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Slate Details
Owner’s Box- Main slate (11 games) – starts 7:04pm EDT
DK/FD – Main slate (11 games) – starts 7:05pm EDT
Weather Impact
None
Pitching
One word- ugly. The only matchup that looks a little dangerous is PIT@BOS (and maybe BAL@TEX/DET@HOU if the roof is open) so we’ll look to PLV to guide us:
Ryne Nelson has been erratic in spring training (and the Padres may decide they want to hit) so we’ll pass on him for now and move to who appears to be the next safest- Drew Rasmussen. He’s not going to rack up Ks like Strider, but if you have to play 2 pitchers on this slate, he’s OK as an option. Price-considered, he’s a no on FanDuel. The 3rd option based on PLV would be George Kirby. He also looked a little scary in Spring Training, but had a strong finish in his last two starts (one being vs the Dodgers). On the other side, there is also a solid case for Pitcher List sleeper favorite Reid Detmers – Seattle hasn’t seen lefty pitching much yet this season but did strike out at a decent rate vs L in the spring, so consider him your upside play for the slate. One of the more chalky options for the slate is José Berríos– he’s a bit of a coin flip, but as long as he can keep it together (and so far, KC L bats haven’t done much vs R pitching) he has one of the safer floors based on his good starts. Zach Plesac is the last pitcher worth mentioning just because of who he’s facing- even though PLV doesn’t love him based on last year’s numbers. He’s fine for cash games but if looking to pivot for tournaments, you might want to stick with the others noted above.
You may be wondering about the absence of Nestor Cortes – he’s one of the top-priced options of the day facing a lineup that hits fairly well vs lefties. Personally, I think the Phillies knock him around a bit making him an upside fade.
Hitting
The games in Fenway to start the year have been fun – and profitable – for fantasy. It’s another day with the wind blowing out towards the monster, hopefully resulting in plenty of XBH. Rafael Devers and Alex Verdugo should continue to be strong at the top of the lineup for BOS, and you can stack this game with Oneil Cruz and Ji Hwan Bae for PIT on the other side. Adam Duvall may continue his amazing streak as well and has been popular at his price point.
Jake Woodford has been susceptible to power lefty hitting in spring training. That’s music to Matt Olson’s ears who had two bombs vs the Nats on Saturday. The wind may be swirling a bit at Busch Stadium around game time, but I’m anticipating a multi-hit game from him in this spot.
Globe Life Field has been another park giving up plenty of hits and runs if the roof is open. The Orioles’ bats are more than ready after their series vs BOS. Adam Frazier has been having a great start to the year and could take advantage of Jon Gray who has seen some trouble with lefty bats during the spring. Adley Rutschman is pretty good too. On the other side, Mitch Garver has gotten off to a fast start, and Marcus Semien has been strong in the leadoff spot. Other deep values that may see the lineup that have been productive so far are Bubba Thompson and Travis Jankowski.
OAK pitchers have had a rough start to 2023, and James Kaprielian is not likely to be much better. The Guardians haven’t exactly been on fire, but any of José Ramírez, Josh Naylor, or Andrés Giménez could be good for multiple hits and/or bases. Ramirez and Naylor both have HRs vs Kaprielian in their careers.
If you want some late-night hammer magic vs a below-average Ryan Feltner, Will Smith has been amazing so far, and Miguel Vargas just finds a way to get on base – giving you a solid floor at a value price.
Let’s be honest- the Tigers have not been good so far this season. One hopeful bat has been the exception- lefty Kerry Carpenter. The Astros have big expectations for Hunter Brown – and they may someday come true – but for now, this looks like good value especially if the roof is open in HOU.
Other bats of note:
- Aaron Judge only has 4 hits vs Taijuan Walker in his career, but they just happen to all be HRs.
- Brendan Donovan has taken full advantage of the leadoff spot for the Cards and is almost a set-it-and-forget-it 2B option for your DFS lineups vs a righty. The sites haven’t adjusted his price…yet.
- Christian Walker is the Diamondback bat you want vs lefty pitching.
- If you want to bust the Nestor Cortes chalk on the other side, Alec Bohm, Trea Turner, Edmundo Sosa, and Bryson Stott – in a rare successful lefty vs lefty spot- are all solid plays for PHI.
- If you trust Zach Plesac to give up his typical 1-2 runs vs the As, Seth Brown is probably the best bet to be the guy. His only hit in 5 ABs vs Plesac in his career- a HR.