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Monthly Archives: July 2014
MLB Pitchers and Hitters to Maximize your Fantasy Baseball Fun
The MLB is in full swing as all 30 teams are in action on July 29th! This will give fantasy owners a nice variety to build fantasy lineups with in daily and season long leagues. The first place we will take a look at includes the list of solid starting pitching options available.
Jeff Samardzija might be one of the top starters to consider as the Oakland A’s travel to take on the Houston Astros. Since joining the A’s, Samardzija has posted a 2.70 earned run average and a 2-1 record in four starts. One of those four starts came against the Astros on July 24th, as he pitched 8 innings, allowing one earned run in the A’s 13-1 win.
Josh Beckett will also be a nice option against an Atlanta Braves team that has combined to go 11 for 60 in their career against the Los Angeles Dodgers starter. Beckett is 6-5 this season with a 2.52 earned run average for the Dodgers.
Other top starters on the mound tonight:
Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies: Hamels is 5-5 on the season with a 2.72 earned run average for the Phillies. Tonight he makes the start on the road against the New York Mets in what could possibly be his last start for the club.
Tim Hudson, San Francisco Giants: The Giants starter has posted an 8-7 record this season with a 2.65 earned run average. Hudson will take the mound at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals: The Nationals make the trip to Miami to take on the Marlins as Strasburg will take the mound. Strasburg has posted an 7-8 record with a 3.67 earned run average this season.
Now we switch to fantasy hitters to play tonight starting with David Wright. Wright and the Mets will be facing off against Cole Hamels at home. In 73 career at bats verse Hamels, Wright is hitting .329 with five home runs and 16 runs batted in. The other smart play from this game could be Ryan Howard if he is in the lineup verse Dillon Gee. For his career Howard is hitting .500 against Gee in 18 at bats with six home runs.
Other top hitters to play tonight:
Hanley Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers: Ramirez has five career home runs against Aaron Harang in his career.
Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins: In 26 career at bats verse Strasburg, Stanton is hitting .385 with seven extra base hits, including three home runs.
Juan Lagares, New York Mets: Lagares gives you cheaper option in the outfield as he has eight hits in 20 career at bats verse Cole Hamels.
Friday’s Big Fantasy Winner: A Rotoguys Analysis
An Inside View Into Winning Daily Fantasy Sports Draft Kings Lineups
With the Draft Street to Draft Kings merger well under way and Draft Kings TV (DKTV) now broadcasting there is no telling how large the games will grow. As $100,000 daily fantasy sports contests now spring up weekly and tournaments sizes and prize pools expand at Draft Kings it is becoming clear they are raising the hobby to an elite level. We are now seeing 10,000 plus team daily fantasy baseball tournaments and there is no end in sight as to where draft kings will set the bar.
Now offering a $6,000,000 Fantasy Baseball Legend Series, a MLB $1,000,000 Championship Week Finale and a $3,300,000 Fantasy Baseball Championship there is no denying Draft Kings is setting new daily fanatasy sports milestones, prcendents and records with regularity. As one of the premiere daily fantasy sports platforms the Draft Kings daily $2 fantasy baseball tournament is starting to reach new heights by most industry standards and measures. Now showcasing an over 10,000 person playing field on some nights and 5 figure paydays, the Draft Kings MLB Moon Shot (18k) is an exciting example of the possible potential for daily fantasy sports. Finding himself in the winners circle this week for the Draft Kings $2 MLB Moon Shot (18k) daily fantasy sports contest on Friday July 25h 2014 was Draft Kings player “Benspringfield”. Ball caps off to “Benspringfield” for building the winning daily fantasy sports lineup and scoring a tournament high of 184.8 daily fantasy points. Lets go over the lineup to see what may have lead to its rise to the top of the leader board this week on Draft Kings.
Pitchers (P) – Pitchers were Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers (13.6% owned) and Yordano Ventura, Kansa City Royals (5.3% Owned). Greinke is a strikeout king who was still reasonably priced this Friday making it a great play. At only 5% owned Ventura was a much tougher play but pitching at home, his cheaper price and given his propensity for strike outs most likely make it a lean worth risking.
Catcher (C) – Catcher was Stephen Vogt, Oakland (28.2% Owned). Oakland has been giving there catchers great hitting slots in the lineup all year and both Stephen Vogt and Derek Norris have been reaping the rewards. Never too high priced and always high and well protected in a stacked Oakland lineup you can always count on A’s catchers for solid daily fantasy sports outings and this Friday was no different. Also when you see %’s owned this high on a Friday you can almost be assured there was a batter vs pitching matchup that made Vogt an even stronger play then usual.
