The weather has finally started to heat up on the east coast and with it so have the bats of a lot of cold players that play on the east coast. unfortunately we won’t get to see all of those guys play today as we only have ten games worth of players to chose from. There are two day games today with the earliest game being the Twins and Rangers playing at 1:10 ET. Today I am banking on Martinez being able to continue the success he has had at pitcher so that I can really stock up on the top batters, since Martinez only has a cap hit of $4,300.
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:
Batters: 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
My Good Value Plays
Pitcher
Nick Martinez, Rangers, $4,300: The WHIP isn’t pretty as it sits at 1.43, and neither are the strikeouts as he only has five in his two starts since rejoining the rotation, but the final results have been nice. Martinez has allowed exactly one run in each start, against two powerhouse offenses in the Tigers and Blue Jays. Now comes a favorable start against a far less potent offense in the Twins at Target Field. Eventually Martinez’s luck will run out but he should continue to pitch well for at east one more start.
Catcher
Jason Castro, Orioles, $3,100: Castro is beginning to look more like the catcher of last year when he managed to hit .276 with 18 homeruns. Castro has back to back multi hit games and has hit safely in nine of his last eleven ball games. Next up is a juicy matchup against Ubaldo Jimenez who has a 4.98 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. It’s numbers like those that you look for when trying to figure out which player to start.
First Base
Matt Adams, Cardinals, $2,900: Adams has been extremely consistent in 2014 despite not providing the type of power that many expected from him after belting 17 homeruns in only 296 at bats last season. Adams has made up for the lack of power with an exceptional batting average though which sits at .326. Adams has at least one base hit in his last ten starts and in eleven of his last twelve games overall. Adams has been one of the only consistent pieces in the Cardinals lineup and can be trusted in daily’s especially at his low price tag.
Second Base
Brandon Phillips, Reds, $2,800: Phillips is having a great May batting .302 this month and gets to continue that success with a series against the lowly pitching of the Diamondbacks. Josh Collmenter has been the Diamondbacks best starting pitcher but that isn’t saying much as his ERA sits just south of 4.0. Phillips makes for a great value play not only today but for the next couple of days while he is in Arizona.
Third Base
Manny Machado, Orioles, $2,800: Machado has been a shell from his rookie season last year with only a .226 batting average. At least Machado has been able to rack up the counting stats of late with at least one run or RBI in eight of his last ten games. With a game against Brad Peacock it should be easy enough for Machado to keep up that streak.
Short Stop
Jed Lowrie, Athletics, $3,000: The shortstop position is thin today if you are looking for a value pick. Lowrie has not had a good month of May that has seen his batting average drop to .246. Rick Porcello doesn’t make for a great matchup as he had been pitching very well before his last start that saw his ERA rise from 2.91 to 3.88.
Outfield
Juan Lagares, Mets, $3,000: Lagares has been one of the very few bright spots in an otherwise weak offense. He’s hit safely in eight of last nine games with five runs scored and seven RBI. David Buchanan is making only his second career start but he was never good in the minors. Lagares should be able to continue the strong season that he has compiled thus far in 2014 against a mediocre pitching option from the Phillies.
My Lineup
Pitcher
Nicholas Martinez, Rangers, $4,300
Catcher
Jason Castro, Astros, $3,100
First Base
Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks, $4,300
Second Base
Brandon Phillips, Reds, $2,800
Third Base
Adrian Beltre, Rangers, $4,100
Short Stop
Jose Reyes, Blue Jays, $4,100
Outfield
Justin Upton, Braves, $4,400
Outfield
Adam Jones, Orioles, $3,700
Outfield
Jose Bautista, Blue Jays, $4,000
Don't forget to check your lineup before each game to make sure that everyone in your lineup is starting. The last thing you want is a zero spot in your lineup costing yourself money.