Radioactive Material: 5 Guys I Wouldn’t Touch With a 5-Foot Pole in a Daily Fantasy Contest.

In fantasy baseball, there are 5 types of players. Great players, good players, worrisome players, bad players, and then…radioactive material. These are guys that might have some name recognition that makes them tempting, but are honestly so detrimental to your fantasy team that you might as well form your team based on closing your eyes and throwing darts at a list of the Kansas City Royals lineup for your daily fantasy contest.
If you have these 5 guys on your team, drop them now. If you are offered them in a trade, decline it. If you are picking a one-day league, if these players aren’t performing fantastically against the opposing starter, you better not even consider them. I think I’ve made myself clear. Ready? Good. Listen up if you want to do well with your daily fantasy contest.

1. Todd Helton, 1B, Colorado. Look at a calendar, it’s 2010. It’s time to rid yourself of 1990’s stars. He’s played well in recent years, but this is not one of them. He’s batting .217 with 1 home run, and he’s 36 years old. He’s not going to turn it around. He’s not a value pick. Stay away.

2. Russell Martin, C, Los Angeles. Maybe he misses hitting at the top of the lineup, maybe he lost his edge when he became the obvious starting catcher for the Dodgers. I don’t know. What I do know is that Russell Martin is no longer a great fantasy catcher. He’s batting .243 at this writing, he isn’t stealing bases the way he used to, and he has four home runs. Don’t get suckered into a move you’ll regret later. Martin is hitting at the weak end of the Dodger lineup.

3. Miguel Tejada, SS/3B, Baltimore. Look, I hate to point fingers, but let’s be realistic here. From 2000 to 2004, when steroids were much more prevalent in the big leagues and testing was fairly non-existent, Tejada put up 30+ homers a year. Last year? 14. This year? 4. Isn’t this the same guy who lied about his age and is really two years older than he said he was? Yes, it is. Welcome to the new decade, people, Miguel Tejada is not a fantasy baseball star. Look elsewhere, as much as that SS/3B combination might seem tempting.

4. Jose Bautista, RF/3B, Toronto. Wait, Jose Bautista, the guy who leads the league in home runs? Well, yes and no. The power numbers are all well and good, but the radioactive material I’m referring to is his .259 batting average, his lack of protection in the Toronto lineup (he’s got Alex Gonzalez of the .265 average behind him) and his suspiciously high power totals. He played for four teams in his rookie year without hitting a home run, and in the 5 years since he’s never hit more than 16. Now it’s early June and he already has 18? Trust me, this pace will not keep up. Few players break out at 29 years old. Sell high if you’ve got him.

5. Mark Buehrle, SP, Chicago. Buehrle has had some strong starts and has been a workhorse for the White Sox. This is just not his year. His ERA has hovered around 5.00 all season, and he’s just 3-6 on the year. Take out 2 solid games and his ERA is closer to 7.00. He’s only struck out a handful more than he’s walked, the White Sox can’t score, and he’s on the wrong side of 30. Not to mention the fact that he hasn’t had a great year since 2005. This is not the guy you want on the mound when you need a win.

So are you ready to dominate the daily fantasy contest out there? Head over to www.fantasyfactor.com the king of the one day fantasy league.

Prospects Provide Players Big Bargains in Daily Fantasy Sports

Ah, rookies. Fantasy players have sought them out like fountains of youth for years, often resulting in utter disappointment and frustration. But fear not, fantasy players, because there are bargains to be had by going young in your lineup. If you’re playing in a Daily Fantasy Sports league, these players provide excellent match-ups against veterans who have no scouting reports to study… and can become valuable pickup-and-trade bargaining chips if you jump on the bandwagon early enough in full-year leagues. So, which prospects should be on your radar? Here are a few potential bargains playing in their first season in the big leagues that will help you Daily Fantasy Sports league.

BATTERS:

• Jason Heyward, OF, Atlanta. We’ll start off the list with the biggest rookie success of the season. Heyward didn’t have to start the season in Triple A, and has put up big numbers because of it. With 10 home runs and 38 RBI, his respectable .274 average looks even more palatable. He’s hit a bit of a slump lately, so jump on him now while his value is down… you won’t regret it.

• Buster Posey, C/1B, San Francisco. The much-heralded catcher prospect recently made the jump to the bigs, and San Francisco’s management has made it clear that he’s there to stay. Posey went 6-9 in his first two major league games, and his average hasn’t dipped much since, entering the weekend batting a ridiculous .478. That average will dip a bit, but Posey has some power potential too. If you can pick him up for a low price—maybe a couple of bench players—you’ll see your averages rise considerably… at least until pitchers start figuring him out.

• Michael Stanton, OF, Florida. This kid hasn’t hit the big leagues yet, but Florida’s farm system has churned out a ton of solid prospects in recent years and he has the numbers to back it up. He has 20 homers in Double-A and seems to be ready to make the jump to the majors some time soon. Expect an average around .260 with some respectable home run and RBI totals when he does get the call.

• Kila Ka'aihue, 1B, Kansas City. Good luck spelling his name, and good luck getting him out. Ka’aihue is batting .346 at AAA-Omaha and was briefly called up earlier this year. The Royals weren’t ready for him, but when he does stick with the big leagues, he’ll be a solid fantasy player; he is averaging more than one homer per four games in Triple-A.

• Ike Davis, 1B, New York Mets. You want power? You got it. Davis’ batting average is pretty low (that’s normal for a rookie batter) but he has been mauling the ball lately. I mean 5 homers in the past month, the same as Albert Pujols and Vernon Wells, and he just went 4 for 4 with 3 runs scored in a game against Florida. He’s got great protection in the lineup and a solid ceiling. If you play in a keeper league, this kid is a must have.

