MLB Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 8/20/13
We know that people play all sorts of fantasy platforms, not just from from our friends at StarStreet but on other platforms such as FanDuel, Draft Kings, and Fantasy Feud as well. So once again, we have four optimized rosters, all for you, the numberFire reader. One is for free here; the others can be found in our Premium section.
As always, the full tables for today's action are available at our Daily Fantasy Projections page. Make sure to check it out to see where the best values are for your team.
Our baseball projections are updated throughout the day, so make sure to come back to double-check your optimized rosters for any last-minute lineup changes. Since most action happens later in the day, we will be ignoring the early games (if there are any) and focusing solely on the late contests. That way, you can use and tinker with our optimized rosters throughout the day.
StarStreet Optimized Roster
| Player | Position | Projected FP | Cost | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Cingrani | SP | 26.45 | $25,400 | 1.04 |
| Sonny Gray | SP | 24.82 | $15,000 | 1.65 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | 1B | 13.41 | $7,700 | 1.74 |
| David Ortiz | DH | 15.69 | $7,200 | 2.18 |
| Andrew McCutchen | CF | 13.74 | $6,900 | 1.99 |
| Troy Tulowitzki | SS | 15.07 | $6,600 | 2.28 |
| Shin-Soo Choo | CF | 13.95 | $6,200 | 2.25 |
| Bryce Harper | LF | 13.88 | $6,000 | 2.31 |
| Kyle Seager | 3B | 12.31 | $6,000 | 2.05 |
| Aaron Hill | 2B | 13.89 | $5,800 | 2.39 |
| Jarrod Saltalamacchia | C | 13.15 | $4,500 | 2.92 |
Fantasy Feud, Draft Kings, and FanThrowdown Optimized Rosters
For the optimal rosters for the other main players, be sure to check out our brand new Daily Fantasy Optimized Rosters for our Premium members. We know that you're killing it with our picks; maybe now you'll help us continue to help you win each night, every night.
Access to the optimal rosters is immediate, and you'll have it constantly updated for the latest injury news and updates from around the league. The best news of all? For new subscribers, you can use the promo code WELCOME and get it 50% off what was already the reduced price. Think of the savings!
The Top Three Pitchers
Tony Cingrani – Cingrani would have an excellent rookie of the year case if this wasn’t such a loaded year in the N.L. He’s posted a 2.78 ERA and a 10.63 K/9 in 94 innings. That strikeout rate is second in all of baseball (to Yu Darvish) among pitchers who’ve thrown at least 90 innings. Cingrani’s been even better as the season has gone on: in 30 innings since the All-Star Break, he’s posted a 1.80 ERA and allowed batters to hit just .152 and slug a mere .216 off him.
Sonny Gray – Gray is a recent first round pick, so this isn’t your typical out-of-nowhere A’s pitching reclamation project. He has been putting up strong results like his rotation mates though – in his first 18 major league innings (which include two starts) Gray has posted a 1.00 ERA and a 10.00 K/9. Tonight he faces the weak-hitting Mariners who rank third in the league in strikeout rate and 10th in runs scored.
A.J. Burnett – Burnett is leading the Pirates’ improbable charge toward the playoffs with an N.L.-leading 9.93 K/9 to go along with his 3.18 ERA. Yankee fans are probably wondering where the heck this Burnett was in New York. Basically, he stopped giving up walks and home runs. His HR/9 in New York never dipped below 1.09, while as a Pirate, he’s never given up more than .80 per nine. And his disastrous walk rate as a Yankee – which sat around 4.00 in his time there – as come down significantly too. Tonight he feasts on the Padres, who rank 9th in the N.L. in runs scored and 4th in strikeout rate.
Top High-Priced Hitters
Paul Goldschmidt – Goldschmidt made his first All-Star team this year on the back of 30 home runs – second in the N.L. His .296/.392/.547 line has resulted in a 153 wRC+, third in the N.L. behind Joey Votto and David Wright. And tonight he faces Cingrani, a lefty, which is good news since Goldschmidt is posting a 1.001 OPS against lefties on the year.
David Ortiz – By now, you know the deal: If Ortiz is facing a righty, put him in your lineup. Tonight he’s got Ryan Vogelsong. In case you haven’t been reading the fantasy helper the last couple weeks (where have you been?) here’s Ortiz’s line against righties this year: .356/.455/.680, 19 homers, 198 wRC+. 100 wRC+ is league average, and the scale is weighted so every point over is a percentage point above the league average runs created. This is all to say: David Ortiz has created 98 percent more runs than the average major leaguer.
Cost-Effective Mid-Range Hitters
Bryce Harper – Harper is a steal at this price. Sure, his batting average is only .267, but he’s got an .868 OPS and a 140 wRC+. He has 17 homers on the year and would be considered one of the top hitters in the N.L. if he hadn’t gotten hurt earlier in the year. (Heck, he’s probably considered one of the top hitters in the league anyway.) That 140 wRC+ would rank 12th in the N.L. if Harper had enough plate appearances to qualify. Mid-range hitter? Yeesh.
Aaron Hill – Hill is another undervalued player. He missed time at the beginning of the year, but he’s been on fire since. Here are Hill’s ranks among second basemen with at least 220 plate appearances: batting average – 1st, on-base percentage – 2nd, slugging – 1st, wRC+ - 1st, home runs – tied for 7th, despite having between 140 and 320 fewer plate appearances than everyone in front of him. Aaron Hill is as good as it gets offensively for second basemen.
