Thursday features four MLB games in the afternoon and eight at night. Clayton Kershaw is an easy No. 1 choice among the eight starting pitchers available in early contests, but his $14,700 salary will likely have DraftKings daily fantasy players searching for a cheap second arm.
In the evening, a Chicago ace can be had for an unusually low price, while a Boston rookie takes the field swinging a red-hot bat.
Here is a selection of sleeper picks and bargain buys for September 24.
Afternoon
SP Chris Bassitt, Oakland A’s ($5,900) vs. Texas Rangers
A sore shoulder kept Chris Bassitt out of action for nearly a month, causing his cost to dip significantly in his return to the mound.
For his last outing before the injury, Bassitt‘s price tag peaked at a season-high $8,400. Leading up to that, the 26-year-old tossed at least six innings while giving up three or fewer runs in seven consecutive starts, culminating in the strong performance highlighted in the above video.
Bassitt has also surrendered two runs or fewer in seven of his 10 appearances this year. His 2.82 ERA and 1.12 WHIP are spectacular numbers for a sub-$6,000 pitcher, as is his .223 batting average against.
OF Ender Inciarte, Arizona Diamondbacks ($3,000) at Los Angeles Dodgers
Considering Ender Inciarte‘s average of 7.2 fantasy points per game, he’s a steal at only $3,000. Because he’s facing Kershaw, Inciarte is available for significantly less than he normally would be. However, the young outfielder has fared extremely well in his short history against the Dodgers superstar:
In their only previous head-to-head meeting this season, Inciarte went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Inciarte has also hit safely in five straight games, including 10 hits in 21 at-bats.
Evening
SP Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox ($11,600) at New York Yankees
Chis Sale isn’t a sleeper by any means, but compared to what he normally costs, he’s definitely a bargain. After surrendering 14 earned runs in 23.1 innings spanning four outings, Sale’s $11,600 salary is the lowest it’s been in his past 10 starts.
Despite his recent struggles, Sale is still piling up strikeouts—he has 30 of them in that 23.1-inning stretch. Sale’s total of 259 punchouts is second in the majors to Kershaw‘s 272 and is nearing the White Sox single-season record of 269.
Comcast SportsNet’s Chuck Garfien pointed out the historical significance of the mark Sale may soon break:
He’s not the most expensive option on the board, but Sale’s 24.9 points-per-game average is easily the highest among Thursday evening’s pitchers.
1B/3B Travis Shaw, Boston Red Sox ($3,800) vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Travis Shaw currently owns a six-game hitting streak, during which he’s 11-for-21. The 25-year-old has also reached base in 15 consecutive contests, batting .345 with a .443 on-base percentage in that time:
Shaw has five RBI in his last four games, with double-digit fantasy points in three of them. In addition, the rookie is hitting .365 at home this season while averaging nearly 10 fantasy points per day when he plays at Fenway Park.
Shaw comes cheaper than eight other available third basemen and should provide great bang for your buck.
C Yan Gomes, Cleveland Indians ($3,300) at Minnesota Twins
Yan Gomes has six hits and four runs scored in his past four games. As the Indians’ official Twitter account noted, Gomes has also doubled in each contest:
In total, Gomes has five two-base hits in 15 at-bats since September 19.
The Cleveland catcher also boasts an outstanding resume versus Twins starter Kyle Gibson. Gomes is 5-for-9 with a walk in 10 plate appearances against Gibson, including a double, two homers, four RBI and three runs scored.
All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via MLB.com unless otherwise noted. Mark Vandeusen is an MLB featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @LucidSportsFan.
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