October 26, 2023
NBA

Weekly NBA Injury Report: How to React

We look at who's injured and recommend possible replacements
Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Injuries are a never-ending problem with NBA basketball and taking advantage of their fill-ins can be one of the keys to winning in any fantasy situation, whether it be DFS, season-long or any other format you can think of. Each week we’ll take a look at the injury report on Wednesdays and recommend replacement players and other impacts of what the report looks like.

Since we’re just a couple of days into the season, the report is a bit light this week, but as we saw on Tuesday night, the absence of Draymond Green (ankle) and Bradley Beal (back) prompted guys like Jonathan Kuminga and Josh Okogie to get the attention of fantasy managers. Here’s a look at what injuries might create opportunities for players who may not have even been drafted in your league. And we’ll take a look at every team’s starting lineup that is in action tonight, since the injury season isn’t quite upon us.

Atlanta Hawks - No significant injuries outside of Wesley Matthews (calf). This shouldn’t have an impact on Wednesday’s game but Jalen Johnson is a guy fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on everywhere. If he goes off early, think about scooping him up in your league.

Boston Celtics - The Celtics’ injury report is clean heading into Wednesday’s opener and Derrick White is a favorite sleeper in Boston. Additionally, Peyton Pritchard had a fun preseason and will be worth keeping an eye on tonight.

Brooklyn Nets - Dariq Whitehead is the only Net showing up on the report and I can’t wait to see what Mikal Bridges, Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons do on Wednesday night.

Charlotte Hornets - The Hornets’ injury report is loaded with names, but the key is that the starters are intact here, meaning LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, P.J. Washington and Mark Williams should all have a fun night against the Hawks. If Washington went undrafted in your league, think about picking him up. Miles Bridges may not play at all this season, which would be big for PJW.

Chicago Bulls - The Bulls’ injury report is clean and we won’t see Lonzo Ball this season. Coby White looks like the starting point guard for the Bulls and he appeared to turn a corner late last season and looked very good in the preseason. If he was undrafted in your league, he’s going to be worth a look. If he goes to work early in this one be ready to pull the trigger on him. Patrick Williams is another player to keep a close eye on early on Wednesday.

Cleveland Cavaliers - Darius Garland (hamstring) is iffy for tonight and if he can’t go Ty Jerome and Caris LeVert are going to be interesting streaming options. Donovan Mitchell is the star of this team and my guess is that Garland will power through his injury on Cleveland’s opening night.

Dallas Mavericks - Kyrie Irving (groin) should be good to go while Luka Doncic (calf) is no longer feeling pain, meaning both players should be ready for Wednesday night. Just make sure that Luka is good to go before locking him into lineups. Josh Green, Grant Williams, Dereck Lively and Jaden Hardy are the other Mavericks who might make some noise against the Spurs tonight, but I don’t really trust any of them.

Denver Nuggets - Nikola Jokic triple-doubled on Tuesday with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists and all five starters scored in double figures (Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope). Gordon scored 15 with a full stat line, MPJ had a 12 & 12 double-double, Murray racked up 21 points and six dimes, and KCP came through with 20 points, three steals and a couple of 3-pointers.

Detroit Pistons - Bojan Bogdanovic (calf), Isaiah Livers (ankle) and Monte Morris (quad) are all out for the Pistons, but their starting lineup of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren should all be good to go against the Heat on Wednesday. If Thompson or Ivey weren’t drafted in your league, think about pouncing on them if they get off to a good start tonight.

Golden State Warriors - The Warriors got 27 points from Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson had 15 and Chris Paul got some revenge against his former team with 14 points, six rebounds and nine assists, despite hitting just 4-of-15 shots. He only started because Draymond Green was out with an ankle injury and I don’t trust CP3 this year. Jonathan Kuminga came off the bench for 12 points, six rebounds, two steals and a block, but it still feels like Steve Kerr is never actually going to turn him loose.

Houston Rockets - The Rockets are at Orlando on Wednesday and Tari Eason and Victor Oladipo are out. Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith and Alperen Sengun should all be good to go and I’m excited to see if Smith can build on last year’s success. Sengun is also a popular fantasy play this season and should have a field day against Wendell Carter Jr.

