Daily Dime: Building around Rizzo, Beltre, Revere, various Cardinals
OK, let’s roll those Michael Wacha profits into the Friday slate. We have a crazy number of aces and near-aces on the hill — Kershaw, Fernandez, Hamels, Lester, Cole, deGrom, et al. — so you won’t lack for pitching options. As always, we caution you to review the weather reports and check MLB lineups before committing to names.
[Win a share of $20K playing Daily Fantasy Baseball!]
Anthony Rizzo, 1B, vs. SF (Vogelsong), $19: At this price level, perhaps Rizzo isn’t really a bargain in the strictest sense. But he’s on an absurd tear over his last eight games, slashing .517/.545/1.138 with five home runs, three doubles, 12 RBIs and one steal. Vogelsong hardly seems like the guy who’s going to bring an end to Rizzo’s binge; these two have faced each other five times, and Rizzo has come away with three extra-base hits, including two homers.
Adrian Beltre, 3B, at Sea (Iwakuma), $16: For whatever reason, August has been Beltre’s best month historically (.310 AVG, .897 OPS). If you’ve suffered through this disappointing season with him parked in your lineup, there’s reason to hope for a surge. Beltre has gone 8-for-20 with four extra-base hits, two walks and no Ks in five games so far this month, so things are looking up. He’s had no trouble with Iwakuma in the past (11-for-30, three HR), if you care about such things.
Kolten Wong, 2B, at Mil (Cravy), $15: Cravy is a right-hander with modest velocity and unimpressive Triple-A numbers (3.97 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 7.08 K/9). He’s not exactly the sort of pitcher who should present much trouble for Wong. I’m expecting more fantasy goodness from multiple Cards.
Lance Lynn, P, at Mil (Cravy), $51: Lynn has held opponents to two earned runs or less in nine of his last 11 starts, plus he’s striking out 9.6 batters per nine innings. It’s tough not to like him here against a last-place team, opposed by a sketchy, hittable starter. The Cards are a heavy favorite in this one (-150), which should surprise no one.
Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, vs. Tor (Dickey), $17: Ellsbury is coming off a 2-for-4 performance on Thursday, with a no-doubt home run included. He’s cleared the fence twice in his last four games. His career numbers against Dickey aren’t too shabby (7-for-20, two BB, zero Ks), so no worries there.
[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football: Sign up and join a league today!]
Ian Desmond, SS, vs. Col (De La Rosa), $14: Here’s another guy coming off a two-hit game (both of ’em XBHs), and he’s enjoyed some success against Friday’s opposing starter. Desmond is 4-for-9 with a pair of walks versus De La Rosa. At this price, he’s a player of interest; you’ll really need to go dirt-cheap at multiple spots if you’re hoping to fit Kershaw ($70!) or Fernandez ($59) into a lineup.
Jake Lamb, 3B, vs. Cin (Iglesias), $15: Lamb has six multi-hit games in his last 10 starts, and he’s about to face a right-hander with a 1.39 WHIP. He’s a heart-of-the-order hitter on a nice run, available at a tolerable price.
Ben Revere, OF, at NYY (Eovaldi), $14: Revere didn’t get off to the greatest start for the Jays (0-for-13), but he’s gone 5-for-7 with four runs-scored over the past two days. No reason to avoid him with Eovaldi on the mound; LHBs are hitting a ridiculous .349/.404/.465 against the Yankees righty.
Prince Fielder, 1B, at Sea (Iwakuma), $15: Again, I’m starting Rizzo at first base pretty much everywhere. But if I had to roll with a discounted bat at this spot, it would be Prince. This feels like entirely the wrong price for a guy slashing .327/.394/.499 on the season. Fielder has gone 7-for-21 with a homer, two doubles and four RBIs over his last five games, so it’s not as if he’s struggling. He’s also 3-for-7 against Iwakuma, if you care about tiny samples.
Wilson Ramos, C, vs. Col (De La Rosa), $13: Ramos had an off-day on Wednesday, so he should be good to go in this one. He’s delivered back-to-back two-hit games, driving in four runs. This price point is usually my outer limit on catchers not named “Schwarber,” so I’m on board.
