You can’t win ’em all. On Sunday we went with Chris Sale instead of the brilliant Max Scherzer and several unlikely hitting heroes emerged. Congratulations if you had 2B/3B Jace Peterson $3500 or2B/SS Ryan Goins $2000, who both showed surprising power.
Let’s regroup with a full slate of 15 games on Monday. There’s a fair bit of rain in the forecast — St. Louis, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, New York and Boston could be affected. That’s a minor DFS nuisance but also an opportunity. My approach is to assume no delays while handicapping and if it’s a tossup, lean to a pitcher where conditions won’t be a factor. Having a Plan B for various lineup spots is also recommended.
Contests close at 7:05 and as always, how much you spend on two SP determines what kind of hitters you can afford.
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For as long as he stays healthy, Masahiro Tanaka $10600 is a reasonably safe bet for 7 IP with more strikeouts than walks and hits combined. Francisco Liriano $10000 isn’t a “sure thing” against the White Sox; rookie Carlos Rodon $6500 might even outduel him. Dallas Keuchel $9600 has been merely good (not great) in two starts since his masterful 11-K complete game shutout. Jake Arrieta $9400 is also worth considering, and for the budget-conscious, Wei-Yin Chen $7700 could baffle the Phillies.
I like the Orioles to hit vs. Aaron Harang $6300, the Royals to beat Kyle Lohse $5300 and though the Red Sox are in free fall, they might take out their frustrations on Williams Perez $4400, who was used out of the bullpen since his last start.
Often a DFS wasteland, catcher is loaded with value tonight. Salvador Perez $3900 now has 4 HR in seven games. He and Miguel Montero $3700 (who rested yesterday) are almost as hot as Russell Martin $3900. Verify lineups, as Martin might sit out tonight or tomorrow. Even Perez gets a day off occasionally.
Miguel Cabrera $5600 fits at 1B or 3B and is often worth that salary. Let’s save a fe bucks with with Albert Pujols $4900 at first, though David Ortiz $4600 has gone deep in two straight. Logan Morrison $3500 is even more affordable.
Kolten Wong $4100 is my choice at 2B; for the budget-conscious, there’s Peterson or Scooter Gennett $3300, sharp since being recalled from the minors.
At third, Manny Machado $4200, Pablo Sandoval $4300 and Chris Davis $4200 are all dangerous at reasonable salaries. Miggy and Josh Donaldson $5300 are great, though more costly. Rookie Joey Gallo $3800 is a “three true outcomes” player — he walks, strikes out or hits monster home runs.
There are higher-salaried SS worth considering, but Jhonny Peralta $4200 has been good to me. Xander Bogaerts $3800 and Starlin Castro $3800 are also playable.
Mike Trout $5700 is the #1 OF if you can afford him. In other price ranges, I like Yasiel Puig $5200, Shin-Soo Choo $4500, Alex Gordon $4100, Cameron Maybin $3800, Nolan Reimold $3700, Joey Butler $3600 and Billy Burns $2900. Mix and match accordingly.
DK also offers Turbo action (at 8:05 on five games) and Late pools at 10:05 on just three games. Taijuan Walker $7900 is my top SP there. Former Padre Jesse Hahn $6400 might rise to the challenge against Tyson Ross $8700. Jered Weaver $6700 has given up 5 HR and 14 ER in his last three, but I don’t have much confidence in Robbie Ray $5100 against the Angels’ RH bats.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Masahiro Tanaka $10600 | Wei-Yin Chen $7700 |
| SP2 | Francisco Liriano $10000 | Taijuan Walker $7900 |
| C | Salvador Perez $3900 | Miguel Montero $3700 |
| 1B | Albert Pujols $4900 | Logan Morrison $3500 |
| 2B | Kolten Wong $4100 | Scooter Gennett $3300 |
| 3B | Manny Machado $4200 | Jace Peterson $3500 |
| SS | Jhonny Peralta $4200 | Starlin Castro $3800 |
| OF1 | Mike Trout $5700 | Alex Gordon $4100 |
| OF2 | Yasiel Puig $5200 | Cameron Maybin $3800 |
| OF3 | Shin-Soo Choo $4500 | Joey Butler $3600 |
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.