Analysis to help you with your lineup construction
It’s a fully loaded 15-game slate Tuesday evening with several potential stacking opportunities on tap and a quartet of ace-caliber pitchers toeing the rubber. Get your popcorn ready, folks.
After a tumultuous summer filled with weather-related issues, there are zero trouble spots, which is a relief for fantasy managers.
Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles 1B (shoulder)
Mountcastle has missed five straight games and is day-to-day after an MRI came back clean on his left shoulder following his removal from Wednesday’s game against the Cardinals with left shoulder discomfort.
Carlos Correa, Twins SS (foot)
Correa made an early exit from Monday's series opener against the Reds after re-aggravating the plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The 28-year-old has been playing through the ongoing issue for months at this juncture, but there's a possibility he'll require a few days off to recover. He's day-to-day.
Luke Raley, Rays OF (neck)
Raley missed two games over the weekend with neck stiffness following Saturday's on-field collision during batting practice. He's day-to-day heading into Tuesday’s series opener against the Angels.
Christian Yelich, Brewers OF (back)
Yelich has missed nine of Milwaukee's last 10 games, including Monday’s series opener against the Cardinals, with a lower back issue. There’s a possibility he’ll wind up on the injured list if he’s unable to get back in the lineup this week.
Bryan De La Cruz, Marlins OF (ankle)
De La Cruz has missed three consecutive games since being removed from Friday’s game against the Braves with right ankle discomfort. He's day-to-day.
Brett Baty, Mets 3B (groin)
Baty appears likely to avoid a trip to the injured list, but missed his fifth straight game during Monday’s series opener against the Marlins. He had an MRI Thursday that revealed a mild left groin strain. He's day-to-day, but there’s zero incentive for the Mets to rush him back at this late juncture of the season.
Ha-Seong Kim, Padres 2B/SS (abdomen)
Kim sat out Monday’s series opener against the Rockies after being scratched from Sunday’s lineup due to abdominal tightness. The Padres have yet to settle upon an official diagnosis, so fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for the moment, but there’s a strong possibility he’s going to get some extra time off to rest and recover.
Strider, Castillo, Snell and Gallen are the headliners, as all will finish at or near the top of Cy Young balloting. Strider possesses the strikeout upside to warrant the top spot. But Snell has a tasty home matchup against a Rockies’ lineup that typically struggles outside of Coors Field as he looks to cement his status as NL Cy Young front-runner. Gallen can make noise in a critical division matchup against the Giants after being lit up for six earned runs his last time out against the Mets. Castillo has been about as consistent as it gets, despite not boasting massive strikeout totals, as he looks to propel the Mariners back to the postseason with an extremely favorable matchup against the Athletics.
Alex Cobb, Giants RHP, vs. Diamondbacks: $7,500
Cobb will take the ball against the division-rival Diamondbacks after receiving a couple extra days of rest due to an ongoing right hip issue, which cropped up shortly after throwing a 131-pitch complete game against the Reds back in late August.
The 35-year-old has put together arguably his strongest season in nearly a decade, compiling a 3.62 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 130/36 K/BB ratio across 149 1/3 innings (27 starts). Fantasy managers searching for an alternative outside of the consensus top four starting pitchers for Tuesday's slate should strongly consider Cobb as a low-cost alternative with the upside to spin a gem against a division rival in Arizona.
White Sox vs. Nationals (RHP Jackson Rutledge)
Fantasy Sports Logic's Contrarian Edge Optimizer is all over the White Sox as they face Nationals pitching prospect Jackson Rutledge, making his second MLB start. The 24-year-old rookie was lit up for seven runs on 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings Wednesday in his big-league debut against the Pirates.
The White Sox' bats should be able to do damage in Washington, which makes loading up on hitters like Luis Robert Jr., Tim Anderson, Andrew Benintendi, Eloy Jiménez, Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets an appealing strategy.
Guardians vs. Royals (RHP Alec Marsh)
It will ostensibly be a bullpen game for Kansas City, with Marsh likely making a bulk relief appearance, which sets up Cleveland's lineup in a favorable spot to take advantage following Monday's unexpected late-inning collapse. José Ramírez is the obvious building block, but low-cost alternatives like Josh Naylor, Andrés Giménez, Gabriel Arias, Kole Calhoun, Will Brennan and Bo Naylor make a ton of sense as well.
Padres vs. Rockies (RHP Ryan Feltner)
It’s a must-win for the Padres against Feltner, who is making his first appearance since mid-May, when he was hospitalized after suffering a skull fracture on a line drive. It’s phenomenal to see the 27-year-old right-hander healthy and ready to compete again, but it’s a tough spot to be thrown into, even if it’s away from Coors Field. It would be surprising to see San Diego’s bats go cold in this one after scoring 11 runs on 15 hits during Monday’s series opener.
Great choices for constructing your Monday lineup stacks
Weather Report
It’s a busier-than-usual Monday with 11 games, but it doesn’t appear any of are in danger of getting postponed with very little chance of rain.
Injury Report:
Salvador Perez, Royals C, Concussion -- Perez was placed on the seven-day injured list Sunday after being hit in the mask by a foul ball Saturday against the Astros. The Royals are also missing Freddy Fermin for the rest of the season due to a finger injury, so Kansas City will line up Logan Porter and Tyler Cropley behind the plate for the foreseeable future. Neither Porter nor Cropley offer any type of fantasy value.
Ha-Seong Kim, Padres LHP, Abdomen -- Kim was scratched from the lineup Sunday due to discomfort in his abdomen. As of publication, the results of the testing of the infielder are unavailable, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s held out -- maybe even placed on the injured list -- with the Padres all but eliminated from postseason contention.
Tyler O’Neill, Cardinals OF, Foot: O’Neill was placed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right foot before Sunday’s game. The outfielder will all but assuredly miss the rest of the season and wasn’t exactly playing at an elite level prior to the injury. The Cardinals called up Juan Yepez, a hitter who has had mixed success but put up big numbers in the minors. He could be a sneaky fantasy option when he’s in the lineup over the final weeks.
Top Priced Starting Pitchers for Main Slate (DraftKings)
Good options, with Peralta unsurprisingly the most expensive at your disposal. The right-hander has been on a strong run with at least nine strikeouts in four of his last five chances. His ERA has dropped from 4.46 at the start of August to 3.79. With St. Louis playing the string out, there’s plenty of reason to believe Peralta will pile up the strikeouts without much damage inflicted upon him.
Rodriguez vs. Lynn is an intriguing matchup, and there’s added flavor because of what happened -- and what didn’t happen -- at the deadline. Lynn was traded from the White Sox to Los Angeles near the deadline, while Rodriguez evoked his no-trade clause to block a trade to the Dodgers on deadline day.
Both pitchers haven’t been great as of late, but Lynn offers the better chance for a win even with his team no longer having anything to play for with Los Angeles clinching the AL West on Sunday in Seattle.
The highest risk -- but potentially highest reward -- comes with Verlander and his five-figure cost against Baltimore. The right-hander has 5.40 ERA in September, and he’ll be facing one of the best lineups in the Orioles. While that offers risk, Verlander was pitching as well as anyone at the end of August, and he’s gone seven innings in his last two outings with a 13/1 K/BB over 14 frames.
It’s a tough ask, but Verlander is going to be worthy of roster consideration until he decides to retire in 2042 or so.
Sneaky option
Bryan Woo vs. Athletics: $7,200
‘Sneaky’? Against lowly Oakland? Woo’s price point makes him the best pitching option. The rookie right-hander has been up-and-down in 2023, but he’s coming off his best start of the season -- 5.2 scoreless frames with eight strikeouts against the Angels.
The Mariners essentially are in must-win mode in order to stay in the division race as well as the Wild Card, and it’s reasonable to expect quality run support behind Woo with J.P. Sears on the bump for the A’s.
You can add Woo and one of the big-name starters above, and process suggests you should have a nice little Monday.
Stack Attack
Phillies vs. Atlanta (Kyle Wright)
Wright has had success at the highest level, but he missed over four months with injury, and he didn't look great in his return to the mound Monday with six runs allowing over three innings. The Phillies are fighting for a chance to host a postseason series as the top Wild Card in the National League, and this stack gives you some “star” options in Realmuto and Harper with some relatively ‘cheap” plays in Stott and Marsh. On paper, this one makes an awful lot of sense.
