Kuzul

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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Nothing complicates a decision quite like an abundance of high-quality choices.

When perusing Friday’s starting pitchers, the same anxiety will torture DraftKings contestants that pours over anyone scrolling through a crowded Netflix queue. Clayton Kershaw, Gerrit Cole, Jose Fernandez, Jacob deGrom, Sonny Gray and Dallas Keuchel all take the mound on a loaded evening.

By the way, that list didn’t even mention Cole Hamels, Jon Lester, Lance Lynn, Jake Odorizzi and James Shields.

Among the bevy of aces, a trio stands out as top studs with great matchups. Have at least one lead the way on Friday night.

The Aces

Take your pick between Kershaw, Fernandez and/or deGrom. All three are costly stars worth the money.

Kershaw hasn’t relinquished a run since July 3, and he’s gone eight or nine innings over his last four scoreless gems. Against lefties, the Pittsburgh Pirates plunder with a 23.4 strikeout percentage and .305 weighted on-base average (wOBA). 

In six starts back from Tommy John surgery, Fernandez has authored a 1.75 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) while fanning 47 batters through 36 innings. Although the righty registers a 3.87 career road ERA, the reeling Atlanta Braves will now go to battle without their biggest offensive threat, Freddie Freeman.

The Tampa Bay Rays have recorded a .296 wOBA against righties, and deGrom is a darn good one. He has buried split concerns with a 2.69 ERA and .185 opposing average on the road, and the New York Mets ace has limited the opposition to two or fewer runs in 12 of his last 13 starts.

Kershaw is the best pick in a vacuum, but he also costs 30 percent ($15,000) of users’ budget. Fading him while he’s this hot is risky, especially in cash contests. 

SP Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies ($6,000) at San Diego

He’s still cheap, so keep riding Aaron Nola. The 22-year-old rookie has notched a 3.38 ERA and 0.96 WHIP through three starts, and the formerly light-hitting Philadelphia Phillies woke up to score double-digit runs in each of his past two outings.

While the newcomer hasn’t faced the roughest competition (Rays, Chicago Cubs, Braves), he’ll continue that trend by facing the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. They match Tampa Bay’s futility against righties with a .296 wOBA and 21.9 strikeout percentage.

Anyone playing Kershaw will appreciate a discounted running mate who should hold his own and leave some money left over for hitters. 

OF Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City Royals ($4,700) vs. White Sox 

An expensive option after salivating over five-figure hurlers, but the splits are too mouthwatering to ignore Lorenzo Cain. The breakout star is hitting .352/.423/.582 against lefties, and opposing righties have pegged southpaw John Danks to a .308/.364/.513 line.

Danks twirled six scoreless innings during his last encounter with the Kansas City Royals, but he still carries a 4.80 ERA on the season, and that mark shoots up to 6.29 on the road. Cain has opened August on a swoon, but that keeps his tag below $5,000.

1B Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels ($3,800) vs. Baltimore

Kevin Gausman ($5,400) is another sleeper starting pitcher to pair with an exorbitantly priced ace. He has yielded two runs in three home starts and finally has a deserved spot in the Baltimore Orioles rotation locked down.

But Albert Pujols for $3,800 is a great deal against a right-handed pitcher still working his way up the ranks. The first baseman has belted 25 of his 30 home runs against righties this year, giving him a .549 slugging percentage. Most of the power popped up in June, but it hasn’t vanished since with six July dingers. 

While it wouldn’t be a matchup to love if normally appraised, Pujols comes at a notable bargain.

3B Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals ($3,400) vs. Colorado

A .213/.272/.369 hitter isn’t the best bet, and Jorge De La Rosa ($6,500) represents another potential bargain away from Coors Field. Oh well, let’s roll the dice on Ryan Zimmerman anyway.

The 30-year-old is a career .307/.389/.497 hitter against lefties who has a .724 OPS against them during a disastrous, injury-riddled campaign. Although the results haven’t manifested yet, he has generated a 38.6 hard-hit percentage versus southpaws. 

OF Nolan Reimold, Baltimore Orioles ($2,200) at Angels

A minimally priced punt will come in handy on Friday night, and outfield is usually the place to find a low-cost platoon weapon. Nolan Reimold wields a .366 wOBA in a limited sample size (47 plate appearances) against southpaws.

