Tyler Naquin Swats 13th HR
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tyler Naquin went 1-for-3 with a solo homer in a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. Naquin took Chicago starter Adbert Alzolay deep in the fifth inning to tie the game up at 2-2. The veteran outfielder got off to an incredibly hot start this season but he has cooled... Read More
Time to Buy into Luis Castillo Again... Right?
As we get ready to celebrate Independence Day this weekend, MLB games will be immersed in celebrating baseball and fireworks at the ballpark with family and friends. Fantasy managers will be enamored with getting their lineups in this weekend while their fantasy teams are gearing up for their playoff lives. One player that has fantasy... Read More
Fantasy Baseball Injury Updates - Week 15
As we move past the July 4th weekend and make our way to the All-Star game, there continues to be an increase in injuries this year compared to prior years, particularly of the soft tissue variety. These injuries include oblique, groin, hamstring, and back injuries. Not all of the injuries are the same for each player... Read More
Closers and Saves Report - Week 15 Waiver Wire
There's a very important holiday coming up this weekend and you will see fireworks lighting up the sky in celebration: the mid-point of the Major League Baseball season. Some teams have already played their 81st game, but most clubs will reach that number at some point this weekend. After the 2020 season, nothing else can... Read More
The Baller Ranks: Weekly Top 101 Relief Pitcher Rankings
We're onto July, meaning it's the second half of the season and our time to gripe about the All-Star Game selections. Pitchers are still adjusting to life with sticky checks and all we can do is put on a brave face. Hit the All-Star break in stride with my top 101 RP Baller Ranks, which... Read More
The Bigger Picture - Where We've Gone Wrong This Year
Expectations are a dangerous thing. They can dictate our decision-making processes well into the future and prevent us from seeing things as they truly are. The baseball season is the longest of any professional team sport, spanning eight full months including spring training. That means a lot will change throughout the course of the season... Read More
MLB Betting Picks for Saturday 7/3 - Moneylines, Totals, and Runlines
Last night was close to being great, but more heartbreak was to befall us. The Red Sox won as we expected so we banked that one. The Rangers did lead after five innings so that also bagged us a win but sadly, their bullpen couldn't hold the lead and they lost in extra innings. The... Read More
MLB DFS Pitching Primer for 7/3 (Premium Content)
MLB DFS Pitching Primer for 7/3 All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. High-Priced Aces These are your studs who are worth paying up for on this slate. It makes sense to deploy these guys as your cash game plays on FanDuel and as your SP1 on DraftKings... Read More
Heath Hembree Picks Up Second Save
Cincinnati Reds right-hander Heath Hembree threw a scoreless ninth inning to preserve a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Hembree struck out two and allowed one hit to pick up his second save of the season. The veteran reliever is trending up after a rough start to the season, having allowed three earned... Read More
MLB DFS Lineup Picks - Early Slate (7/3/21): DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball
Another week of baseball is in the books and Saturday brings us the usual split slate action. For you MLB DFS junkies there's an extra slate to play today and I'm here to break it down for you. As we inch closer to the all-star break, let's soak up as many slates as possible since... Read More
Joey Votto Smacks Two-Run Double On Friday
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto turned out to be hero in a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Votto went 1-for-2 with a two-run double in the sixth inning, providing the Reds with their only offense in the win. His double brought both Jonathan India and Nick Castellanos around to score, erasing... Read More
Sonny Gray Strikes Out Eight In Return From IL
Cincinnati Reds right-hander Sonny Gray allowed one run over five innings in a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Gray struck out eight and walked one while scattering five hits in the outing. The veteran right-hander was activated from the injured list earlier in the day after spending about three weeks on the... Read More
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (7/2/21): MLB DFS Lineups
The Phillies had the audacity to start an hour earlier than everyone else, so DraftKings punished their transgressions by leaving them off the slate. We still have 14 games to choose from four of the six pitchers over $9,000 are facing each other, which is going to make for an interesting slate. Rain is going... Read More
FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (7/2/21): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice
FanDuel’s Friday slate has all but the Padres-Phillies game on the ledger, giving us a massive player pool to work with. There are certainly some upper-tier arms in action, but as we’ll explore further, it isn’t absolutely necessary to spend all the way up to gain access to some strong fantasy upside. At the same... Read More
MLB DFS Cheat Sheet, Stacks and Avoids for 7/2/21 (Premium Content)
MLB DFS Premium Cheatsheet for 7/2 All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Finally a day this week with no huge weather issues. This should be a fun slate of games, let's break it down! Top Tournament Stacks for 7/2/21 This section will highlight the top tournament lineup stacks... Read More
