Today, it is Friday which means it is my turn to share my opinions and ideas which are leading me to set my 6-5-15 Daily Fantasy Picks. The values are based off of DraftKings and based off the contests that start at 7:05 PM EST.
Disclaimer: These picks are subject to change based on last minute line-up changes and weather.
The early data indicates that the following games could be impacted by weather:
Orioles-Indians, Padres-Reds, Pirates-Braves, Marlins-Rockies
Starting Pitchers
Jake Odorizzi, SP, Tampa Bay Rays, $8,600
Odorizzi may not be a household name, but he is in the midst of a breakout season as he has a 2.61 ERA/3.05. Despite these strong numbers, Odorizzi is still available for a very reasonable price and gets a start tonight at Safeco Field which is pitcher-friendly and a Mariners offense that with the very notable exception of Nelson Cruz has under-achieved this season.
Scott Kazmir, SP, Oakland Athletics, $7,500
It looks like Kazmir, will be back in action tonight as the Athletics take on the Red Sox. While he did struggle during the month of May, his overall numbers are still reasonably strong (2.93 ERA/3.89 FIP). Even though he is going into a tough pitcher’s environment in Fenway Park, he also has the opportunity to give you points through strikeouts as he has a 8.79 K/9 this season.
Catcher
Buster Posey, C, San Francisco Giants, $4,300
Posey is the first of three Giants player in my lineup tonight as I am taking advantage of the fact that the Phillies will be starting Jerome Williams and the Giants will be playing in hitter friendly Citizens Bank Park. Also, Posey has been a better road hitter as he is hitting .300 with 5 HR on the road this season.
First Base
Adam LaRoche, 1B, Chicago White Sox, $3,900
LaRoche is one of two White Sox players in my lineup tonight. The Tigers are starting rookie LHP Kyle Ryan and the White Sox could be in position to take advantage of this by having a strong night. LaRoche is more of a hit-or-miss player. Even though he is only hitting .238, he has also hit 6 HR and drawn a walk in 16.2% of his plate appearances.
Second Base
Joe Panik, 2B, San Francisco Giants, $3,800
Panik has had a surprisingly strong follow up to his rookie season. He has kept his AVG above .300 and even thrown in some extra power (4 HR in 2015). Panik comes in on a hot streak as he has hit .417 over his first 3 games in June.
Third Base
Josh Donaldson, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays, $5,300
Donaldson has been one of the best hitters in baseball this season, hitting .312 with 15 HR and will be facing one of the weaker starting pitchers tonight (Roberto Hernandez). The Rogers Centre is very hitter-friendly and Donaldson has taken advantage of this as he is hitting .375 with 10 HR at home this season.
Shortstop
Jose Reyes, SS, Toronto Blue Jays, $4,600
This season, Reyes is hitting .284 but has not hit any HR and has only stolen 4 bases. Even though his numbers aren’t great this season, he has hit .313 against right-handed pitching and also has the benefit of facing off against Roberto Hernandez.
Outfield
Torii Hunter, OF, Minnesota Twins, $4,100
The Twins have been one of baseball’s surprise teams this season and Hunter has played his part as he is hitting .273 with 7 HR and a 114 wRC+. Hunter’s performance has been very balanced as he’s done well against both lefties and righties. Tonight, he will be facing the Brewers who are starting Kyle Lohse. Lohse is being paid like a high-end starter. However, he is not performing like one as his ERA has ballooned to 6.50.
Adam Eaton, OF, Chicago White Sox, $4,000
This season, Eaton is only hitting .234 but the primary contributing factor to this was a weak April. He has improved since then as he hit .262 in May. Even though Eaton has struggled against lefties this season, he has a better long-term track record against them as he is hitting .286 against lefties in his career.
Nori Aoki, OF, San Francisco Giants, $3,900
Aoki has been a very solid addition to the Giants this season as he is hitting .314 and has stolen 12 bases. With the Giants playing away from the confines of AT&T Park, this could set him up for a strong night as he is hitting .386 on the road this season.
All statistics found on fangraphs.com
All statistics through 6/3/15
Main Photo
photo credit: Buster Posey on deck via photopin (license)
