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DraftKings MLB DFS Must Plays | Stay Aways | The Bargain Bin | April 28

DraftKings MLB DFS Must Plays | Stay Aways | The Bargain Bin | April 28

Busy night on the diamond with 14 teams in action past the 7:07 ET first pitch. In todays article, I will outline what must plays and stay aways you should be aware of as well as some cheap players that will produce for you in the bargain bin.

Must Plays

Sean Manaea – LHP ($7,600) – vs Houston Astros

Sean Manaea is the Athletics’ prized prospect that came over in the Ben Zobrist trade. Manaea has been carving batters up in Triple-A, averaging 10.5 K/9. A strikeout happy pitcher, Manaea will have the opportunity to square off against a strikeout happy lineup. As a wholehe Astros have struckout the most in the majors, a whopping 224 times. Manaea will be a chalky play, so use him accordingly in cash games.

Manny Machado – 3B ($4,200) – vs Chicago White Sox

Manny Machado has been raking at home. He sports a .455 AVG a .512 SLG%. He’s ran into a bit of a slump lately (all while on the road) so many people will be off of him. In DraftKings, we love the long ball and Machado is no stranger to launching one past the fence. Carlos Rodon is who he’ll be facing and Rodon has been prone to making atleast one major mistake a game. Machado should be the man to take advantage of that.

Stay Aways

Jimmy Rollins – SS ($4,100) – @ Baltimore Orioles

Let’s start by saying that Jimmy Rollins is 37 years old. He doesn’t swipe bags and he doesn’t hit homeruns. Banking on him to have a multi-hit game is both risky and not suggested. If you’re going to spend up at the SS position, there are much better names to spend your money on.

Jake Peavey – RHP ($7,500) – @ New York Mets

Jake Peavey is grossly overpriced, especially against the Mets. He’s had one good outing all year and he only racked up 19 DK points. While he doesn’t walk a ton of batters, he doesn’t strike them out either. So even if he gives you a quality start – his ceiling is about 20 DK points.

The Bargain Bin

Juan Nicasio – RHP ($5,800) – vs Cincinnati Reds

The best part about this matchup is the fact that the Reds haven’t figured out how to score on the road. Their 29 runs scored is the lowest number in the National League. Juan Nicasio’s hard hit ball percentage is at the lowest mark of his career (20.8%) and his high K/9 has carried over from last year (10.03 – 9.45). Nicasio is a must play against the power-less reds.

Brandon Drury – 3B/OF ($3,000) – vs Colorado Rockies

Brandon Drury is getting a ton of playing time in Arizona and rightfully so. He launched a 442 foot homerun last night and has a .950 OPS. His walk rate could use a bit of help but if he’s swinging the hot stick, he doesn’t need to walk for DFS purposes.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any MLB DFS or season long questions – feel free to contact me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

DraftKings PGA DFS Podcast for the Zurich Classic

DraftKings PGA DFS Podcast for the Zurich Classic

@HitTheHighDraw of ProjectRoto.com stops by the podcast to discuss DraftKings PGA DFS for the Zurich Classic.

We discuss the top tier guys, such as Jason Day, Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler.

We talk about The top mid tier guys like Charlie Hoffman, Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk, Daniel Berger, Charles Howell III, Marc Leishman and Smylie Kaufman .

We talk about some low priced value plays like Jamie Donaldson, Chez Reavie, David Hearn, David Toms, Ben Martin, Whee Kim and Alex Cejka.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Week 4

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Week 4

There goes Chris Colabello for 80 games. As they say though, one mans loss is another persons gain! That holds especially true for the Toronto Blue Jays. In this week’s Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire article, I’ll be breaking down the biggest must adds, players you can cut ties with, two-start pitchers and the latest trends going into the Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Week 4!

Must Adds:

Justin Smoak – 1B – Toronto Blue Jays
1% Owned
OPP: 3 vs CHW, 3 @ TB

With Chris Colabello out of the lineup for the foreseeable future due to a suspension, Justin Smoak takes over as the starter at first base. His wOBA is .378 to start the year so he’s having no trouble getting on base, his power numbers (like most of the Jays lineup) just haven’t come around yet. In deep mixed leagues, at 1% owned, Smoak is a low-risk high-reward player you can “wait-and-see” with.

