It hasn’t taken long for Francisco Lindor to return to his status as an elite fantasy player, as he’s already got six homers and five steals in just over a month of play. Lindor has an extremely high ceiling thanks to his power/speed combo, yet he also maintains a very high floor, batting .290 as Cleveland’s leadoff hitter. This rare combination of upside and safety is what makes Lindor such an attractive play on FanDuel, as somebody who can be used in any type of contest. At $3,700, Mr. Smile is still priced below other high-end options that he could easily end up outperforming. It’s tough to come up with an excuse to leave Lindor out of your lineups if you’re playing in an early slate.
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Trevor Bauer, SP: $10,600 – I don’t blame you for wanting to dump all of your payroll on Justin Verlander, but I should at least try to sell you on Bauer at a lower price. Bauer faces an Athletics lineup that has been surprisingly weak against right-handed pitching with a .302 wOBA, and his 28.3% K-rate can lead him to a big night.
Zack Wheeler, SP: $9,200 – Wheeler’s ERA is in awful shape, but his peripherals are beautiful. He’s rocking a 2.86 FIP and a 3.07 Deserved Run Average with a career-high 26.2% strikeout rate. Wheeler is a strong investment on the main slate.
Anthony Rizzo, 1B: $4,100 – Rizzo has been unstoppable over the last month, batting .318 with a 1.072 OPS and eight homers. He faces a starter who is likely to regress in Zach Eflin, owner of a 3.99 FIP, which is over a full run higher than his ERA.
DJ LeMahieu, 2B: $3,200 – I want every single Yankees hitter I can get for this series in Baltimore, a hitter-friendly park, against the league’s weakest pitching staff. LeMahieu should lead off versus David Hess, owner of a 5.58 ERA, so he should be able to score some runs.
Eugenio Suarez, 3B: $3,700 – Suarez is usually a guy to target when he’s at home, but Miller Park might be even better for his offensive production. He has been absolutely obliterating left-handed pitchers to the tune of a 172 wRC+, and faces a southpaw in Gio Gonzalez.
Max Kepler, OF: $3,500 – Kepler is yet another leadoff hitter that we can take advantage of against a weak opposing pitcher. Trevor Cahill is garbage, and the potent Twins lineup is looking to put a pounding on him. Kepler, with his 840 OPS against right-handers like Cahill, is in a great spot.
Michael Brantley, OF: $4,000 – It’s incredible how good Brantley has been as a member of the Astros, as he’s now got a 165 wRC+ against righties this season. White Sox starter Dylan Covey and his 6.95 FIP is next in line to get stomped.
Andrew McCutchen, OF: $3,500 – One last leadoff hitter to mention. I’d target McCutchen in cash games as a strong bet to produce against Jose Quintana. Cutch has hit .385 in his career off Quintana, with a .928 OPS in 13 at bats.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
The only game to keep an eye on is Royals-Cardinals, which has a 62% chance of heavy rain during game time.
Doing Lines In Vegas
I’ll take the Phillies at +118 in what should be another entertaining game against the Cubs, after last night’s extra innings affair.
