Saturday, May 31, 2014

MLB Sunday June 1 2014

Things were very comme ci, comme ca last night. Drew Smyly pissed me off to no end with his timidness of the weak and feeble Mariners lineup. Ryu was OK, but I was expecting dominant. Rays bats are in the middle of nowhere. Literally got saved by a late evening home run by Cespedes that managed to save me a few coins. The Trout late scratch threw my entire night off. Didn't have time to switch him out for Puig, and then got stuck with a bunch of salary as the next best option was Torii Hunter who was far cheaper, and ended up blessing me with a zero. But that's the way it goes sometimes. Gotta think on your feet in this business. Here's my picks to click for Sunday.

Pitchers:
- Gold: Chris Sale CWS - Sale draws the Padres today, which should be a mismatch on paper. The Padres have been a light hitting club that strikeouts a lot, which plays right into the hands of Sale. The question is will the White Sox get him enough runs to get the win.
- Silver: Zack Greinke LAD - Greinke has been cooking along so well lately, you almost feel like a dud could be in line somewhere. Pirates might be a team that could hand him that dud. But with Greinke dueling Edison Volquez and the Dodger bats coming off a 12 run game. There is a lot of safety in this play.
- Bronze: Max Scherzer DET - Scherzer is a stud, plain and simple. With Cano on the shelf, Scherzer faces a Mariners lineup that is less than stellar. Could very well be the potential for a high K game for Scherzer.
- Economy: Mark Buehrle TOR - Buehrle's price point is a smidge high for economy, but his value and matchup is too tough to ignore. The Royals are the type of Buehrle likes to feast on. Impatient bunch that generates a lot swings and misses. With the way the Jays are producing runs, the run support should be there.

Catchers:
- Gold: Devin Mesoraco CIN - Mesoraco is bursting onto the scene this season. With Votto on the shelf, Mesoraco has inherited a middle of the order spot and has done wonders with it. Is really starting to drive the ball. Mesoraco has the day off yesterday, and should be good to good today vs. lefty Wade Miley.
- Silver: Brian McCann NYY - McCann is starting to earn his stripes with the pinstripes. Slowly coming around with the bat though he has yet to fully take advantage of the short right center fence. He still has a prime hitting spot and the price point is just dandy in my eyes. Faces former Yankee Phil Hughes today.
- Bronze: Miguel Montero ARI - Montero faces Alfredo Simon, who got roughed up by the Dodgers in his last outing. Montero still hits cleanup for the D'Backs which give him plenty of RBI opportunities.
- Economy: Dioner Navarro TOR - I'm gonna keep plugging Navarro in here until they raise his price point. Faces Jeremy Guthrie, who throws one of the straightest fastballs in the history of baseball. I think the Jays mash today, but what else is new.

1st Base:
- Gold: Adrian Gonzalez LAD - The Dodger bats woke up in a big way vs. the Pirates last night. Now get the chance to rough up for Dodger, Edison Volquez. Bad timing for Volquez, great spot for the Dodgers to continue to mash.
- Silver: Edwin Encarnacion TOR - I wanna see him go cold for a stretch before I stop putting him here. He faces fastball tossing Jeremy Guthrie and as I have said before, Edwin loves his fastballs. His price point is just now, starting to hit the ridiculous stage, but its been aiming to get there for quite some time.
- Bronze: Miguel Cabrera DET - Miggy finally makes my list, not because he isn't a good hitter but more because he price point is so ridiculous, its tough building a lineup around with so many great, cheaper 1B options. Cabrera faces young lefty Elias, which seems like a matchup Miggy and his friends can take advantage of.
- Economy: Paul Konerko CWS - Konerko's best days are clearly behind him but still has the ability to mash soft tossing lefties, which he gets today in Eric Stults. Check with lineups to see if he's in, sometimes still sits even with lefties on the hill.

2nd Base:
- Gold: Jason Kipnis CLE - Kipnis got the day off yesterday with the Tribe facing a lefty. Today they face right hander Jhoulys Chacin. Kipnis has a few games under his belt now from his DL stint and is very close to rolling off a hitting streak. Have to figure he'll be in the middle of the Indians today.
- Silver: Ian Kinsler DET - I figure to have Kinsler and a few of his Tigers buddies in lineups with them facing lefty Roenis Elias. Detroit loves their left handed pitching. Elias has been in the league long enough now, that he hasn't been surprising many with stuff like he did early on. Kinsler is a guy that just makes solid contact.
- Bronze: Brandon Phillips CIN - Had himself a nice game last night and today, gets the chance to face lefty Wade Miley. Hit 3rd last night but with Mesoraco out, so it will be interesting to see where he hits today.
- Economy: Derek Dietrich MIA - Not much in the way of economy at 2B, but Dietrich has always been a favorite filler of mine. Decent price point, usually hits 2nd for the Marlins. Faces Aaron Harang today, whom I'm always baffled at how he gets hitters out.

3rd Base:
- Gold: Lonnie Chisenhall CLE - Chisenhall is quickly becoming a favorite of mine at the hot corner. He even played yesterday in a lefty v lefty. I imagine they may move Santana to first once he comes of the DL. Guy is hitting .360+, so monitor closely, a cold streak could be just around the corner with him. Faces Chacin today.
- Silver: Yangervis Solarte NYY - Another one of my favorites at the hot corner. Qualifies at 2B on some sites, which makes him even more attractive. Solarte had a nice game yesterday to break out of a slump, so I'd deploy him with confidence vs. Phil Hughes.
- Bronze: Evan Longoria TB - Longoria planted me with a zero last night, so I'm not exactly enamoured with him, but baseball is a finicky game that way. Rays bats in general are stuck in the mud. Faces lefty Jon Lester today, of which he has 3 taters against lifetime.
- Economy: Matt Dominguez HOU - Dominguez is quickly gaining notoriety as one of those low average mashers. Faces lefty Wei-Yin Chen. Is getting some looks in the cleanup spot vs. left handed pitching. Check with lineup on this one, but the price is definitely good.

