There are four afternoon games in MLB, with a 12:35 ET deadline for Early contests at DraftKings. I’m not crazy about any of the matinee pitchers and will focus instead on the 11-game evening slate, closing at 7:05.
Matt Harvey $10700 gave up six hits including two homers last game and still scored 29.6 FPTS. At the opposite end of the salary scale, making his major league debut, Vincent Velasquez $4300 is no ordinary rookie. The righty has made only five starts above A-ball but they have been sensational: 3-0, 1.37 with a WHIP of 0.91 and 37 K in 26.1 IP. A solo HR on a 3-0 count broke up his no-hit bid on Tuesday.
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Other reliable SP tonight include Jake Arrieta $9800 and Trevor Bauer $8700, with Jesse Hahn $6900 and Erasmo Ramirez $5300 among potential values.
Hitting-wise, the Cubs can take advantage of Shane Greene $4700 and I like the Pirates against Kyle Lohse $5600.
Salvador Perez $3800 tops the list at C, with Steven Vogt $3700 due to heat up and Francisco Cervelli $3200 an affordable option as usual.
At 1B, ignore Paul Goldschmidt $5400 at your peril but I have a hunch about Anthony Rizzo $5500 and there are others with more attractive salaries. Lucas Duda $4300 and the Mets got no-hit last night and might break out, Adam Lind $4100 got Tuesday off and the streaky Chris Davis $3900 can heat up at any time.
Jose Altuve $4300, despite a mini-slump, remains one of the best 2B in the game. Dustin Pedroia $4100 and the red-hot Howie Kendrick $4100 are also playable, but I’m not seeing any truly inexpensive guys worth the risk.
We liked Miguel Cabrera $4700 last night and he went 3-for-3 with a walk. Dingers are on the way. Rookie slugger Kris Bryant $4600 is also due to knock a couple out of the yard. Best bang for the buck might be Kyle Seager $3900, who reached base four times in the series opener.
SS is a bit trickier; Hanley Ramirez $4700 fouled a ball off his knee and is day-to-day, so make sure he’s in the Red Sox lineup before committing to him. I’m playing it safe with Starlin Castro $3900 while also considering Xander Bogaerts $3500 at that price.
Mike Trout $5400 is the #1 outfielder, but I like his teammate Kole Calhoun $4100 to provide more value. Dexter Fowler $4000 is another affordable OF with a good matchup. I might pair them with Adam Jones $4900 or Andrew McCutchen $5000; there are generally decent choices in every price range at the deepest position.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Matt Harvey $10700 | Jesse Hahn $6900 |
| SP2 | Jake Arrieta $9800 | Vincent Velasquez $4300 |
| C | Salvador Perez $3800 | Francisco Cervelli $3200 |
| 1B | Anthony Rizzo $5500 | Adam Lind $4100 |
| 2B | Jose Altuve $4300 | Howie Kendrick $4100 |
| 3B | Kris Bryant $4600 | Kyle Seager $3900 |
| SS | Hanley Ramirez $4700 | Starlin Castro $3900 |
| OF1 | Adam Jones $4900 | Dexter Fowler $4000 |
| OF2 | Justin Upton $4700 | Kole Calhoun $4100 |
| OF3 | Andrew McCutchen $5000 | David DeJesus $3100 |
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.