Kuzul

Blue is the color in baseball this postseason. The final four teams remaining all have blue as their primary team color. The Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays fell by the wayside, leaving two survivors.

The New York Mets will represent the National League against the American League’s Kansas City Royals in what could be an epic World Series.

Here’s the schedule for the entire series, per MLB.com

Schedule

• Game 1: at Kansas City, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 8 p.m. ET on FOX
• Game 2: at Kansas City, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 8 p.m. ET on FOX
• Game 3: at New York, Friday, Oct. 30, 8 p.m. ET on FOX
• Game 4: at New York, Saturday, Oct. 31, 8 p.m. ET on FOX
• Game 5 (if necessary): at New York, Sunday, Nov. 1, 8 p.m. ET on FOX
• Game 6 (if necessary): at Kansas City, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 8 p.m. ET on FOX
• Game 7 (if necessary): at Kansas City, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 8 p.m. ET on FOX

Players to Watch

Daniel Murphy

Pitching has been the Mets’ most high-profile quality this postseason. Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard have been dominant. Even with their excellent play, a blazing hot position player is the man to watch.

It’s almost impossible to imagine someone being hotter than Daniel Murphy. The New York Mets’ 30-year-old second baseman has been an exemplary player and leader throughout the postseason. He’s homered in six straight games and seven times in the postseason overall.

Murphy is hitting .421, and he’s driven in 11 runs in nine playoff games. Per Peter Botte of New York Daily News, Murphy was asked by reporters, what planet he’s from. Murphy said: “Earth … planet Earth … Jacksonville, Florida. You guys get to use all the adjectives, that’s above my pay grade.”

It’ll be tough for Murphy to maintain the pace he’s set for himself, but there’s no question the Mets organization and its fans hope it lasts another series.

Alcides Escobar

Many times, an effective leadoff man wreaks havoc with his legs and on-base percentage, drawing walks on a consistent basis. American League Championship Series MVP Alcides Escobar hasn’t drawn a walk or stolen a base yet in the postseason.

He’s instead done his work with the bat.

His batting average in the postseason is .386, and his on-base percentage is still .408 despite not receiving a walk. Escobar has only been in two postseasons in his career, but he has created a habit of playing big when it matters most.

In 26 postseason games, Escobar is hitting .330 with a .348 on-base percentage. Royals manager Ned Yost knows the 28-year-old Venezuelan can be inconsistent during the regular season, but the lifetime .262 hitter flips the proverbial switch in the postseason.

Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), Yost said: 

“He’s such a talented player. But with the grind of a 162-game season, there are little periods where his focus will tend to waver a little bit. But during the playoffs, he just locks in. And when he’s focused, he’s as good as any player in the league.”

Leading up to the ALCS, Escobar has proven his manager correct.

X-Factors

David Wright

There was a time when David Wright would’ve been in the section just above this one. Wright was one of the game’s top hitters in the mid-2000s, but injuries have threatened his career and made him a decreased version of who he was before.

Against the Cubs, he scored five runs in four games, as he was routinely on base for Murphy’s heroics. Wright is hitting just .167 in the postseason, but he must continue to be willing to take walks so that he can give Murphy and Yoenis Cespedes opportunities to drive in runs.

Wright must also continue to play high-level defense at third base. A leaping catch in Game 4 against the Cubs helped stuff a potential Chicago rally.

Wright’s role may not be the same one he was expected to play in 2006—when he struggled to a .216 batting average in the playoffs—but the Mets still need him to do his part for this team.

Ben Zobrist

There was quite a competition for Ben Zobrist‘s services earlier this season, per CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman. The Royals won the derby as they completed a deal with the Oakland Athletics for the 34-year-old veteran. Zobrist has paid major dividends, especially in the postseason.

He is hitting .326 with 10 runs scored, and he has driven in six runs in the playoffs. His production has only augmented the work from Escobar.

The Royals’ lineup doesn’t have big boppers with 30 home runs. This group is a sum of its parts, and Zobrist‘s role as a No. 2 hitter has fit in perfectly. He must continue to usher RBI opportunities to Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain and Kendrys Morales if the lineup is to continue functioning like a well-oiled machine.

Prediction

If a team is looking to string together huge innings against the Mets’ stellar pitching staff, it won’t find success. The top three starters are too good for teams to expect to tally multiple hits against them in an inning.

The Royals have a lineup that is capable of playing small ball and even hitting the occasional, timely long ball. That’s the best profile to get to the Mets’ young stud pitchers.

Top to bottom, the Royals’ staff can’t match the Mets’ young and nasty group. However, the experience and chemistry of the Royals’ staff—and team as a whole—will prove to be too much.

The Royals will capture the World Series title that eluded them last season in an entertaining series that ends in six games.

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There are just two games on the docket for the early MLB DraftKings contests. That means you’ve got close to a 25 percent chance to pick the right guy at each position. The short recommendation is to stack Houston Astros hitters with a sprinkle of Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox bats. Read on for more detailed advice.

Here’s a breakdown of the best picks to make.

