MLB Daily Fantasy Helper: Sunday 7/10/16
The beauty of daily fantasy baseball is that the top targets are different each and every day. Whether it's the right-handed catcher who destroys left-handed pitching or the mid-range hurler facing a depleted lineup, you're not going to find yourself using the same assets time after time.
While this breaks up the monotony, it can make it hard to decide which players are primed to succeed on a given day. We can help bridge that gap.
In addition to our custom optimal lineups, you can check out our batting and pitching heat maps, which show the pieces in the best spot to succeed on that slate. Put on the finishing touches with our games and lineups page to see who's hitting where and what the weather looks like, and you'll have yourself a snazzy-looking team to put up some big point totals.
If you need help getting started on that trek, here are some of the top options on the board today. This article is for the all-day slate, which starts at 1:07 PM EST and features all 15 games.
Pitchers to Target
High-Priced Pitchers
Madison Bumgarner ($11,400 on FanDuel): Bumgarner has been consistently productive this year. Over his last 10 starts, he’s scored at least 30 FanDuel points in each outing, and he’s totaled at least 45 points in five of those starts. Upside and consistency -- it’s the perfect recipe. Bumgarner will get the ball today for a home matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He’s limiting hitters to a .242 wOBA in his home starts, and AT&T Park ranks last in home run factor and 28th in park factor. Arizona checks in 9th with a .327 wOBA, and they actually rank first with a .354 wOBA against lefties. The fact that the Diamondbacks have a measly implied total of 2.83 runs, the lowest of the day, tells you just how good Bumgarner is.
Carlos Carrasco ($10,300): While Bumgarner has a few negatives with his matchup, Carrasco offers just as much upside, and everything about his matchup today is enticing. First, the opponent, the New York Yankees, are not very good. The Yankees slot in 24th with a .307 wOBA. Secondly, the game is in Cleveland, and New York has struggled to a .294 wOBA away from the Bronx. Next, Carrasco is really dang good. He owns a 3.46 SIERA, 25.1% whiff rate and 6.6% walk rate. Lastly, Carrasco has been on point lately. Over his last two outings, he’s allowed a total of 2 earned runs on 6 hits while fanning 19 over 13 1/3 innings. He’s our 3rd-ranked arm, and he is an attractive tourney play as a pivot to Bumgarner.
Value Pitcher
Tom Koehler ($8,000): With some big names taking the hill today, Koehler is a solid contrarian option for his home clash with the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds really struggle away from Great American Ballpark, posting a meager .294 wOBA on the road. That’s the good. The bad? Koehler is really having a rough year, sporting a 5.16 SIERA with an inflated 11.7% walk rate. Over his career, Koehler has been better at Marlins Park, holding hitters to a .311 wOBA at home, compared to a .335 wOBA on the road. He’s also coming off his best month of the year as he racked up a 23.9% strikeout rate in June. Koehler, our 5th-ranked hurler, is certainly a gamble, but he could pay off in a big way in tournaments.
Hitters to Target
High-Priced Hitters
Josh Donaldson ($5,000): With the way Donaldson has swung the bat over the last 30 days, he’s someone you have to at least consider rostering each night. Over that span, he leads all hitters with a .510 wOBA while slugging 8 jacks and posting a 17.0% walk rate. Donaldson has a mouth-watering home matchup today against Anibal Sanchez. Rogers Centre ranks 7th in home run factor, and Donaldson has put up a .440 wOBA at home this season. Sanchez has struggled to a 4.93 SIERA and 10.5% walk rate this year. The Toronto Blue Jays have an implied total of 5.78 runs. His price is deservedly high, but it's hard to pass on Donaldson right now.
Jose Altuve ($4,000): Altuve is having a monster campaign, posting a .402 wOBA with a 10.0% walk rate, 14 dongs and 23 steals. He’s been excellent against lefties, which is what he’ll see today in Sean Manaea. Altuve owns a .405 wOBA against southpaws. Manaea has pitched to a 4.60 SIERA through his first 60 big-league frames. Vegas gives Houston an implied total of 4.96 runs, and Altuve should be a key cog as the Astros’ three-hole hitter.
Value Hitter
Carlos Gomez ($3,000): Gomez has been a new man since coming off the disabled list, putting up a .353 wOBA in June. He makes for a great buy-low option in season-long leagues, and his slow start to the year has kept his salary fairly low. The recent surge has led to a promotion in Houston’s lineup as he’s now hitting fifth. It’s a money spot, too, as he can benefit from George Springer, Carlos Correa and Altuve, who hit right in front of him. As we just mentioned, Houston is facing Manaea, a lefty. Gomez has done some work against southpaws this season, owning a .317 wOBA versus left-handed pitchers.
