Here come the men in black…and red…and gray…and…teal? Seriously, have you gotten a good look at the Diamondbacks uniforms this year? I’m no fashionista as I’d be fine wearing khakis and a black tee shirt everyday, but these things are pretty silly looking. Being a child of the late 80s/early 90s (as evidenced by the MIB reference) I can’t help but think of a GI Joe villain everytime I see them. It must be the faux snake skin that cries of Cobra. Do yourself a favor and catch a glimpse if you haven’t yet. You’ll have a perfect opportunity tonight if you roster Robbie Ray. Ray’s WHIP and ERA aren’t exactly the things DFS dreams are made of, but those Ks can really get your blood pumping. Just take a peek at Ray’s 10 game log. You’ll note the lowest score there is 13.9 with a handful of mid to upper 20s and a 30.9 mixed in. That means even when he gets shelled, he’s still striking out enough guys to keep his score respectable. That type of consistency is tough to find for Ray’s price tag. While $9,700 is the most expensive Ray has been in his past 10 games, it’s match-up driven, and still a bargain vs the Cespedes-less Mets. So, grab your Noisy Cricket and blast some Mets with Robbie tonight. Here’s some more picks for tonight’s slate:
New to DraftKings? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well reserve your spot in the 25 Team Razzball Exclusive League set to run Monday August 15th to wet your DK whistle. Just remember to sign up through us before you do. Wanna know what the best part is about signing up with us? The free subscription for the rest of the season to our DFSBot, that’s what! For details on the how to, please visit our Razzball Subscriptions page.
Ian Kennedy, SP: $8,900 – The White Sox and their 7th worst team OPS (and 7th worst team OPS vs. RHP) have been a favorite target of mine for the past couple months. Ian Kennedy showed his upside last time out with 9 Ks in 6 IP and I like that momentum to continue against the woeful Pale Hose. The Sox opened as favorites, but that line has already moved as smart money has been placed on Kennedy. Be smart.
Jason Hammel, SP: $8,000 – Hammel is incredibly boring, but as I always say, there’s a place for that in DFS. That place, is cash games. While Robbie Ray is your high risk / high reward play, Hammel is your low risk cash game anchor. The Cubs are at home against Ricky Nolasco and just like last night vs. Weaver, are huge favorites in Vegas. Plus, you never know, Mike Scioscia could randomly bat Andrelton Simmons at clean-up again.
Jaime Garcia, SP: $7,800 – Once the Reds moved Jay Bruce out of town they became one of my top DFS targets. Already in the bottom five in team OPS and the top ten in team strikeouts, things didn’t get any better losing their biggest slugging threat. Jaime, like everyone but Ray, is at home where the Cardinals should put him in a fine position to pick up the win. Also like everyone else, Garcia possesses that nice K-upside that makes his price tag a big time bargain.
Gary Sanchez, C: $2,600 – A beautiful thing on all DFS sites is when a talented rookie gets the call-up and doesn’t burst onto the scene right away. That usually leads to a nice discount that you can take advantage of before that big game happens. Pomeranz hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire in Boston thus far and Sanchez’s coming out party could start tonight.
Freddie Freeman, 1B: $4,400 – Freddie gets dinged based on his teammates, but I feel like the move to Miller Park evens things out a bit. Freddie has the platoon advantage against the mediocre Chase Anderson. Take the discount and enjoy the results.
Joey Votto, 1B: $3,700 – If you don’t go the Jaime Garcia route, then you might look to use the lone Reds threat remaining on the team. Votto has seen Garcia plenty in his career going 14 for 38 (.368) with a HR.
Logan Forsythe, 2B: $4,400 – Forsythe has been hot fiyah of late, racking up slams and legs like they’re going out of style. He’s hit .414 over the last week and looks to keep that going tonight against the lefty, JA Happ.
Devon Travis, 2B: $4,300 – Maybe the only middle infielder hotter than Forsythe right now is Travis. Makes you really wish you’d snagged him when he was on waivers a few weeks ago, huh? Well, atone for your sins by rostering him a DFS lineup. Devon gets the R/L matchup vs. Snell and has finally climbed to the top of the potent Toronto lineup.
Evan Longoria, 3B: $4,000 – Thanks to 4 HRs in 2 games, DraftKings finally raised Manny Machado’s price to the point that I can’t really recommend him as any sort of value play. I hope you had him for that 3 HR outburst at least. That price increase makes third base very top heavy. I’d either pay up for Donaldson tonight or settle for Longoria vs. Happ. The way I’m recommending this game, you’d think it was being played in Coors, but alas, it’s “just” the Rogers Centre. This game still features a 9 run total, so there should be plenty of fantasy goodness to go around.
Xander Bogaerts, SS: $4,100 – With Machado getting the bump I also need to find a new SS to recommend and I’ve found another one that is undervalued. Xander belongs in Machado’s class, not the class of Elvis Andrus and Brad Miller. He’s got a nice match-up against the often-struggling Nate Eovaldi tonight and could be the next guy to break out a 3 HR game for a value price.
Matt Kemp, OF: $4,300 – I’m not saying you should stack Braves or anything, they are dreadful. I also wouldn’t be starting Chase Anderson against anyone right now, he’s even more dreadful. Kemp has taken Anderson deep twice in 14 ABs and I could think of worse minimally owned stacks tonight.
Adam Jones, OF: $3,800 – Wow, I had lost track of Ross Detwiler until he popped up in the probable pitchers notes for tonight. What a great match-up to get those right handed O’s bats jumping. Trumbo and Jones should have a field day. In 23 innings for AAA Nashville Detwiler has served up 4 homers, which bodes well for the major league talent he’ll be facing tonight. Maybe Machado will be worth that $5,100 after all.
Steven Souza Jr., OF: $3,000 – My final Ray recommendation…also my final recommendation. What’s wrong with me? Recommending Braves and Rays in the same night. Two of the worst offenses, united. Souza has a hit in 5 straight games and is 5 for 11 with a HR off Happ. Either the Rays and Braves are going to make me look smart tonight, or Chase Anderson and JA Happ are each going to throw complete game shutouts. Maybe create a lineup with both starters on board, just in case.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
The East has a few potential wet spots, but nothing too major. Just keep an eye on radars in Pittsburgh, Boston and New York. Minnesota also has a slight chance of rain, but I wouldn’t count on it.
Doing Lines In Vegas
Despite the move from Coors to Arlington, the Rockies/Rangers game still features the highest run total of the night with 10 runs. Jorge de la Rosa and Martin Perez will do that for you. THe Diamondbacks @ Mets features the lowest run total, a 7.5. That makes me feel even better about our friend Robbie Ray. Bartolo Colon is favored, but that line is on the move and I’m digging Ray more and more. The biggest favorite of the night is Jason Hammel (-220) vs. the Angels.
