Sometimes I wonder if I should have my head examined. Have you ever read some of my tweets? Enough said. Anyway, I go on a four-day family camping trip and end up buying a trailer in Hinsdale, Mass. deep in the woods. The deal was too sweet to pass up. So from now until October 15, I will be camping. Yup, I am writing from the woods. Also, the camp ground we have our trailer in gives you free Wi-Fi. The best part of this whole thing is the family time, something about sitting around a campfire watching the look of a 4-year-old girl's face while she eats a S’more is priceless. I may love baseball more than life itself, but sometimes, you have to stop and love life a little as well.

Although I love this industry, one of the things I find maddening is the way the sites set up slates. For instance, if you wanted to play the Indians-Yankees game at 1:05 p.m. today you will be forced to play the all-day slate on FanDuel, which simply is not happening. On DraftKings, at this time, the game is not even being offered. They do have it on Fantasy Aces as part of an early three-game slate that ends at the 4 p.m games. This is the way to go if you want to use this game.

Last night a bunch of us from Fantasy Alarm played at Rosters.com. Although the site was a bit buggy like most sites you are not used to, I found the experience enjoyable overall. Like most sites they need to work on the phone friendly side of their site as I was unable to change my lineups from my phone. I am not really all that upset about it due to the fact the players I was going to swap in did just as bad or worse as the players I used. But if you want to try something new and play in some smaller contests, give this site a try.  www.Rosters.com

So with a fresh cup of coffee from my new single serve Kuerig machine and the sounds of nothing, I bring you today’s Pitching Coach article from deep in the woods of Massachusetts.

The Real Jerry Colvin amateur Weather Report

OK, so I am not a real weather man. I simply go the National Weather Forecast and spend a few minutes looking over the map. I check for rain location, temperatures, and dew points. Focusing on the areas where there will be MLB. It is just scratching 4 a.m. as I write this so please understand that the weather changes. Quickly at times. I would only use my forecast for a quick glance to make myself aware of where baseballs can fly or die and weather could kill your night. Just understand, I am not doing anything here that no one else could do but glance at a weather page. I am doing this just as a courtesy to provide the best content possible while trying to give you the heads up for your day. Weather is more important when it comes to pitching than hitting. Fact.

Today’s Forecast

The weather map today looks a lot scarier than it is. When you first take a glance there is a giant band of green starting just after Arizona and going all the way through the middle of the country right into the East Coast. Going city by city the only game I have serious concerns with right now is the Indians-Yankees game and considering this game is not really being offered much today I am fine with that. Otherwise most of the games look ok right now or are being played indoors. Once again it is going to be hot and humid through most of the South and Northeast as well with temps in the 90’s in most spots. So as usual this time of year, the ball will be flying. On the West Coast, well, gorgeous as usual with moderate temperatures and big pitcher’s parks.

Want MLB weather dates? Tune into the Fantasy Alarm Show on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio from 4-to-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, hosted by Jeff Mans and Ted Schuster. Also follow are weather updates on Twitter @MLBDailyWeather.

Afternoon Slate

I wish I could take all the plays on this slate and use them tonight. Honestly, if you are playing the all-day slates this is where you want to take advantage and use at least one pitcher from these games. With some cheap options tonight it is very well possible to get two good performances from two cheapies leaving you the ability to build a DFS team that makes the All-Star team look like girl scouts.

Jake Arrieta is hands down the top option on the slate, the problem is, when you factor in is price, versus his recent performance, and then, factor in the A’s low strikeout totals, the question is begging to be asked, “Why pay for him?”. The answer is, I am not.

Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays

So if you are one of those savvy seasonal players (like Brian Ambos) and picked up Chris Archer for pennies on the dollar, then kudos.

Today Chris Archer is at home facing the recently dangerous Minnesota Twins. He is a -142 favorite pitching in a game with an expected run total of 7.5. The Twins are striking out 21.4 percent of the time with a nice .330 wOBA versus RHP on the season. Away from Target Field the Twins carry a .340 wOBA and are batting .317 over the last seven days (first in MLB). All of this says avoid Archer. The way I see it is this, Archer is dialed in right now and also gets a great park shift at home with Tropicana Field being 25th in runs scored in MLB. He has been electric over his last two starts versus the Dodgers on the road and Royals at home striking out 14 batters over 14 1/3 innings with a 2.51 ERA. He has an elite K/9 of 10.53 facing a team that does strikeout in one of the best pitcher’s parks in MLB. His home ERA is 3.03 versus his road ERA of 5.83 which is always nice. Although he may give up a run or two, he is still the top option dollar-for-dollar on the early slate.

Danger Zone

Although I am curious to see how he handles the red hot Max Kepler his BVP versus the Twins is certainly more than acceptable. The current Twins are batting .267 (16-for-60) with one HR (Eduardo Escobar), three RBI, and a nice 14 strikeouts.