Jordy Mercer – SS – Pittsburgh Pirates
5% Owned
OPP: 4 @ COL, 3 @ CIN

Against lefties, Jordy Mercer is the leadoff man for the Pirates. Against righties, he slides down the lineup a bit. Regardless of where he hits, he seems to be producing. His K% is down from 17.9% to 13.0% and his BB% is up from 6.3% to 9.7%. With 11 RBI to start the year, Mercer is producing in a position that is terribly hard to find production from.

Drops:

J.T. Realmuto – C – Miami Marlins
32% Owned
OPP: 4 @ LAD, 3 @ MIL

J.T. Realmuto’s offensive struggles are supposed to be highlighted by his base stealing abilities. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, he hasn’t been coming through. There seems to be no signs of life in his bat, either. Last year, he was hitting the ball hard 29.3% of the time. This year he’s down to 15%. With catchers seemingly coming out of nowhere this year – it’s safe to cut ties with Realmuto in 10-12 team leagues.

Mallex Smith – OF – Atlanta Braves
12% Owned
OPP: 2 vs BOS, 2 @ BOS, 3 @ CHC

The Mallex Smith hype has certainly worn off. He was called up as a highly touted prospect and many jumped to the waiver wire to scoop him up. He has an alarming 15 strikeouts in 37 at bats. He was supposed to make up for any offensive struggles by scorching the basepaths. Two stolen bases just isn’t going to cut it.

Two Start Pitchers:

Kendall Graveman – RHP – Oakland Athletics
7% Owned
OPP: Apr 25 @ DET, Apr 30 vs HOU

Kendall Graveman is the most intriguing option out there this week. Only five SP have both a 60% or higher groundball percentage and a 10% or higher swinging strikeout rate. Noah Syndergaard, Felix Hernandez, Steven Strasburg and Masahiro Tanaka are the first four and Graveman rounds out the list (H/T to @StephenNickrand for the stat!). He’s been implementing his slider more often (up to 13.7% from 8.4% last year) and that’s been dancing around the strike zone.

NOTE: Graveman is the only two start pitcher this week but an honorable mention goes to Ross Stripling (25% owned). If Stripling dazzles against Miami, scoop him up for his appearance against the lowly Padres later in the week. 

Trends:

Blake Snell – LHP – Tampa Bay Rays
34% Owned
Triple-A Durham

Unless it’s a keeper league – I’m not usually into stashing prospects but Blake Snell has changed my mind. Used for a spot start, the Rays top prospect went five innings giving up one run and striking out six against the Yankees. The Rays desperately need some pitching help as it stands. Chris Archer hasn’t been performing well (Don’t panic Archer owners – he’ll come around) and Jake Odorizzi hasn’t been the greatest either. Blake Snell has shown the Rays what he can do and he’s definitely worth a stash in 12 man mixed leagues.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any MLB DFS or season long questions, feel free to reach out to me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

MLB DFS FanDuel Stacks for 4/22/2016

I won’t have time to put up articles for FanDuel that often , but when I do have time I will throw them up.

The chalk stack tonight is the Arizona Diamondbacks against Jonathan Niese and the Pittsbrugh Pirates.

You can split stack or straight stack depending on your other plays.

1-6 have solid match ups and prices

1- Jean Segura SS  3300
2- Brandon Drury 3B 2300  (Big time power with high upside hitting in front of Goldschmidt.)
3- Paul Goldschmidt 1B 4500 if you can spend he’s a great option, but you can also split stack and go with Rizzo or even pay down for Belt.
4- Yosmany Tomas OF 3400  I don’t love the price, but I love the match up.
5- Wellington Castillo C 2900  One of the best catcher match ups tonight.
6- David Peralta OF 3300 His slide down the batting order will keep his ownership numbers down.

