DFS MLB Hitting Coach: August 26

    We have a full slate of games this Friday night with more than a handful of pitchers that were not on their team’s original starting rotation.  Tonight is also a good night for redemption.  There were a good amount of players in plus matchups yesterday that disappointed, and their matchup tonight is just as good if not better.  That idea starts with Toronto tonight.  They have the highest run total again tonight, and your reason not to go back to them should not be, “Cause they lost for me last night.”  The same goes for Arizona as well as Washington.  Good luck!

Catcher

Cash Play:  Gary Sanchez is the best hitting catcher in the game with a reasonable price tag still next to his name.  He has 8 HR’s over his last 10 games, and have reached base safely in all 10.  I can make a case for other catchers to play for cash games, but hard to fade Sanchez outside of on possibly Aces. 

GPP plays:  I’m not a fan of the Yankees in general so Sanchez works better for cash games for me.  Take your pick of the multiple catchers in roughly the same salary range, pair them with another few players from their team, and you have a solid catcher option. Those four are Russell Martin, Welington Castillo, Victor Martinez, and Evan Gattis.  I like them in that order given.  If you aren’t a stack player, Buster Posey has a great price on DK, and has recorded at least 2 hits in five of his last nine games.  Will probably be forgotten about as well. 

Value Plays: While there may be a value catcher once lineups come out, the lowest I’m looking at now is Yadier Molina.  He is coming off of a 7-12 series against the Mets, and faces a very hittable lefty tonight. 

First Base

Cash Plays:  Take your pick of Edwin Encarnacion, Joey Votto, David Ortiz, or Paul Goldschmidt.  All of them are very much in play.  Votto had an O’fer yesterday after recording 5 hits and 6 RBI’s over his previous two games.  He faces a pitcher who has given up 17 hits with 4 HR’s over his last 10 innings.  Votto has a great price on FD, but will avoid elsewhere for cash.  Edwin is on a nice five game hit streak, and Toronto looking to blast off vs the lefty Dean tonight.  Ortiz is 3-6 with a HR off Kennedy, and on an 11 game hit streak if you don’t include his pinch hit out last game.  Goldschmidt disappointed big time last night, but gets a big opportunity to bounce back vs a lefty he is 1-2 with a HR against.

GPP Plays: While all of the above work as gpp targets, I’ll also look to target Chris Davis and Mike Napoli.  Davis is your HR or bust type guy that does have 6 HR’s over his last 9 games with only 3 hits not going deep (2 of them doubles).  Napoli faces the lefty Perez who he is 3-4 lifetime against.  Looking for his first HR and second XBH since August 11^th, and thinking it comes tonight.

Value Play:  Sticking with Josh Bell in the value spot again.  He reached base 3 times all via walks last night, and has reached base safely in all five games he started since being called up. 

Second Base  

Cash plays:   Depending on how much salary you have to spare may help decide the route you take at second tonight.  Both Daniel Murphy and Brian Dozier are your top priced options both in nice spots.  Dozier has been swinging a hot bat lately with 5 hits and 5 runs over his last three games, and has taken Liriano deep before.  Murphy disappointed last night with only an rbi double, but faces a weak righty tonight.  If going cheaper on FD and DK, you also have Jose Altuve and Dustin Pedroia.  Altuve is always in play vs a lefty, and is 3-5 off the one he faces tonight.  Pedroia is 3-4 off Kennedy, and has 5 hits and 2 SB’s over his last two games. 

GPP plays: I like the opportunity for both Brandon Phillips and Jean Segura in  Arizona tonight.  Segura has at least two hits in five of his last nine games, and while Phillips is riskier than Segura, the Red’s offense can put up some runs tonight.    

Value Plays:  Depending on the lineup order, Mondesi can be in play as well as Phillip Gooselin.  I’ll only be using him in an Arizona stack since I like Phillips for slightly more.    

Third Base

Cash Plays:  I feel that Josh Donaldson is by far the top third base play tonight.  Donaldson will probably be highly owned again with the Jays high run total.  He also hasn’t had a multi-hit game since August 3^rd , but his one hit last night went deep.  On FD and Aces, you can possible take a short look at Wilmer Flores for cash, but probably best used in gpps.  He had two hits last night, and has taken Morgan deep in one of his two at bats vs him.

GPP plays: Anthony Rendon and Evan Longoria make for nice pivots off of Donaldson. Rendon disappointed last night recording only a single, but has had at least one XBH in five of his last 8 games before that.  Longoria is 1-2 with a HR off Fiers, and while he isn’t on a team that is stackable, Longo has either a double or homer in 5 of his last 6 games. 

Value Play:  Flores is my favorite value play on FD and Aces, but on DK, I will have some exposure to Brandon Drury if in the lineup as part of an Arizona stack.

Shortstop

Cash Plays: With two singles yesterday, Trea Turner now has 10 hits over his last three games.  Add in SB and power potential, plus a matchup vs a weak righty, and Turner is almost a must play across the board tonight.  Usually will add a secnd option, but not going to try to second guess myself here.  I’m not sure if I would use him either as 2B or OF on DK, but leaning towards OF.

GPP Plays: Turner may actually be the most popular gpp play again tonight, but also looking to target Jonathan Villar as a pivot option just like last night.  His seven game hit streak ended last night with an 0-5 performance which hopefully will keep some off of him.  Carlos Correa has a great DK price if targeting the Astro’s tonight.  Feeling like a broken record that I wish I didn’t own, but Troy Tulowitzki has a great FD price in a great matchup on paper, but when in a similar spot last night, went 0-4.  Will only use him in a Jay’s stack, but felt he was worth the mention.  Brandon Crawford paired with Posey would work for a little late night hammer option.  He broke out of a 0-10 slump with 2 hits last night, and Vegas giving the Giants a slightly higher than usual run total at home tonight.

Value Play:   Not really seeing a crazy low punt option at the moment so best to wait until lineups come out if looking to fully punt SS tonight.

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Outfield

Cash Plays:  Outfield is pretty loaded tonight, and ownership may be pretty spread out.  Bryce Harper is close to a must on FD tonight at his price.  He’s recorded two hits in each of his five of last six games, and is up against a weak righty tonight.  Jose Bautista’s ninth inning rbi double saved him from being a huge disappointment last night.  I think he performs much better tonight if given the opportunity to bat leadoff again.  He’s 1-3 with a HR off Dean.  While I like J.D., Justin Upton comes with a very nice price on DK.  He’s 9-22 with a HR off Nolasco.  Two likely leadoff hitters I can see in cash lineups are Dexter Fowler and Billy Hamilton.  Fowler is 5-9 with 6 walks lifetime vs Norris.  Hamilton hasn’t done much of anything lately, but Cincy in a great spot tonight.  Both Andrew McCutchen and teammate Gregory Polanco are in play as well.  Both have taken Garza deep before, and Vegas expecting the Pirates to score more than their usual tonight.

GPP Plays:  All of the above work for gpps, especially paired with others in mini team stacks such as Harper with Werth, J.D. with Upton, and McCutchen with Polanco.  Nelson Cruz and the Seattle OF may be a solid wildcard play.  Sale has given up the long ball in bunches if he is off his game.  Cruz is 7-19 with 2 HR’s off Sale. 

Value Plays: Drury works on sites where he is OF eligible, but as I wrote yesterday… With this being the homestretch for the season, multiple OF value plays should pop up when lineups come out.  Best to keep your eye out to see who may be worth the punt.