Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: Best MLB DraftKings Picks, Advice for July 26 … – Bleacher Report
Baseball is perhaps the most unpredictable sport in the world, but some things are about as close to a lock as possible. The latest situation that fits that description is the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Zack Greinke‘s prospective dominance over the New York Mets on Sunday.
Greinke has a scoreless innings streak of 43.2 innings, and despite Saturday night’s 15-run aberration, the Mets are still tied with the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs for the lowest team batting average in the game at .236.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tab the Dodgers ace as a top-flight DraftKings option.
Anything can happen—this is baseball. However, based on what Greinke has done all season—not just the current scoreless innings streak—and how bad the Mets have been at the dish, you won’t find a safer bet on Sunday.
His salary is astronomical at $13,100, but if you only play one lineup, Greinke has to be in it. Check out the rest of the top picks at each position:
Position | Player | Opponent | Salary |
P | Zack Greinke | New York Mets | $13,000 |
P | Andrew Heaney | Texas Rangers | $8,600 |
C | Matt Wieters | Tampa Bay Rays | $2,800 |
1B | Joey Votto | Colorado Rockies | $5,800 |
2B | Robinson Cano | Toronto Blue Jays | $4,000 |
3B | Aaron Hill | Milwaukee Brewers | $2,500 |
SS | Alexei Ramirez | Cleveland Indians | $3,000 |
OF | Adam Jones | Tampa Bay Rays | $4,100 |
OF | Justin Upton | Miami Marlins | $3,700 |
OF | Franklin Gutierrez | Toronto Blue Jays | $2,300 |
Salaries per DraftKings, picks by Mazique
Analyzing Other Potential Studs
Andrew Heaney ($8,600) vs. Texas Rangers
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Greinke is clearly the man to tab on Sunday, but the second starting pitcher isn’t as obvious of a pick. Andrew Heaney of the Los Angeles Angels has a favorable matchup against the Texas Rangers.
The 24-year-old left-hander is taking the ball against a team that has struggled to be productive against southpaws. The Rangers have never faced Heaney, but Texas is 24th in the majors in hitting, 27th in on-base percentage and 24th in slugging versus lefties this season.
Heaney has had just five starts, but he’s been dominant. He’s 4-0 with an ERA of 1.57 and a WHIP of 0.82. He’ll be a nice second starter to go along with Greinke.
Alexei Ramirez ($3,000) at Cleveland Indians
Tony Dejak/Associated Press
Alexei Ramirez hasn’t been good most of the season, but he’s caught fire of late. In his last seven games, Ramirez is hitting .357 with two home runs and eight RBI.
On top of his recent hot hitting, Ramirez has also torched the man the Cleveland Indians are sending to the mound on Sunday. In 13 at-bats against Danny Salazar, Ramirez is hitting .692.
Ramirez has also been active on the bases of late. He has three stolen bases in his last seven contests to augment his fantasy production. For just $3,000, Ramirez is definitely a bargain.
Joey Votto ($5,800) vs. Colorado Rockies
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
No player in the majors is quite as hot as Joey Votto. In his last nine games, the Cincinnati Reds first baseman is .542 with three home runs.
Colorado Rockies starter Kyle Kendrick comes into the game with a record of 3-11 and an ERA of 6.12, so he’s an easy target. Votto has had 18 at-bats against Kendrick, and he’s hit .333 with a home run and two doubles.
The Great American Ball Park always presents the opportunity for major offensive outbursts, but when you combine Votto‘s current streak, his success against Kendrick and the overall ineptitude of the Rockies’ starting pitcher, we could be looking at a 20-plus-point fantasy performance.
Ranking the Most Stackable Teams
For DK players who like to put many of their eggs into one basket, here’s a look at five teams that could generate multiple fantasy studs on Sunday.
1. Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are the majors’ top hitting team, and they’re facing a pitcher in Taijuan Walker who has been struggling mightily. Walker’s ERA is 5.06, and he has allowed 16 runs in his last three starts. The Blue Jays hit Walker hard for four runs in 5.2 innings back on May 24, so there’s recent success to validate their spot atop this short list.
If you were going to use three or more picks from one team, Toronto should be your top choice.
2. Baltimore Orioles
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Tampa Bay Rays starter Matt Moore has been dreadful this season. His ERA is an astronomical 7.23, and multiple Baltimore Orioles have pounded him in the past.
In addition to catcher Matt Wieters, who is in the above table, there’s also Adam Jones, who is hitting .474 against Moore, and Manny Machado, who has a .300 average against the Rays starter.
3. Detroit Tigers
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Boston Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez will face one of the toughest assignments of his rookie season on Sunday. The Detroit Tigers come to Fenway Park, and they have pounded lefties all season.
The Tigers are hitting .280 versus southpaws. Jose Iglesias, Victor Martinez, James McCann, Nick Castellanos and Andrew Romine are all hitting above .300 against lefties with at least 20 at-bats this season.
That dynamic sets up a bad day for the Red Sox’s young lefty.
4. Cincinnati Reds
We already talked about Votto‘s potential big day, but he’s not the only Reds player in position to shine. Kendrick simply hasn’t been good this season, and Skip Schumaker, Jay Bruce and Billy Hamilton are all hitting over .300 against the 30-year-old right-hander.
The Reds aren’t a bad team to choose if you’re looking to stack.
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