 

Tampa Bay versus C.C. Sabathia and the Yankees.

1- Logan Forsythe 2B 3300  I like the price and the match up.
2- Brandon Guyer OF 2400 Guyer is a platoon specialist hitting against a soft tossing lefty.  It’s go time with that price tag and the numbers he’s put against lefties lately.
3- Evan Longoria 3B 2900 Longoria will be very popular tonight with his price and match up.  I’m afraid CC will pitch around him to get to the lefty Dickerson.
7- Steven Souza Jr. OF  Souza is down in the order, but is in a good spot to be very under owned with a big ceiling.

San Francisco versus Jarred Cosart and the Marlins

This one is a bit sneaky as you’re not really targeting big time home run hitters.  You’re going after a pitcher that has struggled to start the year.

*Lineup not out yet*

1- Denard Span OF 3700  I don’t love the price, but if I’m going to stack he’s in there.
2- Joe Panick 2B 3200 Panick showed improved power to start the year and has cooled a bit.  He could be a nice sneaky play tonight.
4- Brandon Belt 1B 3100 Belt has been cold lately, but is facing a nice match up at a cheap price.  If I want to pay up else where he is in the mix.

The White Sox against Martin Perez and the Rangers

Here I am only targeting the two big power hitters with high ceilings.  Perez scared owners last Friday as he cruised through the Orioles order early, but then was tagged for a number of home runs late.

2- Austin Jackson OF 2300  cheap and in a great spot in the order. Only GPP obviously.
3- Jose Abreu 1B 3300 Abreu’s price is steady in this lower tier and he doesn’t see many pitches to hit, but tonight it may be different.
4- Todd Frazier 3B 3700 Frazier has struggled to hit consistently since making the move to the White Sox, but I don’t mind him as an under owned option at 3B when many are going to be on Longoria.  Give me the high ceiling and leverage on a few teams.

NFL Mock Draft | 1st Round

Round 1
PICK OVERALL TEAM
1 1 Los Angeles (from Tennessee)

Jared Goff – QB – Cal Berkely  Once the Rams moved up to number 1 Goff became the pick.  I like Goff, but am a little worried with what he showed under pressure.  Has a tendency to fall away from throws.  he will have to bulk up and stand tall to become worthy of number 1 overall.

2 2 Philadelphia (from Cleveland)

Carson Wentz – QB – North Dakota State  The Eagles and Browns went two different directions with new head coaches.  The Eagles resigned Sam Bradford, signed career back up Chase Daniel for decent money and then traded up to number 2 overall to take Wentz by all accounts.  That’s a lot of stock at the QB position.  Wentz is a wild card for me.

3 3 San Diego

Jalen Ramsey – FS/CB – Florida State  Ramsey is arguably the best overall prospect in this draft.  If the Chargers hadn’t spent so much on O-Line lately then Tunsil would have been the pick.  Ramsey should be a star in this league.

4 4 Dallas

Myles Jack – LB – UCLA   I think the Cowboys would have loved to have this spot in a different draft.  With neither QB falling to them and no skill position players worth this pick the Cowboys should probably trade back, but Jack isn’t a bad consolation prize as he’s the best sideline to sideline playmaker I have seen in a while.  he may even be their best RB.

5 5 Jacksonville

Laremy Tunsil – OT – Ole Miss  The Jaguars benefit from some teams already having a lot invested in their O-line as they come away with player 1B to Ramsey’s 1A in this draft.  The Jags have struggled to be consistent on the left side of their line and Tunsil could protect Bortles for years to come.

6 6 Baltimore

Joey Bosa – DE/OLB – Ohio State  The Ravens can’t believe their luck that they get to choose between Ronnie Stanley and Joey Bosa.  Bosa’s slide will stop here as he can immediately fill the shoes of Terrell Suggs who has suffered numerous injuries the last few years.

7 7 San Francisco

DeForest Buckner – DE – Oregon  I’m not a fan of Buckner, but this spot makes sense to me.  The 49ers were once built on defense and need to replace Justin Smith and Aldon Smith the best they can.  Buckner would be a nice piece to that puzzle.

