets a light Washington lineup then all in on him in both cash and tourney play. Now that are pitching is locked and loaded, let’s go see who we can pair with Stanton in Coors.

New to FantasyDraft? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well be sure to read our content and subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays. Just remember to sign up through us before jumping into the fray. It’s how we know you care!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Two-Start Starters, Week 22: Please, Matt, I Want Some Moore

August 26, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Two Start Pitchers | 16 Comments

by: mikeMaher

If I had a nickel for every time I streamed Matt Moore this season I would have probably six or seven nickels by now. Most of those nickels would have been thrown out of my second-floor window because the streams did not go very well. But, like any good insane person, I can’t help myself and am back for more. Or should I say back for Moore?

Matt Moore tops the Streamonator list this week for two-start starters owned in less than 75% of RCLs. At $15.50, he has the 7th highest value, behind only the six you see above him in the chart below. I would have to go back and look to be sure, but I think this is the first time all season that my top seven starters lined up exactly with what Streamonator projects. That is two opinions for the price of one, people. You can’t get that kind of bargain anywhere else!

While he sports a pretty ugly 5.38 ERA, he has tossed three straight quality starts. In those starts, he has allowed five runs in 20 1/3 innings while striking out nearly a batter per inning. His ERA of 4.09 in the second half is two runs lower than his first half ERA, which was inflated by an absolutely awful 8.88 ERA in June. June must have been when I was streaming Moore the most because that wound feels fresh.

His 4.51 FIP, while not great, is also almost a run lower than his ERA, so it seems that the Moore of late is leveling out to match up with what his peripherals are saying. While many of his numbers this season match up with what he has done throughout his career, there are a few concerns among the bunch. For starters, his swinging strike percentage is down. It’s not drastically down, as 8.9% is not a freefall from his career mark of 10.2%, but it is notable. His BABIP is slightly above league average at .329, while his 1.51 WHIP is up above his career 1.37 WHIP and the 1.29 he put up last season. His Hard% is up nearly 4%, and he is giving up a few more home runs this season, but then again who isn’t, right?

As for matchups this week, he has one great matchup against the Padres and one meh matchup against the Cardinals, who have been much better the last few weeks. The Padres have a wOBA of .291 over the last two weeks, which is good for third worst in baseball behind only the Mets and Nationals. The Cardinals, on the other hand, have the fifth best wOBA over that span with a .362 that is actually tied with the Marlins and Twins. The Cardinals start is a risk for Moore streaming, but his recent success and his matchup against the Padres make him one of the better two-start options this week. He is only owned in 28% of RCLs as of this writing.

As for other starters with a positive Streamonator $ value who are owned in less than 75% of RCLs, here is the entire list:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Pujols Reppin The 609

August 19, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 20 Comments

by: Son

If you hail from Central New Jersey, sorry. I didn’t mean to get your hopes up. Albert Pujols does not represent the 609. If you are a Ludacris fan, sorry. Pujols may or may not have garden hoes in different area codes, but I can neither confirm nor deny it. Rather, Pujols slugged his 609th career home run Friday night. It doesn’t matter that it came off Jeremy Hellickson, who’s allowed the 14th-most home runs this season, and is already the 439th-worst of all time. I was going to go on an epic rant about how all the stories are focused on the fact that he’s tied with Sammy Sosa for the most home runs by a foreign-born player. Who gives a flying F where he was born? Then I started thinking, I wonder which player born in Los Angeles has hit the most home runs. Yet again, I’ve managed to stymie myself. Anyways, who cares that Pujols has a triple slash of .229/.274/.374 with an ISO of .144. Let’s just celebrate the great career he’s had and send him off into the sunset after this season. My self checks to make sure this is his last year…

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Fanduel: Not A Lone Ranger

August 18, 2017 | DFS, Fanduel |

by: cinthree

James Shields has given up a home run in 11 of 13 games this year. Outside of the first 2 games when he gave up 2 each, he’s given up at least 5 hits a game (he’s gone more than 6 once this year and that was 6.1). He’s walked someone in every single start. This is a more flavorful way of saying what you already know – Shields is terrible and won’t have his option year picked up in 2019 (that’s right, we’re going to have another year of James Shields to pick on). The other plus about this game is it’s in Texas and it’s going to be hot. Also, Shields’ splits this year are hilarious. When a left hander is in the box, he strikes them out 15.7% of the time and walks them 12% of the time (with a normal .313 BABIP), gets a ground ball 35.7% of the time and allows a home run on 23.6% of his fly balls. All of which is leads to an unfathomable 9.17 FIP and a 6.86 xFIP. Yes, loyal readers, James Shields has a FIP over 9 vs lefties. The worst FIP I can find vs lefties is Jose Lima’s 6.14, including an 8.29 in 2006 and Lima’s 8.29 was in only 7 innings. James Shields is having a legendarily bad season vs lefties (he’s actually relatively decent vs righties with 21.2% strikeouts and 8.2% walks for a 4.14 FIP and 4.73 xFIP). So given all of this information, here’s what I would do: play Texas Rangers lefties as much as physically possible, with Mazara and Gallo being the top ones, but all of them are good plays. As for the righties, they aren’t nearly as good as the lefties, first, because each Rangers righty you play is one less Rangers lefty to play if you’re going to have four Rangers, and second, a lot of the Rangers righties are expensive. That said, in a vacuum, the righties are still good plays as it’s hot, James Shields is on the mound and when he’s out of the game, the White Sox gas can of a bullpen will come in and suck. Beltre leads the righties since he hits righties pretty well over his career (113 wRC+) and has hit them well this year (.382 wOBA). Basically, play all the Rangers you can.

On to the picks once James Shields allows another home run to a lefty…

New to FanDuel? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well be sure to read our content and subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays. Just remember to sign up through us before jumping into the fray. It’s how we know you care!

Please, blog, may I have some more?

FantasyDraft: Catch Me If You McCann

July 31, 2017 | DFS, FantasyDraft |

by: Teddy Heater

My dislike for catchers in DFS is well documented. Thankfully, FantasyDraft has an awesome format that doesn’t require me to waste money or a roster spot. IMO, catchers in fantasy are an absolute waste of time and I’ll never understand the two catcher formats. That said, I’m throwing out the playbook for the day because today is the Ultimate Zig Day. Yep, I’m rostering not one, not two, but three catchers for tonight and I’m hoping their stats are sweeter than a Tres Leches cake. Brian McCann, $7,200 is my numero uno because he mashes against Alex Cobb posting a solid 8/15 with 2 HRs. At $7,200 he’s solid value as he’s back at home in Minute Maid Park and he’s got 2 HRs over his last four games. Salvador Perez, $7,600 is my number two because he has an excellent matchup against Ubaldo Jimenez in hitter friendly Camden Yards. We all know about Baltimore’s pitching woes, but Ubaldo is rocking an extremely hitter friendly 8.42 ERA at home. WOW! I’ll be adding a few more Royals to the roster tonight, K.C. Stack anyone? Rounding out catcher heavy lineup is J.T. Realmuto, $7,200. He’s facking Gio Gonzalez who has been pitching well this season, but he’s giving over 1.50 ER more when pitching on the road. Now that we’ve got our infield set, let’s see who’s going to rack up our Ks for the night.

Please, blog, may I have some more?