Tonight, we have a smaller 10-game DFS MLB slate that has a roster lock of 7:05 PM ET/4:05 PM PT.
The most important game for DFS purposes is probably going to be the Blue Jays/Rockies for obvious reasons, but there are plenty of other matchups that are quite favorable.
You’ll definitely want to keep an eye on weather as the Mets/Nationals and Indians/Braves games may deal with weather issues throughout the night. Again, keep a close eye on things as we near roster lock just to be safe.
As always, players are placed in order based on highest to lowest salaries using FanDuel pricing. For any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to reach out on Twitter @kle18, or visit the Fantasy Alarm Forums.
| CATCHER | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Team | Bats | Opp | Opp Pitch | AB | H | HR | R | RBI | BB | SB | AVG | OPS | ISO | BABIP | wOBA | LD% | Hard% | Z-Cont% | FD | DK | Aces |
| Brian McCann | NYY | L | TEX | Chi Chi Gonzalez | 198 | 44 | 10 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 0 | .222 | .731 | .187 | .241 | .317 | 17.2% | 35.1% | 91.0% | $3,100 | $4,800 | $4,750 |
| Cameron Rupp | PHI | R | ARI | Robbie Ray | 174 | 47 | 7 | 16 | 18 | 6 | 1 | .270 | .789 | .213 | .336 | .335 | 18.3% | 31.0% | 81.8% | $3,000 | $3,800 | $3,550 |
| Tony Wolters | COL | L | TOR | Marco Estrada | 107 | 23 | 1 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 3 | .215 | .618 | .103 | .272 | .277 | 19.0% | 19.8% | 86.5% | $3,000 | $2,400 | $4,350 |
| Chris Gimenez | CLE | R | ATL | John Gant | 60 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 0 | .200 | .574 | .117 | .227 | .252 | 19.6% | 34.8% | 85.9% | $2,000 | $2,000 | $3,750 |
Brian McCann, like most of the Yankees, had a terrible Sunday just struggling to figure out Tyler Duffey of the Twins. I would have been more upset if his donut led to us not cashing, but it all worked out well. It doesn’t change the fact that Chi Chi Gonzalez had a brutal 5.26 xFIP in 2015, and faces McCann who has been at his best at home against righties.
Cameron Rupp has quietly hit three homers over his last four games. When you consider that he gets a matchup against Robbie Ray, who has been awful at Chase Field this season, and someone who Rupp has gone 2-for-3 against with a triple, it absolutely would not shock me if Rupp is able to extend that run.
Tony Wolters had the game of his life on Saturday, going 3-for-3 with his first career homer, a double, and four RBIs. He is at a very good price throughout the industry and could be a cheap way to get some exposure to Coors.
Chris Gimenez will likely get the start tonight considering his success as Trevor Bauer’s personal catcher. Sometimes the best place to punt a position is at catcher and it always helps when that catcher plays for the hottest team in baseball. Gimenez is a minimum salary on both DraftKings and FanDuel, and should get plenty of run-producing opportunities tonight.
| FIRST BASE | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Team | Bats | Opp | Opp Pitch | AB | H | HR | R | RBI | BB | SB | AVG | OPS | ISO | BABIP | wOBA | LD% | Hard% | Z-Cont% | FD | DK | Aces |
| Brandon Belt | SF | L | OAK | Daniel Mengden | 255 | 78 | 10 | 38 | 38 | 44 | 0 | .306 | .941 | .227 | .347 | .398 | 28.4% | 35.0% | 86.4% | $3,900 | $4,400 | $4,900 |
| Albert Pujols | LAA | R | HOU | Collin McHugh | 284 | 68 | 14 | 30 | 48 | 30 | 2 | .239 | .724 | .173 | .230 | .311 | 14.5% | 33.3% | 91.9% | $3,500 | $3,700 | $4,650 |
| Tommy Joseph | PHI | R | ARI | Robbie Ray | 119 | 29 | 8 | 15 | 15 | 3 | 1 | .244 | .743 | .244 | .253 | .308 | 18.7% | 38.5% | 84.4% | $3,000 | $3,100 | $3,900 |
| Prince Fielder | TEX | L | NYY | Ivan Nova | 265 | 56 | 7 | 22 | 39 | 25 | 0 | .211 | .622 | .128 | .228 | .271 | 19.5% | 27.6% | 91.8% | $2,400 | $3,300 | $4,450 |
Brandon Belt has had a sensational 2016 and most people don’t even realize it. Anyone who bats .306/.408/.533 with 10 home runs deserves some attention and when you add to the fact that he’s hitting .341/.402/.646 with five of those homers in June, then yes, feel free to roll him out in your lineups against a rookie right-hander.
Albert Pujols is coming off of a promising last three games in the Angels’ previous series against the A’s. Pujols went 6-for-15 (.400 AVG) with a couple home runs over those three games, and looks to be in good shape to continue to rise up in the record books.
