Some might look at today’s split slate and complain that we don’t have one main big slate and I understand that. However, it’s so glorious to have both FD and DK match-up with a 5 game 1PM slate and a 5 game 7PM slate, so this means we don’t have to list certain games on one site and not another. Which for me is a victory.
This article is the early slate version, and yes, I am doing an evening slate article too. It’s only day 3 people, we got a long ways to go.
WEATHER
All five games play without any issues
Pittsburgh at Chicago: Higher winds blowing out and temps above 60 degrees. Should be very favorable for hitting.
Zach Plesac (Indians)
We really just want someone who can get us a good amount of strikeouts on this early slate which has some cold weather games but some bad pitching going. The Tigers against a RHP will be a top strikeout target once again this season and Plesac is no slouch with a 27% strikeout rate, almost identical to RH & LH hitters as well so no concerns with the Tigers switch hitters. I personally don’t feel Cleveland is a good team this year, but they should be able to win this game.
Mike Minor (Royals)
I didn’t wanna go with a pitcher against his former team, but the choices outside of Plesac and Minor for 2SP on DraftKings are really bad. The Royals are counting on Minor to get back to his old form and give them a veteran arm who can get them simply to the 6th inning where the bullpen can start to re-claim its mark as one of the better ones in the league. Texas got a lot of ground ball success against Keller on Thursday but should not have a similarly easy time today.
Third longshot SP
Tyler Anderson – His ground ball numbers in SF last year went away, almost as if he decided he didn’t have to do that anymore now that he was out of Coors Field. The Wind should be blowing out at Wrigley which would potentially hurt him if he doesn’t go back to his old Coors ways but the Cubs offense isn’t good.
If we solely went off the weather in these games today the Rangers/Royals, Pirates/Cubs games would be the offense games and the other three would be lower down the list. But it’s not as extreme as it might sound because even though wind is OUT in Chicago it’s only in the low 60’s and not upper 80’s.
Warmest game on the slate is out in Kauffman stadium. The Royals historically have been a team that never does well against a pitcher they do not know and I point to coaching/advance scouting with them on this. This stems back to the Hosmer-Cain-Moustakas-Gordon-Escobar team and it has continued with these current Royals.
It is a great slate to just pick and choose the spots across various games with one 3 man stack anchoring your lineup. So here’s some 3 man spots I like today.
BALTIMORE
Trey Mancini, Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins
Love Trey Mancini today, just wish the weather was about 15 degrees warmer in Boston. There will be plenty of exposure on Boston attacking Harvey but it’s the Orioles who should be locked in at their ridiculous prices.
CLEVELAND
Jose Ramirez – Eddie Rosario – Franmil Reyes
How does one not attack Julio Teheran? The Tigers bullpen is still lacking a true backend 7-8-9 situation as well so we should get some bonus production late from the Tribe. They’re a team that I’ll be recommending very little this season but with spots like this we have to like J-Ram/Rosario/Franmmil. Who essentially are the only 3 Indians to ever consider. Challenge here is heavy winds blowing in from RF, so it could wind up playing into Julio’s favor — except he’ll walk them all and a slap single drives in the runs.
NY YANKEES
DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, Jay Bruce, Gary Sanchez
Ross Stripling is going from NL to AL and he isn’t anywhere used to pitching in a park like this against a lineup who will drive the ball like the Yankees do. They’re hitting 3 bombs today. But look at the mid to bottom order of this lineup for doing damage and not just Judge-Stanton
PITTSBURGH
Adam Frazier, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds
The Pirates are going to start 2-0!!!! Sorry but the Cubs lineup isn’t good and I trust Tyler Anderson to return to his ground ball form.
On a shorter slate like this (under 7 games) I will focus on trying to identify one key bat at each position where it’s applicable. If there’s nobody then I’ll list the best value spot there, and if there are many then I’ll highlight it as a UTIL/FLEX spot for FanDuel users to consider
CATCHER
Let’s examine what we would love to have happen at catcher today. Number one, we don’t wanna pay for catcher early in the season although damn that Mercedes looked fine last night for the White Sox and that might be the cheapest Mercedes will be all year because she sure was fine… Oh wait, getting off topic here. Ah yes, we don’t want to spend.
Enter Kevin Plawecki, $3600 against Matt Harvey. That’ll do donkey, that’ll do.
But if you are going to be stacking with your catcher then Gary Sanchez in a Yankee stack against the Stripper is an obvious play. Day game Kraken.
FIRST BASE
Trey Mancini is one of my favorite plays on the slate. If this was mid May he’d be in line for a 3-5 type game but with cooler temps we’ll just be searching for that one big double off the wall in center field. I’m not one who is overly excited about Tanner Houck chalk and I would want to attack him with the Orioles best bat who is … uh, $2000 on DraftKings? Huh?
In other news, Carlos Santana, is the main Royal hitter I would look at today.
SECOND BASE
Adam Frazier is a good contact bat who should hit the soft stuff from Jake Arrieta. The Pirates are not going to strike out as much as everyone thinks and thus with the ball in play and wind blowing out Frazier is primed to have a nice game today. Plus, he’s one of those Day game guys.
Others: Cesar Hernandez, DJ LeMahieu
THIRD BASE
Jose Ramirez’s weekend and we are just living in it. Ramirez has had a great history in Comerica Park and will bat from his preferred power side (Left) today against Julio Teheran. Julio is someone we know should struggle in the first inning and it just points to a long productive day for the middle of the Indians order.
SHORTSTOP
This is a decent position and if it wasn’t for the wind in Wrigley I wouldn’t think twice about Javy Baez but he could definitely run into one. The main target is Xander Bogaerts feasting off Matt Harvey with Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien being logical Blue Jays choices here as well. Those are your 4 main spots to look at here and my lean is just taking X against Harvey who is still bad.
OUTFIELD
Eddie Rosario and Franmil Reyes are both obvious pairings with Jose Ramirez. I would lock in Rosario into my Mt. Rushmore today even though he is $500 more than Franimal.
Anthony Santander and Ryan Mountcastle are both excellent baseball names and excellent mid range OF options on DraftKings today. With Mancini being a core lock today for me I would focus on either or both of these guys paired with him assuming they are in the same order as Opening Day.
Joey Gallo is homering off Mike Minor
JD Martinez is NOT homering off Matt Harvey
- Jose Ramirez – 3B – Indians – Chairman of the Dongers Club
- Trey Mancini – 1B – Orioles
- Gary Sanchez – C – Yankees
- Javy Baez – SS – Cubs
- Eddie Rosario – OF – Indians
- Joey Gallo – OF – Rangers
- Teoscar Hernandez – OF – Blue Jays
- Adam Frazier – 2B – Pirates
- BONUS ………………….. KeBryan Hayes – 3B – Pirates
FAVORITE BETS
Took a beating yesterday and that Marlins late blown save got things off the wrong foot.
- Rangers/Royals UNDER 9.5
- Yankees / Pirates Parlay