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Oakland's Jarrod Parker has been on an absolute roll through June and July, but I do not recommend paying the price for him this afternoon. In two starts versus the Halos this season, the 24-year-old hurler has managed just 9 1/3 innings while struggling to the tune of a 4.82 ERA and 2.25 WHIP.
A strategy that has proven useful in daily MLB leagues is rostering teammates placed close together in a lineup. Obviously, you want to make sure both players have a desirable matchup for the day. That theme is present in my FanDuel picks for this afternoon. Let's start off with a duo that Parker will have to face today:
- Mike Trout (OF,LAA) - The superstar outfielder needs absolutely no introduction to the world of fantasy baseball. He is a five-tool stud that has carried many daily league lineups to big wins this season. Make room in your budget for Trout today. Stepping into the box 20 times against Parker over the last two years, he is batting .353 with a .450 OBP and three stolen bases.
- Erick Aybar (SS,LAA) - Strikeouts from your hitters can kill your chances at success. Mike Trout's switch-hitting compadre currently has the fourth-lowest K% in the American League. The Angel's shortstop brings very little in terms of power potential and has not displayed the speed that produced 50 steals the last two seasons. Still making for a solid play, however, Aybar has banged out eight singles and a walk over 14 plate appearances versus the A's righty without ever once striking out.
- Chris Denorfia (OF,SD) - The Padres take to the diamond for a duel with NL All-Star Patrick Corbin. The D'Backs' surprising young southpaw is 12-1 with a 2.31 ERA so far in 2013, but don't let that discourage you from San Diego's lefty-killer. Denorfia has hit all seven of his home runs against left-handed pitching this season, and he sports a .508 slugging percentage against southpaws. In addition, he has owned Corbin in his career with a .538 average and three long balls in just 13 AB.
- Jose Fernandez (SP,MIA) - This afternoon, South Florida will play host to a pitching matchup showcasing two of the most highly touted rookies in all of Major League Baseball. Both have been impressive to this point in the season, but the edge today has to go to Jose Fernandez over Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole. The Marlins' soon-to-be 21-year-old flamethrower has averaged right at a strikeout per inning, while holding opponents to a .196 batting average through his first campaign in the bigs. At his home park this season, Fernandez is 3-0 with an outstanding 1.47 ERA. The Pirates are currently hitting just .241 against right-handed pitching, while striking out 22% of the time, which portends a big scoring day for Fernandez.
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As always, remember to check your MLB daily lineups before they lock and make sure you are doing your own research, too, for optimal performance! The most successful daily leaguers are grinders who are constantly tweaking their lineups as the day goes on and fantasy news gets released. Good luck today, RotoBallers!
Nate Miller spouts off about fantasy sports everyday on Twitter @Miller_WeTalkFS