Attacking Tropeano

I hate to gang up on a guy, but Los Angeles Angels starter Nick Tropeano is the easiest mark among all starting pitchers on Wednesday afternoon.

Tropeano is facing a dangerous Houston Astros lineup, and he hasn’t exactly been on fire this season. He comes into the game with a 5.06 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. As a starting pitcher, opponents are hitting .308 against him.

Those numbers lead you to believe he’ll experience some issues when trying to contain the likes of Jose Altuve ($4,500), Carlos Correa ($4,800) and George Springer ($4,400). Correa is an especially smart pick. The rookie shortstop is having a solid first season and he’s been hot of late. 

In his last seven games, he’s hitting .308 with a home run and four RBI. I like him to produce a strong game on Wednesday.

Dynamic South Side Duo

There was a time when taking two hitters who were set to face Justin Verlander would be a bad fantasy strategy. Those days are gone. Verlander has somewhat rebounded from a tough start to the season, but he’s still a hittable guy.

Two White Sox hitters in particular have had success against him in the past. First baseman Jose Abreu ($4,800) is hitting a scorching .500 against Verlander in 16 career at-bats. Three of his hits have been for extra bases, with two leaving the premises. 

Adam Eaton ($4,100) has been almost as effective in a lead-off man sort of way. He’s 5-for-15 against Verlander in his career, with two doubles and a triple. He’s also on an 11-game hitting streak and is batting .381 in the month of September.

Eaton is a smart pick to click on Wednesday.

Mound Selections

There aren’t any real stud pitchers scheduled to go on Wednesday, but the Astros’ Mike Fiers ($9,200) seems like the most logical pick. While the Angels lineup definitely has some pop, Fiers appears to have the edge over Tropeano in the pitching matchup.

Current Angels hitters are batting just .222 against Fiers in their collective careers, and he has been a little better at home than he has on the road. In Houston, opponents are hitting just .226 against him as opposed to .255 on the road. Likewise, Fiers‘ ERA on the road is 3.80 while it’s 3.48 at home.

To put it plainly, the Astros should win on Wednesday which would give Fiers a better chance to earn the bonus fantasy points for getting the decision.

The biggest gamble in the lineup above is the tabbing of 22-year-old Frankie Montas ($4,000). The White Sox rookie hurler is making his first major league start against a veteran Tigers lineup. While Montas is light on experience, with just eight innings of work over six relief appearances under his belt, he has looked good when he’s taken the ball.

His ERA is just 1.13 and WHIP is 1.25. He’s struck out 10 in those eight innings, and opponents are hitting just .214 against him.

Walks could be an issue, as he’s given up four of them already. However, I’m predicting the lack of familiarity will benefit him, and he’ll give Chicago five strong innings with seven or eight strikeouts, a couple walks and a win.

At $4,000 in DK salary, Montas easily represents the best value on the board today.

Stats per ESPN.com.

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You go against Jake Arrieta ($14,000) these days, you lose. It’s just that simple.

His DraftKings salary is astronomical, but Arrieta gives your lineup the best chance to win on most nights he takes the bump. Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in a huge divisional matchup on Wednesday night, and you’ve got to get him on your team.

ESPN Stats & Info put Arrieta‘s amazing post-All-Star break run into perspective:

He’s 8-1 in his last 10 starts and has averaged 29 fantasy points per game (FPPG) in that time. The Pirates are arguably playing the best baseball in the league, but because of the roll Arrieta is on, he’s the right choice to anchor your lineup.

More Cubs

The Pirates are sending A.J. Burnett to the mound to oppose Arrieta. Burnett has had a good season, but he’s struggled mightily over the last 30 days. In five straight starts, he’s allowed three or more earned runs. When that happens, the ERA obviously suffers. Burnett’s has grown from 2.11 to 3.14 over that stretch.

He will also have two of his nemeses ready to do damage against him. What’s even better for DK owners is both men represent a low-cost, high-reward pick. Translation: It makes paying $14,000 for Arrieta easier to absorb.

Catcher Miguel Montero ($3,100) has faced Burnett nine times in his career, and he’s hitting .556 against him with a double. Starlin Castro ($2,800) is a natural shortstop, but he’s been playing second base of late. He’s tattooed Burnett for a .471 batting average with 16 hits in 34 at-bats.

The Cubs benched Castro earlier this season, but he has responded well when given the opportunity this month. He’s hitting a red-hot .396 in September with a couple of home runs. You can drop him in at shortstop for what could be the highest-value position-player pick of the day.

Bryce Is on Fire

When a player such as Bryce Harper ($5,900) gets hot, you ride him like the thoroughbred he’s proved to be. On Tuesday night, the Washington Nationals star hit his 38th and 39th home runs of the season, drove in four, singled and drew a walk. When the dust settled, he’d produced 37 fantasy points.

Over his last 10 games, Harper is averaging an insane 14.9 FPPG. Who’s going to slow him down? It probably won’t be Alec Asher.

On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies will send the 23-year-old rookie right-hander to the mound, and things could get ugly. Asher’s ERA is 10.67 in three starts. He’s already allowed five home runs in just 14.1 innings pitched.

