Because of his incredible ability as a pitcher, it seems like some people forget about how good Shohei Ohtani is as a fantasy hitter. Last year Ohtani had an elite 182 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, as well as 22 home runs and 10 steals in just 367 plate appearances. That prorates to a 35 homer, 16 steal season as a rookie! While it would be irresponsible to expect that kind of production, Ohtani is still very underrated on FanDuel with just a $3,300 salary. Ohtani went deep last night, and is in a valuable spot batting third for the Angels, right behind some dude named Mike Trout. Even in a matchup against a cruising Kyle Gibson, I just can’t avoid Ohtani at this price.
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J.A. Happ, SP: $8,700 – It’s always fun to pick on the Orioles. Happ has struggled this year, but instantly becomes a worthwhile play against a lineup that has just a .287 wOBA versus lefties, with a 27.3% K-rate. If you don’t want to pay up for top starting pitcher like Chris Sale, Happ is a strong alternative.
Danny Duffy, SP: $7,600 – Another lefty with an enticing matchup, as the Rangers 28.4% strikeout-rate is third-highest in the league. Duffy has a 3.06 ERA through his first three starts. He also gets to face the Rangers at home, where they’re much less scary than in their hitter-friendly Texas park.
Yuli Gurriel, 1B: $2,900 – I would love to recommend an Astros stack, but there’s just no way to afford very many of them. Gurriel is one you can definitely get into your lineups, and he should have plenty of RBI opportunities against Ryan Carpenter, who only the Tigers are desperate enough to start.
Mike Moustakas, 2B: $3,400 – Moose went deep in Philadelphia last night, and can easily do so again in one of the best hitter’s parks in the league. He’s quite cheap to be batting third in the high-powered Brewers lineup.
Eugenio Suarez, 3B: $4,000 – Suarez has been among the hottest hitters in baseball over the last two weeks, posting a 1.017 OPS with six homers. Suarez is a top third base option any time he’s at home in an extreme offensive environment in Cincinnati, as he’s proving that last year’s breakout was legit.
Francisco Lindor, SS: $3,500 – Lindor is an elite player playing at an elite level. I’m not sure why his price hasn’t caught up yet, so I’ll take advantage once again against Manny Banuelos. Banuelos has given up 14 earned runs over his last seven innings, and Lindor will be leading off for Cleveland.
Victor Robles, OF: $3,100 – Noah Syndergaard is still a tough pitcher to face, but he’s got a 5.14 ERA this year after another clunker against the Padres. I like this as an opportunity to get Robles at a low price. Robles has been electric, with six homers and eight steals.
Kyle Schwarber, OF: $2,300 – Schwarber is a cheap power upside flier to consider in GPP contests as he gets a game in Cincinnati.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
The only game to keep an eye on is Orioles-Yankees, as there’s a 52% chance of rain throughout the game.
Doing Lines In Vegas
If Joe Musgrove bounces back for the Pirates, I like them at +134 against the Diamondbacks.