First Base (1B) – First baseman was Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox (9.5% Owned). The major League leader in home runs and one of the best hitters in the game there is not much that needs to be said for this selection. The interesting note here is that Abreu was under 10% owned on a Friday night which might put him in a favorable for future plays.
Second Base (2B) – Second baseman was Dee Gordon, Los Angeles Dodgers (3% Owned). One of the fastest players in baseball and rarely heavily picked. At 3% owned your scoring daily fantasy points while your opponents are not with Gordon. One of the best leadoff hitters in baseball with a low ownership rate is always a solid look.
Third Base (3B) – Third baseman was Yangervis Solarte, San Diego Padres (1.7% Owned). Freshly traded from the Yankees this play might be an attempt to catch someone in a new league, on a new team getting on a hot a streak. It will be interesting to watch how Solarte performs in San Diego for the rest of the year and will be a fantasy player we will surely want to keep our eyes on, especially if he pops up on more winning daily fantasy sports lineups.
Shortstop (SS) – Shortstop was Josh Rutledge, Colorado Rockies (8.2% Owned). Helping fill in for the injured Troy Tulowitzki the offensive slack will need to be picked up other places in the Rockies lineup and Rutledge just might be one of the guys to help do it. As one of the better power hitting shortstops and with Tulo on the 15 day disabled list this might be a great play for the next week or so.
Outfielders (OF) – Outfielders were Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays (3.8% Owned), Jay Bruce, Cinccinatti Reds (1.1% Owned) and Yoenis Cespedes, Oakland A’s (12.8% Owned). Interesting that the lowest owned player on the team 1.1 Jay Bruce happened to also be the only player not to score any fantasy points. It was a tough pitching match up for Bruce and the Reds and this might have been the one weak spot in the lineup and it showed. On the other sides of the diamond Bautista had an unbelievable night which he is always more then capable of and Cespedes more then held his own with an average night for him so Bruce’s lack of output was more then made up for with some super strong picks.
Draft Kings player “Benspringfield” seemed to favor a highly varied mix stack that focused on big star hitters with great lineup spots. By not picking the highest priced pitchers on the market there was extra money to spend and that cash was well spent mostly on big bats. It was a great job of daily fantasy sports team building this week by “Benspringfield” in the Friday Draft Kings $2 MLB Moon Shot (18k) and really highlights the diversity of strategies that can take home the top prize on any given daily fantasy sports night. If you had to make a freestyle stack what areas would you use your daily fantasy sports salary for? Do you like to build your daily fantasy sports lineups around pitching or hitting?
Your turn to mimic Benspringfield. Hit some fantasy action so we can analyze your picks.
This Week In Baseball History:
On July 26, 1948, an ill Babe Ruth made his last public appearance while attending the film premiere of “The Babe Ruth Story.” The 53-year-old Hall of Famer would fall victim to throat cancer only three weeks later on Aug. 16 in New York City. Ruth’s final appearance at Yankee Stadium was on June 13, 1948 when the team retired his #3 jersey and uniform.
David Ortiz, Carlos Beltran and this Weekend’s Fantasy MLB
David Ortiz, Carlos Beltran both look to power their fantasy teams over the weekend. David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox are on the road in Tampa Bay to take on the Tampa Bay Rays. While Carlos Beltran and the Yankees host the Toronto Blue Jays.
On Saturday, Ortiz is a great play against right hander Jeremy Hellickson of the Rays. In 24 career at bats verse Hellickson, Ortiz has nine hits, including three home runs and four runs driven in. Ortiz’s has seen a drop in his batting average this season, but the power numbers continue to come in. Over the last seven days Ortiz has four home runs and eight runs driven in.
Ortiz is just one of many great plays for Saturday on a day with a full slate of games. Jose Bautista and the Toronto Blue Jays head to New York to take on Chris Capuano and the Yankees. Bautista is hitting .389 for his career against the Yankees newest starter with seven hits in 18 career at bats including two home runs. The other solid fantasy play for Saturday is veteran Nick Swisher against Jeremy Guhtrie of the Kansas City Royals. Swisher has 46 career at bats against Guthrie picking up 10 extra base hits and 11 runs driven in.
