Some nasty, wet weather saw a couple of games postponed this week. That will not dampen my DFS outlook for Saturday. I am a man of the people and the people want DFS picks. So, what have we learned so far? Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is really, REALLY good even though he looks like a beer league softball player. Clayton Kershaw apparently does not need Spring to warm up. The SF Giants may just be for real (I did not believe it even when I saw it happening in ’21 and am headed toward full believer status). The team in Cleveland is going to score a lot of runs and Steven Kwan is already better than Saquon (@DonkeyTeeth87 gets it). Hitting is ahead of pitching to start the season, and most regular seasons, so below you will see some non-Ace pitching names as we load up on bats.
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Carlos Carrasco, SP: DK: $7,900 / FD: $10,300 – Truth be told, I have had a sweet tooth for Cookie for a few years and just wish he could stay healthy. He had a solid first outing in which he struck out five with no earned runs. The NYM offense did not help him with run support so he sits with a no-decision. That changes when the D-Backs come to town and have to play in the chilly outdoor air. The lackluster offensive line-up for AZ, coupled with Zac Gallen’s first (pushed back) start, lines up for good results for Carrasco.
Steven Matz, SP: DK: $9,000 / FD: $9,000 – Coming off an outing that looks worse than it probably was, a lot of DFS players will skip right over Matz today. To paraphrase the Violent Femmes iconic song here, Matz’s downfall was a blister in the sun. He was cruising through the first couple innings and then simply lost the touch for the stitching and the Pirates took advantage. That little lost feel shows how this is a game of inches. Since the Cardinals believe Matz is healthy enough to go, I like him against a Milwaukee squad that has not been scoring a ton of runs so far. Truth be told as I prepped this article, I was confident Matz was going to be a cheaper option. That is not the case. If he is too pricy for your hitter-stacked lineup, consider pivoting to Hyun Jin Ryu ($8,500) or Michael Kopech ($7,000) on DK.
Tyler Stephenson, C/1B: DK: $2,7000 / FD: $3,100 – The Lineup Builder’s catcher man crush is off to a great start and I think he keeps that going against the overrated Julio Urias. If you watched Urias’ first start, like I did, you saw a dude lacking feel and confidence, translating into a shellacking at the hands of the Rockies. In two innings, Urias gave up 6 runs, 6 hits, walked 1 and had exactly 0 K’s. Righty bat versus struggling lefty pitcher? Yes, please.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., C/1B: DK: $5,700 / FD: $4,500 – What can we say here other than if given the chance to roster Vlad Jr., you must do so? Dude crushes a HR off Gerritt Cole, then has Aaron Hicks step on and cut open his right hand. What next, you ask? Only two more HR, in the SAME GAME! And a HR on Friday as proof this kid is locked in and is a must play at Rogers Centre against an Oakland pitcher you’ve never heard of. Just write the check and enjoy the outcome.
Jonathan Villar, 2B: DK: $4,100 / FD: $2,700 – I know, I know, Villar has been around for 100 years and is usually a season-long late round flier for the owner that neglected stolen bases in the draft. Now, couple his starting gig with his ability to run and then look at his stat line for Thursday’s game. So, let’s save a little money at a thin position so we can pay up for some of the big names. Remember Villar is a switch hitter and facing a less-than-formidable Anthony Senzatela at Coors. The Villar I remember runs into a HR from time to time and there is no better time than Saturday to do just that. As a small bonus, check the weather note for Coors below.
Nolan Arenado, 3B: DK: $4,900 / FD: $4,400 – Week 1 NL Player of the Week finally sees his name in this column and, if not for a rain out, could be considered as hot as Vlad Jr. Nolan is not cheap, but is simply too hot to pass on when facing the #4 starter in Milwaukee. A HR on Friday continues the torrid start for the NL slugging percentage leader. Allow him to lead your team today and reap the benefits.
Corey Seager, SS: DK: $5,000 / FD: $3,200 – I just cannot quit Seager so get used to seeing his name as a recommendation, especially when playing against retread right-handed starting pitchers. Let’s all be honest, very few of us are confident that Syndergaard is back to being Thor. Seager has started off the season at a .346 clip with his first HR coming on Thursday. I look for him to have a hot first homestand impressing the Rangers fans and justifying his massive off-season contract.
Dylan Carlson, OF: DK: $4,100 / FD: $3,400 – Sure the Brewers are stacked 1-2-3 in their pitching rotation. From there, it gets a little dicey at 4-5, so let’s take a run at Adrian Houser by using Dylan Carlson who has proven to be a fan of facing the Brew Crew pitcher. Carlson is 4-11 against Houser and completes our Cardinals stack at a low price. Recently, Carlson has been placed in the leadoff spot meaning he will have the big bats protecting and knocking him in. Stack this final Cards players on your way to the bank.
Seiya Suzuki, OF: DK: $4,800 / FD: $3,700 – @RudyGamble told you in his pre-draft/pre-season rankings that you needed to add Suzuki, but did you listen? If not, and you believed some of the “experts” claims Suzuki has no power, then your only chance to make it right is by adding him to your DFS lineups. Suzuki is the Razzball Hittertron #1 player. After taking Friday off (he did nab a pinch hit walk in the game), he is primed to bust out on Saturday against Anthony Senzatela.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
No significant weather issues of note. What can the weather do for you today? The two best parks for wind aided bombs appear to be PIT and BOS; both over 16 mph. And Coors has a solid wind (12.6 mph) blowing today, hence the more I love Villar as a cheap option.
Doing Lines In Vegas
I am more than happy to take better-than-even money on the following home teams: San Diego, Cleveland, Texas, Seattle and drop a couple of bucks on the away Detroit squad in Kansas City.
