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

Fantasy Baseball Advice: More PED Fallout, Domonic Brown and Other Musings

The Big Hurt, Frank Thomas, spoke volumes in just a few sentences in this ESPN article by Jerry Crasnick:

"When I played, guys all said, 'Let's get to the Hall of Fame,'" Thomas said. "Now guys are like, 'Let's do five years and make $150 million, and you're set for life. Who cares?' I think that's the feeling among most of the guys now. It's shameful, what's happened over the last seven, eight years with this whole scandal, but guys continue to try it.”

In an August, 2012 article, Forbes Magazine writer Chris Smith made his case to legalize steroids in professional sports, much to the chagrin, I’m certain, of all living hall of famers in any sport…with the possible exception of “pro” wrestlers.

And in a shopping mall or casino somewhere, surrounded by his own memorabilia and an ink pen, Pete Rose is asking why players who cheat with drugs are any different than he. Paul Daugherty, in this April, 2011 Sports Illustrated story, asked the exact same question.

No matter your stance on juicing, it’s difficult to carry a torch for the game and remain ultra-dedicated, like many of our fathers and grandfathers were, because the continual distractions are destroying the integrity of the game. Nothing surprises us anymore when it comes to scandals in our sport. We’ve learned to expect cheaters to cheat.

Did it startle any of us when we heard Alex Rodriguez was a target in the most recent “Bosch up”? Ryan Braun’s name didn’t trigger any dropped jaws, either.  And now, as Bud Selig and the boys sharpen their claws and move in for the kill (as they should!), our talents as make-believe managers, it would seem, are being put to the test.

But unless more names pour out, is this really a huge deal in fantasy terms? If you own Braun, yes….but you knew the gamble when you took him (or kept him in keeper leagues). Everyone knew in January there was a possibility he’d be suspended, and if you were diligent, you had a back-up plan. So, we can cross Braun off the major concern list of fantasy catastrophes due to fair warning.

Losing Nelson Cruz, a sometimes phenomenal hitter who was likely a 7th or 8th round pick due to his streakiness and penchant for taking up DL space, would be a big loss to his owners. But his selection was surely protected with extra depth due to his lengthy hamstring issues.  Cross Cruz off the major concern list….he’ll probably pull up lame in the next week or two anyway.

Jhonny Peralta was likely a waiver-wire pick, so not many of us can cry about losing his services. Everth Cabrera’s speed is nice, but irreplaceable? No. Melky Cabrera’s great first half last year didn’t convince fantasy owners he could perform without dope. He was one of those “I’ll grab him late if he’s still there” draft picks this season. Bartolo Colon? If he’s a major loss to your pitching staff, start studying for football season. Cross ‘em all off the list.

And then we get to ARod, the most arrogant thumb-my-nose at authority player on any diamond anywhere. If Cooperstown ever erects a Narcissist wing, this guy will be there to welcome visitors into the facility (which he would likely attempt to have renamed Alextown).  Just remember, as his history has shown, if his lips are moving, he’s lying. If you drafted him this year (and not many people did due to hip surgery in January….about the same time his name happened to surface in yet another PED scandal), you knew the risk. He was crossed off my list years ago.

The other players mentioned thus far, including Yasmani Grandal, who recently returned from a 50-game suspension for PEDs, wouldn’t have pushed any fantasy team over the top.

So why is everyone so worried about how this investigation will impact their team? STOP IT! And, just in case you need some free advice, here’s a great article from WebMD about the detriments of worry, anxiety, and stress.

The integrity of the game is at stake and all of the prima-donna millionaires who have accumulated their riches by cheating the system will hopefully be exterminated to allow those who truly love the game a chance to prove the skills they’ve spent a lifetime perfecting…legally.

But in the meantime, we still have regular jobs and a passion for watching these guys play….and surfing the waiver wire for the next big thing is nearly as exciting as the fantasy game itself. Let's take a look at some non-PED happenings as well.

Did Barry Bonds have plastic surgery and rename himself Domonic Brown? Wait, that couldn’t have happened because Brown’s name isn’t involved in the PED mess. This kid is rolling at an unbelievable clip. Presently ranked #14 in the Yahoo! game, he’s done a large part of his damage since May 20th, which was about the time I dropped Dayan Viciedo (even though I’m still high on the struggling slugger) and added Brown to my OF in the illustrious Channel 4 News Team league. This dude has carried me the past few weeks. Here’s his line from 5/20 – 6/7, a span of 18 games: .391/ 11 HR/ 17 R/ 26 RBI/ 5 SB….and as I write this (on 6/8) he added another home run in the second inning against Tom Gorzelanny. Finding guys like this is more fun to me than grabbing a top-ranked stud early in a draft.

Matt Carpenter is another gem many of us were lucky enough to find early.  He seems to hit and score every day, and he qualifies at four positions (1B,2B,3B,OF). During his current 17-game hitting streak, Carpenter has hit .435. He is second only to Carlos Gonzalez in runs scored for the season and ranks fourth in hits. He also has a little pop (6 HR). Speaking of Pete Rose, this guy’s gritty play is reminiscent of Charlie Hustle. Now, let’s see if he can do if for 24 seasons.  

Check Swings: Since May 17th, Justin Upton has 0 HR and 1 RBI.  Is First Base really so loaded that only 52% of teams have room for James Loney? Don’t overlook Kyle Blanks (only 4% owned) in San Diego – he has monster power. Those of us who hung in there with Jarrod Parker (4-1/ 6 QS/ 2.43 ERA/0.91 WHIP in past month) are finally reaping benefits. The much anticipated debut of Zach Wheeler will likely happen next weekend. Don’t forget about Brandon Beachy (only 38% owned now…but that will change dramatically in a few weeks).

==========

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 Rotoballer.com's 2013 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire list 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!




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

Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
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
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
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
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
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
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
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
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