Did I mention that 32 of Harper’s 39 home runs have come against right-handed pitching? The price is steep, but you need Harper in your DraftKings life.

Cheap Colon

When you splurge on a guy like Arrieta, you’re going to need a productive low-cost second pitcher. The New York Mets’ Bartolo Colon is your guy ($8,100). The 42-year-old veteran is 14-11 this season. He’s allowed just two earned runs in his last five starts. He’s pitched into the seventh inning or further in all but one of those games.

The Mets host the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, and that should only help Colon’s DK value. This season, he’s 4-1 against the Fish with an ERA of 2.33 and a WHIP of 0.99.

Stats per MLB.com. Pricing and scoring info per DraftKings.com.

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It’s OK to leave some money on the board in MLB DraftKings contests on Wednesday.

The best players aren’t the most expensive ones on the schedule. In fact, there’s one game in particular that looks like a good bet to produce a fair number of offensive standouts from budget-friendly position players.

Stack the O’s and Yanks

The pitching matchup in this game features a pair of former All-Stars who have seen better days. The Baltimore Orioles’ Ubaldo Jimenez will face the New York Yankees’ C.C. Sabathia. Both men have been inconsistent all season and have ERAs up over four.

Historically, both opposing lineups have swung the bats well against the hurlers. 

The current O’s lineup is hitting .284 against Sabathia, and the Yankees on the 2015 roster have hit .280 against Jimenez. Specifically, DK players should target the Yankees’ Jacoby Ellsbury ($4,200) and Dustin Ackley, ($2,000) and the Orioles’ Nolan Reimold ($2,000) and J.J. Hardy ($2,400).

Ellsbury and Ackley have done major damage to Jimenez in their careers. Combined, they are 13-for-22 against the 31-year-old Dominican. Ellsbury has hit .636 and slugged .909, while Ackley has an average of .545 and a slugging percentage of .818.

While Hardy and Reimold haven’t feasted on Sabathia quite as much as Ellsbury and Ackley have on Jimenez, there’s no question the duo has gotten the better of the Yanks’ big, 35-year-old veteran.

Hardy has hit .323 against Sabathia with a home run and five doubles in 31 at-bats. Reimold hasn’t had a great season in 2015, but that just means he hasn’t faced Sabathia enough. Reimold has hit .367 with two home runs, two doubles, a triple and five RBI in 30 at-bats against Sabathia in his career.

With so many players seemingly in line for big days at the dish, DK players would be wise to draft a lineup stacked with Orioles and Yankees on Wednesday. Check out the list of optimal picks:

Elsewhere

You have to love the Cincinnati Reds’ Brandon Phillips ($4,100) on Wednesday. Phillips has 12 hits in his last 25 at-bats, and he has hit Pittsburgh Pirates starter J.A. Happ very well.

In 14 career at-bats, Phillips is hitting .500 against Happ with three home runs, two doubles, seven RBI and three walks. As mentioned by Cincinnati Reds Zone, Phillips still has wheels to rack up fantasy points on the basepaths as well:

Unless Happ has somehow cracked the code against Phillips, the latter is poised to put up more solid numbers against the Pirates left-hander.

On the mound, there’s another low-cost, high-reward player to consider. The Boston Red Sox’s Joe Kelly ($6,300) has a tough assignment against the explosive Toronto Blue Jays, but Kelly has been awfully good of late.

He has won seven straight decisions and lowered his ERA in each of his last six starts. Per Boston Sports, the win streak matches a club record:

Don’t be scared off by Toronto in this one. Kelly is locked in and should provide six-plus innings of solid work with no more than two runs allowed.

The other pitching slot is one of the most expensive players available on the day. The Houston Astros’ Collin McHugh ($10,800) will take on the Oakland Athletics. He has pitched well against the A’s this season and in his career.

Current A’s hitters are batting just .188 against McHugh, and his ERA is 2.29 against Oakland in two starts so far this season. We didn’t go big in many spots of the lineup, but McHugh should prove to be worth the investment on Wednesday.

DraftKings salaries are listed in parentheses, and per DraftKings.com

Stats per ESPN.com

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All but one game on a packed Sunday Major League Baseball schedule is a matinee. That means a ton of options for DraftKings players. There’s only so much salary to go around, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed in this situation. 

We can’t go big on every selection. You’re going to need to find some sleepers and bargain options. Here are five for Sunday’s schedule, including a low-cost pitcher to watch on the mound.

Josh Tomlin, SP ($5,600)

In three starts this season, Josh Tomlin is trending upward. He’s gone at least six innings in each start. He and the Cleveland Indians host the struggling Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. The Angels haven’t scored more than three runs in a game in their last four contests.

Tomlin doesn’t walk a ton of hitters. To be specific, he’s issued just two free passes in 19.1 innings. Last but not least, Tomlin strikes out 8.38 batters per nine innings. That’s a big reason he’s averaging 21.7 fantasy points per game this season.

Obviously, that’s not a total you can be completely content with from the pitcher spot, but Tomlin’s low salary gives you some flexibility. Perhaps you want to draft the Chicago Cubs’ Jake Arrieta for $12,400, he and Tomlin’s salaries combined are just $18,000. That’s an average of $9,000 per pitcher spot.

That’s reasonable, as it would allow you to fill a solid lineup of position players as well. 

Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B ($2,900)

When he’s gotten an opportunity to play of late, Lonnie Chisenhall has been on a tear at the plate. In his last 10 games, he is hitting .565, slugging .752 and his OPS is 1.333. Indians in Depth on Twitter offer even more perspective on Chisenhall’s performance in August:

The Indians will face scuffling Angels starter Jered Weaver on Sunday. He’s allowed four or more runs nine times this season. Most recently, Weaver surrendered six earned in his last start against the Detroit Tigers on August 25.

To boot, Chisenhall is hitting .412 in 17 at-bats against him. It seems crazy for the Indians or any DK player not to have him in the lineup on Sunday.

Marcel Ozuna, OF ($3,000)

In his last four games, Marcel Ozuna has been hot.

He’s hitting .375 in that span with three multi-hit games and three extra-base hits. Ozuna’s hot hitting isn’t the only reason to draft him on Sunday. The 24-year-old Miami Marlins outfielder will be facing the Washington Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg, and Ozuna has gotten the better of this matchup in their career meetings.

In 17 at-bats, Ozuna is hitting a paltry .412 with a home run, double, triple and five RBI against Strasburg. With recent success at the plate and positive history against the opposing pitcher, Ozuna could be a steal for $3,000.

Danny Espinosa, 2B/3B ($3,200)

The Marlins may need all they can get from Ozuna. Miami is sending Brad Hand to the mound to face the Nationals, and that could be problematic. 

Current Nationals hitters are batting a combined .326 against Hand. Not least of the bunch is Danny Espinosa. In 11 at-bats against the Marlins left-hander, Espinosa is hitting .455.

Espinosa had a single and scored a run on Saturday. The hit was his first in three games, so he may be breaking out of a slump. Facing Hand could help continue to improve.

Victor Martinez, 1B ($3,400)

The 36-year-old Victor Martinez hasn’t had a very good season for the Detroit Tigers this year. Martinez echoed those sentiments in a quote captured by Matthew B. Mowery of the Oakland Press in Pontiac, Michigan:

Despite his 2015 struggles, Martinez has always hit Toronto Blue Jays starter Mark Buerhle. Guess who the Blue Jays are sending to the mound on Sunday?

In 78 at-bats, Martinez is carrying a healthy .359 batting average against the veteran lefty. He’s slugging .538 against Buerhle and he’s taken him deep four times.

Martinez doesn’t have a recent hot streak to reference, but his overwhelming success, in such a large sample size of at-bats against Buerhle, is reason enough to draft the Tigers veteran.

All stats per DraftKings.com, unless otherwise linked. The head-to-head references per ESPN.com.

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Do you want to draft guys like Zack Greinke ($12,400), Nolan Arenado ($5,200) and Nelson Cruz ($5,400) on Sunday in your DraftKings contest? You’ll need to find productive bargains and sleepers to pull it off.

Drafting these six affordable but productive guys will leave you the room to splurge on the aforementioned stars.

Jedd Gyorko ($3,500), 2B at Colorado Rockies

Any day the Colorado Rockies are at home, it’s permissible to have at least one player from their game in your DraftKings lineup. According to ESPN.com, Coors Field is easily the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the major leagues.

Along with Arenado, DraftKings players might also want to take a strong look at the San Diego Padres’ Jedd Gyorko on Sunday.

Gyorko is on an eight-game hitting streak and facing Rockies left-hander Chris Rusin. Opponents are hitting .313 against Rusin this season. With this matchup taking place at Coors Field, Gyorko is the perfect budget pick at second base.

Torii Hunter ($3,600), OF vs. Cleveland Indians

The ageless Torii Hunter loves to see the Cleveland Indians’ Carlos Carrasco on the mound. The 40-year-old center fielder is hitting .333 against Carrasco in 18 at-bats with a whopping .833 slugging percentage. This matchup couldn’t come at a better time for Hunter.

He has been mired in a slump this month. Hunter hasn’t had a hit since August 7, but this is an ideal spot for him to break out of his funk.

Melky Cabrera ($3,500), OF vs. Chicago Cubs

While Melky Cabrera has cooled off a bit from his red-hot run in July, he’s still one of the Chicago White Sox’s most dependable run producers. In the finale of the Crosstown Classic against the Chicago Cubs, the White Sox will take aim at the very hittable Dan Haren.

To be effective, Haren has to do surgeon-like work off the edges of the plate. Thus his margin for error is slim. Cabrera has done well at making him pay for his mistakes in the past. He’s hitting .313 against Haren in 16 career at-bats.

Cabrera should be in your outfield on Sunday.

Lucas Duda ($4,300), 1B vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

The New York Mets have been tough at home all season. Part of the reason for the team’s success is the power and run production of Lucas Duda. He’s hit 18 of his 21 home runs at Citi Field, and 41 of his 55 RBI have come at home as well.

