The regular season has less than three weeks left before the postseason begins, but there is still plenty of time left for daily fantasy baseball. Whether owners have already found success or finally build up a bankroll before the season ends, Monday night has options for any strategy.
Only a handful of top players can be targeted in order to build a balanced lineup. But with so many options at the top of the price sheet, here’s a look at the ones that are worth the price on DraftKings, along with a strategy for owners to thrive.
Top Pitching Target: Cole Hamels, Texas Rangers ($10,500)
Welcome back to Texas, Cole Hamels. Over his last two starts, the new ace for the Rangers has not been sensational, allowing a total of seven earned runs with 11 strikeouts. But both of those games were away from Globe Life Park.
Now with an extra day of rest, Hamels can resume his superb season against a huge hit-or-miss team. The Houston Astros may be 11 games over .500, but they are also second in MLB in strikeouts (1,248) as a team. With Hamels getting closer to another 200-strikeout season, he’s a smart start on Monday with the price truly matching the production owners should expect.
Top Infielder: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks ($5,000)
Paul Goldschmidt was going through a slight slump last week before facing the Los Angeles Dodgers. Let’s just say Goldy got right against the Blue Crew, finishing with an average of 11.3 fantasy points per game with a homer and two doubles in the three-game series.
Now the Diamondbacks stay home against James Shields and the Padres. Sure, Shields might be an imposing starter, but Goldschmidt has enjoyed success against him. With three hits in five at-bats, including a homer, look for Goldschmidt to keep streaking for fantasy owners.
Top Outfielder: Yoenis Cespedes, New York Mets ($5,600)
Since being traded to the Mets, it’s hard to think of another player who has been as consistently hot as Yoenis Cespedes. The key trade piece in multiple deals over the last two seasons, Cespedes possibly landed in a perfect situation with New York.
Over his last 10 games, Cespedes has an average of 15.8 fantasy points per game. That also includes Sunday, when Cespedes got just one at-bat. Going with the hot hand seems like a wise option. When you consider he’s going up against a struggling starter on the mound and that he’s finally returning home, Cespedes should be the top option for any owner.
Strategy: Mashing Mets
Speaking of the Mets, Cespedes isn’t the only hot bat in that lineup. New York has pummeled starting pitching recently, averaging seven runs per game over its seven-game winning streak.
The aforementioned starter whom Cespedes and the Mets will be facing is the Miami Marlins’ Justin Nicolino, who surrendered five runs over 4.1 innings in his last outing. His first start against the new-look Mets should end in similar fashion if New York brings out the same lumber it did in the sweep of the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves.
With Cespedes coming at such a high price, David Wright ($4,300), Daniel Murphy ($3,500) or Curtis Granderson ($4,400) all seem like reasonable options. The Mets may have a 9.5-game advantage over the Nats, but this team isn’t slowing down before the playoffs.
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