On Sunday, Beltran looks to continue to career success against J.A. Happ of the Toronto Blue Jays. In his career verse Happ, Beltran has three career home runs and six runs driven in. Over his last 25 at bats, Beltran has seven hits, including a home run and three runs batted in.
Hunter Pence and Shin-Soo Choo are two other great fantasy plays for Sunday. Pence has a career .444 batting average against Hyun-Jin Ryu of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his career Pence has eight career hits in 18 at bats with five runs batted in. Choo’s production includes a home run, four base hits and three runs batted in verse Scott Kazmir in 14 career at bats.
As far as starters go Clayton Kershaw takes the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. Over his last 10 starts, Kershaw has allowed only 11 earned runs and the Dodgers have won nine of ten games. On Sunday Adam Wainwright takes the mound for the St. Louis Cardinals against one of the worst teams in baseball in the Chicago Cubs. Wainwright will look to bounce back against the Cubs this season after allowing 12 earned runs in three starts.
Aaron Rodgers and the Top Fantasy Quarterbacks
Aaron Rodgers enters 2014 as a favorite for the top fantasy quarterback. Rodgers missed nine games in 2013 due to a broken collarbone. The Green Bay Packers quarterback was able to return during the final game of the season against the Chicago Bears.
It didn’t take long for Rodgers to show why he is one of the games top quarterbacks leading the Packers to a 33-28 victory over the Chicago Bears. Rodgers connected with speedy wide receiver Randall Cobb with less than a minute remaining to give the team the win. The win also locked up the NFC North and a trip to the post season.
Prior to the injury Rodgers was putting up another solid season of stats at the quarterback. Rodgers opened the season with 333 yards, three touchdowns and one interception against the San Francisco 49ers. The success continued a week later as Rodgers picked apart a very bad Washington Raven secondary, throwing for 480 yards and four touchdowns.
In the first seven games of the season before suffering the collarbone injury, Rodgers completed 167 passes for 2,191 yards. Rodgers was also limiting the amount of interceptions committing only 4 verses 15 passing touchdowns.
As we enter the 2014 NFL Season, Rodgers is one of a handful of the top quarterbacks worthy of an early fantasy pick for season owners. Here is the complete list of the top five fantasy quarterbacks for the upcoming season.
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: If Rodgers last game of the regular season is a sign of the way he is going to play in 2014, the Packers quarterback might finish as the best quarterback in the NFL.
Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos: Manning is one of those quarterbacks that fantasy owners can take in the first round and can live up to the hype. Last season, Manning broke the single season passing yardage and passing touchdown records. Despite losing Eric Decker, the Broncos found replacements in both Cody Latimer and Emmanuel Sanders.
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints: Brees is the only quarterback in NFL history to top the 5,000 yard mark in three consecutive seasons. The team also got better adding Brandin Cooks to the passing game as well as building one of the NFCs top defensive units. The key to the offense will be a good defense that can get the ball back for the offense.
Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: It is hard to imagine not taking Stafford in fantasy leagues when he has the NFL’s top wide receiver in Calvin Johnson. The team also made two key moves this off-season signing Golden Tate and hiring Jim Caldwell as the head coach. We saw Caldwell work with Joe Flacco during his eleven touchdowns zero interception run through the Super Bowl.
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals starter continues to get better in each NFL season he plays. Last season, Dalton topped the 4,000 yard mark as well as 30 touchdown passes for the first time in his young NFL career. It doesn’t hurt that Dalton has one of the games top wide receivers in A.J. Green.
MLB Insight from Jessica Kleinschmidt
Back for a second consecutive week Rotoguys is privileged to re introduce our guest contributor Jessica Kleinschmidt. You can follow Jessica @KleinschmidtJD
Going into the 2014 season, once again the A’s got little to zero recognition, even though the two seasons prior they more than proved themselves to the baseball world, taking the AL West title. The Texas Rangers were their biggest competition, this season however, the green and gold have to worry about the Los Angeles Angels.
I know what you’re thinking, Angels are in second place, so that automatically means of course, they are the biggest competition to the A’s. Well, you would be correct, however there are specific factors to it.
The Halos spent a huge chunk of change on Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols. Hamilton received a $125,000,000/5-year contract and Pujols signed a $240,000,000/10-year contract. Two big names with even bigger salaries you would think meant the team would be unstoppable. That wasn’t the case last season. They finished 2013 with a 78-84 record, third place in the AL West behind the Texas Rangers and Oakland A’s. Sounds solid, but not when you have a roster of All-Stars. Luckily things started off hot for them this season.
