On Sunday, the MLB deck had “too many” aces. It’s a shame the hitting stats didn’t count for Mets’ rookie SP Steven Matz in his memorable debut. Tonight is the opposite; no pitcher is priced above C.J. Wilson $8400, who lost to these Yankees in June and got shelled by Houston six days ago.
While DraftKings offers Late action (9:40 Eastern) on three games, our focus is the DFS pools closing at 7:05. The Red Sox and Blue Jays could stage a slugfest in SkyDome; Clay Buchholz $8000 and R.A. Dickey $6800 are both risky. Hitters from the Orioles, Angels, A’s, Dodgers, Reds and Brewers have favorable matchups.
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OK, so who do we like on the mound? Jimmy Nelson $6600 allowed just two hits and a walk on Wednesday. Cody Anderson $5700 did everything right in his MLB debut and is well-rested for his second start. It could be a Tropicana pitchers’ duel with Nathan Karns $7100.
It’s surprising to see Joe Blanton $4800 pitching so well, and making the transition from long relief to a pair of excellent starts. In this form, the 34-year-old might outlast rookie Lance McCullers $7700 for another W. Mike Leake $6900 gets the nod over Mike Pelfrey $4600 and Kendall Graveman $6200 should outpitch David Hale $4500.
Going cheap with both SP allows us to use the best hitters available, at multiple spots. Choose between Russell Martin $4400 or Steven Vogt $4300 at C, though Jonathan Lucroy $3600 is good value.
Paul Goldschmidt $5800 and Joey Votto $4800 are excellent picks at 1B. Or, save a few dollars with Albert Pujols $4400 or Adam Lind $4300 at a loaded position.
At 2B, Brian Dozier $4700 is reliable, Howie Kendrick $3900 is affordable and Rougned Odor $3300 looks vastly improved since being recalled from the minors.
3B is full of mashers and it’s a tossup among Todd Frazier $5600, Nolan Arenado $5200 and Manny Machado $5100 to see who stays hottest. We’re calling Evan Longoria $4300 a bargain at that price.
At SS, it’s either Carlos Correa $5300 or Troy Tulowitzki $4700, unless you want to save a few bucks with J.J. Hardy $3600.
Mike Trout $4900, Carlos Gomez $4800 and Jay Bruce $5000 is the most expensive OF I’ve used in a long time. In the lower price brackets, consider Brandon Moss $4000 or Gerardo Parra $3600. In his first appearance for the Rays on Sunday, Grady Sizemore $2900 went 3-for-5 from the 2-hole.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Jimmy Nelson $6600 | Cody Anderson $5700 |
| SP2 | Mike Leake $6900 | Joe Blanton $4800 |
| C | Russell Martin $4400 | Jonathan Lucroy $3600 |
| 1B | Paul Goldschmidt $5800 | Albert Pujols $4400 |
| 2B | Brian Dozier $4700 | Rougned Odor $3300 |
| 3B | Todd Frazier $5600 | Evan Longoria $4300 |
| SS | Troy Tulowitzki $4700 | J.J. Hardy $3600 |
| OF1 | Carlos Gomez $4800 | Brandon Moss $4000 |
| OF2 | Mike Trout $4900 | Gerardo Parra $3600 |
| OF3 | Jay Bruce $5000 | Grady Sizemore $2900 |
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.