Today, Thursday April 16th happens to also be World Voice Day which helps celebrate to honor the phenomenon of voice. Being in the festive spirit of this Holiday, I am going to use my written voice to highlight my 4-16-15 Daily Fantasy Picks.
The selections listed below are based off the DraftKings content that starts at 7:05 PM EST/4:05 PM PST and covers the following games:
Phillies-Nationals, Rays-Blue Jays, Marlins-Mets, Diamondbacks-Giants
Disclaimer: These picks are subject to change based on weather and last-minute line-up decisions.
Starting Pitcher
Madison Bumgarner, SP, San Francisco Giants, $10,500
For Thursday’s slate of games there are two ace-level Pitchers to select from (Bumgarner and Cole Hamels). Bumgarner was selected due to having a more advantageous match-up. While Hamels will be on the road and playing against the Nationals, Bumgarner will be in the comfort of his home stadium and playing against one of the worst teams in baseball in the Diamondbacks.
Chris Archer, SP, Tampa Bay Rays, $7,500
Usually, I will try to select one ace-level Pitcher (which I did in Bumgarner) and a mid-priced pitcher in the $7,000-$8,000 range. Even though I would typically avoid selecting a Pitcher playing at Rogers Centre, Archer is still the best mid-priced option. First, he looked very impressive in his last start against the Marlins and I think his talent is higher than his price tag. Also, I did not feel very inspired by tonight’s other Starting Pitchers within this price range (Doug Fister & Dillon Gee)
Catcher
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C, Miami Marlins, $3,400 [Original]
I ended up distributing more of my salary towards other parts of my starting line-up, leaving me with limited funds for a Catcher. The other two options around this price range (Wilson Ramos & Carlos Ruiz) got ruled out as they have struggled against the Pitchers they are going up against tonight (Cole Hamels & Doug Fister). Also, Saltalamacchia does have more power upside than Ramos & Ruiz.
J.T. Realmuto, C, Miami Marlins $3,400 [Updated]
Realmuto was inserted into the Marlins line-up tonight instead of Jarrod Saltalamacchia and my line-up was adjusted accordingly.Realmuto had 2 Hits & scored 2 Runs in last night’s game against the Mets.
First Base
Buster Posey, 1B, San Francisco Giants, $4,300
Yes, Posey is primarily a Catcher but the daily salary cap impact remains unchanged regardless of position. While Posey has hit .241 over his first nine games, he already has 2 HR to his name and hit well against the Diamondbacks in the opening series this year (4 for 11 with 1 HR). Tonight, he will be playing at home and going up against a rookie Pitcher in Archie Bradley.
Second Base
Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B, Tampa Bay Rays, $4,000
Cabrera has been in a slump over the last few days as his AVG has gone below .250 but he has a solid chance to break out of this slump tonight. The Rays will be facing off against a rookie pitcher in Aaron Sanchez and he will be playing at Rogers Centre which tends to be hitter-friendly.
Third Base
Cody Asche, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies, $3,700
Expectations coming into this season were very low at best for the Phillies and modest at best for Cody Asche. While the Phillies are 3-6 and look on track to take their expected spot in the bottom of the NL East standings, Asche has been off to a red-hot start as he is 9 for 21 over his first seven games with 1 HR.
Shortstop
Dee Gordon, SS, Miami Marlins, $4,700
This is another case where I’m taking the hot hand for tonight’s line-up. Gordon is another player that I had modest expectations for going into this year (I thought regression from last year’s totals was unavoidable). However, he has gotten his Marlins tenure off to a scorching start as he has hit .364 with 6 SB over his first 8 games this season.
Outfield
Desmond Jennings, OF, Tampa Bay Rays, $4,300
Initially, I was considering taking Jayson Werth in this spot. However, Werth has struggled historically against Cole Hamels, leading me to look at other options. Over the last three seasons, he has hit well against the Blue Jays to the tune of .305/.384/.489 5 HR 5 SB in 141 AB.
Brandon Guyer, OF, Tampa Bay Rays, $3,900 [Original]
Even though Guyer is off to a slow start this season as he is hitting .231 over his first 7 games, playing at Rogers Centre against a rookie pitcher in Sanchez provides an excellent opportunity for Guyer to improve his numbers. The Rays could be in line for a strong night against the Blue Jays and Guyer could be one of many beneficiaries.
Micheal Morse, OF, Miami Marlins, $3,700
With Morse, you get someone with decent power potential at a very reasonable price. Tonight, you also get a match-up advantage. Last year, Morse hit .293 with 8 HR against right-handed pitching.
Kevin Pillar, OF, Toronto Blue Jays, $3,700 [Updated]
Pillar steps into my line-up tonight as Guyer is not starting tonight. Pillar is off to a solid start this season as he is hitting .314 over his first 9 games and has also thrown in 1 HR and 4 RBI.
Main Photo