Hamilton was looking more and more like the Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton who averaged a .305 batting average with 771 hits and 142 home runs. I’m not getting too ahead of myself and necessarily saying that he’s on pace for those numbers, but an Angels fan can dream. He wasn’t as terrible as he was in 2013, let’s put it that way. In addition, Pujols managed to look less slow and making solid contact with the ball even after some string of injuries and some Jack Clark drama. He managed to put a sigh of relief on to the Halos roster.
Cole Kalhoun became a precious gem that came out of left field (or in this case, right field) and he’s brought a strong bat and fielding to the lineup. Calhoun is hitting with a .284 batting average, and 65 hits in 61 games. He’s also come through with some clutch walk-offs for Los Angeles.
A guy that I have to mention is Mike Trout. You can say what you want, but the guy is phenomenal. The All-Star and former Rookie of the Year has a .313 batting average and a 1.003 OPS, which is the best in the Bigs right now. I don’t believe it takes one single guy to carry a team, but I’m pretty sure Mike Trout makes the lifting a big easier for his team.
The Angels have a lot to prove through the second half of the season. They’re sitting on a 59-38 record, right behind the A’s. Don’t sleep on the Halos. These two teams will be fighting for the AL West title come Fall.
About Jessica:
Jessica is a sports writer on Sportsnaut.com and has been featured on YardBarker, Fox Sports and Bleacher Report. She is also a radio host at Fantasy Sports Live. A baseball aficionado she also covers NFL and the NBA.
Rotoguys Interview with Sports Personality Jen Royle
The second in our on-going interview feature is a special one. This week we turn our attention to Sports Journalist Extraordinaire Jen Royle. Jen is an Emmy winning sports reporter presently at the Boston Herald and has appeared on everything from WEEI Sport Radio, CBS Radio’s 98.5 The Sports Hub, SB Nation and ESPN.
She covered the New York Yankees and before relocating back to her hometown of Boston in 2012 she spent two years in Baltimore covering the Ravens and Orioles appearing on both CBS Radio’s 105.7 “The Fan” in Baltimore and the Mid Atlantic Sports Network (MASN).
She recently started her own company, SportsReelBoston.com, providing the latest news, video and features on the Boston Red Sox.
Jen has always been a great sport with us and was extremely accommodating answering our questions giving us an insight to her world which we must say is amazing. What is more amazing is Jen and her great charisma and personality that comes out in answering our questions as well as the interesting road that has brought her back home to Boston.
Rotoguys: Firstly, for the record we have playfully teased you on twitter during the Habs-Bruins series which you took in stride but surprisingly despite being from Boston you are not a Bruins fan…what was your favorite team growing up (across all sports).
Jen Royle: Haha. The Bruins. But that was a LONG time ago. I grew up in the suburbs of Boston but my father made sure myself and my brothers attended Red Sox and Bruins games. We weren’t into the Celtics or the Patriots much, but the B’s and the Sox were a big part of our family. For some reason, I became a huge Bruins fan around the age of 13 and was devoted until I went off to college in 1992. Perfect timing… I think they really started to stink then. I was a big Ken Linseman fan, shocker, right? I mean, of course I am the fan of the little rat who caused the most trouble on the ice. I loved Cam Neely, Gordy Kluzak, Stevie Kasper, etc. Ironically, I would end up interviewing Cam Neely for the Boston Herald on camera 20 years later. The think is… I cherished that interview and was so honored and thrilled to sit with him. It meant so much to me and actually made me nervous. It’s been a while since I’ve been nervous during an interview, but Cam Neely certainly bought me back to my childhood days and made me appreciate how far I’ve come.
Rotoguys: You have quite the resume filled with impressive experiences in different cities, accolades including an Emmy and the opportunity to interview some of the most well known athletes. Is the passion journalism or sports? Were you a sports fan seeking to work in the industry or was it a passion for journalism that led you to sports?
Jen Royle: Such a great question. I always told myself I wanted a job where I brought my computer to the ballpark. I swear I made that up in my head. I didn’t even know those jobs existed. I was always a good writer, as was my older brother Chris. I have no problems putting my feelings and thoughts on paper and my personality, as you guys know, is a bit off the charts. So once I started writing, I realized that if I just be myself and write how I talk, people will read. I go my job with the YES Network in New York City as a freelance writer in 2003, that was my first year writing sports columns. And they were crappy topics/assignments, but I was happy to be employed by a major network even though I had a HUGE job with Liz Claiborne as head of one of their Public Relations divisions already. Oh yes!
