This afternoon is definitely shaping up to be one that showcases dominant pitching all over the map. Several of the game's best arms will be on the bump for their respective teams. This list will be headlined by the likes of Max Scherzer, Yu Darvish, Matt Harvey, Adam Wainwright and Madison Bumgarner.
All of these All-Star hurlers, starting on the same day with fairly favorable match-ups, is just one of those extraordinary scheduling enigmas. In order to fit at least one of these studs inside the budget, a solid cheaper option will be important.
MLB Daily League Lineup Picks for August 18, 2013
- Juan Francisco (3B, MIL) - The Reds need no scouting report to tell them how much power Francisco possesses in his 240 lb frame. After all, Cincy was the corner infielder's original team. The Dominican native has not let his former organization forget what they gave up on before the 2012 season - Francisco has slugged nearly .600 when taking on his former teammates. Homer Bailey has contributed to that mark, by allowing Milwaukee's young masher to go 3-for-7 with a homer in their previous battles.
- Michael Cuddyer (OF, COL) - 2013 has seen Michael Cuddyer put up an uncharacteristic reverse split. The versatile veteran currently holds a more than 50 point discrepancy in batting average against lefties, when compared to righties. A nice opportunity for DraftStreet players, he will take on Scott Feldman in Baltimore. Cuddyer has owned the Orioles' right-hander with a .538/.571/1.231 line - including 3 doubles and a couple of longballs through 13 career at bats.
- Domonic Brown (OF, PHI) - Even though the Phillies have struggled to a 5-20 mark since the break, Brown has managed to maintain his torrid pace through his breakout campaign - and is providing hope to the Philadelphia faithful for the future. Ricky Nolasco will be facing him for the first time as a Dodger, after having little luck in this match-up as a Marlin. Brown is a lifetime 6-for-15 with a home run against Nolasco. Even more intriguing, the 2013 NL All-Star has hit more than 80% of his career home runs against right-handed pitching.
Nate Miller spouts off about Fantasy Sports everyday on Twitter @Miller_WeTalkFS
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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!