8 8 Cleveland (from Philadelphia and Miami)

Jack Conklin – OT – Michigan State  Cleveland picked up a ton of draft capital trading back with the Philadelphia Eagles.  I don’t have a perfect fit here.  They could trade back again if a team wants to come up for Elliot or they take Conklin and make an upgrade on losing Mitchell Schwartz.

9 9 Tampa Bay

Shaq Lawson – DE – Clemson  Tampa is in a good spot to trade back if a team wants to come up to grab Ronnie Stanley in this scenario.  Since I’m not doing trades I will grab a DE to help out their pass rush.  I would rather trade back and take a corner, but can’t do it.

10 10 New York Giants

Sheldon Rankins – DT – Louisville  The Giants HAVE to go defense this year.  They addressed the DE spot in free agency and there really isn’t a DE worthy of this spot so it has to be LB or DT.  I’m going with a DT to team with Jonathan Hankins and play next to Olivier Vernon.

11 11 Chicago

Ronnie Stanley – OT – Notre Dame  Chicago would love to go defense here, but Ronnie Stanley falling to them changes their board.  Stanley could start at either tackle spot his rookie year and be an immediate upgrade for the Bears.

12 12 New Orleans

Leonard Floyd – OLB/DE – Georgia  Floyd would be a continuation of the Saints going after pass rushers to help their defense.  They created a huge hole when they put $ and faith behind a player that they then cut.  Floyd is older at 24, but has been productive and has the body for the NFL.

13 13 Miami (from Philadelphia)

Vernon Hargreaves III – CB – Florida  Miami needs to replace a starter at corner and Hargreaves falling this far is not a scenario they could have foreseen.

14 14 Oakland

Ezekiel Elliot – RB – Ohio State  Elliot probably won’t fall this far, but I have a hard time taking him before this spot for any of the teams above.  Elliot would be another weapon for the young Raiders offense.

15 15 Tennessee (from Los Angeles)

Eli Apple – CB/S – Ohio State  The Titans need to get better in the secondary.  Apple can play corner, but he can also play safety if need be.  I love his size and tackling skills.  The Titans could go DE here as well, but I think the need is too great in the defensive backfield.

16 16 Detroit

Josh Doctson – WR – TCU  I really want to take a DT here, but the surprise retirement means the Lions need to take a longer look at WR in the 1st round.  Doctson has unbelievable ball skills and great combine numbers.  He and Golden Tate paired are actually a crazy athletic pair of WRs.

17 17 Atlanta

Reggie Ragland – ILB – Alabama  Again the DTs here are a value, but Ragland is very talented with pass rush skills as well.  The story of Worrilow is nice, but it’s time to put a big time player in the Falcons defense.

18 18 Indianapolis

Jarran Reed – DT/DE – Alabama  Reed is going to be a very good player.  He may not rush the pass as well as you want, but he’s a stud versus the run and has a high motor.  I think he immediately upgrades the front 7 of the Colts.

19 19 Buffalo

Corey Coleman – WR – Baylor  When you look at the WR corps of the Buffalo Bills you see Sammy Watkins and a bunch of JAGs.  I think Rex will want to make a splash and grab Coleman or Treadwell here.  Personally I think Coleman’s speed helps the offense more than Treadwell at this point, but I wouldn’t be mad if they took Treadwell instead.

20 20 New York Jets

Darron Lee – LB – Ohio State  I don’t think Lee gets this far, but the way this mock worked out he did.  The Jets would be blown away getting a LB of his talent this far down in the first round.

21 21 Washington

Robert Nkemdiche – DE – Ole Miss  Nkemdiche is a wild card in this draft.  He is very talented, but obviously comes with a lot of red flags.  I honestly like what the Redskins have been doing lately and this may be a worthy gamble for a playmaker to put next to Ryan Kerrigan.