Jake Peavy
After the 2003 season, YES’s head writer for the team left for NFL Films and I was offered his job, which of course I accepted. I gave my two weeks notice at Liz Claiborne and it was all somewhat uphill from there. I was clueless. I refuse to deny it. Yes, I was from Boston, knew a lot about baseball, and had a personality that didn’t allow me to be intimidated, but I didn’t really know what I was doing. There was a huge learning curve for me and nobody helped me. I didn’t have a female mentor or a role model that could guide me. In fact, I think other women in the business were kind of mean to me and secretly hoped I failed. But I didn’t. I don’t think. I ended up spending seven years with the Yankees. It was an incredible experience and I’m so proud of myself for succeeding in a male-dominated environment. I was a writer on a tough beat with a tough group of guys in a tough city. I didn’t fail, but I didn’t shine. I blended.
I became really close to Mariano Rivera during my time with the Yankees and he helped me so much. He would hear if I was at a bar on the road or if I was talking too much to a player he didn’t like… he would yell at me and tell me I needed to clean up my act. My father passed away in 2006 and Mo was one of my biggest supporters during that time, as was the whole organization. The largest bouquet of flowers at my father’s funeral was from the “New York Yankees.” It must have had about… I’d say 250 red roses. It was astonishing. My poor father was a die hard Red Sox fan and everyone at his wake and funeral were talking about the dreadful red roses from the Evil Empire. Carl Pavano and some of the pitchers sent flowers too, so that made me feel like people looked at me as more than a team reporter. I was a person.
Once they won the World Series in 2009 I knew it was time to move on. I had been offered a big job in Baltimore covering the Orioles and the Ravens. I had never covered football or anything other than baseball so I was looking forward to the new experience. I was ready to leave New York. It had been 10 years and I wasn’t saving any money! I was living in a lovely apartment in Greenwich Village, but I was 36 and was ready to have a closet big enough to hold ALL my clothes, not just half of them.
Baltimore was awful. I’ll leave it at that. I would probably do some things differently if I had the chance to do it all over again. I mean, I wouldn’t change a single thing about work or the work I did, but I probably wouldn’t have paid so much attention to social media. But ya know what, sometimes you have to learn things the hard way. Overall, Baltimore made me a better person and it prepared me for Boston.
I will say this, however. Covering the Ravens for two years and experiencing covering an NFL team so closely was INCREDIBLE. I loved loved loved my time with the Ravens and getting to know the players and coaches on a daily basis and I still keep in touch with some of the guys as well as Coach Harbaugh. I loved going to work everyday at the Ravens facility and I look back at my time with the Ravens fondly. It was just an awesome awesome awesome two years with those guys.
Rotoguys: You have worked in New York and Baltimore and returned to Boston .. What was it like returning home ..was it an easy decision?
David Ortiz
Jen Royle: It was a very easy decision. I had gotten calls from WEEI, NESN and Comcast. I was already working for CBS Radio in Baltimore so I knew I could at least get an interview at 98.5 The Sports Hub. I knew in my heart I had to get the hell out of that town. I wasn’t growing as a person at all. I wasn’t learning anything new and I wasn’t happy. I had friends and I loved my co-workers but it just wasn’t my speed. I didn’t like the food, the shopping, the bar scene… anything. I didn’t want to date anyone because I knew I would be leaving. It was just a dark time for me. But because of all this, I ended up getting my puppy, Truman, who is the love of my life. My bulldog helped me get through that time in my life and I now have a whole new respect for animals. He’s my best buddy and I can’t imagine life without him!
Rotoguys: I have had the opportunity to attend games at landmark sporting venues such as the old Yankee Stadium, Maracana in Brazil, Old Trafford in Manchester, the old Hockey Forum in Montreal and Wrigley Field and I must say that Fenway was the most memorable experience as a sports fan…While we know you have stated a few times you are a not RedSox fan and neither am I (!) do you agree that Fenway has that unique quality among ballparks and sporting venues and is it still present (the magic of Fenway) even when you are there on an almost daily basis?
