The Daily Grind: Another Manic Monday

The greatest not-catch of all time.

Well, this is what I was thinking of. It's the greatest not-catch.https://t.co/kCQKqkjV23

— Brad Johnson (@BaseballATeam) May 18, 2019

AGENDA

1. TDG Invitational
2. Weather Reports
3. Pitchers to Use and Abuse
4. SaberSim Says…
5. The Old Way

1.The Daily Grind Invitational

For a second straight day, the key to victory was to avoid the very obviously best pitcher in the slate. Sorry Jacob deGrom owners (if it’s any consolation, I skipped deGrom and still didn’t place). mmddyyyy was the victor, edging out cubbieblues by less than a point. Frankie Montas, Ronald Acuna, and Cody Bellinger were the big point scorers. Congrats and Leaderboard.

We have an eight-game contest tonight on FantasyDraft.

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. Weather Reports

Wind could be a factor tonight in Texas.

3. Pitchers to Use and Abuse

Patrick Corbin tops the price list by over $2,000. And while I’m very much on board with Corbin at this price, I find myself irresistibly drawn to the next tier of pitchers. But first, let’s finishing unpacking Corbin. He’ll face a good-not-great Mets offense at CitiField, a pitcher friendly venue. He’s easily the best bet to lead the slate in strikeouts, and he also has an easy path to victory against a box of assorted Mets relievers.

Chris Paddack ($18,600) is hosting Luke Weaver ($16,200) in what I assume will be the most-targeted game for pitchers. Paddack finally struggled last week, but it’s hard to fault somebody for a rough outing against the Dodgers. He’s likely to rebound against the DBacks. As for Weaver, he’s been consistently underpriced by over $1,000. This is once again the case opposite a powerful but strikeout prone Padres unit.

I’ve generally espoused a strategy of fading Mike Minor ($18,400). I view his hot performance as a function of a streak rather than an actual improvement. If the wind continues to blow in at over 20 mph, then I might lift my Minor embargo. The last time the southpaw faced the Mariners, he recorded 13 strikeouts over seven innings. His opponent, Mike Leake ($13,200) is playable if you need to save money.

Mike Soroka ($18,000) has all the things we look for in a DFS starter. He’s consistently throwing six or seven innings per start. He induces a strikeout per inning coupled with few walks. And he’s visiting the horror show Giants offense at pitcher friendly Oracle Park. This smells chalky which, if you’ll recall from grade school, is less a smell than a greasy-dry sensation inside the nose.

Jake Arrieta ($15,300) at Yu Darvish ($16,900) could be an overlooked pivot play. In both cases, it’s a sketchy veteran opposite a top offense. Arrieta tends to be steadily bland while Darvish is a full-out volatility pick.

Speaking of volatility, Brad Peacock ($16,700) has turned into a random number generator. He has an easy path to victory and DFS glory if he can exploit the White Sox dual weakness to strikeouts and walks.

For a team with a terrible offense, the Orioles have ruined my day more often than I care to admit. As such, I’m a little edgy about using J.A. Happ in what should be an auto-use start at Camden Yards.

Favorite Plays: Corbin, Soroka, Peacock, Happ

Stack Targets: Jordan Guerrero, Taylor Cole (bullpen game), Drew Gagnon (bullpen game), Andrew Suarez

Insofar as I can tell, Guerrero is a future left-handed reliever who obviously can’t hack it as a starting pitcher. He can induce whiffs, but that’s his only redeeming trait.

4. SaberSim Says…

Corbin, Weaver, Soroka, Paddack, and Darvish are the machine’s picks. The value title belongs to Weaver followed by Arrieta, Darvish, Soroka, and Corbin. On the hitting side of the ledger, Joey Gallo, Alex Bregman, Luke Voit, Ronald Acuna, and Gary Sanchez lead the way. Remember the wind before locking in Gallo. Kyle Schwarber, Renato Nunez, Welington Castillo, Kendrys Morales, and Aaron Hicks are the preferred bargains.

5. The Old Way

Remember when this is how teams scored runs? Hits and walks and defensive miscues. And of course Thairo Estrada deals the biggest blow.

Yasiel Puig may be out with a contusion today.

Sandy Alcantara tossed a complete game shutout. He also flashed some casual athleticism.