He’ll be facing the left-handed Jeff Locke on Sunday. Despite hitting from the left side, Duda has had no problems against southpaws. He’s hitting .304 against them and slugging .539.

He’s the most expensive choice on this list, but he should be worth it.

Vidal Nuno ($4,300), SP at Atlanta Braves

The key to this budget lineup paying off is Vidal Nuno. At $4,300, he’s the second-cheapest pitching option available.

He’s listed here for two reasons. First, his strikeout numbers make him a potential fantasy stud. Nuno has 46 strikeouts in just 44.1 innings pitched. Second, there’s got to come a point when the Boston Red Sox offense will slow down.

Over the last two games, the Red Sox have scored 37 runs. The law of averages suggests balance is on the way.

Geovany Soto ($2,500), C vs. Chicago Cubs

Cabrera is not the only player in line to benefit from the Cubs sending Haren to the mound. Geovany Soto is set up to do damage against Haren, too.

Their brief history doesn’t suggest Soto will dominate Haren (0-for-8), but if you take a look at the White Sox catcher’s home run pacing, it’s about time for him to go deep again.

Soto averages a home run every 17 at-bats. That at-bat could easily take place with Haren on the mound. Haren is one of the easiest pitchers in the majors to take deep—he’s given up 24 homers this season.

The stats favor a Soto dinger on Sunday.

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Thursday was International Left-Handers Day, but from the looks of the starting pitchers scheduled to take the mound on Friday, the holiday should have been celebrated a day later.

There are a whopping 11 left-handed starters on tap in the 15 games on the day’s ledger. With so many lefties on the bump, there’s a good chance success in DraftKings contests will ride on the strength or weakness of a southpaw’s arm.

Which pitchers and hitters should you take and avoid? Take a look at the breakdown below.

Players to Target

David Price, SP, Toronto Blue Jays ($12,300) vs. New York Yankees

It’ll cost a pretty virtual penny to draft David Price, but it’ll be worth it. Since joining the Toronto Blue Jays, Price is 2-0. In two starts, he has allowed just one earned run in 15 innings. Price has struck out 18 and walked five. That’s good for an average of 34.6 DK fantasy points per game.

He’ll be facing the New York Yankees on Friday. This will be the second time in a row that Price has pitched against the Bronx Bombers. On August 8, he shut down the Yanks by allowing just three hits and no runs while striking out seven over as many innings.

Normally, the advantage would go to the offense in a rematch such as this—especially when the pitcher dominated the first round—but that’s not the case this time.

In the three-game set against Toronto, the Yankees scored a grand total of one run. Since then, the Yankees bats have come alive a bit against the Cleveland Indians, but they have still only mustered 17 runs in their last eight games.

Can Price and the Jays expect to shut out the Yankees again on Friday? Maybe not, but Price will dominate again en route to a big day for fantasy owners.

Nelson Cruz, OF, Seattle Mariners ($5,600) at Boston Red Sox

No one in the major leagues is on a tear like Nelson Cruz. Not only is he in the midst of a 21-game hitting streak, Cruz has seven home runs already this month—and we’re less than halfway through. ESPN Stats & Info added further perspective to Cruz’s torrid streak:

Those statistics are enough to make him a no-brainer draft choice. However, you might be a little gun-shy because of his hefty DK salary.

Perhaps this last bit of intel will convince you to tab him: In 11 at-bats against the Boston Red Sox starter on Friday, Joe Kelly, Cruz is hitting .455. If that doesn’t convince you, nothing will.

Kendrys Morales, 1B, Kansas City Royals ($4,000) vs. Los Angeles Angels

Whenever the Los Angeles Angels’ Jered Weaver is pitching these days, it’s a good idea to consider the opposition candidates for a fantasy explosion. Weaver hasn’t had a game with 20 or more DK fantasy points since May 25. Four of his last five starts have rendered single-digit fantasy production. 

Kendrys Morales jumps out as a player in position to have a big day at the dish against Weaver.

Morales has pounded the veteran right-hander in his career. In 12 at-bats, Morales is hitting .667 against Weaver. The batting average will get your attention, but when you also consider Morales has yet to strike out against Weaver, the Royals slugger becomes an even more attractive draft option.

If Morales is consistently putting the ball in play, something good is going to happen for him.

Robbie Ray, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks ($7,500) at Atlanta Braves

If you’re looking for the biggest potential bargain of the day, it’s Robbie Ray. He’s another of the 11 lefties on the mound, and he has a favorable matchup against the Atlanta Braves.

Atlanta is 27th in the majors in hitting versus lefties. The team has struggled to score runs overall of late. It has scored seven runs in its last three games—six of those came in its most recent game.

This will be the first time the Braves have seen Ray. That should favor the 23-year-old in his second year in the majors. Despite a modest 3-7 record, Ray has been fairly consistent.

He has lasted at least five innings in all but one of his starts. Friday could be his best start of the season.