Jen Royle: My friend once told me, “The lights shine a little brighter at Fenway.” Not a day/night goes by that I don’t enter Gate D with my media pass and think, “I am so God damn lucky.” I think that answers the question.
Rotoguys:. Considering all the high profiled athletes you have interviewed from David Ortiz to Alex Rodriguez, Reggie Jackson to Joe Torre is there one that will always stand out for you?
Jen Royle: Ahhh… a lot of people ask me this and I have a terrible answer. Nobody. I’m not in awe of these guys. At all. I do a lot of five-minute exclusive sit-down interview on camera, that’s been primarily my gig for eight years or so between YES, MASN and now The Herald. There are interviews where I can’t stop smiling that stand out, for sure. But also, seeing that person/athlete months or a year later and getting a hug… That’s when you know you did a good job and they respected your questions and your work. I would say Andrew Bailey was a good interview. He had just won Rookie of the Year and I sat with him in Baltimore in 2010. He was so sweet and I remember telling him I hope he never changes. He ended up signing with the Red Sox a few years later so it was cool to reunite with him and have a buddy I could go to if I needed anything. I interviewed Mike Napoli in 2008 and he is now one of my best friends on Earth. I don’t keep it a secret… it’s impossible. He’s now here in Boston so it’s been great to have him close. We have a wonderful friendship and I tell him pretty much everything… he doesn’t judge me and he helps me with my guy problems and all that stuff. He’s a GREAT person and his family is even better.
I’m sure there are more but for now, those two come to mind.
Rotoguys: You have also covered some memorable games. Which game stands out the most in your career?
Jen Royle: Well Game 6 of the 2009 World Series when the Yankees won it all was amazing. The players had already celebrated clinching the playoffs and winning the ALDS and ALCS, so by the time the champaign rolled out for the World Series victory, it was just silly. Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera ripped my plastic poncho off and absolutely drenched me. It was cool to be in there with Jeter, ARod, Rivera, Pettitte, etc… it was certainly a night I’ll never forget. I was lucky enough to also cover the 2013 Red Sox World Series. For me, I had only been with the team sporadically that year so it didn’t mean as much to me, but of course I was happy for Mike.
The scoreless 13 inning game against the Red Sox and Yankees in 2004 when Jeter dove into the stands was probably one of the best games I’ve covered. It just stands out to me. I was always comfortable at Yankee Stadium because I had the same seat for seven years. Sweeny Murti from WFAN was always to the right of me and Andrew Marchand from ESPN was to my left. We were in the front row at the new stadium on the radio side of things so we had fun sitting up there and working. The new press box in the new stadium was spectacular. But yeah, that game was pretty cool to cover, for sure.
Rotoguys: What can you tell us about your project SportsReelBoston?
Jen Royle: Well… I just thought I should start a website where I could have a blog and maybe a few other writers gabbing about Boston sports. I didn’t know it would blow up to be what it is… not that it’s this spectacular money-making site or anything. I had this idea to have some former MLB players and GM’s contribute columns, so I got my buddies Jim Duquette and Alex Cora on board and we started to put some pieces together. That grew and I got Rick Dempsey, Wes Helms, Frank Catalanotto on board. Then I took it a step further and found all these talented young writers to join my team… Joon Lee was one. He ended up becoming an intern at The Herald and is now interning at WEEI. My goal was honestly to get these kids some exposure and to help promote them, and I think I’ve done a good job of that. I don’t deal with the former athletes as much because I got too busy with my own work, but I have about 15 talented writers up on the site writing about everything Boston sports and I’m really proud of the product.
Rotoguys: Between attending events, interviewing ball players, etc. many sports fan would give anything for your job so we ask: what is in fact the best part of your job?
Jen Royle: The best part of my job… Hmm… I would say being in an environment that most people only dream about. When the baseball game is over and David Ortiz hits a walk off homer, I’m in the locker room within 10 minutes of that hit. It’s fun to be around the guys when they are smiling and happy… and to have your mic in Ortiz’s face while your asking a question can be a rush sometimes. It’s also cool to be in the locker room or dugout with the guys during down time. If you cover a good team, which I do, the players can be really fun to be around. I work well with men and have always gravitated more towards guy friends than girl friends, so it’s a perfect environment for me. Oddly enough, I also enjoy covering tough losses. I enjoy being around the tension and having the challenge of interviewing somebody that isn’t in a great mood. The whole experience is very rewarding and I don’t forget for one second how lucky I am do to what I do. Trust me.
