This is one of the toughest hitting slates I’ve written up all season, simply because of all of the aces on the board. In fact, we have to deal with guys like Jacob deGrom, Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer, Blake Snell, Walker Buehler and Chris Paddack. That’s quite the selection of starters and it’s making our job much more difficult in terms of picking hitters.
Catcher
Mike Zunino, TB vs. ARI
DK ($3,600) FD ($2,200)
Picking catchers is always the toughest task, but Zunino’s power upside makes him a nice tournament play. That’s evident in Zunino’s .199 career ISO, which is simply one of the best marks among all catchers. That power stroke appears to in good form right now too, with Zunino hitting a dinger in three of his last nine games. Facing Merill Kelly is not a matchup we need to fear either, with Kelly posting a 4.91 FIP and .349 xwOBA this season.
Also Consider: Willson Contreras homered on Sunday and could be a nice stack piece with the rest of the Cubs we are about to mention.
First Base
Anthony Rizzo, CHC vs. MIA
DK ($5,200) FD ($4,300)
Rizzo is one of the hottest hitters in the league and it’s hard to fade him in such a favorable matchup. Coming into Sunday night’s game, Rizzo homered in four of his previous six games while collecting six runs and nine RBI in that span. It was just a matter of time before he got going too, with Rizzo leading the Cubs with a .400 xwOBA. All of that makes him tough to fade and facing a guy with a 4.86 ERA and 1.56 WHIP is simply the cherry on top.
Also Consider: Matt Carpenter is extremely cheap on both sites and could have success against a volatile righty like Vince Velasquez.
Second Base
Jose Altuve, HOU vs. KC
DK ($4,400) FD ($3,900)
A common trend that you’ll see in this article is banking on players who are too good for their respective prices and Altuve is one of the faces of the theory. What really killed his price was a 3-for-33 stretch coming into the week, but doubling in four of his last five games indicate that he’s out of it. What’s really impressive with Altuve is the power potential, as his .258 ISO this season is the best mark of his career. Facing Jakob Junis is a treat for any hitter in a power surge, as his 1.5 career HR/9 rate is simply terrible.
Also Consider: With all of the injuries in Washington, Brian Dozier has found himself in the heart of their order and gets to hit in Miller Park.
Third Base
Vladimir Guerrero Jr, TOR vs. MIN
DK ($3,900) FD ($2,700)
Guerrero hasn’t given us much reason to use him, but his potential is impossible to overlook. Not only have many experts projecting him to have a Hall-of-Fame career, Guerrero had some of the greatest numbers in minor league history. They were especially good against lefties, with Guererro posting an 1.199 OPS against southpaws in 2017 and a 1.375 OPS against lefties before being called up this season. This is simply one of the most talented hitters of our generation and he’s too good to be priced this cheaply on both sites. In addition, Martin Perez is allowing an OPS north of .850 to right-handed batters since the beginning of 2017.
Also Consider: Alex Bregman is very expensive but he’s homered five times in his last four games and is easily one of the best plays on the board.
Shortstop
Corey Seager, LAD vs. ATL
DK ($3,600) FD ($2,900)
While Seager has been a huge disappointment this season, he’s simply too good of a hitter to be this cheap. The left-handed shortstop had an .876 OPS and ISO north of .200 before an injury-riddled 2018 and we expect to see that hitter sooner rather than later. Two doubles on Sunday is hopefully the start of something, as we always want to use him against a right-hander. This is simply a pricing play though, with Seager being priced the same as guys like Yairo Munoz and Nick Ahmed. Obviously, Seager is the cream of that crop.
Also Consider: Jorge Polanco has been a nice breakout player this season and gets the platoon advantage against Marcus Stroman
Outfielders
J.D. Martinez, BOS vs. BAL
DK ($5,100) FD ($4,300)
Martinez should be priced as a Top-Five hitter on every slate but you actually have to scroll down to find him here. What makes that really hard to understand is the fact that Martinez is one of the league leaders with a .336 average and .410 OBP. That’s all you can ask for, especially considering the fact that Martinez is 7-for-13 at the plate over his last three games. Getting to face a lefty is simply the icing on the cake, with Martinez posting a 1.173 OPS against southpaws since the beginning of 2017.
Randal Grichuk, TOR vs. MIN
DK ($4,100) FD ($3,000)
Grichuk’s price just continues to dwindle and it’s hard to understand why. Over his last seven games, Grichuk is 11-for-31 at the plate while collecting five RBI and three extra-base hits. The reason we want to use him here is the fact that he gets the platoon advantage against Martin Perez. While Grichuk’s splits are pretty much even, Perez’s are not. In fact, the southpaw is allowing a .313 average to right-handers since 2017 and an OPS approaching .900.
Kyle Schwarber, CHC vs. MIA
DK ($3,900) FD ($2,500)
Schwarber’s season-long numbers are downright ugly but it’s lowered his price to an intriguing number. What we like about Schwarber here is the fact that he gets to face a weak righty. For his career, Schwarber owns a .498 SLG and .842 OPS against right-handers. That becomes particularly intriguing considering the fact that he faces Sandy Alcantara, who owns a 6.39 ERA and 1.89 WHIP since a fluky opening start.
Also Consider: Mookie Betts has all the same advantages as Martinez but costs $400 more.
Monkey Knife Fight Picks of the Day
Mookie Betts over 1.5 hits+walks
Betts is scorching hot right now and this is easily my favorite pick on the board. Over his last 15 games, Betts is 24-for-58 at the plate, which equates to a .414 average and .507 OBP. Don’t fade that production, especially against a lefty.
J.D. Martinez 0.5 more bases than Trey Mancini
This play speaks for itself after the prior write-up, as I truly believe Martinez is in for two bases or more bases. In fact, Martinez has cleared 1.5 total bases in three of his last four games and gets the platoon advantage here. While Mancini is hot too, Martinez is the far superior pick. Play MLB Player Prop Games and Get 100 Percent Bonus!
