Welcome to Sunday’s daily fantasy post! Remember that you can find our posts on the brand-spanking new DFS home page, as well as the fantasy page. Bookmark those sites now!
Let’s get to Sunday’s interesting facts, using DraftKings prices.
Five Things to Watch:
1. Here are the three highest projected over/unders, provided by OddsShark…
ATL-COL 12
MIN-BOS 9.5
ARI-CIN 9.5
2. Weather: Pittsburgh and Miami both have strong chances of thunderstorms, but we should be okay regardless. Check Twitter closer to game time.
3. You down with BvP? Victor Martinez is 18-for-36 with 4 HR against Chris Sale lifetime. Jose Altuve is 13-for-33 against Jered Weaver. Albert Pujols is 7-for-19 against Collin McHugh. George Springer is 8-for-18 with 2 HR against Weaver. Adam Jones is 8-for-15 against Josh Tomlin. Justin Turner is 7-for-15 against Mike Leake.
4. Your three biggest pitching favorites for the night: Max Scherzer (-320) against San Diego, David Price (-265) against Minnesota and Tyler Anderson (-190) against Atlanta.
5. Sneaky stack options: The Red Sox aren’t exactly sneaky,
Must-Start of the day: Max Scherzer, WAS
The fantasy community will be split on Max or Jose on Saturday, but I’m going Max for a few simple reasons. First, Scherzer is going up against Edwin Jackson, while Fernandez is battling against Jacob deGrom. Scherzer is also a much, much bigger favorite and is $800 cheaper. I have no issues saving the money and targeting the Padres.
Deal of the day: Sandy Leon, BOS
Make sure he starts, but Leon is slashing .417/.455/.694 this year and gets a matchup with Ricky Nolasco, who is projected to allow plenty of damage on Saturday. At just $3000, Leon is a steal.
Avoid of the day: Matt Kemp, SD
Kemp is absolutely owned by Max Scherzer. Over his career, Kemp has only managed one hit in 27 at-bats against Mad Max.
Stack of the day: Arizona Diamondbacks
This game has one of the highest over/under totals outside of Coors Field, and opposing pitcher Keyvius Sampson has given up 5 HR in 16 innings pitched this year. Priced at $4000, Draft Kings isn’t expecting Sampson to do to well against a good D-Backs lineup.
Starting pitchers:
Max Scherzer, WAS: “Must-start of the day”
Jose Fernandez, MIA: If you can find a way to afford both pitchers, go for it. Fernandez has a great matchup in his own right against a Mets team that strikes out a lot, so this could be a massive game for him. The win is just in question.
Jeff Samardzija, SF: If you need a mid-range option and can’t spend up for two aces, Samardzija provides good value at $7200 against the Yankees. He has some strikeout upside at that price, but we’re focused more on his matchup with Ivan Nova, which should give him a good shot at a win.
Catchers:
Wilson Ramos, WAS: Hitting .334 this year and gets Edwin Jackson.
Sandy Leon, BOS: “Deal of the day”
First basemen:
Victor Martinez, DET: Martinez is 18-for-36 with 4 HR against Chris Sale lifetime.
Albert Pujols, LAA: Pujols is 7-for-19 against Collin McHugh lifetime.
Second basemen:
Jose Altuve, HOU: Altuve is 13-for-33 against Jered Weaver.
Jean Segura, ARI: Hitting .314 this year with 16 SB, and part of our D-Backs stack.
Third basemen:
Jake Lamb, ARI: Power source (21 HR) gets a juicy matchup against Sampson.
Danny Valencia, OAK: Automatic consideration anytime he gets a southpaw (1.036 OPS this year against LHP).
Shortstops:
Marcus Semien, OAK: .959 OPS against LHP this season.
Xander Bogaerts, BOS: Good price ($4400) if you want a piece of the Red Sox against Nolasco.
Outfielders:
George Springer, HOU: Springer is 8-for-18 with 2 HR against Weaver.
Carlos Gonzalez, COL: Matt Wisler gets rocked by lefties, and this game has a massive run total. If you want a piece of Coors, CarGo is the one to pay up for.
Adam Jones, BAL: Jones is 8-for-15 against Josh Tomlin.
