The Daily Grind: Thinnest Thursday

Sometimes my eyes sound loud, but I know it’s just because they’re in my head.

AGENDA

1. TDG Invitational
2. First Take
3. Weather Reports
4. Pitchers to Use and Abuse
5. SaberSim Says…
6. I Traded This Guy, Pt 2

1. The Daily Grind Invitational

Lollygagr comboed James Paxton, Luis Severino, Matt Adams, Bryce Harper, and Giancarlo Stanton. They produced 184.8 of his 206.8 points.

One more freeroll on FantasyDraft! Let’s keep the pressure up. We’re playing in a tiny four game slate. It’s a great time to mess around with weird strategies.

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 my first glance at a tiny night slate.

3. Weather Reports

Thin Thursday plus rain equals sad times. The Chicago game looks like a rainout tonight. Since it’s an in-division game, they have plenty of opportunities to make it up. Cleveland (a doubleheader), Texas, and Kansas City also have moderate risk for delays.

4. Pitchers to Use and Abuse

Early Slate: We have five games in the early slate. Carlos Carrasco ($23,000) is the top arm precisely because he isn’t facing the Yankees or Astros. Otherwise Lance McCullers ($17,900) or Masahiro Tanaka ($14,900) would be in the conversation. Even though Carrasco has the top projection for the day, I’m looking for alternatives. Fading the Yankees has proven profitable for me. Welcome to my team McCullers.

Trevor Williams ($12,100) is a boring core performer. Sometimes that’s all you need in a small slate – especially when the top arms have to dodge rain (Carrasco) or foreboding opponents. To that end, Mike Fiers ($10,000) could work too.

Stack Targets: Jeremy Hellickson, Eric Skoglund, Jason Vargas, Fiers, Jaime Garcia, Julio Teheran

You could use any of these guys. Because that’s just the kind of slate this is.

Main Slate: Woof. This is likely to become a three-game contest. Pick two pitchers among Sean Manaea ($21,400), David Price ($18,400), Mike Minor ($10,100), Wade LeBlanc ($9,400), Chris Tillman ($8,600), and Jaime Barria ($8,000). Now memorize your cards and put them back in the deck.

Did you choose this one?

And this one?

Yea, so did 75 percent of participants.

I don’t know what to tell you. The value play in a GPP is to use at least one of the scrublords. And I don’t mean Minor who will also have high ownership by virtue of his non-dumpster fire status.

Stack Targets: You know who…

5. SaberSim Says…

Price, Jake Odorizzi, and Manaea are the top rated arms. Barria and LeBlanc are the value plays. I doubt LeBlanc throws five innings. Mike Trout, Mookie Betts (injured), J.D. Martinez (injured), Khris Davis, and Hanley Ramirez are the top bats. Values abound.

6. I Traded This Guy, Pt 2

In a 20 team dynasty league no less. At least I have Jose Altuve… or so I keep telling myself.

Using aces against elite lineups is the new DFS meta.

Boom.