A pretty hectic week for me, but I’m back with Hitting Coach articles for today and Friday, as well as Playbook/Optimal duty for the first time this season on Saturday/Sunday. We have a very light 8-game split slate today, with four games in each slate. 

Cash games are going to be difficult, especially with the early slate where you have the biggest lock of the day in Jake Arrieta facing the Brewers, combined with another Pirates/Rockies duel in Coors Field. Oh, and how about a 40+ percent chance of rain in both Detroit and Colorado? Good luck with that!
 
There is still rain in Wrigleyville, but it appears that it will clear out before game time. Still, you guys should be careful, because the drainage system isn’t exactly the greatest in Wrigley.
 
As for the evening slate, it appears the only game that may have some weather issues is going to be the White Sox/Orioles in Baltimore. We’ll see what happens, but I’d say it’s about 50/50 whether or not that game gets in. 
 
Nonetheless, I will be giving you a couple of my favorite plays at each position for each slate. Keep an eye on the Fantasy Alarm Daily Lineups page for up-to-the-minute lineup releases. 
 
CATCHER                
    Probable 2015 Regular Season2016 Regular SeasonSalaries
PlayerTeamBatsOppPitcherThrowsH/ABAVGHROPSH/ABAVGHROPSFDDK Aces
Victor MartinezDETSOAKChris BassittR108-for-440.24511.66719-for-63.3024.968290035004500
Tony WoltersCOLLPITJuan NicasioR----5-for-32.1560.446220027004600
Yadier MolinaSTLRARIRubby De La RosaR132-for-488.2704.66025-for-75.3330.859300037004200
Dioner NavarroCHWSBALTyler WilsonR42-for-171.2465.6828-for-43.1862.629250032003650
 
EARLY SLATE
 
Victor Martinez remains way too cheap considering he’s catcher eligible on FanDuel. He has put together a nice little run, going 7-for-14 (.500 AVG) with two homers, two doubles, and six RBIs in his last four games. It also doesn’t help that he has reached base safely six out of eight previous plate appearances against Chris Bassitt of the A’s. 
 
Tony Wolters will almost certainly get the start for the Rockies after Nick Hundley caught a long 12-inning game that went into Midnight. Wolters is dirt cheap. He lacks much upside because of his lack of power, but the price is right for someone who will be playing at Coors. I think there’s also a good shot that Chris Stewart starts for the Pirates, so there’s definitely value options available for the early slate. 
 
LATE SLATE
 
Yadier Molina not only has a 9-game hitting streak, but has actually been spot on all season long. He has performed his best against right-handed pitching, going .356/.424/.475 with 10 RBIs. This will be repetitive, but I’m not too fond of Rubby De La Rosa tonight against the Cards. 
 
Dioner Navarro just needed a nice little series against his former mates in Toronto to get back into the zone. He is 6-for-14 (.429 AVG) with two homers, a triple, double, and seven RBIs in his last five games. 
 
FIRST BASE                
    Probable 2015 Regular Season2016 Regular SeasonSalaries
PlayerTeamBatsOppPitcherThrowsH/ABAVGHROPSH/ABAVGHROPSFDDK Aces
Anthony RizzoCHCLMILTaylor JungmannR163-for-586.27831.89915-for-73.2058.931460049005700
Ben PaulsenCOLLPITJuan NicasioR90-for-325.27711.78714-for-44.3181.875290034004850
David OrtizBOSLATLJhoulys ChacinR144-for-528.27337.91321-for-67.31331.030350047005350
Brandon MossSTLLARIRubby De La RosaR106-for-469.22619.71113-for-54.2415.918300037004100
 
EARLY SLATE
 
Anthony Rizzo might have an argument for hottest player in baseball over the last week. He is 7-for-24 (.292 AVG) with five homers, four walks, and 11 RBIs over his last six games. 
 
Ben Paulsen’s price is definitely appealing for someone who has been crushing the ball over the last week or so. He has only started six of the Rockies last 10 games, but has gone 8-for-21 (.381 AVG) with a homer, two doubles, and seven RBIs in those six starts. 
 
LATE SLATE
 
David Ortiz got a few days off due to interleague play, but was rolling again at Fenway last night, going 3-for-5 with three doubles. The Red Sox have the highest expected run total tonight, and it’s difficult to imagine that Jhoulys Chacin is going to be able to stop Big Papi. 
 
Brandon Moss finally unleashed the game we all know he can put up on Tuesday, going 4-for-5 with a home run, double, and three RBIs. He’ll face Rubby De La Rosa of the D-Backs, who allowed more home runs in 2015 than anyone not named Kyle Kendrick or James Shields. 
 