Players to Avoid

Max Scherzer, SP, Washington Nationals ($14,600) at San Francisco Giants

There is no way to justify drafting Max Scherzer for near $15,000 in DK salary. If you’re drafting a pitcher with a salary as high as Scherzer‘s, he has to produce at least 35 fantasy points to get a suitable return on investment.

Rarely will you see any player who offers that level of assurance. There was a stretch during this season when Scherzer was dominating opposing lineups. However, his latest work disqualifies him from sensible consideration.

Scherzer hasn’t had a plus-30 fantasy game since July 12. He’s also allowed three or more earned runs in three of his last four starts. That’s not production worthy of 29 percent of your available salary.

Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado Rockies ($5,300) vs. San Diego Padres

The competition for best young third baseman in the major leagues is between the Baltimore Orioles’ Manny Machado, Chicago Cubs’ Kris Bryant and Nolan Arenado. The latter is having a great season with 28 home runs and 82 RBI, but Friday isn’t a good day to draft him.

Usually, a stud like Arenado playing at home at Coors Field would call for an automatic spot in any DK lineup. But Arenado hasn’t had much success against the opposing pitcher.

The San Diego Padres’ Tyson Ross has limited Arenado to just three hits in 17 at-bats. No matter who’s on the mound, the rare air in Colorado can be great for hitters. Ross throws a ton of ground balls, and that’s the best way to maintain control of the game at Coors Field.

In Ross’ last 10 games, two-thirds of the outs he’s recorded have come via the ground ball. He’ll keep Arenado swinging at air or hitting the ball on the ground. The result will be a less-than-stellar fantasy performance from the Rockies star.

Corey Kluber, SP, Cleveland Indians ($10,600) at Minnesota Twins

To put it plain, Corey Kluber is far too inconsistent. He nearly no-hit the Minnesota Twins in his last start, but I wouldn’t draft him on Friday. Kluber has alternated good and bad starts since the middle of July.

When he’s on, he’s a tremendous strikeout pitcher with great fantasy potential. When he’s not, he’s average. With a second look at Kluber in the same week, the Twins will make sure he isn’t even worth his somewhat reasonable DK salary.

Kluber will stick to his recent trend and produce an underwhelming outing on Friday.

Jeff Samardzija, SP, Chicago White Sox ($7,100) vs. Chicago Cubs

After a strong run in July, Jeff Samardzija has seen the wheels fall off in August. In two starts, his ERA is 15.43, and a red-hot Chicago Cubs lineup is coming to U.S. Cellular Field to make matters worse for the team’s former ace.

The Cubs have won seven in a row and are scoring 5.7 runs per game during the streak. That includes a nine-run onslaught on Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

At times, the Cubs have struggled with strikeouts, but Samardzija hasn’t been missing many bats of late. He’s managed just three strikeouts in each of his last two starts. All signs point to the Cubs doing a number on Samardzija in the first of three against their crosstown rivals.

Jaime Garcia, SP, St. Louis Cardinals ($9,800) vs. Miami Marlins

While Jaime Garcia has been good this season with an ERA of 1.77 and WHIP of 0.91, the left-hander will be facing a Marlins team that is hitting .283 against lefties.

Garcia did hold the Fish down back on June 24 when he went seven innings and allowed a run on five hits, but the second time around, the law of averages imply that the Marlins will get the best of him.

Even if Garcia can continue his success against the Marlins, his 46 strikeouts in 66 innings limit his fantasy potential.

Mark Teixeira, 1B, New York Yankees ($4,200) at Toronto Blue Jays

We mentioned earlier that Price has been nasty of late. Above and beyond his recent excellence, the lefty has always given the Yankees’ Mark Teixeira fits. New York’s first baseman is hitting just .200 against Price in 60 career at-bats.

That’s a large sample size accurately conveying who’s the boss in this matchup.

As if there was a need for more evidence that you should pass on Teixeira, here goes: Teixeira is hitting just .175 in August. Stay far away.

Team to Stack

Pittsburgh Pirates

Bartolo Colon gives up a lot of home runs.

To be exact, the hefty right-hander has given up 18 dingers in 134.1 innings. The Pittsburgh Pirates are coming to Citi Field, and they are hitting the ball well. The Bucs have averaged 6.14 runs per game in their last seven games.

Andrew McCutchen, Aramis Ramirez, Chris Stewart, Sean Rodriguez and Pedro Alvarez have hit Colon well in the past. That group is hitting a combined .384 against the 42-year-old veteran. Pittsburgh is the team to lean on if you’re stacking.

All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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There are only four Major League Baseball games on Thursday’s afternoon schedule. Short schedules are ideal for stacking your DraftKings lineup with position players from one team.

This time around, the Chicago Cubs are the team to lean on—hard.

Bleed Cubbie Blue—At Least for Day

The Cubs are among the hottest teams in the majors. They have scored 38 runs in the last seven games.

Chicago will be facing the Milwaukee Brewers and rookie pitcher Tyler Cravy at Wrigley Field. Cravy has struggled in his last two starts. He’s allowed 10 earned runs over that time while pitching just 10 innings. Cravy has just seven strikeouts and three walks with two home runs in that time as well. Perhaps worst of all for Cravy, opponents are hitting .303 against him.

