It’s August 21, and just about three-fourths of the season is in the books. Some teams are rounding out their playoff rosters, gearing up for the chance at an extended run through late October. Others are bringing up prospects who, in some cases, have spent years in the minors.
So what does all that mean?
It means that most rosters will be dotted with “green” players—guys who don’t have much prior experience. Those guys are inherently cheap on sites like DraftKings. If you can plug in the right inexpensive players, you can fill out the rest of your roster with studs.
P Kendry Flores, Marlins ($4,000) vs. Phillies
For the first time in his brief career, the Miami Marlins are expected to hand the ball to 23-year-old rookie right-hander Kendry Flores on Friday against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Flores is 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA and six relief appearances to his name.
This is a dream scenario for Flores, who gets to face the second-worst lineup in the majors (Flores’ Marlins are the worst) at home in front of a couple thousand yawning fans. According to FanGraphs, the Phillies rank 29th in the league in weighted on-base average (wOBA) and weighted runs created plus (wRC+) against right-handed pitchers.
According to ESPN.com, the Marlins average just over 22,000 fans at Marlins Park, the fourth-lowest mark in the league.
Other good pitching options: Gio Gonzalez, Nationals ($8,500) vs. Brewers; Kyle Hendricks, Cubs ($7,100) vs. Braves; Andrew Cashner, Padres ($6,000) vs. Cardinals; Jerad Eickhoff, Phillies ($4,600) at Marlins
1B/C Buster Posey, Giants ($4,100) at Pirates
Buster Posey has quietly put together another MVP-caliber season in San Francisco. The 28-year-old Georgia native is batting .322 with 16 jacks and 58 runs for the second-place Giants.
The Giants will face lefty Jeff Locke in Pittsburgh on Friday. Posey is a career .327 hitter off lefties with a stout .946 OPS, according to Baseball-Reference.com.
Other good catching options: Russell Martin, Blue Jays ($3,200) at Angels
2B Kelby Tomlinson ($2,100) or 2B Ehire Adrianza ($2,000), Giants at Pirates
Kelby Tomlinson and Ehire Adrianza have been platooning at second base for the reigning world champions. Recently, Tomlinson has gotten the majority of the playing time, but it’s your duty as a daily fantasy player to monitor the starting lineups and make sure you start 10 guys who are on the scorecard.
Tomlinson has been solid as the Giants’ alternative to the injured Joe Panik. He’s stroked at least one base hit in seven straight games in which he’s played. He also gets to bat leadoff for one of the best hitting road teams in the whole league. According to FanGraphs, the Giants offense ranks first in wOBA and wRC in road games this season.
Adrianza hasn’t been as consistent as Tomlinson, but if he gets the start, he’ll enjoy the same team-based advantages that Tomlinson does, for a slightly lower price.
Rocky Mountain High Scoring
3B Nolan Arenado ($5,100) and OF Charlie Blackmon ($4,500), Rockies vs. Mets
What does everyone else in this article have in common? They’re cheap. These two? Not so much.
With the thin Colorado air cutting down on the movement of Bartolo Colon‘s fastballs, expect the Rockies bats to send their fans home with some souvenirs. Eleven of Charlie Blackmon‘s 13 home runs have come against righties, as have 24 of his 31 stolen bases.
Nolan Arenado‘s dominance against right-handed pitching is even more evident. The third baseman has hit 27 of his 29 homers off righties thus far. He also holds a batting average of .287 against right-handed hurlers, compared to a paltry .247 against southpaws.
Other good outfield options: Yoenis Cespedes, Mets ($5,300) at Rockies
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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