Yu Chang

Please see our player page for Yu Chang to see projections for today, the next 7 days and rest of season as well as stats and gamelogs designed with the fantasy baseball player in mind.

Grey

No Tiger In Detroit’s Tank As They Get X’d On Valdez

September 13, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes, Featured | 129 Comments

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Guys wearing nothing but raspberries, screaming to the camera, “We’re the Fram-Boys! We celebrate Framber Valdez with every fiber of our body, and our body is eight grams dietary fiber in every cup. And, go ahead, and give us a cup check! It’s filled with raspberries, wanna see?” Back to the studio for Astros’ announcer, Todd Kalas, laughing, “Those Fram-Boys! Sure hope they don’t stain any linens.” Framber Valdez (9 IP, 0 ER, 7 baserunners, 8 Ks, ERA at 2.50) just notched his 24th consecutive Quality Start. Framber heard to be celebrated here but nowhere else, because Amber Heard sued Johnny Depp and is in that sentence? On the next Povich! Yeah, I don’t know why, but Framber seems to be way below other similar pitchers in people’s minds. Here’s one for you: Framber Valdez or Sandy Alcantara? Sandy’s discussed in Cy Young terms; Framber is teammates to a guy who might win the Cy Young. Are Sandy and Framber Valdez that different? Are Framber and Sandy Alcantara that different for 2023 fantasy? I’m not being daft, here’s some peripherals: 8.5 K/9, 3.09 xFIP, 2.50 ERA vs. 8.1 K/9, 3.39 xFIP and 2.43 ERA. Any ideas which is which? The better peripherals? They’re Framber Valdez’s! Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Braves Call Up Their Next Wild Thing Marquis

August 11, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes, Featured | 210 Comments

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Orlando Arcia went down with a hamstring strain and some teams would’ve just cobbled together a makeshift shortstop out of available major league pieces. A Frankenshortstop, so to speak. And it might’ve been fine, might’ve ran into a hot day or three from whoever they Ehire’d. That’s the kind of shizz other teams do! Not the Braves! I love the Braves for this, by the way. They promote their prospects like they’re Tim McGraw singing Live Like You’re Dying. They’re on a bull named Fu Manchu, and they promote their guys! Love it! Of course, sometimes with pitchers, they come up, surprise hitters for three to six months, then fade into obscurity, unable to handle setbacks. But who cares about that now? Their sticks come up and stick. Yesterday, they promoted Vaughn Grissom from Double-A, where he was 3/7/.363 in 22 games, after going 11/20/.312 in High-A. He appeared in Itch’s Top 50 prospects, and now appears on all of my teams, because I love me some rookie nookie! Plus, he got a slam (1) and legs (1) in his major league game (2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), and the homer was an absolute moonshot over the Green Monster. Haven’t been that impressed by a Braves’ rookie debut since Jason Heyward’s! Okay, that’s not fair, but trying to put things in perspective. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Ashby No Questions And Tells Cubs No Lies

May 31, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes, Featured | 320 Comments

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Hope everyone had a glorious Memorial Day, while placing some hot dogs in your gullet and swallowing them whole with some cheap beer. Like George Washington would’ve wanted it! George used to remove his wooden teeth and eat hot dogs whole. True story. So, I’ve become Mr. Pull My Pitcher With 90 Pitches. I hate pitches 90-100. They suck. In ten years, I will hate pitches 80-90. Then, ten years later, I will be Mr. I Like The Starter Who Comes In From The 4th Thru The 5th Inning. ACKSUALLY, that brings up a point, what happens when no starters go more than four innings? It’s coming at some point. Will we adjust our fantasy scoring categories? Something to think about, which is why I’m looking for an emoji with a hand on a chin that is using its other hand to slowly raise its middle finger towards Craig Counsell. Aaron Ashby (6 IP, 1 ER, 7 baserunners, 12 Ks, ERA at 2.70) was fantastic. Dot dot dot. Through 6 innings! He never needed to go out there for the 7th, and it unraveled from pitches 90 thru 100. See? That’s why I am whoever I said I am five sentences ago, to paraphrase Eminem. Ashby’s 11.5 K/9, 5 BB/9, 3.08 xFIP is so itsy-bitsy close to an ace and unusable on the other side. Thankfully, his command is usually much better, i.e., AA – BB = CC, i.e., Aaron Ashby minus walks equals CC Sabathia. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Butters

FanDuel: Bo Knows

September 30, 2021 | 2021 Fantasy Baseball, DFS, Fanduel |

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We’ve come to the final Thursday of the regular season and not every race for the postseason has been decided. That’s good news for us because teams who still have something to play for will be sending out their best. The downside of that is that you’ll have to pay up for guys such as Bo Bichette, (SS: $3,800) He’s pricey but oh boy has Bo turned into a fantasy stud this season. You love to see a guy that can hit near .300, approach 30 dongs, and swipe 20 bags. He does it all and that means monster point potential. Fire him up today with full confidence.