Brewers vs. Cardinals (Adam Wainwright)
It’s simple -- if Wainwright is starting, take advantage. He’s pitched well in two of his last three outings in terms of run-prevention but hasn’t struck out more than five hitters in a start since May 29. It’s hard to take any recent success too seriously with a 7.95 ERA over his 94 innings.
Get as many Milwaukee hitters in the lineup as you can. Congrats on a great career, Mr. Wainwright, but he’s someone fantasy managers must attack over the last starts of his career.
The best PrizePicks and Underdog selections on Monday's slate
With just 11 games on tap Monday, there aren’t a ton of interesting matchups for fantasy managers to target. However, there are plenty of intriguing props, including a pair of conservative strikeout totals for both Freddy Peralta and José Butto.
Peralta has been on an absolute heater of late, allowing three earned runs or fewer in 10 of 11 starts since the All-Star break, while also notching at least nine strikeouts in six of those outings. He’ll take the ball against a Cardinals’ lineup that ranks 27th with a .689 OPS in 25 games over the last month. They're not the most aggressive bunch, but Peralta should be able to coax enough swings and misses to reach at least seven punch outs.
Butto has posted at least five strikeouts in three consecutive outings since rejoining New York's pitching mix on August 15. He'll face a surging Marlins' lineup, but they’ve been pedestrian overall against right-handed pitching with a .710 OPS, which ranks 21st in baseball.
Hernández is batting .304 against left-handed pitching and is 2-for-5 against southpaw JP Sears, who will take the ball in Oakland. There aren't a ton of stacking options for fantasy managers, but loading up on Seattle's right-handed batters seems like a strong decision.
It's possible the biggest risk to Seager not hitting this number is that all of his hits will go for extra bases against a Red Sox' pitching staff that wrapped up an extremely taxing series over the weekend in Toronto. Boston faces a Texas team that remains in the hunt for a playoff spot and desperately needs this game after being swept by the Guardians. Fantasy managers should expect Seager to show up for this one.
De La Cruz is one of the most intriguing talents in baseball but is mired in an extended slump, batting .192 (30-for-156) with just four homers and 12 steals in 41 games since August 1. He possesses the raw talent to put together a monster performance, but that'll be a tall order against Minnesota right-hander Joe Ryan, who has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four consecutive starts since returning from the injured list back on August 26.
TV breaks down Sunday's best lineup stack choices
We have a full slate of games scheduled for Sunday across MLB, there will be a handful of inexperienced starting pitchers taking the mound, and some big-time smash spots for some of the best lineups in baseball. I’ll dive into the foundational building blocks you need to construct your lineups around.
There are clear skies expected for every game.
Woodruff appears worth paying the premium for. Since returning from the IL in August, he's allowed two earned runs or less in six of seven outings and hasn't allowed a run in his past two games. In four starts at home, he has a 1.07 ERA over 25.1 innings pitched! The Contrarian Edge Optimizer suggests paying up for Woodruff.
The Braves' Morton looks like a good option on paper but avoid him. In two starts versus Miami he has allowed one ER on seven hits over 12.2 innings, but he has struggled in day games with a 4.35 ERA compared to 3.09 ERA at night. He has also struggled in his two starts in September, and Miami has the fourth-highest batting average in MLB at .270 at home.
Dylan Cease vs. MIN: $8,600
There are not many “sneaky” options. There’s a handful of openers so it’s difficult to rely on some of the cheaper choices. Instead, we’re going to turn to Cease and hope he brings his strikeout stuff and better command.
The one holdup I have is that the Twins own the fifth-highest walk rate in MLB. The good part is they have the highest strikeout rate per game. Cease has been better at home this season and he should give us some length. This one is scary to trust but we’re riding with the mustache man.
Brewers vs. Nationals (Patrick Corbin)
What a shock! We’re looking to stack against Corbin. The Contrarian Edge Optimizer suggests getting Brewers bats in your lineups. Expect a poor outing against a Milwaukee lineup that is in the top 10 in runs scored and has the sixth highest batting average in September.
The Brewers lineup projects nicely despite occasional struggles against lefties. The Nats' bullpen owns the fourth-worst ERA, so if they chase Corbin early, they could continue producing.
