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If you played Saturday’s slates I think you will find Sunday’s is vastly different. Catcher is shaping up to be pretty weak, but as with every Sunday, that will depend on which starters get the day off. There will undoubtedly be some surprises when the lineups are announced, so be sure to keep an eye on FantasyAlarm’s lineups page.
CATCHER
| Prob Pit | 2015 | 2016 | ||||||||||||||
| Player | Tm | Bat | P | Opp | Pitcher | Throws | AVG | OBP | SLG | AVG | OBP | SLG | wOBA | FD | DK | Aces |
| Geovany Soto | LAA | R | C | TEX | Cole Hamels | L | 0.22 | 0.3 | 0.41 | 0.33 | 0.38 | 0.59 | 0.42 | 2400 | 2700 | 3750 |
| Stephen Vogt | OAK | L | C | HOU | Doug Fister | R | 0.26 | 0.34 | 0.44 | 0.25 | 0.3 | 0.45 | 0.32 | 3000 | 3400 | 4200 |
Geovany Soto has been very good in limited opportunities this season, and he should start Sunday after Carlos Perez got his fifth consecutive start Saturday. Soto is batting .333 in limited opportunities this season.
Stephen Vogt got Saturday off, so you can plug him into your lineup with confidence Sunday. Vogt has a .763 career OPS against righties.
FIRST BASE
| Prob Pit | 2015 | 2016 | ||||||||||||||
| Player | Tm | Bat | P | Opp | Pitcher | Throws | AVG | OBP | SLG | AVG | OBP | SLG | wOBA | FD | DK | Aces |
| Freddie Freeman | ATL | L | 1B | CHI | John Lackey | R | 0.28 | 0.37 | 0.47 | 0.26 | 0.37 | 0.41 | 0.34 | 3200 | 4000 | 4750 |
| Anthony Rizzo | CHI | L | 1B | ATL | Julio Teheran | R | 0.28 | 0.39 | 0.51 | 0.22 | 0.38 | 0.58 | 0.4 | 4700 | 5100 | 5700 |
| Victor Martinez | DET | B | DH | MIN | Ricky Nolasco | R | 0.25 | 0.3 | 0.37 | 0.33 | 0.39 | 0.65 | 0.43 | 3300 | 3800 | 4700 |
| Prince Fielder | TEX | L | 1B | LAA | Garrett Richards | R | 0.31 | 0.38 | 0.46 | 0.21 | 0.27 | 0.31 | 0.24 | 3000 | 4000 | 4650 |
Freddie Freeman has recovered from a slow start, going 10-for-19 with two home runs over his current five-game hitting streak. Freeman is 5-for-8 in his career against John Lackey.
Anthony Rizzo Has hits in seven of his last eight games, with five home runs over that span.
Victor Martinez continued his hot hitting with a 2-for-4 effort Saturday. He is 5-for-11 against Ricky Nolasco.
Prince Fielder is 9-for-23 against Garrett Richards, and Fielder has a run and an RBI in three of his last four games.
SECOND BASE
| Prob Pit | 2015 | 2016 | ||||||||||||||
| Player | Tm | Bat | P | Opp | Pitcher | Throws | AVG | OBP | SLG | AVG | OBP | SLG | wOBA | FD | DK | Aces |
| Ben Zobrist | CHI | B | LF | ATL | Julio Teheran | R | 0.27 | 0.35 | 0.45 | 0.26 | 0.4 | 0.36 | 0.34 | 3300 | 3900 | 4650 |
| Johnny Giavotella | LAA | R | 2B | TEX | Cole Hamels | L | 0.27 | 0.32 | 0.38 | 0.18 | 0.2 | 0.26 | 0.21 | 2200 | 2800 | 3500 |
| DJ LeMahieu | COL | R | 2B | ARI | Shelby Miller | R | 0.3 | 0.36 | 0.39 | 0.29 | 0.35 | 0.43 | 0.34 | 2900 | 3200 | 4650 |
| Ian Kinsler | DET | R | 2B | MIN | Ricky Nolasco | R | 0.3 | 0.34 | 0.43 | 0.33 | 0.37 | 0.5 | 0.39 | 4100 | 4300 | 5250 |
| Derek Dietrich | MIA | L | 3B | MIL | Wily Peralta | R | 0.26 | 0.35 | 0.46 | 0.28 | 0.38 | 0.58 | 0.4 | 2100 | 3600 | 3850 |
Ben Zobrist moved back up to third in the batting order with Kris Bryant out, and he has increased value so long as he stays there.
Johnny Giavotella may be facing a tougher lefty than he was Saturday, but so long as his price is low and he is batting second, his DFS value remains high.
DJ LeMahieu is 5-for-11 with a home run against Shelby Miller.
Ian Kinsler is 7-for-17 against Ricky Nolasco, and 7-for-23 over the last week.
Derek Dietrich led off Saturday with Dee Gordon suspended, and Dietrich will remain valuable if he bats first again. Dietrich is 5-for-10 in his career against Wily Peralta.
