The MLB All-Star Break is here….which means no MLB, NBA, NFL, or NHL for 4 whole days! While it seems like most of the internet is getting through these tough times by playing PokemonGo or posting their prejudices on Facebook, but we here @TopShelfDFS wanted to take a look back and reflect on an excellent MLB season so far and give our FanDuel Fantasy Awards for the 2016 MLB season thus far. We would like to thank all our loyal readers, we will be back with more content after the All-Star Break!
Most Valuable Fantasy Player ?
Of course, this award goes to the best overall fantasy player so far through the 2015-16 MLB season: Josh Donaldson
Donaldson is coming off an MVP season and proving to all of us that it was no fluke. Donaldson is the first player since A-Rod(2000) to have 20 HR and 80 runs scored before the all-star break, he has really made a name for himself in Toronto, averaging an incredible 14.8 FanDuel points/game so far on the young season. A’s General Manager Billy Beane has made some excellent, contrarian moves in his tenure as Oakland’s GM, but trading Donaldson away for 1 abysmal year of Brett Lawrie will always haunt him.
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Fantasy Ace of the Year ?
This next award goes to the best starting pitcher in all of fantasy baseball: Clayton Kershaw. “Video game numbers” don’t even begin to describe the kind of stats that Kershaw is putting up in 2016(I don’t think his numbers are achievable on MLB video games) Clayton comes into the all-star break with a 1.79 ERA, 145 strikeouts, and an unheard of 0.73 WHIP. When Kershaw starts, the Dodgers are 14-2 in 2016, but when any other starter takes the hill they are just 37-38. No player in the league impacts their team more than Kershaw. He may take home the MVP trophy again this year, we’ll see how things play out.
Fantasy Sleeper of the Year ?
This award was tough…there’s been a slew of breakout candidates so far in 2016, but no one more deserving than Jake Lamb
Adam Duvall, Wil Myers, and Trevor Story have all had excellent seasons and are all more than deserving of the award, but Lamb comes into the All-Star break with a .291 AVG, 20 HR, and 61 RBIs. The most impressive thing about Lamb’s stats? He only starts in about 85% of Arizona’s games. Lamb crushes right-handed pitching but is held out of the lineup most nights when a lefty takes the bump. ANDDDDD…he’s just 25 years old, and already has more HR, RBI, and walks than teammate Paul Goldschmidt. The sky is the limit for Lamb, we’ll see if he can keep up this tremendous pace the second half of the season.
Fantasy Rookie of the Year ?
This next award goes to the best overall fantasy rookie of 2016: Michael Fulmer
There’s been a ton of buzz around Corey Seager and Trevor Story, but where’s the love for Fulmer? Since May 21st, Fulmer has made 9 starts and in those 9 starts he has given up a total of 4 earned runs….yup, you read that right just 4!! Fulmer comes into the All-Star break with a 9-2 record and a Kershaw-esque 2.11 ERA. The Tigers gave away Yoenis Cespedes for Fulmer and if I had to choose…I’d say you have a better chance of finding another Cespedes before you find another Fulmer.
Fantasy Zombie of the Year ?
Matthew Berry coined the phrase “Fantasy Zombie” for Packers WR James Jones, described as a player who is “back from the dead” and putting up great fantasy numbers just like old times. Carlos Beltran has been raking this season as he goes into the All-Star Break with a .299 average and an impressive 19 HR. At age 39, Beltran is having arguably his best season in the Big Leagues, which sparks quite the red flag, and when that’s the case in Major League Baseball it’s usually followed by a PED test.
MLB TV Player of the Year ?
Our final award goes to the most entertaining player to watch on MLB TV: Billy Hamilton. As much as I love the game of baseball, I will be the first to tell you…Baseball is very boring and slow paced. The league is trying to keep fans engaged and keep the game moving, but it doesn’t seem to be doing the trick. As a proud owner of MLB TV, it’s fun to tune into at-bats and watch your guys score points, and no one does it quite like Billy the Kid. Hamilton is all over the place on the field, swiping bags, making incredible running catches in the outfield. He truly embodies the phrase “Speed Kills”
(Credit Tykes.co for images)
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