Eduardo Rodriguez, Boston Red Sox (Top FanDuel Play)

It is hard at times to be a DFS player and a die-hard fan of anyone. I bleed Dodger Blue. You would be hard pressed to find a bigger fan of any sports team than I am the Dodgers. I even have a tattoo. The reality of the situation is to the players it is just a job, much like DFS for me. But a job I enjoy. So I have no problem exploiting the weakness of the team I know better than any other in the Dodgers.

Eduardo Rodriguez gets the best possible park shift pitching at Dodger Stadium which is 30th in MLB in runs scored. The Dodgers as a team are striking out 19.9 percent of the time with a .286 wOBA (last in MLB) and wRC+ of 79 (29th in MLB) versus LHP. At home their wOBA elevates to .313 but over the last seven days they are striking out 24.1 percent of the time and batting .242. Whether people realize it or not Rodriguez is slowly putting it together. Over his last four starts versus the Yankees and Mariners on the road and Tigers and Twins at home he has 21 strikeouts over 24 innings with a 2.63 ERA. So this is what the math equation would look like: Hot LHP + Best Pitchers Park + Worst team versus LHP + nice weather + low price + plenty of run support + Ross Stripling = Victory (and highest chance for the win on FanDuel).

Danger Zone

We have zero BVP here but none of his outlying stats look very good. He has had some pretty tough outings early on that have really knocked the crap out of his numbers. I can tell you that even though I love him as a DFS play today I will have at least one lineup with Justin Turner, Howie Kendrick, A.J. Ellis (if he plays), and either Corey Seager or Adrian Gonzalez lefty-on-lefty just in case he reverts back to the early season form.

Jose Berrios, Minnesota Twins

The Twins have brought back Berrios and he looks pretty good so far. Today he gets to face one of the worst teams versus RHP in one of the best parks in MLB. Berrios benefits from the same positive park shift as Archer today and is the slight underdog. The Tampa Bay Rays are striking out 24.2 percent of the time with a subpar .319 wOBA versus RHP on the season. At home they are 28th in MLB in wOBA at .304 and are striking out 26.7 percent of the time over the last seven days while batting a whopping .226. Berrios is dirt cheap today and has an elite K/9 of 10.71 facing a team that strikes out a ton. He may give up a few runs but I will have no problem using him in GPPs today and may even pair him with Archer on two-pitcher sites.

Danger Zone

We do not have any BVP here but with LHB hitting .327 versus Berrios on the season the Brad Miller and Corey Dickerson types seem rather scary.

Night Slate

Plenty of pitching options tonight at all price levels. There is more than one option for cash games tonight but not so many that the ownerships will be particularly small. The top options I believe will be around 15-25 percent owned. On a two pitcher site in cash games I would try to pair two of the top three together and look for savings on bats. In GPPs I would mix it up a bit, in some cases, I would even avoid all the top starters and go with two cheapies and load up on bats. So many ways to go, this is what makes DFS fun.

Carlos Martinez, St. Louis Cardinals

I have lots of stock in Carlos Martinez this season. I own him on several teams and went out of my way in several auctions to get him. He is however the kind of starter I prefer to use at home in DFS. Tonight He gets a positive park shift at home in Busch Stadium that is 25th in MLB in runs scored. The Atlanta Braves are striking out 19.2 percent of the time with a pathetic .298 wOBA (last in MLB) and equally pathetic wRC+ of 85 (28th in MLB) versus RHP. On the road the Braves have a wOBA of .307 and low wRC+ of 89. Over the last seven days the Braves are batting .276, but in this span, they are not taking advantage of high leverage situations, and the wRC+ of 89 reflects it. Meanwhile Martinez has been pitching quite well as of late. Over his last five starts he has a 3.48 ERA with 30 strikeouts over 31 innings versus the Brewers, Mets, and Marlins on the road and Padres and Pirates at home. His price is quite a bit cheaper than Strasburg which allows you a little more leeway with roster construction. Even though he has a lower road ERA (2.28) than home ERA (3.63) I still have no qualms about running this groundball pitcher out tonight versus the crappy Braves. Minus Matt Kemp who is still my favorite player in baseball of course.

Danger Zone

The first thing is, on sites like DraftKings, when you combine his walks with the number of hits he allows, this could diminish his value some. The second thing is, if he is off, and not locating his pitches, his pitch count will elevate and he could have an early outing. Otherwise the BVP is not terrible. The current Braves roster is batting .267 (12-for-45) with no HR, five RBI, and 10 strikeouts.

Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals

How many people were scared with Strasburgs injury history to draft him before the season started? I will admit, I was apprehensive even though I did land him on a few teams.

Tonight Strasburg is home in Nationals Park which is 21st in runs scored in MLB, and he is the largest favorite on the slate at -235. Of course facing Matt Cain helps. The Giants are striking out a low 16.3 percent of the time with a subpar .317 wOBA versus RHP. The wOBA stays around the same on the road at .316 and over the last seven days the Giants are batting .276 with a low wRC+ of 89. Strasburg is having one hell of a year; he is currently 15-1 with a 2.63 ERA. Over his last two starts versus the Diamondbacks and Indians on the road he has 13 strikeouts over 13 innings while only allowing one earned run. His price is rather high but you get what you pay for. He is the top option on the slate today if not my favorite.

