How About a Scoop of those Rockies on the Road
Posted By:Bretsky on April 7, 2015
After a couple years layoff, we are resurrecting our old friend — The 11th Inning Stretch — a daily breeze through the box score to uncover the hidden gems that will aid your quest to a fantasy championship. We’ll also throw in a couple of DFS selections for those of you testing out the waters on the daily game.
Leading Off
As daily fans across the land rushed to stack the Brew Crew against Rockies Opening Day start Kyle Kendrick, they found themselves on the wrong side of the diamond from the premiere offensive assault. The Rockies brought their big bats on their season opening rod trip, putting up a dime on Kyle Lohse and the Brewers. Third baseman Nolan Arenado led the way with a 3-for-4 efforts, slugging a home run, scoring three times and driving in four. Troy Tulowitzki joined him with three runs scored and Corey Dickerson matched his RBI total with a four steak game as well. A healthy Carlos Gonzalez also chipped in a pair of hits out of the two-hole, giving the Rockies more depth in the lineup than they’ve since the days of Larry Walker and Dante Bichette.
| Player | Home | Road |
| Carlos Gonzalez | .329/.387/.601 | .258/.314/.437 |
| Troy Tulowitzki | .323/.397/.565 | .274/.349/.469 |
| Nolan Arenado | .300/.339/.520 | .252/.287/.375 |
| Corey Dickerson | .346/.402/.670 | .245/.292/.389 |
The numbers in that little table thingy above are quite frankly eye-popping and would seem to support the conventional wisdom that this team only hits when at home. Still, it’s important to realize that health has also played a major role on the Rox success over the last several years. Teams that are built around two foundation bats tend to slump when one or the other is not in the lineup and the Rockies have suffered through long stretches without the services of CarGo and Tulo. With a bit of depth added to the lineup in the form of Arenado and Dickerson, the Rockies will be able to keep their studs fresh in the hopes also keeping them healthy.
This is the best looking Rockies lineup we’ve seen in well over a decade and it will be a force both in the thin air of Coors field and when they take the show on the road.
Other Notables
- Alex Rios made a splash in his Royals debut, knocking three hits including a homer and swiping a bag as well. Over the past three season, Rios has put together a .288/.324/.452 slash while averaging 18 home runs and 30 steals per 162 games. There is plenty of gas left in the tank.
- It was more of the same from AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber as he tossed 7.1 strong inning with seven strikeouts. Kluber was out-duelded by fellow 2015 breakout Dallas Keuchel. We didn’t like the three free passes that Keuchel handed out, but he continues to rack up the ground balls while throwing with confidence.
- Boston’s bats played a bit of homer run derby against Cole Hamels and the Phillies on Opening Day, slugging five long balls — two each for Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez and one for Mooke Betts. On the flip side, Clay Buchholz dominated a punchless Phillies offense. An encouraging performance for Buchholz for sure, but we’re going to take away from this the ability to stream starters early and often against this miserable Phialdelphia squad.
- Todd Frazier came up with the big hit for the Reds to give them an Opening Day W, but watching Joey Votto collect a pair of hits out of the two-hole and Jay Bruce go deep in the fourth off of lefty Francisco Liriano are the details to note.
- Masahiro Tanaka‘s new arsenal did not have positive results, he failed to get through the fifth inning for just the second time in his career. After taking a flier in a couple of draft where the Yankees ace slipped outside the top-100 picks, I’m still hanging on, but Tanaka is probably a bench-worthy candidate until he turns in a useful start.
Call to the Pen
- Jason Grilli got he nod in post-Kimbrel Atlanta. He showed solid strikeout skills down the stretch last season and should do just fine.
- Chris Hatcher locked down the save for the Dodgers, and should continue to do so as long as he has success in Kenley Jansen‘s absence.
Injuries and Such
- Buddy Carlyle grabbed the save for the Mets with Jenrry Mejia unable to shake elbow soreness as he warned up in the ninth. Jeurys Familia is the priority add and would likely have garnered the opportunity had he not already pitched in the game.
- Matt Cain was diagnosed with a strained flexor tendon and is headed for the disabled list. Jake Peavy has also been scratched from his start later this week, leaving the San Francisco rotation up in the air. Ryan Vogelsong will fill in one of the spots, but fantasy owners need to keep an eye on Yusmiero Petite, who’s strikeout rate alone makes him mix-league worthy.
