DFS MLB Hitting Coach: May 1

Published: May 01, 2016

If you played Saturday’s slates I think you will find Sunday’s is vastly different. Catcher is shaping up to be pretty weak, but as with every Sunday, that will depend on which starters get the day off. There will undoubtedly be some surprises when the lineups are announced, so be sure to keep an eye on FantasyAlarm’s lineups page.

CATCHER

					Prob Pit		2015			2016
Player	Tm	Bat	P	Opp	Pitcher	Throws	AVG	OBP	SLG	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA	FD	DK	Aces
Geovany Soto	LAA	R	C	TEX	Cole Hamels	L	0.22	0.3	0.41	0.33	0.38	0.59	0.42	2400	2700	3750
Stephen Vogt	OAK	L	C	HOU	Doug Fister	R	0.26	0.34	0.44	0.25	0.3	0.45	0.32	3000	3400	4200

Geovany Soto has been very good in limited opportunities this season, and he should start Sunday after Carlos Perez got his fifth consecutive start Saturday. Soto is batting .333 in limited opportunities this season.

Stephen Vogt got Saturday off, so you can plug him into your lineup with confidence Sunday. Vogt has a .763 career OPS against righties.

FIRST BASE

					Prob Pit		2015			2016
Player	Tm	Bat	P	Opp	Pitcher	Throws	AVG	OBP	SLG	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA	FD	DK	Aces
Freddie Freeman	ATL	L	1B	CHI	John Lackey	R	0.28	0.37	0.47	0.26	0.37	0.41	0.34	3200	4000	4750
Anthony Rizzo	CHI	L	1B	ATL	Julio Teheran	R	0.28	0.39	0.51	0.22	0.38	0.58	0.4	4700	5100	5700
Victor Martinez	DET	B	DH	MIN	Ricky Nolasco	R	0.25	0.3	0.37	0.33	0.39	0.65	0.43	3300	3800	4700
Prince Fielder	TEX	L	1B	LAA	Garrett Richards	R	0.31	0.38	0.46	0.21	0.27	0.31	0.24	3000	4000	4650

Freddie Freeman has recovered from a slow start, going 10-for-19 with two home runs over his current five-game hitting streak. Freeman is 5-for-8 in his career against John Lackey.

Anthony Rizzo Has hits in seven of his last eight games, with five home runs over that span.

Victor Martinez continued his hot hitting with a 2-for-4 effort Saturday. He is 5-for-11 against Ricky Nolasco.

Prince Fielder is 9-for-23 against Garrett Richards, and Fielder has a run and an RBI in three of his last four games.

SECOND BASE

					Prob Pit		2015			2016
Player	Tm	Bat	P	Opp	Pitcher	Throws	AVG	OBP	SLG	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA	FD	DK	Aces
Ben Zobrist	CHI	B	LF	ATL	Julio Teheran	R	0.27	0.35	0.45	0.26	0.4	0.36	0.34	3300	3900	4650
Johnny Giavotella	LAA	R	2B	TEX	Cole Hamels	L	0.27	0.32	0.38	0.18	0.2	0.26	0.21	2200	2800	3500
DJ LeMahieu	COL	R	2B	ARI	Shelby Miller	R	0.3	0.36	0.39	0.29	0.35	0.43	0.34	2900	3200	4650
Ian Kinsler	DET	R	2B	MIN	Ricky Nolasco	R	0.3	0.34	0.43	0.33	0.37	0.5	0.39	4100	4300	5250
Derek Dietrich	MIA	L	3B	MIL	Wily Peralta	R	0.26	0.35	0.46	0.28	0.38	0.58	0.4	2100	3600	3850

Ben Zobrist moved back up to third in the batting order with Kris Bryant out, and he has increased value so long as he stays there.

Johnny Giavotella may be facing a tougher lefty than he was Saturday, but so long as his price is low and he is batting second, his DFS value remains high.

DJ LeMahieu is 5-for-11 with a home run against Shelby Miller.

Ian Kinsler is 7-for-17 against Ricky Nolasco, and 7-for-23 over the last week.

Derek Dietrich led off Saturday with Dee Gordon suspended, and Dietrich will remain valuable if he bats first again. Dietrich is 5-for-10 in his career against Wily Peralta.

THIRD BASE

					Prob Pit		2015			2016
Player	Tm	Bat	P	Opp	Pitcher	Throws	AVG	OBP	SLG	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA	FD	DK	Aces
Eugenio Suarez	CIN	R	SS	PIT	Jeff Locke	L	0.28	0.32	0.45	0.27	0.32	0.45	0.34	3000	4200	4700
Nick Castellanos	DET	R	3B	MIN	Ricky Nolasco	R	0.26	0.3	0.42	0.36	0.38	0.56	0.4	3200	3400	4600
Martin Prado	MIA	R	3B	MIL	Wily Peralta	R	0.29	0.34	0.39	0.4	0.44	0.48	0.4	3000	3900	4150
Evan Longoria	TB	R	3B	TOR	Marcus Stroman	R	0.27	0.33	0.44	0.23	0.26	0.42	0.28	2700	3200	5000

Eugenio Suarez is 5-for-9 with a home run against Jeff Locke, and he has returned to batting second with Brandon Phillips back in the lineup.