Gerardo Parra’s arrival pushed him down the batting order during his last start, but some gamers will only have half of their budget allotted for position players. 

Note: All advanced statistics courtesy of FanGraphs.

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Not everyone needs an earth-shattering trade to save their fantasy baseball season.

A subdued transaction often gets the job done, especially in larger leagues where depth matters. Most peers also deserve the benefit of a doubt to not give away a superstar for nothing. Nobody was actually worried about Clayton Kershaw in May, right?

As a result, the following highlighted names, particularly the buy-low recommendations, will look boring to some owners. In shallow mixed leagues, they might even remain up for grabs on the waiver wire, eliminating the arduous task of haggling with a competitor.

Nobody should have to break the bank to acquire these underperforming contributors. For the trio of standouts on the other side of the spectrum, managers might be willing to clear their funds and overpay.

Begin Slideshow

Pennant races are coming on hot and heavy, and myriad players have rapidly separated themselves from the pack. Meanwhile, other notable stars have cooled off in recent weeks since the All-Star break.

The difficult part with daily fantasy baseball is picking which players will keep producing and which ones will falter Thursday. That’s where we come in. Before locking in your lineups, consider starting the studs and ditching these duds.

Studs

Joe Ross, SP, Washington Nationals ($8,700)

Looking for a way to build a balanced lineup with a reasonably priced pitcher? Joe Ross is your man.

He’s not Zack Greinke or Michael Wacha, but he’s also priced far less. In the case of Greinke, nearly $4,000 less. Since the All-Star break, Ross has slowly increased his fantasy value with three straight games over 15 fantasy points.

The Arizona Diamondbacks may have scored 11 runs Wednesday, but Ross has a 2.89 ERA at home in three starts. Expect Ross to put up great numbers again for owners who hope to build a strong lineup starting with out next target.

Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds ($4,800)

How well-rounded is Joey Votto? Over the last five outings, Votto has just five hits and still averaged nearly nine fantasy points per game. Thanks to his steady approach at the plate, Votto can get the job done with his bat or simply wait for pitchers to make mistakes.

But wait, he’s going up against Wacha, one of the best starters going Thursday. Why should you start him? Well, maybe his 12 fantasy points per game against the Cardinals will help. How about going .400/.471/.733 with a homer and two doubles against Wacha? Yeah, there’s no reason not to start Votto.

Jace Peterson, 2B/3B, Atlanta Braves ($3,700)

He just won’t go away. Jace Peterson, at $3,700, is still a great value pick for a second baseman. While he doesn’t provide the power of traditional third basemen to start him at that position, his consistency at second makes him a solid choice.

In his last four games, Peterson has a total of eight hits, two home runs, six RBI and four runs. He’s also facing Miami Marlins hurler Jose Urena, who has been tattooed in three of his last four starts. Peterson may not put up another 20-plus point night, but he’s a consistent player to target for any lineup at second base.

Duds

Eduardo Rodriguez, SP, Boston Red Sox ($9,100)

If you like to roll the dice, maybe Eduardo Rodriguez is for you. For those who enjoy overpaying for a No. 2 starter, Rodriguez is right up your alley. The rest of us, well, we’ll steer clear of the inconsistent 22-year-old.

Unlike the previous young hurler on this list, Rodriguez has been getting rocked recently. He had one stellar start against the Detroit Tigers sandwiched between outings where he totaled negative-8.4 fantasy points. 

Going against a New York Yankees team that has averaged 8.3 runs over their last 10 games, this likely isn’t the game where Rodriguez turns things around.

Adam Lind, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers ($4,000)

Adam Lind is putting together a decent season statistically with a batting average over .280 and 16 homers. He’s also recovering from a slump at the end of July with several multihit games. So why is he listed as a dud? Because at this price tag he’s simply not the best choice.

When looking for a first baseman, the price can get outlandish quickly. Lind may be a bargain at $4,000, but he’s facing off with San Diego’s Odrisamer Despaigne. The Padres pitcher isn’t a fantasy stud, but he’s only allowed seven hits in his last two starts. Lind may finally be getting his bearings under him again, but putting faith in him over other sluggers likely won’t pay off.

Jose Bautista, OF, Toronto Blue Jays ($5,200)

Thanks to his name alone and the lineup he’s in, Jose Bautista still comes at a massive salary on DraftKings. But recent numbers show that the $5,200 mark is not appropriate for the Toronto Blue Jays star.

