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2014 Fantasy Baseball: The Daily Double Switch for August 4th

Michael Brantley Fantasy Baseball
Source: Joe Robbins/Getty Images North America

Welcome back to the Daily Double Switch here at the Fantasy Fix. For those who aren’t yet Daily Fantasy baseball players at DraftKings, head over there via this link and join. DraftKings gives you $50,000 to draft eight hitters (one at each position) plus two pitchers. When you join they will double your initial deposit, up to $600, so it’s a great time to jump in.

Let’s take a look at today’s slate, and see where we can exploit the matchups! You can find me on twitter @RyNoonan if you have player specific questions.

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Game times and Weather

We only have seven games to choose from today when building our lineups. There’s an early start too, with the Giants and Mets wrapping up their four-game set in New York at 12:10 pm EST. There’s rain in the forecast in Chicago again, likely to impact today’s Rangers and White Sox game, so I advise that you stay away.

Stacking options

There are so many ways to skin this proverbial Daily Fantasy Sports cat, and a very popular way to construct your DraftKings team is by stacking your roster with multiple players from one or two teams. Today, I’d look to stack the Indians. The Alfredo Simon fantasy-relevant-bubble will continue to burst today against an Indians team that’s had success against right-handed pitching. As a team, their wRC+ of 112 ranks them second in all of baseball.

Pitchers

We may only have seven games on deck today, but we’ve got a lot of intriguing pitchers to choose from. Corey Kluber ($9,800) for less than $10,000 feels like a discount. He ended July 4-0 with a 1.54 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 43 strikeouts to only four walks in 41 innings. If Alex Cobb ($8,100) continues to pitch like he has of late, we won’t see him at this price again this season. He’s facing the A’s but I’m still playing Cobb with confidence. The two ‘aces’ on the board, Max Scherzer ($11,700) and Zack Greinke ($10,700) don’t have matchups that make them worth their cost today. I’d stay away from Garrett Richards ($9,500) as well. He’s been hit hard as of late, and the Dodgers feast on right-handed pitching.

Catcher

Very rarely will I spend on a top-tier catcher, and today is not different. While I like the matchups for both Carlos Santana ($4,800) and Buster Posey ($4,300) I’d rather spend my funds elsewhere. If you’re looking for a cheaper option here, I like Chris Iannetta or Hank Conger ($3,400) today.  Depending on whom the Angels start against Zack Greinke, the Angels are going to score some runs today and I’ll take my chances for this price.

First baseman

With just the one early game, a lot of you will miss out on the Giants and Mets game. If you’re in early I’d look at the hot-hitting Lucas Duda ($4,400) at first base. Duda is slugging .750 over the past 10 games, a stretch that has him averaging 13.3 FPPG. The other play here is Victor Martinez ($4,300) who comes in right around the same price.

Second baseman

As always, take a look at starting lineups as soon as you can. Managers often rest their regulars on either a Sunday or Monday. Look for Justin Turner ($3,300) today, if he is in the lineup for the Dodgers than he’s my pick. He often hits near or at the top of the lineup when he plays. The other options for the day are Howie Kendrick ($4,000) and Dee Gordon ($4,500).

Third baseman

I really want to get a few Indians in my lineup today, and I’d like to start with Carlos Santana ($4,800) but the price is steep. If you need to save a few bucks, take a look at Pablo Sandoval ($4,300). He’s had a strong month, and in very limited at-bats, has hit Mets starter Dillon Gee well. Lonnie Chisenhall ($3,600) hasn’t had much luck at the plate lately, but Alfredo Simon could be just what he needs.

Shortstop

With the trade of Asdrubal Cabrera to the Nationals, Mike Aviles ($3,300) will see a lot of starts at shortstop for Cleveland down the stretch. He fits the stack well and the cost per fantasy point is excellent. Angels shortstop Erick Aybar ($4,100) has a 1.162 career OPS against Zack Greinke, and looks even better if you’ve got other Angels in your lineup.

Outfielder

Has there been a bigger surprise in fantasy baseball this season than Michael Brantley ($4,900)? He’s filled up the stat sheet all season long, and will keep that trend rolling today. Coming off of yesterday’s walk-off home run, Brantley is a must-play today. Let’s get one more Indian in there, and David Murphy ($3,500) looks real good at that price. His game-tying home run set the table for Brantley’s walk-off yesterday. I’m using these two, and my third spot will be determined by my budget. Nick Swisher ($3,700), Torii Hunter ($4,300) and Jacoby Ellsbury ($4,500) round out the options in the outfield.

Good luck today! We’ve been winning quite a bit lately, so find me on twitter and let’s celebrate your success!

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