X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Daily Fantasy Baseball Analysis August 2: Greedy Boppers

There were homers galore on Thursday-- twenty-one to be exact. Some guys ONLY hit one, psshh, slackers. The following one-uppers went back for a second helping:

Justin Upton topped off an 8-for-18 series against the Rockies with two moonshots for his 17th and 18th long-balls of the season. He’s been a sleeping giant since April. It seems the giant is done hitting the snooze button and may finally be waking from his slumber. You may have missed your chance to snag the slumping thumper but give it a shot. He could be a big boost going into the fantasy playoffs.

Junior Lake hit his third and fourth career homers while his teammate Anthony Rizzo connected for numbers 16 and 17. The Cubs still found a way to lose. Lake is now batting .322 over his first 15 games with four HR, seven RBI and a stolen base. He has multiple-position eligibility at SS and OF in most leagues so he can be quite serviceable while his production is up. I’m not buying it long term, but someone might if you try to sell high. Rizzo has three homers over his last two games and a .245/.339/.458 slash line with 17 homers and 62 RBI in 404 at-bats. He is a buy target with big keeper potential.

Ryan Raburn clubbed two jimmy-jacks for his 12th and 13th homer as the Indians torched Chris Sale and the White Sox. Raburn’s playing time makes him tough to use in anything other than deep leagues but if you’re hurting for some pop and could use a MI/OF, give Raburn a shot.

 

Bud Norris on April 3, 2010Grab a Bud

Bud Norris sounds like a fictional name created by mixing a NASCAR fan with a Walker, Texas Ranger fan…wait, those two actually go together quite well. Anyway, Bud isn't going to be the “King of Pitchers” or save your season, but he’s actually been decent and a bit snake-bitten. While with Houston this season, Bud lost six decisions in which he allowed four ER or fewer.  Give the dude some offense and he’s easily 12-3 on the year with a 3.88 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 98 K through 132.0 IP. Not too shabby, and now that this Bud’s in Baltimore, he could bring some decent numbers to the table. He struck out eight of his former teammates on Thursday, allowing two earned and four hits with two walks.

 

AL Hot Shots

  • Alex Rodriguez might get banned for life and still receive around $40 million in deferred payments from the Rangers. I’m not sure how this is acceptable. $40 million to the biggest liar and cheater the game’s ever known?That’ll teach the kids not to use PEDs… sad.
  • Josh Donaldson has one extra base hit since the break with zero homers and zero RBI. It doesn't help that Yoenis Cespedes has been horrible in his own right with an average under .250 all season. Donaldson hasn't had much protection lately in the lineup.
  • Garrett Richards turned in a solid performance limiting the Blue Jays to two runs over seven innings as the Halos triumphed 8 -2. Josh Johnson struggled mightily again as he was annihilated for seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and just one strikeout. His 8.84 ERA over his last 8 starts is just unworthy of fantasy ownership.
  • Felix Hernandez did everything he could to help the Mariners win on Thursday striking out eight, allowing one run over seven innings and leaving with a 7-1 lead. However, Tom Wilhelmsen and gang promptly diminished Felix’s lead and ended up losing the game 8-7 to the Red Sox. It has to be frustrating for one of the games great pitchers.
  • David Murphy and A.J Pierzynski each connected for their 12th homers of the season and Mitch Moreland hit a moonshot for his 15th as the Rangers topped the D-Backs behind a strong 14-strikeout performance by Yu Darvish.
  • Chris Davis homered for the 39th time in a 2-for-4 night against the Astros. He also did not strike out in the game, a feat which has happened less often than his homers.
  • Oswaldo Arcia was recalled by the Twins as the Aaron Hicks experiment has finally come to a close. Arcia returns to a .257 average with six homers and 25 RBI from his 53 game tenure with the club earlier. Hicks underwhelmed after a smoking hot spring with a .152 average and 19 whiffs in 19 games since returning from the DL.
  • Lance Berkman will begin a rehab assignment on August 8th or 9th.

NL Hot Shots

  • Yasiel Puig doubled and homered as the Dodgers edged out the Cubs. Puig has homered eleven times on the season and three times in his last eight games.
  • Julio Teheran dominated the Rockies with 11 strikeouts over five innings allowing only one run. He improved to 8-5 with a 3.02 ERA with the win.
  • Chris Johnson went 3-for-5 to actually raise his average to .346 on the season. He offers little else for fantasy purposes with 6 homers and only 41 RBI.
  • Joe Kelly tossed six scoreless as the Cardinals demolished the Pirates 13-0 to avoid a five game sweep. Kelly is worth a look in most formats with 12.1 straight scoreless innings and an era on the decline (which is a good thing) at 3.10.
  • Cole Hamels tossed eight shutout innings and still couldn't muster a victory as the Phillies closer and apparent “All Star Critic” Jonathan Papelbon blew his sixth save. Hamels owns a 2.09 ERA over his last six starts but is 2-2 to show for it. Yikes.
  • Miguel Montero was placed on the 15-day DL with a lower back strain. Wil Nieves and his .354 batting average will fill the void at backstop for now.

==========

If you want this article and other high-end fantasy baseball analysis delivered to you on a daily basis, sign up for our daily newsletter. And be sure to check out our 2013 Waiver Wire Watch List (updated daily) for in-depth analysis on gems that you may be able to find sitting on your waiver wire.  It’s one of the best fantasy baseball features currently on web!

Follow Shawn Caswell on Twitter, or don’t: @CasKnowsRoto




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Uchenna Nwosu

Seahawks Place Uchenna Nwosu on PUP List
Taylor Decker

Alim McNeill, Taylor Decker Placed on PUP List
Tyrion Davis-Price

Titans Waive Tyrion Davis-Price
Tre Harris

Chargers Relying on Tre Harris to Be Starting X Receiver
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Micah Parsons

Will Become Highest-Paid Non-QB
MarShawn Lloyd

Vying for RB2 Role
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith Finds End Zone in First Training Camp Practice
Tyler Shough

Pushing for Fully Guaranteed Rookie Deal
Ar'Darius Washington

Goes on PUP List
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hit In Pinky In All-Star Game, X-Rays Negative
MLB

NL All-Stars Win On Tie-Breaker Home Run Swing-Off
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF