The 2013 Playboy Fantasy Baseball Championship - Only at StarStreet!

Have you heard about the 2013 Playboy Fantasy Baseball Championship? Well, you’ve come to the right place to learn the details and, most importantly, how YOU can win a trip to the Playboy Mansion!

(You okay, need a second? Take a deep breath, shake the dreams of playmates out of your head, here are the details):

How can I win?

Great question! The 2013 Playboy Fantasy Baseball Championship (PFBC) is available only at StarStreet and we’re giving you 40 chances to win a trip to the championship, held at the Playboy Mansion. StarStreet will host qualifier tournaments where qualifying ticket(s) will be up for grabs. If you are the big winner in one of these qualifying tournaments, you have earned your trip to the Mansion!

When are the Playboy Fantasy Baseball Championship qualifier tournaments?

There have already been 4 qualifiers, and the 5th one is tonight, April 30th. From here out, qualifiers will be running every Tuesday and Friday. Details for upcoming qualifiers (along with all the details on the PFBC) can be found here: https://www.starstreet.com/pfbc.

What does my ticket get me?

•     Your entry into the $200k PFBC
•     Round-trip flight to/from LA (for one)
•     2 nights hotel accommodations
•     Ride from the airport
•     Dinner & drinks Friday night
•     Legendary Saturday Party at the Mansion

What does the winner of the Playboy Fantasy Baseball Championship win?

The winner of the Championship wins $75,000! Every one of the participants in the Championship wins at least $1,000, not to mention a free trip to LA and the Playboy Mansion.

So, now that you know the details, what are you waiting for? There is still time to get your entry in to win a ticket to the Playboy Fantasy Baseball Championship tonight!

Keep your eyes peeled for more PFBC qualifiers approaching and be sure to practice all of your StarStreet strategies leading up to the qualifiers and you might be the next winner of a trip to the Playboy Mansion from StarStreet!

(Now, feel free to let those playmate dreams back into your head…) 

Chris Wilson is a freelance blogger for StarStreet, find him on twitter @cbwilson25 and read his personal blog at wilsssoooonnn.com.

Next Year’s Top Scoring StarStreet NFL Rookies

Last year was the year of the rookie in the NFL, with RG3, Andrew Luck, Russel Wilson, Ryan Tannehill and Doug Martin, among others, making a large impact at skill positions last year. The 2013 NFL Draft kicks off this Thursday and, while this year’s crop of talented players to enter the NFL are strongest at the offensive and defensive line positions, there are a new slew of rookies coming into the league who will be impacting their teams and your StarStreet lineups come September.

Before we look ahead to next year’s rookie class, let’s review what this past years group of historic rookies did on the gridiron and in your StarStreet lineups. First up, the quarterbacks:

- QBs - Games - PASS Yards - PASS TDs - RUSH TDs - INTs - StarStreet Fantasy Points
Robert Griffin III - 15 - 3,211 - 20 - 7 - 5 - 319.5
Andrew Luck -  16 - 4,374 - 23 - 5 - 18 - 276.5 
Russel Wilson -  16 - 3,118 - 26 - 4 - 10 - 275.6

RG3’s running ability and lack of interceptions set him above Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson last year. With his torn ACL potentially still an issue at the start of the upcoming season, will he be able to surpass his fellow draft class quarterbacks again next year? Luck and Wilson will have new weapons at their disposal next year as they look to catch RG3, with Darrius Heyward Bey and Percy Harvin joining their respective teams (not to mention any players who are drafted this week).

-RBs - Games - RUSH Yards - RUSH TDs - RECs - REC Yards - REC TDs - SS FP
Doug Martin - 16 - 1,454 - 11 - 49 - 472 - 1 - 311.6
Trent Richardson - 15 - 950 - 11 - 51 - 367 - 1 - 254.7
Alfred Morris - 16 - 1,606 - 13 - 11 - 77 - 0 - 251.3

Doug Martin’s explosive runs, combined with his strong ability to make catches and gain yards on check-downs, helped him lead last year’s group of rookie running backs. Morris’ lack of receptions was the large difference between him and Martin, with Morris actually running for more yards. Trent Richardson battled several injuries last year and will be looking to show why he was the #3 pick in last year’s draft.

-WRs - Games - Targets - RECs - REC Yards - AVG - REC TDs - SS FP
TY Hilton - 15 - 88 - 50 - 17.2 - 861 - 7 - 187
Justin Blackmon - 16 - 133 - 64 - 865 - 13.5 - 5 - 184.8
Josh Gordon - 16 - 95 - 50 - 805 - 16.1 - 5 - 158.5

Last year’s receiver crop was weaker than the other two skill positions, with no rookie truly joining the elite ranks of receivers for fantasy or real football. The best of the bunch for your StarStreet lineup last year was TY Hilton from the Colts, who was able to maintain a high average yards per catch while pairing with fellow rookie Andrew Luck. Hilton showed an ability to stretch the field in Bruce Arians offense and it will be interesting to see Heward-Bey’s influence on Hilton and Luck’s numbers next year. Elsewhere, Justin Blackmon and Josh Gordon were able to make significant impacts on teams whose quarterbacks leave something to be desired. Their ability to improve on last year’s numbers will hinge largely on the ability of Blaine Gabbert and Brandon Weeden to improve (unless the Jaguars or Browns surprise people and select a QB to challenge their current starters).