Over the last 10 games before Wednesday night, Bautista averaged 6.5 fantasy points per game. Take away his 33-point outing on Aug. 1 and he would be averaging 3.6 points. Those aren’t No. 1 outfielder numbers.

Even against Minnesota Twins righty Kyle Gibson, who has been erratic since the All-Star break, Bautista simply isn’t a smart option at that price. He can always go off with a home run like he did Wednesday, but he certainly won’t be the second-best outfielder Thursday.

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Thursday’s slate of MLB action includes 10 games, five during the day and five at night.  DraftKings daily fantasy players have a limited number of choices available in both the afternoon and evening contests.  The key to success might not be how the stars in your lineup perform, but whether or not the cheaper players on your roster contribute points as well.  

Factors such as recent hot streaks and favorable matchups make these five low-cost options solid sleeper picks for August 6.

Afternoon

Joe Ross, SP, Washington Nationals ($8,700)

After Zack Greinke and Michael Wacha, pitching prospects in the early games drop off considerably.  Joe Ross is likely the best of the rest.

Ross makes only his seventh career start on Thursday, but he’s been quite impressive through his first six.  He’s lasted at least five innings in each outing while never surrendering more than three runs.  As MLB Stat of the Day noted, Ross is showing spectacular control for a rookie:

Over 39 innings, Ross has 40 strikeouts and just four walks.  He’s also holding opposing hitters to a .221 batting average.

Yangervis Solarte, 1B/2B, San Diego Padres ($3,400)

Yangervis Solarte is tearing the cover off the ball lately.  Solarte currently owns an 11-game hitting streak, with multiple base knocks in six of his last eight contests.  In that stretch, his season batting average has risen from .246 to .269.

Solarte owns much better numbers when playing away from spacious Petco Park this season.  All seven of his home runs have come on the road, where he’s averaging 6.6 fantasy points per game, as opposed to 4.9 at home.

In two career plate appearances facing Milwaukee Brewers starter Matt Garza, Solarte is 1-for-1 with a walk and an RBI.

Evening

Mark Buehrle, SP, Toronto Blue Jays ($8,900)

Among a very thin field of pitching talent, Mark Buehrle may be the most reliable arm on the mound on Thursday night.

Buehrle has pitched at least six innings in 14 of his last 15 starts, with the lone exception being a 5.2-inning stint on July 26.  In addition, he hasn’t given up more than three earned runs in a game in June, July or August, a span of 11 straight appearances.

The lefty has also yielded only one walk in his last 44.2 innings, dating back to June 26.

Above are highlights from Buehrle’s previous outing against the Minnesota Twins on May 29, in which he threw a complete game, walked none and allowed just one hit after the first inning. 

Josh Reddick, OF, Oakland A’s ($4,100)

Josh Reddick is day-to-day with a sore back and hasn’t started since Sunday, although he entered Wednesday’s game as a pinch hitter and logged two innings of defense in right field.

Assuming he’s back in the lineup on Thursday, Reddick is an excellent play against the Houston Astros’ Scott Feldman.  Reddick has five extra-base hits in 23 career at-bats versus Feldman, including three home runs.

Reddick is also much happier when facing right-handed pitchers—11 of his 13 homers and 48 of his 58 RBI have come off of righties.  He’s also batting .312 against right-handers, compared to .190 versus lefties.

Ryan Goins, 2B/SS, Toronto Blue Jays ($2,300)

If you’re low on cash and need to fill out your squad with a middle infielder, Ryan Goins is your man.  The Blue Jays second baseman owns a modest four-game hitting streak, during which he’s 6-for-11.  Goins has also reached base in six straight contests.

As Toronto play-by-play man Mike Wilner pointed out, Goins is an on-base machine at the moment:

To further boost his fantasy value, Goins has scored eight runs in a span of eight games.  At a bargain price of $2,300, a few points from Goins could make the difference between winning money and finishing empty-handed. 

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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Nelson Cruz ($6,200) @ Rockies

There was nowhere else to start other than this gem from the Elias Sports Bureau on just how rare Nelson Cruz’s season has been:

Cruz is on a tear! Check out this screen grab of his last four games (before last night, in which he also hit a homer,) according to DraftKings.com:

Five straight games with multiple hits and a home run? What a run for the big outfielder!