Astros vs. Royals (Jordan Lyles)
This is what dreams are made of. Lyles and Corbin pitching on the same day! Unfortunately for Lyles, he faces a deep Astros lineup, and has an 8.78 ERA over 11 starts in day games. Jose Altuve has two homers in 14 at-bats off Lyle. Of course, it’s always worth getting Yordan Alvarez in your lineup if you can. He’s 3 for 8 in this series with 2 doubles and has a strong history of success at Kauffman Stadium.
Top-notch insights to create top-notch stacks Saturday
We have a full slate of games scheduled for Saturday across MLB, including a doubleheader between the Rockies and Giants. There’s a handful of aces on the mound that may be worth paying up for, headlined by Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow, but they have tough road matchups.
I’ll dive into the foundational building blocks you need to construct your lineups around. Additionally, I’ll explain why there’s a smash spot in the first game of that doubleheader out West.
There are clear skies expected for every game, something we should be grateful for with just three weekends left of the regular season!
Ronald Acuna Jr – Calf: Acuna left Friday’s game early due to calf tightness and it has yet to be determined if we will miss Saturday’s game.
Ryan Mountcastle – Shoulder: Mountcastle has missed the last two games and there is no update on whether we will play on Saturday.
Triston Casas – Shoulder: Casas missed Friday’s game, and is yet to be determined if we will be in the lineup on Saturday.
David Peralta – Back: Peralta sat out Friday’s game and it’s unknown if his back tightness will keep him out of Saturday’s tilt with Seattle.
Bryan De La Cruz – Ankle: He exited Friday’s game early and may sit on Saturday.
Tyler Glasnow @ BAL: $10,800
Pablo Lopez @ CWS: $10,500
Corbin Burnes vs. WAS: $10,300
Clayton Kershaw @ SEA: $10,000
Andrew Abbott @ NYM: $9,500
Cole Ragans vs. HOU: $8,500
There is a handful of starting pitchers at the top end of the rotation. Glasnow is the one name that jumps off the board as the top-priced starting pitcher. He’s averaging 23.1 points per game, which is outstanding.
We’re avoiding him mainly because of his home/road splits. He has a 3.48 road ERA, as opposed to 2.81 at Tropicana. In two starts versus Baltimore this season, he’s gone 11.1 innings, allowed 12 hits, and eight earned runs. Those are his worst numbers against any opponent this season.
Of the aces today, Corbin Burnes is the one worth inserting into your lineups. When using the Contrarian Edge Optimizer, he appears the most often of any pitcher on today’s slate. He’s coming off eight no-hit innings against a hot Yankees lineup and faces a Nationals team against whom he allowed four hits on six innings on the road in July.
Tanner Bibee vs. LAA: $9,300 (FanDuel)
Somehow, Cleveland continues to find amazing starting pitchers. Bibee has been the king of consistency, allowing 3 ER or less in 15 straight starts with a 2.50 ERA to lower his ERA to 3.03. On Saturday, he faces a Rangers lineup that has been in the bottom half in most offensive categories over the last month. With bigger names like Kershaw, Burnes, and Glasnow near the top of the board, expect the ownership rate to be somewhat low compared to other arms on Saturday.
Giants vs. Rockies (Peter Lambert)
Like many pitchers, Lambert struggles at Coors Field. He owns a 6.44 ERA at home, and in two appearances against the Giants this season, he’s gone 6.1 innings, allowing 9 runs and 11 hits! There’s not an obvious choice in the Giants lineup but LaMonte Wade, Thairo Estrada, and Mike Yastrzemski are a few names the Contrarian Edge Optimizer suggests often in today’s lineups.
OF Joc Pederson $4,800
OF Mike Yastrzemski $4,400
1B Thairo Estrada $5,000
1B/OF LaMonte Wade $4,000
Williams was terrible in his last two outings. He is becoming a true get-right spot for any lineup he faces. In six of his last eight starts, he has allowed at least six hits and four runs. Since the start of September, Milwaukee is tied with the seventh most runs scored and the eighth highest batting average. The Brewers lineup projects nicely on Saturday. The Nats bullpen owns the fourth-worst ERA. I would get as many Dodgers in your lineups as you can.