Indiana Pacers - The Pacers host the Wizards tonight and have a clean injury report. Starters Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin and Myles Turner look like the starters. Mathurin, Brown and Toppin are all worth keeping a close eye on if they went undrafted in your league while Buddy Hield should make some nice noise off the Pacer bench as a 3-point specialist.

Los Angeles Clippers - The Clippers host Portland and Bones Hyland, Terance Mann and Josh Primo are all on the injury report, not that it matters. The good news is that Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Robert Covington and Ivica Zubac are all playing. If Covington gets off to a hot start he’ll be worth a look, but should be a hit-or-miss player on most nights, depending on what his teammates are doing.

L.A. Lakers - The Lakers fell to the Nuggets on Tuesday night and Anthony Davis threw away a solid first half by failing to score a single point in the second half of the game, ruining fantasy managers’ nights along the way. Jarred Vanderbilt sat out for the Lakers and Taurean Prince came through for fantasy managers with 18 points and four 3-pointers on 6-of-8 shooting. Keep a close eye on him in case he does it again on Thursday against the Suns. LeBron James led the way in Tuesday’s loss with a 21-8-5 line and all five starters (Davis, Prince, James, D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves) scored in double figures.

Memphis Grizzlies - Santi Aldama is out tonight due to an ankle injury along with Brandon Clarke (Achilles) and Ja Morant (suspension), so Xavier Tillman should get all the work he can handle against the Kings. Tillman is a nice streamer/DFS option and was also a popular late pick in fantasy drafts when it was announced that Steven Adams would miss the entire season (knee). Aldama will return to eat into Tillman’s minutes, but  as long as Aldama is out, Tillman’s the play here. Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane, Ziaire Williams and Jaren Jackson Jr. should round out the starting lineup for Memphis and Williams is another guy to keep a close eye on tonight. I’m fully expecting for Bane and JJJ to go off tonight.

Miami Heat - The Heat host the Pistons and are fairly healthy, sans Haywood Highsmith and Josh Richardson, who are both out tonight. The Heat should start Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love and Bam Adebayo and it’s a little surprising how much Martin is being forgotten about in fantasyland. Especially once Butler starts missing games for Miami. This could be the last hurrah for Love and I’m not expecting much.

Milwaukee Bucks - Cameron Payne is iffy with a thigh injury while the rest of the team should be healthy when they host the Sixers on Thursday. Everyone is anxious to see Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo play together in Game 1 and they’ll likely be joined by Malik Beasley, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez in the starting lineup. No one is talking about Beasley, so I’m interested to see what he does in the opener.

Minnesota Timberwolves - Jaylen Clark and Jaden McDaniels are both out for the Wolves tonight, which shouldn’t make an impact on what they do. Minnesota will start Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. I think Ant is about ready to take over the NBA universe with a huge season, Conley has become a forgotten man in fantasy at age 36 and we’re still waiting for NAW to have a breakout season. If Towns can stay healthy he’s going to be a fantasy steal this season. Kyle Anderson should be the best bench player here and could make some noise for Sixth Man of the Year if he gets off to a good start.

New Orleans Pelicans - The Pelicans are at Memphis and get this - they’re kind of healthy. Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall and Trey Murphy are all out but both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram should be healthy and ready to go. The health of those two is one of the biggest questions in fantasy this season and if they can both stay on the court, the sky’s the limit for the Pelicans. Herbert Jones is too much of an offensive liability for most fantasy managers, while C.J. McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas are simply vanilla flavors without much upside at this point in their careers. A lot of folks think Zion is going to have a big year but I’d like to see him make it through Week 1 in one piece before getting too excited.

New York Knicks - The Knicks have a clean injury slate and Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson are expected to start against the Celtics tonight. Brunson is a fantasy monster, Grimes is a fantasy sleeper, Barrett is a volume scorer and a fantasy liability, and we’ll all be waiting to see if Robinson can finally put it all together in year six.

Oklahoma City Thunder - The Thunder visit the Bulls and are at the top of my list for teams to watch on NBA League Pass this season. Kenrich Williams and Jalin Williams are both out for OKC but starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are good to go and we’re all dying to see how Holmgren and the Thunder will play this season. No one is talking about Dort and I didn’t draft him anywhere, as the Thunder just have too many other weapons to be excited about. Look for the Thunder to try to make a statement on opening night.

