San Diego Padres' Manny Machado batting during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies Friday, June 10, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Many people complain about this time of the year, but it's a fantastic time to be a sports fan in my humble opinion. We're deep into the baseball season and still have Summer League and The Open to look forward to this weekend. We dropped a golf article yesterday, but we'll keep the baseball grind going here. There are two offenses we absolutely love on this slate, with the Yankees and Padres standing above the rest. We need some value pitchers to match with those offenses, though, so let's start there!
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Opponent - OAK (Paul Blackburn) Park - TEX
FD - 35.98 DK - 18.93
As someone who watched Gray get blown up in Coors Field over the last five years, I knew this guy would be successful once he got out of that ballpark. Not many people can be successful in Colorado, and a move to Texas has changed Gray's career. The righty has scored at least 29 FanDuel points in each of his last six starts, providing a 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 10.8 K/9 rate in that span. You can't ask for any more from a player in this price range, especially since he has the best matchup in fantasy. The A's rank 29th or 30th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and xwOBA. That has Gray entering this matchup as a -190 favorite, with Oakland projected for just 3.5 runs!
Opponent - DET (Tarik Skubal) Park - KC
FD - 30.1 DK - 15.35
This is a risky play, but Singer is the best option if you want to stack expensive offenses like the Yankees. Singer's biggest asset is his matchup, facing a Detroit team that has scored the fewest runs in baseball while sitting bottom-three in OBP, OPS, wOBA, and xwOBA. That makes them a good matchup for anyone, but Singer has been in tune outside of one dud against Houston. Brady has a 3.56 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 8.8 K/9 rate in his other 12 appearances this year. That's fantastic from a sub-$8K player, and it should continue against the Motor City Kitties, with Singer dropping 35 FD points in this matchup earlier this season.
Pablo López (FD $10000 DK $10800) gets a home start against the Pittsburgh Pirates and should cruise to a quality start.
Opponent - CHC (Justin Steele) Park - CHC
FD - 9.73 DK - 7.44
The Orioles have been the biggest surprise in baseball this season, and a breakout from Mountcastle is a significant reason why. The former top prospect hasn't been invincible, but a .270 AVG, .486 ALG, and .806 OPS for his career are impressive averages. He has more upside than that, and we've seen it a ton against left-handers. Since the beginning of last season, Ryan has registered a .512 SLG and .829 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. We love that with his recent form, providing six doubles, two homers, two steals, and a .536 SLG over his last 13 games played. It's not like Justin Steele's 1.43 WHIP is scary, either.
Opponent - SEA (Chris Flexen) Park - WSH
FD - 10.13 DK - 7.63
Bell is not getting the credit he deserves because this guy has been playing at an All-Star level all season. The former Pirate has a .304 AVG, .386 OBP, .491 SLG, and .877 OPS so far this year. That might look outlandish, but this is a guy who had a .936 OPS just a few years ago. That looks even better since Bell gets to hit from his more favorable left side here, tallying a .399 OBP and .892 OPS against righties this year. All of that makes him way too cheap on both sites, and facing Flexen's 1.40 WHIP is far from concerning. Not to mention, Bell has a .402 OBP, .548 SLG, and .950 OPS at home this year!
Willson Contreras (FD $3700 DK $5900) has been the best catcher in the NL and shouldn't struggle against a guy like Spenser Watkins.
Opponent - CIN (Mike Minor) Park - NYY
FD - 11.64 DK - 8.91
Torres has remained cheap on FanDuel all season, and it's tough to understand why. This middle infielder has had a bounceback season in the Bronx, providing a .275 AVG, .494 SLG, and .826 OPS. That's the stud we saw in his first two seasons, and it's earned him one of the top spots in this dominant lineup. His recent form is even more captivating, amassing a .447 AVG, .523 OBP, and 1.102 OPS over his last nine games. His splits are superb, too, slugging his way to a .992 OPS against left-handers this year. Mike Minor is a magnificent matchup as well, and we'll dive into that deeper in the article!
Opponent - COL (Chad Kuhl) Park - COL
FD - 13.26 DK - 10.17
Cronenworth was slumping before this Colorado series but hitting in Coors Field is an excellent way to get him back on track. He got on base four times and hit a dinger in the first game of this series, and that's the stud we saw in June. In the month of June, Cronenworth compiled a .417 OBP, .537 SLG, and .954 OPS. We believe he can return to that player here because Jake has a .450 OBP and 1.242 OPS in five games at Coors this year. He's also been much better against right-handers throughout his career, providing a SLG and OPS nearly 100 points higher against them.