That ridiculous hot streak, plus the natural Coors Field bump, has Cruz priced $600 more than any other position player on the board. It’s a super steep price to pay, but the numbers say he should come through. Cruz is destroying left-handed pitching this season. Rockies left-handed starter Chris Rusin should know that, per FanGraphs.com, in 89 at-bats against south paws, Cruz is hitting .393 with eight jacks and 17 runs. 

Don’t Overspend On Starting Pitchers

According to DraftKings.com, there are seven pitchers that cost over $9,000. Of those seven, three (Madison Bumgarner, Matt Harvey and Johnny Cueto) make nice plays Wednesday, but only Matt Harvey jumps off the page. 

Harvey’s Mets are in South Florida to play the Marlins this week. Miami, per FanGraphs.com, ranks 26th in the league in batting average against right-handed pitchers. They’re also dead last in the league in wRC+ against righties. 

Harvey is coming off of a fantastic start against a quality Nationals team in which he pitched well into the eighth inning and struck out nine. He should continue his mini-hot streak Wednesday.

If you’re looking for cheap options, I like the Dodgers’ Brett Anderson, but I love the Rays’ Erasmo Ramirez.

In daily fantasy baseball on DraftKings.com, the goal is for a player to double (or more than double) his cost. So if a player costs $5,000, he is considered a “smart play” when he exceeds 10 fantasy points. 

Per DraftKings.com, Ramirez’s production has more than doubled his cost in eight of his last 10 starts. His production has even tripled his cost in five of his past 10 starts. 

So we’ve established that Ramirez is borderline criminally underrated by DraftKings.com, but that’s not the whole story. To boot, Wednesday night he gets to throw against the White Sox, who have, per FanGraphs.com, scored the fewest runs in the American League. 

Games To Stack

Stacking is a pretty common strategy in daily fantasy sports. Defined by rotogrinders.com as “loading up on players who play on the same MLB team,” stacking is the most common strategy amongst people in large tournaments. It’s a higher risk, but it brings on a higher reward.

Wednesday, watch for fireworks in Colorado and New York. Of the four pitchers going in those two games, only Taijuan Walker costs more than $5,000. Even he sports an ERA of 4.73. Any one of these four teams is a worthy candidate. 

My favorite team to stack out of those four? Seattle. Right now, you pretty much want anyone who is hitting anywhere near Nelson Cruz in the lineup, because he’s raking. Plus, per ESPN.com, Seattle has averaged nine runs per game in its current series in the thin air of Denver. 

Also, aside from Cruz, Seattle’s relatively cheap because it’s been a subpar offensive team so far this season. Entering Wednesday, according to FanGraphs.com, the Mariners rank 24th in runs scored per game.

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You can’t be afraid to spend big on certain players in daily fantasy baseball as long as you pair the superstars with bargain picks. This is easy to do in Tuesday’s contests with quality options all over the board.

Here is a look at picks for the top scorers at each position as well as bargain options to balance your budget.

Bargain Picks

Jonathon Niese, SP, New York Mets ($6,100)

Although Jonathon Niese is a forgotten man in the New York Mets rotation, he has been a consistent producer since the start of June. Nine of his last 10 games have been quality starts, with the lone exception being the day his wife gave birth to his second son. He might have been a bit distracted at that moment.

Even with that poor showing two games ago, Niese still put together a 2.87 ERA in July and has a favorable matchup against the Miami Marlins, who are now last in the majors with 376 runs scored. This is a good chance for the Mets starter to put up a lot of zeros. 

Adam Eaton, OF, Chicago White Sox ($4,200)

Despite a rough night Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays, Adam Eaton should get back to raking on Tuesday. The outfielder has at least two hits in seven of his last nine games, scoring a plethora of runs throughout the week.

Even against a difficult matchup in Chris Archer, Eaton has hit the ball extremely well lately and has a chance to get plenty of hits, runs and stolen bases in the upcoming game.

Jimmy Rollins, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers ($3,500)

This hasn’t been a great year overall for Jimmy Rollins, but he is getting hot at the right time. The shortstop is batting .355 (11-for-31) over his last nine games with three home runs, and he gets to use this hot streak against his former team, the Philadelphia Phillies.