Shortstop:
- Gold: Hanley Ramirez LAD - Had to move him up from the bronze spot to the gold spot after yesterday's shenanigans. 4 for 4, couple of jacks, yeah, I'm paying attention. Draws Edison Volquez to boot today, yeah, I'm expecting the Dodgers to continue to mash.
- Silver: Alexei Ramirez CWS - ARamirez still feels like a secret even though his price point says he shouldn't be. Might be because of where he hits in the lineup. No bother, he faces lefty Eric Stults today and is a dual threat to steal or hit for power.
- Bronze: Asdrubal Cabrera CLE - ACabrera is the guy I compare to a hockey pest. Doesn't do anything for the longest time and then, BAM!, he right in your face. Cabrera has a good matchup vs. Chacin but seems to be matchup deficient, so tough call on this, but its a light day at SS. Besides I really like the Tribe to mash Chacin today.
- Economy: Eduardo Escobar MIN - Another down the order, light hitting slappy occupies the economy SS spot again. Tough to ignore his .322 but has little power and isn't likely to swipe a bag, so he is what he is. Unlikely to give you a big number, but also unlikely to grace you with a zero.

Oufielders:
- Gold: Jose Bautista TOR - Bautista & Encarnacion are fixtures on this list regardless of handedness of the pitcher. Guthrie is a fastball pitcher, Bautista is a fastball hitter, 'nuff said. Love these guys when they play at home.
- Gold: Yasel Puig LAD - Stacking Dodgers today is not a bad idea, and if you do, Puig needs to be in the middle of that. Guy is a table setter and a run producer all in the same bat.
- Silver: Michael Brantley CLE - If you believe the Indians will rough up Chacin, like I do, then Brantley needs to be in the middle of that. I really like the way the Tribe have been swinging the bats over the last couple of games.
- Silver: Michael Bourn CLE - Geez, getting pretty close to Tribe stack here. Bourn's effectiveness is in the base stealing, so he's only going to be effective if the game is close. Kind of a hedge play.
Bourn is sitting at a nice price point.
- Bronze: George Springer HOU - I'm pretty sure I'm late to the party when it comes to Springer, but here he is. 5 tool prodigy that can pile up points in many different ways. He's young, so he goes thru prolonged stretches of coldness, but right now, he is as hot as a firecracker.
- Bronze: Dayan Viciedo CWS - You'll likely only see Viciedo here if the White Sox are facing a soft tossing, mediocre lefty. Enter Eric Stults. Viciedo usually hits cleanup when the White Sox are facing lefties.
- Economy: Jonny Gomes Bos - Gomes mashes lefties and the Sox face Erik Bedard. Should be a very ripe matchup for Gomes to chew on. Like that Gomes price point is still reasonable even though he's playing everyday.











Friday, May 30, 2014

MLB: Saturday May 31 2014

Another decent last night, might have had things a smidge out of order, but things worked out modestly alright. Pitching was a roller coaster ride that generally ended up OK, outside of Wainwright, who was just "off" and his price point is too high for him to be "off". The bats never really caught fire, though the Brewers bashed around Travis Wood as I expected. To counter that, the Orioles couldn't do much with Oberholtzer which kept my team from hitting the stratosphere. Keep in mind, I stay strictly with the night games, Monday thru Saturday. With that in mind, there are only 5 games on the sked, so you'll probably be detecting a theme here.

Pitchers:
- Gold: Hyun-Jin Ryu LAD - Comfortably my best pitcher of the day. Since coming off the DL, Ryu has been lights out. Faces a Pirates squad that has some free swinging lefties. He'll have to be wary of the righties, but generally keeps the ball in the park. His price is starting to creep upwards but still at a decent price point.
- Silver: Johnny Cueto CIN - Would be considered for the gold spot if his price point wasn't so high. Every once in awhile Cueto has a stinker that makes you wonder why you paid for him. He faces the D'Backs who have a predominantly right handed lineup. Should play to his favor.
- Bronze: Drew Smyly DET - The Mariners loathe left handed pitching, like just despise the stuff. Largely because most of their best hitters are left handed. Add to that, Cano dealing with an injury, and things look pretty smooth for Mr. Smyly.
- Economy: Chris Young SEA - What Smyly is to the Mariners, Young is somewhat to the Tigers. A right handed pitcher facing a largely right handed hitting lineup. Difference is Tigers have fearsome hitters that don't really mind either handedness. Young has been decent so far this season and is pitching in a pitchers park, but to be honest, you should stick with the top 3.

Catchers:
- Gold: Derek Norris OAK - Norris mashes left handed pitching and faces Tyler Skaggs tonight. Skaggs has decent stuff but is prone to the long ball. That's where I feel Norris will make hay tonight. On a down night for hitting catchers, the best we can hope for is low percentage crushers.
- Silver: A.J. Pierzynski BOS - Faces Jake Over Easy (Odorizzi). Pierzynski is getting long in the tooth, but is hitting in the middle of the Sox lineup and still hitting modestly well. All we can hope for is opportunity out of the catchers spot tonight.
- Bronze: Chris Iannetta LAA - Another low percentage masher facing a lefty in Tommy Milone. Lost a lot of the catching duties to Hank Conger this season, mainly in a platoon split now. With the lefty on the mound, I expect him to be in the lineup.
- Economy: Brayan Pena CIN - Dropped most of the catching duties to Devin Mesoraco this season. But with Votto out of the lineup, it will either be him or Donald Lutz manning 1B, with an outside chance Todd Frazier moves over there. Faces Brandon McCarthy if given the opportunity.

