Today, two widely available starters are on the hill and could be in line for very impressive performances. I have essentially adopted a semi-streaming strategy in my head-to-head league and many others are in a similar situation, and after succeeding with Erasmo Ramirez last night I think John Lannan and Chris Archer are solid bets tonight.
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Positional flexibility is a handy thing to have when rosters aren’t particularly deep with bench space. But this time of year, I find it awfully useful to have one, if not two, players that have multi-multi position eligibility in my daily transaction leagues where I’m trying to maximize games played.
Why? For some reason, I always seem to have amnesia about this little late-season problem, but as teams start to fade into Bolivian, they tend to be more careful when little aches and pains crop up rather than risk some kind of catastrophic injury. Other players might see extra rest, just because it seems like a good idea. See Giancarlo Stanton, Dexter Fowler, Darwin Barney, Carlos Gonzalez, among others.
Streaming pitchers here at the end of the season can often be a treacherous affair. You scout the pitcher, you check the match-ups, you pore over the data and then you bite your lip, close your eyes and pray that you didn’t make a mistake. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes…it rains. But the bottom line is that the risk involved is usually pretty high because, well, if these guys that you’re sifting through were really that good, they wouldn’t be sitting out on your waiver wire here in mid-September. So why not tap into some new blood? Cast aside the tired, lower-tiered starters with their low-5.00 ERA and grab yourself something young; something fresh and exciting. Get yourself some Jake Odorizzi. Read the rest of this entry »
With just about 2 weeks left, this is your final chance to pick up some standings points and make strategic start/bench decisions based on your position in each category. If you need speed, these are your guys.
Seeing that 19 is my favorite number, today’s Roto Riteup is super special.
Apologies for a shorter Bullpen Report tonight, but here’s the latest…
• Out since late August after suffering from an irregular heartbeat, Kenley Jansen is now cleared to play for the Dodgers. Jansen will need to have offseason surgery but he’s now able to play for the rest of this season and should immediately take over the closer’s role from Brandon League. When healthy, Jansen and his terrific stirkeout ability (13.66 K/9) make him one of the best closers in fantasy baseball – make sure he’s active on your roster and/or pick him up if he’s available in your league.
Prior to the season, I offered three players I didn’t want on any of my teams — those designed to do well, leagues with rewards for horrific play are another matter entirely — and I stuck to my guns, taking not one of the three for any of my teams. In fact, I don’t believe I used any of them in any of my daily leagues either, though that’s much tougher to prove. In any case, I didn’t make a habit out of it.
So, in the interest of accountability, here are the three players I said I wouldn’t draft along with how they did this season.
As your leagues start to wind down and the playoffs approach it’s important to be up to date on all the latest injury news affecting your players. Any little edge could pay dividends. Today we’re focusing on shortstops.
Remember this guy? No? I’ll give you a second…got it now? I know, it’s tough. He hasn’t played a game since late May. I get it. To jog your memory, he’s one of the better players in baseball, and best shortstop, when healthy. From 2009-2011 he averaged a line of .304/.376/.554 with 29 home runs, 97 runs batted in, 90 runs scored and 13 stolen bases. Sadly, this has been a lost season for Tulo. As our own David Wiers wrote in yesterday’s Roto Riteup, the Rockies are hesitant to play him. He’s still bothered by the groin injury and the Rockies are far out of the playoff hunt. There’s really no reason to play him at all if you’re not 100% certain he’s ok. Josh Rutledge has filled in nicely at short, slugging .526 in 218 plate appearances. There’s no reason to keep Tulowitzki on your roster in non-keeper leagues.
Instead of the (somewhat) typical post of ranking and stock watch, this American League Outfield article is in regards to excellent stream candidates. The basic criteria is:
– A sub 50% ownership rate in Yahoo! or ESPN
– Favorable matchups, either via ballpark or opposing starting pitchers
Matt Joyce – Joyce has six straight games in a row against the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays. Both of those pitching staffs rank in the bottom half of away pitching FIP. The Jays are actually fifth worst, at 4.70. Following that favorable home stand, the Rays are on the road at Boston and then at the Chicago White Sox. Between the home parks and the quality of opposing pitchers, expect Joyce to have an excellent final two weeks. Joyce’s ownership rate is below 40% in Yahoo! and hovering at 43% in ESPN leagues.
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Yesterday we did the power, today we do the speed. And as you know, “first you get the stolen bases, then you get the runs, then you get the women.” *