SECOND BASE                
    Probable 2015 Regular Season2016 Regular SeasonSalaries
PlayerTeamBatsOppPitcherThrowsH/ABAVGHROPSH/ABAVGHROPSFDDK Aces
Daniel MurphyWSHLPHIAaron NolaR140-for-499.28114.77027-for-69.39121.099360043004900
Ben ZobristCHCSMILTaylor JungmannR129-for-467.27613.80916-for-65.2461.744310038004650
Dustin PedroiaBOSRATLJhoulys ChacinR111-for-381.29112.79730-for-90.3333.904350044004850
Jonathan SchoopBALRCHWJohn DanksL85-for-305.27915.78814-for-68.2063.636220027004550
 
EARLY SLATE
 
Daniel Murphy is batting .394/.467/.636 this season, which is absolutely RIDICULOUS! 10 of his 26 base hits have gone for extra bases, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he adds to that today against Aaron Nola. 
 
Ben Zobrist is finally looking like the Ben Zobrist we’ve been seeing the last few years. He is batting .313/.522/.563 with a homer, four RBIs, and seven walks over his last five games, and is always a solid play in cash games. 
 
LATE SLATE
 
Dustin Pedroia went 3-for-6 with two home runs and five RBIs yesterday against the Braves. He is absolutely locked in. If you haven’t played him through this huge run where he has gone 15-for-34 (.441 AVG) with three homers, a triple, four doubles, nine RBIs, and eight runs scored, it probably makes some sense to consider it tonight with the shorter slate, and rock solid matchup.
 
Jonathan Schoop may just be the 2nd best option at second base in the late slate. Yeah, you can pay up for Dee Gordon, but this could be a good opportunity to save some cash for your other positions. Schoop has the power upside that we covet in the middle infield, and has a decent matchup against John Danks. 
 
THIRD BASE                
    Probable 2015 Regular Season2016 Regular SeasonSalaries
PlayerTeamBatsOppPitcherThrowsH/ABAVGHROPSH/ABAVGHROPSFDDK Aces
Maikel FrancoPHIRWSHTanner RoarkR85-for-304.28014.84023-for-79.2915.852350038004950
Chris CoghlanOAKLDETAnibal SanchezR110-for-440.25016.78410-for-62.1614.599240030004300
Matt CarpenterSTLLARIRubby De La RosaR156-for-574.27228.87119-for-75.2533.891410044005150
Jake LambARILSTLMichael WachaR92-for-350.2636.71621-for-71.2963.935300033004300
 
EARLY SLATE
 
Maikel Franco has hits in seven of his last eight games, where he has gone 11-for-34 (.324 AVG) with three homers and nine RBIs. And if you’re wondering, the answer is no. No, I do not think Tanner Roark repeats what he did last week against the Twins. 
 
Chris Coghlan came into the A’s/Tigers series pretty hot, but that’s completely out the door considering he has gone 0-for-10 through the first three games of the series. Nonetheless, with the A’s extremely thin in the infield, he should still get the start today, and provides a good amount of salary relief if you’re looking to pay up for Arrieta. He is 2-for-3 with a homer against Anibal Sanchez in his career. 
 
LATE SLATE
 
Matt Carpenter just consistently fills up the box score. He has reached base safely TWELVE TIMES in the last four games. Stating the obvious here, but that’s GOOD. And to think, he gets an even better matchup tonight against Rubby De La Rosa. 
 
Jake Lamb will be back in the 2-hole in front of Paul Goldschmidt tonight against the righty, Michael Wacha. Lamb lost some momentum with all of the lefties that the D-Backs have been seeing, but he still continues to put up numbers when he’s in the lineup. 
 
SHORTSTOP                
    Probable 2015 Regular Season2016 Regular SeasonSalaries
PlayerTeamBatsOppPitcherThrowsH/ABAVGHROPSH/ABAVGHROPSFDDK Aces
Marcus SemienOAKRDETAnibal SanchezR143-for-556.25715.71514-for-70.2005.698270030004300
Cristhian AdamesCOLSPITJuan NicasioR13-for-53.2450.6004-for-24.1670.452250025004000
Aledmys DiazSTLRARIRubby De La RosaR----29-for-62.46841.323330036004350
J.J. HardyBALRCHWJohn DanksL90-for-411.2198.56416-for-63.2542.744280027004400
 
EARLY SLATE
 
Marcus Semien is all about upside given his power from the shortstop position. He will face Anibal Sanchez, who currently has a 4.83 xFIP combined with a 40.4% fly ball rate. 
 
Cristhian Adames may be back in the lineup today, and may be a must play if you have Jake Arrieta in your lineup. He took advantage of a good opportunity on Tuesday with his first start in Coors in quite sometime, going 2-for-3 with two walks. 
 
LATE SLATE
 
Aledmys Diaz appears to be some supernatural, freak, human-being. We can debate all we want about whether or not this is legit enough for season-long leagues, but if you’ve been playing him in DFS, you’ve probably made a good deal of money. Diaz has gone 13-for-22 (.591 AVG) with two homers, two doubles, five RBIs, and seven runs scored over his last FIVE games. And yes, he is leading all of Major League Baseball with that .468 AVG. What?!
 
J.J. Hardy is back to being featured in the Hitting Coach with his great matchup against John Danks. Hardy is 9-for-25 (.360 AVG) with a home run, four doubles, and four RBIs against Danks throughout his career. 
 