22 22 Houston

Laquan Treadwell – WR – Ole Miss  Treadwell is going to be a very good NFL player, but maybe not the ideal Fantasy player most expected.  His lack of speed will hurt him, but his physical play and ball skills mean he will be a great compliment to Nuk Hopkins.

23 23 Minnesota

Andrew Billings – DT – Baylor  Minnesota could use a wide receiver, but I don’t have one worthy of them taking here.  I wild card is Leonte Carroo.  Instead Billings becomes the pick for me.  The Vikings suffered when Linval Joseph missed time and Billings would be a great add to the interior rotation.

24 24 Cincinnati

Chris Jones – DT – Mississippi State  The Bengals would love to fill the hole left by Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu’s departure, but this isn’t the best draft to reach for a wide receiver.  In this scenario Will Fuller would be an interesting option, but instead they bolster their interior defense by taking Chris Jones.

25 25 Pittsburgh

Su’A Cravens – SS/OLB – USC  Cravens is the best blitzer slash run stopper at the safety position in this draft.  He would allow the Steelers to get back to exotic pressure blitzes while also providing the upside of position flexibility.

 

26 26 Seattle

Taylor Decker – OT – Ohio State  Decker would be a huge upgrade on what they have at the offensive line position.  i know they think they can grab athletes and coach them up, but Decker is tough and physical and they need someone who can protect their star QB now that Beast Mode is retired

27 27 Green Bay

Vernon Butler – DT – Louisiana Tech  Butler is talented and big and would be a nice addition to a rotation that lost quite a few bodies in the off season.  The Packers get lucky that a position of need was actually a loaded position this year.  Kenny Bell from UCLA would be great here too.

28 28 Kansas City

A’Shawn Jefferson – DT – Alabama  The Chiefs could reach for a QB, but I think they will continue to bolster their defense.  there are no guaranteed pass rushers here unless they want to gamble on Noah Spence so Jefferson fits the bill for me as far as someone who can play the DT spot in their scheme.

29 29 Arizona

Von Bell – S – Ohio State  The Cardinals could go a lot of ways with this pick.  For me they are too close to a championship to grab a future QB so Lynch is out.  Bell makes sense as they can use him in their three safety rotation.  his cover skills are top notch and his weakness against the run won’t be exposed as much surrounded by these players. If the Steelers go Bell then Cravens would fit here as well.

30 30 Carolina

Mackensie Alexander – CB – Clemson   The Panthers need at CB just became code red with their off season moves.  Alexander is very talented and probably shouldn’t be available down here, but lucky for Carolina he is in this scenario.

31 31 Denver

Ryan Kelly – C – Alabama Kelly can step in day one and start.  One of the better interior line prospects this year, he will help the Broncos QB, whoever he ends up being, stay up right.

DraftKings MLB DFS Must Plays | Stay Aways | The Bargain Bin | April 22

DraftKings MLB DFS Must Plays | Stay Aways | The Bargain Bin | April 22

Packed slate tonight on the diamond with every single team in action. In todays article, I will outline what must plays and stay aways you should be aware of as well as some cheap players that will produce for you in the bargain bin.

Must Plays

Matt Moore – LHP ($7,900) – @ New York Yankees

After one shaky start to kick off the year, Matt Moore seems to have found a groove. After two lost years due to injury, he’s found his 2013 all star form early on in the season. His fastball velocity is actually the highest he’s ever had it in his career (92.6 MPH) and he’s been mixing in an effective knuckle curve. As a team, the Yankees are 25th in total bases (182) so Moore should be able to get to work against a slow-starting New York lineup. (editor’s note be careful of weather)

Carlos Correa – SS ($4,700) – vs Boston Red Sox

With Trevor Story being $400 more, now is a great time to play Carlos Correa in your cash lineups. His isolated power (ISO) is still above .200 and his plate discipline is actually improved (Only swinging at 23.5% of pitches outside the zone compared to last years rate of 32.4%). He just needs one good explosion and against Steven Wright who doesn’t strike many out – Correa should return value tonight.