1st Base:
- Gold: David Ortiz BOS - Ortiz is getting longer in the tooth. His cold streaks last a little longer than they have in the past. But the dude is still one fearsome hitter. I can't imagine how Jake Odorizzi is going to navigate these ABs. May just end up in a bunch of BBs.
- Silver: Adrian Gonzalez LAD - Gonzalez faces unknown quantity Brandon Cumpton, which alone should be worthy of a gold spot. But as of late AGone has been hitting in the 5th spot which knocks down his value a peg since he's still being paid as a top of the order guy. At any rate, Gonzalez deserves to be on this list and should be deployed without hesitation, if one so desires.
- Bronze: Albert Pujols LAA - Pujols gets another opportunity to face a lefty, this time in the form of Tommy Milone. Definitely a better matchup for Pujols to be facing these softer tossing lefties. Pujols has become more of a streaky hitter as he ages, right now, he's in a bit of a down slump, so be wary.
- Ecomony: James Loney TB - Loney is such an unheralded player in the fantasy sports world. Mostly because he's a non power bat at a power position. But the dude still hits .290, drives in runs and puts up consistent points. Does all of that at decent prices. It's really tough to punt 1B though.

2nd Base:
- Gold: Dee Gordon LAD - Oh, Mr. Gordon we meet again? Are you going swipe some bags for us tonight? Oh, who the frick knows. All we know is when he does, he swipes two or three at a time. The ultimate high price boom/bust play in all of Fantasy Baseball, just due to the price point. He has the matchup to do damage vs. Cumpton.
- Silver: Howie Kendrick LAA - I like Kendrick when he faces lefties, then gets the chance to hit in the 4 or 5 spot and the RBI opportunities are there. Draws Tommy Milone tonight. I have a feeling this A's/Angels game will be a lot like the run fest it was last night.
- Bronze Dustin Pedroia BOS - Pedroia has run a lot on cold this season and his numbers reflect it. But John Farrell keeps rolling him out there, hitting high in the order, and that's good enough for me to deploy him. Face Odorizzi in a righty v righty matchup. Eventually Pedroia will have a breakout game, its just a matter of when.
Economy: Grant Green LAA - Green seemingly gets the chance to play every time the Halos play vs. lefties. He hits down the order but at this price all you can ask for is a chance. Oh btw, did you know he is hitting +.370? Yeah, I didn't either.

3rd Base:
- Gold: Josh Donaldson OAK - How can I not have him in the gold spot? The guy is absolutely crushing the ball now and is one of those ultimate streaky hitters. Faces Tyler Skaggs and like Derek Norris mentioned above, will be looking for mistakes he can crush.
- Silver: Evan Longoria TB - You know me, I hate righty v righty matchups. But this one is two one sided to ignore. Longoria faces short guy turned long guy turned starter Rubby De La Rosa in what I think is his first start in the majors. Just seems to beneficial of a matchup for Longoria to ignore.
- Bronze: David Freese LAD - Not a fan of David Freese per se, as the dude has a holy swing, and I don't mean as in higher power. But everything is in place for him to do some damage. Faces lefty? Check. Hitting cleanup? Check. Has great hitters in front of him? Check. Freese just has to show up with a bat and he'll get points through osmosis.
- Economy: Chone Figgins LAD - One time fantasy gawd, blast from the past Chone Figgins. Now just a slappy platoon fill in. He played last night, so may not play tonight, but the price is right and the lineup around him is pretty stacked. It's a "check with lineups" on this play.

Shortstop:
- Gold: Billy Hamilton CIN - Some sites have him listed at SS, others strictly OF. Either way, things are lines up for Hamilton to do some damage vs. Brandon McCarthy. Hopefully his legs are in fine running order tonight.
- Silver: Jed Lowrie OAK - Good ol' Mr. Reliable. Lowrie is really a breakout player but just a guy you can count on for some points. At a position as light hitting as shortstop is on a lot of nights, its really all you can ask for. Faces lefty Tyler Skaggs.
- Bronze: Hanley Ramirez LAD - His talent should have him higher on the list but since returning from injury, he has yet to show much of anything. His price point is slowly creeping downward, meaning once he finds his swing again, might be a time to buy low. Faces Cumpton, so that night could be tonight, or could be a good night to punt the SS position.
- Economy: Zach Cozart CIN - I feel dirty for putting him here but there just isn't a lot of good value at the SS position outside of Jed Lowrie. One of these days he may have a good, might even be tonight. But his numbers as of right now are super low, therefore so is his price point.

