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Shaun Evans' MLB Best Ball picks for RIVAL Fantasy MLB Best Ball contests for Wednesday. 4/17. See who he is liking to target in drafts and why.
Happy Wednesday RotoBallers, and welcome to our new series covering RIVAL Fantasy Best Ball daily action for the MLB season! We will be covering some of our favorite value players and sleepers that can help you win your league
MLB best ball is similar to your everyday normal fantasy baseball leagues except you draft your team and don't have to worry about setting lineups. There is no need to stress over free-agent pickups or trying to make a trade with one of your league mates. You just draft your team, kick back, and enjoy the season.
RIVAL Fantasy does take a 10% rake but each draft type is snake and your timer is 45 seconds. There's no reason to have to wait 7 hours and 22 minutes for Billy to finally take his first pitcher. Quick and easy draft to get through, which ultimately means more drafts to do. Check here for the updated rules and scoring.
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RIVAL Fantasy MLB Best Ball Value Players
Steven Matz, SP - St. Luis
Steven Matz has had a solid start to the season and gets the Oakland A's for his fourth start. Matz has recorded eight strikeouts, three walks, and three earned runs through 15 innings so far. He's averaging 4.8 strikeouts per nine innings and 1.8 walks. The A's are striking out at 28.2% so far this season, ranking 29th in the league. The matchup is leaning toward Steven Matz as this pitcher-friendly park should give him a boost tonight.
OSWALDO STRIKES AGAIN pic.twitter.com/TW63Ss04tg
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 13, 2024
Oswaldo Cabrera, LF - New York Yankees
Oswaldo Cabrera is making the most of his opportunity as DJ LeMahieu is injured. Cabrera has 51 plate appearances over 14 games while hitting .294. He has recorded nine runs, three homers, and 13 RBI. He has struck out 11 times which might be the downside but the power is there for him. Using the Rotoballer Projections, he is projected for 3.8 plate appearances tonight and near 8.43 fantasy points. With Kevin Gausman on the mound for Toronto, it might scare people off of Oswaldo Cabrera but should still be a solid provider.
Adley Rutschman, C - Baltimore Orioles
Many people may not target the early games in Best Ball drafts and Adley Rutschman is one to look at. He is currently batting .292 with 12 runs and seven RBI. Rutschman is projected near 12 fantasy points tonight and for good reason. He'll be facing Pablo Lopez who gives him a hitter rating of 101.4. Lopez has now given up 10 runs in three starts and has a relatively short leash in his past two starts. With the way Baltimore is hitting right now, they'll be able to get to Minnesota's bullpen quick giving their entire lineup a better opportunity to dominate.
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RIVAL Fantasy MLB Best Ball Sleepers
Starling Marte, RF - New York Mets
Starling Marte is a draft diving pick as his ADP has stayed relatively high but today's matchup favors him and the New York Mets. Marte is projected for 4.4 plate appearances and 11.23 fantasy points. While he's had issues at the plate with 15 strikeouts, he has still recorded 11 runs and 4 RBI in 66 plate appearances. His bat has been working more for him as of late but the struggles have been there and will keep the majority of users off of him. Marte will have a matchup rating of 99.4 and this should help continue his uptick in play facing off against Bailey Falter today.
Zach McKinstry, 3B - Detroit Tigers
Zach McKinstry is a duel-position player with five games logged at third base. He is slated to bat fifth and play third base once again versus the Texas Rangers. He has had nine plate appearances versus Dane Dunning and has recorded five hits with two doubles and two strikeouts. McKinstry will fly under everyone's radar. He is currently hitting just .259 with 27 plate appearances in six games. In those six games, he has recorded three runs and one RBI. The downside is that he has already recorded nine strikeouts. While the play has been down for him, this is a batter versus pitcher matchup I want in on.
Tyler Wade, 3B - San Diego Padres
Tyler Wade and the San Diego Padres should be in store for some fun action today as the matchup rating is leaning towards them. Wade has had a tough start to the season with 39 plate appearances and is hitting just .231. He has already recorded 12 strikeouts but has been able to record five runs with four RBI. While he doesn't provide homerun power, he has been able to provide some support. He is projected for just 8.31 fantasy points today but with Milwaukee most likely having to dig into the bullpen, Tyler Wade could have the chance to match his projections.
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