Stay Aways

Jeff Samardzjia – RHP ($9,300) – vs Miami Marlins

Jeff Samardzjia’s price, combined with his outcome so far this season makes him a trap. While he might get you a win because he plays for San Francisco, he’s not going to strike a ton out and he’s also going to give up his fair share of hits and walks. His velocity is also below 93 MPH for the first time since 2010.  All of this equals no value at $9,300.

Tyler White – 1B ($4,400) – vs Boston Red Sox

Tyler White hasn’t had a multi-hit game since April 11th. It seems like if he’s not going yard – he’s not getting value. He has five strikeouts in his last four games to go along with an 0-4 showing on the 21st against Texas. At his price tag, there are tons of safer options out there.

The Bargain Bin

Nick Tropeano – RHP ($6,100) vs Seattle Mariners

Filling in for the injured Andrew Heaney, Nick Tropeano has done an admirable job. He’s only given up one earned run in 10.2 innings of work. In his career against the current Mariners lineup, he’s only given up the long ball once and it was against Nelson Cruz. At $6,100, you save a lot of money and are pretty much guaranteed to hit value.

Russell Martin – C ($3,300) vs Oakland Athletics

Russell Martin has run into a bit of bad luck to start the year. Mechanically, there’s nothing wrong except for the fact that when he hits it hard, it’s always right to an outfielder. Speaking of hitting it hard… He’s hitting the ball hard at a higher percentage this year (34.6%) compared to any year in his career. Don’t forget that he slugged 23 a year ago.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any MLB DFS or season long questions, feel free to contact me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

DraftKings PGA DFS Podcast for the Valero Texas Open

DraftKings PGA DFS Podcast for the Valero Texas Open

@HitTheHighDraw of ProjectRoto.com stops by the podcast to discuss DraftKings PGA DFS for The Valero Texas Open.

We discuss the top tier guys, such as Jimmy Walker, Matt Kuchar, Zach Johnson, Patrick Reed and Brooks Koepka.

We talk about The top mid tier guys like Charlie Hoffman, Billy Horschel, Freddie Jacobson, Brendan Steele, Daniel Summerhays .

We talk about some low priced sleepers like Andrew Loupe, John Senden, Cameron Tringale, Cameron Percy, Aaron Baddeley, and Bronson Burgoon. .

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Week 3

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Week 3

In this week’s Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire article, I’ll be breaking down the biggest must adds, players you can cut ties with, two-start pitchers and the latest trends going into the Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Week 3!

Must Adds:

Yunel Escobar – 3B – Los Angeles Angels
18% Owned
Schedule: 4 @ CHW, 3 vs SEA

Yunel Escobar is doing an admirable job as the leadoff man for the Angels. His .426 wOBA, .357 BABIP and his high walk rate (11.8%) are numbers you want to see from the top of your lineup. What makes the Escobar pickup even more attractive is the fact that he has Mike Trout and Albert Pujols behind him. If you’re in need of walks, runs or raising your average – Escobar is the man.

Michael Saunders – LF – Toronto Blue Jays
7% Owned
Schedule: 1 @ BOS, 3 @ BAL, 3 vs OAK

Michael Saunders has worked his way up to the leadoff position for the Jays. We talked about having great security behind Yunel Escobar, but Saunders has arguably one of the best offences behind him. Although the Jays haven’t woken up this year, Saunders might be able to breathe some life into their batting order. In his career batting first, Saunders has a .321 OBP and a .712 OPS. Saunders is worth a look before he heats up.

Drops:

Devin Mesoraco – C – Cincinnati Reds
52% Owned
Schedule: 3 vs COL, 4 vs CHC

Many people drafted Devin Mesoraco hoping that he would find his raw power from the 2014 season. Unfortunately, he’s been a major dud to start the year. No homeruns, runs or RBI’s to go along with a .125 AVG isn’t good news.  He’s starting to lose time to Tucker Barnhart which really hurts his fantasy value as well. It’s time to stop hoping for Mesoraco to come around.