Nick Castellanos is 8-for-15 over his current four-game hitting streak, which includes three consecutive multi-hit games.

Martin Prado is 12-for-23 in five games since returning from the paternity list, and he has batted second in all of those games. He is 5-for-16 against Wily Peralta.

Evan Longoria is 5-for-9 with a home run against Marcus Stroman, and Stroman isn’t exactly scary with his 4.37 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 35 innings this season.

SHORTSTOP

					Prob Pit		2015			2016
Player	Tm	Bat	P	Opp	Pitcher	Throws	AVG	OBP	SLG	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA	FD	DK	Aces
Javier Baez	CHI	R	2B	ATL	Julio Teheran	R	0.29	0.33	0.41	0.31	0.36	0.48	0.36	2500	3100	3700
Carlos Correa	HOU	R	SS	OAK	Rich Hill	L	0.28	0.35	0.51	0.27	0.37	0.44	0.35	4100	4300	5600
Zack Cozart	CIN	R	SS	PIT	Jeff Locke	L	0.26	0.31	0.46	0.36	0.36	0.56	0.39	3200	3400	4350

Javier Baez should continue to play third base and bat fifth or six while Kris Bryant is out. Baez’s strikeout rate makes him risky, but his price is low and he has hit 11 home runs in 340 career plate appearances.

Most of the top shortstops are facing the top pitchers Sunday, with the notable exception of Carlos Correa. Correa has a .888 OPS against lefties in his career.

Zack Cozart has hit safely in six of his last seven games, and now he gets to face weak lefty Jeff Locke.

OUTFIELD

					Prob Pit		2015			2016
Player	Tm	Bat	P	Opp	Pitcher	Throws	AVG	OBP	SLG	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA	FD	DK	Aces
Nick Markakis	ATL	L	RF	CHI	John Lackey	R	0.3	0.37	0.38	0.3	0.41	0.43	0.37	3200	3700	4600
Tyler Naquin	CLE	L	CF	PHI	Vince Velasquez	R				0.34	0.36	0.48	0.33	2200	2600	3900
Jerry Sands	CWS	R	1B	BAL	Ubaldo Jimenez	R	0.24	0.29	0.39	0.29	0.35	0.42	0.32	2000	3100	3000
Enrique Hernandez	LA	R	2B	SD	Drew Pomeranz	L	0.31	0.35	0.49	0.27	0.37	0.44	0.37	2300	3200	4500
Yasiel Puig	LA	R	RF	SD	Drew Pomeranz	L	0.26	0.32	0.44	0.25	0.31	0.4	0.31	2900	4500	5350
Danny Santana	MIN	B	SS	DET	Mike Pelfrey	R	0.22	0.24	0.29	0.31	0.33	0.38	0.33	2500	2500	4050
Coco Crisp	OAK	B	LF	HOU	Doug Fister	R	0.18	0.25	0.22	0.22	0.31	0.42	0.32	3000	3300	4300
Nori Aoki	SEA	L	LF	KC	Ian Kennedy	R	0.29	0.35	0.38	0.21	0.3	0.29	0.26	2900	3100	4300
Seth Smith	SEA	L	LF	KC	Ian Kennedy	R	0.25	0.33	0.44	0.3	0.42	0.54	0.4	3100	3000	4300

Nick Markakis is batting .338 in 68 career at-bats against John Lackey. Over the last week Markakis is batting 10-for-29.

Tyler Naquin is 5-for-10 in his last three starts, and he has an excellent chance to bat fifth again while Mike Napoli sits with the Indians in a National League ballpark.

Jerry Sands started at designated hitter Saturday with Avisail Garcia out, going 2-for-4. Ubaldo Jimenez has allowed at least eight baserunners in every start this season, which gives Sands some value.

Kike Hernandez led off the last time the Dodgers faced a lefty, and that gives him tremendous value considering he has a .468 career wOBA against lefties.

Yasiel Puig has a .372 wOBA against lefties, and unlike Hernandez, Puig probably won’t be lifted for a pinch-hitter late in the game.

I was wrong on Danny Santana Saturday, but I am willing to give him a pass Sunday if he leads off against Mike Pelfrey.

Just about everyone is worth considering against Doug Fister these days, but Coco Crisp is 6-for-15 against him, making him a bit more attractive.

Norichika Aoki and Seth Smith are 6-for-13 and 7-for-24 respectively against Ian Kennedy. They will likely bat one and two against Kennedy Sunday.

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