Orlando Magic - The Magic will host Houston and will be without Kevon Harris, while Gary Harris will be a game-time call due to a groin injury. Those injuries shouldn’t have an impact and the Magic should start Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. in Game 1. It will be interesting to see if Fultz and Banchero can take a step forward this season, Wagner looks like a star in the making, and WCJ and Suggs should be serviceable fantasy players, especially in deeper leagues.

Philadelphia 76ers - We won’t see the Sixers until Thursday night when they visit the Bucks and will come into that one mostly whole. The key missing piece will be James Harden, who isn’t likely to play a game for the Sixers this season while feuding with Daryl Morey. It’s anyone’s guess as to when and where Harden will land somewhere else, and I’ve grown a bit tired of waiting. Harden has become an afterthought to anyone who didn’t draft him in fantasy. Tyrese Maxey and De’Anthony Melton should both be fun in fantasy without Harden in the fold, Joel Embiid will try to win the MVP Award, and starters Tobias Harris and P.J. Tucker remain two of the most boring fantasy players in the NBA.

Phoenix Suns - The new-look Suns got a tough road win at Golden State on Tuesday as Devin Booker scored 32 points. Bradley Beal was out with a back injury and Josh Okogie stepped up with 17 points and five rebounds. I’m not messing with him yet, but it was an interesting debut. On the flip side, Grayson Allen missed all six of his shots and was a total dud as an injury replacement for Beal. Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic both played well and Nurkic was particularly exciting with 14 points, 14 boards and a block in 28 minutes. If he can stay healthy he should be a very serviceable center this season. Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are both doubtful for play on Thursday.

Portland Trail Blazers - Ish Wainwright is out for the Blazers and they’ll likely start Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, Matisse Thybulle, Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton. Ayton should be playing with a chip on his shoulder, big things are expected from Simons with Damian Lillard now in Milwaukee and Shaedon Sharpe is expected to make plenty of noise this season whether he’s starting or coming off the bench.

Sacramento Kings - The Kings are at Utah and will be without Trey Lyles (calf), while Chris Duarte is questionable with a knee injury. Starters De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis will look to pick up where they left off in last year’s dream season and I’m expecting Murray to take a big leap forward this season. Sasha Vezenkov is a deep fantasy sleeper and will be worth keeping an eye on and Malik Monk could be sneaky in deep leagues.

San Antonio Spurs - Center Zach Collins is on the injury report with an illness but our guess is it will take more than a head cold to keep him from playing on opening night. The Spurs should be starting a lineup of Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Victor Wembanyama and Collins, with Tre Jones contributing solidly off the bench. I think the Spurs are going to be better than advertised and Wednesday’s matchup against Dallas should be one of the most watched games on League Pass tonight. Wemby is going to EAT as there is no one in Dallas who can stop him.

Toronto Raptors - The Raptors will host the Timberwolves and are healthy except for Christian Koloko (illness), which will have no fantasy impact. Dennis Schroder looks like the new starting point guard in Toronto with Fred VanVleet in Houston and he’ll be joined by O.G. Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl in the starting unit. Barnes has serious breakout potential this season and it should be fun to see what he can do tonight against the Wolves.

Utah Jazz - The Jazz have a clean health report and should start Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker, Lauri Markkanen, John Collins and Walker Kessler. Clarkson is under the fantasy radar, THT had a nice preseason and has a lot of fantasy managers excited to see what he can do, Markkanen will look to build on last season’s success, Collins is looking for new life with a new team and Kessler will try to lead the league in blocked shots, as well as take a big step forward after an impressive rookie season. This team should be deceptively good and THT may end up being one of the hotter pickups off the waiver wire in Week 1 if things go well tonight.

Washington Wizards - The Wizards visit the Pacers and will be without Johnny Davis, Anthony Gill and Landry Shamet. While they’ll be one of the worst teams in the league in reality, there are a lot of fantasy positives here. Can Jordan Poole lead the league in scoring? Yes. Will Kyle Kuzma have a career year playing in his shadow? Yes. Can Daniel Gafford flirt with leading the league in blocks and become a dominant fantasy center? Possibly. Additionally, Bilal Coulibaly could start over Deni Avdija and be a steals monster if it happens. He’ll be a hot waiver-wire pickup if things go well on opening night. Tyus Jones should also be a solid starting fantasy point guard running the offense in Washington. If you somehow drafted Deni Avdija, I’d recommend being ready to pull the trigger if Coulibaly gets hot early on Wednesday.

