Liebe, Lust und Leben » g Chicago and New York/Brooklyn, sources told ESPN

Todays pitching rankings are Exhibit A on why win-loss records are way down the list of factors for gauging a pitchers expected performance. The highest-ranked pitcher has 16 losses, the 10th-ranked pitcher has 16 wins, and the 21st-ranked pitcher has 15 wins. Skills and matchups are the key. Youll get that and more in Wednesdays Daily Notes.PitchingEliteYou know, a pitcher actually has to be pretty good to have 16 losses in mid-August. Think about it: If he werent good, hed have been removed from the rotation by now. The Tampa Bay Rays have no reason to remove Chris Archer, who has obviously pitched better than his 6-16 record and 4.39 ERA suggest. A 3.42 xFIP and 17 percent home run per fly ball (HR/FB) mark point toward some bad luck, though Archers lack of command has been a big contributing factor, too. Archer is in a great spot for a rare win, with the San Diego Padres continuing an interleague set in Tropicana Field. In fact, with a 25 percent whiff rate versus righties, the Padres offer Archer and his 10.6 K/9 a platform for a huge game.Cleveland Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco bounced back nicely after taking a beating from the Minnesota Twins a couple of starts ago. In his ensuing outings, Carrasco has a pair of seven-inning efforts with a total of 17 strikeouts and just two walks. Next up for Carrasco is a home date with the weak Chicago White Sox. The strikeout upside isnt nearly as high here as it is with Archer, but the floor is higher, so consider Carrasco the top ace for DFS cash play, with Archer checking in as the top GPP option for those inclined to pay up for pitching.That Stephen Strasburg still lands in the elite tier despite having a start in Coors Field on the docket is a pretty strong indication of how well he has pitched. That said, the Colorado Rockies sent Nationals teammate Max Scherzer to the showers in the fourth inning Monday night. This doesnt mean Strasburg cant have a solid game, but its a risk. Strasburg isnt a consideration for cash games, but hes in play for tournaments as the altitude will keep his ownership close to sea level.SolidJon Lesters back on track, striking out 21 with just three walks over his last three outings, spanning 19 frames. The Chicago Cubs entertain the Milwaukee Brewers in Wrigley Field, and while this might seem like a cake matchup for Lester, the visitors handle southpaws to the tune of a productive .340 weighted on-base average (wOBA). They also whiff at a 24 percent clip with a lefty on the hill, however, making Lester a nice GPP play.Lets give Yu Darvish a pass for his return from the disabled list against the Cubs in early July. In five ensuing efforts, Darvish, who returned this season after Tommy John surgery, has tossed 32 innings with a 2.53 ERA and 0.94 WHIP, supported by 39 strikeouts. With the Oakland Athletics visiting Arlington for an AL West encounter, the strikeouts might be harder to come by, but Darvishs floor is high enough for him to be deployed by DFS cash grinders.David Price and Archer have had similar campaigns. The difference is that Price is backed by the leagues top-scoring offense, though the Boston Red Sox have scored two runs or fewer in nine of his 25 starts. Price looks to win two games in a row for the first time since a three-game streak in late May. To pull it off, Price needs to keep the Baltimore Orioles in check at Camden Yards. The home team checks in with the third-lowest wOBA versus lefties in the league. Not for nothing, but thats nuts. It also puts Price in play for DFS GPP action.Add Carlos Martinez to the list of solid hurlers looking good for tournament play as the St. Louis Cardinals visit Minute Maid Park for a tussle with the Houston Astros. The hosts continue to fan at an elevated clip. Dont be concerned about the venue. Minute Maid Park might elevate homers, but it plays neutral for runs. In a season where it seems everyone is carrying an HR/9 north of 1.0, Martinezs is an impressive 0.72.Ill be honest, J.A. Happ was on my avoid list in March. Granted, the veteran lefty had a solid second half last season between Seattle and Pittsburgh, but the move to a hitters venue was troublesome. On the surface, his 16-3 record with a 2.96 ERA says that was a mistake, but a 4.01 xFIP suggests the concerns were warranted. Of immediate concern is a date in Yankee Stadium against the new-look men in Pinstripes. Happ might have the platoon edge over the table setters, but the Yankees three recent call-ups are all right-handed batter. With so many new faces, team numbers to this point are rendered moot. However, Happs experience will help facing Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Tyler Austin, so expect another solid effort. Hes best suited for cash play, because its hard to pay up for strikeout potential when you arent sure it exists.Well wrap up a busy solid tier with Scott Kazmir taking the hill in Citizens Bank Park as the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Philadelphia Phillies. The home team has struggled all season with a lefty on the bump, as evidenced by a 0.289 wOBA and 23 percent strikeout rate in this scenario. Feel free to deploy Kazmir in all DFS formats.StreamersDespite a quality solid tier, 16 scheduled starters land in the streaming tier as defined by their projected Game Score falling between 46 and 52. The better options for a spot-start will be covered, with the focus on those owned in fewer than 50 percent of ESPN leagues. If a name is skipped and you want some analysis, please use the comment section below or send a tweet to @ToddZola if the response can be handled in fewer than 140 characters.August has not been kind to Twins righty?Kyle Gibson, who has allowed 13 earned runs in only 14? innings, covering three