We got a few things right on Wednesday and a whole lot wrong. Nobody expected the Cubs to win 17-0 in Cleveland. Or was that the Bears over the Browns? Not only are the Padres 0-3 since firing their manager, the combined score is 31-8. Clayton Kershaw lost at home to the Rangers and gave up a home run to a lefty batter.
Thursday brings a welcome end to the Interleague wackiness. At 1:05 ET, DraftKings features All-Day and Early contests (5 games) that are light on pitching; Jamie Garcia $9300 will be a popular pick. Ian Kennedy $9000 tries to slow down the Oakland attack but his teammates won’t find it easy against improving rookie Kendall Graveman $6600. I don’t trust C.J. Wilson $8700 in Arizona but Allen Webster $7200 is risky too. Toss out Collin McHugh $6600 and David Hale $5200 at mile-high Coors Field and Bud Norris $7600 begins to look playable by default.
Load up on Orioles, Diamondbacks and Astros bats wherever you can. There’s also evening action (11 games) at 7:05. That’s our focus in the sample lineup and Short List below.
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Much better pitching is available tonight. Chris Archer $10500, Gerrit Cole $10200 and Zack Greinke $9900 top the pay scale, with any of them capable of a dominant start. My money’s on Cole against the slumping White Sox. In the midrange, Shelby Miller $8500 stands out. Among possible bargain arms, Mat Latos $6800 and Mike Montgomery $5400 look best.
Buster Posey $4300 is the clear #1 catcher. A rested Yasmani Grandal $3800 and the Dodgers might tee off against emergency starter Anthony Ranaudo $5300. Powerful C/OF Kyle Schwarber $2800 was called up by the Cubs to DH for a week then is supposed to go back to Triple-A. He went 4-for-5 with a triple, 3 R and 2 RBI last night in his second big-league game. Danny Salazar $9400 is a tough opponent, but the rookie can rake.
Be careful at 1B. Miguel Cabrera $5300 homered again yesterday but also got banged up a bit. Freddie Freeman $4800 (wrist) is doubtful. Lucas Duda $4300 is facing a knuckleballer. 1B/3B Todd Frazier $4900 hit homers #21 and 22 last night; if Justin Verlander $7900 is less than 100%, Fraz and Joey Votto $4600 can take advantage. Posey is playable here.
At 2B, I’m saving money. Howie Kendrick $3700, long-overdue Robinson Cano $3500, Scooter Gennett $3400 and 2B/3B Matt Duffy $3500 can all get the job done at a reasonable cost.
Stud rookie 3B Kris Bryant $4300 hit his first grand slam last night, 3B/OF Josh Harrison (like most of the Pirates) is hot and Juan Uribe $3200 has ten hits in his last four games. If you like Votto, Frazier can be started at third.
In the smallest of sample sizes, Jose Reyes $4600 is 4-for-6 off Bartolo Colon $7100 to earn top billing at SS. Alcides Escobar $3600 had a triple and 4 RBI last night, making him a value play.
Giancarlo Stanton $5500 crushes lefties and has never faced C.C. Sabathia $7500, who — like most of us — has seen better days. Others in the higher salary bracket with good matchups include Andrew McCutchen $4800 and Michael Brantley $4600. With a double, triple and two walks last night, Lorenzo Cain $4200 remains in a groove and Steven Souza Jr. $4000 is another medium-cost OF to consider. Chris Colabello $3300 and David DeJesus $3200 are attractively priced.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Gerrit Cole $10200 | Mike Montgomery $5400 |
| SP2 | Zack Greinke $9900 | Mat Latos $6800 |
| C | Yasmani Grandal $3800 | Kyle Schwarber $2800 |
| 1B | Joey Votto $4600 | Buster Posey $4300 |
| 2B | Howie Kendrick $3700 | Scooter Gennett $3400 |
| 3B | Todd Frazier $4900 | Juan Uribe $3200 |
| SS | Jose Reyes $4600 | Alcides Escobar $3600 |
| OF1 | Giancarlo Stanton $5500 | Chris Colabello $3300 |
| OF2 | Michael Brantley $4600 | Lorenzo Cain $4200 |
| OF3 | Andrew McCutchen $4800 | Steven Souza Jr. $4000 |
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.