MLB Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 9/5/13
We know that people play all sorts of fantasy platforms, not just from from our friends at StarStreet but on other platforms such as FanDuel, Draft Kings, and Fantasy Feud as well. So once again, we have four optimized rosters, all for you, the numberFire reader. One is for free here; the others can be found in our Premium section.
As always, the full tables for today's action are available at our Daily Fantasy Projections page. Make sure to check it out to see where the best values are for your team.
Our baseball projections are updated throughout the day, so make sure to come back to double-check your optimized rosters for any last-minute lineup changes. Since most action happens later in the day, we will be ignoring the early games (if there are any) and focusing solely on the late contests. That way, you can use and tinker with our optimized rosters throughout the day.
StarStreet Optimized Roster
| Player | Position | Projected FP | Cost | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonny Gray | SP | 26.8 | $30,500 | 0.88 |
| Tony Cingrani | SP | 23.78 | $23,700 | 1.00 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | 1B | 14.39 | $7,800 | 1.84 |
| David Ortiz | DH | 16.79 | $6,700 | 2.51 |
| Robinson Cano | 2B | 14.54 | $6,300 | 2.31 |
| Brett Gardner | CF | 12.4 | $5,600 | 2.21 |
| Manny Machado | 3B | 11.75 | $5,000 | 2.35 |
| Jonathan Villar | SS | 11.02 | $4,700 | 2.34 |
| A.J. Pollock | CF | 11.4 | $3,700 | 3.08 |
| Vernon Wells | LF | 11.5 | $3,400 | 3.38 |
| Miguel Gonzalez | C | 16.03 | $2,000 | 8.02 |
Fantasy Feud, Draft Kings, and FanThrowdown Optimized Rosters
For the optimal rosters for the other main players, be sure to check out our brand new Daily Fantasy Optimized Rosters for our Premium members. We know that you're killing it with our picks; maybe now you'll help us continue to help you win each night, every night.
Access to the optimal rosters is immediate, and you'll have it constantly updated for the latest injury news and updates from around the league. The best news of all? For new subscribers, you can use the promo code WELCOME and get it 50% off what was already the reduced price. Think of the savings!
The Top Three Pitchers
Sonny Gray – The A’s latest young pitching stud has slapped together a 2.57 ERA with a 9.51 K/9 in 35 innings. There’s no reason to expect a dip in performance tonight, as he faces Houston, who has struck out more than any team in the history of baseball. And the Astros just 24th in the majors in runs scored
.Tony Cingrani – Cingrani is making his first start off the DL, and so he’s available a little cheaper. That’s good, because Cingrani has been lights out this year – he’s striking out more than 10 batters per nine innings in 97.2 innings, all with a 2.76 ERA. And unlike some rookies, Cingrani has only gotten better as the year has gone on – in 33.2 second-half innings, he has a 1.87 ERA.
David Price – Price has been one of the majors’ best starters for four years, and thus he comes with a heftier price tag. This season, he’s been nearly as good as usual, with a 3.30 ERA in 144.1 innings. His strikeout rate is down, but so are his walks, so he’s remained wickedly effective. And Price has a couple other factors working in his favor tonight: His ERA is a run lower when he’s pitching away from the Trop (he’s in Anaheim tonight) and his ERA is nearly a run and a half lower in the second half.
Top High-Priced Hitters
Paul Goldschmidt – Goldschmidt’s 31 homers make him one of the game’s premier power threats. Those 31 rank fifth in the majors, and third among first basemen. Goldschmidt is facing Ryan Vogelsong tonight, whose Cinderella story is finally running out. He’s got a 5.49 ERA, and he’s been especially dreadful against righties, surrendering a .319/.410/.529 line. The numbers point to a big night for Goldschmidt.
David Ortiz – Ortiz is facing a righty, so it’s time to slot him in our optimized lineup again. He’s got a good one tonight in Ivan Nova, but Ortiz’s crazy numbers against right-handers still makes him a solid play. On the year he’s hitting .343/.440/.668 against righties, with a ridiculous 191 wRC+, which would rank second in the majors.
Cost-Effective, Mid-Range Hitters
A.J. Pollock – To fit all those high-priced sluggers in your lineup, you’re going to need to scrimp a bit with the back-end guys. That’s where Pollock comes in. His .255 average is middling, and he doesn’t bring a whole lot of pop, but he does have 10 steals on the year, so at least he might add some value on the bases.
Miguel Gonzalez – Gonzalez just got called up for the White Sox yesterday, so he’s a bit of a spec play, but about as cheap as you can possibly get. In his first game he’ll be facing… Miguel Gonzalez, the pitcher for Baltimore. In the minors this year, the Gonzalez the catcher hit .280, although he doesn’t bring as much power. Going with such a cheap option at catcher ensures that you can top-load your lineup with stars.
