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Shaun Evans' MLB Best Ball picks for RIVAL Fantasy MLB Best Ball contests for Thursday, 5/9. See who he is liking to target in drafts and why.
Happy Thursday, 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.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:- BvP matchups data (Batter vs. Pitcher)
- PvB matchups data (Pitcher vs. Batter)
- Who should I start? Fantasy baseball comparisons
- Who should I pickup? Fantasy baseball comparisons
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- MLB Props finder tool
- Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
RIVAL Fantasy MLB Best Ball Infielder Plays
Bobby Witt Jr., SS - Kansas City Royals
Bobby Witt Jr. is in line for another favorable matchup as Reid Detmers is projected to take the mound for the Los Angeles Angels. Detmers has struggled on the mound, allowing four or more runs in his past three starts. For Witt Jr., he has been having a consistent season, batting .319 (46-for-144) with 10 doubles, five triples, four homers, 19 RBI, 33 runs, 14 walks, 28 strikeouts, and 13 stolen bases. He knows how to pad a stat sheet, which is crucial for daily best ball contests.
LaMonte Wade Jr., 1B - San Francisco Giants
LaMonte Wade Jr. has been seeing the plate well all season long and will get another favorable matchup against the Colorado Rockies and Cal Quantrill. Wade Jr. is hitting .351 (27-for-77) with four doubles, one homer, 10 RBI, 12 runs, 21 walks, and 26 strikeouts through 35 games. Using the RotoBaller tools, he is projected to record nearly 10 fantasy points with a projection of 4.7 plate appearances. The bonus boost for him also is that he is seeing right-handed pitchers well this season, hitting .352 with 25 hits, one homer, seven RBI, and four doubles.
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RIVAL Fantasy MLB Best Ball Outfielder Plays
Michael Conforto, LF - San Francisco Giants
Michael Conforto and the San Francisco Giants have an ideal series for themselves visiting the Colorado Rockies. With a ballpark that favors hitters, Conforto should move up the list when it comes to selecting outfielders. He is batting .252 (33-for-131) with seven doubles, one triple, five homers, 16 runs, 18 RBI, nine walks, and 31 strikeouts in 34 games this season. He'll be facing Cal Quantrill, who is currently 1-3 on the season with 19 ER, 14 walks, 26 strikeouts, and 37 hits in 39 2/3 innings pitched through seven games this season.
Lars Nootbaar, RF - St. Louis Cardinals
Lars Nootbaar will most likely go under the radar in best ball contests and his overall season has been rough. However, he has found some consistency at the plate with three straight games with a hit now. Nootbaar is hitting .375 (3-for-8) with one double, one homer, two runs, one RBI, and three walks during the span. Now, St. Louis will be starting a new series against the Milwaukee Brewers and Tobias Myers will be on the mound Thursday. The Brewers pitcher has struggled, giving up four runs in back-to-back starts, moving his ERA to 6.23 through three games.
RIVAL Fantasy MLB Best Ball Starting Pitcher Plays
Logan Gilbert, SP - Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert should be the first pitcher targeted in your drafts. Gilbert has a 1.69 ERA in 48 innings pitched with 50 strikeouts, 13 walks, 25 hits, and nine runs in seven starts. He holds a 3-0 record and faces the Minnesota Twins. The Twins have a batting average of .222 (198-for-892) against right-handed pitchers and have struck out 315 times altogether this season, ranking 14th. The 27-year-old pitcher has been lights out this season, causing opposing teams to struggle at the plate.
Sonny Gray, SP - St. Louis Cardinals
Sonny Gray is in a similar position to Logan Gilbert as he will face the Milwaukee Brewers. Gray has had an outstanding start to the season with a 0.89 ERA and a 4-1 record through five games. He has yet to allow a team to truly test him as he has only allowed 21 hits with 38 strikeouts and five walks. The Brewers aren't the worst when facing right-handed pitchers as they have a combined batting average of .265. However, Gray has had amazing control on every pitch this season and will cause the Brewers some headaches.
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