1B Rowdy Tellez $2,600
1B Carlos Santana $3,800
C William Contreras $5,100
SS Willy Adames $4,400
OF Mark Canha $3,000
This stack looks incredible on paper. The Marlins own the second-highest batting average against left-handed pitching at .282. When at home, they have the fourth-highest batting average in MLB at .270. The lefty Shuster has not pitched since August 27 so we can’t say for certain how many innings he will go before the Braves look to their bullpen. Shuster has yet to face any Marlins hitter, but his ERA is inflated o the road at 6.56!
1B/2B Luis Arraez $4,800
1B Josh Bell $3,800
3B Jake Burger $4,400
OF Jazz Chisholm Jr. $5,100
OF/SS Garrett Hampson $2,300
Check out great choices for PrizePicks and Underdogs
There is a beautiful schedule of MLB games to kick off our weekend. One pits two of the hottest teams since the All-Star break -- the Mariners and Dodgers. And the Rays and Orioles will continue to battle for AL East crown tonight.
There are plenty of options on PrizePicks and Underdog Friday, but I’ve narrowed it down to the best ones here.
Cole is the heavy favorite in the AL Cy Young race. Tonight, he will pitch in PNC Park for the first time since he left the Pirates in 2017! The emotions will be flowing for Cole, who has just three or four more starts left this season.
Expect him to be on his A-game down the stretch. He’s allowed two earned runsor fewer in nine of 11 starts since the All-Star break. Pittsburgh is bottom 10 in almost every major offensive category.
I’m going right back to two picks that were originally for Thursday’s rained out game in Colorado. Yastrzemski has been on fire in September. He has the 10th-highest average in baseball at .387. He has solid numbers against Rockies starting pitcher Chase Anderson, going 3 for 7 with 2 doubles.
Oddly enough, he’s yet to record a hit at Coors Field in his young career but I expect that to change tonight. Anderson has allowed an opponent batting average of .310 since joining the Rockies back in May.
The second play coming from Colorado is simple. Webb has been excellent. He has at least five strikeouts in 22 of 30 starts, and the Rockies have the third most Ks of any team since the All-Star break.
Webb has shut down this Rockies lineup throwing 20.1 innings with 17 K’s and to the tune of a 1.77 ERA. We can trust Webb.
Yordan is a beast. He doesn’t get enough credit for how good he really is at the plate. On Friday, he goes up against Zack Greinke, who’s having a bad year by his standards.
My favorite part about this play is Yordan’s history hitting at Kauffman Stadium. He has a career .414 batting average there with five extra base hits.
The only place he’s hit better at -- with at least 10 at-bats -- is Fenway (.455). The big lefty is 1 for 3 in his career versus Grienke. He’s top 20 in total bases over the last month.
I’m a fan of Kirby but I believe the Dodgers will quietly dominate this series. Kirby is a strike thrower. The Dodgers bats won’t miss many pitches in the zone. The Dodgers have been a run-scoring machine all season, particularly since the All Star break -- third in .OPS and fourth in runs scored.
Kirby doesn’t have a short leash, so I expect the Dodgers to get at least three runs across the board here for us. Kirby has allowed 3 ER or more in four straight outings.
Hoerner has been one of my favorite picks all season. He’s all the way up to 16th in batting average (.285) and inside the top 10 in strikeout percentage. He is eighth in MLB in strikeout percentage at just 12.7% this season!
He will face Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt, who has the ninth lowest strikeout percentage over the last month. When the Diamondbacks go to the bullpen, we shouldn’t be scared as they are 19th in strikeouts per nine innings.
All you need to know for your lineup construction
It’s a fully loaded 15-game slate Friday with southpaw’s Justin Steele and Tarik Skubal headlining the most intriguing foundational building blocks from a pitching standpoint.
Additionally, there are several stacking opportunities in the NL West, including tasty matchups in both Arizona and Colorado, to consider constructing the core of lineups around.
There are zero trouble spots on the radar, a relief for fantasy managers who have dealt with several rainouts this week, including a costly one Thursday that washed out a hitter-friendly contest at Coors Field in Colorado.
Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles 1B (shoulder)
Mountcastle is day-to-day after an MRI came back clean following his removal from Wednesday’s game against the Cardinals with left shoulder discomfort.
