DFS MLB Hitting Coach: August 15

Monday’s slate features a Coors’s game, but also has Toronto and Texas in prime spots to blast off as well tonight.  Texas hasn’t scored in 21 innings, but that should end tonight.  Toronto has hit 17 HR’s over their last 13 games, and are in position to add a few more tonight.  Currently, the Pirates have the lowest implied run total tonight at just under 3.5 runs against Moore.  I’m personally not sold on him, and feel the Pirates can do some damage as a high risk/high reward sneaky stack tonight.  Over his last three starts, Moore has 19 K’s while only allowing 10 hits, but has walked 15 batters. A little less risky, but still low owned, will be a Marlin’s stack.  Good luck!

Catcher

Cash Play:  Jonathan Lucroy continues to check in as the top catcher of the night.  Six of his last nine hits have went for homers.  He is also 3-7 lifetime off Detwiler.  On DK, feel free to pay $1,400 less for Russell Martin.  He has gone deep in two straight games, and gets the spot starter in Green tonight.

GPP plays:  Although the two listed above are in play, Wilson Ramos makes for a nice gpp option.  His price is Coor’s inflated, but the Nationals d have the highest implied run total, and works well in Nat’s stack.  If looking elsewhere, I think J.T. Realmuto may go overlooked tonight.  He’s hit safely in 13 of last 14 games, and has a nice matchup vs the lefty Finnegan tonight. 

Value Plays: Francisco Cervelli makes for a nice punt play.  He went 5-9 over the weekend series vs the Dodgers, and I’m still not sold on Moore.       

First Base

Cash Plays:  First base is a tough call tonight between Edwin Encarnacion, Joey Votto, and Miguel Cabrera.  Encarnacion has three straight games of recording two hits, going deep in two of them.  While Edwin’s two hit streak is at three games, Votto now has five straight games of at least two hits.  Miggy is 5-12 lifetime off Kennedy, and is coming off a series against Texas where he went 5-13 with a HR.  He is probably best used for gpp’s, and leaning towards Encarnacion and Votto depending on how much salary space you have left. 

GPP Plays: All three listed above will be very popular plays tonight for both cash and gpps.  If looking to go more risky, Billy Butler will make for a nice pivot option in an Oakland stack.  He is cheap on FD and Aces, but is roughly the same price and Edwin and Miggy on DK.  He’s 4-13 off Perez, and has six hits over his last three games.     

Value Play:  Butler checks in as a value option, but also like Chis Johnson as part of a Marlin’s stack only.  He’s the coldest hitter of the group, and would prefer Butler if punting.    

Second Base  

Cash plays:  Robinson Cano is 4-6 with a HR off Nolasco, and has gone deep in two of his last four games.  For slightly cheaper on DK and Aces, Ian Kinsler checks in slightly above Travis tonight.  He’s 7-12 off Kennedy with a HR and 4 doubles.  He went deep last game as well. 

GPP plays: Just like Ramos, Daniel Murphy’s inflated price makes it hard to play him in cash, but is very much in play for gpp’s.  He has a XBH in three straight games, and the lefty/lefty matchup doesn’t bother me too much in a Nat’s stack.  Devon Travis also makes for a nice gpp play if leading off for the Jays.  His two hits yesterday now makes it 6 of last 10 games with at least 2 hits.   

Value Plays:  Josh Harrison will continue to be a value play for me if leading off for the Pirates.  He had a four hit game yesterday, and now has 8 runs scored over his last 8 games. 

Third Base

Cash Plays:  For FD and Aces, I’ll be looking at Adrian Beltre, and his discounted price.  He’s coming off a series against Detroit where he went 7-11.  If Texas decides to score runs, Beltre should be in line for another nice game.  On DK, Evan Longoria has a cheaper price tag, and is swinging just as hot of a bat.  He also went 7-11 in his last series, but it also came with a HR and 6 RBI’s. 

GPP plays:  If the salary is available, Josh Donaldson is in play with a Toronto stack.  He’s been cold from the plate compared to others with only 4 multi-hit games since July 20^th, but in all four, he had at least one HR.  Probably the only 3B with double dong potential tonight I feel, but if anyone else can do it, it may be Danny Valencia.  He is 5-13 lifetime with a HR off Perez, but has only gone deep twice since the all-star break.  Works well in an OAK stack though. 

Value Play:  Both Jose Reyes and Casey McGehee are eligible for other positions based on sites, but have them listed here as value plays.  Reyes’s price is best suited for FD where he is cheapest.  He’s 1-8 since returning, but has scored a run in both games, and got a SB yesterday.  He won’t need much to hit value, and Met’s are expected to fare better than their last series vs Arizona.  McGehee, if in the lineup, is a high risk play that is best used in Tiger’s stack only.    

Shortstop

Cash Plays:  Troy Tulowitzki is either loved or hated by the FA nation, but he does have a nice matchup tonight.  He seems to hitting singles or HR’s only lately, and hoping he goes deep tonight.  With Semien at roughly the same price, and Turner over 1K more, Tulo’s salary just fits in nicely with the slate.  On Aces though, Trea Turner is almost a must play with his price.    

GPP Plays: Turner fits my Washington gpp play tonight.  If you can fit him cash games, do it, but may be hard.  He has 8 hits over his last three games, with a double, triple, HR, and six runs scored.  Marcus Semien works well in OAK stack, and will only play him in that situation if in leadoff spot for them.            

Value Play:   While I like Brad Miller, his price is up there a bit too much for me, and will take the punt option from Tampa with Matt Duffy.  He’s hit safely in all three games since being called up. 

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Outfield

Cash Plays:  I probably added way too many OF’s today, but actually had a much longer list to start.  There are multiple routes to go tonight which could make the ownership levels pretty spread out.  The top priced players I’ll be looking to target are Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth.  Desmond hasn’t gone deep since July 27^th, which happened to be the last time he faced Oakland, but has a nice price tag, especially on FD.  Werth is 5-17 with a HR lifetime off De La Rosa, and is currently on a streak where he has reached base in 42 straight games. Cheaper options tonight start with Paulo Orlando, who will be a top target tonight.  He is fairly cheap across the board, and should be leading off for the Royals tonight.  Orlando went 8-14 in the weekend series vs Minn.  Khris Davis is 5-7 with a HR off Perez, and has homered in three straight games.  If looking to punt an OF spot, I like Aaron Hicks over Judge if he is batting towards the top of the lineup.  He has homered in two of his last three games, and Judge should get more attention, but don’t like him as much if towards the end of the order. 

GPP Plays:  Charlie Blackmon has 11 hits, with 6 of them going deep over his last four games.  The reason I don’t have him in cash games, is I feel like Washington may pitch around him tonight.  If that does happen though, the SB opportunities will be there.  Mike Trout has always hit Felix well, going 28-75 with 6 HR’s lifetime off him.  Both Billy Hamilton and Lorenzo Cain can be used in cash, but like them more as gpp options.  Hamilton’s price is too high on DK, but in play elsewhere.  Over his last seven games, he has 12 hits to go along with 12 SB’s.  I like Cain paired with Orlando, as he is 2-3 off Norris, and coming off a 4-4 game.  Nelson Cruz works well paired with Cano and Smith if in the lineup.  Cruz is 3-10 with 2 HR’s off Nolasco, and has 2 or more hits in five of his last seven games. 

Value Plays: Hicks checks in as my favorite value play early on if in the lineup, but usually once lineups are posted, value OF’s open up.