Our sample lineup produced 112.5 PTS on Tuesday, good enough for a tidy profit at DraftKings. Clayton Kershaw sent the Dodgers back home for a deciding game tomorrow, and Kyle Schwarber schwarbed another monster HR right out of Wrigley Field as the Cubbies eliminated St. Louis.
Today at 4:07 Eastern, Toronto will be closed, the (closed) dome will be a madhouse and Marcus Stroman $10000 takes on Cole Hamels $9800 in an all-or-nothing ballgame. It’s a rematch of Game 2, where each SP went 7 IP for a no-decision with the Rangers winning in 14. Despite the offensive firepower on both clubs, I’m expecting a tight duel and may start them both.
In the 8:07 finale, Johnny Cueto $8200 and Collin McHugh $8600 square off in Kansas City. Game 4 was incredible, as the Governor of Texas had already congratulated the Astros, who blew a 6-2 lead in an agonizing 8th inning. How they respond to that crushing disappointment remains to be seen.
My guess is, both teams hit. Although McHugh was good enough to get the W in Game 1, also at Kauffman, the Royals are now more familiar with his off-speed stuff, especially that plus curveball. Cueto has been a disappointment since the trade deadline, but all will be forgiven if he performs well tonight.
Plays of the Day
The $140K Moonshot is a $3 buy-in (FREE to new depositors at DK) that pays the top 11,165 finishers from up to 53,662 teams, with multiple entries permitted. First place wins $10,000. Enter before 4:07 and you can make lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
It’s impossible to be objective when you’ve been a Blue Jays fan for more than 30 years. I’m optimistic, hopeful, excited and nervous. Will not be reinvesting much of last night’s winnings, as anything can happen — and it probably will. The strategy is to play Stroman, Hamels and just one bat from that game, stacking the other.
Russell Martin $3900 is deservedly the top-salaried C, but red-hot Salvador Perez $3300 is absolutely the heart and soul of his ballclub. It would appear that Chris Gimenez $3100 has become Hamels’ personal catcher. Houston’s Jason Castro $2400 needs only one hit to be worth that money.
Horses for courses, they say. Kendrys Morales $4100 went deep twice off McHugh last Thursday. That’s enough to pick him over teammate Eric Hosmer $4300. The possible bargain is TTO (three true outcomes) poster boy Chris Carter $3200.
At 2B, Jose Altuve $4200 is the top choice, with Rougned Odor $3400 one of the better candidates for our minimum one hitter from the TEX @ TOR game. 2B/OF Ben Zobrist $3900 is another possibility in either position.
Josh Donaldson $4800 greeted Hamels with a blast in Game 2, and might get pitched around today. Mike Moustakas $4000 is dangerous and 2B/3B Luis Valbuena $3200 is another of Houston’s free-swingers with occasional pop.
Carlos Correa $4300 did everything on Monday (4-for-4, 2 HR) except field a deflected grounder that could have been a double-play to prevent the Royals from taking the lead. The E6 was a tough call. Alcides Escobar $3300 is the only other SS I’m even considering, though obviously I’m rooting for Troy Tulowitzki $4400 to be a hero.
In the outfield, Jose Bautista $4900 and Lorenzo Cain $4700 are the premium-priced guys for good reason. I like all three Astros — George Springer $4500, Colby Rasmus $3800 and Carlos Gomez $3700 — because they can catch up to Cueto’s fastball. Zobrist and teammate Alex Gordon $3600 are playable. Another good option if you are looking for just one early bat is Kevin Pillar $3400, still hot at the end of a tremendous breakout season.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Marcus Stroman $10000 | Collin McHugh $8600 |
| SP2 | Cole Hamels $9800 | Johnny Cueto $8200 |
| C | Salvador Perez $3300 | Jason Castro $2400 |
| 1B | Kendrys Morales $4100 | Chris Carter $3200 |
| 2B | Jose Altuve $4200 | Rougned Odor $3400 |
| 3B | Josh Donaldson $4800 | Luis Valbuena $3200 |
| SS | Carlos Correa $4300 | Alcides Escobar $3300 |
| OF1 | Jose Bautista $4900 | Colby Rasmus $3800 |
| OF2 | Lorenzo Cain $4700 | Alex Gordon $3600 |
| OF3 | George Springer $4500 | Kevin Pillar $3400 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Until basketball returns, we’re offering baseball tips on weekdays. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.