My Pirates stack paid off last night despite the Rockies walking Andrew McCutchen $5800 three times. Starling Marte $5300 was 4-for-5 with a homer and Aramis Ramirez $4400 also went deep. All three are RH batters facing a hittable southpaw in tonight’s second game of a sweepable series.
The Cubs also scored nine runs on Monday; they are equally determined to gain home-field advantage for their inevitable Wild Card game against Pittsburgh. Although Jake Arrieta $14500 is the standout SP tonight, plenty of run support means he’s unlikely to go the distance. Lefty bats like Anthony Rizzo $5100 and Miguel Montero $3400 should be targeted.
If you do shell out for Arrieta, Logan Verrett $4500 provides excellent value as #2 SP. A quick hook last time was for a pinch-hitter in a 1-1 tie; he could have gone seven. In his only other spot start, the rookie was sensational — at Coors Field.
Probable winners at realistic prices include Tyson Ross $10600, Danny Salazar $11100, John Lackey $10300 and Hisashi Iwakuma $9900 — all in good recent form.
Plays of the Day
The $200K Moonshot is a $3 buy-in (FREE to new depositors at DraftKings) that pays the top 16,300 finishers from up to 76,666 teams, with multiple entries permitted. First place wins $15,000. Enter by 7:05; lineup changes are allowed until each player’s game begins.
I liked Gio Gonzalez $8800 last night but the game was rained out; using the Nats’ lefty and Verrett leaves big bucks for bats.
C/OF Kyle Schwarber $4400 might break out, but Francisco Cervelli $3900 and Montero are affordable alternatives with excellent matchups.
At 1B, if you can’t afford Rizzo or Jose Abreu $5200, there’s always Mike Napoli $3300 vs. a young southpaw.
Dee Gordon $5100 and Jose Altuve $4500 are the top 2B, though 2B/3B Josh Harrison $4000 will start tonight and hit near the top of the order.
There are several strong options at third. Kris Bryant $4900, 3B/SS Xander Bogaerts $4400 or A-Ram could all be worth the money.
The best possible situation for SS Carlos Correa $4700 is at home vs. a lefty. The super-rookie hit his 19th bomb last night. Veteran Jordy Mercer $3100 is playing every day because of a season-ending knee injury to Jung Ho Kang; the price is right if you’re stacking Bucs.
Paying retail for Cutch and Marte is recommended. How much cap room is left for a third OF will vary with your other choices. Bryce Harper $6000 is a luxury item, with Nelson Cruz $5100 among many possibilities in that salary bracket. Dexter Fowler $4200 has a lower OBP but more power from the left side. Lefty mashers like Trayce Thompson $3400 and Justin Ruggiano $3200 can be profitable in spot starts.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Jake Arrieta $14500 | Gio Gonzalez $8800 |
| SP2 | Tyson Ross $10600 | Logan Verrett $4500 |
| C | Francisco Cervelli $3900 | Miguel Montero $3400 |
| 1B | Anthony Rizzo $5100 | Mike Napoli $3300 |
| 2B | Dee Gordon $5100 | Josh Harrison $4000 |
| 3B | Kris Bryant $4900 | Aramis Ramirez $4400 |
| SS | Carlos Correa $4700 | Jordy Mercer $3100 |
| OF1 | Andrew McCutchen $5800 | Trayce Thompson $3400 |
| OF2 | Starling Marte $5300 | Justin Ruggiano $3200 |
| OF3 | Nelson Cruz $5100 | Dexter Fowler $4200 |
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