The Daily Grind: 150 Entries, So Many Entries

Day 1 on FantasyDraft was a success. Let’s keep it rolling!

AGENDA

1. TDG Invitational
2. First Take
3. Weather Reports
4. Pitchers to Use and Abuse
5. SaberSim Says…
6. N=1

1. The Daily Grind Invitational

Congrats to Kern for a superb debut on FantasyDraft. No single player carried his roster. He got consistent across the board production en route to $10. For now, I’ve retired the leaderboard.

The contest filled yesterday with only a couple users greedily entering twice. Today we can all spin up a pair of entries – the contest has been extended to 150 entries. Consider these four days as warm ups. It’s important to sign up for these free rolls so they decide to make the no rake GPP (starting Friday) nice and plump. Here’s today’s link.

If you have not signed up for FantasyDraft, please use this referral link for tracking purposes. If I understand properly, by using the referral, you will receive a 10 percent return on any rakes you pay.

2. First Take

Here’s today’s DFS First Take which is basically the 10 minute video version of this column.

3. Weather Reports

Maybe Minnesota is the tiniest bit iffy tonight. Check closer to game time. The rest of the league is clear.

4. Pitchers to Use and Abuse

Main Slate: Aces! Max Scherzer and Chris Sale and Clayton Kershaw and Noah Syndergaard and Justin Verlander. Oh my. Scherzer and Sale have the best matchups versus the Pirates and Royals respectively. They’re the most expensive, and they’ll be the most popular too. Verlander is in the toughest spot. He’s set to host the Yankees. Charlie Morton held his own yesterday, but I remain wary. Kershaw and Syndergaard are both usable and affordable. They’re all $21,000 or higher.

Beyond the top layer lurk surprisingly few “safe” value plays. Chris Archer ($18,000) has struggled to combine command, strikeouts, and hit avoidance. A visit to the Tigers could combine all the desired traits, unlocking an ace-like performance.

Sean Newcomb ($14,600) can be counted upon for a strikeout per inning. That’s all. He may give you 3.1 execrable frames or a seven-inning gem. I’m convinced it’s basically random. Speaking of random, Kyle Gibson flopped against some soft opponents then recorded 10 strikeouts against the Yankees. His slider gives him serious upside for his price. He’s almost must-play territory at $12,700.

It’s pretty hard to look past Tyson Ross ($14,500) at AT&T Park. Friendly venue? Check. Terrible opponent? Check. He’s already made one good start versus the Giants.

Stack Targets: Alex Cobb, James Shields, Jarlin Garcia, Homer Bailey, Zach Eflin, Matt Koch, Matt Boyd, Andrew Suarez

No, I don’t think Garcia will maintain his .121 BABIP or 99 percent left on base rate. The Phillies are too patient.

5. SaberSim Says…

The five aces are the preferred arm. Surprise? Suarez, Nick Tropeano, Garcia, Cobb, and Shields are “values.” With the exception of Tropeano, yuck. Bats include Ryan Braun, Travis Shaw, Joey Votto, Charlie Blackmon, and Christian Yelich. The Sim thinks you should target Great American Ballpark.

6. N=1

I’m trying to get a better sense of the FantasyDraft ecosystem. Yesterday, I built the chalkiest lineup money can buy. Should-be-popular players like Kris Bryant, Ryan Braun, and Lorenzo Cain carried massive ownership rates. So did Eduardo Rodriguez who I labelled as a must play (he flopped).

My assessment after one day is thus: the infield, outfield, and utility designations on FantasyDraft push even more users towards the tip-top players. If you’re in a large GPP, strongly consider fading the chalk. Use second tier players as your lineup stabilizers.