THIRD BASE
| Prob Pit | 2015 | 2016 | ||||||||||||||
| Player | Tm | Bat | P | Opp | Pitcher | Throws | AVG | OBP | SLG | AVG | OBP | SLG | wOBA | FD | DK | Aces |
| Eugenio Suarez | CIN | R | SS | PIT | Jeff Locke | L | 0.28 | 0.32 | 0.45 | 0.27 | 0.32 | 0.45 | 0.34 | 3000 | 4200 | 4700 |
| Nick Castellanos | DET | R | 3B | MIN | Ricky Nolasco | R | 0.26 | 0.3 | 0.42 | 0.36 | 0.38 | 0.56 | 0.4 | 3200 | 3400 | 4600 |
| Martin Prado | MIA | R | 3B | MIL | Wily Peralta | R | 0.29 | 0.34 | 0.39 | 0.4 | 0.44 | 0.48 | 0.4 | 3000 | 3900 | 4150 |
| Evan Longoria | TB | R | 3B | TOR | Marcus Stroman | R | 0.27 | 0.33 | 0.44 | 0.23 | 0.26 | 0.42 | 0.28 | 2700 | 3200 | 5000 |
Eugenio Suarez is 5-for-9 with a home run against Jeff Locke, and he has returned to batting second with Brandon Phillips back in the lineup.
Nick Castellanos is 8-for-15 over his current four-game hitting streak, which includes three consecutive multi-hit games.
Martin Prado is 12-for-23 in five games since returning from the paternity list, and he has batted second in all of those games. He is 5-for-16 against Wily Peralta.
Evan Longoria is 5-for-9 with a home run against Marcus Stroman, and Stroman isn’t exactly scary with his 4.37 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 35 innings this season.
SHORTSTOP
| Prob Pit | 2015 | 2016 | ||||||||||||||
| Player | Tm | Bat | P | Opp | Pitcher | Throws | AVG | OBP | SLG | AVG | OBP | SLG | wOBA | FD | DK | Aces |
| Javier Baez | CHI | R | 2B | ATL | Julio Teheran | R | 0.29 | 0.33 | 0.41 | 0.31 | 0.36 | 0.48 | 0.36 | 2500 | 3100 | 3700 |
| Carlos Correa | HOU | R | SS | OAK | Rich Hill | L | 0.28 | 0.35 | 0.51 | 0.27 | 0.37 | 0.44 | 0.35 | 4100 | 4300 | 5600 |
| Zack Cozart | CIN | R | SS | PIT | Jeff Locke | L | 0.26 | 0.31 | 0.46 | 0.36 | 0.36 | 0.56 | 0.39 | 3200 | 3400 | 4350 |
Javier Baez should continue to play third base and bat fifth or six while Kris Bryant is out. Baez’s strikeout rate makes him risky, but his price is low and he has hit 11 home runs in 340 career plate appearances.
Most of the top shortstops are facing the top pitchers Sunday, with the notable exception of Carlos Correa. Correa has a .888 OPS against lefties in his career.
Zack Cozart has hit safely in six of his last seven games, and now he gets to face weak lefty Jeff Locke.
OUTFIELD
| Prob Pit | 2015 | 2016 | ||||||||||||||
| Player | Tm | Bat | P | Opp | Pitcher | Throws | AVG | OBP | SLG | AVG | OBP | SLG | wOBA | FD | DK | Aces |
| Nick Markakis | ATL | L | RF | CHI | John Lackey | R | 0.3 | 0.37 | 0.38 | 0.3 | 0.41 | 0.43 | 0.37 | 3200 | 3700 | 4600 |
| Tyler Naquin | CLE | L | CF | PHI | Vince Velasquez | R | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.48 | 0.33 | 2200 | 2600 | 3900 | |||
| Jerry Sands | CWS | R | 1B | BAL | Ubaldo Jimenez | R | 0.24 | 0.29 | 0.39 | 0.29 | 0.35 | 0.42 | 0.32 | 2000 | 3100 | 3000 |
| Enrique Hernandez | LA | R | 2B | SD | Drew Pomeranz | L | 0.31 | 0.35 | 0.49 | 0.27 | 0.37 | 0.44 | 0.37 | 2300 | 3200 | 4500 |
| Yasiel Puig | LA | R | RF | SD | Drew Pomeranz | L | 0.26 | 0.32 | 0.44 | 0.25 | 0.31 | 0.4 | 0.31 | 2900 | 4500 | 5350 |
| Danny Santana | MIN | B | SS | DET | Mike Pelfrey | R | 0.22 | 0.24 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.33 | 0.38 | 0.33 | 2500 | 2500 | 4050 |
| Coco Crisp | OAK | B | LF | HOU | Doug Fister | R | 0.18 | 0.25 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.31 | 0.42 | 0.32 | 3000 | 3300 | 4300 |
| Nori Aoki | SEA | L | LF | KC | Ian Kennedy | R | 0.29 | 0.35 | 0.38 | 0.21 | 0.3 | 0.29 | 0.26 | 2900 | 3100 | 4300 |
| Seth Smith | SEA | L | LF | KC | Ian Kennedy | R | 0.25 | 0.33 | 0.44 | 0.3 | 0.42 | 0.54 | 0.4 | 3100 | 3000 | 4300 |
Nick Markakis is batting .338 in 68 career at-bats against John Lackey. Over the last week Markakis is batting 10-for-29.
