Fantasy Spin May 30, 2015

Saturday is always busy in MLB, with every team in action, and weekend matinees are a century-old tradition. DraftKings features All-Day (15 games) and Early (7 games) fantasy contests, closing at 2:10 Eastern. At 7:15 there are 8-game events, and you can also play Late (10:05, 5 games).

We’re going to focus on the Early option. I like the slightly smaller player pools and there are some interesting matchups. There’s also a great offer for new participants; if you haven’t tried DFS yet, check it out.

DK matches your first deposit 100% (up to $600) with bonus funds that convert to cash. You will also receive a FREE entry into the $50K Moonshot, which offers 3,840 guaranteed cash prizes — $4,000 for first — and a maximum of 19,158 teams.

Dallas Keuchel $8700 is a solid play on the mound, but there’s no obvious standout for the other SP spot. Soft-tossing 37-year-old Aaron Harang $7000 is off to a great start this season, in part because he’s added a cutter and altered the grip on his changeup. He lasted six innings against these Rockies on May 19 at Coors Field and might be slightly better at home today.

Gio Gonzalez $9200 bounced back from two poor starts with a gem in his latest; I prefer more consistency at that salary. Young guns Kyle Gibson $5700 and Aaron Sanchez $5500 square off in Minnesota. Gibson has a 1.32 ERA in five May starts but the Jays’ bats are dangerous.

With pitching in short supply, a lot of runs might be scored. I like the Orioles, Astros and Brewers at home and the Nationals on the road against rookie Raisel Iglesias $4900, who lasted just three innings in his most recent start.

Evan Gattis $4600 is the big bat at C, with Wilson Ramos $4000 and Carlos Ruiz $3200 less expensive alternatives.

If you can’t afford Paul Goldschmidt $5500 at 1B, consider Adam Lind $4100, who had three hits including a homer last night and knows Jeremy Hellickson $5300 well from the American League. Lucas Duda $4100 has three HR in his last two games and might stay hot, though he’s just 2-for-20 off Tom Koehler $6200. Rookie Ben Paulsen $3300 is hitting well (1.065 OPS) since being called up by the Rockies including a HR off the bench last night.

5’6″ Jose Altuve $4700 stands tall at 2B; he loves lefty pitching and generates a lot of power from that tiny frame. Ultra-cheap Jake Elmore $2100 is seeing regular action as a utility man for the Rays.

My bad for suggesting that Josh Donaldson $5200 might cool off last night — he doubled and homered, looking more and more like an MVP candidate. Chris Davis $4500 is eligible at 1B or 3B and though he strikes out a lot, big “Crush” has swatted four bombs in three days. I don’t see any real bargains at third; Todd Frazier $4400 is another big stick worth his salary.

Troy Tulowitzki $5100 was 4-for-4 with two solo shots last night, one reason I’m leery about using Harang. Ian Desmond $4400 has a nice hit streak going and teammate Yunel Escobar $3700 also qualifies at SS.

He “let me down” with a lonely single in 4 AB last night, so Bryce Harper $5400 is due. Milwaukee mashers Carlos Gomez $5200 and Ryan Braun $5100 deserve strong consideration and as always, the sheer number of available OF means you can find one with upside at almost any price. David Peralta $4000 and streaky Curtis Granderson $3800 went deep on Friday, Chris Colabello $3500 is hitting .379 with pop and unheralded Joey Butler $2400 is now the regular DH and 2-hitter for Tampa.

Pos	Premium	Bargain
SP1	Dallas Keuchel $8700	Aaron Sanchez $5500
SP2	Aaron Harang $7000	Kyle Gibson $5700
C	Evan Gattis $4600	Carlos Ruiz $3200
1B	Adam Lind $4100	Ben Paulsen $3300
2B	Jose Altuve $4700	Jake Elmore $2100
3B	Josh Donaldson $5200	Chris Davis $4500
SS	Troy Tulowitzki $5100	Ian Desmond $4400
OF1	Bryce Harper $5400	Joey Butler $2400
OF2	Carlos Gomez $5200	David Peralta $4000
OF3	Ryan Braun $5100	Curtis Granderson $3800