Tommy Joseph will be more of a DraftKings play at just $3100, which is a better value than the $3000 he’s priced at on FanDuel. Joseph has been rock solid this season and has doubled in each of his last two games.
Prince Fielder is looking really good at the plate and is even working with an 8-game hitting streak while homering twice in his last three games. Nevertheless, FanDuel still has him at just $2400, which is ridiculous considering he has homered off of Ivan Nova in the past, and he has batted .354/.426/.646 with four homers in 48 career at-bats at Yankee Stadium throughout his career.
| SECOND BASE | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Team | Bats | Opp | Opp Pitch | AB | H | HR | R | RBI | BB | SB | AVG | OPS | ISO | BABIP | wOBA | LD% | Hard% | Z-Cont% | FD | DK | Aces |
| Jose Altuve | HOU | R | LAA | Matt Shoemaker | 297 | 103 | 13 | 54 | 44 | 38 | 18 | .347 | .987 | .215 | .349 | .414 | 27.3% | 34.9% | 91.2% | $4,200 | $4,800 | $5,450 |
| Neil Walker | NYM | S | WSH | Joe Ross | 245 | 65 | 14 | 30 | 30 | 23 | 1 | .265 | .791 | .196 | .288 | .336 | 21.6% | 36.1% | 87.7% | $3,500 | $3,400 | $4,750 |
| Daniel Descalso | COL | L | TOR | Marco Estrada | 44 | 16 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 0 | .364 | .962 | .136 | .417 | .413 | 29.7% | 29.7% | 87.7% | $2,900 | $3,100 | $3,900 |
| Logan Forsythe | TB | R | BOS | Eduardo Rodriguez | 177 | 51 | 5 | 24 | 15 | 17 | 4 | .288 | .829 | .181 | .359 | .358 | 26.3% | 34.6% | 83.8% | $2,800 | $4,200 | $4,600 |
Jose Altuve has had quite the time against Matt Shoemaker throughout his career, going .429/.529/.929 with a couple homers against the Angels right-hander.
Neil Walker will continue to get a close look on DraftKings where he remains underpriced. While he has regressed since his dominant April, he still provides a good amount of upside, having hit 14 home runs so far this season.
Daniel Descalso has performed well in limited action this season. With DJ LeMahieu seemingly ailing with a knee contusion, it’s either going to be Descalso or Cristhian Adames getting the opportunity at 2B.
Logan Forsythe, as most people know, crushes lefties. Nonetheless, he gets a great matchup against a southpaw in Eduardo Rodriguez, who has given up a pitiful 6.41 ERA, 5.56 xFIP, and 2.36 HR/9 this season.
| THIRD BASE | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Team | Bats | Opp | Opp Pitch | AB | H | HR | R | RBI | BB | SB | AVG | OPS | ISO | BABIP | wOBA | LD% | Hard% | Z-Cont% | FD | DK | Aces |
| Josh Donaldson | TOR | R | COL | Jon Gray | 281 | 81 | 17 | 62 | 47 | 49 | 5 | .288 | .960 | .274 | .311 | .405 | 23.8% | 42.0% | 85.1% | $5,000 | $5,600 | $5,900 |
| Jake Lamb | ARI | L | PHI | Vince Velasquez | 249 | 71 | 15 | 39 | 51 | 29 | 3 | .285 | .934 | .285 | .335 | .391 | 20.9% | 41.2% | 85.8% | $4,200 | $4,800 | $5,000 |
| Evan Longoria | TB | R | BOS | Eduardo Rodriguez | 286 | 77 | 18 | 41 | 43 | 24 | 0 | .269 | .850 | .255 | .301 | .354 | 21.0% | 40.2% | 79.8% | $3,600 | $4,700 | $5,350 |
| Wilmer Flores | NYM | R | WSH | Joe Ross | 125 | 30 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 1 | .240 | .677 | .128 | .267 | .297 | 20.2% | 21.2% | 84.7% | $2,000 | $2,600 | $3,900 |
Josh Donaldson has seven multi-hit games over is last 10, which adds up to a solid 17-for-38 (.447 AVG) with two homers, a triple, three doubles, seven walks, 10 runs, and five RBIs. Combine that hot bat with Coors Field and I’d say his presence in this article is quite obvious.
Jake Lamb went 9-for-17 with two homers, a triple, a double, and five RBIs when the D-Backs faced the Phillies about a week ago in Philly. He is ultra expensive tonight and has a questionable matchup against Vince Velasquez thanks to their lack of previous meetings together, but again, the PITCHf/x data suggests it’s a good matchup for Lamb. Velasquez predominately throws a fastball and a curveball, which are Lamb’s two best pitches to face against throughout his career.
