Week 5 RWBC Recap
Congratulations to FanDuel user chatham99, who is $200 richer after dropping 66.5 points in the Week 5 qualifier. I'll remind you that this was the day Bryce Harper ($4,500) and Ryan Braun ($3,400) were busy doing yardwork, combining for three home runs and eight RBI. Amazingly, the two sluggers comprised 44% of chatham99's final point total. From the RotoWire side, Shannon McKeown led the way with 50 points after watching five of his players collect more than six fantasy points, including Salvador Perez, who cost only $2,500 and delivered a home run and two ribbies.
To share a lesson in humility and proper lineup management, I'll disclose that I stacked three batters from the Angels in last Friday's game against the Astros, resulting in just two runs scored between the two teams. Selecting Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and Kole Calhoun set me back $11,800 in FanDuel dough, only for the trio to combine for 2.75 points - Ouch!
The silver lining behind my poor showing is that I learned something. Paying more than $5k, even for Trout, one of the best in the business, is not wise with so much depth at the outfield position. Plus, Trout ended up being 14.1-percent owned, which left me to regret not being more selective when picking players. Live and Learn. Apply that mantra in daily fantasy, stick to the strategy that works best for you, and don't get discouraged with an off-night every now and then.
Here are the overall standings through five weeks:
- Paul Sporer (pjs24) - 212.75
- James Seltzer (schweppy23) - 211.75
- Tony Goldenstein (trookie83) - 211.75
- Ryan Rufe (rmrufe) - 208.50
- Ed Kensick (chicagoed) - 196.75
- Peter Schoenke (rotopeter) - 192.16
- Joel Bartilotta (joelbartilotta) - 187.00
- Shannon McKeown (rotoshannon) - 180.49
- Adam Wolf (rotosomething) - 179.33
- Michael Rathburn (burnnotice) - 178.41
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Strategy Tip
FanDuel gives you a $35,000 virtual budget to spend on nine players, an average of $3,888 per man. I wouldn't worry if you leave as much as $600 on the table. Assemble a team, and if there is room to play with the budget, scan through the list of player options at each position a final time, using more of your budget only if it's an obvious upgrade. Otherwise, you will find yourself overthinking the whole process and that can throw a wrench in your strategy.
Value & Sleeper Picks
David DeJesus (OF) Tampa Bay Rays @ Minnesota Twins
FanDuel Salary: $2,500
DeJesus loves when Phil Hughes is on the mound. In 10 career at-bats facing the righty, the 35-year-old slugger has bagged a home run and five RBI, complemented by an OPS of 1.700. It's easy to overlook DeJesus in daily fantasy since he often sits against Southpaws, but he's off to an impressive start in 2015, with a batting average just a tick below .300. His cheap price will help you secure more established options at shallow positions, such as catcher.
Aaron Hill (2B) Arizona Diamondbacks @ Philadelphia Phillies
FanDuel Salary: $3,100
Hill has registered 14 hits in 31 at-bats during the Month of May. He'll see pitches from Chad Billingsley, who is allowing a .364 team batting average through two starts. I'll start backing away from Hill if his salary climbs higher than $3,100 in the future, but for now he remains a fine choice at a position otherwise chocked full of questionable plays.
High Risk / High Reward
Chris Young (P) Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees
FanDuel Salary: $6,300
You might notice Young's skinny 0.78 ERA on the season and think he's a sure bet to continue the success. Part of the hot start can be attributed to increased reliance on his slider, based on data from Fangraphs. But there are a few facts that you should consider before plugging Young into your lineup. First, his pitching counterpart, Michael Pineda, has five wins and carries an ERA of 2.74. This will be a tough matchup, especially when you consider Young is a flyball pitcher (0.53 GB/FB ratio in 2015), and the Yankees have cranked 43 home runs as a team. Young is cheaply priced on FanDuel, so he still could be someone to target if you aren't sold on some of the other pitching options and have bought into his impressive showings so far.
Steer Clear
R.A. Dickey (P) Toronto Blue Jays @ Houston Astros
FanDuel Salary: $7,600
Dickey can't seem to get his knuckleball working this season, which is no minor issue given that he relies on the unique pitch so often. The key for Dickey will be keeping the Astros from smacking the ball over the fence in Minute Maid Park. Houston is currently second in the major leagues with 49 team home runs, which doesn't bode well for a guy like Dickey who has already yielded seven long balls this season. Keep in mind that he hasn't struck anyone out in two starts, either. David Phelps of Miami (against Atlanta) is a thrifty alternative to Dickey if you're looking for a budget pitcher - he costs $6900.