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Weather Report:

There are only three games on the slate today and none should be impacted by precipitation.

Injury Report:

Jorge Soler - Hip - He left Tuesday’s contest against the Rays with right hip tightness. He is considered day-to-day and could be ready to go against the Nationals.

Lane Thomas - Back - He was lifted prior to the seventh inning due to back soreness. It doesn’t sound serious but there is a chance he sits out Thursday.

Mitch Haniger - Rest - Haniger returned from the injured list on Tuesday and sat out against a righty but the team said it was only due to rest. He should be ready to go on Thursday.

Starting Pitchers (DK-FD)

Spencer Strider: 12,500-12,000

Lance Lynn: 8,800-9,500

Braxton Garrett: 8,200-8,700

Pedro Avila: 6,300-6,700

Joan Adon: 5,400-6,400

Sean Manaea: 5,000-7,300

Spencer Strider is the highest-priced pitcher for the slate, which shouldn’t be surprising. He easily leads the slate with a 2.75 SIERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 38 percent strikeout rate. His 1.06 HR/9 is the highest of his career, without taking the two game appearance in the majors late in 2021 into account. His 60 percent HR/Barrel rate is above league average, which indicates that he could be getting a bit unlucky with the long ball. He faces a tough team in the Dodgers which makes the 12K+ price tag a bit steep.

Strider gets to go toe-to-toe with Lance Lynn in the last game in the slate on Tuesday. To say that Lynn has had an up-and-down season is a bit of an understatement. Lynn has a 3.99 SIERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 26 percent strikeout rate on the season but most of the damage was done while he was a member of the Chicago White Sox. Since joining the Dodgers, he has a 4.30 SIERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 21 percent strikeout rate. He faces a very tough task of facing the Braves in Dodgers Stadium. Since both of these pitchers face uphill battles, going cheap on the pitching while loading up on bats, could work tonight.

Braxton Garrett gets to face the Nationals for the second game in a row. Last time out, he allowed three runs over six innings while only picking up three strikeouts. This time around, he will be in the Nationals home ballpark, which has been below league average when it comes to the long ball, especially with the forecast projecting the winds to be blowing into the ballpark.

Batter to Target

Joan Adon is a pitcher that could be easily exploited in this small slate. His 4.44 SIERA is easily the worst of the group ad Nationals Park is a bit hitter-friendly this season. While the Marlins hitters have struggled in the second of the season Jake Burger ($4,100 on DK and $3,000 on FanDuel) could be an option for fantasy managers looking some cheap power.

Stack Attack

Marlins (Braxton Garrett) vs. Nationals:

DK-FD

Lane Thomas: 4,900-3,200

Keibert Ruiz: 4,000-2,600

Joey Meneses: 4,400-2,700

If Lane Thomas is ready to go on Thursday, he is a must add. The 28-year-old is hitting .346/.393/.591 with eight homers and nine stolen bases against southpaws this season. Ruiz and Meneses also have been above league average against left-handed pitching while hitting towards the top of the Nationals lineup.

Giants (Manaea) vs. Padres:

DK-FD

Ha-Seong Kim: 4,900-3,100

Gary Sanchez: 3,800-2,600

Garrett Cooper: 2,900-2,400

Trent Grisham: 2,800-2,500

The Giants haven’t officially named a starter for Thursday’s contest against the Padres but Sean Manaea figures to fill in as the bulk reliever. Ha-Seong Kim has been out of his mind in the second half of the season, while posting a season long line of .329/.413/.579 with eight homers and ten stolen bases against left-handed pitching. Sánchez and Grisham have also hit above league average against lefties and can be add at some really low prices. Cooper has moved up to sixth in the Padres batting order after Jake Cronenworth landed on the injured list with a fractured wrist. If the Padres bats come to life at the top of the order, you could pick up some RBIs at a considerably low price point.

It’s another full slate of games Wednesday, and there are more than a handful of interesting options to gander over. Colorado-Atlanta provides some intriguing value, but a ‘lesser’ game like Kansas City taking on Pittsburgh also offers intrigue.

Here are tonight’s Underdog and Prizepicks plays for Wednesday’s MLB slate.