OUTFIELD                
    Probable 2015 Regular Season2016 Regular SeasonSalaries
PlayerTeamBatsOppPitcherThrowsH/ABAVGHROPSH/ABAVGHROPSFDDK Aces
Bryce HarperWSHLPHIAaron NolaR172-for-521.330421.10921-for-66.31891.252570052006200
Josh ReddickOAKLDETAnibal SanchezR143-for-526.27220.78121-for-76.2764.823350037004650
Gerardo ParraCOLLPITJuan NicasioR159-for-547.29114.78024-for-84.2862.743350042005200
Matt JoycePITLCOLTyler ChatwoodR43-for-247.1745.5649-for-27.33321.130330026004700
J.D. MartinezDETROAKChris BassittR168-for-596.28238.87922-for-75.2933.827290039005200
Jorge SolerCHCRMILTaylor JungmannR96-for-366.26210.72310-for-54.1852.596240034004350
Mookie BettsBOSRATLJhoulys ChacinR174-for-597.24218.82026-for-96.2714.779450052005500
Christian YelichMIALLADKenta MaedaR143-for-476.3007.78226-for-70.37111.003350037004650
David PeraltaARILSTLMichael WachaR144-for-462.31217.89325-for-90.2762.826340036004750
Matt Holliday STLRARIRubby De La RosaR64-for-229.2794.80415-for-63.2383.850300038004500
Jackie Bradley Jr.BOSLATLJhoulys ChacinR55-for-221.24910.83217-for-71.2391.689270033004100
Carl CrawfordLADRMIAJose FernandezR48-for-181.2654.7074-for-14.2860.690230025004000
 
EARLY SLATE
 
Bryce Harper should be highlighted for those of you looking to fade Jake Arrieta today. He is 5-for-7 (.714 AVG) with two homers and four RBIs against Aaron Nola over the last two seasons. That’s definitely good enough for Team BvP. 
 
Josh Reddick is 11-for-30 (.367 AVG) with a homer, double, five runs scored, and two stolen bases in his last seven games. 
 
Gerardo Parra looks like he has locked in a spot as the Rockies leadoff hitter until Charlie Blackmon comes back. Parra is 9-for-21 (.429 AVG) with a home run, two doubles, six RBIs, and two stolen bases in his last four games. He has four hits in 14 at-bats against Juan Nicasio, and all four of those hits were doubles. 
 
Matt Joyce may be a DFS option again today at Coors. With the 12-inning game last night, Joyce may get the start over Marte or Polanco, and has a good matchup against Juan Nicasio, who he has gone 3-for-5 (.600 AVG) against throughout his career. 
 
J.D. Martinez has a history of hitting homers in bunches. He’s coming off a monster of a game where he went 2-for-3 with a home run, double, walk, four RBIs, and two runs scored. His price point has become very reasonable, and I think he has to be in play today. 
 
Jorge Soler is a great source of salary relief on FanDuel where he is just $2400. It also doesn’t hurt that Taylor Jungmann has been awful against righties so far this season, allowing right-handed hitters to hit .342/.426/.700 with a .465 wOBA. 
 
LATE SLATE
 
Mookie Betts has been rolling lately. He is 14-for-38 (.368 AVG) with two homers, two triples, two doubles, five RBIs, three stolen bases, and 12 runs scored over his last eight games. 
 
Christian Yelich will absolutely be underowned tonight, and could be a key component in a winning GPP lineup. While Aledmys Diaz leads the league with his .500 OBP, Yelich is right behind with an amazing .489 OBP. His approach to the plate has definitely improved from last season, and his patience could come into handy against the crafty Kenta Maeda. 
 
David Peralta is 8-for-26 (.308 AVG) with two homers, a triple, and two doubles, and five RBIs in his last six games. 
 
Matt Holliday’s FanDuel price seems to fluctuate like a sumo wrestler’s heart rate, but it’s at a good point right now at $3000. It’s not even like he’s struggling right now, but he gets the reasonable price combined with that good matchup against Rubby De La Rosa.
 
Jackie Bradley Jr. is putting up a run that reminds me of his tear late 2015. Yeah, it’s not that great, but i’ll take 8-for-31 (.258 AVG) as long as he’s able to put up the homer, triple, three doubles, four RBIs, and five runs scored. 
 
Adam Jones has fallen to $2600 on FanDuel. He has just not had a good season, but we all know what he is capable of doing at the plate. Perhaps a date with John Danks can turn his frown upside down? Believe it or not, this is the first time, ever, I am listing a player to persuade you not to use him. John Danks may suck. Adam Jones may have upside. But I’m never, ever going to play a guy who is sucking this bad, and is 1-for-33 (.030 AVG) against the opposing pitcher. 
 
Carl Crawford has been activated from the Disabled List, and provides extremely good value if you’re looking for a punt play. He is a solid 4-for-8 (.500 AVG) with a stolen base in his career against Jose Fernandez. 
 
Be sure to keep an eye on the Fantasy Alarm Daily Lineups page to confirm that your players are starting.
 
If you guys have any questions, you can always reach me on Twitter @kle18. Good luck!