To make the situation even better, he will get a chance to face struggling starter Jerome Williams, who has just a 6.36 ERA this season.

Rollins should hear some cheers when he first steps to the plate in Philadelphia, although this might not last long as he posts a big game against the hometown club.

Ryan Zimmerman, 1B, Washington Nationals ($3,300)

He isn’t a consistent producer, but Ryan Zimmerman is always a threat to go deep. In six games since returning from the disabled list, he has two home runs and two doubles to prove the power is still there.

The 30-year-old is also a much better hitter against lefties throughout his career, amassing a .306 batting average against southpaws compared to just .274 against righties. Arizona Diamondbacks starter Patrick Corbin has fared well in five starts this season, but the left-handed pitcher is still capable of allowing a home run to Zimmerman.

Stephen Drew, 2B, New York Yankees ($2,900)

New York Yankees fans might be confused to see any praise for Stephen Drew, who has been a hole in the lineup for much of the year. However, the threat of reduced playing time has lit a fire under the veteran, and he is finally coming alive:

For this cost, it might be worth taking a chance on the middle infielder to see if he can replicate his performance.

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

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Every MLB team is in action on Tuesday night, allowing DraftKings daily fantasy players a full complement of hitters to choose from.  There are also a number of top-flight arms taking the mound, including Max Scherzer, Chris Sale and Chris Archer.  With so many possibilities available, making the right selections to finish in the money becomes harder than ever.

Here are five ideal lineup picks for August 4.

Chris Archer, SP, Tampa Bay Rays ($11,700)

If you’re hesitant to spend $13,500 on Scherzer as an ace, Archer represents a much more affordable option at nearly $2,000 less.  The Rays All-Star is third in the majors with 173 strikeouts, one more than Scherzer and only four fewer than Sale.  Archer’s 0.99 WHIP and .206 batting average against each rank among the top 10 in baseball.

In his last appearance, Archer took a perfect game into the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers before surrendering a pair of unearned runs.  Over his past three starts, Archer has struck out 26 batters and yielded a total of three earned runs while averaging 27.2 fantasy points per game.

Archer matches up with Sale and the Chicago White Sox Tuesday, a club that is last in the American League with 387 runs scored.  Sale is also in a bit of a slump, having allowed 13 earned runs and 30 hits spanning his last three outings.

Jake Arrieta, SP, Chicago Cubs ($11,500)

For the past month and a half, Jake Arrieta has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the big leagues.  In each of his last eight starts, Arrieta tossed at least six innings and never gave up more than three earned runs.  During that time his ERA has dropped from 3.40 to 2.62, while opposing hitters batted just .172 against him.

Arrieta was also very good in two previous games against the Pittsburgh Pirates this season:

The Cubs righty is on a strikeout binge of late, having fanned 33 batters over 28 innings in his past four appearances.  Arrieta also boasts a 2.21 road ERA this year, compared to 3.07 at home.

Ian Kinsler, 2B, Detroit Tigers ($4,100)

Ian Kinsler is on fire at the moment, coming off a weekend series in Baltimore in which he went 12-for-17 and recorded multiple hits in all four games.  He scored double-digit fantasy points on each occasion, while averaging 14 per day.  The Tigers’ official Twitter account made note of his outstanding performance:

Kinsler’s hot streak extends well beyond just his last four contests.  After batting .262 through the first three months of the season, Kinsler hit .366 in July.  Three of his five home runs this year also came last month.  Since June 25, Kinsler has raised his average from .257 to .297.

The second baseman’s 39 hits in his last 30 games are tied for the second-most in baseball in that time.

Colby Rasmus, OF, Houston Astros ($3,300)

Colby Rasmus is batting just .237 this season with an on-base percentage of .305.  You’re not putting Rasmus in your lineup for his 2015 numbers, however, but rather for his history when facing the Texas Rangers and starter Yovani Gallardo.

Through 27 career plate appearances, Rasmus owns a .481 OBP versus Gallardo, with four extra-base hits, four RBI and five runs scored.  Even more impressive is what he’s done in his previous visits to Globe Life Park in Arlington, including slugging six homers in 10 games:

In his last two starts, Rasmus is 3-for-7 with two runs scored and two RBI.  With a price tag of only $3,300, Rasmus will be an incredible bargain if he can continue his success both in Texas and against Gallardo.