Bobby Witt Jr. 1.5 Total Bases - Higher (Underdog)

It’d be hard to overstate just how good the Royals' infielder has been in August, as the young star has hit.327/.379/.626 with eight homers while stealing nine bags and driving in 21 runs even for a weak team. On Wednesday, he’ll go up against the Pirates' Andre Jackson; who pitched decently over his last two starts but offers plenty of opportunity with less-than-spectacular stuff. Don’t be surprised if Witt Jr. offers a combo meal with a homer and a steal, and he’s a good bet to reach the over on that 1.5 total.

Nolan Jones : 1.5 Total Bases - Higher (Prizepicks)

Somewhat quietly, Jones has been one of the better rookies in baseball, coming into Wednesday with a slash of .271/.353/.488. He’ll get a chance to place in the friendly confines of Coors Field, and the former Cleveland prospect will also get a chance to face a right-hander who is making his MLB debut in Darius Vines. Jones is hitless in his last three games, and while that makes things a little more nerve-wracking, it also means he’s due for a big game.

Matt Olson: 0.5 RBI - More (Prizepicks)

Olson will be going up against a lefty in Kyle Freeland, and while he is statistically worse against southpaws than he is righties, worse is a subjective term considering he’s posted an .891 OPS with nine homers and 27 RBI over his 125 plate appearances. Add in the fact he’ll be playing in the friendly confines of Coors Field with some elite hitters hitting in front of him, and Olson is as good of a bet for an RBI as any player Wednesday.

Dane Dunning: 4.0 strikeouts - Higher (Underdog)

Dunning has been able to miss bats at much higher rate as of late, with 39 strikeouts over 29.2 innings of work in his five starts thus far in August. The Mets certainly offer a chance for missed bats, and are not exactly in striking distance for a playoff spot. Dunning should be able to hit his mark as long as he can throw enough strikes to do so; something he admittedly struggled with Friday against the Twins.

Brandon Pfaadt : 4.5 Strikeouts - Lower (Underdog)

There’s reason for long-term upside with Pfaadt, as he was one of the best minor-league hurlers in baseball in 2022, and there have been some flashes of brilliance in 2023 despite his ugly 5.91 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 67 innings during his rookie campaign. Asking him to reach this total is asking him to work deep against the Dodgers, a lineup that is as feared as any in all of baseball. There’s just too much risk on betting overs with Pfaadt against this kind of team.

The Houston Astros have terrorized the Boston Red Sox this week, putting up 19 runs over the last two games, both of which started by two of Boston’s best pitchers, Chris Sale and Brayan Bello.

Sale and Bello kept the games close, giving up three and two earned runs respectively, but the bullpen couldn’t contain Houston’s bats. Jose Altuve hit for the cycle in the first game, and Yordan Álvarez homered in both games, hitting seven for nine over the two nights.

Vlad Jr Could Go Off Wednesday

The Contrarian Edge Optimizer likes the idea of doubling down on the Astros stack -- a lineup that tied a franchise record 66 hits in the last four games -- but there are also alternatives to consider. Specifically, take a look at Toronto and Seattle. Both have excellent matchups today, so let’s take a closer look.

The Blue Jays face off against Patrick Corbin and the Nationals at the Rogers Centre this afternoon. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($5000) could be poised for a big day. He’s riding a 10-game hitting streak, during which time he's slashing .302/.333/.438 with two home runs.

If you’re looking for some cheaper options to round out your lineup, keep an eye on both Blue Jays catchers. Danny Jansen ($3600) and Alejandro Kirk ($3000) are each available for less than $4000 on Draft Kings and rostering them should allow you a few extra dollars to roster a top tier bat or one of the three best pitchers on today’s card.

Either Santiago Espinal ($2400) or Whit Merrifield ($4400) could offer hits and runs if the Blue Jays put it together. And don’t sleep on George Springer ($4700), who’s been back in the leadoff spot this series and has put together a really nice run with a five-game hitting streak.

No August swoon for Seattle bats

The Mariners bats were momentarily silenced at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday night, but they’ve been red hot this month, leading the team to a 20-6 record in August. They should stack up nicely against Zach Neal, who’s starting for Oakland for the first time since 2016.