Outfield:
- Gold: Mike Trout ANA - Mike Trout and his inflated price point takes the top outfield spot for tonight. On a light night, how can it not? Facing lefty Tommy Milone in that cavern of a ballpark, meaning if he hits a gapper, he'll be running forever.
- Gold: Yasel Puig LAD - More righty v righty crime, but its Puig vs. Cumpton, so how can I look away? I can't, I just can't. Puig is one of the very Dodgers that is hitting and hitting well. Dodgers seem to be in a lull right now. Like they know they are better than everyone but they are taking a break. They will be back soon, mashing, may even be tonight.
- Silver: Yoenis Cespedes OAK - I think a strong approach would be stacking the A's/Angels. Too many strong right handed bats for these lefties to navigate. Cespedes is just another one to throw onto the pile.
- Silver: Jay Bruce CIN - Jay "They Still Call Me" Bruce. As long as your manager keeps batting you cleanup, I have to keep looking at you. Now that your price point is more than manageable, I have to keep looking at you. Now all you have to do is hit, please? Brandon McCarthy is just waiting to be roughed up.
- Bronze: Grady Sizemore BOS - Sizemore is kind of a hit/miss guy at this stage of his career. Still crafty enough to have a good game here or there, but doesn't seem to catch the fastball like he once did. With Odorizzi on the mound, the matchup is there, just a matter of whether the execution will be. Wish Farrell would put him a smidge higher in the order.
- Bronze: Wil Myers TB - Big Willy style's average is starting to creep up while is price point is trending downward. Seems like a good time to buy cheap especially vs. Rubby De La Rosa.
- Economy: David DeJesus TB - Sizemore, Myers & DeJesus could all qualify for the economy spot. Needless to say, if you are looking for some good cheapies in the OF, look to the BOS/TB game. DeJesus hits lead off, so he'll get the chances but beware of the late game sub on DeJesus as Joe Madden will pull him for matchup purposes.






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Thursday, May 29, 2014

MLB: Friday May 30 2014

Better night last night. Some misses, a lot of hits. Pitching was pretty ugly. My economy pick, Zack Wheeler, ended up being one of the best picks of the night. Really needed Josh Collmenter if you wanted to win anything of substance last night. Collmenter might have been the last guy I picked to have a great night, but that's the way it goes sometimes. Sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose some. Overall, it was a pretty good night for me. Let's check and see what's going on for Friday.

Pitchers:
- Gold: A.J. Burnett PHI - Burnett has not been pitching well lately, but draws the motley Mets, chalk full of swings and misses. Burnett's stuff is still pretty fine, but he has had issues with wildness and other teams being patient. Mets are not known for their patience. I expect a bounce back game from Burnett tonight at home.
- Silver: Adam Wainwright STL - Wainwright has been as absolute stud as of late. His price point suggests so as well. While not an ideal matchup vs. Bumgarner and the Giants, Wainwright has two things going for him this game. The Cards mash lefties & the Giants best hitters are predominantly right handed free swingers. Wainwright's breaking stuff should be put to fine use tonight.
-  Bronze: Steven Strasburg WSH - Strasburg has very quietly come back into rookie season form, having gone 7+ inning 5 out of his last 6 starts. The Ks are back, his stuff is back. The Rangers have ultra aggressive bats which will either help or hurt Strasburg. This is really a boom or bust pick.
- Economy: Vidal Nuno NYY - Nuno faces Twins tonight. If Joe Saunders can generate a lot of swings and misses on the Twins, why can't Nuno? Nuno is not known for going deep into game, so one will have to temper enthusiasm, but I think there is a lot of safety in this play, especially with the Yankees bats salivating at the thought of hitting vs. Ricky Nolasco.

Catchers:
- Gold: Jonathan Lucroy MIL - Brewers are built to mash lefties and they get to face Travis Wood who is always around the plate. Lucroy has has a mighty fine season hitting in the middle of the Brewers lineup. I can't see how Wood can navigate with ease through this lineup
- Silver: Brian McCann NYY - McCann has had hitting woes early on this season. I feel like Ricky Nolasco and a short porch in right field in Yankee Stadium will help alleviate some of that pain. As long a Joe Girardi keeps penning him into the middle of the Yankees lineup, I'll keep penning him into my lineups. Guy is still at a reasonable price to boot.
- Bronze: Jason Castro HOU - I just have a soft spot for reasonably price catchers hitting cleanup. Castro is going through a bit of a hitting funk, but draws Miguel Gonzalez tonight. You could do a lot worse than Castro.
- Economy: Dioner Navarro TOR - As long as Navarro's price point stays stagnant and R.A. Dickey isn't pitching, Navarro will probably be a fixture in this spot. Guy seems to be at bat with guys on base. Hits down the order so he avoids having Edwin or Jose cleaning the bases for him.

1st Base:
- Gold: Edwin Encarnacion TOR - Who else? I don't know how anyone can go away from this guy. All he does is mash. He has 16 HRs IN THE MONTH OF MAY! It's ridiculous, he is about as locked in as anyone I have ever seen. Oh yeah and he draws soft tossing lefty Jason Vargas. Good luck Vargas. Edwin may just get 4 BBs tonight.
- Silver: Albert Pujols LAA - If you have psychic ability and see Edwin putting up a dud tonight, well Albert will have himself a nice matchup vs. lefty Drew Pomeranz. Pujols had yesterday off, so should be good to go, unless he's hurt and well, that changes everything.
- Bronze: Ryan Howard PHI - Mr Hit & Miss himself gets to face Rafael Montero. Montero actually has good stuff but he's young and prone to mistakes, and there is nothing Howard likes to feast on more than chunky fastballs. Howard's price point is decent enough if you are looking to spend elsewhere.
- Economy: Tommy Medica SD - Kind of a hidden secret right now. All he has done in his last two games is hit 2 HRs and 5 RBIs, including damn near hitting for the cycle in his last game. Oh yeah, and he faces the mistake prone John Danks.

2nd Base:
- Gold: Chase Utley PHI - A lot of the things that applied to Ryan Howard apply here. Utley loves fastballs and loves rookie pitching. Montero has and is both. Utley has just been raking this year hitting +.330 range.
- Silver: Jason Kipnis CLE - Kipnis is only one game removed from a stint on the DL, so tempered enthusiasm is a must. But Terry Francona didn't hesitate to put him back in the cleanup spot first game back. It shouldn't be long before Kipnis finds his swing. Draws Juan Nicasio tonight.
- Bronze Yangervis Solarte NYY - I love Solarte's approach and swing. It can do so much damage with the short right field in Yankee Stadium. The higher Solarte hits in the Yankees lineup, the better it is for all of his owners. So check that first before deploying him.
- Economy: Danny Valencia KC - Usually finding an economy middle infielder ends up being some bottom of the order slappy. Valencia is slightly better than that and draws left J.A. Happ tonight. I imagine Valencia will be in the lineup tonight.

