I guess DraftKings is baiting us to pay down for bats with some of their pricing tonight.
We have a 15-game slate with a slew of solid pitching options to choose from. Scherzer, C-Lo, Severino and a bunch of value are in play today.
As you will see in some of my selections, there are some mistakenly low-priced stud bats available tonight.
The big studs are priced appropriately – Judge, Harper, Bellinger, Goldy, Betts, etc.
Anyway, I like this slate a lot. I think there’s going to be more that opens up as the day progresses, but this is what I like pre-lineup publishing.
James Paxton – SP – Seattle Mariners – $8,700
Analysis: This is one of the prices that seems like a miscue. I know it’s the Phillies and they strike out 19% of the time against lefties (used to be higher, too), and I know Paxton has struggled some, but he’s at home. And at home, he’s 4-1 with a 2.48 ERA. This is the best cash game play of the night and maybe the best value of the slate.
Sean Newcomb – SP – Atlanta Braves – $6,700
Analysis: Lefty versus the Padres…You had me at lefty versus the Padres. Newcomb is a bright, young prospect that has limited hard contact thus far. He has a 10.3% SwStr rate and a 6.38 K/9 rate this season and as he gets experience, that should go up. That could start tonight against the hapless Padres, who are last in team wOBA against southpaws. They strike out 24.2% of the time and we get PETCO to favor the Padres.
J.D. Martinez – OF – Detroit Tigers – $4,500
Analysis: This price tag doesn’t scream value, but with a .652 wOBA, a .556 ISO and a 50% hard contact rate against lefties, this tag is well worth the play. Martinez has been in the $5K range this season, but in the mid 4s is a great spot to target.