Danger Zone

We have plenty of BVP here. The current Giants are batting .272 (28-for-103) with two HR (Gregor Blanco and Hunter Pence), with 10 RBI, and 32 strikeouts. His home ERA is 3.35 and his road ERA is 1.70 which raises a mild red flag but not enough to move me off of him tonight.

Tyler Skaggs, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (*FD value)

OK, so on DraftKings today Tyler Skaggs is $10,400 and on FanDuel he is $6,500. Hello? McFly? Did I miss something here? Without a doubt, right away, Tyler Skaggs becomes the value play of the night on FandDuel. The Mariners are a feisty foe striking out 21.4 percent of the time with a mediocre .321 wOBA versus LHP on the season. At home they hit well also with a .332 wOBA. However, over the last seven days they are only batting .219 with a low wRC+ of 85. Skaggs since returning has been every bit of everything the Angels hoped for. In his last two starts versus the Royals on the road and Red Sox at home he has 13 strikeouts over 12 1/3 innings with a 0.00 ERA. Hard to beat that right? I am all in on this young lefty tonight for this price. Keep in mind on DK, his ownership at that price could be lowered making him a nice play there as well.

Danger Zone

Not a lot of BVP here so I would not let this concern you. The current Mariners are batting .281 (9-for-32) with one HR (Kyle Seager), five RBI, and nine strikeouts.

Aaron Sanchez, Toronto Blue Jays

The Royals do not scare me as much this season. Although they still can pack a punch I find it hard to pass on Aaron Sanchez tonight. He simply has just been too good. The Royals are striking out 19 percent of the time with a low .300 wOBA (27th in MLB) and wRC+ of 85 (29th in MLB) versus RHP on the season. It gets better, over the last seven days the Royals are batting .205 and striking out 23.5 percent of the time with a wRC+ of, wait for it, 46! Holy cow! Attack, Attack, Attack. Sanchez in his last two starts versus the Padres and Orioles on the road has 10 strikeouts over 14 innings with a 1.29 ERA. He gets a positive park shift pitching at Kauffman Stadium that is 24th in HR allowed but does yield its share of runs. His price is right in step with the other top starter and he would be the player in cash games I would pair with Carlos Martinez.

Danger Zone

The worry as usual is much like the Athletics, when selecting pitching facing the Royals, their ability to stay at the plate can be maddening. They foul a lot of balls and go deep into counts while not yielding (historically) a lot of strikeouts. The result can be a high pitch count and with Sanchez already rumored to be hitting the bullpen at some point to conserve innings they will pull him for sure. Otherwise the BVP is small and sweet. The current Royals are batting .105 (4-for-38) with one HR (Kendrys Morales), two RBI, and five strikeouts versus Sanchez.

Matt Boyd, Detroit Tigers

Yup, Matt Boyd has looked pretty good as of late. Tonight although this game has a high 9.5 expected run total he is the -162 favorite. He gets a positive park shift at home in Detroit even though it yields a lot runs, but the Tigers do play there. The Mets are striking out 24.1 percent of the time with a low .310 wOBA (25th in MLB) versus LHP. Now, they have no Yoenis Cespedes as well. The Mets on the road only have a wRC+ of 85 and are batting a low .234 over the last seven days. Matt Boyd is really trying to prove he belongs in the rotation and was a popular pick up for me last week in leagues. In his last four starts versus the Blue Jays and White Sox on the road and Twins and Astros at home he has a 2.21 ERA with 23 strikeouts over 20 1/3 innings. The Mets are faltering and their lineup is looking pretty sad most days. Boyd has been dominant at home posting a 2.63 ERA versus his 7.25 road ERA and should easily send Mr. Met into hiding while his female counterpart tries to hang with the Tiger.

Danger Zone

The Mets do have a few RHB capable of doing damage but none that scare me enough to run away here. Of course, there is a reason why this is a GPP play. BVP wise, we have none.

Lucas Harrell, Texas Rangers

After getting shut down last night I fully expect the Rangers offense to make a comeback today and provide some run support. Tonight Harrell gets a positive park shift pitching at Minute Maid Park which is 29th in runs scored in MLB. The Astros are striking out 23.9 percent of the time with a .310 wOBA (25th in MLB) and wRC+ of 95, which runs average. At home they only have a .301 wOBA and low wRC+ of 85 while batting .234 over the last seven days. Harrell in his last few starts versus the Royals and Athletics at home has six strikeouts over 12 innings with a 2.25 ERA. I know his strikeout numbers are low but today he is facing one of the top strikeout teams, this means we could see some elevation in the K/9.  He is absolutely dirt cheap across the industry and worth a flyer for a few bucks in GPPs and the player I will have paired with Matt Boyd in at least one $3 Moonshot tonight.

Danger Zone

Low strikeout upside, walks batters, and can implode ending your DFS lineup early.

Good luck today.

Follow me on Twitter @RealJerryColvin or email me at TheRealJerryColvin@yahoo.com

I also have an EBay store with some fine sports cards in it, this is the URL:  http://stores.ebay.com/jerrysgemmints/