Freddy Galvis, 3B/SS, Philadelphia Phillies ($3,000)

Like Rasmus, Freddy Galvis is a matchup play.  The Phillies shortstop is hitting .600 for his career against Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood:

Galvis is also swinging the bat well of late.  He has four hits in his last two games and has reached base in 10 of his past 11 contests.  It’s also worth noting that Galvis is a better hitter at home than on the road in 2015—he’s batting .291 with a .451 slugging percentage in Philadelphia as opposed to .265 and .337 in away games.

If you’re running low on money and need a shortstop or third baseman to finish out your roster, Galvis could provide solid bang for your buck.

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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High-Priced Hurlers

Corey Kluber ($11,500) at Reds

OK, so Cincinnati isn’t the best place to start the second half of the year for the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner. Per ESPN.com’s park factors, Great American Ball Park has been the fourth-most hitter-friendly diamond in the league this season. 

But Kluber is a monster. For evidence, read Jason Lukehart’s article that’s linked in this tweet from @CoreyKluberNews:

His peripherals have been largely better than those from his 2014 season. Even with that putrid 4-10 record, Kluber eats up innings and misses bats with the best of them.

Michael Pineda ($10,400) vs. Mariners

Pineda was a disaster the last time I wrote about him, as he allowed eight runs on 11 hits in 3.1 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 22. 

Terrible. Just terrible.

Since then, I’ve had cold feet starting the massive Yankees right-hander. 

But he draws a nice matchup against his former team Saturday night. The current Mariners roster hasn’t had much experience taking the batter’s box against Pineda, but in 44 total at-bats so far, it has combined to reach base less than 30 percent of the time, according to ESPN.com.

If Pineda can keep the fly balls in the yard, he’ll be a sound fantasy option even at that elevated price point. 

Tyson Ross ($8,900) vs. Rockies

Ross is my favorite of the “expensive” pitchers. NumberFire.com projects Ross to score the fourth-most fantasy points in the league Saturday night.

Ross has terrific stuff. Per ESPN.com, he’s eighth in the National League in strikeouts. But he still struggles with control. He leads the NL in walks…by 11! Luckily, the Rockies aren’t a particularly patient club. They’re 13th in the NL with 211 walks as a team.

If It Ain’t Broke…

Chase Anderson ($5,800) vs. Giants

Chase Anderson has been pretty good in his second season in the bigs. He has a 3.91 ERA, respectable for anyone pitching half their games at Chase Field. But in general, none of his peripherals—strikeout rate, WHIP or FIP—suggest that he’ll ever be an All-Star-caliber starter.

He did, however, have his best outing of the season against the Giants. On June 12 in San Francisco, Anderson allowed just one hit over seven innings against the defending World Series champions. 

Maybe he’ll do it again?

Too Cheap to Pass up

Chris Tillman ($4,100) at Tigers

According to ESPN.com’s team vs. pitcher stat, for his career, Chris Tillman is striking out one out of every five Tigers he faces. The current Detroit roster is hitting just .265 off the righty. 

That’s enough evidence to start anyone if they cost less than $5,000.

Chad Billingsley ($4,000) vs. Marlins

I remember in 2008 when Billingsley was the ace of the Dodgers staff and some kid named Clayton Kershaw came up and showed flashes of greatness. The rest of the NL West was really nervous. Was this one-two punch going to dominate the division for years to come?

The answer? A resounding no. Though Kershaw has more than held up his end of the bargain, Billingsley now finds himself pitching for the worst team in baseball.

He’s $10,000 cheaper than his former running mate on DraftKings today!

And that’s precisely why he’s valuable. Billingsley‘s lifetime 3.73 ERA and 7.8 strikeouts per nine innings make him exceedingly valuable for just $4,000.

Advanced statistics courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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Now that baseball is back, there’s no slowing down until October. The daily fantasy grind continues on Saturday with a full day of MLB action.

While this guide focuses heavily on the 11 evening games, one sneaky stack looks like a nice early complement to an afternoon lineup led by Clayton Kershaw and/or Michael Pineda.

Day and night, Saturday’s tilt revolves around marquee pitchers. After allotting a large share of the budget for arms, daily players won’t need to squint too hard to find underpriced hitters.