outings. The fourth time looks like the charm for Gibson in an interleague affair with the Atlanta Braves in Turner Field. Gibson isnt apt to rack up the whiffs, but hell support ratios and is available in 97 percent of ESPN leagues.Inconsistency should be expected from those returning from Tommy John surgery. Homer Baileys first effort following the procedure was decent, he was hit hard in the second and threw a gem last time. After three road outings, Bailey makes his Great American Ballpark debut against the Miami Marlins, still reeling from the news Giancarlo is out for the season. It appears most are taking the wait-and-see approach with Bailey, whos available in 81 percent of ESPN leagues. A repeat of his 11-strikeout performance last time against the Brewers is optimistic, but he should be fine to stream versus the Fish.Zack Godley went back to the bullpen when Zack Greinke returned to the Arizona Diamondbacks rotation, but with Patrick Corbin struggling, Godley has assumed his spot. Despite making some moves to fortify their lineup, the New York Mets tote the worst wOBA in the league versus righties over the last month. Godley is only owned in 1 percent of ESPN leagues, and with Jon Niese toiling for the guests, heres a great shot at picking up a mid-week win.With Wei-Yin Chen and Adam Conley on the shelf, the Miami Marlins are counting on Andrew Cashner to return to the form he exhibited coming out of the break. The Cincinnati Reds are swinging the bats better lately but are still far from a powerhouse, so Cashner is in play if youre willing to take on a little risk.The Pittsburgh Pirates playoff chances are rapidly fading, in large part because of their recent woes against right-handed pitching. There are better options than Matt Cain on the card, but if you feel you need a little boost, the tilt will be at AT&T Field. On the other side, the San Francisco Giants hitters take on Ivan Nova, who has pitched well since being dealt to the NL. Like Cain, Nova doesnt sport an appealing record, but hes also in play.AvoidJimmy Nelson is in a tough spot facing the Cubs in Wrigley Field as is Niese, who squares off with the D-backs in the desert. There are some close calls, but well stick with that duo as being too risky for the limited reward.HittingAs a team, the Diamondbacks are crushing southpaws to the tune of a 0.358 wOBA. Thats not good news for Niese, who takes Logan Verretts spot in the New York Mets rotation. The Snakes like to platoon, so look for Phil Gosselin, Rickie Weeks Jr., Chris Owings and Brandon Drury to join staples Jean Segura and Paul Goldschmidt all enjoying the platoon edge in Chase Field.Lefty swingers continue to give Brewers righty Jimmy Nelson fits. Unfortunately for Nelson, the Chicago Cubs have some good ones, led by Anthony Rizzo and the switch-hitting Dexter Fowler and Ben Zobrist. The disappointing Jason Heyward along with Chris Coghlan are in the mix as well.All 14 of the homers Athletics southpaw?Sean Manaea has surrendered have come off right-handed sticks. Manaea will have the platoon edge over several formidable Texas Rangers bats but still has to contend with the likes of Adrian Beltre, Jonathan Lucroy, Ian Desmond and Carlos Beltran, all of whom are capable of sending one out of Globe Life Park.The primary reason Andrew Cashner has scuffled lately has been ineffectiveness versus lefty swingers. A full-on Reds stack isnt wise, but pairing Joey Votto and Scott Schebler is a nice DFS mini-stack.Braves righty?Mike Foltynewicz is another righty who is being lit up by left-handers. Foltynewicz is saddled with keeping the Minnesota Twins in check, something not many have done recently. Max Kepler, Eddie Rosario and Robbie Grossman make up a stealth stack with Joe Mauer in the picture, too.Most likely to go yard: Adrian BeltreManaea has allowed a homer in four straight outings, with a fifth very likely. All of the aforementioned Rangers are strong candidates, but in the spirit of laying it on the line, lets go with Beltre. Ill stop short of predicting it will be from one knee, though.Most likely to swipe a bag: Dexter FowlerTwo of the worst at holding runners match up in Wrigley Field. Since you need to reach first in order to steal and Lester is better than Nelson, lets call on Fowler to coax a walk and do the honors. Cheap Todd Helton Jersey . The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. Wholesale Rockies Jerseys . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. http://www.cheaprockiesjerseys.com/ . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Cheap Rockies Jerseys Authentic . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. Cheap MLB Jerseys .ca. Hey Kerry, big fan of yours, just finished reading your book. I think that we all saw the Canucks/Flames line brawl just after puck drop. It was obvious that something was about to happen, even to the referees because the fourth lines were on to start. The NBA is close to deal with New Orleans officials to move the 2017 All-Star Game to the city, ESPN has confirmed.The game is scheduled to take place on Feb. 19, 2017. A formal announcement is expected to take place next week, according to the Baton Rouge Advocate, which first reported the story.Last month, the NBA moved the game from Charlotte, North Carolina, because of the leagues objection to the states House Bill 2, which limits antidiscrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the state. Thhe league said it hopes to reschedule the game for Charlotte in 2019.ddddddddddddeveral other NBA cities were options for the relocated 2017 game, including Chicago and New York/Brooklyn, sources told ESPN. Louisiana, Illinois and New York all have state protections that forbid discrimination against LGBT people.New Orleans has hosted the All-Star Game twice in the last eight years -- in 2014 and 2008.