There are only 2 Thursdays left in this weird season where life feels a little Groundhog Day-ish (doesn’t it?). So here we are on another Thursday, another day in which the pitching options seem somewhat on the “meh” side for our DFS slates on FanDuel. It’s pay up for Gerrit Cole, or take a risk and go cheaper and spend on hitting instead. Because I’ll admit to needing a little excitement in my life these days, I’m going to build a lineup around Aaron Civale ($9,200) versus the Royals. Civale could make for a good match-up versus the poor, last-in-their-division, Royals. He may earn some runs. He’s not going to be a strikeout machine. He’s more risky than Cole, but less than Paddack (more on the below). But he should go deep enough into the game and he could get a win. That’s a VictoriaB Ringing Endorsement™. Let’s take a look at who else is out there, after the jump.
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Notes: These suggestions are for the GPP All-Day slate on FanDuel, starting at 3:40 p.m. Eastern. In an already short-slate day, sadly the Tiger-Cardinals games don’t count (double-header). But if you have a chance to play him elsewhere, I’d definitely give the Cards’ Jack Flaherty a look versus the Tigers.
Gerrit Cole, SP: $11,200 – He’s Streamonator’s number 1 pick today, and I can see it; the last time he saw Baltimore, he held them to 1 ER over 6 innings, with 10 Ks—he’s 5th in the league in strikeouts. This price, though… *cough*. And he’s the chalk play. So what are we gonna do instead?
Chris Paddack, SP: $9,000 – Yeah, I know, I did mention risky (see the lede) and this could be more than. However, I’m dropping him a mention as he IS Streamonator’s number 3 pitcher o’ the day (after Flaherty). Yes, he’s sitting at a 4.75 ERA. The Giants have been on a tad-bit of a tear. But there’s that PETCO Park allure and the fact that at the very least, you could get a win out of Paddack, carried by the Padres offense. (I love being able to say that! This is not your father’s San Diego team, poppets.)
Mitch Moreland, 1B: $3,000 – Mitch, please (for 1B, that is). He’s hitting .295 versus righties like Trevor Cahill, whom he has previously smacked around for a 1.053 OPS in 27 at-bats. And he’s heating up, if last night’s HR, 2 RBIs and 2 runs are anything to go by. In other, more expensive 1B news, I can’t really afford him, but I love Freddie Freeman today versus the Nationals’ RHP Austin Voth … but $4,100. Eek?
Yuli Gurriel, 1B: $2,800 – This is your (slightly) cheaper 1B play. Yuli has been cool lately, admittedly (unlike his little brother), but he’s toting a very pretty .341 average vs LHP like Sean Manaea. And in their history of 26 at-bats, he’s seen Manaea for a .769 OPS (.308 average), with 1 home run. He hit a homer last night; maybe he’ll keep on waking up. Hittertron also has him as its 4th-place 1B for the day. So, not bad for the price?
DJ LeMahieu, 2B: $3,800 – A little pricey, but not crazily so, given how hot he’s been, and also given the lefty-righty match-up versus Baltimore’s Keegan Akin, in Yankee Stadium to boot, where DJ is causing LeMayhem to the tune of .393.
Enrique Hernandez, 2B: $2,400 – 2B is a tough one today, but Kike’s a cash-saving option, if you’re willing to look past his stat line and back into history (another VictoriaB Ringing Endorsement[TM]). I might give him a look for the BVP versus Madison Bumgarner. In 50 at-bats, he’s hit 4 HRs and has a 1.379 OPS. Will history repeat itself? Plus, he smacked a home run last night.
Eugenio Suarez, 3B: $3,500 – It feels like Suarez either hits EVERYthing or doesn’t hit at all, doesn’t it? Perhaps that’s why his price has averaged out to this. Hittertron likes him a lot for the match-up against the marvelously named spot starter Adbert Alzolay (ERA 5.14), at Wrigley, where Suarez hit .378 last year.
Austin Riley, 3B: $2,700 – Your cheap 3B. He had a long hit streak going, alas broke it earlier this week, but is now starting another one – earning 5 runs last night. I like his chances versus Austin Voth, especially at this price, and could go under the radar with your competitors.
Fernando Tatis Jr., SS: $4,800 – There are about a million solid options at shortstop today, in a range of prices: Trea Turner ($4,200), Corey Seager ($4,000), Francisco Lindor ($3,700 – actually, that’s not so bad!)… And this guy. Yes, he’s pricey. Yes, he did go hitless last night. But Hittertron’s top shortstop is hitting RHP for a crazy .328, he’s facing Trevor Cahill (Streamonator’s 4th-lowest-ranked pitcher) and he’s somehow managing to bat .333 at PETCO.
Gleyber Torres, SS: $2,700 – I had to dig a little to find a cheaper SS option for you, and I’m quietly pleased at Torres’ price. For your consideration, Hittertron proffers up Torres at 7th out of shortstops (and its top 2B in places where he has 2B eligibility). He hit a home run on Wednesday and today he’s got a lefty-righty matchup with LHP Keegan Akin in Yankees Stadium, where Torres is hitting .300.
Ronald Acuna Jr., OF: $4,400 – This is your “I have money to burn” option. But he’s Hittertron’s absolute top player of the day, versus Austin Voth and his 8.26 ERA. Enough said, maybe? OK, fine, how about 5 home runs in the last week?
George Springer, OF: $3,500 – He seems to be steadily heating up, and this is a righty-lefty matchup versus Sean Manaea, with whom Springer has history: in 31 at-bats, he’s seen Manaea for an .816 OPS and .355 average.
A.J. Pollock, OF: $3,000 – It’s been fun, in my roto team, to watch him pick up playing time the better he plays. I have a feeling he’ll make it into the lineup today: he’s hitting .359 versus lefties like Madison Bumgarner. And in 63 at-bats, he’s hit MadBum for 3 HR and has a .843 OPS. This price isn’t bad for that!
Starling Marte, OF: $2,900 – I like this price for one of my favorite players. He prefers his pitchers from the left rather than the right (and Jake Arrieta is a righty), but in 42 at-bats, he’s still managed to see Arrieta for a .747 OPS with 2 home runs. He’s also hitting well at home in Miami: .324.
D.J. Stewart, OF: $2,400 – I know, who? A super-hot, super-cheap Oriole, that’s who. Look at those numbers over the last few days and get him in your lineup (providing he plays).
Edward Olivares, OF: $2,000 – I know, who? part 2. This is who you grab when you’ve somehow managed to cram both Freddie Freeman and Fernando Tatis Jr. into your lineup [waves]. He may not be lights-out versus Aaron Civale, but he’s cheap and he does a little something every day, and really what more can you ask for?
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
At time of writing, it’s “possible rain/drizzle and humid” in the forecast for the Braves at Nationals, and same for BAL @ NYY … a.k.a. the baloney series. Here’s hoping it is baloney and all our games go ahead as planned.
Doing Lines In Vegas
The odds are massively stacked against the Orioles vs the Yankees at -378; that’s about a 79% chance of New York winning. On the other hand, it looks to be a tight showdown between the Rays and the Red Sox, with the Rays projected to take it just barely, at -107 (a 52% chance). Things tilt to Chris Paddack and the Padres’ favor at -168 (63% chance) and similarly to Aaron Civale and Cleveland in the KAN@CLE series: -166 (68%).