Are you ready to win your Daily Fantasy Sports league? Head over to www.fantasyfactor.com the king of the Daily Fantasy Sports league.

Reliever Best Bets for Daily Fantasy Baseball Leagues

The only thing harder to find than a catcher who doesn’t ruin your fantasy numbers is a solid reliever that you can count on game after game. The real teams that have books of scouting reports and a committee of able bodies have enough trouble; it’s even harder when all you have is a computer and some statistics. That’s why it’s always important to keep an eye on who’s hot in the bullpens right now for your Daily Fantasy Baseball League.

• Jose Valverde, Detroit. Valverde has been the definition of lights out this season. What’s not to like? He’s sporting a .42 ERA, with 11 saves and just one home run allowed in 21 innings. He pitches in non-save situations more than most closers, but if you have him and another reliable closer, you should be in good shape.

• Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles. LA does so many things well; the movies are hits, the women are beautiful, and the closers are dominant. So it’s not surprising that the Dodgers have yet another big time closer in Jonathan Broxton. He has the fifth-most strikeouts of any reliever in the bigs (actually a surprisingly low number for him) and a microscopic 1.07 ERA. Oh, and he’s playing on one of the hottest teams in baseball, one that frequently comes through with walk-off wins. If Joe Torre keeps putting him in for the ninth inning in any close game, he’ll start adding some useful win totals to his overall value. The Dodgers didn’t perform well out of the gate but are surging now; expect his numbers only to improve along with the team…he lead the MLB with 12 saves in the month of May.

• Matt Belisle, Colorado. People who continue to shy away from Colorado pitchers are straight-up out of the loop at this point. It’s not 1998- balls aren’t flying out of any park as much any more (how many perfect games and no-hitters have we had this year?) and Colorado has taken a number of steps to keep balls in the yard. So owners who have the stones to put reliever Matt Belisle on their roster have been rewarded with some impressive stats. His ERA for the season is just over 2.00, and it was half of that in the month of May. He’s not the official closer, but Manny Corpas hasn’t been other-wordly this year, so it’s a definite possibility. If you need holds or just a smaller ERA, Belisle is as hot as anyone in baseball and a great fit for your daily fantasy baseball league.

• Heath Bell, San Diego. Bell is the model for closers in today’s game. He’s big, he throws hard, and no one scores on him. I mean, no one. His ERA is among the lowest in baseball (1.13) and he has 14 saves in 24 appearances. He strikes out a bunch of people, he plays for a division-leading club, he’s even got a great baseball name. You can’t go wrong with Heath Bell, and you won’t have to pay Mariano Rivera- or Jonathan Papelbon-esque prices to get him.

• Brian Wilson, San Francisco. What is it with these NL West relievers? Maybe it’s something in the water out west, but it’s hard to find a bad apple in the bunch (oh, wait, except for everyone in Arizona’s pen. We’ll just ignore them.) Wilson’s personality is as weird as his breaking pitches, and batters just haven’t been able to get a good feel for him. He’s one of the brightest young stars of San Francisco’s post-Bonds era and has a number of good years ahead of him. His numbers are very comparable to Broxton’s, and you likely can get him on your roster without giving up your left leg. Wilson is a solid addition to any bullpen. And finally…

• Mariano Rivera, New York. Look, you know he’s good, he knows he’s good, the batters know he’s good, the whole world knows he’s good. Sure, he’s getting on in years, but his cutter is still breathtaking and he still plays for the Yankees. You’ll pay top dollar for close-to-top production, but at the end of the day, he’s Mariano Freaking Rivera. If you’re in a one-day league, take him against any light-hitting team and he’ll likely pay off. In longer leagues, pair him with another top-10 closer and you’ll rarely lose the saves or ERA stat. Just do it.

Are you ready to dominate your Daily Fantasy Baseball League? Head over to www.fantasyfactor.com now and join in on the fastest growing Daily Fantasy sports site today.

Daily Fantasy baseball League Young Pitchers to Watch

All Daily Fantasy Baseball league owners know a young stud pitcher can make or break your day. Keep and eye on these guy listed below, as they could have a huge impact on your Daily Fantasy baseball league.
PITCHERS:

• Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington. Called the best pitching prospect of the generation, Strasburg has absolutely, positively frightening stuff. First pick of the 2009 MLB draft nearly made the jump directly from college to the pros, but the Nationals decided to send him to the farm system, where he has terrorized opposing batters to the tune of a 1.30 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 11 games. He’s so well-known that he won’t come cheaply, but he could easily put up top-10 pitching numbers. If you can get him as a number 2 or 3 pitcher, you’ll see major production out of him. His fastball is lightning quick and his curve is essentially unhittable. The only concern will be pitch counts, as the Nationals will surely try to keep his multi-million-dollar arm protected as much as possible. Watch for Stasburg to make his debut this week.

• Aroldis Chapman, SP, Cincinnati. Chapman has been blocked by some surprisingly successful starters in the big leagues, but he is making progress at Triple-A Louisville. The Cuban sensation is making too much money to stay in Louisville much longer, having signed a lucrative deal to come to America from the Cuban professional league. He won’t perform at the level of Strasburg (at least immediately) but he has a high ceiling and could be worth a pickup when he arrives.

• Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Tampa Bay. Hellickson is in a similar situation to Chapman, with a loaded starting rotation blocking him from the big leagues. Still, Hellickson leads the AAA International league with 71 strikeouts to go along with his 8-2 record with Durham. He’s not going to be coming up any time soon, but when he does, he’ll join one of the best teams in baseball late in the season; a formula that has worked for pitching prospects many times in recent years. Keep an eye on Tampa’s next great pitcher.

Use these players when you play your daily fantasy baseball league at www.fantasyfactor.com the top Daily Fantasy league site on the web.