Here are my predictions for who will be the highest scoring skill position rookies in StarStreet next year:

At QB I am going to go with the favorite and take Geno Smith. While his draft stock has taken a hit in the buildup to the draft, Geno showed last year the ability to make strong throws from the pocket and while also being able to escape a pass rush and scramble when necessary. I could also see E.J. Manuel being a sleeper here.

For running back I am going to take the most talented back I watched last year, Marcus Lattimore. Whether it be through legal or illegal means, players are recovering stronger and more quickly from knee injuries in the past and I think Lattimore will recover from his tragic injury in time to be a real impact runner next year. While he may be slow out of the gates, as he knee strengthens throughout the season, I expect the team that drafts him to give him a larger workload. He has also shown the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, and I know when I’m setting my StarStreet lineups, I’m looking for running backs who will definitely get me a few catches for some free points (as StarStreet gives a point per catch).

At the start of draft season, many “experts” had Cordarelle Patterson at the top of their receiver lists. As the process has continued, Tavon Austin from West Virginia is becoming the high riser in the wide receiver group, and he is my pick for StarStreet rookie wide receiver for next year. Austin is very versatile and looks like he will translate as a slot receiver in the NFL. Slot receivers make for great choices in StarStreet because of the points per catch (think Wes Welker and Randall Cobb), and I think Austin’s explosiveness will help him make big plays off of the frequent opportunities he will have.

Who are your predictions for next year’s top StarStreet rookie performers? Be sure to post in the comments, tweet @StarStreet or @cbwilson25 to let me know.

Chris Wilson is a freelance blogger for StarStreet, his personal blog can be found at wilsssoooonnn.com.

Why StarStreet?

As my introduction to the greater StarStreet community, I thought I’d share my StarStreet story and why I play regularly. I was introduced to the co-founders, Jeremy and Nicolo, through a mutual friend at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in 2011 (at which they dominated and won a business competition) and started playing that weekend. In fact, I won a promotional contest at Sloan that credited me $100 which built up my confidence and got me hooked. Since then, I have been playing StarStreet many times a week.

I’ve been playing fantasy sports since I was 12 years old, and while I still enjoying playing in traditional leagues, nothing gives me the rush of having real cash on the line each and every day of the sports year through daily games. This year, my fantasy baseball team is off to a terrible start. I am thrilled to have StarStreet as a way to find baseball competitions to play during the season, so that I can see success even if my fantasy team doesn’t recover. StarStreet keeps me more engaged as a sports fan and forces me to be more knowledgable on teams and sports I wouldn’t otherwise follow.

Why do I play StarStreet over other daily games? That’s easy; you can play and win real money; their pricing and lineup format makes the games competitive; the site is easy to use (especially on mobile); StarStreet offers several types of contests (head to head, small and big money tournaments); their new, amazing VIP Rewards program; and they have awesome promotions (trip to the Playboy Mansion and chance at $75k anyone?).

My favorite game is Pick Five, and I have played all four major sports. The Pick Five is a particular favorite because you can make your choices very quickly (if having a busy day), while also providing that rush of having skin in the game. I’ll never forget the one time I went five for five; it was awesome!

I will keep it brief with my first entry; I’m thrilled to be a new blogger at StarStreet, where I’ll be discussing StarStreet promotions, tips, new features and anything else you want. Have an idea for a blog? Reach out to me at (@cbwilson25 or always feel free to comment here) and let me know your idea or share your feedback. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for future blogs (my personal blog is wilsssooonnn.com, check it out!), make sure to follow @StarStreet on Twitter to make sure you know about upcoming Playboy tournaments and freerolls. Until next time, I’ll see you on StarStreet!

- Chris

Meet The Newest Member of the StarStreet Team

Good news! You know that guy, CSURAM88, who kept beating you the first half of the NFL season? Well, we found a way to get him off the site, so you can be even more profitable! 

It wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but we figured rather than let him beat up on you guys too much, we should hire him.

In all seriousness though, we’re psyched to have Peter Jennings (aka CSURAM88) join our team full time. Not only is he one of the best fantasy sports players alive, but he’s more passionate about the opportunity we’re going after then anyone I’ve ever met.

When Peter first signed up for StarStreet he sent a long email with a ton of ideas and thoughts in it, and luckily he included his phone number. I immediatly gave him a call and I could tell within the first minute he’s someone I had to get to be a fulltime part of StarStreet. His energy was amazing and he had tons of great ideas. Over the course of the next 9 weeks we met multiple times (in Vegas for an NFL kickoff party Week 1, in San Fran and then he came to Boston). When he came here and met the team it was so clear it was an amazing fit. Peter’s as ambitious and energitic as we could ever ask for, and we’re psyched he decided to take our offer and move to Boston. 

Among a whole bunch of other things, Peter’s going to be responsible for our Daily Fantasy Game, Pick Five, promos and a whole lot more. One of the best things he brings to the table is the players perspective, and I’m sure you’ll be interacting with him a ton. If you ever need anything you can always reach him at peter@starstreet.com (you can still always reach me at jeremy@starstreet.com of course!) or you can give a call at (617)433-7827.

Welcome Peter, pumped to have you on board! 

- Jeremy

2012 NBA IPO Roadmap

Today we launched our 2012 NBA Stock Market. The first players are IPOing now and it will continue into the season. Below are a few details on the NBA market as well as the initial IPO Roadmap, which will be updated as the season goes on.

• There are 200 shares per player available
• When an IPO is announced bidding is open. At the distribution time the top 200 bids will get the 200 shares for the price of the 200th bid. You can bid for up to 40 share of an individual player.
• On April 18th, at 12pm est (the day after the regular season ends) the NBA market will be closed and the market will be paid out. All money invested through IPOs is paid out, and a player’s per share payout value (always shown in the ‘value’ column) is calculated as: (Player’s Fantasy Points ^2.5) / (sum of all players’ raised Fantasy Points in the market) * Total Market Value / 200 shares.
• The IPO Roadmap is subject to change. 

IPO Roadmap:

Player	            FP's Price	Open	Closed
LeBron James	   3785	 $3.26 	22-Oct	24-Oct
Kobe Bryant	   3185	 $2.12 	22-Oct	24-Oct
Anthony Davis	   2863	 $1.62 	22-Oct	24-Oct
Kevin Durant	   3614	 $2.90 	22-Oct	24-Oct
Blake Griffin	   3102	 $1.98 	24-Oct	26-Oct
Rajon Rondo	   2829	 $1.57 	24-Oct	26-Oct
Carmelo Anthony	   3274	 $2.27 	24-Oct	26-Oct
Chris Paul	   3171	 $2.09 	24-Oct	26-Oct
Marc Gasol	   2526	 $1.19 	26-Oct	28-Oct
Josh Smith	   3296	 $2.31 	26-Oct	28-Oct
Dwyane Wade	   3125	 $2.02 	26-Oct	28-Oct
Kenneth Faried	   2171	 $0.81 	29-Oct	31-Oct
Deron Williams	   3109	 $1.99 	29-Oct	31-Oct
Kevin Garnett	   2636	 $1.32 	29-Oct	31-Oct
James Harden	   2090	 $0.74 	29-Oct	31-Oct
Russell Westbrook  3067	 $1.93 	29-Oct	31-Oct
Kyrie Irving	   2942	 $1.74 	31-Oct	2-Nov
John Wall	   2387	 $1.03 	31-Oct	2-Nov
LaMarcus Aldridge  3046	 $1.89 	31-Oct	2-Nov
Al Horford	   2902	 $1.68 	31-Oct	2-Nov
Stephen Curry	   2398	 $1.04 	2-Nov	4-Nov
Tony Parker	   2472	 $1.12 	2-Nov	4-Nov
Serge Ibaka	   2001	 $1.18 	21-Nov 23-Nov
Al Jefferson	   2977	 $1.79 	5-Nov	7-Nov
DeMarcus Cousins   2797	 $1.53 	5-Nov	7-Nov
Brandon Jennings   2441	 $1.09 	5-Nov	7-Nov
Andrew Bynum	   3252	 $2.23 	5-Nov	7-Nov
Rudy Gay	   2824	 $1.57 	7-Nov	9-Nov

StarStreet Enhancements Since NFL Launch

Since the start of the NFL season we’ve been hard at working taking in the feedback from our great members and working to improve the StarStreet experience for you guys. Below is a list of the enhancements we’ve made to the site since the start of the season: 

Edit Sunday Players in Thursday Contests - For NFL contests that start on Thursday, you can now edit your Sunday and Monday players up until Sunday at 1 PM EST. Previously, all players locked as soon as the Thursday game kicked off. To edit Sunday & Monday players once the contest locks, click the edit button. On the edit screen, players eligible to be edited will have a red x next to their name.

Game Menus - Game Menus were recently introduced on both member’s home pages and on the team builder to allow you to more easily view and enter upcoming contests. Along with the ability to view all the contests right from your home page, step three of the builder also has a menu that allows you to easily enter all the contests you may want to.

Daily Plays August 31st

After an off day last Friday we are looking for a bounce back blog. This week we will feature a similar set of good BvP and season long hitting trends. I am not a big fan of the high priced pitching matchups tonight so no 30k+ recommendations today.

Pitchers:

30K+:

None – Just don’t think we have the right matchups here tonight.

25K-30K:

Dan Haren ($25,634) – I know he has not pitched well lately, but Haren has owned the Mariners in his career. He is 11-6 with a 2.69era paired with the fact the  Angels get to smack Millwood around I like him to get a W tonight.

RA Dickey ($25,411) – Hard to ignore Dickey at this price. Dickey has been pretty consistent all year and is facing a team in which he is 8-2 with an era of 3.18 against in his last 10 starts. There is a good chance he gets win #17 tonight.

20K-25K:

Jeremy Hellickson ($21,345) – He had a bit of a letdown game against the A’s in his last start. Look for him to bounce back against the Blue Jays tonight. Hellickson is 2-1 with an era of 3.51 against Toronto in his career and appears to be a solid cheap pitching option.

Hitters:

8K-10K:

Fernando Martinez ($9,649) – I kid I kid

(Editors Note: This is certainly what you’d call a “bug”. We’ve got it fixed and Fernando should be returning to his normal spot on the other side of the list tomorrow.)

Mike Trout ($8,288) – Coming off a down game where he didn’t get a hit look for Trout to do some damage against Kevin Millwood. He is hitting .361 with and OPS of 1.022 against righties. Chances are he has a good game.

6K-8K:

Robinson Cano ($7,716) – When Cano faces a righty at home you have to take him. On the season he is hitting .358 with and OPS of 1.115. Don’t be surprised if your opponents have shares of him in their lineup.

Josh Willingham ($6,994) – Willingham might not have a great average against lefties (.254) but when he does hit the ball he hits it hard against them. Of his 33 hits 15 left the yard, 5 had him standing on second, and 1 landed him on third.

5K-6K:

Chipper Jones ($5,386) – I know he is old and facing Doc. Well Chipper has owned Halladay going 10-19 with 3HRs. If you feel like taking a risk on lower priced guys then Jones might be a good option.

Jonny Gomes ($5,000) – Gomes is facing Aaron Cook today who he hits very well. The A’s outfielder is 7-14 with 3HRs 6RBI and 1 double versus Cook. You probably want at least a couple shares in your lineup today.

As always check weather and starting lineups!

NFL Market Launch & IPO Roadmap

Today we launched our 2012 NFL Stock Market. The first players are IPOing now and it will continue into the season. Below are a few details on the NFL market as well as the initial IPO Roadmap, which will be updated as the season goes on.

• There are 200 shares per player available
• When an IPO is announced bidding is open. At the distribution time the top 200 bids will get the 200 shares for the price of the 200th bid. You can bid for up to 40 share of an individual player.
• On December 31st, at 12pm est (the day after the regular season ends) the NFL market will be closed and the market will be paid out. All money invested through IPOs is paid out, and a player’s per share payout value (always shown in the ‘value’ column) is calculated as: (Player’s Fantasy Points ^2.5) / (sum of all players’ raised Fantasy Points in the market) * Total Market Value / 200 shares.
• The IPO Roadmap is absolutely subject to change. 

IPO Roadmap:

Player	         	Price	Open	Closed
Cam Newton	 	$2.33 	29-Aug	31-Aug
Andrew Luck		$1.04 	29-Aug	31-Aug
LeSean McCoy		$2.58 	29-Aug	31-Aug
Calvin Johnson		$2.87 	29-Aug	31-Aug
Tom Brady		$2.40 	31-Aug	2-Sep
Arian Foster		$3.32 	31-Aug	2-Sep
Victor Cruz		$0.96 	31-Aug	2-Sep
Chris Johnson		$1.13 	31-Aug	2-Sep
Drew Brees		$2.80 	2-Sep	4-Sep
Robert Griffin  	$1.18 	2-Sep	4-Sep
Ray Rice		$2.05 	2-Sep	4-Sep
Larry Fitzgerald 	$1.54 	2-Sep	4-Sep
Michael Vick	 	$2.26 	4-Sep	6-Sep
Peyton Manning		$2.13 	4-Sep	6-Sep
Adrian Peterson		$1.11 	4-Sep	6-Sep
Rob Gronkowski		$1.35 	4-Sep	6-Sep
Tony Romo	        $2.10 	6-Sep	8-Sep
A.J. Green		$1.07 	6-Sep	8-Sep
Julio Jones		$1.44 	6-Sep	8-Sep
Darren McFadden		$1.96 	6-Sep	8-Sep
Matt Forte		$1.62 	10-Sep	12-Sep
Jimmy Graham		$1.33 	10-Sep	12-Sep
Demaryius Thomas	$1.10 	10-Sep	12-Sep
Roddy White		$1.35 	10-Sep	12-Sep
Greg Jennings		$1.36 	12-Sep	14-Sep
Aaron Rodgers		$3.61 	12-Sep	14-Sep
Russell Wilson		$1.13 	12-Sep	14-Sep
Doug Martin		$0.80 	12-Sep	14-Sep

Daily Fantasy Baseball Plays August 24th

Pitchers:

30K+:

CC Sabathia ($34,547) – His first start coming off the DL is a juicy one. Sabathia will face the Indians who cannot hit lefties. If he is not limited tonight I think there is a big score here. He is pricey and coming off injury it would be a bold pick, but one that could pay off huge in head to head matchups. He is 2-1 3.03 era with 33 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings against the Indians in his career.

25K-30K:

Jake Peavy ($25,331) – Peavy will be looking to bounce back after a rough outing his last time on the mound. Seattle is just the team he needs to face to get rolling. He has owned the Mariners in his career to the tune of 5-1 2.21era with 45 strikeouts in 53 innings. He is my favorite pitcher pick of the day.

20K-25K:

Jonathon Niese ($23,649) – Mr. Niese has been rolling lately and I like him to continue his streak against a weak AAA like Astros squad. Over his last 3 starts Niese is 2-1 with an era of 2.11 and 17 Strikeouts over 21 1/3 innings. Just below Peavy on my pitchers pick of the day would be Niese. I feel like you can take him with great confidence tonight.

Hitters:

8K-10K:

Ryan Braun ($9,530) – It is hard to take guys priced this high, but Braun absolutely owns Wandy. He is 14 for 26 with 4HR 7 RBI and 5 doubles. While you might not want to take a bunch of his shares because of the price, it might be a good pick if you have some $$ left over.

6K-8K:

Josh Hamilton ($7,574) – Hamilton has an OPS of .981 on the year versus right handed pitching this season. He also is hitting a HR once every 12 ABs. I know he has been somewhat cold lately, but I have a feeling tonight he breaks out in a big way.

Ryan Zimmerman ($7,554) – This is another BvP dream as Zimmerman hits Kendrick pretty well. In fact he is 10 for 25 with 1HR 2RBI and 7 doubles. Sneak him into your lineup even if you can only get a couple shares.

Paul Goldschmidt ($6,768) – Diamondbacks at home vs. a lefty? Uh oh. Leading the way tonight will be Goldschmidt who has insane numbers versus lefties on the season. 130 ABs 10HR, 30RBI, 18 doubles, and a triple. If you don’t play Cody Ross then I hope it is because you went with Goldschmidt.

4K-6K:

Cody Ross ($5,516) – This is the hitter pick of the day. If you have been paying attention at all this year you know that Ross absolutely crushes lefties. He has 97 AB against lefties with 11HR, 29RBI, 6 doubles, and a triple. Sorry Mr. Chen but you are about to get rocked.

JJ Hardy ($5,235) – In a very limited sample the O’s SS has gone 6 for 9 with 1HR and 2 doubles. For his price I would say that is a pretty good risk/reward.

As always check weather and starting lineups!

Daily Fantasy Baseball Strategy: June 29th

This is a guest blog post by trader Widereceiving.  Be sure to follow him on twitter for daily fantasy advice.

Pitchers:

David Price - $33,814. After having a bad outing against the Mets in which he allowed seven runs in five innings on June 13th, Price bounced back with two solid outings against both the Nationals and Phillies.Philadelphia (10th) is surprisingly better thanDetroit (13th) in terms of offense. Today, Price takes on the worse hitting team between the two of them – the Tigers. Even though the Tigers can explode with runs, Price looks to keep the damage minimal as he has had success against them in his career: a .222 batting-average-against, with a 3.1:1 K:BB ratio in 29.1 innings. Prior success for a pitcher that is only getting better can only mean things will be great for him when he takes the mound this evening.

Jose Quintana - $23,810. While starting against the Yankees is always dangerous, especially a rookie, Quintana has appeared to be a pleasant surprise this season for the White Sox, posting a 1.25 ERA in his short career. While he only has 24 strikeouts in 43 innings, Quintana has still scratched the surface of success, and that can’t be taken away from him. What also can’t be taken away from him, is that he has performed well in his last three starts; and well enough to put up 6.26 FP/10k. One of those starts came against a better offensive team than the Yankees - the Cardinals - in which he provided the White Sox with a win with four strikeouts in five innings. While his WHIP was high in that start, at 2.00, He still heldSt. Louis to only one run. If he can hold the Yankees to one run, he could be in line again for the win.

Batters: 

Mark Trumbo - $6,552. Trumbo just recently hit The Market, and with his performance over the past nine games, he deserves it. Over that span, he has put up amazing numbers: eleven hits, four homeruns and twelve RBIs – good enough for 6.61 FP/10k. Hopefully Trumbo can learn from teammate Albert Pujols on how to hit well against Carlos Villanueva, something Albert has managed to do against the Blue Jays’ right hander. Pujols would have been featured in this article had he not been over $8,000, so the next best thing is to take his young, slugging teammate, Mark Trumbo.

Chris Young - $6,708. Though Chris Young’s career batting average against Randy Wolf is only .267, Young is not known for his average, but rather his power and speed combination. While his speed hasn’t translated into stolen bases, what it has translated into was three doubles in eight hits. The power has been there, too, though, as he has a homerun and a .467 Slugging Percentage. As we shift away from the Wolf-Young matchup, we look at what Young has done recently, with two homeruns in the last five at bats; and as many of you know – when Young gets hot, he gets white hot. So catch him at a good value before his price skyrockets.

Quintin Berry - $5,000. How the rookie maintains such dominance at the plate is unbelievable. What is also unbelievable is the fact that he has been arguably the best Tigers hitter in the past five games from a fantasy perspective with 10.8 FP/10k. WithBerry being so cheap, he should be played in just about every StarStreet matchup; even against the Rays’ fantastic starting pitcher, David Price. If you are starting both Price andBerry, then you must pray that they can both post amazing fantasy numbers – something the two of them have the ability to do.

Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice for 6/25

This is a guest blog post by trader Widereceiving.  Be sure to follow him on twitter for daily fantasy advice.

Pitchers:

James McDonald - $23,409. At McDonald’s current price, he should be played every time he starts, regardless of matchup. But he should especially be played today as he faces the middle-of-the-road Phillies.  He only has a 6-3 record, but his ERA is third best in the league at just 2.19, and he just had put up 21.00-points against the Twins last time out.  Though the Phillies are a better offensive team than Minnesota, both teams are around the league average of 306 runs. With McDonald being one of the best pitchers in the league this year, and the Phillies’ pitcher Joe Blanton struggling to fool hitters, there’s a good chance that McDonald gets the win. Take advantage of McDonald’s crazy low price tag, before it disappears. 

Christopher Archer - $20,000. Archer had a really good outing last week, in his first Major League start: 6.0 Innings Pitched, 7 strikeouts and one earned run.  He also only walked one batter, which is promising for the youngster who had some command issues in the minors.  Archer recorded 11.00 points in his last, despite getting the loss, so you can reasonably expect another double-digit performance out of him tonight.  As long as Archer can keep his walk numbers down, he’ll remain a great value play.  He’s a sneaky good play today, and you may want to give him a look.

Batters:

Carlos Lee - $5,760.  In his career, El Caballo has had great success against the Padres: a .324 batting average accompanied by 12 walks.  On top of that lifetime success, Lee has been doing quite well recently, since coming off of the DL – 4.4 FP/10k.  Tonight, he faces Ross Ohlendorf on the mound, who has a 4.96 ERA between AAA and the majors in 2012.  This is an awesome matchup for Lee, and his price is quite cheap for his consistent production. 

Daniel Nava - $6,282. Like Will Middlebrooks, Nava is another player that has come through for the Red Sox after one of their All-Star options went down.  And, according to some Boston reporters, “Nava isn’t going anywhere”; the Red Sox have faith in him, and, until some other guys come off the DL, Nava should stay in the Red Sox lineup.  And with good reason too, as he has put up 6.2 FP/10k in the last seven games.  Tonight he faces Aaron Laffey, a man with a career 4.30 ERA.  As long as Nava is in the lineup against the left-hander, he will look to contribute in a big way, as the Red Sox offense stays hot on their home stand.

Jemile Weeks - $5,571.  Weeks walked three times against the Dodgers back on June 19th, and since then he has collected a hit in each of the last five games. While it may not seem like much, every streak starts off small.  The young second baseman also has 10 steals on the year.  Though he hasn’t recorded a steal since May 15^th, his chances of at least one swipe tonight are pretty good, as Seattle’s catcher, Jesus Montero, has only thrown out 21% of stolen base attempts.  It’s never easy predicting stolen bases, but the numbers heavily favor Weeks as long as he can get on base.

Definitely consider these guys when you are picking your players tonight. Good luck!

Daily Fantasy Baseball Strategy: 6/22

This is a guest blog post by trader Widereceiving.  Be sure to follow him on twitter for daily fantasy advice.

Pitchers:

Jarrod Parker - $27,206. Though the Giants did get the best of Parker in their first meeting, Parker has been on an amazing roll since then, and will attempt to continue the successful streak he has been on – four double-digit games in the last five outings. He’s gone 2-1 over that stretch, with a 8.13 K/9 through that stretch. If you take out Parker’s bad outing against the Diamondbacks, he has posted an unbelievable 0.28 ERA in those outings. With the struggling Tim Lincecum taking the mound, Parker has a good pitcher-versus-pitcher matchup, as Lincecum has had a rough season posting a 6.19 ERA. With the Athletics on an 8-1 winning streak, Parker will look to hurl a great game as well as try to pick up a win. He seems to be a safe pick against the mediocre Giants offense. 

Jordan Zimmeman - $26,932. Much like Jarrod Parker, Zimmerman has been a very consistent pitcher in the last few starts. Though he hasn’t managed to collect a win in the last three starts, he has posted double-digit fantasy points while striking out eight-and-a-half batters per nine innings. In the three career starts Zimmerman has had against the Orioles, he has provided a 2.75 ERA to go along with a 14:4 K:BB ratio. While the Baltimore offense has greatly improved this season, so has Zimmerman. Jordan will look to continue his lifetime success against the 13th-ranked offense.

Batters: 

Carlos Gomez - $5,580. It is a known fact that Carlos Gomez has loads of speed, but he has recently had trouble finding his way into the Brewers’ lineup. When he has played, he puts up decent numbers for the cheap price – 7.3 FP/10k in his last seven games. Gomez is a career .317 hitter against the White Sox, with five stolen bases at U.S. Cellular field. It is Gomez’s first time hitting against Chris Sale, however, who has been an elite pitcher so far this year. Gomez does have a favorable righty-on-lefty matchup at the plate, helping his cause to be placed in the lineup. If he can pick up a walk and a steal, he can be awesome value at his low price. Save Money, Live Better, StarStreet. 

Trevor Plouffe - $6,583. Not only has Trevor Plouffe posted positive fantasy numbers over the past twelve games, he has managed to hit double-digits three times over those games. He has also posted SEVEN homeruns in the last twelve games, being arguably the hottest hitter in the game, getting on base during that span. He faces off against Homer Bailey, a bad pitcher even bad pitchers call a bad pitcher. A sweet matchup for a hitter in a groove for under $7,000? Take advantage of that every day.

Will Middlebrooks - $5,568. If Middlebrooks starts today, he could be a lock for positive points. While that isn’t saying much, at his price, most people would rather gain points than lose points. While the Red Sox are having trouble getting Middlebrooks’ bat in the lineup, they are doing the best to give the rookie some playing time, and will execute a trade to send Kevin Youkilis away if they have to, which is something market owners should pay attention to. Middlebrooks is a good play tomorrow, if he is in Boston’s lineup.

Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice: 6/20

This is a guest blog post by trader Widereceiving.  Be sure to follow him on twitter for daily fantasy advice.

Pitchers:

Yu Darvish - $32,408. While Darvish is on the expensive side, he has performed well this season, hence the price. Last time out, Darvish managed to strike out eleven batters and allowed just two runs on seven hits in eight innings, picking up the win over Houston - a better offensive team thanSan Diego. Today Yu faces the Padres, a team that is still looking for things to get going. With Yu in town, the Padres bats will likely be silenced again - something that has happened quite frequently, ranking them second to last in offense. With Darvish at Petco, people that elect to play him should feel confident that he will deliver a strong start.

Francisco Liriano - $20,000. Though Liriano has struggled the past two seasons with his command, he has remained a solid spot-starter over the years; which is what he has the potential to be againstPittsburgh today with a career 10.93 K/9 against them. Since the former ace returned to the rotation, he has 11.35 strikeouts-per-nine-innings, and even though he has only received one win in the last four starts, he still has an ERA of 3.13 over that timeframe, which is a sign that he may, just may, be back. 

Batters: 

Denard Span - $5,952. LikeButler, Span has been hitting very well in the last nine games. With a .282 batting average, five walks drawn and two homeruns, Span seems to be in a groove offensively, and will have to be started against Erik Bedard, the opposing lefty on the mound for the Pirates. In Span’s career, he has collected three hits and two walks in ten at-bats against the veteran Bedard. Some of you may argue that it is a small sample-size, but if you combine the sample-size with what he has done at the plate recently, you would get a good value play.

Billy Butler - $6,346.Butler has two homeruns in the last three games, and has a good matchup against the struggling youngster Jordan Lyles.Butler has been a hot and consistent play, with 4.9 FP/10k and a .400 average over the last nine games. As the best offensive player inKansas City’s lineup, he will look to come through inMinuteMaidPark, where he is a career .296 hitter with four doubles, four RBIs, two walks and a homerun - which he acquired last night. Look forButler to provide fantasy owners with somewhere around four fantasy points, which is great value at his current price.

Elliot Johnson - $5,299. “Better than Sean Rodriguez” isn’t saying much, but when it comes to Elliot, it means more than you would think. Since inter-league games started, Johnson has contributed whopping value: 7.4 FP/10k, while managing to collect at least one hit in all but one game. Though not many people on StarStreet have noticed him, he has been screaming “value play” since facing-off against pitchers in the National League. Though he does face the young star, Stephen Strasburg, who has been his normal, dominant self, Johnson deserves at least a look for a salary-filler.

Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice for 6/18

This is a guest blog post by trader Widereceiving.  Be sure to follow him on twitter for daily fantasy advice.

Pitchers:

Matt Harrison - $26,785. Matt Harrison has never played the Padres in his career, though he will try to remain on his extraordinary pitching streak– not allowing a run in 16.1 innings. That streak isn’t the only thing Harrisonhas done well, however. He has posted a Quality Start in each of his last five games to go along with four wins. While he hasn’t struck out too many batters - just 5.1 per nine innings in those five outings -Harrison has managed to put up decent fantasy numbers over that 5-game span: 6.18 FP/10k. Not only does Harrison get to pitch at PetcoPark, he has the benefit of facing San Diego, the MLB’s 29th-ranked offense. It is a mouth-watering start for fantasy players, and the matchup should be taken advantage of. 

Wade Miley - $25,303. Like Harrison, Miley has never faced off against the team he will pitch against today. Another thing similar to Harrison is Miley has quickly collected four wins and five Quality Starts, though it took him six outings to do so, as opposed to Harrison’s five. Over the last five starts, the Arizona left-hander has a slightly better strikeout-per-nine ratio than Harrison, at 5.7, but faces a slightly better hitting team, ranked 20th among all MLB teams. Sure, Miley has a lesser track record and, sure, he is facing a better offense, but when you can purchase him for $1,482 cheaper, he’s worth the buy-in.

Batters: 

Adrian Beltre - $7,298. Yo, Adrian! In Beltre’s last four games, he has scored 7.5 FP/10k, proving that he is starting to warm up; and Beltre warming up is not a good thing for opposing pitchers! Not only is he starting to get hot, but he will also look forward to hitting in PetcoPark for a few days, a place he has had moderate success in his career: a .284 batting average, four homeruns and seven doubles with five stolen bases. That’s not flashy, but when you mix it with what he has done the last four games, it could equate into a decent fantasy day against a very bad pitcher, Jason Marquis, who he is batting .438 lifetime against.

Albert Pujols - $8,503. We do realize that he is 1-for-12 in his last three games, but that one hit was a homerun, something that he has done twice to Matt Cain in his career. Cain is coming off of a perfect game, in which he punched out fourteen Astros and made Giants history. With that being said, it is hard for many pitchers to come back and have solid outings after throwing arguably the best game of their life. For Cain, it could be quite difficult, seeing that he has to face one of baseball’s all-time greats. In Pujols’ lifetime against Mr. Perfect, he is hitting .571 with four walks, two dingers, and five driven in. While fourteen at-bats is a small sample-size, we should have faith in the stats and arguably the best hitter in the game to improve on those career numbers. 

Alcides Escobar - $6,110. Alcides Escobar isn’t very good, but he has some speed, allowing him to post fantasy numbers. With three stolen bases in the last seven games, Escobar is a viable asset for those of you willing to invest in speed. For those who already have been using him, you guys would notice that he has not only stolen bases, but he’s been getting base hits. With seven hits in the last seven games, the man known as Alcides has contributed 5.73 FP/10k over the seven games. He should be a decent start against the veteran Randy Wolf, who has a 5.06 ERA on the year. 

6/13 Daily Fantasy Baseball Strategy

This is a guest blog post by trader Widereceiving.  Be sure to follow him on twitter for daily fantasy advice.

Pitchers:

Hiroki Kuroda - $34,737.  In five career starts against the Braves, Kuroda has a stellar ERA of just 2.10.  That alone says he should be in your lineup tonight as he’s pitching against Atlanta.  But on top of that, Kuroda has a microscopic 0.82 ERA and 0.68 WHIP in his last three outings.  In those outings, he has put up 4.92 FP/10k, and looks to be a solid fantasy start against opposing veteran Tim Hudson who has been shaky all of this year.  Regardless of Kuroda’s price, he’s a great play because he seems in line for a strong performance and likely a W.

Felix Doubront - $24,479. In Doubront’s last start, he gave up six runs, allowing eight hits and two walks in four innings of work.  The one positive of the outing was that Doubront did manage to post six strikeouts in those four innings.  We’ll give him a pass for last weekend, because Doubront had been really solid in his two outings prior.  In those two starts, Doubront posted 7.01 FP/10k, and looked pretty good doing it.  Today, Felix takes the hill against the Marlins, who scored one run last night against his Red Sox teammate, Clay Buchholz.  The Marlins’ offense is unpredictable, as it can pour it on or perform poorly on any given night, but the Marlins bats have not been giving Ricky Nolasco (starting opposite Doubront tonight) much run support, scoring around two runs per game in Nolasco’s last three outings.  Doubront, on the other hand, has been getting about three times that run support in his last three starts.  Doubront should be the favorite to earn the win.

Batters:

Trevor Plouffe - $6,760.  With ten home runs on the year, Plouffe’s problem isn’t his bat.  His problem is his awful glove, which can keep him out of the lineup at times.  A struggling team like the Twins will try and keep productive bats in their lineup, so if Plouffe is playing, he is definitely fantasy relevant.  How fantasy relevant?  Well, very.  He’s got five home runs in the last nine games, to go along with a .361 batting average in that span – a strong 8.67 FP/10k. With a hot-streak like that, Plouffe should be played as long as long as his price is so cheap and as long as he is in the Twins’ lineup. 

Adam Jones - $7,195. Though Jones is 0-for-3 with a lone RBI against Kevin Correia (pitching tonight for the Pirates) in his career, Jones has been simply awesome all of this season.  It’s surprising how he maintains such a low price tag with his seventeen homers on the year and with two in the last three games.  At any price, but especially as long as you can get him on the cheap, Jones should be in all of your lineups until he cools down (if that ever happens).

Danny Espinosa - $7,064.  Watch out, Espinosa’s got a hot bat!  He has five doubles and a homerun in the last five games.  Espinosa doesn’t always record a hit, as his low .227 batting average shows, but he has good speed and decent power, allowing him to hit doubles, steal bases, and jack a few over the fence every now and then, which is exactly what Espinosa has been doing.  But in the month of June, Espy is batting .276 and has 5.03 FP/10k.  With Kyle Drabek, who has been just about average this year, going for the Blue Jays tonight, expect Espinosa’s hot bat to stay hot.