Welcome back to yet another edition of Sunday Funday with daily fantasy baseball still in full swing. The playoffs are fast approaching, but the pennant races haven’t slowed down. This, of course, means there is still plenty of opportunities to earn wads of cash on DraftKings.
But before any lineups are locked in, take a look at these bargains and sleepers for the August 23 slate of games.
Pitcher: Ryan Vogelsong, San Francisco Giants ($6,000)
Will the real Ryan Vogelsong please stand up? If the pitcher we’ve seen over the last two starts is real, Vogelsong is a steal for any owner on Sunday. What’s more impressive is that the last outing came against the St. Louis Cardinals on the road.
After allowing just one earned run over his last two starts, Vogelsong is beginning to round back into form for the Giants to close out the season. Going up against the Pittsburgh Pirates, look for Vogelsong to outperform his salary and shut the door to tie the series up at two games apiece.
First Baseman: Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians ($3,900)
Carlos Santana isn’t exactly the most consistent option at first base, but the Cleveland Indians slugger has found patience at the plate recently. During the weekend series against the New York Yankees, he’s averaging over eight points per contest with three walks and a home run in three games.
Those certainly aren’t stats that will wow owners, but he also has a great matchup on Sunday. Facing off with C.C. Sabathia, Santana is batting .385 against him during his career. With a history against the southpaw, expect solid production from Santana on Sunday.
Second Baseman: Chris Coghlan, Chicago Cubs ($3,400)
Here’s a perfect example of a player who simply performs well when he has the right matchup. Chris Coghlan has been horrific against left-handed pitchers this year but is destroying righties recently. Oh, and he had four home runs in six games before Saturday.
Considering the fact that he has not slowed down against Atlanta with two double-digit fantasy-point performances already, look for big things from Coghlan again. And with rookie Matt Wisler taking the mound, this should be another mammoth game for the Cubs’ infielder.
Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki, Toronto Blue Jays ($3,500)
It seems strange to say that Troy Tulowitzki is a bargain option, but here we are. The Blue Jays’ newest shortstop is averaging 7.7 fantasy points but has struggled somewhat against righties. But even with Garrett Richards toeing the rubber, Tulo is a great start for the price.
At a salary of $3,500, Tulowitzki has a chance to still make a huge impact against Richards. While he is hitting just .266 against right-handed hurlers, 12 of his 15 homers have come against them. Lock Tulo into your lineup with the expectation that he will be consistent with the potential for another long ball.
Outfielder: Nick Markakis, Atlanta Braves ($3,600)
For the final spot on this Sunday’s list, Nick Markakis fills the role of a bargain outfielder to a tee. The Braves offseason acquisition has been hitting around .300 all year, but he is recently heating up. His seven hits over the last four games make him a great find below the $4,000 price point.
With those seven hits, Markakis has three doubles, four RBI and three runs. The Braves haven’t won a single game during his hot streak, but Markakis seems to keep on producing. Regardless of the outcome for Atlanta on Sunday, Markakis will show up and show out for DraftKings owners.
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