It is another jam packed day of baseball today, and with a new warmup timer of 60 seconds to play against instead of 30 seconds, you will have to be careful with your lineup. Here are my suggestions for each game.
TB vs BAL
Pitchers – No pitchers have cards in the game
Hitters – I would definitely play Chris Davis seeing that his point totals are doing well over the last week. No negative points and playing 1B on defense will get you my seal of approval.
ATL vs PHI
Pitchers – No pitchers have cards in the game
Hitters – As I mentioned before Ryan Howard is on a points tear lately, including a HR last night. Andrelton Simmons is also on a hot streak with two games above 50 points in a row. Justin Upton finally came down to earth, and if you have his POW card, you might want to be careful. They lose 3x the points if the player has a bad game this week.
CHC vs NYY
Pitchers – No pitchers have cards in the game
Hitters – I love Rizzo as a guy that can get you 30-40 points a game. He is off to a tremendous start and I would definitely have him in your lineup as the game begins. My play recommendations may get repetitive, only because the good players rarely have negative point days.
CLE vs DET
Pitchers – Annibal Sanchez is a great play today. The Tigers’ pitching is their strength, and he has faired well against the Tribe over his career if I remember correctly.
Hitters – Victor Martinez has had some positive days in a row, but DHs can be very risky without defense to bolster their totals. If you want a real sleeper, take a look at Michael Brantley, who has had a few nice games in a row.
WAS vs MIA
Pitchers – No pitchers have cards in the game
Hitters – Hard to ignore Garrett Jones’ two big games in a row, especially with a blast last night. I would play him over Stanton today, but I still like LaRoche as the Nats’ 1B.
PIT vs CIN (Full Game)
Pitchers – Game of the week, possibly! Leake and Cole have both been scoring points like mad, and I would start both of them as much as you can. I would take Leake over Cole at this point, but its more about who you have more of in your collection.
Hitters – One word, Votto.
SEA vs TEX
Pitchers – No pitchers have cards in the game
Hitters – Zunino had a great game last night, but Smoak is the better play to me. Catchers can drop off in the later part of the game, and only get the benefit of a little defensive potential.
KC vs HOU
Pitchers – No pitchers have cards in the game
Hitters – Rough game all around, but play Altuve if you are stuck.
STL vs MIL
Pitchers – Miller has an insert you can play, but he hasnt exactly been lights out as of late. Buyer beware against the hottest lineup in the bigs.
Hitters – Addams family lineup today, as you should definitely start Gomez/Adams.
TOR vs MIN
Pitchers – Morrow will have a good day against a weak Twins’ lineup.
Hitters – Bautista is the hottest non-1B in the game, and should be started against a crappy pitcher in Phil Hughes. Surprisingly, Brian Dozier is also a sleeper you may want to consider over Joe Mauer, but that’s not my style.
BOS vs CWS
Pitchers – Peavy should be able to fend off the other Sox team.
Hitters – Play Alexei Ramirez, that’s all I have to say about that.
NYM vs ARI
Pitchers – Arroyo is scheduled for the start, but he is listed on the Reds in the game. Not sure how that will work, so be careful.
Hitters – Play your newly minted David Wright 3x limited cards if you got em!
OAK vs LAA
Pitchers – Both pitchers are available, but Richards is a much better play in my opinion.
Hitters – Pujols has been coming around (FINALLY!), and Josh Donaldson is definitely worth a look too. Callaspo as a sleeper is a good play too.
COL vs SD
Pitchers – Nicasio has been pitching well so far this year, and SD isnt exactly a powerhouse to bring down his points.
Hitters – Im actually looking at Nolan Arenado as a solid start to match Blackmon and Tulo. Yonder Alonso is always a safe bet too.
LAD vs SF
Pitchers – Beckett is always a risk in my mind as he can have the potential to blow up under pressure. The Giants are good enough to take advantage of that.
Hitters – Brandon Crawford is a huge play today, having been raking most of the season. Take a look if you have him.
Good luck today, get those points on the board!