3rd Base:
- Gold: Mark Reynolds MIL - Yeah, I'm loading up the right handed bats on Milwaukee vs. Travis Wood. Reynolds is literally all or nothing. He'll either hit the big fly or strikeout four times, and rarely is there anything in between. But with a light night at the hot corner, Reynolds makes the top spot.
- Silver: Lonnie Chisenhall CLE - Burned me the last time out by gracing me with a big, fat ZERO! But us dfs'ers and fantasy types have to have a short memory, amirite? Chisenhall is still hitting in middle of the Indians' order while Santana is away with a concussion. The Indians draw Nicasio, so left handed bats should be deployed.
- Bronze: Manny Machado BAL - On many of the poop lists these days, including his own manager who has resorted to moving him down the order. Ultra slow start and a Mendoza line type average will do that for a guy. Machado has a chance to make amends by facing lefty Brett Oberholtzer. Did I mention its a light night for 3rd base?
- Economy: Kelly Johnson NYY - Not a fan of Kelly Johnson per se, because often he looks over matched. But every once in awhile he has a game that shouts, "SEE, I TOLD YA I COULD HIT!" Johnson could very well have that night tonight vs. Ricky Nolasco. That's if he plays, depending on the availability of Mark Teixeira.

Shortstop:
- Gold: Jean Segura MIL - I'm targeting Wood like I targeted Cingrani last night. Pleathora of right handed bats vs. left handed pitching. Segura has spent the last few games hitting leadoff for the Brew Crew. That's good enough for me to have him on the list.
- Silver: Asdrubal Cabrera CLE - ACabrera did me dirty like Chisenhall did on Wednesday night. But one has to forgive in this business and move forward. Liking a lot of the Indians left handed bats vs. Nicasio tonight.
- Bronze: Hanley Ramirez LAD - On paper, this should be a favorable matchup for Ramirez vs. Liriano. Lirano has been a hot mess this season, lefty vs. righty matchup, Ramirez hitting in the middle of the vaunted Dodger order. The only thing that bugs me about this is Ramirez is hitting sub .250 and just coming off a DL stint, therefore I feel he's overpriced. Otherwise, deploy.
- Economy: Andrelton Simmons ATL: Not a fan of this play other than the fact I know he'll play. He hits down the lineup, faces righty Tom Koehler, but to be honest, there really is not much for the economy class. Shortstop in general is pretty much a wasteland tonight.

Outfield:
- Gold: Nelson Cruz BAL - Cruz has been mashing somewhat quietly, largely due to Encarnacion and his hitting phenomenon. Cruz vs Oberholtzer in Houston? I can't think of a better matchup than that.
- Gold: Adam Jones BAL - May as well put his bash brother beside him. I think Cruz and Jones feast tonight and the Orioles tally a pile of runs. Astros have been playing well lately and are due for a "crash down to Earth" type game.
- Silver: Chris Gomez MIL - Gomez has some serious swag, but its well deserved. Guy can do it all and is now hitting cleanup so he can pile up RBIs too? Sign me up.
- Silver: Ryan Braun MIL - Another set of bash bros in the silver spots. Not as fond of Braun now that he's hitting in the two hole. But the dude can still hit and hit for power which cannot be ignored. The gang up on Travis Wood continues. If Wood tosses a gem, Imma gonna lose my mind.
- Bronze: Jose Bautista TOR - Its criminal for me to put Bautista this low on the list vs. a soft tossing lefty like Jason Vargas. But this is where the outfield is at for today. Pick your poison, plenty of options.
- Bronze Yasel Puig LAD - Puig is another guy that gets to face a struggling lefty in Liriano and has been mashing as of late. But what can ya do, 3 outfield spots, plenty o' options. Needless to say, spending on OF would be a wise option today.
- Economy Jonny Gomes BOS - Gomes gets the daunting task of facing David Price but crushes left handing pitching, and loves him those fastballs. Something has got to give in this matchup. If you need a punt, Gomes is a good option for testing out the Green Monster.










Wednesday, May 28, 2014

MLB: Thursday May 29 2014

Not a particularly great first night for this blog. Bats were non-existent, but it was that way largely across the board. Finished middle of the pack in a lot of bigger tournies. Found some loose change in league matches. Well, I am back again to take another swing at things.

Pitchers:
- Gold: R.A Dickey TOR - Dickey has been pitching much better of late and his counterpart Shields has been going the other direction. I can't see the Royals bats being patient enough with Dickey's knuckler. It's also more about the Toronto bats giving him run support. I think this is the game Dickey rounds back into 2012 form.
- Silver: Jake Peavy BOS - I go with Peavy for the same reason I went with Lackey last night. Braves hate veteran right handed pitching. They have a tough time making contact meaning the Ks should be there for Peavy.
- Bronze: Dan Haren LA - Like Dickey, I put Haren on the list more for the team he plays on than the pitcher himself. Haren is kind of a mixed bag, never know what your going to get from game to game, but the Pirates have a tendancy to be a free swinging bunch. On a tough night for pitching matchups, it's a time to look for bats when deciding on pitching.
- Economy: Zach Wheeler NYM - I'm finding Wheeler's prices a little low, especially on the site I play on, DraftKings. Partly because of the team he plays for should be sued for lack of support, partly because Wheeler is still finding his way through the league. His stuff is still mighty fine and should find Ks vs. the Phils, but also comes with a rough up warning as Phils have a gauntlet of left handed bats in their lineup.