Evan Longoria doesn’t look right at the plate, but I’m not sure it matters tonight considering he gets to face a southpaw in Eduardo Rodriguez who is giving up a .387 wOBA and has allowed all seven homers to right-handed hitters.
Wilmer Flores remains an interesting punt play on FanDuel where he is still at a minimum price of $2000. Based on this season’s PITCHf/x data, he looks like he matches up reasonably well against Joe Ross, and he’s coming off of a solid series in Atlanta, where he reached base six times in 12 plate appearances over his three starts.
| SHORTSTOP | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Team | Bats | Opp | Opp Pitch | AB | H | HR | R | RBI | BB | SB | AVG | OPS | ISO | BABIP | wOBA | LD% | Hard% | Z-Cont% | FD | DK | Aces |
| Francisco Lindor | CLE | S | ATL | John Gant | 283 | 88 | 10 | 49 | 39 | 27 | 12 | .311 | .843 | .163 | .329 | .359 | 21.5% | 26.6% | 90.2% | $4,100 | $4,800 | $5,150 |
| Troy Tulowitzki | TOR | R | COL | Jon Gray | 192 | 42 | 11 | 22 | 29 | 20 | 1 | .219 | .732 | .214 | .237 | .313 | 10.6% | 33.8% | 81.8% | $3,800 | $4,300 | $5,150 |
| Trevor Story | COL | R | TOR | Marco Estrada | 288 | 78 | 19 | 47 | 50 | 27 | 5 | .271 | .898 | .288 | .355 | .375 | 23.4% | 43.9% | 80.8% | $3,600 | $5,000 | $5,300 |
| Addison Russell | CHC | R | CIN | Dan Straily | 241 | 58 | 7 | 29 | 40 | 31 | 2 | .241 | .719 | .145 | .319 | .312 | 24.2% | 27.5% | 77.7% | $2,900 | $4,000 | $4,600 |
Francisco Lindor has a great matchup against John Gant from a PITCHf/x perspective. Over 80 percent of Gant’s pitches are either the fastball or the changeup, and they happen to be Lindor’s two best pitches to hit against. He is coming off of a nice last couple games in Detroit where he went 5-for-9 (.556 AVG) with two homers, four runs, and two RBIs.
Troy Tulowitzki makes his long-awaited return to Coors Field. Tulo batted .321/.394/.558 while hitting 106 home runs in just under 2000 career at-bats at Coors since making his Major League debut all the way back on August 30, 2006. The numbers support going with the other three shortstops in my article, but the intangibles say that there’s no one else in Major League Baseball who will take at bats as meaningful as the ones that Tulo will take in Denver.
Trevor Story continues to be criminally underpriced on FanDuel. As I’ve mentioned before, he truly looks more and more comfortable at the plate, and is currently in the middle of a 7-game hitting streak, where he has gone 8-for-22 (.363 AVG) with a homer, three doubles, six walks, nine runs, and five RBIs. He even got promoted to a great spot in the lineup, batting cleanup between Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez.
Addison Russell struggled yesterday against Jose Fernandez of the Marlins, but he had gone into that game, going 9-for-25 (.360 AVG) with two homers, two doubles, and five RBIs over his previous seven games. He was able to homer off of Dan Straily earlier this season and is a decent price on FanDuel and Aces.
| OUTFIELD | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Team | Bats | Opp | Opp Pitch | AB | H | HR | R | RBI | BB | SB | AVG | OPS | ISO | BABIP | wOBA | LD% | Hard% | Z-Cont% | FD | DK | Aces |
| Charlie Blackmon | COL | L | TOR | Marco Estrada | 247 | 75 | 12 | 45 | 39 | 24 | 6 | .304 | .885 | .215 | .320 | .376 | 26.8% | 36.5% | 91.3% | $4,400 | $5,200 | $5,650 |
| Mike Trout | LAA | R | HOU | Collin McHugh | 281 | 88 | 16 | 53 | 52 | 47 | 10 | .313 | .962 | .238 | .350 | .404 | 22.1% | 39.6% | 88.4% | $4,300 | $4,900 | $5,450 |
| Ian Desmond | TEX | R | NYY | Ivan Nova | 295 | 95 | 13 | 54 | 49 | 23 | 13 | .322 | .898 | .203 | .389 | .381 | 23.3% | 32.6% | 80.0% | $4,100 | $4,800 | $4,850 |
| Carlos Gonzalez | COL | L | TOR | Marco Estrada | 287 | 91 | 16 | 49 | 43 | 20 | 2 | .317 | .923 | .244 | .373 | .387 | 21.8% | 34.1% | 81.1% | $4,100 | $5,300 | $5,800 |
| Shin-Soo Choo | TEX | L | NYY | Ivan Nova | 63 | 17 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 3 | .270 | .862 | .175 | .304 | .382 | 16.7% | 40.8% | 88.6% | $3,300 | $3,800 | $4,500 |
| Lonnie Chisenhall | CLE | L | ATL | John Gant | 162 | 47 | 3 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 3 | .290 | .803 | .160 | .331 | .343 | 26.5% | 25.6% | 90.8% | $3,300 | $3,000 | $3,700 |