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?
The Itch

Prospect News: Cruising Consensus and Snagging Sleepers

September 22, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 20 Comments

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I’m often referencing the echo chamber in this space, and sometimes I’ll throw in a specific citation even though I’m not here to drag other prospect people in specific as much as I’m here to help readers find value in general. A big part of finding value is knowing who’s free and who’s a helium-filled fever dream. When a deep lens into the echo chamber crossed my Twitter feed this week courtesy of High Upside Fantasy, it seemed like something I should share here. 

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Laura Holt

Rolling In The Deep: Be Leury Of Late-Season Free Agent Options

September 21, 2021 | Rolling In The Deep | 2 Comments

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Last week here at RITD, we talked a bit about a few low-ownership National League hitters who’d had a great month or so in terms of fantasy stats, and how that might impact their value for what’s left of this season as well as 2022.  This week we’ll do the same with a few AL hitters, though as I peruse the numbers it’s immediately clear that there are not as many hidden gems at the top of the leaderboards in the Junior Circuit, as least when it comes to the last four weeks of production.  Most of the top names are just that — top names — as the three most valuable AL players over that time period in terms of 5×5 fantasy production are Salvador Perez, Vlad Guerrero, and Jose Ramirez. There is no one in the top 20 who isn’t at the 50% owned threshold or higher; the first ‘deep league’ type player is D.J. Peters, who’s just 9% owned in CBS leagues, at #21 (and whom we just talked about a few weeks ago).  Since I’m looking for guys at the 10% owned level or less for the purposes of this exercise, we’ll drop down a little further, and see if we find anyone that might be of interest to those of us in deep or deep-ish leagues, either to close out the last two weeks of the season or as someone to keep an eye on heading into next year.  Spoiler alert: don’t get your hopes up too high.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Butters

Points Leagues: We’re Talking Playoffs?

September 3, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Points Leagues | 2 Comments

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If you’re still reading I think it’s safe to assume that you have a playoff spot either locked up or on the line this week. And to that I say congrats. You’ve made it this far, not it’s time to take it home and hoist that championship trophy. So how do you win in the playoffs? Well, you’ve been winning in order to make the playoff in the first place so keep doing what you’ve been doing, it’s clearly working.

Start your studs

You hear this a lot with fantasy football, but it applies here as well. You want your best guys in your lineup. Obviously. But what it really means is don’t get too cute it. Could the guy you just snagged off the wire outscore fantasy god Shohei Ohtani? Yes, it could happen, but the odds are heavily in favor of the Sho.

Max out your starts

Whatever limit your league has on starts, smash it. Otherwise you’re just leaving points on the table. Take advantage of Streamonator to find your plug and play guys. I seriously can’t recommend it enough and it’s been responsible for more than a few of my wins. You can’t replace a true ace but you can approximate their points by rolling out a streaming pitcher every day if your league allows it.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

The Hunt For No October with Joe Ryan

September 2, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 138 Comments

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In a deep Scottish accent, the Twins’ Triple-A manager said, “You’re comin’ up tae join th’ club, Joe Ryan. Ur ye excited?”
Joe Ryan paused, then asked, “What are you saying?”
“Aam Sean Connery an’ aam daein’ a Scottish accent. Ur ye excited, certainly, Jack Ryan?”
He scratched his head, then, “Huh? Oh. My name’s Joe Ryan.”

So, Joe Ryan was called up to start on Wednesday, and I settled in to watch. He was one of the pieces the Rays sent to the Twins for Nelson Cruz. Since the Rays sent him away, I expect he’ll spontaneously combust during his next start or suddenly lose command of his pitches and return in 2022 as a middle infielder in Rookie Ball. If that doesn’t happen, we should all be super interested. I’m intrigued, y’all! Yesterday, Joe Ryan went 5 IP, 3 ER, 4 baserunners, 5 Ks, and looked much better those numbers. Outside of one inning in the 3rd when he ran up against the red-hot Schwingdel, he looked like every great command pitcher, who can also induce strikeouts. Prospect Itch said of Ryan, “I have high hopes for Joe Ryan, another dynasty trade target if you can get a decent price. His 30+ K-BB percentage across three levels in 2019 was pretty loud, but some of the clamor might’ve died down since Ryan was kept under training site wraps for all of 2020. His best trait is a true-spin four-seamer he can command across the zone, and that’s a great base from which to build an arsenal in today’s game. Tampa’s coaches have praised Ryan for his aptitude for new pitches and approaches, particularly his feel for spin. I get giddy just thinking about him and punching Grey.” Okay, not cool! Ryan continued to carve up hitters in Triple-A this year while maintaining elite command. This is potentially as good a prospect arm call-up as we’re getting the rest of the year. I added him in a few deeper leagues. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Original Ray’s Slices Up The White Sox