Khris Davis – LF – Oakland Athletics
47% Owned
Schedule: 3 @ NYY, 3 @ TOR

Khris Davis hasn’t had a multi-hit game this year. He also hasn’t left the park yet which is alarming since he swatted 27 a year ago. His high strikeout rate from last year (27.7%) has only gone up (37.5%) which means you need to immediately get him out of your lineup, especially if you’re in a league with strikeouts. 

Two Start Pitchers:

Chase Anderson – RHP – Milwaukee Brewers
12% Owned
Schedule: April 18 @ MIN, April 22 vs PHI

Chase Anderson’s 0.00 ERA through two starts isn’t even the best part about him this week. The best part is that he’s starting to find his control. Last years 2.36 BB/9 is down to 1.64 which is highly encouraging. Anderson’s matchups are attractive, too. Minnesota has been terrible this year while the Phillies look like they’re starting to come back down to earth.

Scott Feldman – RHP – Houston Astros
1% Owned
Schedule: April 19 @ TEX, April 24 vs BOS

Scott Feldman is pitching for his hypothetical life. When Lance McCullers comes back, the Astros are going to have to decide between Feldman and Mike Fiers. Ignore Feldman’s first start against Milwaukee and look at the gem he twirled against KC. His K/9 is up to 7.84 and with McCullers breathing down his back, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Feldman come away with 12 strikeouts and a sub 3.00 ERA once the week is over.

Trends:

Troy Tulowitzki – SS – Toronto Blue Jays
98% Owned
Schedule: 1 @ BOS, 3 @ BAL, 3 vs OAK

It’s not time to sell super low on Troy Tulowitzki. It’s also not time to bench him in favour of other batters. Tulo is a perennial slow starter. In the months of March and April combined, he has a lifetime .265 batting average (the lowest out of all months in his career). Let’s not forget he’s been trying out a new leg kick with his swing mechanics. Tulo’s value not only lies with his potential, but also with where he hits in the batting order. I’d say batting behind Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion & Josh Donaldson is a pretty nice spot. If someone is selling ridiculously low on Tulowitzki, buy buy buy.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions regarding fantasy baseball or MLB DFS, feel free to contact me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

DraftKings PGA DFS Podcast for the RBC Heritage

DraftKings PGA DFS Podcast for the RBC Heritage

@HitTheHighDraw of ProjectRoto.com stops by the podcast to discuss DraftKings PGA DFS for The RBC Heritage.

We discuss the top tier guys, such as Jason Day, Matt Kuchar, Paul Casey, Zach Johnson and Brandt Snedeker.

We talk about The top mid tier guys like Kevin Na, Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, Bryson DeChambeau and Jamie Lovemark.

We talk about some low priced sleepers like Colt Knost, David Hearn, Michael Kim, Rickie Barnes, and Davis Love III.

For more coverage of the RBC Heritage for DraftKings check out The Pat Mayo Hour

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Week 2

With the baseball season underway, it’s all about recognizing trends. We’re already seeing players quickly trend upwards and players just not living up to expectations. A player like Trevor Story is producing in ways that many baseball fans have never seen before which is causing owners to have quite the dilemma. I look to help you figure these things out in my Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Week 2.

As the inaugural fantasy baseball article, this is what you can expect from this week forward!
Must Adds: Players who have great match ups who you can definitely pick up and add to your lineup.
Drops: Under performers or players who have little to no fantasy value for you this week
Two Start Pitchers: Pitchers who have to starts in a week that can help you maximize value.
Trends: Who should you be watching right now? Is it time to sell high or buy low?
Also, I will be basing all ownership off of Yahoo!.

Must Adds:

Zack Cozart – SS – Cincinnati Reds
5% Owned
Schedule: 3 @ CHC, 3 @ STL

Zack Cozart won the leadoff position right out of spring training. Billy Hamilton still can’t pull together a respectable batting average. Cozart is an interesting player to have in your lineup. He’s not a traditional leadoff man in terms of speed but he makes up for it with his power. Before going down to injury last year, his isolated slugging rate was .201. To put that into comparison, Troy Tulowitzki’s career ISO is .212. Until Hamilton can work his way up to the leadoff position, Cozart is a great option at generally one of the weakest fantasy positions available.

