Miguel Montero Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Tonight's top projected players according to the RotoGrinders Player Projections that Arizona is the only team that even has two players show up in the top 10 projected highest point totals. That team is Arizona with Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb facing Jordan Zimmermann with an ERA and estimators all well above five. Mookie Betts, atop another well projected lineup, and Charlie Blackmon, in a great spot against a pitcher who struggles against LHBs help fill out the top four projected point totals tonight. Those looking to save salary may find themselves liking the Cubs with Miguel Montero (4.26 PT/$/K) and Jon Jay (3.8 PT/$/K) on FanDuel. The projections like a pair of affordable Cardinals for value on DraftKings with Matt Carpenter (2.4 Pt/$/K) projecting for the most overall point among top potential values and Jedd Gyorko (2.32 Pt/$/K).

Ian Happ is the easy and likely to be very popular cheap bat ($2.7K or less) in the middle of the top projected offense tonight. Further down in the same lineup, Miguel Montero ($3K DK, $2.5K FD) should be a popular cheap Catcher. The batting order spot shouldn't matter much as few Catchers have envious lineup spots tonight. Stephen Vogt (unconfirmed) could be an alternative option for a couple hundred more. John Jaso ($3.1K DK, $2.3K FD) bats second against Jacob Turner as well as Adam Frazier ($3.3K DK, $2.3K FD) as a Happ alternative out of the leadoff spot. Luis Valbuena costs an absurd $2.2K on FanDuel, hitting cleanup against Miguel Gonzalez. Looking for Outfield affordables at the top of the lineup brings players potentially Matt Joyce ($3.3K DK, $2.7K FD), who should be in the Oakland lineup, and Leury Garcia ($2.6K on DK) leading off for the White Sox.

Jose Abreu (376 wRC+) is the hottest hitter in the majors over the last week (via wRC+, 10 PA min.). He's facing 34 year-old breakout lefty Jason Vargas (RHBs .271 wOBA since 2015) tonight. Despite being a reverse platoon bat in his first couple of seasons, Abreu has a 123 wRC+ and .228 ISO vs LHP since last season. He's one of the more expensive bats on this list on either site. Aaron Judge (359 wRC+, 62.5 Hard%) and Scott Schebler (347 wRC+, 71.4 Hard%) are the hardest contact makers on this list. Both face quality arms, but Marco Estrada generates fly balls at an extreme rate (RHBs 33 GB% since 2015) and Gerrit Cole (LHBs .307 wOBA) meets the Reds in a park very friendly to LH power. Miguel Montero (312 wRC+, 50 Hard%) is a low cost catcher facing an erratic arm in Vince Velasquez (RHBs .332 wOBA career). He's affordably $3.1K or less on either site with strong winds blowing out at Wrigley tonight. Marwin Gonzalez (309 wRC+) could be a great value if he finds the top of the lineup tonight. LHBs have a .375 wRC+, 37.5 Hard% against Andrew Cashner since 2015. Gonzalez is a stronger bat from the RH side though (87 wRC+, .145 ISO vs RHP since last season) and may not even be in the lineup tonight. Dipping to the sixth highest wRC+ on the slate over the last week will get you to Kris Bryant (279 wRC+), another likely beneficiary of those Wrigley winds tonight.

While not necessarily due to arms, players are still going to need a couple of affordable bats if paying up for Coors tonight. There may not be many viable options at the top of the order, but there are plenty of punt plays behind the plate with at least some potential. Without a standout catching option tonight, that may be where players look to save. On FanDuel, Buster Posey is the only projected or confirmed starter at more than $3K where Miguel Montero (101 wRC+, .157 ISO vs RHP since 2015, 306 wRC+ over the last week) is just $2.6K ($3.2K on DK) against Chad Kuhl (LHBs .373 wOBA, 37.9 Hard% career). He is hitting seventh, as is Chris Herrmann (101 wRC+, .204 ISO vs RHP since last season), who is at home in Arizona against Jhoulys Chacin (LHBs .344 wOBA, 36.1 Hard% since 2015) for just $2.2K ($3.4K DK). Chris Gimenez (132 wRC+, .254 ISO vs LHP since 2015) faces his old teammate Martin Perez (RHBs .341 wOBA, 31.2 Hard% since 2015) also out of the seven spot for $2.1K ($3.2K DK). On DraftKings, Yasmani Grandal (122 wRC+, .229 ISO vs RHP since 2015) is also the same cost ($3.2K) and faces Matt Cain (LHBs .396 wOBA since 2015). It's a bit difficult to find an average or better bat out of the leadoff spot in a good matchup at a low cost tonight, but players may want to wait to see where Andrew Toles (131 wRC+, .191 ISO vs RHP career) hits tonight with the Dodgers dealing with some injury issues. He costs just $2.9K on DraftKings and $2.2K on FanDuel.