The Cubs come in with multiple players swinging the bat well. Kris Bryant ($4,700) is on a nine-game hitting streak. He homered Wednesday night and is hitting .280 at home, with 13 of his 16 home runs coming at Wrigley.

Anthony Rizzo ($5,300) has cooled off a bit from the tear he was on a couple of weeks ago, but he’s still a problem for Cravy. Rizzo is hitting .351 in his last 11 games. 

Jorge Soler ($3,700) is also swinging the bat well. He had his 10-game hitting streak snapped Wednesday, but he has raised his batting average by seven points since July 30. 

We threw in Miguel Montero ($2,800) (walk-off home run Wednesday) Addison Russell ($3,200) (hit safely in 19 of his last 25 games) and Chris Coghlan ($3,200) as low-cost options who are also in line to put up numbers against Cravy.

One More Cub for the Road

Jon Lester ($10,800) had a rough start to the season, but few pitchers have been more consistent over the last month. In his last 10 starts, Lester has allowed more than two runs just once. In that time, he has averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game and just 1.4 walks.

In his only previous start against the Brewers, Lester went seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits. Lester isn’t the only Cubs pitcher the Brewers have struggled against.

In the last six games against Chicago, the Brewers scored just 13 runs. Milwaukee lost all those games.

Lester should get the run support to feel comfortable on the mound. With a strong performance from the pitcher and the lineup, the Cubs should cruise to a win Thursday.

Jose Bautista is a Must-Have

He’s not a Cub, but you have to draft Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista ($5,600) on Thursday. He’s on an eight-game hitting streak after going 2-for-4 on Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics. Bautista has homered four times during the streak.

To add to Bautista’s draft appeal, he has hammered the A’s scheduled starter for the day. Sonny Gray is undoubtedly one of the game’s best young pitchers, but Bautista is hitting .500 against Gray in 10 at-bats. 

One of his five hits was a home run. The Blue Jays are red-hot. Toronto is the only team in the majors hotter than the Cubs right now, having won 10 in a row. Bautista is more than pulling his weight of late.

One More Jay

Mark Buehrle ($7,600) hasn’t been great this season or even in his last three starts, but he’ll almost always give you innings. 

Only four of Buehrle’s starts this season have been shorter than six innings. In his only start against the A’s this season, Buehrle pitched seven innings, allowing one run and no walks but just three strikeouts.

The performance was good for just 19 fantasy points, but that should be all you need if the Cubs hitters, Lester and Bautista do their jobs.

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DraftKings players dig the long ball.

With one swing of the bat, position players can almost certainly exceed their per-game average for fantasy points and give your lineup a huge boost. When hunting for home run-hitting candidates on Friday’s schedule, you should focus on two matchups.

Of all the pitchers scheduled to throw on Friday, the Toronto Blue Jays’ R.A. Dickey (17) and Chicago White Sox’s John Danks (15) have allowed the most home runs this season. With Dickey taking on the New York Yankees and Danks facing the Kansas City Royals, there are at least two players you may want to target.

Going Deep on Friday?

Alex Rodriguez ($4,700)

He has his haters, but Alex Rodriguez has been outstanding this season with a .284 batting average, 24 homers and 63 RBI. He’s averaging just under nine fantasy points per game, and he’s in a good position to have a strong performance against Dickey on Friday.

A-Rod has faced the knuckleballer 27 times in his career and has produced a .296 batting average against him. Among the eight hits he’s managed, two of them have left the yard. He hasn’t homered since July 27. That’s a span of 10 games.

That’s A-Rod’s second-longest stretch of the season without a homer (he went 13 games without a dinger from May 28-June 12). Against a guy who gives up a ton of home runs—and with the game taking place in a hitter-friendly park like Yankee Stadium—A-Rod’s a good pick to end his homer drought.

Eric Hosmer ($4,500)

The Royals’ slugging first baseman hasn’t taken Danks deep yet in his career, but Friday seems like as good a time as any. The White Sox’s starter has been terribly inconsistent in his last five starts, while Hosmer‘s bat is heating up. Danks has allowed four or more runs in five of his last 10 starts. He’s mixed in some solid performances as well, but he’s truly been a mixed bag.

In his last three games, Hosmer is hitting .500. He hasn’t homered in that stretch. In fact, his last long balls came in back-to-back games on July 27 and 28 against the Cleveland Indians. Like A-Rod vs. Dickey, this looks like the right spot for Hosmer to send a souvenir to fans and a double-digit fantasy performance to DK players who draft him.

Bargain Pitcher

There are seven pitchers with DK salaries of $10,000 or above Friday. Chances are you’re going to have to draft one of them. It’s also likely you won’t be able to take a second one near that cost, which means a lower-salaried pitcher could be the difference between winning and losing a contest.

Here’s a bargain pitcher you might want to think hard about drafting:

Lance Lynn ($9,600)

At just under $10,000 in DK salary, the St. Louis Cardinals’ Lance Lynn could provide a high-value performance against the Milwaukee Brewers. Lynn had a rough start in his last appearance, but that wasn’t indicative of the way he’s pitched most of the season.

