Daily Dime: Adam Lind against a rookie, Carlos Martinez against Philly
Another full slate of delicious DFS action. Be sure to check those lineups and weather reports carefully.
Here’s my ten cents, worth less in some municipalities.
Players to Buy
Adam Lind, 1B, at Cincinnati (Lorenzen), $3300 on Fan Duel: He’s made a career out of punishing right-handed pitching (.862 OPS), and here he takes dead aim against a 23-year-old pitcher making his Major League debut. Michael Lorenzen’s profile shows a lot of pitch-to-contact and spotty control (6.4 K/9, 3.4 BB/9); rookie pitchers are guilty until proven innocent.
[It’s not too late to sign up for Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball!]
Carlos Martinez, SP, vs. Philadelphia (Harang), $8500: While I don’t consider Aaron Harang a pushover on the other side, Martinez offers a reasonable DFS price for a -190 favorite. His last three turns have been divine (19 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 20 K), up against opponents that are more daunting than the current Philly lineup.
Andrew Cashner, SP, vs. Houston (Keuchel), $8500: The Astros draw provides a cushy floor for strikeouts (Tyson Ross didn’t pitch that great on Tuesday night and he still fanned nine), and maybe Cashner is taking the strikeout leap this year. Although he has a modest 7.4 K/9 for his career, he’s whiffed 26 batters in 24 innings this year.
David Ortiz, 1B, vs. Toronto (Dickey), $3300: The flutterball of R.A. Dickey has never bothered Big Papi: he holds a 1.178 OPS with two homers over 18 at-bats. It might be a good day to skip Dustin Pedroia, however; he’s 5-for-27 against Dickey, with just one extra-base hit.
Neil Walker, 2B, at Chicago (Hendricks), $3100: This might be the most underrated second baseman in the game today. Walker’s best bat shows against right-handed pitching (.904 OPS), and contact is to be expected against Kyle Hendricks (the Pirates chased him in the sixth inning in the prior meeting).
Miguel Cabrera, 1B, at Minnesota (Hughes), $4900: It’s not like you ever need much reason to go after Miggy, but he owns the Phil Hughes matchup (16-for-37, five homers, 1.421 OPS). Hughes struggled in his earlier start against Detroit, though Cabrera wasn’t in on that party.
Adam LaRoche, 1B, at Baltimore (Jimenez), $2700: He’s a giveaway at that price, and the matchup looks delicious given the ballpark (friendly for LH power) and the pitcher (LaRoche has a 1.130 OPS against Ubaldo Jimenez).
Yangveris Solarte, 2B, vs. Houston (Keuchel), $2300: At what point do the Padres accept that Solarte is their best second baseman? He’s off to a snappy .346/.414/.538 start, and when he’s in the lineup, he usually slots in the No. 2 position. Solarte is making his own luck, ripping a line drive 22.9 percent of the time and striking out less than seven percent of the time. If you want to take the plunge in seasonal, note Solarte also carries 3B eligibility in Yahoo leagues (and is 93-percent available).
Players to Fade
Evan Longoria, 3B, at New York (Pineda), $3300: How much batter-versus-pitcher data do we need before it means something? Longoria is 0-for-14 against Michael Pineda, with four strikeouts. That’s enough for me.
Alex Wood, SP, vs. Washington (Zimmermann), $7800: The 3.00 ERA hides problems under the hood: the lefty barely has more strikeouts (12) than walks (10), and he’s had trouble commanding his curveball and changeup. Did Tuesday’s dramatic comeback victory wake up the dormant Washington offense? I’m staying away from this one.