Tyler Naquin is 5-for-10 in his last three starts, and he has an excellent chance to bat fifth again while Mike Napoli sits with the Indians in a National League ballpark.
Jerry Sands started at designated hitter Saturday with Avisail Garcia out, going 2-for-4. Ubaldo Jimenez has allowed at least eight baserunners in every start this season, which gives Sands some value.
Kike Hernandez led off the last time the Dodgers faced a lefty, and that gives him tremendous value considering he has a .468 career wOBA against lefties.
Yasiel Puig has a .372 wOBA against lefties, and unlike Hernandez, Puig probably won’t be lifted for a pinch-hitter late in the game.
I was wrong on Danny Santana Saturday, but I am willing to give him a pass Sunday if he leads off against Mike Pelfrey.
Just about everyone is worth considering against Doug Fister these days, but Coco Crisp is 6-for-15 against him, making him a bit more attractive.
Norichika Aoki and Seth Smith are 6-for-13 and 7-for-24 respectively against Ian Kennedy. They will likely bat one and two against Kennedy Sunday.
Player News
Wilyer Abreu went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, three RBI, and two runs scored in a 6-4 victory over the Rangers on Wednesday.
Not only was Abreu productive, but he was also clutch. His first long ball tied this game at two. Then, his run-scoring double tied it at three and nearly gave his Red Sox the lead before Kristian Campbell was thrown out at home. His eighth inning home run was less dramatic, just adding insurance to the lead. A funny note though, this was the third multi-homer game of Abreu’s career and all three have come against the Rangers. Nevertheless, his strong start has blended nicely into a tremendous season and the Red Sox would be hard-pressed to take his .980 OPS out of the lineup any time soon.
Aroldis Chapman allowed a hit, a run, and a walk with a strikeout to nail down the save against the Rangers on Wednesday.
It’s never easy for Chapman who allowed a home run to Josh Jung and then let Corey Seager come to the plate as the tying run, but he managed to get the job done. He threw four pitches harder than 102 mph in this outing too, including a season-best 103.8 mph on his sinker. At times, he seems ageless and has a firm hold on closer duties in Boston.
Tanner Houck allowed six hits and two earned runs with two walks and two strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Red Sox on Wednesday.
Coming off his best start of the season last week against the Blue Jays, Houck just couldn’t keep the good times rolling. The Rangers put traffic on the bases in each inning besides the first, Houck was lucky to escape the third with just one run home after he made a throwing error, and Adolis García barely snuck a homerun around the foul pole in the fourth. Then, he was chased in the fifth after allowing two hits and a sacrifice fly. Again, Houck has refused to adjust against left-handed batters just throwing sinkers and sweepers to them repeatedly. His plan was simply to throw those pitches harder – they got up to 97 mph and 86 mph respectively – but that still puts him in a difficult spot against them. He’ll head to Detroit for his next scheduled start against the Tigers.
Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters Hunter Greene (groin) will be re-evaluated on Thursday
Francona added that Greene felt a grab, not a pop, while warming up for the fourth inning of Wednesday’s start against the Braves. The 25-year-old fantasy ace will undergo further evaluation and testing to determine the severity of the issue, but it sounds like the Reds don’t believe it’s too serious and there’s an outside chance he’ll make his next start. There should be a definitive update on his status at some point in the coming days.
Josh Jung went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double on Wednesday against the Red Sox.
Dropped to ninth in the order of late, Jung hasn’t been as bad as that ‘demotion’ would indicate. His power has lagged a bit – this homer was only his third of the season – despite him missing a week with an injury, but he’s barreling the ball better than he ever has in his career and dropped his strikeout rate for what would be the third consecutive season if he keeps it up. He’s a better option than his surface stats, especially in a weak third base landscape.
Tyler Mahle allowed four hits and two runs with one walk and zero strikeouts over five innings in a no-decision against the Red Sox on Wednesday.
Mahle cruised besides for two solo home runs by Alex Bregmana and Wilyer Abreu in the fourth inning. That being said, Mahle did not have his swing-and-miss stuff working with a shocking zero strikeouts. He forced just four whiffs, which made this his third time in four starts where he forced six or fewer whiffs. While he still has a sterling 1.48 ERA, it feels as if some serious regression is coming soon. It may not come next start though, as he’s scheduled to face the Rockies at home at the front of a two-start week that will end with the Astros coming to town.