Opponent - OAK (Paul Blackburn) Park - TEX
FD - 11.89 DK - 9.03
Seager signed a massive contract in Texas, but he's earning every penny with his recent play. The slugging shortstop enters this matchup homering in six of his last seven games. He's been doing that sort of damage at home all season, totaling a .273 AVG, .358 OBP, .552 SLG, and .910 OPS in Texas this year. That's amazing since this is no longer a hitter's park, but it's clear that Seager is more comfortable sleeping in his own bed! Paul Blackburn is representing the A's in the All-Star game, but the right-hander has allowed 16 runs over his last four starts while surrendering six or more in two of those!
Opponent - CLE (Aaron Civale) Park - CLE
FD - 11.34 DK - 8.84
Timmy's power stroke has been struggling this season, but he's still providing one of the best batting averages in our sport. The former batting champion has a .311 AVG and .766 OPS in what's been a "down" year. He's also got 11 steals and is one of the safest best to score atop this lineup, and that makes him an elite fantasy option. A matchup with Aaron Civale might be the best part of this, though, with the righty producing a 6.28 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in what's been a disastrous year. Anderson has annihilated Civale, too, providing a .412 AVG and 1.471 OPS in 17 at-bats against the right-hander.
Opponent - COL (Chad Kuhl) Park - COL
FD - 16.06 DK - 12.18
Machado is one of the frontrunners for NL MVP, and he'd likely be in the lead if he didn't miss two weeks earlier in the year. In any case, Machado has been a monster, maintaining a .305 AVG, .380 OBP, .529 SLG, and .909 OPS. We've seen him do this in the past, and it should continue in a hitter's park like Coors Field. Dating back to last season, Manny has a .526 SLG and .857 OPS against that terrible team. It's a bit surprising his OBP is so low, but the power stroke makes him tough to avoid. Chad Kuhl is a great matchup, too, with the Rockies righty accumulating a 4.37 ERA and 1.41 WHIP throughout his career. That's why the Padres are projected for six runs, the highest total on this slate!
Opponent - CIN (Mike Minor) Park - NYY
FD - 13.31 DK - 9.92
Donaldson has looked over the hill at times this season, but his recent form is an encouraging sign. The former All-Star has four doubles, three homers, and 14 RBI over his last 13 games played, generating a .936 OPS over his last six outings. That's a promising sign headed into the All-Star break, and we love it since JD has been demolishing lefties throughout his career. In fact, Donaldson dons a .378 OBP, .553 SLG, .937 OPS, and .287 ISO with the platoon advantage in his favor. That makes him tough to fade against Minor, who's got a 6.63 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.
Opponent - CIN (Mike Minor) Park - NYY
FD - 16.45 DK - 12.31
We just mentioned how the Yanks face a lefty with a 6.63 ERA, making them the safest stack on the board. That has this offense projected for nearly six runs, and they should go nuts in Yankee Stadium behind all of these powerful righties. Judge is the ringleader for this powerhouse, leading baseball with 30 dongs. He's also got seven steals, a .360 OBP, and .968 OPS in what's been an MVP-caliber season. All of that makes Judge one of the easiest plays on the board, and we didn't even discuss that he's been better against southpaws throughout his career. We also like Giancarlo Stanton in this matchup, with the big man posting a .500 OBP and 1.370 OPS in 32 at-bats against Minor.
Opponent - SEA (Chris Flexen) Park - WSH
FD - 12.98 DK - 9.69
Soto has had a forgettable season in Washington, but things are starting to turn around. The perennial All-Star has gotten on base in 19 straight games, providing a .357 AVG, .526 OBP, .643 SLG, and 1.169 OPS in that stretch. Even I didn't realize he was that hot, and it makes him about $500 too cheap on both sites. His numbers against righties and gorgeous, too, accruing a .479 OBP and 1.051 OPS against them since 2020. Those are Barry Bonds-like numbers, and we certainly don't anticipate him struggling against a pitcher with such a high WHIP.
Opponent - COL (Chad Kuhl) Park - COL
FD - 12.18 DK - 9.31
It's hard to trust a guy who's never lived up to expectations, but we should never see the three-hole hitter of the highest-projected lineup this cheap. That's what Mazara is for the Padres, posting a .474 AVG and 1.053 OPS over his last five games. We saw glimpses of that player in Texas, and we can't forget that this guy is still only 27 years old. That makes it hard to believe that he's flirting with a minimum price on both sites, and he's clearly one of the best per-dollar plays on the board in the heart of this San Diego lineup.
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