There are 14 MLB games this afternoon, with many big-money contests at DraftKings closing at 1:05 Eastern. There’s also one night game, which few of us will be watching as Game Two of the NBA Finals tips off at the same time.
It’s too bad there’s no DFS action on the showdown between LeBron James and the Golden State Warriors, but we have been on a roll this week with baseball picks and hope to keep it going.
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A quick glance at Over/Under lines can isolate the most likely games to be high-scoring (8.5 runs or more) and also points out expected pitchers’ duels (7 runs or less.) Clearly, we want to load up on bats from the Marlins and Rockies against a pair of struggling hurlers at high-altitude Coors Field.
Gerrit Cole $10600 and Chris Archer $10400 deserve to be the top-salaried SP, though Jacob DeGrom $10000 is equally sharp and Carlos Carrasco $9500 can be considered. It’s harder to find a true bargain on the mound; we’ve put Clay Buchholz $7800 and Odrisamer Despaigne $5600 on the Short List with less than 100% confidence. Mike Montgomery $4600 was impressive in his big-league debut and could keep the Mariners close against Archer and the Rays.
Selecting hitters is never easy. On Sundays it’s complicated by random days off, as managers will often rest certain regulars and give backups a start. This is especially true for catchers, though it can affect anyone who played on Saturday night.
Russell Martin $4000 got his rest yesterday and C-eligible Wilin Rosario $3600 hit two homers while playing first base — he can be plugged in at either position.
If you can afford Prince Fielder $4800 or Lucas Duda $4800 at 1B, great. Other sluggers fit nicely in the salary midrange. However, we’re trying to save wherever possible and big Justin Bour $3400 does have that great matchup in Colorado.
Likewise at 2B, Jason Kipnis $4800 and Dustin Pedroia $4400 are the logical picks if money is no object, but relative unknown Hanser Alberto $2900 had three hits yesterday and sits at .344 since being called up by the Rangers.
One of the best defenders ever seen at 3B, Nolan Arenado $5000 can also hit. If you’re budget-conscious, Alex Rodriguez $4200 is more affordable and free-swinging rookie Joey Gallo $3500 has tremendous power.
The price tag on Troy Tulowitzki $5400 is the only negative. OF/SS Hanley Ramirez $4800 homered yesterday but is also pricey. If you didn’t use Alberto at second, he also fits at SS and Ruben Tejada $3100 has a 9-game hit streak going.
Giancarlo Stanton $5700 tops the OF pay scale for good reason. Mike Trout $5000, Jose Bautista $4900 and Charlie Blackmon $4800 are all strong plays. It just comes down to how much you have committed to pitching and where you want to spend the remaining resources on bats. Inexpensive options like Chris Colabello $3400, Billy Burns $3600 and Nori Aoki $3900 might fit better into the daily jigsaw puzzle.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Gerrit Cole $10600 | Clay Buchholz $7800 |
| SP2 | Jacob DeGrom $10000 | Odrisamer Despaigne $5600 |
| C | Russell Martin $4000 | Wilin Rosario $3600 |
| 1B | Prince Fielder $4800 | Justin Bour $3400 |
| 2B | Dustin Pedroia $4400 | Hanser Alberto $2900 |
| 3B | Nolan Arenado $5000 | Alex Rodriguez $4200 |
| SS | Troy Tulowitzki $5400 | Ruben Tejada $3100 |
| OF1 | Giancarlo Stanton $5700 | Nori Aoki $3900 |
| OF2 | Jose Bautista $4900 | Billy Burns $3600 |
| OF3 | Charlie Blackmon $4800 | Chris Colabello $3400 |
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.