Daily Fantasy Deals
Each day we’ll toss out a batter and a pitcher who is making their way into our DFS lineups
Bat
Stephen Vogt: After blasting a three-run shot on Opening Day, Vogt should find himself in the lineup once again with a right-hander of the mound. Vogt offers underrated power and is catcher eligible in the Draft Kings game. For an affordable 7% of your budget, he’s a nice option over more expensive backstops Buster Posey and Jonathan Lucroy.
Arm
Zack Greinke: He’s likely to be among the priciest options at starting pitcher regardless of format, but Greinke has a nice matchup agains the Padres heavily right-handed lineup in San Diego.
2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 250
Posted By:Bretsky on April 2, 2015
With Opening Day just around the corner, we’re continuing to tweak our top-250 rankings heading into the season. Be sure to check back for daily updates as rosters are finalized and roles are decided prior to the kickoff of another glorious fantasy baseball season.
2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings
Baseball Podcast: Get out Your Crystal Ball
Posted By:Bretsky on April 2, 2015
Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan are counting down the days to the start of the 2015 baseball season, but there’s no need to wait to find out who is going to win it all. The boys reveal their playoff picks, awards winners and hand out some fantasy superlatives. Bretsky and Mark also call out their bust of the year and lay down some bold predictions for the upcoming season. As always, the show closes with a dip in the mailbag.
Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!
»Listen
»Download on iTunes
Box Score Baseball Podcast – Get Out Your Crystal Ball
News & Notes
- Anthony Rendon
- Jayson Werth
- J.J. Hardy
- Justin Verlander
- Drew Storen
- Daniel Norris and Aaron Sanchez
- Micah Johnson
- Jake Marisnick
- Carlos Martinez
Playoff Picks and Bold Predictions
Mailbag!
The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock
Baseball Podcast: Draftin’ Time
Posted By:Bretsky on March 25, 2015
Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan make their final preparations for the 2015 Fantasy Baseball Draft Season. The boys recap some news and notes before conveying what they’ve learned so far in drafts and things they plan to alter to build a championship club. As always, the guys dip into the mailbag to help out some listeners to close the show.
Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!
»Listen
»Download on iTunes
Box Score Baseball Podcast – Draftin’ Time
News & Notes
- Hector Olivera
- Kris Bryant
- Rubby De La Rosa\
- Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera
- Jacoby Ellsbury
- Coco Crisp
What We’ve Learned
- Willing to gamble on…
- Guys we like
- Guys we apparently do not like
- Guys you need to slide up your draft board
- Let someone else have em
Mailbag!
The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock
Baseball Podcast: DaTrueChamp
Posted By:Bretsky on March 11, 2015
Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan force NFL and NBA interests out of the picture and discuss the latest happenings around the MLB that will impact the fantasy world. The boys discuss injuries to Cliff Lee, Marcus Stroman and others before debating the value of some offseason wildcards. Mark relays his strategy for drafting a deep-league squad as the guys recap his defending-champion FSWA team. Finally, the guys answer some trade questions as they dip into the mailbag.
Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!
»Listen
»Download on iTunes
Box Score Baseball Podcast – Worst Shape of Our Lives
News & Notes
- Cliff Lee
- Marcus Stroman
- Gavin Floyd
- Coco Crisp
- Jonathan Lucroy
Offseason Wildcards
- Ryan Braun
- Prince Fielder
- Justin Verlander
- George Springer
- Matt Harvey
Building a Team: FSWA Draft Recap
Mailbag!
The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock
Baseball Podcast: Worst Shape of Our Lives
Posted By:Bretsky on February 26, 2015
Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan shake off the rust to kick off Season 3 of the Box Score Baseball Podcast. The Boys discuss a couple of early spring injuries, the developing story surrounding Josh Hamilton and recap the offseason moves that will impact fantasy value for the 2015 season.
Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!
»Listen
»Download on iTunes
Box Score Baseball Podcast – Worst Shape of Our Lives
News & Notes
- Kenley Jansen
- Victor Martinez and Jonathan Lucroy
- Jayson Werth
- Josh Hamilton
Movers and Shakers
- Top 5 offseason moves
- Players losing value
Mailbag!
The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock
Fantasy Football Week 15 Rankings: Quarterback
Posted By:Bretsky on December 10, 2014
Each week, our rankers will provide you with their top plays at each position. If you’ve got start/sit questions heading into Sunday’s games, find us on twitter or leave ’em in the comments!
