2013 Fantasy Baseball, The Daily Fix: June 19, 2013
Yesterday was Wil Myers/Zack Wheeler day. At least the hurler held up his end of the bargain as he got off his big league career to a nice start. Prospects are always exciting at all levels of fantasy baseball, but particularly on the daily side of the coin. They always start off at rock bottom prices, but as we have seen with Yusiel Puig, that doesn’t last long.
Today, I’m playing in a Double Up! contest. They range anywhere from a dollar to ten dollars, but each works the same way. If you finish in the top half you get almost twice as much as you put in. Naturally, DraftKings gets their cut because they have to pay their employees, the light bill, and make a little for their trouble. That being said, they are very generous to those that start playing as they will give you a deposit bonus you can access here.
Just like on Monday, I will give you two lineups. The first lineup will be the one I am playing in my contest. The second will be a reasonable alternative at each position. Please remember, the second lineup usually cannot be inserted en masse as a stand alone lineup. You’ll have to mix and match to make the salaries work.
My Lineup
| Player | Opposing SP | Salary | Notes | |
| Catcher
|
Jarrod Saltalamacchia | Jeremy Hellickson | 3,900 | Hellickson has been inconsistent all season and is a low K SP. |
| First Base
|
Freddie Freeman | Shaun Marcum | 4,400 | Freeman is quietly hitting .330 on the year and Marcum is quietly 0-8 on the year. |
| Second Base
|
Jed Lowrie | Justin Grimm | 4,500 | I decided to splurge here as Lowrie is a top notch hitter overall. |
| Third Base
|
Conor Gillaspie | Kevin Correia | 3,800 | A very hittable pitcher and a very underappreciated hitter. |
| Shortstop
|
Stephen Drew | Jeremy Hellickson | 3,600 | A fairly cheap option considering his power and on base ability. |
| Outfield
|
Alejandro De Aza | Kevin Correia | 3,900 | A very affordable option given his power, speed, and opposing pitcher. |
| Outfield
|
Josh Hamilton | Joe Saunders | 3,900 | It’s a lefty-lefty matchup, but Hamilton looks like he is starting to heat up. |
| Outfield
|
Peter Bourjos | Joe Saunders | 3,900 | He just came back from the DL, but he has a couple of games under his belt. |
| Pitcher
|
Chris Sale | Minnesota Twins | 10,800 | The most expensive pitcher on the docket is also the best. |
| Pitcher
|
Jake Westbrook | Chicago Cubs | 7,300 | This is a calculated risk given Westbrook’s impending date with regression. |
A Reasonable Alternative
| Player | Opposing SP | Salary | Notes | |
| Catcher
|
John Jaso | Justin Grimm | 4,100 | Jaso continues to fly under the radar, but he’s .280 with good OBP skills. |
| First Base
|
David Ortiz | Jeremy Hellickson | 5,600 | It’s pricey but he could be worth the splurge. |
| Second Base
|
Howie Kendrick | Joe Saunders | 3,900 | A cheaper option if you would like to spluge elsewhere. |
| Third Base
|
Josh Donaldson | Justin Grimm | 5,000 | It looks like the league and Draftkings is beginning to catch up with him. |
| Shortstop
|
Erick Aybar | Joe Saunders | 4,000 | Middle class production for middle class prices. |
| Outfield
|
Daniel Nava | Jeremy Hellickson | 4,700 | The price is beginning to level out. He could produce 100 RBIs this season. |
| Outfield
|
Seth Smith | Justin Grimm | 4,700 | Given Josh Reddick’s fall from grace, he is getting consistent playing time. |
| Outfield
|
Coco Crisp | Justin Grimm | 5,600 | This is awfully pricey but there are some bargain pitching possibilities. |
| Pitcher
|
Jeff Locke | Cincinnati Reds | 6,900 | The matchup is hard to like, but the price is easy to love. |
| Pitcher
|
Gio Gonzalez | Philadelphia Phillies | 9,800 | Gonzalez looks like he is finally beginning to figure it out again. |
June is the month for prospects
First, you get the annual amateur draft that occurs every June. Admittedly, it doesn’t pack the same whallop as the NFL draft (or even the NBA), but teams that exist at the bottom of the standings get something exciting to talk about for a few days. The amateur draft lasts three days and consists of 40 rounds. With the new CBA, players have been agreeing to contracts quicker and getting involved in their short season minor league seasons quicker.
Maybe more importantly, June is when we start seeing the uber prospects come up and last night was one of those landmark days. The Rays finally called up Wil Myers to fill the gaping hole they have had in right field all season. At worst, he will be passable enough to give them an upgrade for the rest of the season. At best, he will take off and become the offensive force they need to vault up the AL East standings.
Wheeler’s presence is a bit more complex. On the one hand, it gives the Mets a very tantalizing one-two punch between Wheeler and Matt Harvey. On the other hand, it really isn’t what the Mets need. They need offense and more specifically outfielders. Sadly, the farm system doesn’t have that to offer right now. Later on in the season we may see Travis d’Arnauld behind the dish. Like with most struggling teams, those two won’t be enough to turn the Mets’ fortunes around.
The Author