Pitching Strategy: Pay Up for Stellar Southpaws

After Friday’s return to action featured surprisingly few aces, Saturday welcomes back several top hurlers. Gamers don’t need to splurge for the most expensive choices, but they should pinpoint two high-end options.

The best values are Francisco Liriano and Jon Lester, who respectively face the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves. Both opponents rank in the bottom five of weighted on-base average versus lefties, and Atlanta is even more vulnerable without Freddie Freeman.

While he didn’t join Gerrit Cole and A.J. Burnett on the All-Star roster, Liriano has submitted a sparkling 2.98 ERA and 9.81 strikeouts per nine innings, earning nine quality starts through his past 10 outings. Enduring a bumpy inauguration with the Chicago Cubs, Lester has rebounded with a 2.35 ERA over his last six starts. 

Afternoon gamers will want to pay for some combination of Kershaw, Pineda and Jose Quintana and lasso inexpensive offense. For night owls looking for more options, the Colorado Rockies will trade Coors Field for Petco Park against Tyson Ross. At $4,700, Manny Banuelos offers considerable upside as a tournament punt. 

Stack: Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals (RHP Jeremy Guthrie) 

Entering the All-Star break with MLB’s worst weighted on-base average (wOBA), the Chicago White Sox can start the second half right against Jeremy Guthrie. The Kansas City Royals veteran registered a 7.40 ERA in eight road starts and issued a .927 OPS against lefties, creating an interesting, under-the-radar stack in the Windy City.

Jose Abreu won’t go unnoticed, but Adam LaRoche provides a cheaper alternative at first base. Even during a down year, the notorious late-season slugger sports a .339 wOBA versus righties.

Both Adam Eaton and Melky Cabrera have caught fire following terrible starts. Eaton, entrenched in the leadoff spot, is hitting .265 with five homers and four steals since June 1. Awaking from an early slumber, Cabrera has caught fire in July, batting .304/.346/.522.

LaRoche, Eaton and Cabrera have all performed better than their first-half rates, and Guthrie is the perfect pitcher to lead them back on track.

Bargain Bats

OF David Peralta, Arizona Diamondbacks ($3,700) vs. San Francisco

An underrated hitter and righty-killer, David Peralta should have DFS gamers’ attention by now. Along with his .513 slugging percentage and .369 wOBA against right-handed pitchers, he has registered a 1.122 July OPS.

If the Arizona Diamondbacks trot out the same lineup as Friday night, he’ll bat second sandwiched between A.J. Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt. While Jake Peavy has made two solid starts since returning from the disabled list, lefties clocked him for 16 homers last year. 

C/1B Stephen Vogt, Oakland Athletics ($3,600) vs. Minnesota

The evening’s most expensive healthy catcher—an inactive Travis d’Arnaud costs $4,400—behind Buster Posey, Stephen Vogt still represents a noteworthy value at $3,600. Exiting the break hitting .302/.392/.550 against righties, he faces one of baseball’s heaviest fly-ball pitchers in Phil Hughes.

While the 30-year-old lefty has fizzled after two dominant months, his overall success versus righties makes him a dangerous catcher against Hughes’ 41.7 fly-ball percentage. 

2B/SS Cesar Hernandez, Philadelphia Phillies ($2,800) vs. Miami

Cesar Hernandez seemed like a prime candidate for a major price hike after the break. Sporting a .362 on-base percentage on the season with nine stolen bases since June 28, many gamers routinely rode the Philadelphia Phillies middle infielder throughout July.

At $2,800 with eligibility at both second base and shortstop, continue to look Hernandez’s way. While the switch-hitter has fared better against lefties, righty Tom Koehler has a .755 OPS versus lefty hitters. The speedster’s 11.1 walk percentage makes him a better bet than other burners who struggle to reach base. He sure beats using Danny Santana at the same price.  

OF David Murphy, Cleveland Indians ($2,800) at Cincinnati

Ryan Raburn gets touted every time the Cleveland Indians play a righty, and it’s time to acknowledge the other half of their fruitful platoon. David Murphy is hitting .313/.359/.460 against righties this year.

While Anthony DeSclafani has limited opposing lefties to a .232 batting average, they have also tallied 20 extra base hits. Since an amazing April, the Cincinnati Reds hurler has regressed with a 4.56 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. Murphy makes a great outfielder punt play, and teammates Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana are worth a look as pricier options.

Note: All advanced statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs.

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