MLB Betting Picks for Friday 7/2 - Moneylines, Totals, and Runlines
No sugar coating it. Last weekend was rough. After a 1-2 Friday, we went winless on Saturday. The prop parlay bet just missed out. The Braves outhit the Reds 8-6 but lost the game 4-1. And the Giants and Athletics missed out on the first five innings over by one run. Even tougher to take... Read More
Daily MLB DFS Value Plays for FanDuel, DraftKings for 7/2/21 (Premium Content)
All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Below you will find our Premium DFS value plays for 7/2/2021. These picks will target low-priced players in the main slate. We have a 14-game slate on tap tonight, and it is a loaded slate. Like recent slates, there are a couple of weather concerns,... Read More
Jonathan India Doubles Twice, Steals A Base
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, a run, an RBI, and a steal in a 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday. The rookie second baseman has been hot at the plate of late, hitting .293 with one homer, 14 runs, four RBI, and three steals... Read More
Kyle Farmer Homers, Steals A Base
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Kyle Farmer went 3-for-5 with a homer, two runs, an RBI, and a steal in a 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday. Farmer connected on a solo shot off of San Diego closer Mark Melancon in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie up the game before catcher... Read More
Luis Castillo Allows Three Runs In No-Decision
Cincinnati Reds right-hander Luis Castillo allowed three runs over 6 1/3 innings of work in a 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday. Castillo struck out six and walked three while taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning. The veteran hurler's night appeared to be done when a 52-minute rain delay hit before... Read More
Tony Santillan Will Work In Relief In Minors
Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that right-hander Tony Santillan will work in relief at Triple-A Louisville. It comes after the Reds optioned Santillan after he allowed two earned runs in three innings against the San Diego Padres on Monday to take his second loss of the season. The 24-year-old wasn't bad in his four... Read More
Eugenio Suarez Getting Another Day Off
Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez is receiving a second straight day off on Thursday against the San Diego Padres and left-hander Ryan Weathers. Suarez has struggled in the last week, hitting just .111 (2-for-18) with 13 strikeouts and a solo home run, so it seems as though this is why he's getting a little... Read More
Michael Lorenzen Beginning Rehab Assignment
Cincinnati Reds right-hander Michael Lorenzen (shoulder) has been sent out on a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League. Lorenzen had a shoulder strain back in March and hasn't pitched yet this season, but he could serve in a starting or relief role for the Reds at some point in the second half. The 29-year-old... Read More
Bullpen Report: Closer Carousel Keeps Churning
Chasing saves can seem maddening this season. Not only are more and more bullpens getting away from having one traditional closer and are embracing having multiple options see save chances. but some bullpens (I'm looking at you Cincinnati and Kansas City) have been nearly impossible to trust. Just when it looks like they are starting... Read More
Three Up, Three Down: Home Run Outliers to Buy or Sell
A huge key to having success at the game of fantasy baseball is being able to spot outliers. The game of baseball, more than most other sports, is largely dictated by randomness, at least over the short term. Even with the pretty large three-month data sample we have, randomness can still rule the day. My... Read More
When Is The Right Time to Invest In Rookie Pitchers?
As the calendar turns to July, many fantasy managers start looking to the minor leagues to see which call-ups could help us earn a championship. While we know the big-name players who are likely already on a roster, we hunt for the next surprise call-up of a slightly flawed pitcher who takes a big step... Read More
The Baller Ranks: Weekly Top 101 Starting Pitcher Rankings
And just like that, the calendar creeps towards July and we all descend into heat-induced comas filled with spin-rate fever dreams. Meditate with me and think of a happy, Manfred-less baseball universe as we update my weekly Starting Pitcher Baller Ranks. I take stock of my top 101 SPs moving forward. We're halfway into the season,... Read More
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (7/1/21): MLB DFS Lineups
We have a 7-game main slate on tap tonight, and it's gonna be a messy one. If we thought the weather was a massive headache on Wednesday, well, Thursday's slate says, "Hold my beer." There are threats of rain in over half the game, and the LAD/WAS game has extreme chances of rain and already... Read More
FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks (7/1/21): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice
We have a nice-sized Thusday slate to dissect with lots of batting and pitching options for us to consider. We have some good pitching options on this slate so we will need to figure out which one can get us a few strikeouts and a win while also choosing between some great offenses like Houston,... Read More
MLB DFS Pitching Primer for 7/1/21 (Premium Content)
MLB DFS Pitching Primer for 7/1 All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. It's a short slate, with a lot of weather issues in the forecast, so this will be a tough one. Keep an eye on the weather before finalizing your lineups, we'll be mostly ignoring those risks in this... Read More