MLB Daily Punts: Friday, April 25th
If you’re paying up for a guy like Stephen Strasburg (weather permitting, of course) you’re going to need a few cheap hitters to help balance out the rest of your lineup. The goal of this article is to help you find a few under-priced gems that will not only allow you to roster one of the night’s top pitchers, but should also help you fit an extra big bat or two. Tonight’s picks will be focused on a few different sites, so I’ll make note of which place(s) I’m targeting each player.
Catchers
John Jaso – $2,300 on FD, $2,900 on DK, $4,959 on DS – The A’s are projected to be the night’s highest scoring offense (per BetUS), and with righty Brad Peacock on the hill for Houston, Jaso should draw the start behind the plate. He got the night off yesterday against a lefty, so his legs should be fresh for tonight. He’s about the safest option in terms of low-end catchers, especially for cash games. If you’re stacking the A’s in a GPP, playing Jaso is a good way to get cheap exposure.
Salvador Perez – $2,900 on DK, $2,800 on FD, $4,524 on DS – Perez has been a frustrating over the past 7 to 10 days, but he at least showed some life with a solo HR last night (although he did strike out in his other three AB’s). Ubaldo Jimenez hasn’t pitched well in any of his first four starts of the 2014 season, and there’s a good chance his slide continues tonight. Perez is hitting sixth tonight and should see an at-bat or two with runners in scoring position.
First Base
Eric Hosmer – $3,400 on DK, $5,246 on DS – Hosmer is a career 8 for 22 against Ubaldo with two HR’s, six RBI’s and a few walks, which makes him an intriguing mid tier option at first base. I’m not a huge proponent of BvP stats, but I think it holds some weight here with Jimenez struggling this season as it is. Hosmer is hitting third in the order tonight, but make sure you keep a close eye on the weather in Baltimore if you’re planning on deploying him (or any other KC/BAL players).
Anthony Rizzo – $5,815 on DS – This pick is geared more towards DraftStreet, as Rizzo seems a little too cheap over there tonight for a player averaging 3.39 FP’s per game. He’s always a GPP option against right-handed pitching (he had a .796 OPS vs. RHP in 2013, compared to .624 vs. LHP), and he also gets to play in a hitter friendly ballpark tonight (Miller Park is rated 5th in terms of HR’s allowed, per our Ballpark Factors page). Rizzo has double-dong upside that is worth gambling on at this price in a GPP.
Juan Francisco – $2,200 on FD – Francisco is hitting sixth for the Blue Jays tonight with righty Jake Peavy on the hill, and while I typically like to spend on a big bat at first base, it’s hard to argue with Francisco for the minimum. He’s probably the top minimum priced option of the day on FanDuel if you can stomach punting first base. I’m personally spending up for Paul Goldschmidt or Brandon Moss in my own lineups, but Francisco could very well end up as the top dollar for dollar option at the position.
Second Base
Robinson Cano – $5,280 on DS – I know he’s facing a lefty tonight, but this price is just too good for a player with Cano’s upside. Robbie Ross hasn’t pitched very deep in most of his starts this season, so Cano could very well see an at-bat or two against a right-hander. He’s my top option dollar for dollar at 2B on DraftStreet.
Scooter Gennett – $3,600 on DK – His price is starting to match his output so he’s not really a punt play any longer, but he’s still a value in my eyes at this price tag. The Brewers look to be one of the top stacking options of the night and Gennett is hitting in the two-hole (between Gomez and Braun) with a righty on the hill. Gennett is hitting .327 against RHP to start this season and Carlos Villanueva comes into this game with an ERA of 10.93.
Aaron Hill – $5,346 on DS – He’s another guy I’m considering on DraftStreet due to the depressed price tag, especially since the D’Backs are among my favorite offenses to target tonight. Roberto Hernandez (formerly known as Fausto Carmona) has a 5.75 ERA to start this season and is giving up a .317 BA to right-handed hitters along with a .916 OPS. If your stacking up the D’Backs, Hill makes a great play with most of the field probably being focused on Cano’s price tag.
