Welcome back RotoBallers! We've made it to August, and we're back at it this week with another juicy contest on OwnersBox!
This week's free RotoBaller contest has a $1,000 cash prize pool - for new users it's completely free to enter with code MLB10! All new OwnersBox users also get a free year of RotoBaller Premium access - just email us and let us know one you're registered.
In case you're not yet familiar, OwnersBox, is a fantastic new weekly fantasy sports platform that offers plenty of game setups to fulfill your desire to draft throughout the season. Over at OwnersBox, you can participate in snake drafts - and for the first time ever you can also select tournament-style salary cap contests. The contests are at least one week long, and some even longer.
In this article, I will be providing you with my weekly fantasy baseball lineup picks on OwnersBox for this contest which runs for one week (Friday August 6th through Thursday August 12th). Read my picks below, and then join us in this tournament as we battle it out for the cash prizes!
RotoBaller Freeroll Contest!
OwnersBox is hooking up RotoBaller readers to celebrate the launch of their new salary-cap style contests, so be sure to take advantage of these promo offers!
- Join this week's freeroll on OwnersBox - the contest is completely free to enter for new users with code MLB10, and there's a $1,000 cash guaranteed prize pool
- The winner also gets a free year of RotoBaller's Premium Pass ($350 value)
- All new users who make a deposit get up to a $500 deposit match bonus and a free RotoBaller premium pass. Whoa!
You can enter up until Friday, August 6th at 7 pm ET, and the week-long contest runs from August 6th through August 12th.
OwnersBox Pitcher Picks
On OwnersBox, you select two Pitchers, and need three games from these two pitchers. Any game you go over after the third, best ball mode is activated - meaning the lowest score is dropped. So a good approach is obviously looking for affordable two-start pitchers for the week with at least three solid matchups in mind.
Chris Bassitt, OAK ($32,000) - v TEX, at CLE
Not a ton of great two-start pitchers to choose from this week, but I love the comfort level for Bassitt's two matchups. Cleveland and Texas own the fifth and sixth lowest wRC+ and second and eighth highest K%, respectively, versus RHP over the L14. Bassitt had a fairly average month of July, but capped it off with a seven-inning gem versus the Angels last time out, earning 78 FP.
Logan Webb, SFG ($25,000) - at MIL, v COL
I love me some Logan Webb. Among all pitchers with at least 50 IP this season, Webb's 3.15 xFIP ranks 12th best. Of those 12 pitchers, he owns the second-highest groundball rate. He is just my kind of pitcher. Can generate soft contact, ground balls, and still strikeout one per inning. I don't love his first matchup at Miller Park, but love him facing the Rockies on the road for his encore. Over the L14, Colorado owns the fourth highest K% and seventh lowest wRC+ against RHP - and that's with some games at Coors included.
OwnersBox Infielder Picks
The Infield is my favorite position on Ownersbox. You only need 28 games from the five players. Simple math tells you if you average six games per infielder, you are already at the two lowest scores dropped from the lot. That way you can utilize five-game studs as long as you pair them eventually with a seven-game player also to maintain that 30 total games. The Outfield is much more difficult to take advantage this way, so don't waste the opportunity with your infielders!
Ryan McMahon, COL ($16,800) - 6 Games
There's nothing like some cheap Coors exposure. The Rockies open this scoring period with three games at home against the Marlins, who have allowed the highest xFIP to LHB over the L14. McMahon is hitting .286 with nine bombs at home this season, and is coming off the best month of his season in terms of wRC+ (126 in July). Sadly, the Rox hit the road after the Miami series, so it may behoove you to use the fancy Lineup Editor function after those first three games and maybe switch over to a Braves infielder for their home series against Cincy.
Austin Riley, ATL ($21,000) - 6 Games
Speak of the devil! Over the last 30 days, Austin Riley boasts the THIRD highest SLG in baseball. In the month of July he hit nine homers with a .309 BA, and gets a nice six-game homestand this week against the pitiful pitching staffs of the Nationals and Reds. Over the L14, the Nats and Reds rank 30th and 27th, respectively, in HR/9. Plenty of runs to be scored in Hotlanta.
*7 Game Fillers - Kyle Farmer, CIN and Amed Rosario, CLE
OwnersBox Outfielder Picks
As I mentioned previously, filling the three Outfield slots is more difficult than the five Infielders on OwnersBox. You need 17 games from the three hitters, so that means you mostly want to stay away from five-game hitters. I try to get at least one seven-gamer if possible and aim for at least 19 total games for two lowest score drops.
Joc Pederson, ATL ($16,800) - 6 Games
Stickin' with Hotlanta one more 'gin. Through 29 PA this season at Truist Park, Joc is hitting .346 with a .991 OPS. His price is a great value this week.
Avisail Garcia, MIL ($22,400) - 7 Games
Affordable seven-gamers are basically non-existent this week among outfielders, so we have to increase the salary-filter a bit for that sweet Best Ball activation. The Brew Crew offense is hot right now, and Avisail gets to enjoy hitting right in the middle of said hot lineup every day. Over the L14 he is hitting a cool .341. He starts the week with a three-game series against the Giants who have been tough against RHP lately, but ends the period with a four game slugfest in Wrigley Field. This is a perfect situation to start a Rockies OF for the first three games of the week (Coors) prior to switching to Avisail for the final four.