Week 6 RWBC Recap
Another week, another bundle of cash and championship qualifiers were given out in the RotoWire & FanDuel Fantasy Baseball Championship. Week 6's winner was FanDuel user, massimo09, who dominated the competition with 74.16 point performance. Their team was anchored by huge performances from fantasy studs Clayton Kershaw (17.66 points) and Giancarlo Stanton (12.5 points). However, massimo09's true success was his/her ability to hit on bargain players Brandon Belt (13.5 points - $2,700), Justin Turner (6.75 points - $2,600), and Gregor Blanco (6.5 points - $2,200). Congratulations to massimo09, who took a cool $200 from his week 6 victory.
Taking a look internally, Chris Liss (cliss11) led all RotoWire experts with a strong 54.91 point performance. Liss only received double-digit point performances from Clayton Kershaw (17.66 points) and Brandon Belt (13.5 points), but did a remarkable job of spreading his salary evenly and getting healthy contributions from the rest of his lineup. He currently sits fourth in the expert standings (listed below) with 230.41 points through six weeks. Liss is also a frequent contributor to the RotoWire blog, and it would behoove daily fantasy players to read his DFS Amateur Hour posts to absorb his extensive knowledge.
Here are the overall RotoWire expert top-10 standings through six weeks:
1. Tony Goldenstein (trookie83) - 246.75
2. Ryan Rufe (rmrufe) - 240.66
3. Paul Sporer (pjs24) - 240.50
4. Chris Liss (cliss11) - 230.41
5. Scott Jenstad (OaktownSJ) - 228.49
6. James Seltzer (schweppy23) - 223.58
7. Joel Bartilotta (joelbartilotta) - 223.16
8. Adam Wolf (rotosomething) - 222.99
9. Peter Schoenke (rotopeter) - 220.49
10. Ed Kensick (chicagoed) - 215.00
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- Enter the Week 7 Qualifier on FanDuel (Starts: 5/22 7:05 PM EDT)
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- RotoWire's Batter vs. Pitcher Matchup Statistics
- RotoWire's Daily Lineups
Strategy Tip
I am not afraid to admit that my fantasy baseball strategy is far more effective in season-long formats as opposed to daily fantasy leagues. That being said, I am always looking for what "works" when conducting my research and constructing a gameplan. One constant I have noticed on winning teams in the RWBC is that the pitcher spot is the most important position to invest in. Among the six winners, the pitcher has accounted for more than 25% of their total scores! While it goes against my strategy in standard fantasy leagues, it is actually advised to overspend on pitching in daily leagues.
Value Picks/Sleepers
(SP) Zack Greinke: San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
FanDuel Price: $9,900
If you aren't planning on breaking the bank for Max Scherzer ($11,700) or King Felix ($11,300), Greinke has a strong chance at giving you similar point production for a discounted price. He will face a Padres team that is batting .194 collectively with just one home run and 52 strikeouts in 53.1 career innings against Greinke. The Dodgers will rely on their early-season ace to be the stopper after getting swept by the rival San Francisco Giants, and you can bet Greinke will bring his A-game against the cold Padres.
(1B) Jose Abreu: Minnesota Twins vs. Chicago White Sox
FanDuel Price: $3,500
Abreu has been good, but not great this season and it's reflected by his affordable $3,500 salary Friday. That price is likely to rise after Friday as he is currently on a 15-game hit streak and gets to face the homer-prone Phil Hughes (1.76 HR/9) in hitter-friendly U.S. Cellular Field. Oh yeah, and Abreu has a career slash line of .462/.533/.692 against Hughes. There is a strong chance that he goes yard or at least puts up a multi-hit game in this matchup.
(1B) Wilin Rosario: San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies
FanDuel Price: $3,700
Rosario has been seeing regular playing time at first base while Justin Morneau (concussion) has been sidelined. Using RotoWire's batter vs. pitcher tool, I noticed that Rosario has ownage on Friday's scheduled starter Ryan Vogelsong (4-for-12, three homers, six RBI). And with this game being played at home, that $3,700 salary is looking more and more like a bargain for Rosario.
(2B) Logan Forsythe: Oakland Athletics vs. Tampa Bay Rays
FanDuel Price: $2,600
There aren't a whole lot of strong plays at second base this Friday, so I don't plan on spending a lot at the keystone this week. Forsythe only costs $2,600 and has been seeing regular playing time for the Rays. While his overall stats this season are nothing to write home about, he does have a healthy .596 slugging percentage against lefties this season. With a lefty on the mound (Scott Kazmir) for the A's on Friday, I recommend Forsythe as a cheap, low-risk option so that you can allocate your funds elsewhere.
(OF) Alejandro De Aza: Baltimore Orioles vs. Miami Marlins
FanDuel Price: $2,500
De Aza is a sneaky pick that could provide great value if you are running low on cap space and need your final outfielder. He hasn't been starting everyday (so make sure to use RotoWire's daily lineups tool!), but has scattered two multi-hit games over his last five starts. With a righty on the mound (Henderson Alvarez), there is a strong chance manager Buck Showalter pencils in De Aza into Friday's lineup. If he does, then De Aza could put together a nice game against a pitcher he has gone 4-for-9 against in his career.
High Risk/High Reward
(OF) Bryce Harper: Philadephia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals
FanDuel Price: $6,000
At an astronomical $6,000 salary Friday, I am strongly debating whether or not to pay the piper for the hottest hitter on the planet. The risk here is that his large contract will handcuff my options at other positions, but the reward could be the best offensive day for any offensive player Friday. Harper is coming off of a game where he felt he was unjustly ejected for arguing balls and strikes. He seems like the kind of player that enjoys playing with a chip on his shoulder, so he could be looking to prove something in his return to the field. It is also worth noting that Harper is 2-for-5 against Phillies' starter Sean O'Sullivan, with both hits being home runs. It is going to be tough to fill out the rest of my roster, but I will do everything in my power to make sure Harper is in there this week.
Steer Clear
(P) Ryan Vogelsong: San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies
FanDuel Price: $6,400
Entrants may look at Vogelsong's $6,400 salary coupled with his 2-0 record and 1.40 ERA over his last three starts and think: bargain. Nothing could be further from the truth as he heads into Coors Field with Rockie hitters having a .274 average with 11 home runs in just 106 career at-bats against him. Oh, and did I mention that this game is at Coors Field? Make sure not to let Vogelsong pull the wool over your eyes Friday.