Week 15 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings
| Rank | Player | Matchup | AVG | Bretsky | Bell |
| 1 | Andrew Luck | IND vs. HOU | 1.00 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Aaron Rodgers | GB @ BUF | 2.50 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | Peyton Manning | DEN @ SD | 2.50 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Tom Brady | NE vs. MIA | 4.50 | 5 | 4 |
| 5 | Drew Brees | NO @ CHI | 4.50 | 4 | 5 |
| 6 | Matthew Stafford | DET vs. MIN | 6.00 | 6 | 6 |
| 7 | Ben Roethlisberger | PIT @ ATL | 7.00 | 7 | 7 |
| 8 | Mark Sanchez | PHI vs. DAL | 10.00 | 9 | 11 |
| 9 | Tony Romo | DAL @ PHI | 10.00 | 11 | 9 |
| 10 | Philip Rivers | SD vs. DEN | 11.00 | 14 | 8 |
| 11 | Matt Ryan | ATL vs. PIT | 11.50 | 8 | 15 |
| 12 | Joe Flacco | BAL vs. JAX | 11.50 | 13 | 10 |
| 13 | Jay Cutler | CHI vs. NO | 12.50 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | Russell Wilson | SEA vs. SF | 14.00 | 16 | 12 |
| 15 | Eli Manning | NYG vs. WAS | 14.50 | 10 | 19 |
| 16 | Johnny Manziel | CLE vs. CIN | 15.50 | 17 | 14 |
| 17 | Ryan Tannehill | MIA @ NE | 15.50 | 15 | 16 |
| 18 | Colin Kaepernick | SF @ SEA | 19.50 | 18 | 21 |
| 19 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | HOU @ IND | 20.00 | 20 | 20 |
| 20 | Shaun Hill | STL vs. ARI | 20.00 | 22 | 18 |
| 21 | Andy Dalton | CIN @ CLE | 22.00 | 19 | 25 |
| 22 | Alex Smith | KC vs. OAK | 22.50 | 21 | 24 |
| 23 | Derek Anderson | CAR vs. TB | 23.00 | 29 | 17 |
| 24 | Kyle Orton | BUF vs. GB | 24.00 | 26 | 22 |
| 25 | Josh McCown | TB @ CAR | 25.50 | 24 | 27 |
Week 15 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE
Fantasy Football Week 15 Rankings: Running Back
Posted By:Bretsky on December 10, 2014
Each week, our rankers will provide you with their top plays at each position. If you’ve got start/sit questions heading into Sunday’s games, find us on twitter or leave ’em in the comments!
Week 15 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings
| Rank | Player | Matchup | AVG | Bretsky | Bell |
| 1 | LeVeon Bell | PIT @ ATL | 1.50 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | Arian Foster | HOU @ IND | 2.50 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | DeMarco Murray | DAL @ PHI | 3.50 | 4 | 3 |
| 4 | Jamaal Charles | KC vs. OAK | 4.00 | 1 | 7 |
| 5 | Eddie Lacy | GB @ BUF | 6.00 | 7 | 5 |
| 6 | Matt Forte | CHI vs. NO | 6.50 | 5 | 8 |
| 7 | LeSean McCoy | PHI vs. DAL | 7.00 | 8 | 6 |
| 8 | Marshawn Lynch | SEA vs. SF | 7.00 | 10 | 4 |
| 9 | C.J. Anderson | DEN @ SD | 7.50 | 6 | 9 |
| 10 | Justin Forsett | BAL vs. JAX | 9.50 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | Lamar Miller | MIA @ NE | 11.50 | 11 | 12 |
| 12 | Mark Ingram | NO @ CHI | 11.50 | 12 | 11 |
| 13 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE vs. CIN | 13.50 | 13 | 14 |
| 14 | Alfred Morris | WAS @ NYG | 14.00 | 15 | 13 |
| 15 | Joique Bell | DET vs. MIN | 14.50 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | Ryan Mathews | SD vs. DEN | 16.50 | 16 | 17 |
| 17 | Tre Mason | STL vs. ARI | 16.50 | 17 | 16 |
| 18 | Giovani Bernard | CIN @ CLE | 18.00 | 18 | 18 |
| 19 | Fred Jackson | BUF vs. GB | 21.00 | 22 | 20 |
