Category: About Tout Wars

It’s the start of Period 2. Everybody starts fresh, except that Derek Carty and Howard Bender already have Golden Tickets in their pockets.

This week’s picks:

PHIL HERTZ

Freddie Freeman ($4,700 @Miami) versus Urena.

Mike Foltynewicz (($7,500 @Miami) versus the Marlins.

JEFF BOGGIS (Fantasy Football Empire) @JeffBoggis

Top Pitcher – Matt Harvey ($6,900 @Milwaukee) – I predict that a lot of experts will be staying away from Matt Harvey tonight, which plays right into my period 2 Golden Ticket strategy. At $6,900, Harvey is the 20^th ranked starting pitcher tonight, which affords me the opportunity to roster some of the higher priced pitchers and hitters. Harvey has something to prove tonight, and I am willing to roll the dice on the dark night silencing his critics. This is not a bad matchup tonight against Milwaukee as they rank 19th with a 91 wRC+ against right-handed pitching in 2017. Get him into your lineup if you want to beat Lawr Michaels in period 2 of our contest! #BeatLawr

Top Hitter – Mookie Betts ($5,200 vs. Tampa Bay) – Over his last 4 games, Betts is averaging almost 25 fantasy points per game. He faces right-handed pitcher Alex Cobb tonight. Against right-handed pitchers this season, Betts is batting .324 with 4 home runs, and 18 runs batted in this season. Get him into your lineup if you want to beat Lawr Michaels in period 2 of our contest! #BeatLawr

GENE McCAFFREY

Pitcher – The magic has to end sometime for Joe Biagini ($4,900 vs. Seattle), but he’s got skill and he’s super-cheap tonight.

Hitter – Assuming he plays, Yasmani Grandal ($4,500 @Colorado) is heating up just in time for Coors Field.

LAWR MICHAELS

Clayton Kershaw ($11,300 @Colorado): Expensive? Yes, but the lessons of Robbie Ray and the Rockies vulnerabilities to Southpaws are not lost on me, so downtown with the best lefty–maybe pitcher–in the game I go.

Elvis Andrus ($4,200 vs. Oakland): Still not considered among any kind of top tier shortstop it seems, Andrus averages eight points a game and is wielding a pretty solid .386 OBP with a couple of homers, a steal, and six walks over his last ten games. He should be able to continue against Oakland and Jesse Hahn at home.

BRIAN WALTON

Patrick Corbin ($8,100 vs. Pittsburgh). This is as much about Corbin as it is the Pirates’ woeful offense, which is 28^th in MLB in runs scored. After three quality starts in a row, Corbin was bombed last time out, but I will give him a Coors Field mulligan for that.

Cody Bellinger ($4,900 @Colorado). Speaking of Coors, the early choice for National League Rookie of the Year and his Dodgers mates are playing at altitude this weekend. Tee off time is 8:40 p.m. EDT against Tyler Chatwood, who comes into the game with a 5.40 home ERA in 2017.

CHARLIE WIEGERT

Top Pitcher…Matt Harvey ($6,900 @Milwaukee)  A contrarian pick for sure, but if anyone has something to prove right now, it’s Harvey!

Top hitters… Stacking some Dodgers at Coors; Grandel, Bellinger and Puig.

JEFF ERICKSON

I’m using Dylan Bundy $7,500 @Kansas City) against the worst offense in baseball, and trying to get speedy Diamondbacks against Tyler Glasnow.

With a second consecutive first place finish in week four of Period One, Derek Carty pranced to a 69 point lead in the four week contest, earning a Golden Ticket to the finals.

Howard Bender finished third on the week, but that was enough for him to finish 25 points ahead of third place finisher Phil Hertz and also earn a ticket to the finals.

You can see the whole leaderboard here.

A new four-week contest begins next Friday. Look for our Touts’ picks for Friday night’s contests on Friday afternoon.

Would you like to play? The Tout Daily league is hosted by Draft Kings, and they are offering a special to new signups. Deposit $5 and gain free entry to a $3 contest. Click here to for more details and how to sign up.

Can Derek Carty Hold-The-Lead Edition!

At stake are two tickets (of 11 total) to the Tout Daily Finals. See the current leaderboard here.

As for the Touts picks for tonight’s Draft Kings game?

JEFF BOGGIS @JeffBoggis

Stephen Strasburg (@Philadelphia–$10,600) Strasburg is averaging 20.8 fantasy points per game and has a favorable matchup on the road tonight at Philadelphia. In all 4 starts this season, Scherzer has gone 7 innings and had a quality start in each game, which bodes well for racking up fantasy points. He had a disappointing outcome in his last appearance against the Mets with only 2 strikeouts, but he was averaging 8+ strikeouts per game. Get him into your lineup if you want to beat Lawr Michaels this week! #BeatLawr

Hanley Ramirez (@Minnesota–$4,600) Ramirez is averaging 7.8 fantasy points per game and travels to Minnesota tonight to face starting pitcher, Phil Hughes (5.06 ERA and 1.47 WHIP). Over the past 7 days, Ramirez has been a top 10 hitter, batting .360 with 7 runs scored, 4 home runs, and 7 RBIs. Get him into your lineup if you want to beat Lawr Michaels this week! #BeatLawr

PHIL HERTZ

I like Kenta Maeda (@San Diego–$9,800) against San Diego tonight. I think he turned a corner in his last start.