The Mariners have been excellent against right-handed pitchers this season, hitting .240/.323/.419 with a team wRC+ of 108 this season. During their hot streak this August, those numbers are even more impressive -- .279/.363/.486 and a wRC+ of 138 against right-handed pitching.

The Optimizer likes Seattle's Teoscar Hernandez ($4500) as one of your outfielders, and you could do worse than supplementing his production with leadoff man JP Crawford ($4300). Third baseman Eugenio Suarez ($4600) offers some nice pop and while you should avoid Julio Rodriguez, who is day-to-day after a late scratch on Tuesday night, Dominic Canzone ($3000) is a very cost-effective option who’s been on a nice run over the last 10 days, hitting .306/.306/.500.

Pitchers to consider

As for pitching, the wind is blowing in at Wrigley Field, and the Brewers' Brandon Woodruff ($10200) has looked every bit like the ace we know he can be since coming back from the injured list. He’s thrown 22.2 innings across four starts with 29 strikeouts, and only the Rangers scored more than two runs against Woodruff since his return.

Another pitcher to consider is the Giants' Logan Webb ($9500), who has gone five or more innings in 18 of 19 starts this season – including a seven-inning start with seven strikeouts against the Reds at Great American Ballpark in July.

Oracle is a much more pitcher-friendly environment, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Webb surpass that strikeout total from July with a free-swinging Reds team that ranks 25th in MLB with a 24.5 percent strikeout rate.

There are 15 MLB games on tap for Tuesday and a ton of opportunities to cash. The Seattle Mariners-Oakland Athletics game is very intriguing on both sides, and the Mariners have been one of the hottest hitting teams in baseball over the last few weeks. Here are tonight’s Underdog and Prizepicks plays for Tuesday’s MLB slate.

Teoscar Hernandez: 1.5 Total Bases - Higher (Underdog)
Hernandez has been excellent against left-handed pitchers and Ken Waldichuk has let up six hits or more in three of his last four starts, and he’s sporting an earned run average over six.

He’s hit the over on one and a half total bases in seven straight games. He’s homered three times in his last three contests. Hernandez is scorching hot hitting the ball in August, and he sits with a .371 batting average this month. Waldichuk has been a weaker pitcher on the road than at home, and tonight’s game is in Seattle.

Ty France: 0.5 Singles - Higher (Underdog)
France has singled in five of his last seven contests, and he hits way better against lefties, hitting .309 against them. France is having one of his better hitting months as he’s batting .284 in August. Waldichuk is more of a groundball pitcher, and France hits over 42 percent when it comes to ground balls. Between the amount of hits Waldichuk has given up lately, his struggles on the road and France having a strong month at the dish, he should be able to get on base this evening.

Ken Waldichuk: 5.5 Hits Allowed - More (Prizepicks)
With Waldichuk giving up at least six hits in a few starts recently, it’s hard to think that he’ll be able to shut down the Mariners who have been the best hitting team by average in the MLB over the last two weeks and third best over the last seven days. Waldichuk has a 7.43 earned run average, and opponents hit .303 against him when he’s starting on the road. Seattle hits .262 against left-handed pitchers which is the 8th highest in the majors.

Jose Altuve: 2.0 Hits+Runs+RBIs - Higher (Underdog)
Altuve has crossed the plate nine times total over his last three games. During that span he hit the ball seven times and produced five RBIs. Altuve hits .335 against right-handed pitchers, and even though Boston Red Sox pitcher Brayan Bello hasn’t given up a ton of runs in his starts recently, he’s allowed six hits or more in five straight starts. Last week in this exact matchup, Bello gave up nine hits against Houston, and since then, Altuve has heated up. Altuve has also been a better hitter on the road than at home, and this game is in Boston.

Manny Machado: 0.5 Singles - Higher (Underdog)
Machado has been reaching base a lot lately. Tonight, he faces St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Zack Thompson who is not only a lefty, but he’s surrendered six hits in both of his last two outings. Machado hits .327 against left-handed pitchers and he’s hit a single in three of his last five games.

Marcus Semien: 0.5 Singles - Higher (Underdog)
Semien hits better against left-handed pitchers than right-handed pitchers. He’s hit singles in four of his last seven games, and the Rangers' bats have woken up a bit in the last week. Semien has a good history against New York Mets pitcher Jose Quintana, hitting the ball six times in 13 at-bats against him. He has the most hits for the Rangers this season.