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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