| 20 | Jeremy Hill | CIN @ CLE | 21.00 | 20 | 22 |
| 21 | Rashad Jennings | NYG vs. WAS | 21.00 | 21 | 21 |
| 22 | Terrance West | CLE vs. CIN | 24.00 | 29 | 19 |
| 23 | Andre Williams | NYG vs. WAS | 25.00 | 27 | 23 |
| 24 | Frank Gore | SF @ SEA | 25.00 | 24 | 26 |
| 25 | Latavius Murray | OAK @ KC | 26.00 | 28 | 24 |
| 26 | Shane Vereen | NE vs. MIA | 27.00 | 26 | 28 |
| 27 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR vs. TB | 28.00 | 23 | 33 |
| 28 | Christopher Ivory | NYJ @ TEN | 28.00 | 31 | 25 |
| 29 | Matt Asiata | MIN @ DET | 32.00 | 32 | 32 |
| 30 | Kerwynn Williams | ARI @ STL | 32.00 | 33 | 31 |
| 31 | Bishop Sankey | TEN vs. NYJ | 32.50 | 35 | 30 |
| 32 | Steven Jackson | ATL vs. PIT | 33.00 | 30 | 36 |
| 33 | Darren Sproles | PHI vs. DAL | 34.00 | 34 | 34 |
| 34 | Toby Gerhart | JAX @ BAL | 34.50 | 40 | 29 |
| 35 | Charles Sims | TB @ CAR | 35.50 | 44 | 27 |
| 36 | DeAngelo Williams | CAR vs. TB | 39.00 | 41 | 37 |
| 37 | Roy Helu | WAS @ NYG | 40.50 | 42 | 39 |
| 38 | Chris Johnson | NYJ @ TEN | 42.00 | 37 | 47 |
| 39 | Trent Richardson | IND vs. HOU | 42.50 | 39 | 46 |
| 40 | Carlos Hyde | SF @ SEA | 43.00 | 38 | 48 |
| 41 | Doug Martin | TB @ CAR | 43.50 | 25 | 62 |
| 42 | LeGarrette Blount | PIT @ ATL | 44.00 | 36 | 52 |
| 43 | Jonas Gray | NE vs. MIA | 44.50 | 51 | 38 |
| 44 | Darren McFadden | OAK @ KC | 45.00 | 47 | 43 |
| 45 | Marion Grice | SD vs. DEN | 45.50 | 49 | 42 |
| 46 | Knile Davis | KC vs. OAK | 47.00 | 45 | 49 |
| 47 | Bobby Rainey | TB @ CAR | 47.50 | 50 | 45 |
| 48 | Alfred Blue | HOU @ IND | 49.00 | 57 | 41 |
| 49 | Branden Oliver | SD vs. DEN | 49.50 | 55 | 44 |
| 50 | Bryce Brown | BUF vs. GB | 53.00 | 48 | 58 |
Week 15 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE
Fantasy Football Week 15 Rankings: Wide Receiver
Posted By:Bretsky on December 10, 2014
Each week, our rankers will provide you with their top plays at each position. If you’ve got start/sit questions heading into Sunday’s games, find us on twitter or leave ’em in the comments!
Week 15 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings
| Rank | Player | Matchup | AVG | Bretsky | Bell |
| 1 | Jordy Nelson | GB @ BUF | 1.00 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Calvin Johnson | DET vs. MIN | 2.50 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | Antonio Brown | PIT @ ATL | 2.50 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Dez Bryant | DAL @ PHI | 4.50 | 5 | 4 |
| 5 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN @ SD | 5.50 | 4 | 7 |
| 6 | Julio Jones | ATL vs. PIT | 6.50 | 8 | 5 |
| 7 | Odell Beckham Jr. | NYG vs. WAS | 8.00 | 10 | 6 |
| 8 | A.J. Green | CIN @ CLE | 8.50 | 6 | 11 |
| 9 | Alshon Jeffery | CHI vs. NO | 9.50 | 9 | 10 |
| 10 | Ty Hilton | IND vs. HOU | 10.00 | 12 | 8 |
| 11 | Emmanuel Sanders | DEN @ SD | 10.50 | 7 | 14 |
| 12 | Jeremy Maclin | PHI vs. DAL | 12.00 | 15 | 9 |
| 13 | Randall Cobb | GB @ BUF | 12.50 | 13 | 12 |
| 14 | Josh Gordon | CLE vs. CIN | 13.50 | 14 | 13 |
| 15 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU @ IND | 15.00 | 11 | 19 |
| 16 | Mike Evans | TB @ CAR | 15.50 | 16 | 15 |
