Fantasy Baseball Debate:

Muntradamus vs. Scott Pianowski

 

By Muntradamus

 

BEAST DOME NATION.

In this article, I will talk about some of the points that I disagree with in Scott Pianowski’s (Yahoo) article.  Some of the advice he is giving is steering you away from a Championship, and here at BEAST DOME.  That is the last thing you want.

If you want to read Scott’s article.  Click the post below.  I will go over the players I want to discuss, that he is saying to steer clear from in 2014.

SCOTT’S ARTICLE

 

Players That Scott Does Not Like. That I do Like.

Scotts Take

 

– Evan Gattis: Catcher is the most physically and mentally taxing position there is, especially when you’re not very good at the spot to begin with. This looks like the sucker play of 2014. Gattis hit .211 (with a .265 OBP) as a backstop last year. I’d love to root for the story, like everyone else, but I think Atlanta is going to regret giving Gattis the full-time catching gig. Sure, you’ll probably get 20 homers, but everything else concerns me.

Gattis’s Yahoo ADP is an expectant 179. If you want someone cheaper, I suggest Wilson Ramos (189), Jason Castro (212) or Miguel Montero (218). If you can write a bigger ticket, Sal Perez (146) and Jonathan Lucroy (really like him at 154) make sense.

 

 

– Chris Davis: It’s not that I see him as a colossal bust, but he’s being priced as a first-round pick and that’s not where I want to take a three-category guy. Davis has the profile of someone who could bat .250 or less (check the second-half numbers, not to mention the strikeout rate and fly-ball rate), and I’m only willing to pay for 30-35 homers.

 

– Jon Lester: He’s coming off a 247-inning season if you factor in the playoffs. He was a difference maker in K/9 during the salad days, but it’s come down to 7.28 and 7.47 the last two years. Lester benefited from home-run luck last year, and he was very fortunate in run support (tenth-best in baseball) after some bad luck in 2012. I rarely own him, and this year won’t be any different.

 

– CC Sabathia: It’s rare for me to supply an outlier rank in the fake-baseball industry, but I’m that guy with Sabathia. Maybe the trimmer CC will make everyone happy, but I’m not betting against the ugly fastball trend – especially in the nasty AL East. A massive workload is finally taking its toll

Sabathia’s ADP of 150.7 is shocking to me. Look at some of the names you can get later, on average, in Yahoo leagues: Andrew Cashner, Lance Lynn (grossly underrated), hipster Sonny Gray, Justin Masterson, A.J. Burnett, Ervin Santana (highway robbery at 208). They’re letting you beat them, gamer.

 

 

– Troy Tulowitzki: With his injury history (two full seasons out of seven), I can’t consider him until the late-second round or the early-third round. And you certainly won’t see him then.

At some deeper positons, it’s not that big a deal to accept injury risk in the early rounds. I can talk myself into a Carlos Gonzalez play, say, because the outfield depth is reasonable in mixed leagues. But I don’t feel good about the shortstop pool as a whole, which is the final dagger against a Tulo selection.

– Jered Weaver: Look at the frightening loss of velocity, look at the disappearing strikeouts. This isn’t difficult. And yet, Weaver’s name brand remains strong – his ADP checks in at 135. Can’t go near this one.

 

 

– Yasiel Puig: Buzzy sophomore, a fun pick for most. I’m allergic to buzz. Does it bother you that Puig hit .214 in September? Does it bother you that Yoenis Cespedes (another Cuban hitter and free swinger) dropped 52 batting points in his second year? Do rhetorical questions bother you? Do you like movies about gladiators?

– Johnny Cueto: I’m generally wary of smaller pitchers to begin with (Cueto is 5-11, 215), and now there’s over a year of physical problems to worry about. The name-brand remains strong, with an ADP around 139. An easy stay-away.

 

 

MUNTRADAMUS TAKE

 

 

EVAN GATTIS – C/OF – ATL

First of all.  To say Gattis hit .211 as a backstop last season is a poor opening statement.  Gattis hit .243 last season, as well as .357 in the postseason.  Just because he had a few extra bad games as a catcher, does not mean he is the worst hitter as a catcher.  Maybe it was tough matchups, whatever the reason.  Horrible misleading statement.

 

You also admit that Gattis will hit 20 HRs, but everything else worries you.  If Gattis hits 20 HRs, which is 1 short of his 21 in 2013 where he only played 105 games.  He is still batting in the middle of a Braves lineup where RBIs will not be an issue.  20 HRs could easily land 80 RBIs which could easily be Top 5 material among catchers.

You endorse catchers like Salvador Perez and Jonathan Lucroy as much safer options who go earlier.  Both catchers are no lock to hit 20 HRs.  Lucroy has injury history as bad as any current catcher, and he is more hype than anything.  Evan Gattis is a Pure Lumberjack Homerun Hitting Catcher.  If you don’t like risk, then you don’t like reward.  Gattis and his power may have only been on display for 105 games, but with 162.  He could be a very dangerous Fantasy Option.

 

CHRIS DAVIS – 1B- BAL

To say Chris Davis is good for only 30-35 HRs means you have never watched Chris Davis.  Every flyball he hits seems like it has a chance to be a HR, and there are not enough fingers on your hands to count how many times he flew out at the warning track.

They do not build baseball players as big as Chris Davis anymore, and he was on pace to be in the same conversation as Barry Bonds.  After crushing 30+ HRs with a .320+ batting average in the first half of the season, everyone was convinced he had a shot to break the record.  So he started swinging for the fence and learned the hard way about messing up his game.

He still finished the season with 50+ HRs and there is no reason to see him not get back into that range.  Batting cleanup with this Orioles Squad could make him the RBI Leader, as well as an easy 100 Runs for the season.  Chris Davis is a machine, and to say a .250 batting average with 30-35 HRs really makes me question if you should change professions.

 

 

JON LESTER – SP – BOS

Jon Lester is a Strikeout Machine on a high scoring offense.  The Red Sox are a team that will give Lester plenty of wins as long as he performs.  8K/2 ER/7 INN.  Those are the type of starts you will see from Lester who managed an ERA at 3.75.

Lester used to be a 200+ K pitcher, and he is still ELITE.  The Red Sox will win 90 games, and Lester will definitely get his share of those.  He is too good to pass up and it makes no sense to pass on him on this season.  Also to say his K rate went from 7.47-7.28 in 2013 so minimal of a change.  Whose to say he can’t have a big season?  His Spring ERA of 0.71 is saying nice things.

 

 

 

 

CC SABATHIA – SP – NYY

I will agree with you on one point.  The velocity is very alarming.  What I will disagree with, is that CC is and always has been a special Fantasy Pitcher.  Yes, it can get ugly when he is throwing 86 against the Blue Jays or Orioles.  But when the Yankees face any team outside of the AL East, CC Sabathia has as good chance as any star pitcher to pick up a Win.

With the Yankees looking stronger than ever entering 2014, Sabathia is an easy candidate for 18+ Wins and 160-180 Ks.  He feels healthy, he looks healthy, and CC is not the type of pitcher to ever hit rock bottom.  He goes for a very cheap price in drafts.  While I do like Sonny Gray, AJ Burnett, Lance Lynn.  To pass on CC Sabathia on Draft day is passing up an automatic 18+ Wins.  CC obviously took his struggles seriously in 2013 as he looks like a completely different man with all the weight he lost.

 

 

 

TROY TULOWITZKI – SS – COL

You know what Scott.  You are not god.  You cannot predict injuries.  You cannot give advice to people telling them to avoid players because of Injury history.  Baseball is a long season, at any time any player can get injured.

When Tulowitzki is healthy (No long-term Tears).  It is hard to argue that there is a better HR hitting SS in the game outside of Hanley.  Even that is pushing the envelope a bit.  Troy Tulowitzki gives your Fantasy Team the advantage of 100+ RBIs from a SS.  He also gives you the advantage of 30+ HRs to go along with a .300+ Batting Average, and 100+ Runs.  Not to mention 10+ SBs.

Like I said earlier about Gattis.  Those who are afriad of Risk are afriad of award.  If you want everyone to pick a Bryce Harper instead of a gamechanging 30/100/15 .300+ Batting Average from the SS position in Tulo.  Then go ahead and tell people, your advice will land them in the middle of the pack at best.

 

Also…

This does not make sense.

“At some deeper positons, it’s not that big a deal to accept injury risk in the early rounds. I can talk myself into a Carlos Gonzalez play, say, because the outfield depth is reasonable in mixed leagues. But I don’t feel good about the shortstop pool as a whole, which is the final dagger against a Tulo selection.”

 

Shortstop is a Thin Position.  Meaning the talent level disappears after Tulo.  Which means you take the big time player in the small pool of talent.

 

 

JERED WEAVER – SP – LAA

Thanks to Experts like you, I land an Ex CY Young candidate in Jered Weaver in Round 10+ in 12 man leagues.  How can you hate on Jered Weaver?  Sure his strikeout rate is dropping quicker than expected.  He is now a SP who will give you anywhere from 140-180 Ks which is far from his 233 in 2010.  But look at the big picture.

You are telling people to avoid a SP who will give you an ERA that could possibly be below 3.00, who also gives you a WHIP that is close to 1.00.  On top of that, he is the ACE of a team that could win 90+ Games, which means Weaver should easily be able to win 20.  If Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton bounce back, Jered Weaver is a lock for 20.

You are telling people to avoid an Ace who has an amazing ERA and is on a high scoring offense because?

 

YASIEL PUIG – OF – LAD

Wow.  You really don’t spot talent when it’s right in front of your eyes.  From dissing Chris Davis, to now dissing Yasiel Puig.  What is wrong with Puig’s game from a Fantasy Baseball Perspective?

A player who clearly wants to hit HRs.  Steal Bases.  Score Runs.  There are few players who have all the tools that Puig has, and he plays at a level of Fire that nearly nobody can match.  He still knows he has not reached the peak of his career, and he will continue to make big plays all season long.  Even if it means leading off, which means a lot more Runs.

Puig can easily go 30/30 this season with all of his tools.  And for you to compare him to Cespedes based off of the fact alone he is Cuban.  Then change the topic to Gladiators?  How can people take you seriously? One bad month of the season does not mean everything else he did was a fluke.  It’s hard to stay red-hot hitting .436 in June. .287 in July. .320 in August.  He also hit 6 HRs in 21 Games that month of September you are focusing on.  Not too bad if you ask me.

 

 

JOHNNY CUETO – SP – CIN

Cueto is a BEAST.  If it was not for injuries, he would be a Top 10 SP taken in every draft.  For you to tell people to avoid him, even when he goes as late as the #30+ Pitcher in some drafts, is pure terrible advice.

First of all 5-11/215 is not that small for a pitcher.  Sure he is no Archie Bradley or Clayton Kershaw.  He is still not a tiny person making him sound like the Nate Robinson of Pitchers.

Cueto is the type of SP who will go 8 INN/0 ER/7 Ks in a start when he is healthy.  He racks up amazing stats and goes so late that you can focus on other things, then grab a stud pitcher like him to fill out your rotation.

You say the name brand remains strong, I say the name brand remains underrated.  As I have said before, if you are afraid of risk, you are afraid of reward.  Grab the BEASTS at cheap Prices.

 

 

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-FAIRBALLS

My first full season as a Beastdome.com VIP with Muntradamus was a total success. I finally won a fantasy baseball championship!!!

Muntradamus was there to help me every step of the way this season. Draft day (the most nerve wracking day of the season for me) Muntradamus had a plan(Chris Davis!!!!!!!!!!!), and was there to guide me through every pick via Skype screen sharing. This VIP feature is worth the price of the entire VIP package to me. After draft day I felt very comfortable with the team he helped me build.”

With Muntradamus’ help i always felt reassured that I was making the right moves with my team. The inevitability of player injuries is there every season, and you need to quickly grab replacements that will keep your season’s momentum going. I had a few key players get injured over the course of the season. Muntradamus was pretty much always available through Skype chat to help me keep my team strong. I find that the hardest aspect of playing daily fantasy baseball is deciding which players on your team can be waived for those replacements that will make your team better. For the second season in a row he helped me grab a few crucial speed guys down the final stretch of the season in order to gain ground in stolen bases. This ultimately won me my championship.

I really can’t praise him enough for his help. Muntradamus is clearly obsessed with playing fantasy sports, and helping me win a championship became his obsession as well.

THANK YOU, “MUNTS”!!!

fairballs

BEAST CALLS FROM 2013

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1B RANKINGS 1st HALF

ALL PICKS BELOW WERE HIGHER THAN THE OTHER 80 EXPERTS

CHRIS DAVIS – 1B – BAL

MUNTRADAMUS RANK #11
EXPERT CONSENSUS RANK #22

STATS AS OF JULY 1st: .332 Average/31 HR/80 RBI/60 Runs

No Expert Ranked Crush Davis higher.  Coverman of the 2013 BEAST DOME Fantasy Baseball Team for a Reason.

DAVID ORTIZ – 1B/DH – BOS

MUNTRADAM.US RANK #12
EXPERT CONSENSUS RANK #21

STATS AS OF JULY 1st: .317 Average/16 HR/57 RBI/2 SB/40 Runs

If you follow BEAST DOME, you end up with BEASTS on your Fantasy Teams.  David Ortiz is the definition of a BEAST, and I made sure you drafted him early despite starting the season on the DL.

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