I also like AJ Pollock (@Colorado–$5,200) at Coors.

MICHAEL BELLER

Kenta Maeda (@San Diego–$9,800) Maeda’s early-season struggles were largely an issue of poor command. He got too many pitches up in the zone and, given his stuff, he paid a price for that. He lived down in the zone in his last start and, unsurprisingly, looked like the pitcher he was a season ago. I feel confident that’s the guy I’m getting in most of his outings, and I’ll certainly bet on that with the punchless Padres in the other dugout.
All the Nats Hitters (@Philadelphia–Priceless) I’m rolling out a Trea Turner/Daniel Murphy/Ryan Zimmerman stack tonight. This is the hottest offense in baseball going up against Nick Pivetta, a rookie without a prospect pedigree making his second career start. Plus, the Nationals are on the road. If they hit the way they’re capable, I should get 15 PAs out of this trio. In full disclosure, my strategy is also driven by my standing. I’m in the running for a golden ticket, but I need to jump some people tonight. That is, at least in part, why I’m fading Diamondbacks-Rockies at Coors. Time to zig.

GENE McCAFFREY

Against a Blue Jays team with 22 percent Ks vs. righties, the over/under on Chris Archer’s (vs Toronto–$9,600) strikeouts tonight is nine.

Charlie Blackmon (vs Arizona–$5,100) is expensive but is home-sweet-home in Coors and the weather is warm.

LAWR MICHAELS

Dallas Keuchel (@LA Angels–$10,400): If one needs a horse, Keuchel might well be Seabiscuit this year, averaging 26.8 points a game with 36 whiffs over 44.6 innings while batters are hitting just .197 off the lefty. He gets to face the somewhat aging Angels, who do have Mike Trout, but not a bunch behind him.

Nick Ahmed (@Colorado–$3,200): His line of .211-1-7 is pretty lame, but Ahmed has averaged 4.2 points per game and facing German Marquez (0-1, 7.20, with a 1.90 WHIP). Ahmed is the perfect kind of low-end investment.

BRIAN WALTON

Lance Lynn (@Atlanta–$7800) had more time than most pitchers coming off Tommy John surgery, a year and a half, and has shown pretty consistent results in his first five starts, with a 2.46 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and .206 batting average against. Lynn and the Cardinals play at Atlanta Friday evening, a game that could be low-scoring.

At this price, Houston’s Marwin Gonzalez (@LA Angels–$3,300) looks to be a great bargain. Over his last 10 games, the third baseman-outfielder is batting .484 with six home runs and 15 RBI. It has to end soon, but perhaps not against the Angels’ Jesse Chavez Friday night.

CHARLIE WIEGERT

Andrew Triggs (vs Detroit–6700) seems undervalued for what he has done so far…I expect to see him heavily owned! Dallas Keuchel (@LA Angels–$10,400) seems the safest of the top $ pitchers going tonight.

Stacking some AZ hitters at Colorado; Matthis, Owings, Pollack & Tomas (Arizona). I’m using the theory that German Marquis is the lowest priced pitcher tonight for a reason other than the 7.20 ERA. I’m hoping for some dingers against him!

Riding the big nights of Cole Hamels, Joey Gallo, Corey Seager and AJ Pollock, Rotolady edged out a victory this week over Howard Bender.

Vlad Sedler finished third for the week.

Ray Murphy had the fourth best score for the week and remains atop the leaderboard after his Week 1 victory.

 

Week 2 of Period 1 of Tout Daily. Twenty Six Touts are competing for the championship. You can see the leaders (Ray Murphy, well ahead of Lenny Melnick and Brian Walton, for now) here.

Would you like to play? The league is hosted by Draft Kings, who are offering a special to new signups. Deposit $5 and gain free entry to a $3 contest. Click here to for more details and to sign up.

And compare your results to the Touts. Here are their picks this week:

Phil Hertz like Jose Quintana (vs. Cleveland, $7,700) and Manny Machado (vs. Boston,$4,800).

Charlie Wiegert, 2015 Champ

Top pitcher…Jon Lester (@ Cincinnati, $10,600).  He’s been good but he’ll need to keep the running Reds off base!  Long Shot…Alex Meyer.  He has no business being in the majors, but against a scuffling Blue Jays team, he has that chance to pitch a gem and stay in Angels rotation.

Top hitters…Freddie Freeman (@ Philadelphia, $4,600) has been scorching, plus 3 Cubbies to back Lester and abuse Red starter Adelman, Contreras, Russell and Schwarber.

Rick Wolf

Joc Pederson (@ Arizona, $3,800) is tonight’s value pick for Tout Daily. He is facing an inconsistent RHP in Walker at a classic hitter’s park, Chase Field.  He will be extremely low owned as he is only 5 for 24 vs RHP, but he does have a HR, 6 RBI and 5 walks.  When select tournament values, you want a player with 2 HR power. Joc has that possibility tonight.