| 17 | Kelvin Benjamin | CAR vs. TB | 16.50 | 17 | 16 |
| 18 | Golden Tate | DET vs. MIN | 17.50 | 18 | 17 |
| 19 | Sammy Watkins | BUF vs. GB | 19.00 | 20 | 18 |
| 20 | Jordan Matthews | PHI vs. DAL | 20.00 | 19 | 21 |
| 21 | Mike Wallace | MIA @ NE | 21.50 | 23 | 20 |
| 22 | Keenan Allen | SD vs. DEN | 25.50 | 26 | 25 |
| 23 | Vincent Jackson | TB @ CAR | 26.50 | 27 | 26 |
| 24 | Martavis Bryant | PIT @ ATL | 28.00 | 34 | 22 |
| 25 | Charles Johnson | CLE vs. CIN | 28.50 | 24 | 33 |
| 26 | Steve Smith | BAL vs. JAX | 29.00 | 29 | 29 |
| 27 | Kenny Stills | NO @ CHI | 29.00 | 22 | 36 |
| 28 | Brandon LaFell | NE vs. MIA | 30.00 | 37 | 23 |
| 29 | DeSean Jackson | WAS @ NYG | 32.00 | 21 | 43 |
| 30 | Roddy White | ATL vs. PIT | 34.50 | 39 | 30 |
| 31 | Andre Johnson | HOU @ IND | 36.50 | 33 | 40 |
| 32 | Eric Decker | NYJ @ TEN | 37.00 | 35 | 39 |
| 33 | Robert Woods | BUF vs. GB | 37.50 | 40 | 35 |
| 34 | Pierre Garcon | WAS @ NYG | 38.00 | 32 | 44 |
| 35 | Davante Adams | GB @ BUF | 38.50 | 45 | 32 |
| 36 | Michael Floyd | ARI @ STL | 39.00 | 50 | 28 |
| 37 | Julian Edelman | NE vs. MIA | 39.00 | 36 | 42 |
| 38 | Anquan Boldin | SF @ SEA | 39.00 | 30 | 48 |
| 39 | Marqise Lee | JAX @ BAL | 39.50 | 38 | 41 |
| 40 | Doug Baldwin | SEA vs. SF | 39.50 | 52 | 27 |
| 41 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI @ STL | 43.00 | 28 | 58 |
| 42 | Torrey Smith | BAL vs. JAX | 45.00 | 53 | 37 |
| 43 | Percy Harvin | NYJ @ TEN | 45.50 | 46 | 45 |
| 44 | Mohamed Sanu | CIN @ CLE | 46.50 | 55 | 38 |
| 45 | John Brown | ARI @ STL | 47.00 | 43 | 51 |
| 46 | Donte Moncrief | IND vs. HOU | 47.50 | 31 | 64 |
| 47 | Malcom Floyd | SD vs. DEN | 48.00 | 62 | 34 |
| 48 | Terrance Williams | DAL @ PHI | 48.50 | 41 | 56 |
| 49 | Markus Wheaton | PIT @ ATL | 49.00 | 67 | 31 |
| 50 | Reuben Randle | NYG vs. WAS | 51.50 | 48 | 55 |
Week 15 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE
Fantasy Football Week 15 Rankings: Tight End
Posted By:Bretsky on December 10, 2014
Each week, our rankers will provide you with their top plays at each position. If you’ve got start/sit questions heading into Sunday’s games, find us on twitter or leave ’em in the comments!
Week 12 Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings
| Rank | Player | Matchup | AVG | Bretsky | Bell |
| 1 | Rob Gronkowski | NE vs. MIA | 1.00 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Jimmy Graham | NO @ CHI | 2.50 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Julius Thomas | DEN @ SD | 2.50 | 3 | 2 |
| 4 | Greg Olsen | CAR vs. TB | 4.50 | 4 | 5 |
| 5 | Travis Kelce | KC vs. OAK | 6.00 | 8 | 4 |
| 6 | Delanie Walker | TEN vs. NYJ | 6.50 | 5 | 8 |
| 7 | Antonio Gates | SD vs. DEN | 7.00 | 7 | 7 |
| 8 | Larry Donnell | NYG vs. WAS | 7.50 | 6 | 9 |
| 9 | Martellus Bennett | CHI vs. NO | 7.50 | 9 | 6 |
| 10 | Coby Fleener | IND vs. HOU | 10.50 | 11 | 10 |
| 11 | Mychal Rivera | OAK @ KC | 11.50 | 10 | 13 |
| 12 | Jason Witten | DAL @ PHI | 13.50 | 13 | 14 |
| 13 | Vernon Davis | SF @ SEA | 14.00 | 12 | 16 |
| 14 | Charles Clay | MIA @ NE | 14.50 | 17 | 12 |
| 15 | Heath Miller | PIT @ ATL | 15.00 | 15 | 15 |
Week 15 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE
