Fantasy baseball is about adapting to change, whether it's do to injury or performance. Keeping up with the Jones', DraftDay.com has decided to change things up in their partnership with BaseballGuys by offering a new contest for you to enter in daily fantasy baseball.
*** After detailing the game I'll list for you some of the best plays of the day at the bottom of the piece.
MLB Rapid Fire Game at DraftDayThere are five 1-on-1 matchups for Friday's MLB Games (this contest is obviously for Friday, not Thursday). If you're able to go 3-for-5, come on you can do that, you will double your entry fee (the cost is just $1.10 to enter).
What's the Special Offer?DraftDay.com is offering a 100 percent money-back guarantee if you don't win (two or less correct picks) your Rapid Fire game this Friday (only on $1.10 level).
Too good to be true? Hardly. Here are the rules.1. Make your picks and enter for $1.10 (only the $1.10 is eligible for money-back offer). 2. If you don't have a DraftDay account, make one when prompted.
For those who feel think a mere 3-for-5 day is too simple you can play DraftDay's Rapid Fire Max games where if you go 5-of-5 your winnings end up being 20 times your entry fee (there's no refund action in this game though).
When is This Contest?Picks have to be submitted by first pitch on Friday. You can edit your player selections up until game-time.
So to enter the contest click on this link to DraftDay.com. Come on folks, if John Buck can go 3-for-5 so can you.
THURSDAY MATCHUPS
For those of you looking for some help for today, here are some solid matchups.
CATCHERS1. J.P. Arencibia2. Miguel Olivo
JPA has gone deep and produced six hits in 12 at-bats against Hiroki Kuroda. JPA also blasted his AL leading 8th bomb Wednesday.
Olivo owns Edwin Jackson in their limited battles. Olivo has gone deep twice with six RBIs as he has produced four hits in just eight at-bats.
FIRST BASE1. Mike Napoli2. Greg Dobbs
Not only is Napoli hitting .274 with an .889 OPS but his total of 26 RBIs leads baseball.
Dobbs has only nine at-bats against Edwin Jackson (two hits), but he's always been a better hitter against righties in his career. Honestly, it's not like that is really saying that much.
SECOND BASE1. Steve Lombardozzi2. Jamey Carroll
It looks like Lombardozzi might get a chance to start at second base for the Nationals as Danny Espinosa's struggles continue (.155/.197/.293 in 58 ABs). Lombardozzi is batting .345 and gets to face Bronson Arroyo, not exactly the toughest right in the game (Lombardozzi's OPS is .096 points higher versus righties than lefties in his career).
Carroll has three hits, two runs and an RBI in his last two games and in his career against the Rangers he has hit .360 with a .875 OPS over 86 at-bats. I know, pretty impressive for a guy who owns a career mark of .697 in the OPS column.
THIRD BASE1. Josh Donaldson2. Manny Machado
Machado gets to face the struggling Parker of the Athletics while Donaldson faces the Orioles Hammel. Donaldson has five hits and four RBIs in his last three games and Machado has 10 hits in his last seven games while he has driven in seven runners.
SHORTSTOP1. Josh Rutledge2. Robert Andino
Rutledge is 4-for-9 against the D'backs Cahill and he has a hit in 5-straight. He’s also gone deep three times, while stealing five bases, in 20 games. The 18 runs scored is also an impressive mark (eight in eight games).
Andino was named the starter for the Mariners after the team grew a bit weary of Brendan Ryan's poor hitting. It's not like Andino is an accomplished hitter in his own right, but he is batting .364 the past week and he does have one hit in three at-bats against the Angels' Richards.
OUTFIELD1. Vernon Wells2. Ichiro Suzuki
Both of the Yankees outfielders get to face Mark Buehrle, a pitcher they both own. Wells has been insanely effective against MB hitting, get this, .489 with two bombs in 47 at-bats. Ichiro has only hit .431 against MB in 51 at-bats. Slacker.
STARTING PITCHERS1. Hiroki Kuroda2. Kevin Slowey3. Garrett Richards4. Trevor Cahill
Kuroda faces the Blue Jays, a team he held to one run back on April 20th over 7.1 innings. In four career starts against the Jays he has a 3.65 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 4.40 K/BB ratio.
Slowey has a 1.90 ERA and 1.23 WHIP through four starts, and in each game he has held the opposition to two or fewer runs. He doesn't beat himself with six walks on the year, and for what it's worth his one start against the Cubs he punched out 10 batters in six innings.
Richards faces the Mariners a team he has racked up 14 Ks an a 3.27 ERA against over 11 career innings. Richards also had a 2.55 ERA and 0.68 WHIP over 17.2 innings this season.
Cahill has a tough matchup against the Rockies, but he's pitching at home where he has had success this season (3.50 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 18 Ks in 18 IP). He also held the Rockies to three earned runs in seven innings the last time he faced the Rockies, and that was in Colorado.
By Ray Flowers