If there are any old-school Muppet fans in the mix, I’ll apologize in advance for the earworm here. You know the old clip. The two pink aliens with cone-shaped mouths singing along with the caveman guy. Well, Manoah Manoah is absolutely making hitters look like Muppets this year. If you can’t remember the clip, I’ll attach it below. And if you don’t know how effective Alek Manoah has been north of the border, well you might be living in a swamp with Kermit the Frog.
But first, it’s Wednesday again! That means MarmosDad is back with some mid-week DFS tips to (hopefully) help you cash in on your DraftKings lineups today. It’ll be much the same format as before – some chalk plays up top with some mid-level picks, and a sprinkle of rookie potential to help you lock in some low-priced guys with upside.
It’s 15 games again this Wednesday in MLB. We start with a brunch matchup at 12:10 PM ET as the Brew Crew’s Eric Lauer takes on the Rays’ Jeffrey Springs in Tampa. The rest of the day has 7 other afternoon games and 7 evening matchups that finish with the White Sox (Michael Kopech) in Anaheim (Shohei Ohtani) at 9:38 PM ET. Like I said last week, you can probably play a couple of lineups if you like some of the early matchups. I’ll give you a mix and match of both groups below.
But as always, last and never least, just a reminder that a lot of the notes that I take and share here are influenced by Rudy’s Streamonator and Hittertron, as well as the DFS tools available right here on Razzball. The DraftKings/FanDuel lineup optimizer is a great way to build multiple lineups with these picks to see how to best enhance your selections and get more bang for your DFS buck! You can access all of this information by signing up for Rudy’s tools using the DFSBot link below.
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Alek Manoah, SP: (DK) $8,700 – Last week we hit big with Shohei Ohtani who threw an absolute gem (8 IP, 2H, 1BB, 13K) in a shutout against the Royals. Today could be much of the same with Alek Manoah at home against Nick Pivetta and the Red Sox. Alek Manoah was a player that I have wanted to write up since I started this in early May and today the matchups finally line up. The only problem now is the secret of his success is out, so he’ll be much more widely owned than he was in that first week of May. With a 2.05 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 79:18 K:BB on the season, along with 12 QS and a 9-2 record, it’s a lot more clear who the true ace of the Blue Jays rotation is. Add in the fact that the Red Sox are without new leadoff OF Jarren Duran and new closer Tanner Houck because of the travel to Toronto, and Alek Manoah seems to have a better chance of pulling out the W and racking up a few K’s tonight.
Jameson Taillon, SP: (DK) $9,100 – Any pitcher at home against the lowly A’s is a good play, and today’s SP is no different. To tell you the truth, I was ready to write up Luis Severino for this spot until the matchup changed yesterday. Taillon got a bit roasted last time out against Houston, but tonight at home against the team that ranks 30th in AVG, OBP, SLG, and OPS seems like just as good a play as any of the other SP on tonight’s list. With the Yankee bats up against Cole Irvin, I’d tie one on with Taillon for a good shot at a W and a handful of strikeouts this afternoon.
Will Smith, C: (DK) $5,400 – I was tempted to go with Alejandro Kirk again here for a catcher pick, as he’s been the most valuable catcher on the 7 day player rater, but I couldn’t resist slotting in Will Smith in Colorado against a SP that has much better numbers on the road than he does at home. Marquez’s WOBA against is 100 points higher at home (.404), and his SLG against is a healthy .587. Add in 12 of the HR he’s given up (out of 14) have been at Coors Field and the fact that Big Willy Style has 4 HR in the last two weeks, and I’d take the chance that Will Smith…er….smacks one out of the park tonight.
Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B: (DK) $2,000 – Oh boy. Here’s the sweet rookie cookie that you’ve all been waiting for! Pasquantino was one of Knoche’s picks yesterday and I figured even if he did already write him up, I’d be hard-pressed to find a better pick at this low of a price. At home today vs. Dane Dunning (Texas) is another good place to roll the dice on Pasquantino production. His minor league numbers are already out there, but if you missed Grey’s lede on Monday, he’s coming to KC with 18 HRs and a 12.2% strikeout rate. KC also doubled down on guaranteed playing time by sending Carlos Santana (sans guitar picks) to Seattle to clear room for him. At $2,000, he’s a great value play who could pop off for some points.
Brendan Rodgers, 2B: (DK) $4,200 – I almost went with Javier Baez here but then realized he only has eligibility at SS and didn’t want to bump Swanson. So, the pivot is straight to Hittertron and the play is Brendan Rodgers. Of the 6 HR that Rodgers has on the season, all have been hit at home. Julio Urias has actually pitched well in his last two starts on the road (averaging 9.5K’s), but this is a cheaper 2B play than the rest and is worth a gamble if you want to save some of your DFS wallet to spend elsewhere.
Dansby Swanson, SS: (DK) $5,100 – Last night’s game against the Phillies was the end of an impressive 9 game hitting streak for Swanson, but a lot of fantasy players have already noticed what a great year he’s had at the plate. Dansby might have a higher ownership today, but with a triple slash line like .301/.364/.498 somehow he checks in as the fourth highest priced SS for the evening games. He’s on the road at Philly against Ranger Suarez (who has a .495 SLG against at home vs R) and is a good bet to add to his impressive June numbers in this one.
Isaac Paredes, 3B: (DK) $3,800 – Low and behold! The summit of the 7-day player rater mountain is here! I wrote up E-Sock a few weeks ago, and his production since then has shot up like Gonzo the Great from a hastily lit cannon. In his last 7 days alone, Paredes has 5 HR, 2 doubles, and a triple slash line of .667/.706/1.800. At the very least, that should buy him a start at home today vs. Eric Lauer, as well as some playing time for a while if you want to make the move on him in your season long leagues. Is he going to outscore Aaron Judge the rest of the way? No, but at $3,800 he’s a scorching hot schmotato that is worth owning.
Giancarlo Stanton, OF: (DK) $5,400 – Well, I’d planned on writing up the biggest rookie boom out West this season in Julio Rodriguez but after Sunday’s dust up with the Angels, he’s been suspended for “multiple games”. So much for taking advantage of the Orioles in this one. Instead, let’s go back to New York and peek in on the big apple of Grey’s eye, Giancarlo Stanton. At $5,400, he’s nearly $1000 less than his giant twin Aaron Judge and just as likely to put up some big numbers against Oakland’s left handed starter today. He’s launched 4 HR over the past week and is facing a LHP that has thrown a .625 SLG against right handed batters on the road this year.
Jack Suwinski, OF: (DK) $2,900 – This one is another Hittertron pick, as well as a nod to the only kid in my school that knows the name of any players that call PNC home (which is impressive, and unlikely, as MarmosDad HQ is located in Canada). The Pirates ‘other’ rookie has made a pretty big impact this year with the bat. He checks in as tomorrow’s 11th rated OF in Rudy’s projections (29.1) and has 12 HR on the year. Suwinski’s 31.3 K% isn’t going to have anyone confusing him with Roberto Clemente anytime soon, but he could run into another multi-homer night like he did on June 19th. At that price tag, this would be a tournament winner for sure.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains…
Things look great today everywhere with nothing over a 5% chance of rain. Lots of sun and baseball for the kids to watch as they head towards the end of the school year!
Doing Lines In Vegas…
With Julio Rodriguez, JP Crawford, and Jesse Winker suspended, I can see playing Baltimore at +115 as an underdog today.
For straight O/U, the 8.5 Over in NYY/OAK seems reachable, and the Under at 8.5 for Alek Manoah vs. Nick Pivetta seems like a decent bet too.
Happy Manoah Manoah Day everyone!
Best of luck in the DFS plays today! If you have any questions, shoot me a note on Twitter @MarmosDad!