August 26, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 186 Comments

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Okay, let me get this straight so I can fully understand. Robbie Ray puts on some gotchies that are three sizes too small so you can see homeboy’s birth marks on his asscheeks and then he becomes elite? Fine, then I’m gonna try and write wearing jeans shorts, jorts if you will, that are too small. Ready? Here we go! Robbie…The button is digging into my FUPA! The pockets are chafing my upper thighs! Ugh, I can’t get them off! Oh my God, I’m calling 911! I can’t feel my knees! Help me! “Hello, can you spare Chris Sale? I need him to cut something off me. Hello?! Help!” So, Robbie Ray went 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 baserunners, 14 Ks, ERA at 2.72. On the Player Rater, he’s around a top ten starter. Can Robbie Ray do that in 2022 fantasy? In short, yes. In long, yeeeeeeeeeeees. He has a 11.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9. That’s an ace. Can he repeat the command? That’s the real trick, but as soon as someone shows a skill, I’m not going to take it from them. It’s not like this is a 20 IP sample. He’s done this for 150+ IP. Yes, Robbie Ray appears to be legit. As long as he never lets out his inseam. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Dan Pants

Travis d’Arnaud d’Arnailing d’ingers

August 14, 2021 | 2021 Fantasy Baseball | 31 Comments

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Is this heaven? I don’t know about you guys but I can’t stop thinking about that corn field game! Sweet sassy molassy! It was a-maize-ing! Never before was there a concept I thought was so stupid initially but I could not be more into when it was happening. Who would have thought watching home runs sailing into fields of corn would be so darn fun? Most surprising was not how much I enjoyed it but how much the players seemed to be enjoying it as well. I’ll admit Field of Dreams the film is “a bit much” for me but damn if I didn’t get goosies when the players walked out onto the field. What is wrong with me? I hate how much I loved it. Makes you realize how important the stadiums really are to the sport and I hope they do more stuff like this. Who wouldn’t want to watch the pros play on a recreated “Sandlot”, complete with large, scary, barking dog beyond the outfield fence. It put me in such a good mood I had to highlight a catcher this week, because I know you guys love that stuff. Well, Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud returned from a lengthy stint on the 60 day IL this week and has picked up right where he left off after his breakout 2020. He went 2-for-4 Friday night with his third home run. D’ude is a d’Arnatural! Travis was just 4-for-17 with two runs, an RBI and two walks in his stint at AAA rehabbing after thumb surgery but showed plenty of magic with Atlanta last year slashing .321/.386/.533 with 9 bombs and 34 RBI in 44 games. He was a top five catcher last year and COVID survivor, Grey told you to BUY and he said, “Do I like The French Terminator better than the aforementioned catchers? Not really.” Wow! High praise! D’Arnaud is available in about half of leagues right now but that number is climbing fast. I’d grab him wherever I needed a catcher.

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

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Al, Tu, Al, Tu, Ve, Four

June 18, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 298 Comments

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“Okay, guys, to start the song we’re going to count out to four, but we’re going to count 1, 2…Then go back to the beginning and finish with 1, 2, 3, 4…Questions?”
“Hey, Bruce Springsteen, uh, yeah, big fan, and I’m happy to have the opportunity to show you I belong as a background vocalist in the E Street Band — ESB? Do people use that? Anyhoo…Have you considered hiring someone else to count, because ‘1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4’ isn’t how people count?”
“Who are you?”
“I saw a flyer at The Stone Pony for an opening in your band.”
“That flyer was supposed to be taken down 48 years ago. Get out of here.”

And that’s how we got the title for this post: Al, Tu, Al, Tu, Ve, Four. It’s also how many homers Jose Altuve (2-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, 16th homer, hitting .298) has in the last three games. He has eight homers in the last 10 games, but Bruce Springsteen never counted to eight. As another singer, Lady Sovereign, would sing, “Altuve is the biggest midget in the game!” That Lady Sovereign song is 15 years old, and now I feel 100 years old. Jose Altuve also has 16 homers in 57 games; his career high is 31. Maybe this time he can steal an MVP award from someone his own size (if he’s standing on top of a car, and you include the car’s weight). Imagine being Aaron Judge and saying Altuve stole an MVP from you. Bro, you stole the sun from anyone within 10 feet of you. It’s a form of cheating by just being big. At least that’s what I tell anyone who challenges me to any sporting event. So, drilling down on Altuve’s peripherals, he’s pulling everything, and his Launch Angle is a little goofy early on (as in high), which could lead to a lot of fly balls, and lower average, or more homers, if he’s connecting, as he has been. Now, if pitchers pound away, he might be in trouble. There’s a possibility here for him to come back to earth (small fall), but anyone would come back to earth after an eight-homer, ten-game stretch, but, in general, he seems back. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?