Odd Sunday slate with only 8 games and DraftKings opted to not include the Texas or Coors Field games. Kind of happy about that as a writer, but as a player I always prefer the larger slates. The two games with rain issues are.
- The Nationals at Phillies: Both teams play on Monday and have to travel. Divisional game. Likely PPD.
- The Rays at Orioles. Orioles have a game tomorrow at home. Divisional game. Likely PPD IMO.
The Roof Status in Milwaukee is TBD, but it’s finally warm there. So roof likely opened. Same with Miami.
12:40PM — Update … The Mets release their post 18 inning game lineup and it’s horrific. Zach Davies bumps up to the top of the list.
And now for the Theme of the Day.
No Fear. Pick players you like today. Wanna stack? Sure, go ahead. Wanna pick guys based upon who didnt homer yesterday? Have at it. Wanna randomize my list below and just build off that? Knock yourself out. It’s a short Sunday slate. Have some fun with it, but most of all have confidence and keep it simple. I am going to be writing a MLB DFS article later today about re-certifying your process for constructing a lineup and one of the things that it is focused on is reducing the stress and time spent building your lineup.
So for today, you should hopefully have NOT put together a lineup by the time you are reading this. Read this, add it into your research process and then when it’s time to enter that lineup or update that dummy lineup don’t spend time stressing over each individual play as you select them. Holy crap, stop with the stress over Derek Dietrich. If you read something or see something that puts you onto someone, click them and trust it and then go eat some Mexican food.
Read. Open DFS App. Click, Click, Boom, Done. Then walk away. It’s easy man…
Dont ask anyone any questions once you are done. Just move onto something else.
I am not going to bother listing the prices of pitchers because it honestly doesn’t fucking matter today with the short slate and the limited pitching choices. Everyone is practically free and if you cannot find salary cap to fit in your favorite plays today then start over and stop being such a hardo for overpriced douchebags like Bryce Harper who is FORTY EIGHT FUCKING HUNDRED DOLLARS TODAY
WHY? WHY? WHAT THE PISS HAS THIS DOUCHEBAG DONE? He is batting .234 on the season, with 6 homers in 137 plate appearances. The guy has a .243 ISO and a .361 wOBA. He is $4800 just because he is at home and people think he is cool? Go find that person who was all pumping up the Phillies as NL East Champions when Harper signed and ask them how that’s working out right now. What a fricken fraud.
oh, sorry, this is the pitching section….
Jordan Lyles & Frankie Montas … Which side do you want to lean on in this game that I have been wrong on both days thus far. On one hand, Frankie Montas is someone I feel is the better pitcher, but the Pirates usually are solid on Sunday’s at home and Jordan Lyles is looking to return to his early season form against an Oakland team ending their east coast trip today. The umpire in this game is Ron Kulpa who is generally viewed as a pitcher friendly umpire. He was the umpire most recently for the DeGrom/DeSclafani 1-0 game and before that the James Paxton beat down strikeout performance against the Royals when the strike zone was, lets just say, generous. I am fine with a SP game stack here and you should decide which SP you wanna trust to get through 5 and get the win today. My gut leans Lyles pitches well, my brain leans Montas is better.
Brad Keller … Ya’ll are gonna think it’s a homer pick as I have basically written Keller up every start, but mind you there’s only 6 weather free games today, one of them is in Miller Park, One is in Cleveland between two of the whitest nerdy pitchers ever and the other features Rick Porcello and Dylan Covey. So yes, I am going to list Brad 7 inning Keller against the Detroit Tigers. Because the alternative in this game is Spencer Turnbull who doesn’t have the luxury of facing Gordon Beckham, Grayson Greiner and Jordy Mercer consecutively that Brad Keller has.
LONGSHOT PLAY
Pablo Lopez … #SouthBeach….#Theory…… Droppin like the Marlin, Marlin… Got K’s like Pablo… Pablooo…. Plunk Acuna like Urena, Urena…(Speaking of white and nerdy). South Beach’n…. It’s the south beach theory by default more than anything else today just because of a lack of solid options. Honestly, the Braves are one team I don’t love to buy into the South Beach Theory with because they live in Atlanta and also travel here a few times a year. But good pitchers park and Pablo has struck out 30% of lefties ta home this year. That said, Freeman and or Joyce likely give him fits today.
CLEVELAND INDIANS …
Erik Swanson is terrible. Really bad. He pretty much has just one pitch and it’s horrible. Mediocre fastball after mediocre fastball which has led to right handed bats teeing off on him as well. Lucky for Swanson the Indians really don’t have a power RH bat. Unlucky for him, it’s a Sunday afternoon in Cleveland and thus the Tribe should rake. Jose Ramirez can no longer hit any velocity but should be able to tee off on this fraud today. Finally…
- Jason Kipnis: Batting 2nd. Tito, I take back everything negative I have ever said about you. Love you man…
- Francisco Lindor
- Jose Ramirez
CHICAGO WHITE SOX …
Natural instincts will see what Boston did last night and then that they get to face off against Dylan Covey today and imagine how many runs they might score. But do not overlook the fact that Chicago gets to face off against a RHP finally and that RHP is trashy Rick Porcello.
- THREE AMIGOS: Yoan Moncada, Jose Abreu aaaand Nicky Delmonico
MILWAUKEE BREWERS …
And the third team to make my top three today is Milwaukee. They’re going to be the popular play at home against Jason Vargas and Yelich is really close to being back in the lineup. Do we ride the Jesus Aguilar on Sunday thing to finally take flight this year after he went off this week? Quite possibly this is a good spot for that, but the players I would focus on are Lorenzo Cain, Ryan Braun and sneaky Hernan Perez if he gets the start vs the LHP again. Beware of Braun resting though.
- CORE: Lorenzo Cain, Ryan Braun
- ONE OFF: Jesus Aguilar
- SNEAKY: Hernan Perez, Manny Pina
CATCHER
- Omar Narvaez: I know I said $ doesn’t matter, but $4600 for a catcher. Ouch
- Cam Gallagher
- Manny Pina
FIRST BASE
- Jose Abreu
- Jesus Aguilar: Hey, he’s actually had a good week to justify me writing him up on a Sunday. That and he is facing Jason Vargas.
- Edwin Encarnacion
- Ryan O’Hearn
SECOND BASE
- Jason Kipnis
- Whit Merrifield
- Hernan Perez
THIRD BASE: Loaded position and the spot to use for UTIL on FD today.
- Yoan Moncada
- Bubba Ramirez
- Hunter Dozier
SHORTSTOP
- Francisco Lindor
- Amed Rosario
- Raul Mondesi
OUTFIELD – Tier 1
- Alex Gordon in Comerica … Things we Invented.
- Lorenzo Cain
- JD Martinez
- Andrew Benintendi: What, you thought I would let Covey off the hook?
- Leury Garcia
OUTFIELD – Value Tier
- Nicky Delmonico
- Brian Anderson (DK)
- Carlos Gonzalez
- Matt Joyce
CHAIRMAN OF THE DONGERS CLUB:
AT LARGE MEMBERS
- Steaks – OF – Chicago
- Yoan Moncada – 3B – Chicago
- Lorenzo Cain – OF – Milwaukee
- Brian Anderson – 3B/OF – Miami
- Ryan O’Hearn – 1B – Kansas City
