DFS MLB Hitting Coach: August 20

I think the thing I like most about DFS is the way every slate is a new puzzle. I love sifting through all of the matchups and seeing how the positions shake out differently from one day to the next. Early in my research for Saturday I was concerned I wasn’t finding enough cheap options, but it turned out I didn’t need to worry. I found plenty of cheap players worth starting, but for the most part, they are concentrated in the outfield and the left side of the infield. At catcher and second base I am at least paying for a mid-priced guy, while you should probably plan on spending a lot at first base or just punting the position altogether.

I don’t usually stack teams a whole lot unless a matchup really jumps out at me, and there are three stacks I really like Saturday. In the early slate I’m stacking Giants against Bartolo Colon, while the Yankees and Diamondbacks both have matchups I love. The Yankees are cheaper, but the Diamondbacks are probably safer.

Gary Sanchez is 11-for-18 with four home runs during his five-game hitting streak, and now he gets to face Ricky Nolasco. Sanchez will likely be a very popular play, especially on FantasyAces, and for good reason.

Welington Castillo is 9-for-18 in his four games since coming off the bereavement list and he has a 1.005 OPS against left-handed pitchers this season.

Nick Hundley is 8-for-20 over his last five games and he is pretty cheap for somebody playing in Coors Field.

Mike Zunino is 5-for-15 with a home run during his four-game hitting streak. Zunino has a .994 OPS against right-handed pitchers this season.

Paul Goldschmidt is 5-for-14 with a stolen base against Clayton Richard.

Hanley Ramirez is 8-for-12 over his last three games and he has a 1.094 OPS against left-handed pitchers this season.

Ryan Howard is 7-for-19 with three home runs over his last six games and he is worth a shot if you want to save some money at first base.

A.J. Reed is even cheaper than Howard, but he is riskier, too. Reed is 4-for-11 with a home run over his last three games, but he is probably a GPP play and not a cash game consideration.

Dustin Pedroia is 13-for-29 over the last week.

Brandon Phillips is 5-for-12 over his last three games and right-handed batters have a .359 wOBA against Brandon Finnegan this season.

Jason Kipnis is 6-for-15 over his last four games and has a .856 OPS against right-handed pitchers this season.

DJ LeMahieu is pretty reasonably priced for somebody facing a combination of Mike Montgomery and Trevor Cahill at Coors Field. LeMahieu has four consecutive multi-hit games and is 21-for-41 with two home runs during his 10-game hitting streak.

Chase Headley is 9-for-21 with a home run against Ricky Nolasco and 4-for-11 with a home run over his last three games.

I’m probably saving money at third base, but if you want to pay up, go all the way up to Kris Bryant. Bryant is 13-for-24 with two home runs over his last five games.

If you want a hot Cub who won’t break the bank at Coors Field, go with Javier Baez. Baez is 8-for-20 with two home runs over his last seven games.

Eugenio Suarez is 7-for-18 during his five-game hitting streak and he has a .396 wOBA against left-handed pitchers this season.

Trevor Plouffe is 6-for-11 with a home run against Ian Kennedy. Plouffe is 7-for-16 over his last four games.

Wilmer Flores is 7-for-17 with a home run over his last four games and he has a 1.061 OPS against left-handed pitchers this season.

Didi Gregorius is 10-for-19 against Ricky Nolasco.

Brandon Crawford is 4-for-9 against Bartolo Colon. Crawford is _ for _ during his four-game hitting streak.

Jean Segura is 14-for-25 with a home run and five stolen bases during his six-game hitting streak.

Brad Miller is 6-for-12 with three home runs over his last three games.

Trea Turner is 17-for-42 with 13 runs scored and five stolen bases during his nine-game hitting streak.

Aaron Judge is 7-for-23 with two home runs since his call-up last week and right-handed batters have a .361 wOBA against Ricky Nolasco.

The entire San Francisco outfield is in play Saturday. Hunter Pence is 6-for-11 with two home runs and seven RBI against Bartolo Colon. While Denard Span and Angel Pagan are both batting over .400 in the last seven days.

Tyler Naquin is 6-for-12 over his last six games and he has a 1.012 OPS against right-handed pitchers this season.

Jason Coats is 4-for-11 with a home run over his last five games and right-handed batters have a .337 wOBA against Ross Detwiler this season.

Nick Buss has a .382 wOBA since he was promoted to the show, and he has a nice matchup against Luis Cessa, who has struggled to a 5.30 ERA and 6.58 FIP in 18.2 big league innings.

Justin Ruggiano went 3-for-5 with a home run in his first game back from the disabled list Thursday and he has a .456 wOBA against lefties this season.

Norichika Aoki is 11-for-28 during his seven-game hitting streak .

Bryce Harper is 8-for-21 with a home run over his last six games.

Yasmany Tomas is 7-for-22 with four home runs during his five-game hitting streak. Tomas has a .442 wOBA against left-handed pitchers this season. For a far cheaper alternative, Mitch Haniger is 7-for-16 over the first four games of his big league career. He will have the platoon advantage and he is pretty cheap.