Among batters either confirmed or projected to be in the lineup tonight with at least 10 PAs over the last week, Bryce Harper is the hottest hitter in baseball (367 wRC+, 50 Hard%) and he takes his act to Colorado. While he's hit LHP well (144 wRC+, .225 ISO since 2015), he faces a LHP who has allowed just a 23.5 Hard% to LHBs since entering the league last year and has one of the highest price tags we've ever seen for a batter on either site. Teammate Ryan Zimmerman is right behind him (323 wRC+, 53.3%). He costs more than $1.5K less with the same 144 wRC+, but a .311 ISO vs southpaws since 2015. He'll certainly be one of the most popular bats on the board tonight. A couple of more affordable Catchers are streaking as well. Players are probably paying down for pitching tonight, but will need savings elsewhere to afford Coors bats. They could come in the form of Miguel Montero (306 wRC+, 50 Hard%) or Jett Bandy (294 wRC+, 38.5 Hard%). Montero (101 wRC+, .157 ISO vs RHP since 2015) has a nice matchup with Chad Kuhl (.373 wOBA, 37.9 Hard% career vs LHBs), while Bandy may be facing early season breakout Amir Garrett, but RHBs do have a 36.4 Hard% against him and the young backstop has been more prominent against LHP than players may realize (139 wRC+, .303 ISO with 57.4% of contact in the air.

Wily Peralta has been a more interesting pitcher since returning to the majors last month. He’s still allowing hard contact a third of the time, but has a 22.9 K% with a 51.3 GB%, though also an 84.5 LOB%. He's not in a spot where players would seriously consider using him against an offense the caliber of the Cubs in this park, even with Kris Bryant missing. LHBs have hit the ball hard 36.3% of the time against Peralta since last season and Tommy La Stella (119 wRC+, .153 ISO vs RHP since 2015) immediately becomes the top value play on the board for the minimum cost on FanDuel. Miguel Montero (97 wRC+, .148 ISO vs RHP since 2015) is a top value catcher for $300 more as well, along with Jorge Soler (99 wRC+, .157 ISO vs RHP since 2015) in the OF at the same cost. Anthony Rizzo (149 wRC+, .259 ISO vs RHP since 2015) is a top overall bat and tonight's BvP champion with five career HRs and eight extra-base hits total (33 PAs) against Peralta.

Tom Koehler was terrific in his last outing as he tossed six shutout innings against the Phillies and picked up his eighth win of the season. However, with a 4.86 xFIP and having struggled on the road all season (4.55 ERA and 1.56 WHIP), it's hard to see him repeating that success this afternoon against this dangerous Cubs lineup. Left-handed batters have posted a .340 wOBA and own a .29.5% hard-hit percentage off of Koehler this season giving a nice fantasy boost to Dexter Fowler, Anthony Rizzo, Jason Heyward and Miguel Montero.

There is next to nothing good to say about White Sox starter Anthony Ranaudo. In his short MLB career he's managed to allow a wOBA of at least .359 to both sides of the plate in addition to allowing at least a 1.93 HR/9 rate to both right and left-handed hitters. Given the fact that he can't miss bats (5.64 K/9 vs. LHs, 2.89 K/9 vs. RHs) and allows a ton of hard contact (37.4 hard% vs. LHs, 33.7 hard% vs. RHs), he's going to have a very hard time having any success against a very stout Cubs lineup. Ranaudo has walked nearly twice as many RH bats as he's struck out over his MLB career and owns a 7.0 FIP against them despite a .235 BABIP, so there isn't a Cub in the lineup that we can rule out of DFS consideration. Kris Bryant (.372 wOBA, .233 ISO vs. RHs) should be in a great spot considering Ranaudo rarely throws changeups (Bryant is hitting .060 against change-ups this year, worst in all of baseball, while Ranaudo has thrown just six of them in 2016), and Bryant's power potential should shine through against a pitcher who struggles to generate ground balls. Anthony Rizzo is among the top overall targets of the day (.428 wOBA, .310 ISO) and is the clear cut top play at first base, so as long as you can shell out the cap space for him, do it with confidence. Dexter Fowler is still fairly priced on FanDuel at $3,400, while Miguel Montero should be a core play out of the fifth spot in the lineup. Again, all of the Cubs bats are in play here - don't be shy with your exposure.

Cubs SP John Lackey has certainly been impressive this season as he enters today with a .283 wOBA allowed to LH bats (23.9% K rate) and a .259 wOBA allowed to RH Bats (28.2% K rate) while showing a dramatic increase in K rate to both sides of the plate when compared to what he did in 2015. He faces a Phillies team today that while they aren't as bad as you might think (ok, they probably are) has only one batter in their lineup today (Odubel Herrera at .406) topping a .350 wOBA against RHP. Lackey, along with Drew Pomeranz of the Padres, is one of the top SP options on the four game afternoon slate. A pitcher with as much upside as any (27.3% K rate vs LH bats and 29.8% K rate vs RH bats), Vincent Velasquez, will get the nod for the Phillies. While the upside is certainly there, the fact that he can't make it past the fifth inning is cause for concern. Velasquez has three straight starts where he exited in the fifth inning. It's hard to trust someone who gets the quick hook, especially going against a potent Cubs lineup. As usual, the top five (Fowler-Heyward-Bryant-Rizzo-Zobrist) are all in play for the Cubs. Miguel Montero is also a viable option at the C position batting seventh. The aforementioned Herrera is the only bat worth targeting from the Phillies.

The Cubs announced that Miguel Montero has been placed on the DL, backdated to Monday. David Ross will likely become the every day catcher for the Cubs in the meantime.