Catchers:
- Gold: Buster Posey SFG - Posey will likely be a fixture on this list most nights, as one of the best hitting catchers in the game. Faces lefty Jaime Garcia in an ideal matchup on paper, though Cards pitchers have a tendency to give the runs down. But on a light night for catcher, Posey easily mans the top spot.
- Silver: Jason Castro Hou - Castro has never met a fastball he doesn't like and he'll face a quality one in Ubaldo Jimenez. Castro is hitting cleanup for Astros that has a surprising amount of offense in those bats this year. Castro is really the only other quality option at catcher outside of Posey.
- Bronze: Hank Conger LAA - This where the drop off in hitting catchers occurs, but anyone facing Brandon Maurer should feel like a safe play. Conger does hit fairly well, though does hit well down the lineup. Feel free to insert Chris Iannetta if he happens to be catching instead.
- Economy: Mike Zunino SEA - Pretty much in play for the same reasons as Conger. Faces spot starting lefty in Wade Leblanc. Hits down the Mariners lineup but likes to mash left handed pitching. Feel free to insert John Buck if gets the start instead of Zunino. CORRECTION: Matt Shoemaker is likely pitching for the Halos, but I'd still feel comfortable with Zunino at these prices.

1st Base:
- Gold: Edwin Encarnacion TOR - These days, I'd pretty much ride Edwin like a mule. Guys mashing the middle of the Blue Jays. Jays face the enigmatic James Shields. Shields will either be brilliant or suck immensely. There is no in between with him. With the way the Jays are locked in, I figure Shields will have a tough time finding outs.
- Silver: Paul Goldschmidt ARI - Goldschmidt is pretty automatic to be here when facing a lefty. He faces Tony Cingrani. The Cingrani of last year, I'd be a little more hesitant with Goldy, but this year's Cingrani has been no great shakes. Goldy just finds ways to put points on the boards.
- Bronze: Chris Davis BAL - Davis is my own personal kryptonite which infuriates me to no end. I pick him, he Ks a ton, I fade him, homers everywhere. Just never know when he's going to explode. When he does, it's usually pretty epic. Faces righty Brad Peacock, who is an enigma in his own right. This matchup could go any which way.
- Economy: Marc Krauss HOU - Not should why you'd want to with the 3 aforementioned above. 1B is a tough position to fade, but here he is Mr. Economy Marc Krauss. Left handed hitting Krauss will likely get the nod with righty Jimenez on the mound, though likely hitting down the lineup. Krauss is literally an all or nothing player. Will put up a pile with a homer or put up a donut. Either way, if you need a fade, there he is.

2nd Base:
- Gold: Aaron Hill ARI - The D'backs should pose a RH hitting minefield for the young Cingrani tonight. Hill is another player that hasn't met a fastball he doesn't like and Cingrani is chalk full of them. on paper, this seems like a really good matchup for Hill.
- Silver: Dustin Pedroia BOS - Pedroia faces his own lefty in Mike Minor. Minor is more a junk throwing lefty, though Pedroia has more than enough plate patience to wait him out. Like it better now that Pedroia has recently been hitting in the three spot.
- Bronze: Matt Carpenter STL - Carpenter has slowly been coming around with the bat lately, though his power numbers are still way down. Carpenter price point is now middle of the pack in terms of 2B, so even if all he does is gets on base, he'll still be worth it. Faces the overachieving Vogelsong tonight.
- Economy: Nick Franklin SEA - Bottom of the order hitting Nick Franklin is as good as it gets for economy class at 2B. Since the Mariners are facing left Wade LeBlanc and are totally bereft of right handed bats, good chance Franklin plays. CORRECTION: Like Zunino, Franklin faces Matt Shoemaker, might get bumped tonight for Brad Miller, so keep an eye on his situation.

3rd Base:
- Gold: David Wright NYM - Wright gets the gold spot at 3B tonight, facing right David Buchanen in his 2nd start. Wright has been the lone shining light on an otherwise dismal Mets offense. Things are setup for the Mets to have their "sun shining on a dogs ass" moment. Wright power numbers are down, but has solid numbers across the board.
- Silver: Martin Prado ARI - It's going to be feast or famine with me on the Arizona bats vs. Cingrani. Prado is just another right handed hitter that feasts on lefty pitching. Arizona bats are starting to come around as they put up a 12 spot on the Padres last night. Prado homered in last night's game.
- Bronze: Juan Francisco TOR - Francisco has been a godsend for the Jays this season. Another power lefty bat gives them a great blend of hitters from both sides of the plate. Francisco is an all or nothing hitter. He'll either pound Shields' fastball or get baffled by his changeup.
- Economy: Chone Figgins LAD - Not much for punt at 3B either. Enter slappy hitter Chone Figgins who's been quietly doing things at both ends of the Dodgers order. Figgins seems to be in a semi-platoon situation with Justin Turner at 3rd base, so keep an eye at who gets the nod here.

Shortstop:
- Gold: Jose Reyes TOR - Another player that started off slow that is now starting to come around, both with the bat and his legs. On a light night for the SS, being table setter for the hottest bats in the league will have to do. If he gets on base, its gonna be a long night for Shields.
- Silver: Manny Aybar LAA - Probably doing a disservice for not putting more Angels vs. Brandon Maurer, so here is Aybar. Not much for power but has the tendency to get all slappy and make himself a tough out. Did I mention its a light night at SS?
- Bronze: Chris Owings ARI - May as well finish off the quartet for the D'Backs infield. Boy I hope Cingrani is off his game.
- Economy: Jonathan Villar HOU - Another slappy hitting SS hitting at the bottom of the order. Villar, much like Aybar, has the tendency to put in tough ABs. If yer lucky, he might swipe you a bag.

