(Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Sports)
Every day, we’ll examine the biggest fantasy baseball stories and provide daily fantasy baseball tips to help you win money on FantasyScore.
Leading off
With just 10 games on the docket Monday, FantasyScore players will want to slightly adjust the manner in which they assemble their lineups. The lack of high-end starters taking the hill will make it easy to slide a roster under the salary cap, and leaving a few dollars on the table shouldn’t be viewed negatively if you’re confident in your selections.
Here are six tips to help construct teams when there aren’t as many games scheduled.
1. Select your two starting pitchers first. Price shouldn’t be an obstacle because the right arms can carry a few lousy hitting picks, and it rarely works the other way.
Your daily coach: Rankings | Top players
2. Narrow the player pool by eliminating a few clubs from which you’re not going to select hitters. Reasons for avoiding an entire team could be their struggling offense, bad weather, or a date with an ace-caliber hurler.
3. Find an arm or two likely to give up plenty of runs and target hitters facing them.
4. Look at the batting lineups of the teams you’re planning to utilize. Potential value plays could emerge with a bench player entering the lineup or a regular moving up the order. Often, the lightly scheduled days, and especially Mondays after a weekend series, are viewed by mangers as an opportunity to rest a regular or two.
5. Check to see if the Colorado Rockies are playing at Coors Field, and note who they’re facing. The ownership percentages of batters playing at Coors are typically high. But also, the visiting team’s hitters receive a value boost, and you’ll frequently find nice bargains.
6. Before finalizing your roster, make sure there are no significant handedness disadvantages with the hitters you’ve selected. A second weather check is advised, too.
It is tough to consistently win daily fantasy sports. It becomes a lot easier when you develop a routine and give your rosters their due diligence, though.
Daily fantasy notes
The early game of the doubleheader between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels is not included in FantasyScore contests Monday. The second game is, though, and the Home Run GPP, Grand Slam GPP, BaseballHQ GPP and Mastersball 50/50 GPP all lock at 7:05 PM ET. Check in on our news feed for the latest fantasy baseball updates.
Texas Rangers hurler Nick Martinez isn’t in the player pool, but he is starting against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Ben Paulsen ($3,500 salary, 7.0% of cap) and whoever starts between Drew Stubbs ($2,700, 5.4%) and Brandon Barnes ($2,100, 4.2%) sticks out as a nice budget play as part of a Rockies stack.
Detroit Tigers starter Alfredo Simon has an 11.12 ERA while allowing a 1.154 OPS to opposing hitters over his past five starts. Perhaps he’ll bounce back Monday, but loading a few Seattle Mariners into your lineup should pay off.
Pitchers
Andrew Heaney, Los Angeles Angels vs. Boston Red Sox
$5,300 salary | 10.6% of cap
Affordable and rolling, Heaney is a great play Monday. He could draw a weaker Beantown lineup in Game 2 of the doubleheader, too. Heaney has a 3-0 record with a 1.32 ERA, a 2.77 FIP, a 0.84 WHIP and a 7.6 K/9 through his four starts this season.
Risk/reward
Matt Harvey, New York Mets at Washington Nationals
$9,000 salary | 18.0% of cap
The Dark Knight is the top-priced arm and pitching well of late (1.71 ERA over his past five outings). However, he hasn’t pitched out of the seventh inning in any of the starts, and he has six or fewer strikeouts in four of the five outings. Washington continues to find ways to win despite their injuries, too. All said, Harvey has the most upside, so he’s tough to fade Monday.
Matt Moore, Tampa Bay Rays at Philadelphia Phillies
$4,900 salary | 9.8% of cap
While not overly impressively through his first three starts since returning from Tommy John surgery, Moore should be able to navigate the Phillies and receive the four-point win kickback Monday.
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Batters
1B Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamonbacks vs. Miami Marlins (David Phelps)
$6,500 salary | 13.0% of cap
You’ll have the cap space to load up a few top-tier hitters. Goldschmidt has a .477 on-base percentage at home, and there is nothing scary about the matchup.
OF Yoenis Cespedes, Detroit Tigers vs. Seattle Mariners (J.A. Happ)
$5,200 salary | 10.4% of cap
Happ has been rotten away from home, and Cespedes kicked an 0-for-11 funk Sunday with a two-hit showing. Cespedes was on an extended hot streak before the hitless run, too. During a 30-game stretch he had 22 runs, nine doubles, six home runs, 23 RBI and a .313/.3326/.539 slash line.
Tools: Probable pitchers | lineups | weather
3B Kyle Seager, Seattle Mariners at Detroit Tigers (Alfredo Simon)
$4,800 salary | 9.6% of cap
Currently riding a nine-game hitting streak and owning the handedness advantage against a reeling starter, Seager is a lineup lock Monday. He doesn’t break the bank, either.
2B Rougned Odor, Texas Rangers at Colorado Rockies (Chris Rusin)
$4,400 salary | 8.8% of cap
Hitting .362 with a 1.010 OPS since returning to the big leagues, it is hard to imagine Odor was hitting .144 May 8. Coors Field helps the raking youngster who has the highest wOBA (.428) among qualified second basemen over the past 30 days.