In his three starts prior to the 7.3-fantasy-point performance against the Colorado Rockies on August 1, Lynn had averaged 25.7 fantasy points per game.

Facing a Brewers’ offense that has been unpredictable, Lynn is a potential stud for Friday’s game. The Brewers’ bats seemed to awaken in their last series against the San Diego Padres, but prior to that, the team was held to just eight runs in a four-game series against the Chicago Cubs.

In nine games against the Cardinals this season, the Brewers have managed just 2.3 runs per game. Milwaukee has had some success against Lynn this season (.297 batting average against), but according to his track record and the Brewers’ on-and-off offense, the right-hander is due for a strong performance.

Stackable Lineups

Arizona Diamondbacks

Paul Goldschmidt ($5,600) and Co. will take their hacks against the Cincinnati Reds’ Raisel Iglesias. The 25-year-old from Cuba has allowed at least four runs in three of his last five starts and four home runs in that time. On the season, his ERA is 5.13, and though he’s had one solid start in August, he’s coming off a rough month in July. In three starts in July, Iglesias‘ ERA was 6.19.

The Diamondbacks’ bats fell a bit flat Thursday in an 8-3 loss to the Washington Nationals, but the up-and-down Iglesias should be a welcomed sight for the Arizona offense.

Detroit Tigers

The Boston Red Sox’s Joe Kelly has been knocked around in each of his last four starts. He’s given up at least four runs in all of those appearances. As a result, his ERA has ballooned to 6.11.

The Detroit Tigers still don’t have Miguel Cabrera back, but the lineup has enough pop to take advantage of Kelly. Ian Kinsler is hitting .517 in his last seven games. He hit a walk-off home run to beat the Royals on Thursday night.

J.D. Martinez has 29 home runs, and he’s hitting .300 with two long balls in his last nine games. Victor Martinez had two home runs in the aforementioned win over Kansas City. Detroit’s recent offensive success and Kelly’s struggles on the mound make the Tigers a good team to consider tabbing for multiple position players.

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On Monday night, Cincinnati Reds star Todd Frazier mesmerized the hometown fans at Great American Ball Park and the baseball world. Frazier put on a stunning display of clutch slugging to win the revamped 2015 Home Run Derby. What’s even better, he did it with his brother Charlie tossing to him. Fox Sports Ohio captured this image of the Frazier brothers:

Frazier bested Los Angeles Dodgers long-ball prodigy Joc Pederson in the final by the score of 15-14. Here’s a look at Frazier’s round-by-round totals and that of his opponents:

Pushing Past Prince

The first round was a close call for Frazier. Texas Rangers behemoth and two-time champion Prince Fielder put up 13 long balls in a solid performance. Frazier took to the batters box and struggled to find his home run stroke at first.

Just when it was beginning to look as if Frazier would fizzle out in front of the home crowd, he went on a run that saw him tied with Fielder late in the bonus round. With seconds ticking away, Frazier crushed the walk-off home run to inch past the Rangers star into the second round.

Jousting with Josh

Frazier would again need to rally in the second round past Toronto Blue Jays slugger Josh Donaldson. Frazier seemed to be able to rise to the occasion to summon just enough energy from the crowd to knock off his opponents.

Like he had against Fielder and as he would against Pederson in the final round, Frazier inched by Donaldson by one homer, with the final shot coming in the final seconds.

Taming Young Joc

When Pederson‘s round was done, per the ESPN broadcast, he said, at least if Frazier wins, “I made him work for it.” That was certainly the case, as the 23-year-old slugger tied Frazier’s opening round of 14 for the best frame in the contest. At one point, Pederson slugged six straight into the sea of Reds fans to make Frazier’s task look daunting.

Frazier again started slow but caught fire just in time to head into the bonus stage with 14. He didn’t waste time clinching the victory. He clocked his event-winning 15th on his first swing, and the crowd went wild.

Take a look at Frazier’s triumphant moment, per MLB on Twitter:

The New Format is Awesome

In case you aren’t hip to the new HR Derby format and you’re wondering what’s with the head-to-head-matchup talk, Major League Baseball decided to redo the structure of the contest for this year’s event. The 2015 Derby featured tournament-style brackets, timed rounds, 30 seconds of bonus time and a timeout per round for the hitters.

It all worked beautifully. ESPN First Take’s Skip Bayless and ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark were complimentary of the format and Frazier:

There was drama, competition and a sense of urgency. It’s really hard to imagine how it could be done any better. 

What About Next Year?

You know an event was a success when you’re already thinking about next year just hours after the most recent exhibition has wrapped up. 

Pederson looks like a natural for the event, and you have to think he’ll be one of the favorites if he’s healthy and chooses to participate. The All-Star festivities will be held at Petco Park in San Diego, California, in 2016. Perhaps San Diego Padres prospect Yeison Asencio will be with the club and flourishing or current home run leader Justin Upton will take his swings.

After seeing the support Frazier got from the crowd, it would seem every hometown star would want a piece of that energy.

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