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After a quiet Monday, we’ve got all 30 teams back in action tonight. FantasyDraft has two slates to choose from, with the 7pm eastern slate covering 14 matchups, and the 10pm late slate covering the three west coast games.
Must Play SP: Max Scherzer, WAS ($25,400) vs TB
While Scherzer is the most expensive pitcher across any slate tonight, he should still return value at his price. Scherzer has an absurd 38.7% K-rate this season with just a 1.92 ERA, and he’s not facing a particularly good lineup in the Rays. With lots of other high-level pitching options to choose from, other owners may stray away from Scherzer, making him an even more valuable play.
Honorable Mention: Corey Kluber, CLE ($24,700) vs MIL
Value SP: Andrew Heaney, LAA ($16,700) vs KC
Andrew Heaney has been fantastic in his nine starts this season, striking out 25.0% of batters and running a 3.25 FIP. While he had a bad start his last time out, that was against a Tigers lineup that actually ranks third-highest against left-handed pitching with a .341 wOBA. The Royals have just a .325 wOBA against southpaws, so he won’t have nearly as much trouble with them. He’s also at home in a pitcher-friendly environment. Heaney is a steal at this price.
Honorable Mention: Kyle Hendricks, CHC ($16,000) vs PHI
IF Yonder Alonso, CLE ($8,300) vs MIL (RHP Junior Guerra)
Alonso is insanely hot right now, batting .359 with a 1.034 OPS over the last 15 days. He’s in a great spot for some RBIs batting fifth against Junior Guerra. Guerra likely has regression on the way, as he’s significantly outperforming his FIP and has an abnormally high strand rate at 82.5%. Guerra also had a 2.30 HR/9 last season, so don’t be surprised if Guerra’s home run tendencies come back to bite him and Alonso adds to his total of 11 bombs.
Honorable Mention: IF Greg Bird, NYY ($8,000) at TOR (Estrada)
OF Carlos Gonzalez, COL ($7,600) at CIN (RHP Anthony DeSclafani)
It feels weird recommending Gonzalez when he’s not at Coors Field, but CarGo has put together a pretty strong last month, where he posted an .810 OPS. And while it’s not Coors Field, Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati might be the closest thing to it in terms of hitter friendliness. Look for Gonzalez to take advantage of a pitcher who hasn’t started a major league game since 2016 and produce big numbers out of the Rockies cleanup spot.
Honorable Mention: OF Leonys Martin, DET ($8,500) at BOS (Wright)
Value: IF Rafael Devers, BOS ($6,300) vs DET (RHP Artie Lewicki)
Devers is mired in an awful slump, which has dragged his price to a punt-level play. This is a price to take advantage of, as Devers is at home with a great matchup. Artie Lewicki should not be starting in a major league baseball game, and the Red Sox are going to tee off on him at home in their extreme offensive environment. This is a great opportunity for Devers to break out of his slump, and for us to grab him at a low price. If nothing else, he’s a cheap power flier to consider in GPP contests.
Honorable Mention: OF Jason Heyward, CHC ($6,700) vs PHI (Eflin)
Top Stack: Cubs vs Phillies (RHP Zach Eflin)
Regression has caught up to Zach Eflin, as he’s gotten bombed in his last two starts. Eflin now has a 4.50 ERA, and there are some elite level bats that you can snag for surprisingly cheap against him. Anthony Rizzo ($8,900) and Kris Bryant ($9,000) can be paired with Kyle Schwarber ($7,300) or Jason Heyward ($6,300) for an outstanding value stack.
Honorable Mention: Red Sox vs Tigers (Lewicki)