Roto Riteup: August 4, 2023

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August 4, 2023

Baseball is a silly game:

On the Agenda:
1. Sleeper and the Bust DK Contest
2. Closer Chaos
4. Quick Hits
5. Various News and Notes
6. Streaming Pitchers

Sleeper and the Bust DK Contest

On most Tuesday’s and Friday’s and some other days, Paul Sporer and I will be doing a $5 draftkings game for anyone that is interested. 

 

Closer Chaos

Seranthony Dominguez got his second save of the season for the Phillies on Thursday. Craig Kimbrel is dealing with a pitch tipping issue, so Dominguez seems like he will take over the role while that gets worked through. He should be picked up in most leagues for the short term. 

 

Quick Hits

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Anthony Rizzo was placed on the IL with concussion issues. The original concussion was back at the end of May, so it is a bit surprising that they are now just putting him on the IL, though that would explain Rizzo’s struggles this season. He is droppable in most formats. Oswaldo Cabrera was recalled to take Rizzo’s spot on the roster. 

Joe Ryan was placed on the IL with a calf strain. There is no timetable for his return. 

Shane McClanahan was placed on the Il with a forearm strain. This is very concerning because this often ends up being Tommy John surgery. He is expected to undergo further testing, so stash him until we get more info. 

Shohei Ohtani left his start on Thursday with hand cramping. This sounds mostly precautionary and he stayed in the game as a hitter, so it doesn’t appear to be a big deal. 

Max Muncy left Thursday’s game with a wrist contusion. Consider him day-to-day for now. 

 

Various News and Notes

Brady Singer threw eight scoreless innings versus the Mets on Thursday night, allowing just three hits and no walks while striking out four in the victory. 

Singer was fantastic in this one, getting a 36% whiff rate on his slider and a 32% CSW overall. He is still mostly just a two pitch guy and that will lead to up and down moments throughout a season, but he has pitched much better as of late and should be rostered in most formats as a team streamer.

Brandon Pfaadt threw seven innings versus the Giants, allowing one run on two hits and a walk, while striking out seven in the loss on Thursday.

Now this is the Pfaadt we had been hoping for. He got a 45% CSW on his sweeper and had very good sequencing throughout the start to keep the Giants off balance. He did give up a home run, but he at least kept men off base throughout the outing. He has a ton of upside if he can continue to pitch like this.

Cade Marlowe went 2-for-4 with a grand slam in the victory over the Angels on Thursday.

Marlowe has been great for the Mariners since his callup, hitting .333/.429/.667 with two home runs and two stolen bases in 35 plate appearances. With Jarred Kelenic out and AJ Pollock traded away, Marlowe is in line for a lot of playing time and he could be valuable in deeper formats.

 

Streaming Pitchers (Under 50% in CBS)

Pitcher for Today: Graham Ashcraft vs WAS

Ashcraft has pitched really well and gets a Washington team I am not afraid of. 

High Risk Options: Adam Wainwright vs COL, David Petersom at BAL. 

Pitcher for Tomorrow:  Christopher Sanchez vs KC

Sanchez has been great in the Philadelphia rotation and faces an anemic Royals offense. 

High Risk Options: Steven Matz vs COL, Ryne Nelson at MIN, Ross Stripling at OAK, Tyler Anderson vs SEA. 

For those of you that would like to see how these picks play out, I have a doc I put together to track the stats from my recommended pitchers. It does not include the “High Risk Options.”





 

Justin is the co-host on The Sleeper and The Bust Podcast and writes for Rotographs covering the Roto Riteup as well as other periodic articles. In addition to his work at Rotographs, Justin is the lead fantasy writer/analyst and co-owner for FriendswithFantasyBenefits.com, and the owner of The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational. He is also a certified addiction treatment counselor. Follow Justin on Twitter @JustinMasonFWFB.

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