On Friday night, one of my pitchers got rocked for -2.85 FPTS, one of my hitters somehow went 0-for-5 with 3 K in a 13-10 game and another of my guys got only 1 AB before crashing into the wall and leaving with a bruised back.
Sound like sour grapes? Not at all. My other SP scored over 40, my other bats were productive and once again every lineup cashed, for a tidy profit on the night. Sure, it could have been a giant profit with better luck, but close not only counts in Daily Fantasy Sports, it pays off.
Only in All-Day pools that close at 1:35 Eastern, you can load up again on those hot bats from Toronto and Boston. The Jays know Clay Buchholz $7400 well, and R.A. Dickey $6300 has been a disaster on the road.
DraftKings matches your first deposit 100% (up to $600) with bonus funds that convert to cash. You’ll also get a FREE entry into this afternoon’s $65K Moonshot, which offers 5,150 cash prizes — $5,000 for first — and a maximum of 24,916 teams.
In the evening (5 games; 7:15) Zack Greinke $10500 stands alone among pitchers. Use him with Kyle Hendricks $7100 or Bud Norris $5700 and consider hitters from the Cubs, Angels and Giants. Most of my action will come in 4:05 contests that span the other nine ballgames.
It’s another terrific day for top-notch SP talent. Chris Archer $11800 fanned 38 batters and walked none in his last 23 innings, allowing just 14 hits and 2 ER. Gerrit Cole $10700 is a 24-year-old who just keeps getting better. Jacob DeGrom $10500 vs. Shelby Miller $8500 is a great matchup of young guns.
Of the lower-priced SP, Joe Ross $4800 wasn’t bad in his MLB debut and has a fine pedigree — Tyson is his brother. Mike Montgomery $4300 was once a top-rated prospect who made the Show with his third organization. So far, so good.
For hitting I’m leaning to the Pirates against Sean O’Sullivan $4200 and the Cardinals at home vs. Jeremy Guthrie $4500.
Salvador Perez $3500 is a sweet price at C against lefty callup Tyler Lyons $5300 and Francisco Cervelli $3400 is my second choice.
Both Miguel Cabrera $4800 and Pedro Alvarez $4200 can be used at 1B or 3B; Chris Carter $4300 went deep last night and is generally streaky. He and all the Astros might feast on the rookie lefty. Last night they scored ten runs despite losing Jose Altuve with a hamstring injury.
At 2B, Jason Kipnis $4900 is the highest-priced, though we don’t know what to expect from opposing hurler Justin Verlander $8200 in his first start of the season after a triceps injury. Brian Dozier $4700 is just as good, Neil Walker $4100 is more affordable and 2B/OF Jake Elmore $2000 is dirt cheap when he starts.
3B/OF Josh Harrison $4000 had four hits last night; he and Matt Carpenter $4300 are reasonably priced if you don’t play Miggy or Alvarez at third.
Troy Tulowitzki $4800 has cooled off a bit in Miami but remains the top SS; highly-touted rookie Carlos Correa $4400 belted his first homer on Friday and Jhonny Peralta $4200 is enjoying a career year without much fanfare.
While superstars Giancarlo Stanton $5800 and Bryce Harper $5600 warrant those huge salaries, they are a bit too steep for me. The beauty of the OF pool is depth — you can always find three guys with upside in almost any price range. George Springer $4900 has been mashing, Denard Span $4300 is good value, Joey Butler $3500 had three more hits last night and Randall Grichuk $3200 is in a groove.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Chris Archer $11800 | Mike Montgomery $4300 |
| SP2 | Gerrit Cole $10700 | Joe Ross $4800 |
| C | Salvador Perez $3500 | Francisco Cervelli $3400 |
| 1B | Miguel Cabrera $4800 | Pedro Alvarez $3700 |
| 2B | Brian Dozier $4700 | Neil Walker $4100 |
| 3B | Matt Carpenter $4300 | Josh Harrison $4000 |
| SS | Troy Tulowitzki $4800 | Jhonny Peralta $4200 |
| OF1 | Giancarlo Stanton $5800 | Joey Butler $3500 |
| OF2 | Bryce Harper $5600 | Denard Span $4300 |
| OF3 | George Springer $4900 | Randall Grichuk $3200 |
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.