Today in fantasy baseball daily, we have lots of day games to enjoy. Seven games are before 4:00 PM eastern time and the other four are late games. That gives us a total of 11 games to prepare for and plenty of matchups to consider.
We bring you fantasy daily picks for FanDuel.com and if you haven’t signed up yet, be sure to follow this link http://eDraft.com/FanDuel/MLB to receive a 100% deposit bonus on your initial deposit. This is an amazing deal that you can’t miss so be sure to check it out and make yourself some extra cash. The cap for FanDuel is $35,000 with only one player at each position like a real MLB lineup (with the exception of outfielders where you can start any three players that are outfield eligible.)
The scoring system for FanDuel is as follows:
Hitters: Single = 1pt, Double = 2pts, Triple = 3pts, Homerun = 4pts, RBI = 1pt, Run = 1pt, Walk = 1pt,
Stolen Base = 2pts, Hit By Pitch = 1, Out (calculated as at bats - hits) = -.25pt
Pitchers: Win = 4pts, Earned Run = -1pt, Strike Out = 1pt, Innings Pitched = 1pt
Good Value Players
Pitcher
Chris Archer, Rays, $6,600: By no means is Archer a long shot but he has the best chance to win for his value. He opposes Blue Jays pitcher Brandon Morrow who had close to a 6.0 ERA last season. The Rays should be able to take an early lead and help get Archer the win and four points for your fantasy team.
Catcher
Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks, $3,300: The three spots behind first baseman Paul Goldschmidt may be very fluid, as Martin Prado was the clean hitter and Mark Trumbo hit fifth. Montero is looking to rebound from a very disappointing 2013 campaign, and he could be primed for a bump in RBI production as a function of the D-Backs' deeper lineup. If you’re willing to take a risk, Montero is available at a low price.
First Base
Mike Napoli, Red Sox, $3,300: Napoli has been of fire recently and there are no signs of slowing him down. He was able to focus on baseball training this past offseason instead of the health issues that surrounded him 2013 and he's showing good results early on. He's been on base five times in nine plate appearances. Napoli had two hits, a homer, four RBI and a run scored in Wednesday night's win over Baltimore. Even with his high production, his value is very low which means he is a must pick in daily fantasies.
Second Base
Anthony Rendon, Nationals, $3,300: After hitting eighth on Opening Day, the Nats shuffled things up and Rendon gained the most under the new configuration. It's unclear if first-year manager Matt Williams will eventually settle on a default arrangement for his batting order, or if he will continue to mix and match often depending on the ebbs and flows of his bats. Rendon has five RBI’s in the past two games and hopefully will continue that scoring us some fantasy points.
Third Base
Casey McGehee, Marlins, $2,800: McGehee is off to a great start in his 2014 campaign. In the first three games he has five RBI’s and three doubles. The veteran had a great season in the Japan League last year and he is trying to regain footing in the majors. He faces the Rockies Franklin Morales who had a high ERA last season of 4.62. McGehee will more than likely have his opportunities to drive in runs and is an extremely cheap option in today’s leagues. A high risk high reward player here.
Shortstop
Jed Lowrie, Athletics, $3200: Lowrie has three hits, two RBI’s, two runs scored and two walks in three games this season. The Athletics start a new series today against the Mariners and he faces pitcher Roenis Elias who will make his first MLB start today. Lowrie is a solid play for the price he is listed at.
Outfield
Alejandro De Aza, White Sox, $3,500: Since Opening Day, De Aza has been on fire. Through the first three games he has three homeruns, four RBI’s and scored four runs. He faces Twins pitcher Phil Hughes who notoriously owns a high ERA that is over 5.0. De Aza is a cheap outfield option and should definitely be on your starting lineup in all leagues today.
My Lineup: $35,000 Cap
Pitcher – Chris Archer, Rays, $6,600
Catcher – Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks, $3,300
First Base – Mike Napoli, Red Sox, $3,300
Second Base – Anthony Rendon, Nationals, $3,300
Third Base – Josh Donaldson, Athletics, $3,800: Donaldson has a miserable Wednesday, going 0-for-9 in the A's doubleheader against the Indians. Do not expect him to stay on this cold streak as he faces a new team with a new pitcher to the majors. Donaldson will look to get his offense back on track as the A's being a four-game set against the Mariners today.
Shortstop – Jed Lowrie, Athletics, $3,200
Outfield – Alejandro De Aza, White Sox, $3,500
Outfield – Starling Marte, Pirates, $3,700: Marte has a hitting streak going back into spring training that started March 23rd. He went the whole 16 innings last night against the Cubs and recorded two hits with an RBI, a run, and a walk. He faces the Cubs again where Jason Hammel will be on the mound. His ERA was at 4.97 last season so Marte has a god chance to continue his streak and possibly score some runs and hit in some RBI’s.
Outfield – Bryce Harper, Nationals, $4,300: While the results were far from special, that he was able to play all nine innings after being kicked in the head on Opening Day suggests that he's OK despite a collision that could have led to a concussion. Harper went 0-for-4 in yesterday’s game but has a favorable matchup as he faces a right handed pitcher in Zack Wheeler. I predict Harper will have a solid day today.
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