Wilson Ramos – C – Washington Nationals
34% Owned
Schedule: 4 vs ATL, 3 @ PHI

If you’re looking for a replacement behind the plate as a Kyle Schwarber owner, look no further. Wilson Ramos had a terrible year last year. You and I would also have a terrible season if your vision decreased so badly that you needed off-season Lasik eye surgery in order to fix it. Against two bottom feeding teams, Ramos will have a great opportunity to really show fantasy owners what he can do. It wouldn’t be surprising if he finished the year as a top 10 catcher.


Drops:

Byron Buxton – OF – Minnesota Twins
53% Owned
Schedule: 3 vs CHW, 3 vs LAA

If you’re in a keeper league – ignore this completely. If you’re in a redraft league, you don’t want to miss this. Byron Buxton was likely drafted because of his promise. He certainly wasn’t drafted because of his shoddy spring training performance. Up until April 9th, Buxton has struck out nine times in his first 14 at bats. Until he shows a glimpse of that so-called promise, you’re better off with just about anyone.

Brett Lawrie – 2B/3B – Chicago White Sox
47% Owned
Schedule: 3 @ MIN, 3 @ TB

Brett Lawrie looks like, well, Brett Lawrie – and that’s not a good thing for fantasy owners. Last year he finished with the highest strikeout rate of his career (23.9%) and this year he’s on pace to beat that. He’s also batting in the bottom half of an otherwise weak (outside of Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier) White Sox lineup. There are better streaming options out there.

Two Start Pitchers:

Matt Moore – LHP – Tampa Bay Rays
39% Owned
Schedule: April 12 vs CLE, April 17 vs CHW

It’s easy to forget that Matt Moore was an All-Star in 2013. His first start admittedly wasn’t the greatest, but he ran into a Blue Jays offence that was clicking (more specifically, the reigning AL MVP Josh Donaldson’s bat). His velocity in spring training mixed with his first start look promising though. After seeing his velocity regress in 2014-2015 due to injury among other things, his velocity is actually higher now than it was in 2013.

Shane Greene – RHP – Detroit Tigers
7% Owned
Schedule: April 12 vs PIT, April 17 vs HOU

Shane Greene had a great spring, a good enough spring to get the chance to hold the fort down until Daniel Norris returns. Brad Ausmus has also even said that he might keep Greene in the rotation even when Norris comes back. Greene is an odd duck. From 2014 to 2015 his k/9 went down by 4 and his ERA balooned. He tried to rework a lot of his stuff in 2015 and ended up setting himself back even more. It looks like in the spring he figured a lot of his stuff out. He posted a very impressive line of 19.1 IP, 1.86 ERA and 23 SO to close out the spring.

Trends:

Trevor Story – SS – Colorado Rockies
92% Owned
Schedule: 3 vs SF, 3 @ CHC

Trevor Story is off to a start that nobody has seen in a long time. Let’s throw it back. 2004 Barry Bonds, 1.422 OPS. Current day Trevor Story, 1.417 OPS (Thanks to The Ace of MLB Stats on Twitter). Story has also homered in each of his team’s first four games to start a season. Other names on that list? Chris Davis, Nelson Cruz, Mark McGwire and Willie Mays. I think you get the point. Story is off to a start that is completely unsustainable by any means. As soon as Jose Reyes returns, he’ll immediately challenge Story for at bats. With all the hype around him, why wouldn’t you be willing to sell high? Let’s remember that his ADP was around 254, aka Adam Lind territory. I’ve seen deals such as Story + Verlander for Scherzer + Segura. If you can package Story in a deal to land a big fish, you need to pull the trigger. I can promise you, he’s not Carlos Correa 2.0.

 

Also, check out my appearance on The FNTSY Sports Network with Pat Mayo. We chat the curious case of Trevor Story, two start pitchers and more!

Thanks for reading! If you have any MLB season long or DFS questions, feel free to contact me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

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