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Happy Sunday!! We get 12 games in the main slate today, and it starts with the Red Sox taking on the Rays at 1:05 P.M. Let’s dig into all the options to choose from today.
Must Play SP: Jose Berrios, MIN ($23,300) VS CIN
Gerrit Cole is the most expensive pitcher of the day and should be in a lot of lineups today. Berrios, on the other hand, could post a similar point total and costs a $1,000 less. Berrios’ struggles in his last start combined with a fairly high price tag should help with low ownership totals. Unlike some other young pitchers, Berrios is not known for his electrifying stuff but rather his control and pitch sequencing which leads to a lot of soft contact. He ranks second in soft contact%, 31.3% to be exact, behind only Jacob Degromm. Reds should not be a problem for this young gun.
Honorable Mention: Robbie Ray, ARI ($20,500) @ WAS
Value SP: Nick Kingham, PIT ($9,500) VS STL
Nick Kingham is a 26-year-old rookie that is making his debut start today against the Cardinals. It’s really hard to analyze rookie pitchers and I generally stay away from them in their first start but his minor league numbers have me interested. A 2.13 FIP to go along with 49.1% GB% while holding a 10.72 K/9 in 22 innings pitched. It is crucial to remember the minors are not the same as the majors but the low salary has me willing to roll the dice while investing in higher end bats.
Honorable Mention: Chad Bettis, COL ($14,900) @ MIA
IF: Anthony Rizzo, CHC ($8,400) vs MIL (RHP Zach Davies)
Rizzo has had a very slow start – hitting only .164 with a single home run. It’s not been all his fault though, a .193 BABIP would be a career low by almost .100 and the stiff back caused by cheap hotel mattresses caused him to miss time. He should be getting into a rhythm soon and today against Zach Davies is a great opportunity to do just that. Rizzo is 6-21 with 4 Doubles against Davies. Not great but Rizzo’s’ upside in this matchup is huge and I will take that chance given he only costs $8,400.
Honorable Mention: Kris Bryant, CHC ($9,200) vs MIA (LHP Zach Davies)
OF: Mookie Betts, BOS ($11,200) VS TB (RHP Matt Andriese)
There are some players that are just much better players at their home park. Betts is one of them and he is even better against Matt Andriese – 7-19 with a Homerun and a double. He is the most expensive batter today which should help keep his ownership totals low. What to expect – Betts provides a very high floor with his ability to get points in a lot of ways. He will take walks, steal bases, leads the league in doubles, can hit home runs and the best case scenario would be another multi dong game, and he already has 2 in 2018.
Honorable Mention: Kyle Schwarber, CHC ($8,400) @ MIA (RHP Zach Davies)
Value OF: Eddie Rosario, MIN ($6,600) VS CIN (RHP Tyler Mahle)
Rosario is loving in this series against the Reds so far. He is 4-9 with a Homerun in two games so far. I don’t know what it is but it seems to be working. Rosario had an ADP near the 100 before the season started and after not doing anything for almost a month he might never return that value in season-long leagues. But, he can prove to be a value pick today at FantasyDraft and should be considered in the future again, depending on the matchups, obviously.
Honorable Mention: Ben Gamel, SEA ($6,000) vs CLE (RHP Josh Tomlin)
Top Stack: Mariners vs Indians (RHP Josh Tomlin)
Mariners are loaded up top and they get a juicy matchup tonight against Josh Tomlin who owns a 9.24 ERA in 4 starts on the year. I already mentioned Ben Gamel as a value pick, but here are some of the other names I like:
Robinson Cano ($7,300) – Cano is 8-20 with 2 Home runs against Tomlin
Dee Gordon ($7,400)
Ryon Healy ($6,700)
Kyle Seager ($6,900) – Seager has been hot at the plate lately
Honorable Mention: Cubs vs Brewers (RHP Zach Davies)