Third Base
Martin Prado – $3,600 on DK, $4,970 on DS, $2,900 on FD – Prado has struggled out of the gate this season, but he’s still hitting in a prime spot in the D’Backs order and gets to square off with the struggling Roberto Hernandez tonight. With weather issues plaguing a few of the east-coast cities, the Arizona/Philly game looks like a prime target when choosing hitters.
Mike Moustakas – $3,700 on DK, $4,970 on DS – Moose has been swinging a hot bat of late, homering in two of his last three games. He now has the pleasure of facing off with Ubaldo Jimenez (weather permitting), and while I wouldn’t consider him as anything more then a GPP play even if the weather holds up, he won’t be highly owned and I like his upside for the price on DS and DK.
Shortstop
Xander Bogaerts – $3,100 on FD, $5,401 on DS – Call me crazy, but I don’t see Mark Buehrle ERA staying under 1.00 for much longer. I can certainly see the Red Sox getting to Buehrle, as the heart of the order consists of some very good right-handed bats, and even the lefty (Ortiz) has excellent career numbers against him. Bogaerts is hitting .318 against left-handers so far this season with a .983 OPS, and finds himself in the six spot in tonight’s order.
Andrew Romine – $2,200 on FD – If you’re completely punting the shortstop spot, look no further then Andrew Romine. He’s hitting eighth today against Kevin Correia, which isn’t all that bad considering Rajai Davis, Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter will come up as the lineup turns around, which at least helps his chances of scoring runs (he’s not much of a threat for XBH’s, so he relies a little more on the bats that follow him). Romine is probably better hitting from the right side, so even though he’s hitting from the left side tonight, he at least gets to take on Correia and his .296 BAA (5.47 ERA).
Outfield
David DeJesus – $2,700 on DK, $3,467 on DS, $2,500 on FD – It’s not that I love DeJesus compared to the names I’ll list below, but I really like his price on DraftKings and DraftStreet tonight ($2,500 on FD isn’t bad either). He’s not leading off tonight, but he’ll hit in the seven spot against right-hander Erik Johnson. Don’t be fooled by the K in Erik, he’s not a strikeout pitcher and actually enters this game with a .343 BAA vs. left-handed hitters (along with a 1.078 OPS allowed), but I’m pretty much a fan of all the Tampa Bay bats tonight. Matt Joyce and James Loney also offer solid value hitting third and fifth in the order. The only worry with guys like Joyce and DeJesus is that they’ll be pinch hit for if the White Sox counter with a lefty.
Jason Kubel – $2,800 on FD, $3,700 on DK, $5,095 on DS – I’m not much of a BvP guy but I don’t mind that Kubel is a career 13 for 30 with a HR and 3 doubles against Porcello. He’s hitting in the five spot of the Twins lineup tonight and although I’m not usually a fan of lefties at Target Field, Kubel offers solid value for the price.
Christian Yelich – $5,006 on DS – Yelich is a nice spot tonight against righty Zach Wheeler, who has run into somewhat of a sophomore slump with a WHIP over 1.5. Also in his second season, Yelich is hitting .339 against right-handers, and has stolen all four of his bases against righties. He’s not a real power threat at this point in his career, but he’s a very safe cash game play tonight for the $5K price tag on DraftStreet.
J.B. Shuck – $2,900 on DK, $2,500 on FD – Shuck is leading off tonight against Hiroki Kuroda, and while I don’t love the match-up I think that alone puts him into play on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He hasn’t started this season with the same type of success he had last year, but he’s a nice option tonight playing in hitter friendly Yankee Stadium. I’m not crazy enough to call for a Shuck HR but he’s got a much better chance of making it happen in this park.
Also receiving consideration: Jonny Gomes ($3,700 on DK, $5,435 on DS) hitting fifth for Boston, Desmond Jennings ($5,205 on DS) hitting second against Erik Johnson, Abraham Almonte, George Springer (both minimum priced on FanDuel)