Outfield:
- Gold: Jose Bautista TOR - I don't really fear the righty v righty matchup due to the fact that Shields doesn't have much for breaking pitches. As long as the Jays stay patient, Shields will be around the plate and there will be plenty of ripe strikes to pound. Bautista is right in the middle of all of this.
- Gold: Melky Cabrera TOR - I like Cabrera for the same reason I dislike Shields. Cabrera will make Shields come to him and throw strikes. Cabrera is a patient hitter that will spray the ball all over the park. Cabrera has been a tough out all year and continues to set the table for the heart of the Jays order.
- Silver: Mike Trout LAA - Trout should like be a gold play, but since his steals are down and his price point is still way up, I have a hard time justifying it. All the same this just seems like such a ridiculous mismatch in his matchup vs. Maurer. Trout is still pounding the ball as hard as he ever has.
- Silver: Kole Calhoun LAA - When Calhoun first came off the DL, his price point was far too high. Now that his price point is at a decent range and a few games under his belt, its time for him to mash. And who better than vs. Maurer.
- Bronze: Jay Bruce CIN - Have you seen his price point lately? What? Have I seen his batting average lately? Yeah, I know, its creeping near the Mendoza line. Bruce is still too good of a hitter to be hanging out with the dregs. Y'know there is a breakout game for Bruce just around the corner. Who better than vs. Josh Collmenter.
- Bronze: Curtis Granderson NYM - Speaking of dregs, here's another guy that is grossly underachieving. But he keeps getting trotted out there hitting cleanup, every once in awhile he proves his worth. Tonight could be one of those games vs. 2nd time starter David Buchanen.
- Economy: Donald Lutz CIN - Lutz looks like a guy that should be playing community slo-pitch on the weekend. But if there is one thing he can do, he can mash. And with him being a bit of a secret, with Votto on the DL, he makes for a sneaky play vs. Collmenter.














Tuesday, May 27, 2014

MLB: Wednesday May 28 2014

So, I've been playing Fantasy Sports for 3 years now, and decided to give blogging a try. Mostly for myself to get my thoughts out on something, just so its easier to decipher in a pinch, especially under the pressure of the clock. I set it up in a gold, silver, bronze, economy type scenario. Economy is the under 3500 for hitters and under 7500 for pitcher on DraftKings, which is the site I play on currently. I take salary, streaks, injuries, indoor/outdoor, all into play. All my players below may or may not get into the lineup, so, check on lineups before the game starts. This is just a general guideline I use for myself and it looks into matchups that I deem beneficial. I play generally the night games, except for Sundays.

Pitcher:
- Gold: Clayton Kershaw LAD - Kershaw followed up his crappy start with a gem vs. the Mets. His price is sky high, but the return should be solid. The Reds lineup without Votto just isn't the same a lot of freeswinging impatience in that lineup as of now.
- Silver: John Lackey BOS - Lackey is what Lackey is. Pounds strike zone, occasionally gets roughed up. But versus the Braves who have a lot of right handed bats to fool, Lackey can make some hay. Braves strike out a lot, so there will be a lot of points there for the taking if he is on his game.
- Bronze: Joe Saunders TEX - Saunders just coming off the 15 DL, may be on a pitch count, but is a ripe matchup as the crafty lefty faces a young Twins squad that likes to get taken to school. Twins are slowly getting better at finding balance within their lineup but it is still an inexperienced one. It's the type of matchup Saunders thrives in. His price point could qualify in the economy class as well.
- Economy: Chase Anderson ARI - Chase Anderson has burst on the scene with some mighty fine stuff. But like any young pitcher, his arm is fleeting, comes and goes as it pleases. The Padres are hitting well for now, but no way can it last. Anderson got roughed up in his last start which was 10 days ago, so he's had time to think of things. Boom or bust play.

Catcher:
- Gold: Brian McCann NYY - McCann's bat is starting to heat up after a dreadful start. Yankees bats in eneral are just in a slumber right now. But on a night when catching is light, and no one knows what to expect from Shelby Miller from day to day, McCann makes for a good start at a reasonable price.
- Silver: Miguel Montero ARI - Love catchers that hit clean up, especially ones that hit behind Goldschmidt. Montero numbers are meh to OK so far this season. Stauffer is actually tougher on lefties than righties but what can I say its a meh kinda day for catchers.
- Bronze: Yan Gomes CLE - Hate righty on righty matchup in general, but there is too much upside in this matchup to ignore. Noesi is getting roughed up whenever he's taking the mound. Injuries to Indians have moved Gomes up to the 5th spot. Gomes has had some surprising pop in his bat this season.
- Economy: Dioneer Navarro TOR - Don't particularly like the matchup vs. Archer but Navarro is almost at punt prices. The long ball has gotten very contagious in Toronto lately and it seems like every arm that has been in there has been roughed up by the Blue Jays. Navarro has even gotten into the act with a couple of long balls this week. It's not a bad play to keep riding the Jays while they are hot.

1st Base:
- Gold: David Ortiz BOS - Ortiz LOVES Gavin Floyd. Ortiz loves hitting at Fenway. Everything in this matchup is perfectly ripe. I'd be stunned if Ortiz doesn't have a big night at the plate tonight.
- Silver: Adrian Gonzalez LAD - Gonzalez draws Homer Bailey, and Homer likes to give up the homers. Dodger bats are starting to come around like they should, and Adrian is right in the middle of that. Adrien is about as professional a hitter as they come.
- Bronze: Edwin Encarnacion TOR - I'd be doing a disservice if I didn't put Edwin here somewhere. The guy is the hottest hitter on the planet right now. There is no fastball safe from Edwin, even one as formidable as the one Chris Archer has. Edwin's prices are still decent considering the hurt he's been putting on the baseball.
- Economy: Paul Konerko CHW - Not sure why you`d want to go cheap at 1B tonight, but if you are looking for a punt, I give you Paul Konerko. Facing newcomer TJ House, Konerko is still crafty enough to put the hurt on some newbies. That White Sox/Indians game should have runs galore.

