RADIO
We’ve switched things up a little bit in our Daily League column: Instead of giving you an exact lineup, we’ll be sharing top positional plays with quick analysis about why we like these guys. There is no set budget for these picks, so they may be star-studded– the idea here is to give you an overview of some of the best plays at each position, including some value picks and some strong matchup plays.
Strong Daily League Pitching Options for July 2, 2013:
SP: Stephen Strasburg - If you are going to spend nearly 40% of you budget on a pitcher, then it better be a damn good one in a damn good matchup. We don't like Kershaw for more money tonight and that's mostly due to the fact that Strasburg is sporting a smooth 2.42 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 93 IP, making him once again one of the top few true aces left in the game (and for a precious savings over Kershaw on most sites). Start him with confidence at home where he is posting a dominant 1.34 ERA and 3 wins thus far in 2013.
SP: John Lackey - In case you haven't been paying attention, this former Angels great is dominating AL East opponents like it's 2005 again, coming into tonight's matchup with a sexy 2.99 ERA, 5 W and 73 K in 78.1 IP. Posting 21 FP his last time out against the more potent Rockies, we like John Lackey to go out and provide a solid performance and keep rolling against the Padres in Beantown. If those words don't inspire you enough, just remember that he is treating the home crowd to a 1.36 ERA through 33 innings of work at Fenway thus far this season.
Hitters to Target for June 20, 2013:
C: Salvador Perez - Facing the Indians at home, Sal Perez comes into tonight's game hitting .308 against right-handed pitching and with a .353 home batting average. Facing Corey Kluber, we don't think that these averages will fail us either. With a lot more expensive players available to you, the savings you'll have by using the Royals #1 option should ensure that you can pick a stud pitcher and not have to overthink your salary cap when it comes to your outfield or corner positions.
1B: Freddie Freeman - Atlanta's young prodigy has been on fire of late, posting 19.75 FP in the past 2 games while homering twice. He is absolutely crushing right-handed pitching this season, at a .308 clip with 8 homers and 34 RBI. The icing on the cake is that his home batting average coming into today's game is .333, and he will surely look to continue his hot hitting for another night against the very junky Tom Koehler.
1B: Adrian Gonzalez - Agonz is not the Agonz he once was, but then again, he would probably be priced at least 25% higher if he were. Opposing Roy Oswalt at Coors seems like an ideal moment to get him in your daily league lineups. Oswalt is fresh out of semi-retirement and is sporting a robust 7.36 ERA, so running out a strong lefty in the best hitters' park in the big leagues is a no brainer tonight!
2B: Ian Kinsler - Kinsler is a .300 lifetime hitter against M's lefty Joe Saunders, with 4 HR and 8 RBI. Those are solid numbers from a first or third baseman, but you get to slot Kinsler in at 2B. He's well worth the splurge tonight with that history.
SS: Jhonny Peralta - If you don't want to spend the big bucks to get Hanley in there tonight (who by the way is an excellent play in Coors against Oswalt whom he has absolutely owned), you can find a nice value option in Peralta, who comes in at almost a 30% discount. Peralta owns a .357 lifetime average against Toronto hurler Chien-Ming Wang, and though Peralta has been a bit cooler lately, he hits in a great and very productive lineup. Detroit will likely get to Wang in a big way, and at his lowish price, you can take the gamble that Peralta will be involved in the hit parade one way or another.
OF: Carlos Quentin - Quentin has some positively eye-popping numbers against Sox starter John Lackey-- he's a career 8-for-13 with 4 HR, a 2B and a 3B(!) with 7 RBI. For those of you following along at home, that's a .615 BA with six extra-base hits. Quentin carries a fairly low price tag for a power-hitting outfielder, so he makes for a decent value play tonight in Boston.
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!
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