MLB Daily Plays: September 24, 2013
After a solid day of picks yesterday, we will try to keep it going for the rest of the week. There are going to be a lot of meaningless games coming down the stretch so it’s more important than ever to understand where teams are in the standings and also making sure to double and triple check the lineups. Also, be sure to stop by the MLB Expert Chat today from 5:00 – 6:30 ET.
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Player Pricing Note: Daily Plays will help you find some of the best plays each day across the major sports. Just keep in mind that players’ prices vary from site-to-site. To check the price of a player for the site that you play on, make sure to click on the $ dollar-sign icon next to a player’s name for a list of their prices on each site.
Top 5 Pitching Plays
1) Yu Darvish – Texas is still a full game out of the Wild Card and they are not going to let a bad team like the Astros be the reason that they don’t make the playoffs. The Rangers will be locked in just like they were last night. Yu is worth his price tonight. In 4 games against the Astros this season he already has 43 K’s, that’s almost 11 K’s per start. He should get plenty of run support and is an easy choice as the #1 pitcher tonight.
2) Ubaldo Jimenez – I’ve been touting Jimenez for a couple of weeks now and no one seems to be listening. Since the All-Star break, he has been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. In his last 11 starts he has a 1.77 ERA while holding opponents to a .226 batting average. He’s also striking out over 10 batters per 9 innings during that stretch. I love the way he is pitching and I love that his team is still fighting for the playoffs. Ubaldo should dominate the White Sox tonight.
3) Chris Tillman – The Orioles are all but eliminated from the Wild Card, but they are still playing tough. Tonight they face the Blue Jays who have a lineup full of minor leaguers right now. Tillman has also been very good since the All-Star break with a 3.38 ERA.
4) Doug Fister – Detroit is likely locked into the 3 seed heading into the playoffs, but they could still catch the A’s. They still have something to play for. Fister has a great matchup against the Twins who Verlander dominated through 6 innings. Although, the Twins did come back and take the win from Verlander. I think Fister pitches well and picks up the W.
5) Tyson Ross – Ross’ salary has been a roller coaster over the last couple of months. He was dirt cheap, then he was really expensive, and now he is dirt cheap again. I like Ross anytime he is pitching in Petco where he has a 2.18 ERA and a WHIP under 1.0. Ross has pitched well in his two starts against the D-Backs and should pitch well again tonight.
Top 5 Stud Plays
1) Chris Davis – With the Orioles likely out of the playoffs, Davis is just going to try to pad his HR total. I think you are going to see him take some big hacks at some balls in these last few games. While he may strike out a few more times, he has a great chance of getting another couple of home runs. Davis faces Redmond at home tonight.
2) Brandon Phillips – I could have gone with Miggy and Trout, but I’m sure you guys are tired of reading about those two everyday. Instead, I thought I would mix it up a bit since everyone already knows those two are good plays. The Reds are facing Niese tonight who hasn’t been great on the road. They are still fighting to win their division so they certainly have something to play for.
3) Alex Rios – Rios hit for the cycle last night! Hopefully you read the plays and got him in your lineup. I love the matchup for the Rangers once again tonight because they are in must win mode. Rios is finally hitting in the 3 hole which is where he should have been all along.
4) Adrian Beltre – The Rangers are facing Brad Peacock today who has some good stuff, but gives up way too many hits. The Rangers should be in for another big night. Beltre struggled a bit last night, but he is good against right hand pitching and is good at home. He should see plenty of RBI opportunities.
5) Troy Tulowitzki – Tulo at home is a beautiful thing. He is batting .350 at home with 13 HR’s and 12 doubles. I love the matchup tonight against Lackey who has struggled on the road all season long. The Rockies don’t have much to play for, but they are trying to end the season on a high note.
Top 5 Value Plays
1) Ryan Raburn – Raburn is a site specific play tonight because he is dirt cheap on a few sites and really expensive on a couple of others. He is a great play if you can get him cheap because he usually bats 4th or 5th against lefties. Raburn is batting over .300 against lefties this season and has a solid matchup against Santiago.
2) Christian Yelich – Yelich has been a great fantasy player over the last couple of weeks. He is reaching base and either stealing bases or scoring runs. Tonight he faces the right handed Zach Miner who has only started one game this season. Yelich is cheap and should produce.
3) A.J. Pierzynski – Surprise surprise another Ranger! They are in must win mode right now and I just don’t see them having a bad night offensively. AJ usually bats 5th and is good against right hand pitching. Taking the 3,4,5 hitters looks like a really solid mini-stack.
4) Charlie Blackmon – Blackmon has been leading off against right hand pitching and he is really playing well this month with a batting average over .350. He has a solid matchup against Lackey so check the lineup and get him on your team.
5) Billy Hamilton – Come on Reds, get this guy in the lineup! He didn’t start last night, but he picked up another steal as a pinch runner. This kid is on auto steal anytime he gets on base so if he is in the lineup, take him!
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback just let me know! And follow me on Twitter: @RG_Notorious
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