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We’ve got a beautiful 15 game slate for us tonight on FantasyDraft starting at 7pm eastern. Let’s get to it!
Must Play SP: Chris Sale, BOS ($24,800) at MIN
Sale is a DFS monster thanks to his 34.0% K-rate, a dominant number that leads to a ton of points every time he takes the hill. Of course, Sale also has just a 2.75 ERA this year, and it’s even lower when he’s away from Fenway, with a 2.56 road ERA. I like Sale over Verlander tonight for his strikeouts and his matchup – the Twins have just a .301 wOBA versus lefties this year with a 24.0% K-rate. He’s also a bit cheaper.
Honorable Mention: Justin Verlander, HOU ($25,700) vs TB
Value SP: Eric Lauer, SD ($9,500) vs OAK
As the fifth-cheapest starter on tonight’s slate, Lauer can provide you with a ton of value with a solid start. Admittedly, Lauer has been pretty awful this season, but there’s upside in his matchup against the A’s. Oakland ranks 27th in the league against left-handed pitching with a .293 wOBA, and they have the fifth-highest K-rate at 24.4%. Lauer also gets them at home in Petco Park, which is arguably the best pitcher’s park in all of baseball. He doesn’t have to be amazing to provide you with value at this price, as you can use the payroll you save to pair him with an ace or stack up on some elite bats.
Honorable Mention: Jameson Taillon, PIT ($16,000) vs MIL
IF Albert Pujols, LAA ($7,700) vs ARI (RHP Matt Koch)
Pujols has homered in each of his last two games and will be looking for more against Koch, who has a 1.91 HR/9 this season. Koch has a 5.56 FIP, so Pujols will have plenty of opportunity for RBIs as the Angels cleanup hitter – even with poor production this year, Pujols has racked up 40 ribbies.
Honorable Mention: IF Joey Gallo, TEX ($7,500) vs KC (Hammel)
OF Matt Kemp, LAD ($8,400) at CHC (LHP Mike Montgomery)
Kemp is looking like he’s in MVP form against lefties this year with an insane .466 wOBA. Montgomery has been serviceable through his first four starts but has just a 16.1% K-rate as a starter this season. Just make sure he’s not serving his suspension tonight from last week’s run in with the Rangers.
Honorable Mention: OF Mitch Haniger, SEA ($8,400) at NYY (German)
Value: OF Delino DeShields, TEX ($7,200) at KC (RHP Jason Hammel)
DeShields has been an OBP machine over the last 15 days, getting on base in more than half of his plate appearances with a .511 OBP. He’s back in the two-hole for Texas, where he can get lots of production against Jason Hammel. Hammel has a 4.98 ERA this year, so look for DeShields to get some runs. And don’t forget, steals are worth points too, and Delino has 15 of them this year.
honorable Mention: OF Adam Jones, BAL ($7,400) at WAS (Rodriguez)
Top Stack: Nationals vs Orioles (RHP David Hess)
David Hess is evergreen stack material, with a 6.37 FIP and a 13.0% K-rate. As long as the Orioles keep rolling him out, I’ll keep stacking opposing hitters. Bryce Harper ($11,000) is the crown jewel of the lineup, while Adam Eaton ($8,500) and Anthony Rendon ($7,200) are auxiliary pieces to consider.
Honorable Mention: Angels vs Diamondbacks (Koch)