The more successful daily fantasy baseball teams are not always the ones filled with obvious names. When looking to fill out a lineup for Tuesday’s contests, you shouldn’t be afraid to find some cheaper talent to allow you to spend big in other places.
Pitchers to Draft
Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics ($10,100)
The Houston Astros have a lot of exciting young players, but they also swing and miss a lot. This is good for Sonny Gray, who has been pitching like a legitimate Cy Young candidate this season.
Although Minute Maid Park is a tougher location for pitchers than he is used to in Oakland, Gray should be just fine with his 1.61 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. Add in the fact he has at least nine strikeouts in each of his last three games, and he is worth the price.
Miguel Gonzalez, Baltimore Orioles ($6,200)
While Miguel Gonzalez has put up a few duds this year, he has been great at home, totaling a 2-0 record with a 2.18 ERA in three starts. This technically doesn’t include his 7.2 shutout innings as the “home” team playing a game in Tampa Bay in early May.
Against a Seattle Mariners team that has struggled to get on base all year, Gonzalez could be a nice sleeper pick.
Pitchers to Avoid
Gio Gonzalez, Washington Nationals ($9,000)
All of the nice things said about Miguel Gonzalez can be repeated about Gio Gonzalez. He has been inconsistent but had a few good games at home. If you’re lucky, you can catch him during a great performance where you can carry your team into the money.
Unfortunately, the Nationals starter has allowed four earned runs or more in three of his seven starts, including his last time out. For a hefty portion of your budget, you might be better off going with a safer option, especially in a 50-50 type of contest.
Yordano Ventura, Kansas City Royals ($6,600)
A turnaround is eventually coming for Yordano Ventura. He is a talented young pitcher with nasty stuff and will at some point improve upon his 5.36 ERA. At the current price, fantasy owners are going to get a great value.
As enticing as it is, though, it’s impossible to recommend picking a player who hasn’t had a quality start in any of his last three appearances. Wait for better days with Ventura.
Hitters to Draft
Ryan Howard, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies ($4,400)
Despite the recent hot streak, the Philadelphia Phillies don’t have enough lineup depth to recommend stacking your team with their players. Although, this would be a great opportunity playing at a hitter’s park like Coors Field against an uninspiring starter like Chad Bettis.
Still, players like Freddy Galvis ($4,200) and Ryan Howard could be quality plays, especially considering the first baseman’s recent quality run of hitting with a few extra-base hits mixed in.
Delino DeShields, 2B/OF, Texas Rangers ($3,900)
Sometimes, you just have to run with a hot streak and hope it keeps going. Delino DeShields wasn’t expected to do much as a Rule 5 pickup this offseason, but he has been incredible over the past few weeks. As Jared Sandler of 105.3 The Fan noted, a patient approach has turned things around:
This has led to an incredible May with DeShields batting .333 with a .458 on-base percentage to go with eight stolen bases. This will help your fantasy team as long as he keeps it up.
Hitters to Avoid
Michael Brantley, OF, Cleveland Indians ($5,300)
Despite the fact the left-handed hitter has been crushing fellow lefties this year, it’s only a matter of time until Michael Brantley falls back to his career totals of solid, but not great, production against southpaws. After facing Chris Sale Monday, things don’t get any easier against Chicago White Sox starter Jose Quintana and his .094 opponent batting average against lefties.
Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado Rockies ($4,700)
While he is always more productive at home, Troy Tulowitzki‘s recent quad injury has seemingly kept him from being the elite shortstop he has been in past years. Even if he does play, it doesn’t make sense to spend this much money for a struggling hitter against a surprisingly effective Aaron Harang.
Team to Stack
Oakland Athletics
When you take a team full of quality hitters and put it in a much smaller ballpark, it can lead to some big performances throughout the lineup. Houston Astros starter Roberto Hernandez shouldn’t prevent a strong showing from top names like Stephen Vogt, Josh Reddick, Marcus Semien and others.
Note: All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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