Shohei Ohtani, Angels DH (oblique)
There’s zero incentive for the Angels to take any chances at this juncture of the season, which has led to Ohtani missing 10 consecutive games with right oblique tightness. It’s difficult to forecast whether he’ll return for Friday’s series opener against the Tigers.
Mickey Moniak, Angels OF (back)
Moniak has missed seven straight games after being scratched from last Thursday’s lineup due to back tightness. He’s theoretically day-to-day but is hardly a lock to return for Friday’s series opener against the Tigers.
Jarred Kelenic, Mariners OF (foot)
Kelenic sat out Wednesday’s game for precautionary reasons due to right foot soreness, but there’s a strong possibility he’ll be ready for Friday’s tilt against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
Mitch Garver, Rangers C (foot)
Garver is day-to-day with a left foot contusion after X-rays came back negative following his removal from Thursday's game against the Blue Jays.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Marlins OF (knee)
There isn’t a ton of clarity here after Chisholm Jr. was removed from Wednesday's game against the Brewers with right knee discomfort. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day entering Friday’s series opener against the division-rival Braves.
Christian Yelich, Brewers OF (back)
Yelich is expected to return for Friday’s series opener against the Nationals after missing six straight contests due to lower back soreness.
Mark Canha, Brewers OF (wrist)
Canha is day-to-day with left wrist soreness after an MRI on Thursday came back clean for any structural damage.
Ronny Mauricio, Mets SS (illness)
Mauricio remained absent from the Mets’ lineup for the second consecutive contest on Thursday afternoon due to illness. He was available off the bench, so it stands to reason that he’ll be cleared to return for Friday’s series opener against the Reds.
Brett Baty, 3B Mets (groin)
Baty underwent an MRI on Thursday that revealed a mild left groin strain and should be considered day-to-day for now.
Willson Contreras, Cardinals C (hand)
Contreras has been absent from the Cardinals’ lineup since being lifted from Tuesday’s game with a right-hand contusion.
Michael Conforto, Giants OF (hamstring)
Conforto is expected to be activated from the injured list for Friday’s series opener against the Rockies at Coors Field following a three-week absence due to a left hamstring strain.
Xander Bogaerts, Padres SS (calf)
Bogaerts sat out Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers with calf tightness after fouling a ball off his ankle on Tuesday night, which led to some bruising and lingering tightness in his calf. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now.
Manny Machado, Padres 3B (elbow)
Machado continues to deal with tennis elbow, which has limited him to designated hitter duty the last few weeks.
There aren’t a ton of high-profile starting pitchers Friday, which make NL Cy Young Award candidate Justin Steele the obvious foundational building block for building a lineup. The 28-year-old left-hander has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 25 of his 27 starts this season, recording a 2.49 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 159/33 K/BB ratio across 159 innings of work.
He’s been on a roll, managing at least six strikeouts in 10 of his 11 outings since the All-Star break. He’s in line for a tasty road matchup Friday evening against a Diamondbacks’ lineup that ranks 22nd in baseball this season with a pedestrian .706 OPS against left-handed pitching.
Perhaps the most intriguing option outside of the top-five highest-priced options is Skubal, who not only possesses immense strikeout upside, but is also in line for an extremely favorable matchup against an Angels’ lineup that could potentially still be without superstar Shohei Ohtani.
The 26-year-old southpaw, who has notched at least seven strikeouts in five consecutive starts dating back to August 18, holds a solid 3.47 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 75/13 K/BB ratio across 62 1/3 innings (12 starts) since returning in early July to Detroit’s starting rotation.
Sean Newcomb, A’s LHP, vs. Padres: $5,700
Newcomb has quietly emerged as a savvy streaming option, tossing four scoreless frames with five strikeouts last Saturday against a loaded Rangers’ lineup. The A’s acquired the 30-year-old former top pitching prospect last month in an under-the-radar trade with the Giants and has reeled off a microscopic 0.75 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 15/6 K/BB ratio across 12 innings (six appearances, one start).
He’s in line for an extremely favorable matchup Friday night when he squares off against Cleveland’s lineup, which ranks dead last in baseball this season with a .653 OPS against left-handed pitching.
