We’re 5-1 over our last six picks in Monkey Knife Fight recommendations, so let’s keep it rolling here!
Catcher
Gary Sanchez, NYY vs. SD
DK ($5,500) FD ($4,200)
If you’ve read my articles before, you know that I either pay up for catcher or punt the position. For this slate, we’re going to pay up for the best catcher in the game. It’s really hard to argue with Sanchez’s numbers, with the stud hitting 15 dingers while posting a .961 OPS so far this season. One would argue that his numbers should be even better when looking at his peripherals, with Sanchez posting a .449 xwOBA and .371 ISO. Both those numbers rank Top-5 in the league and we have to love him at home against a lefty.
First Base
Joey Votto, CIN vs. PIT
DK ($3,700) FD ($2,900)
This one may surprise some people but the Joey Votto hate train has gone too far. While he’s struggled mightily for over a year now, the track record is too good for someone priced this cheaply. We’re talking about a guy who has a career ISO near .220, an OBP over .420 and a wOBA north of .400. That means he’ll inevitably get better and recent results would indicate that it’s starting to happen now. Not only does Votto enter this matchup in the midst of a five-game hitting streak, he actually has multi-hit games in three straight. Getting to face a righty is the icing on the cake, with Votto posting a .436 OBP and .978 OPS against right-handed pitching in his career.
Second Base
Jonathan Schoop, MIN vs, MIL
DK ($4,500) FD ($3,300)
Using the Twins is always a good idea, as they simply have the best offense in baseball. In fact, Minnesota currently leads the Majors in runs scored, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA. While Schoop moves around in the order, that really doesn’t matter. The reason we really like him today is because he’s only $3,300 on FanDuel and gets the platoon advantage against Gio Gonzalez. Since the beginning of 2016, Schoop has an OPS just shy of .800 against southpaws. He comes into this matchup raking too, collecting four homers, eight runs scored and 10 RBI over his last six games. Stacking Twins is one of the best strategies on this slate and Schoop is a great piece to that approach with this friendly price tag.
Third Base
Miguel Sano, MIN vs. MIL
DK ($4,400) FD ($3,900)
Sano has quietly been one of the best power hitters in the league this season, as he’s absolutely destroying baseballs since coming off the IL. In fact, Sano actually leads all hitters with a .531 ISO, hitting two doubles and five homers in just eight games played. That’s obviously absurd power and it’s no surprise when you consider the fact that he has a .240 career ISO. We absolutely love Sano against southpaws too, with the slugger posting an OPS just shy of .850 against left-handers for his career.
Shortstop
Gleyber Torres, NYY vs. SD
DK ($4,600) FD ($3,600)
If you want to use Sanchez, it’s hard to fade Torres for a two-man Yankee choice. What makes Torres so intriguing is his unbelievable hot streak, with the slugging shortstop providing three doubles, eight homers, 13 runs scored and 13 RBI over his last 15 games. That makes these price tags hard to understand, as he should be $500 more on each site. Getting to face a lefty makes the prices even more baffling, with Torres posting a .576 SLG last season with the platoon advantage in his favor.
Outfielders
Yasiel Puig, CIN vs. PIT
DK ($4,300) FD ($3,000)
Last time we recommended Puig, he went yard, and we’re going to bet on him continuing his recent hot streak. Over his last 12 games, Puig has hit four homers while accruing 12 RBI. That’s a significant improvement after a nightmare opening month and Puig is actually known for getting off to slow starts. Getting to face Nick Kingham is what makes him so enticing on this slate though, with the Pittsburgh righty posting an 8.76 ERA and 1.99 WHIP so far this season. That’s obviously terrible and Puig is actually a rare guy who has opposite splits. That means we want to use him against righties, especially considering it gives him a much better chance at a steal while improving his hitting profile.
Wil Myers, SD at NYY
DK ($4,100) FD ($3,000)
I’m one of those rare Myers truthers out there and he’s simply been much better than what people give him credit for. If you average his numbers to 160 games, we’re talking about a guy who’s averaging 30 homers and 30 steals over his last three years. That’s simply elite production and recent results indicate that he’s returning to that form. In fact, Myers has three homers and three walks over his last two games. Getting to hit in Yankee Stadium should only help him continue that form, as that’s easily one of the best hitting parks in the Majors. It’s not like New York is throwing out anyone we need to worry about either, with Luis Cessa and Nestor Cortes Jr. toeing the rubber for the Stripes.
Eloy Jimenez, CWS vs. KC
DK ($3,800) FD ($3,200)
Jimenez’s early-season numbers don’t give us much reason to use him, but he looks like a different player since coming off the IL. Over his last five games, Jimenez has swatted three dingers. That’s the stud prospect we’ve all been waiting for and it’s hard to argue with the fact that he posted a wOBA north of .400 at the minor league level and an ISO well above .200. We really like that he gets to face Homer Bailey too, with the Royals righty posting a 6.13 ERA and 1.53 WHIP en route to an ugly .371 xwOBA.
Monkey Knife Fight Pick of the Day
Gio Gonzalez under 5.5 strikeouts vs. MIN
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It was tough to find a MKF pick that I liked, but this Gonzalez prop looked too good to be true. The main reason we want to take the under here is because of this offense, with Minnesota sitting first in nearly every offensive statistic. That’s no surprise when you consider the fact they’re averaging 9.2 runs across their last 11 games. In addition, no starter has struck out more than six batters in any of the Twins last 18 games while 12 of them have had three Ks or less. Those trends, paired with the fact that the Twins sit with the third-lowest K rate in the Majors, puts Gonzalez in a tough spot, as he has a K rate below 20 percent over the last two years. This is bold but I don’t even think Gonzalez will get past three Ks.