| Lorenzo Cain | KC | R | STL | Adam Wainwright | 278 | 80 | 8 | 37 | 38 | 19 | 6 | .288 | .752 | .129 | .348 | .323 | 23.7% | 30.7% | 87.3% | $3,100 | $3,400 | $4,850 |
| Angel Pagan | SF | S | OAK | Daniel Mengden | 165 | 49 | 3 | 28 | 24 | 12 | 7 | .297 | .765 | .127 | .329 | .328 | 27.3% | 28.7% | 92.9% | $2,900 | $3,500 | $4,400 |
| Jay Bruce | CIN | L | CHC | Jake Arrieta | 265 | 74 | 17 | 44 | 58 | 18 | 3 | .279 | .909 | .302 | .300 | .375 | 23.3% | 39.8% | 86.0% | $2,600 | $4,100 | $4,900 |
| Michael Bourn | ARI | L | PHI | Vince Velasquez | 117 | 30 | 2 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 6 | .256 | .680 | .111 | .337 | .297 | 28.4% | 30.2% | 87.9% | $2,500 | $3,800 | $4,100 |
| Tommy Pham | STL | R | KC | Danny Duffy | 17 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .235 | .866 | .353 | .200 | .362 | 33.3% | 23.1% | 86.4% | $2,100 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Bryce Brentz | BOS | R | TB | Blake Snell | 11 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .364 | 1.000 | .273 | .429 | .423 | 12.5% | 25.0% | 75.0% | - | $2,000 | $3,000 |
Charlie Blackmon is currently on the streak of his lifetime. He is working on a 7-game hitting streak where he has had six multi-hit games while going 14-for-33 (.424 AVG) with five homers, a double, three walks, nine runs, and nine RBIs.
Mike Trout was one of my favorite plays yesterday and is one of my favorite plays today. He has multiple hits in each of his last four games and has actually gone 3-for-5 with a homer in each of his last two games.
Ian Desmond should be in consideration today, because simply, when you’re hot you’re hot. The former Nat has been outstanding lately. He is currently working on an 8-game hitting streak, where he has gone 12-for-28 (.428 AVG) with three homers and five RBIs. I absolutely see that trend continuing considering he has gone 3-for-5 with a homer against Ivan Nova in their previous meetings.
Carlos Gonzalez had a pretty typical home series against the D-Backs where he went 6-for-15 (.400 AVG) with a homer, three doubles, and five RBIs.
Shin-Soo Choo does not have a good history against Ivan Nova, but I’m not sure it matters, because he has been en fuego. Over his last 10 games, Choo has gone 13-for-40 (.325 AVG) with two homers, two doubles, and two stolen bases. I know Nomar Mazara is a cheaper option tonight, but I think Choo is just too reliable and too little of a price bump to ignore.
Lonnie Chisenhall might just be the hottest hitter in the Indians lineup. Over his last five games, he has gone 9-for-20 (.450 AVG) with a homer, two triples, a double, and six RBIs. He’s only $3000 on DraftKings, so if you’re in need of a punt play, I’m not sure it gets better than that.
Lorenzo Cain went 5-for-9 (.556 AVG) with two doubles over the last two games of his series against the Astros. His price remains quite deflated throughout the industry and can help you get some reliability and upside at a reasonable price.
Angel Pagan is also working on a 7-game hitting streak, where he has gone 12-for-29 (.414 AVG) with a homer, three doubles, five runs, and nine RBIs.
Jay Bruce and the Reds definitely have the toughest matchup of the night against Jake Arrieta and the Cubs, but their prices are so deflated that, to a certain degree, they must have some consideration. Bruce doesn’t have a good history against Arrieta, but has had the best June of all the Reds on the roster, batting .293/.337/.641 with seven home runs, two triples, and seven doubles over 92 at-bats.
Michael Bourn may have earned some extra playing time after a sensational series in Colorado where he went 6-for-15 (.400 AVG) with a homer, two doubles, four RBIs, and three stolen bases. Most importantly, it does appear that Bourn is back in the 2-hole hitting in front of Goldy.
Tommy Pham is not known for his power, but he surprisingly hit two homers in yesterday’s firestorm against the Mariners. I really think he’s going to be in the lineup again tonight, and his extremely cheap price can help you roster some of the big boys at pitcher.
Bryce Brentz has hits in each of his three MLB games this season and capped it off with a home run last night in Arlington. He’ll most definitely be in the lineup tonight against the southpaw, Blake Snell. If you need salary relief, here’s a solid min-priced option. Not available on FanDuel though.
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!