FanDuel MLB 3-Man Challenge Helper: Tuesday 7/16/19
Sometimes, you just don't have time to track the weather, check the splits, and wait for the batting order to be posted to build a full nine-man FanDuel MLB roster. It happens. But that no longer means you can't build some lineups, thanks to FanDuel's MLB 3-Man Challenge game style.
The premise is simple: build a three-player roster for a $7 salary cap, and only hits and RBI count toward netting FanDuel points. One player is your MVP, and his points are multiplied by 1.5, and you just need to roster players from at least two different teams. That more or less covers it, but you should familiarize yourself with the basic strategy for the new game style to help you in tonight's marquee 3-Man Challenge contest.
That being said, which options stand out at each price range for today's 3-Man Challenge slate?
$4 Tier
Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story - Tuesday brings a 15-game main slate, and this Coors Field game defines that slate, with the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants owning the two highest implied totals. This 3-Man slate is only one-third the size of the main slate, making the impact of this game's massive 14-run over/under even bigger. The Rockies in particular stand out, with a 7.43-run implied total that is almost a full run higher than anyone else's as they take on Giants southpaw Drew Pomeranz. Arenado has an absolutely absurd .535 wOBA and .427 ISO against southpaws at Coors since 2017, and Story has a career .454 wOBA and .407 ISO in the split. Arenado's numbers are obviously more impressive against a southpaw, but Story fares better in same-sided matchups, so going in that direction would insulate your lineup a bit better if the Giants go with a right-handed reliever.
$3 Tier
Matt Olson - If you want to save some cash and go contrarian, our models project Olson for the second-highest home run number (0.30) on the slate. He's got a massive .303 ISO to go with his .364 wOBA in 2019, and even in same-sided matchups, he's swatting a terrific 55.9% hard hits and 50.0% fly balls. Seattle Mariners lefty Marco Gonzales isn't exactly the most imposing southpaw, either, struggling to the tune of a 5.13 SIERA across 20 games in 2019.
$2 Tier
Jorge Soler - The only hitter we have projected for more homers than Olson isn't at Coors Field -- it's Jorge Soler hitting at home against Chicago White Sox righty Dylan Cease. Cease has only made one major league start, but considering he only managed a 4.29 xFIP in 68 1/3 career Triple-A innings, it's no surprise that he got shelled in that first outing. Soler is sporting a .346 wOBA and .271 ISO in 2019, and with a career-high 43.0% hard-hit rate to go with a 13.6% soft-hit rate and 39.3% fly-ball rate, he's not going to make Cease's second outing any easier.
Yoan Moncada - He doesn't stack up with Soler in home run projections, but our models project Moncada for the highest fantasy score of any hitter on this slate -- regardless of price. Moncada's 93.3 mile-per-hour average exit velocity ranks fifth among 391 qualifying hitters this season, per Baseball Savant. That contact has helped him to a .372 wOBA and .224 ISO this season, and while he's a switch hitter, there's a clear distinction in his handedness splits, faring far better against righties. That's good news tonight with the Kansas City Royals starting Glenn Sparkman, a righty who has an awful 5.24 SIERA across his 103 2/3 career major league innings.
$1 Tier
Pablo Sandoval - Like Joc Pederson yesterday, Sandoval should probably be priced two or even three times higher than he is here, making him a good candidate for the best play on the slate. Even as underdogs, the Giants' huge 6.57-run implied total is the second-highest on the slate as they take on Rockies righty Peter Lambert, who struggled with a 4.99 xFIP in Triple-A before moving to the majors and posting a 4.99 SIERA in 2019. Sandoval has turned in a .341 wOBA and .259 ISO over 211 plate appearances this season, and he's another switch-hitter who does his best work against righties, with a .270 ISO on 45.8% hard hits and 36.1% fly balls in the split this season.
Tim Beckham - The only real reason to fade Sandoval at $1 tonight is if you're trying to get contrarian, and Beckham should carry low ownership with plenty of upside. His 0.22 home run projection is our highest for any $1 hitter. We have over 25 hitters priced above Beckham and projected for fewer home runs. The Oakland Athletics are starting righty Daniel Mengden, who has posted an ugly 5.23 SIERA across eight major league games after putting up a 4.62 xFIP in nine Triple-A appearances this season. Beckham is flexing a career-high .232 ISO on the year, and while his .309 wOBA gives him a low floor, you're not pivoting from Sandoval to Beckham because you want safety -- you're looking for home run upside in that situation.
Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
