DFS MLB Hitting Coach: August 9

Almost every team is playing in tonight’s slate of MLB games.  As expected, the Cubs, Red Sox, and Blue Jays check in as the teams expected to have the best nights.  I am definitely going to try to target those three teams, which means you can find many routes to play where you can roster very low owned players in your tournaments.  I think the Cubs are the top team to target tonight, and feel the late night options of Detroit/Seattle, and the Dodgers all make for sneaky stacks tonight.  Good luck!

Catcher

Cash Play:  Yasmani Grandal may not have the best matchup on paper, but has been the hottest catcher with an eight game hit streak with HR’s in three of those games.  His price is reasonable across the board, but can see some going less on DK with one of the below gpp options.    

GPP plays:  Francisco Cervelli and Yadier Molina have a similar price to Grandal on FD, but much cheaper on DK.  Both make for risky pivots off of Grandal on FD.  Out of the two, Molina will be more popular, going 5-10 over his last 3 games.  Willson Contreras is an interesting play tonight.  He has a great matchup tonight vs Weaver, but hasn’t gone deep in over a month, and only one XBH since July 19^th. 

Value Plays: If starting, Gary Sanchez makes for a great punt play.  I think more will be own Perez, but Sanchez has hit safely in his four games since being recalled, including a double in three straight.     

First Base

Cash Plays:  First base will be a tough call tonight.  All the top guys are very much in play for multiple HR nights.  Between the top four listed, I’ll leaning towards Anthony Rizzo on FD, and Edwin Encarnacion on DK.  The Cubs have the highest implied run total tonight, and think Rizzo goes deep for the first time since July 20^th.  Encarnacion provides you a bit of salary relief while facing a lefty at home.   

GPP Plays: Even though they are in play for cash games, I’ll look to target both David Ortiz and Miguel Cabrera in gpp’s.  Ortiz is 3-5 with 3 HR’s vs Severino, and in prime spot to break out of 2-24 slump.  Miggy has never faced LeBlanc, but has recorded at least 2 hits in 5 of his last 8 games.    

Value Play:  First is pretty stacked tonight, and will try to get a big bat in.  For now, the lowest I’m looking at is Jose Abreu.  He has now homered is 3 of his last 4 games, while also recording 3 hits in two of them.  Will probably go extremely low owned on DK and Aces.

Second Base  

Cash plays:  It’s tough to ignore what Devon Travis has been doing lately. He is 12 for his last 22 with 3 HR’s.  He is also 1-2 with a HR off Smyly, and a very nice price across the board.    

GPP plays: Dustin Pedroia can be used for cash on DK, but I like him paired with Ortiz in gpp’s since he is still looking for first XBH in August.  He’s 1-2 with a HR of Severino.  Both Ben Zobrist and Ian Kinsler have nice matchup’s, and make for good targets paired with their first baseman. 

Value Plays:  Chase Utley has a nice price for a leadoff hitter.  Would only use him though in a late night only game since he hasn’t recorded a multi-hit game since July 19^th.  

Third Base

Cash Plays:  Third base is in a similar position to first tonight, but Josh Donaldson seems to have a clear advantage.  His price on DK places him in close to must play territory, and he is 8-17 with 3 HR’s off Smyly in his career.  Manny Machado is slightly cheaper on FD, and now has 4 HR’s and 9 RBI’s over his last two games. 

GPP plays:  Kris Bryant will be a popular play tonight against Weaver.  He can go on HR strings, and went deep last game.  Great stack if you can get the Cubs 1-4 or 2-5 hitters.  Travis Shaw’s price has decreased over the past week, but he is capable of being a nice contrarian play that can go deep tonight.   

Value Play:  Chase Headley makes for a nice punt play, and comes with a huge risk with the bigger bats out there.  Will more than likely be low owned with Prado being a more popular punt play, but Headley is 5-16 with a HR off Porcello, and makes for nice pairing with a few other Yankees. 

Shortstop

Cash Plays:  Corey Seager went deep twice last night, and four of his last eight hits have went for homers.   His price is up, and if looking to roster some top priced guys elsewhere, may not be able to fit him in for cash.  Carlos Correa, who has taken Santiago deep twice, is in the same boat.  I’ll take the discount on FD and Aces with Brandon Crawford.  He’s hitless in 5 Ab’s vs Koehler, but hard to pass on a player who went 7-8 last game. On DK, Jose Iglesias may be popular due to his cheap price tag if batting second, but hasn’t really done much of anything lately and is better used for gpps.

GPP Plays: All of the above four listed are in play for gpp’s.  It all depends on what route you go with your lineup.  If you go contrarian and punt 1^st and 3^rd which is what I’ll more than likely do, then Seager is my favorite play.          

Value Play:   If in the lineup, and batting towards the top, I like Orlando Arcia tonight.  After going hitless in first two starts, he has hit safely in four straight.  His price took a bit of a jump up, and will use him only as a last resort salary relief option or Brewers stack only. 

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Outfield

Cash Plays:  Jacoby Ellsbury’s 12-28 with 4 HR’s and only 2 K’s lifetime vs Porcello is hard to ignore, and comes at a nice price tag.  Dexter Fowler has hit safely in eight of his last nine games, and recorded at least one run in all nine.  He is very much in play on FD and Aces, but price is too high on DK for me.   Both Nelson Cruz and Stephen Piscotty have great matchups vs lefties.  Cruz will be the more popular pick, going 1-2 with a HR off Smyly in first matchup. 

GPP Plays:  Mike Trout I feel is better used as a gpp play tonight, but has taken Lackey deep in first meeting.  His price is just too high for cash for me with no other Angel’s outside of Albert in play.  Michael Saunders and Corey Dickerson are both mid-tier priced players on FD and Aces, with Dickerson being cheaper on DK.  Saunders has been in a slump lately, and has a lefty matchup, but is 3-8 with 2 HR’s off Smyly.  Dickerson is a high risk play that is 3-3 lifetime vs Estrada, but is 2 for his last 20. 

Value Plays: I suggest waiting for lineups to come out to find value OF’s.  The other option is to pick on a better than average pitcher, and take priced down players like the Met’s and Arizona’s OF, or an even more risky Oakland OF.