Don’t use Troy Tulowitzki or Jose Reyes tonight at DraftKings. The veteran shortstops were swapped for each other last night, helping the Jays now and the Rockies in a couple of years. It’s a league-changing blockbuster in traditional fantasy formats. The only DFS impact is a thinner talent pool at SS despite a 15-game schedule.
Four SP with 5-digit salaries are topped by David Price $12800, who is dealing with the possibility of a trade. Jose Fernandez $12700 is a safer bet if you’re willing to spend that much. Rookie Noah Syndergaard $10700 faces probable trade bait James Shields $9100; neither is a bargain. Gotta like Sonny Gray $10400 on the road against Brett Anderson $6700 (Achilles) who may not be 100% sound.
While Jeff Samardzija $8500 — also on the trade block — can outpitch Wade Miley $6400, last night these clubs combined for 18 runs on 27 hits. Returning from a groin strain, Jamie Garcia $9600 might be on a short leash vs. Mike Leake $7300, yet another possibility to be dealt. In other words, check lineups near the 7:05 deadline if you plan to start any of those guys rumored to be on the move. Until Friday night, anything can happen and some of it will.
Hisashi Iwakuma $8300 is back home, stretched out to 112 pitches in his fourth start off the DL. We bet against Zack Godley $5100 in his MLB debut and got burned when he was stellar. Depending on how you envision that game, each is potentially a bargain. It was an 11-inning, 2-1 game in Baltimore last night and Julio Teheran $7500 fanned 11 Dodgers last Wednesday.
Plays of the Day
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There will be plenty of runs scored in the open Dome if the Phillies get to Felix Doubront $5000 early. Toronto’s potent RH bats should feast on Adam Morgan $4300. Another game to target is in Texas, where spot starter Chris Capuano $4100 and the Yankees bullpen face Martin Perez $5200, who might improve or regress in his third start off the shelf.
It’s a tossup for me at C, slight edge going to Russell Martin $4300 with that great matchup. While rookie Kyle Schwarber $3600 has preferred RHP so far, look out tonight against emergency starter Yohan Flande $4000 and the Rockies’ bullpen.
Mark Teixeira $5100, robbed of a homer by a great catch last night, might belt one tonight. Don’t be surprised if Edwin Encarnacion $4100 gets to jog his imaginary parrot. C.J. Cron $2700 walked, singled and homered last night.
Robinson Cano $4300 is making up for lost time with a sizzling 10-game stretch — 5 HR, .412/.480/.887 — and faces a rookie right-hander. The price is right again on Kolten Wong $3700, who homered as our top pick on Monday and costs $300 less.
Josh Donaldson $5800 loves to hit at home and prefers southpaws. Alex Rodriguez $5200 blasted three homers on Saturday and another (#24) on his 40th birthday. Rookie 3B/SS Tyler Saladino $2400 tripled for us last night (12 PTS total) but was shaky at third; if he fields well enough to keep batting in the 2-hole, that’s a sweet price.
Always on the Short List when he faces a lefty, Carlos Correa $4700 should be worth every penny. We have been riding along often with fellow freshman Francisco Lindor $3500, who homered last night to sustain a 10-game improvement.
Hope you have followed us on an exciting ride with Carlos Gonzalez $4400 — 6 HR, 9 R, 12 RBI in four games — and I see no reason to jump off. For the fifth game in a row, Melky Cabrera $3900 had two hits. Again, it’s reinvesting profit for me to keep using him until he cools off. Yes, it would be nice to afford Jose Bautista $5600 or Nelson Cruz $5000, but my sample lineup spends big at a few other positions so we’re cost-conscious in the outfield. Chris Colabello $3800 and 3B/OF Danny Valencia $3800 should both start for the Jays and Corey Dickerson $3400 will have a big night soon.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Jose Fernandez $12700 | Hisashi Iwakuma $8300 |
| SP2 | Sonny Gray $10400 | Julio Teheran $7500 |
| C | Russell Martin $4300 | Kyle Schwarber $3600 |
| 1B | Edwin Encarnacion $4100 | C.J. Cron $2700 |
| 2B | Robinson Cano $4300 | Kolten Wong $3700 |
| 3B | Josh Donaldson $5800 | Tyler Saladino $2400 |
| SS | Carlos Correa $4700 | Francisco Lindor $3500 |
| OF1 | Nelson Cruz $5000 | Corey Dickerson $3400 |
| OF2 | Jose Bautista $5600 | Melky Cabrera $3200 |
| OF3 | Carlos Gonzalez $4100 | Danny Valencia $3800 |
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