A relatively light day today, and if you have followed our basketball picks, you know that we are PUMPED about days like today. Fewer games means fewer good plays, and great likelihood of mistake making from our mortal enemies. With great delight, I move on to the picks.
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If you're coming over from basketball - welcome. If you're a lifelong fantasy baseball player, welcome. I want to give a quick heads up about how we are going to do our baseball picks.
Unlike basketball, contextual information matters very little baseball. Guys rarely take days off, and "playing well recently" means almost nothing. Playing time hardly ever changes (unlike in basketball where guys can increase their opportunities by 50% on a coach's whim), and when it does, it's fairly obvious.
So, we're going to be giving picks each day without huge write-ups. The only thing that changes about a player in a given day (for the most part) is the park he's playing in and the pitcher he is facing. Most of the other stuff is noise, unless a player has drastically changed his position in the lineup. For pitchers, all that really matters is who they are facing, which park, and if they've been recently injured.
We cool?
Let's do it.
Corey Kluber FanDuel 6000 DraftKings 7300 DraftStreet 17596
The Indians crush lefties, and should make quick work of Robbie Erlin. Kluber also happens to be awesome, and the Padres were the 3rd worst team in the league against right handed pitching last year. Essentially an ideal match up.
C.J. Wilson FanDuel 6800 DraftKings 9400 DraftStreet 20258
Wilson draws the Astros - who were 20th in the league in OPS vs. left handers last year. Throw in Houston's neutral park, and you've got another terrific pitcher matchup.
Scott Kazmir FanDuel 6200 DraftKings 9000 DraftStreet 19709
Kazmir picked up where he left off (and then some) from last year against Cleveland, and draws a much more favorable match-up against the Twins. Cleveland was #1 in the league vs. lefties last year, and Minnesota ranked 18th.
Brian McCann FanDuel 3600 DraftKings 4200 DraftStreet 5366
Jimenez has potential to have a nice game in this one, but McCann adds a lefty flavor to the lineup that opposing pitchers didn't have to face last year. Batting in the heart of that Yankee lineup, McCann could post a very solid line.
Yan Gomes FanDuel 2800 DraftKings 3900 DraftStreet 4661
Gomes generates nearly all of his power against left handed pitching, and Robbie Erlin isn't a lefty that's going to strike fear into his heart. Potential for a huge game for the Indian in this one.
Justin Morneau FanDuel 3100 DraftKings 4700 DraftStreet 6654
It's going to get boring for you at some point, and I'm sorry, but I'll say it again: Morneau kills righties, he's got an unproven righty at home in Colorado, in the middle of a lineup that could produce huge #s.
Jose Abreu FanDuel 3400 DraftKings 4400 DraftStreet 8367
The system also loves Morneau's counterpart in this one - the young Abreau, who faces Jordan Lyles. Lyles' career 5.37 ERA should be an indicator that much of the White Sox lineup will be in pay today, even if they aren't listed as a top play below.
Albert Pujols FanDuel 3900 DraftKings 4700 DraftStreet 6653
I'm kind of a "Pujols is cooked" guy, but the system like Pujols too much to ignore him here. The system is also unaware that it likes every other Angel, which will boost Pujols' potential counting stats even above what they'd normally be here.
Kolten Wong FanDuel 2700 DraftKings 3600 DraftStreet 4371
Let me see that Woooooooooong! Baby, that Wong, Wong Wong Wong Wong! Cingrani has continued to be great, but Wong is criminally underpriced for what he could produce in this lefty-righty matchup.
Howie Kendrick FanDuel 2800 DraftKings 3900 DraftStreet 5061
Kendrick has churned out solid game after solid game, and when his batting eye is right, it seems like every swing is a line drive. The Angels could have a big game against Cosart, and Kendrick would likely be in the middle of it all for a bargain basement price.
Jason Kipnis FanDuel 4000 DraftKings 4800 DraftStreet 6491
Another strong stack candidate, Kipnis should do fine against the mediocre offerings of Erlin, and he'll have a lot of run scoring opportunity as well.
Troy Tulowitzki FanDuel 4400 DraftKings 5400 DraftStreet 7991
Contractually obligated by the higher ups at DFSR headquarters to mention Tulo at home in most cases, and especially if he's facing a guy who is bouncing back from injury and has only shown flashes of starter ability in his major league career.
Jed Lowrie FanDuel 3200 DraftKings 3800 DraftStreet 6440
Lowrie is better against lefties, but he's still fine against righties, and Correia is a pretty bad pitcher at this stage in his career regardless of his handedness.
Yunel Escobar FanDuel 2400 DraftKings 3500 DraftStreet 4774
Escobar is priced like a crime against humanity, and he really isn't one. Escobar can hit a little bit, and has been marginally better against lefties for his career. Loving that he already has a homer this season, as well.
Evan Longoria FanDuel 4400 DraftKings 5000 DraftStreet 8367
A tall price to pay for Longoria, who is somewhat overrated for fantasy purposes... but lefties are what he does, and Vargas is a mediocre lefty at best.
Trevor Plouffe FanDuel 3200 DraftKings 3100 DraftStreet 6001
So it's still early in baseball season, and I'll take time to point out why Plouffe will be here basically any time he faces a lefty. He's awesome against them, and sucks against righties. Hope that makes sense. Moving on!
David Freese FanDuel 2700 DraftKings 3700 DraftStreet 4643
Freese has been seeing solid playing time, and while he prefers lefties significantly, the system likes him against the young Cosart.
Michael Cuddyer FanDuel 3400 DraftKings 4600 DraftStreet 7140
Cuddyer is close to a must play against sub-par starters at home, and while he prefers lefties, he should have little trouble with Paulino's erratic offerings.
Josh Reddick FanDuel 2900 DraftKings 4200 DraftStreet 4967
Correia is a pitch to contact guy, which couldn't be a more perfect fit for Reddick's swing and miss, free-wheeling attitude. He's been lousy so far this year, but I'm picturing a bounce-back game.
Aaron Hicks FanDuel 2500 DraftKings 3800 DraftStreet 5099
As much as I love Kazmir today, Aaron Hicks is one of those extreme platoon split guys that is almost always playable against lefties, and never playable against righties. His startling .170 OPS points split in his career leaves him priced like a loser (which he is against righties), but he can provide value at this price with relative ease against lefties.
Nick Markakis FanDuel 2800 DraftKings 3900 DraftStreet 5024
Markakis is significantly stronger against righties. Yankee stadium gives lefties a nice boost as well, and while Kuroda was pretty good last year, he isn't anything that should turn you way from a nice lefty-righty matchup in the corporate mausoleum known as Yankee stadium.
Mike Trout FanDuel 5600 DraftKings 5900 DraftStreet 10877
Seems insane to spend like this on any hitter, but as noted in this space previously, Trout is the most extreme reverse-platoon split guy in the game. And then you give him a relatively inexperienced right-handed pitcher in a decent ballpark? Eep. Trout could really do something serious in this one.
Josh Willingham FanDuel 3100 DraftKings 3400 DraftStreet 5154
Willingham can't really be played in a stack effectively against Kazmir, but as a one-off, he makes a lot of sense. He's slugged about .20 points better for his career against lefties, and is incredibly patient against them (.120 points higher OBP than BA vs. lefties).
Shin-Soo Choo FanDuel 4100 DraftKings 4700 DraftStreet 7461
Not totally buying the Lackey "resurgence," and Choo is a monster vs. righties.
Desmond Jennings FanDuel 3800 DraftKings 4300 DraftStreet 6509
Quick stack recommendation - Jennings played alongside Longoria and some other Rays might make for a nice day against the journeyman Vargas.
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