Rotoguys: Lastly, we must ask: are you in any fantasy leagues?!
No. I suck at fantasy. End of story.
Thank you Jen for your time as always. You can follow Jen Royle on twitter @Jen_Royle and check out SportsReelBoston.com.
Will Billy Butler and Hisashi Iwakuma do it again?
Fanduel’s King of the Diamond Contest
Are Billy Butler and Hisashi Iwakuma both destined for a big second half of the MLB season? When you look at both Butler and Iwakuma over the past two seasons in the second half they both have put up excellent numbers despite putting up solid numbers in the first half.
This season Butler is currently hitting .272 with three home runs and 36 runs batted in for the Kansas City Royals. The positive note for fantasy owners has been Butlers ability to produce in the second half over the past two seasons. Since 2012 Butler has picked up 183 hits in the second half, including 20 home runs and 88 runs driven in.
Billy Butler
On the mound Hisashi Iwakuma for the Seattle Mariners has been strong for the team in the second half over the past two seasons. In 2012 Iwakuma went 8-4 with a 2.50 earned run average in 15 second half starts. The success continued last season when he went 6-2 with a 2.14 earned run average in 13 second half starts. Now the Mariners are also being linked to David Price which could move Iwakuma another spot back behind Felix Hernandez and Price.
Hisashi Iwakuma
As far as some of the other top second half players Price is on the list posting a 16-4 record in 29 starts. In the 29 starts Price has allowed a combined 59 earned runs while striking out 184 batters. At the plate Chris Davis for the Baltimore Orioles could be another player to watch despite the slow start this season. Over the past two second halfs Davis has hit a combined 35 home runs and drove in 90 runs.
Top Second Half Players To Watch in 2014:
Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks: Last season Goldschmidt hit 15 second half home runs and drove in 48 runs for the Diamondbacks.
Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers: The Rangers third baseman finished in the top 15 in both 2012 and 2013 in second half hits. Beltre has a combined 171 hits in those two seasons, including 30 home runs and 85 runs batted in.
Zach Grienke, Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers starter has pitched 194 innings over the past two second half while posting a 13-4 record. Last season Grienke only allowed 19 earned runs over his final 14 starts of the season.
Mat Latos, Cincinnati Reds: Latos has posted a 2.76 earned run average for the Reds in 29 second half starts. In those starts Latos has struck out 147 batters in 195.1 innings and posted a 13-6 record.
The Second Half of the 2014 MLB Season
The second half of the 2014 MLB season should bring some excitement to fantasy baseball. The action is in full swing today with all 30 MLB teams in action allowing daily fantasy and full season owners to build some solid lineups.
Miguel Cabrera, Marlon Byrd headline the list of top fantasy plays for Saturday. Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers are at home facing off against Corey Kluber and the Cleveland Indians. In his career against Kluber, Cabrera has 12 hits in 24 at bats with three home runs and seven runs batted in.
Byrd and the Philadelphia Phillies head to Atlanta to face off against Aaron Harang and the Braves. Byrd for his career has nine hits in 20 at bats including three home runs and six runs batted in. The other member of the Phillies to watch is Ryan Howard who has nine hits in 27 at bats off of Harang with three home runs.
Here are some other top fantasy plays:
Felix Hernandez verse Los Angeles Angels: Hernandez has went at least seven innings over his last ten outings including six games with at least eight innings. Over that stretch Hernandez has allowed no more than two runs in any game including two games with zero runs allowed and four games with one run.
Cole Hamels verse the Atlanta Braves: Hamels dominated the Braves back on June 16th in the Phillies 6-1 win. The Phillies starter went seven innings allowing zero earned runs and struck out six batters. The Braves current lineup has 37 career hits in 171 at bats including 45 strike outs.
James Loney, Tampa Bay Rays: Loney has put together a good track record in only 11 career at bats verse Phil Hughes. In seven of the 11 at bats, Loney has picked up a hit including two extra base hits and posted a .636 batting average.
Nick Hundley, Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles starting catcher should be in the lineup against the Oakland A’s Jason Hammel today. This should play out well for daily fantasy owners giving you a nice cheap option at catcher. Hundley has seven hits in 14 career at bats verse Hammel including one home run.
Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies: Utley has 13 career hits in 30 at bats verse against the Braves starter Aaron Harang. The Phillies second baseman has 11 hits this season including two doubles against the Braves in 2014.
Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers: The Tigers catcher has put together one of the best seasons of his career this season. Today’s matchup against Corey Kluber should play in his favor as he has two career home runs and eight hits in 17 career at bats verse the Indians starter.
Friday 7/18/2014 DraftKings High Score Daily Fantasy Sports Lineup Breakdown
The second half of the MLB season is here and just like the crack of the bats from the Home Run Derby it is starting off with a bang. While the American League winning the All Star game, beating the National League 5 – 3, and Yoenis Cespedes retaining is Home Run Derby crown for the second year in a row made headlines, the real daily fantasy sports news came at the announcement of Draft Kings purchase of Draft Street. The acquisition was a shock to the industry and it will be interesting to see what is on the horizon for baseball daily fantasy sports at Draft Kings.
Now that DraftKings is pushing full steam ahead to create a premiere daily fantasy sports platform there will be a lot to learn from its players and winning lineups. On just the first day baseball was back in action DraftKings made it exciting by offering its customers a MLB $5k Player Appreciation Freeroll [$500 to 1st] among other promotions. With over $5,000 up for grabs on one of the best daily fantasy sports platforms available it was sure to be a hotly contested affair and that it was. As 5620 runners entered the tournament and created lineups there were plenty of talented DFS players on display. Emerging at the top of the pack on Friday July 198h 2014 was DraftKing daily fantasy sports player “Yield51”. Congratulations to “Yield51” for making the winning daily fantsay sports lineup scoring a total 168.9 fantasy points. Lets review the lineup to see what may have lead to its success.
Pitchers (P) – Pitchers were Bartolo Colon, New York Mets (21.9% owned) and Jose Quintana, Chicago White Sox (17.2% Owned). Looks like middle tier pitchers were the choice this week. Both pitchers offer mid range pricing and decent strikeout and daily fantasy sports scoring potential so these were safe choices that paid off. The ownership percentages show that many had the same sentiment about value.
Catcher (C) – Catcher was Brian McCann, New York Yankees (6.9% Owned). A reasonably priced catcher hitting in a great lineup spot is always a solid play and that’s what we get almost all the time in McCann. He is also one of the stronger power hitting catchers again making him a great choice.
First Base (1B) – First baseman was Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs (6.8% Owned). Very similar to MacCann, Rizzo is another player that hold lots of power, potential and value while almost always getting a great spot in the batting order.
Second Base (2B) – Second baseman was Arismendy Alcantara, Chicago Cubs (20.6% Owned). The most popular selection on the lineup this week this was a clear pricing play. Alcantara is a relatively unkown up and coming superstar that it appears a lot of people are honed in on and excited to see play and produce. A speedster on the bases he is a great play as you can really rack up daily fantasy sports points by swiping bases and that is exactly what he did on this opening night of the second half of the season.
Third Base (3B) – Third baseman was Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants (7.2% Owned). With this pick we are starting to see a trend emerge in this winning daily fantasy sports lineup of more power hitting based players with high lineups spots and Fat Panda is no exception.
Shortstop (SS) – Shortstop was Jordy Mercer, Pittsburgh Pirates (9.2% Owned). As the third highest owned player in the lineup it was clear Mercer was on a lot players radars. Hew was playing at home and had a favorable pitching match up which is what most likely tipped the scales in favor of this choice.
Outfielders (OF) – Outfielders were Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox (6.3% Owned), Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals (5.4% Owned) and Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins (11.3% Owned). It looks like the speed and power combo players were highest on the list when outfield building considerations were taken into account. The most risky play was found here as Bryce Harper has not played a whole lot this season. It appears he is till in fine form after hitting a home run and putting up 20 daily fantasy points for this lineup.
Draft Kings player “Yield51” leaned heavily on speed and power when compiling his winning daily fantasy sports lineup and was rewarded handsomely. While not a particularly high scoring night by Draft Kings daily fantasy sports lineup scoring standards, the winning lineup still excelled by utilizing a wide variety of players from different teams that all have a similar style of play and price point. By not focusing on any particular team, this winning daily fantasy sports lineup was able to win by deploying a nice mix of talented players with a few risky plays and lower priced pitchers thrown into the equation. What advantages do you think you will be able to gain by studying Draft Kings top scoring daily fantasy sports lineups?
This Week In Baseball History:
On July 23, 1962, baseball playing heroes Jackie Robinson, Bob Feller and Edd Roush and managing great Bill McKechnie were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.