Twins vs. White Sox (RHP Jesse Scholtens)
Scholtens has allowed five earned runs or more in three of his last five starts and will face off against a red-hot Twins’ lineup in the midst of a playoff chase. It’s a combination of factors that could lead to plenty of runs going up on the board Friday evening.
Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien and Jorge Polanco are the most obvious choices here, but Alex Kirilloff represents an extremely cheap option, and might be worthy of a look from fantasy managers, as he should be in the lineup to face Scholtens in this one.
Astros vs. Royals (RHP Zack Greinke)
In addition to a ghastly 1-15 record, Greinke has struggled to a bloated 5.47 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 84/19 K/BB ratio across 126 2/3 innings (26 appearances, 23 starts) in what will likely be his final season in the majors.
More importantly, he’s coughed up 19 homers during that span and will square off against a loaded Astros’ lineup on Friday night, which has been one of the hottest in baseball since the Midsummer Classic.
The usual core building blocks are all in the mix, but Chas McCormick and Yainer Diaz, who have certainly played like big boys this season, are sneaky options for fantasy managers in this one, assuming manager Dusty Baker writes their names on his lineup card.
Cubs vs. Diamondbacks (RHP Brandon Pfaadt)
Pfaadt has had serious issues keeping the ball in the yard during his first taste of the majors, serving up a staggering 20 round-trippers in just 80 2/3 innings (16 appearances, 15 starts). Chicago’s lineup is stacked with several left-handed sluggers that appear poised to do some damage Friday night in Arizona, with Cody Bellinger representing the most obvious building block.
Giants vs. Rockies (RHP Chase Anderson)
Like we were going to skip over Coors Field on a Friday night, seriously? The San Francisco lefty stack is arguably the most appealing build for fantasy managers with LaMonte Wade Jr., Mike Yastrzemski, Joc Pederson and Michael Conforto, who is expected to return from the injured list for Friday’s series opener, all serving as excellent options.
Check out Tom's take on PrizePicks and Underdogs
Thursday provides an abbreviated MLB slate of games. Among them the Yankees and Red Sox will have another day-night doubleheader and the Rays and Orioles will battle it out for AL East dominance on FOX. With sportsbooks focused on sharp lines for Thursday Night Football, we’re jumping on some good numbers on PrizePicks and Underdog.
This has been one of my favorite picks to turn to this season. They keep giving us 17.5 or lower on Kelly and we keep taking it. He has gone at least six innings in 17 of 25 starts since April. He has struggled a bit of late on the road against the Dodgers and Padres, but the Mets lineup has been terrible at Citi Field. They have the third-lowest batting average of any team at home this season at .234.
Yastrzemski has been on fire in September. He has MLB’s 10th-highest average at .387. He has solid numbers against Rockies starting pitcher Chase Anderson, going 3 for 7 with 2 doubles. Oddly, he’s yet to record a hit at Coors Field in his young career but I expect that to change tonight. Anderson has allowed an opponent batting average of .310 since joining the Rockies in May.
The rookie might be the difference-maker the Orioles need down the stretch to claim the AL East title. He has the fourth most total bases over the last two weeks and the sixth most over the past month.
But he has yet to face starter Aaron Civale, who has been decent since joining the Rays but has struggled in two starts in September with a 6.10 ERA. Henderson has at least two total bases in nine of 12 games in September.
This one is simple. Webb has been excellent this season for the Giants. He has had at least five strikeouts in 22 of 30 starts. The Rockies have the third most strikeouts of any team since the All-Star break. Webb has shut down this Rockies lineup throwing 20.1 innings with 17 K’s and to the tune of a 1.77 ERA.
The Pirates and Reynolds will square off with righty Josiah Gray of the Nationals. Reynolds is 3 for 5 in his career with a .667 wOBA versus Gray. He has a single in 11 of 12 games in the month of September. He sees the ball better in day games with a .282 average versus night where he hits .266.
Devers is that dude when he goes up against the Yankees. This season, he’s hitting .410 versus Yankee pitchers in 39 at-bats with 5 homers. He rakes during day games batting .307. He goes up against Michael King in Game 1 of today’s doubleheader. He’s 4 for 6 in his career against King with 2 homeruns. We can count on Devers to stay hot.
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