2nd Base:
- Gold: Chase Utley PHI - I feel like at some point Jordan Lyles will come back down to Earth, and Philly seems like a good place for that to happen. Utley in in the middle of that left handed hitting moshpit is going to be a murderer's row for Lyles to face.
- Silver: Ian Kinsler DET - Speaking of murderer's row, the Tigers have the right handed version of that and get to face lefty Scott Kazmir. Kazmir is another pitcher that I feel is pitching over his head. Kazmir gets a real stiff test from the right handed bats of the Tigers. Kinsler is a doubles hitting machine in a place that loves doubles.
- Bronze: Dee Gordon LAD - Dee is an infuriating daily player to own because he clearly buys in bulk. You just never know what day its going to be when he goes all jack rabbit around the bases. His price point is a bit high for my liking but has a nice matchup vs. Homer Bailey.
- Economy: Scooter Gennett MIL - I assume he will be playing tonight with the Brewers facing Bud Norris. Gennett has had a couple of days off with the Brew Crew facing lefties. When Gennett has been playing, he's been raking, and still doing it at a decent price point.

3rd Base:
- Gold: Lonnie Chisenhall CLE - The last time the Indians faced a righty, Chisenhall hit cleanup. Facing Noesi, he gets a prime matchup, hitting in a prime spot. Chisenhall is hitting a tidy .370 so far. There is so much upside to this matchup at very modest price.
- Silver: Yangervis Solarte NYY - Solarte continues to feel like a secret in the middle of the Yankees lineup. Hits 5th when the Yankees don't use a DH, like tonight. Solarte, when on, drives line drives all over the place. Draws Shelby Miller, like McCann, a kind of boom/bust play.
- Bronze: Adrian Beltre TEX - Another one of those dreaded righty on righty matchup but Beltre faces Kyle Gibson. Beltre is a mistake hitter and Gibson is prone to mistakes. Seems like a matchup that Beltre can benefit from, especially Texas can get baserunners in front of him.
- Economy: Nick Castellenos DET - Castellenos is a down the order type that has had some success this season. Has a nice matchup vs. Kazmir. If things go as I expect where the top of the Tigers order, Castellenos might get some good hitting spots at the bottom of the order.

Shortstop:
- Gold: Alexei Ramirez CHI - Ramirez is quietly raking this year, but the noise is starting to get louder as his price point is on a steady upswing. Draws lefty TJ House. In House's one start, he gave up hits like it was going out of style. Seems like a night for the White Sox righties to do some damage.
- Silver: Asdrubal Cabrera CLE - Loading up on Indians/WhiteSox seems to be the order of the night. Cabrera is back and hitting 2nd yesterday after getting the weekend off. Price point is very modest for Cabrera.
- Bronze: Jean Segura MIL - As of now, he's getting some run hitting leading off for the Brew Crew. And if he's hitting leadoff, I'm expecting steals. Segura was a fantasy savior for many last season, this year off to a slow start but seems to be coming around. Faces Bud Norris, more righty on righty crime.
- Economy: Cole Figueroa TB -  If you are looking for a pure minimum wage punt at a tradtionally poor fantasy position, then Figueroa is your guy. Figueroa faces Liam Hendriks, a Triple Aer in his own right. Figueroa is Zobrist's short term replacement. Makes sure Figueroa gets in the lineup before using him as a punt.

Outfield:
- Gold: Michael Brantley CLE - The Hector Noesi onslaught continues. Brantley is htting thirs these days and the lefty has a ripe matchup vs. the righty Noesi. It's going to be crucial for the Indians to get on Noesi quick, otherwise it could all blow up in my face.
- Gold: Micheal Bourn CLE - I feel like one of Bourn/Brantley will have a big game, if not both. Either Bourn with his legs or Brantley with his bat. Anyone at the top of the Indians order feels like a very safe play.
- Silver: Torii Hunter DET - I feel it in my soul that the Tigers will rough up Kazmir tonight. Too many hard hitting right handed bats for Kazmir to naivgate thru. Hunter has been slumping lately, so Jackson might be a slightly safer play.
- Silver: Austin Jackson DET - Speaking of Austin Jackson, there he is. If you are trying to decipher between Jackson or Hunter, check on the batting order, more ABs is usually better. Especially on sites that don't penalize outs or Ks.
- Bronze: Dayan Viciedo CWS - A guy nearly at punt prices, hitting cleanup, has a righty/lefty matchup, a triple Aer at that, damn near should be a lock in most lineups. But with the ripe matchups abound in the OF tonight, Viciedo will have to settle on a bronze spot.
- Bronze: Shin Soo Choo TEX - Choo hitting leadoff vs. Kyle Gibson seems like no brainer. Choo's price point is a bit high for my liking since his hitting abandons him from time to time, but the matchup is there for the taking. Choo is one of those duel HR/SB threats but isn't running as much this year.
- Economy: Grady Sizemore BOS - Sizemore's hitting is slowly coming around hitting all over the BoSox lineup. Sometimes hits leadoff, sometimes down the order. From time to time, he has a game that reminds us of his past. Draws Gavin Floyd, should have a chance to at least draw contact, as Floyd likes to pitch to contact.