It was an excellent Wednesday for this corner. If you read yesterday’s Spin, you know I loved Eduardo Rodriguez in Early MLB action at DraftKings. Keying on him with the same lineup in eight contests, I cashed in every one for a 400% return on investment. Hope you got a piece of that juicy pie.
My teams also went 2-for-2 at night, thanks to good pitching and great hitting from my outfielders. Final scores of 150.1 FPTS and 148.25 were among my best of the season.
While Game One of the NBA Finals is the best sporting event on today’s calendar, there’s no DFS basketball action until next season, so we’re reinvesting the profits on the diamond.
Early leagues span just three ballgames. One is a repeat of the pitching matchup from May 25, when Dallas Keuchel $10000 went 8 IP and allowed a pair of 2-run HR to lose in Baltimore. Wei-Yin Chen $7600 gave up 11 hits in just 5 IP, but the Orioles’ bullpen threw four perfect innings to win it. Since then, Keuchel tossed a complete-game shutout with 11 K, while Chen lost to the Rays.
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In part because we were so successful in yesterday’s matinees, and mostly because the Early “pieces” seem to “fit better,” that’s the focus of the sample lineup and Short List today.
There’s another pitching rematch of sorts in Detroit. Jesse Hahn $6100 spun a complete game of his own May 25 in Oakland, blanking the Tigers on four hits vs. Shane Greene $5600, who has since got clobbered again. Greene is unplayable, and the A’s bats are very appealing. I’m using Steven Vogt $4100 at C, Brett Lawrie $3900 at 3B and two OF — my man Billy Burns $3500 and Josh Reddick $4400, who went deep yesterday. 2B/OF Ben Zobrist $4200 is another possibility.
In Boston, knuckleballer Steven Wright $4300 faces the Twins for the first time; unfamiliarity is generally an advantage for a pitcher. Minnesota has recalled lefty Tommy Milone (not in the player pool) after five brilliant starts in Triple-A — 4-0, 0.70 ERA, 47 K, 3 BB and a .182 opponents’ AVG. However, he’s never been that effective in the Show. In a small but impressive sample size, David Ortiz $4500 has 3 HR off Milone in just 7 AB for a 2.270 OPS. Dustin Pedroia $4300 is sharp, and Xander Bogearts $3900 is one of the better SS options. Even slumping Red Sox like Pablo Sandoval $4700 and Mike Napoli $4600 could wake up.
A pair of Astros showed their power last night; I’ll stick with George Springer $4400 but even off the 2-HR game, all-or-nothing slugger Chris Carter $4400 is a riskier play. The lefty Chen is a good matchup for DH Evan Gattis $4800 (eligible at 1B like Carter) and 2B Jose Altuve $4800 as well.
There are seven evening games, with contests closing at 7:05. Recovered from his “dead arm,” Matt Harvey $10400 deserves to be a heavy favorite in Arizona. Michael Wacha $8700 lost to the Dodgers and Carlos Frias $4500 at home five days ago, getting knocked out in the sixth after five innings of no-hit ball. I prefer Trevor Bauer $7900 in that price range, or might speculate on rookie Carlos Rodon $5600. The third overall pick in last year’s draft has advanced quickly and owns a devastating slider; he showed improved control last time out in a no-decision against the Astros. Erasmo Ramirez $5300 is also playable after a strong showing in Baltimore last time out.
For hitting tonight, I like the Rays to tee off against Roenis Elias $7300 and the Indians to hit well off Chris Young $4900. Tampa RH bats like Evan Longoria $3800, Steven Souza Jr. $4200 and Joey Butler $3600 are most attractive. Carlos Santana $4700 has been a play all season at C, but now qualifies only at 1B/3B. Jason Kipnis $5200 is one of the best 2B in the bigs and 1B/OF Brandon Moss $4900 is swinging a hot stick. But once again, the majority of my action will be in the afternoon.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Dallas Keuchel $10000 | Steven Wright $4300 |
| SP2 | Wei-Yin Chen $7600 | Jesse Hahn $6100 |
| C | Steven Vogt $4100 | Jason Castro $3300 |
| 1B | Evan Gattis $4800 | Chris Carter $4400 |
| 2B | Jose Altuve $4800 | Dustin Pedroia $4300 |
| 3B | Trevor Plouffe $4500 | Brett Lawrie $3900 |
| SS | Hanley Ramirez $5100 |
Xander Bogearts $3900 |
| OF1 | George Springer $4400 | Preston Tucker $3700 |
| OF2 | Josh Reddick $4400 | Ben Zobrist $4200 |
| OF3 | Torii Hunter $4700 | Billy Burns $3300 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season and we’re turning out attention to baseball for the summer. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.