Aaron Hill Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

The Yankees have a 5.36 run line that's actually on top of the board tonight, running closely with the Red Sox and the Dodgers at Coors. Still a terrible spot for him, Mike Minor has been pitching some of his best baseball of the season: 18 IP – 5 ER – 2 BB – 19K – 67 BF. The Yankees are missing some powerful RH bats, but Minor has struggled against RHBs this year (.331 wOBA, 17 HRs) and there are still some boppers in this lineup. Giancarlo Stanton destroys LHP (225 wRC+, .419 ISO last calendar year), while Gleyber Torres (156 wRC+, .278 ISO), tonight's leadoff man Aaron Hicks (137 wRC+, .268 ISO) and Miguel Andujar (115 wRC+, .239 ISO) have done damage as well. This lineup is still set up well in the upper half to hammer southpaws.

The Yankees are on the road, but still above five implied runs (5.21 is third highest on the board) in Toronto. While batters from either side of the plate have a wOBA and xwOBA between .330 and .350 since last season, RHBs have a 53.1 GB% and LHBs just a 29.7 Hard%, while been improvement in Gaviglio's work this season (22.6 K%, 3.97 ERA, 3.82 SIERA, .308 xwOBA, 4.3% Barrels/BBE). While the potency of this incredible lineup can't be denied, high priced pitching may warrant limited exposure at high cost. Aarons Judge (170 wRC+, .340 ISO vs RHP last calendar year and Hicks (106 wRC+, .205 ISO) both exceed a 230 wRC+ over the last week. Brett Gardner (112 wRC+, .153 ISO) is your salary saver from $3.5K or less.

Trey Mancini is going to be a popular play tonight and he is inexpensive on DraftKings ($3.4K), but we're looking even cheaper tonight if the plan is to pay up for pitching. Dipping further down the lineups, Chris Young ($2.8K DK, $2.6K FD)is batting seventh against Francisco Liriano, but has been a lefty masher (158 wRC+, .244 ISO) the last couple of years. Justin Smoak ($2.8K DK, $2.3K FD) has three career HRs against Rick Porcello. Back to the top of the lineup, Aaron Hill ($2.2K DK, $2.5K FD) might be an average bat (103 wRC+ since 2016) against LHP. Kevin Pillar ($3K DK, $2.4K FD) isn't much, but he is batting leadoff for a lineup projected to score four runs tonight. Ezequiel Carrera ($2.6K DK, $2.4K FD) is much the same right behind him. A Toronto stack, some of whom have strong numbers against Porcello, could get you to Kershaw alone. Alllen Cordoba ($2.5K DK, $2K) is an unknown in the two spot for the Padres tonight against a struggling Zack Greinke.

With Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner on the mound, players are going to be looking for inexpensive bats. Luckily, several of those exist at the top of lineups tonight, and they are likely to be among the most popular hitters tonight. Trey Mancini and Aaron Hill are projected to be in around one quarter of all lineups tonight with Billy Hamilton another leadoff hitter projected to be as popular. Paying up for someone like Freddie Freeman might actually be contrarian (expected to be owned 10% or less on either site tonight). In that case, a pivot off the top arms like Kershaw and Bumgarner to Dallas Keuchel could also play off. Keuchel doesn't miss as many bats and the Angels have a reputation for making contact, but they've actually struck out in 21.9% of PAs this year (21.3% vs LHP) and Keuchel has a 10.4 SwStr%, while absolutely dominating at the point of contact (73.1 GB%, -18.1 Hard-Soft%) so far this season. His projected ownership (which Premium subscribers can find our Projected Ownership page) is just 5% on FanDuel.

Looking for top half of the lineup bats costing less than $3K on DraftKings/$2.5K on FanDuel, we find the top of the Seattle lineup (facing Joe Musgrove). Jarrod Dyson ($2.9K DK) leads off and Mitch Haniger ($2K on FD) bats second. Haniger has shown more of a bat against RHP (122 wRC+ career) thus far, but either one may be a necessary punt on their given site if looking to pay up for Coors bats tonight. Aaron Hill ($2.2K DK) could be an interesting bat if in the lineup against Robbie Ray at home tonight, though we don't expect many players to be punting 3B tonight. Wilmer Difo (89 wRC+ vs RHP career) is another middle IF punt option who fits the bargain basement criteria on both sites. In fact, he could become a popular play tonight with Trevor Story sitting and Lance Lynn's documented issues against LHBs (.340 wOBA career). Devon Travis (117 wRC+ vs RHP career) is another leadoff bat, costing just $2.4K on FanDuel.

That Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon top the RotoGrinders projections at just under 14 points a piece is not a surprise in a matchup at home with Jered Weaver, but Manny Machado topping the FanDuel projections (vs Drew Pomeranz), as the only player above 11 points might be today. Not because Machado isn't great, but because the Rockies are facing Jered Freakin Weaver in Coors! Among pitchers, Jameson Taillon is a surprise atop the DraftKings board. He's the only pitcher projected to reach 20 points, though Cole Hamels and Gio Gonzalez come close. Although, Gonzalez leads FanDuel projections overall, Taillon still shows up as the only pitcher projected for more than four points per $1K of salary (Pt/$/K). Value bats appear to be Aaron Hill (2.87 Pt/$/K) on DraftKings, facing Robbie Ray at home for just $2.2K (if he plays) and Mitch Haniger (4.38 Pt/$/K) at home in Seattle against a potentially tough righty (Joe Musgrove), but it's difficult to ignore a minimum priced batter sitting near the top of the lineup.

Yovani Gallardo has an ERA with estimators above five with a below average strikeout rate. He doesn't even generate ground balls anymore with his lowest rate (40.6%) since his rookie season. Though not the highest total on the slate, the Red Sox are projected for a hefty 5.1 runs. LHBs have a wOBA 23 points higher against Gallardo since last season and he's still only allowed a total of 25 HRs since the start of last season, but this is a balanced lineup that hits RHP well throughout. David Ortiz (168 wRC+, .340 ISO vs RHP since 2015) is going to be the top dog vs RHP and probably worth his high price as one of the top projected batters from the BAT tonight. Mookie Betts (129 wRC+, .214 ISO vs RHP since 2015) costs slightly more and may lose an AB with a three slot drop in the order, but gain in RBI opportunities. Both have a wRC+ above 200 over the last week. Sandy Leon (148 wRC+, .212 ISO vs RHP this season) is the hottest bat in the lineup (329 wRC+, 50 Hard% last seven days) and may be one of the top Catching options tonight even with a poor lineup spot. There's really not a bad spot in this lineup with only Aaron Hill below average vs RHP this season.

Jonathan Villar supporters will be disappointed with Gennett's return as he's taken out of play batting 9th. Alex Presley, who has been getting some playing time also sits against a pitcher who has allowed a .359 wOBA to LHBs since last season. Shields also has the highest walk rate of his career (10.9%), while the Brewers surprisingly have the 2nd best walk rate in the majors (10.8%). While they strike out 25.5% of the time against RHP, this might not be the park you want to start a HR prone pitcher in at this point in Shield's career (14.9 HR/FB on the road since last season). He has allowed 15 HRs to RHBs too since last season, so Milwaukee's RH power plays here. The one unexpected name to consider tonight might be and affordable middle infield option, Aaron Hill. He has just a 79 wRC+ vs RHP since last year, but a 234 wRC+, 52.2 Hard% over the last week and three career HRs off of Shields, including a 94.8 mph aEV on three batted balls in this matchup within the last year. While Braun (128 wRC+, .205 ISO vs RHP since 2015) and Carter (112 wRC+, .278 ISO vs RHP since 2015) are the top power bats in this matchup and still hold some value, they do cost above $4K except for Carter on FanDuel ($3.2K).

Wei-Yin Chen backfired in his last start, allowing four runs and not striking a single Phillie. His velocity and K% continue to lag as he has failed to strike out more than four in four of six starts with very mediocre overall results. The move to a big NL East park was supposed to help him, but it hasn't been so as he still has a 13.5 HR/FB. Domingo Santana returns to the leadoff spot (for now - he's been a late scratch a couple of times over the last week) and he might be the the top value in this lineup tonight (164 RC+, .256 ISO vs LHP since 2015). Ryan Braun (165 wRC+, .256 ISO vs LHP since 2015) is probably still the most dangerous, but comes at a much higher price. Braun is one of three RH bats in this lineup with a 168 wRC+ or better over the last week. The others bat low in the order, but are non-first base infield options for under $2.5K: Aaron Hill (254 wRC+) and Hernan Perez (170 wRC+). Each of the pair additionally has a hard hit rate above 50% over the last week. Chris Carter is still a threat, but has been just average vs LHP (105 wRC+) and has cooled down a bit (49 wRC+ last seven days).