I had a pretty successful weekend in daily fantasy baseball over at Daily Joust. I won a few head-to-head battles and have realized that this is my preferred way to play.
The giant tournaments are fun in their way, and the freeroll tourney is a no-brainer to participate in…because it’s free, but the head-to-head provide a better probability of winning. You also have only one roster you’re competing against. It makes tracking that day’s potential success much easier.
Here are today’s contests:
And if you want to take me on head-to-head, I’ve set up a head-to-head contest. It’s a $5 buy-in, and the winner gets $9. Can you beat me?
Fantasy Baseball Daily Picks
Guys I Like
SP Zack Greinke
Greinke is the most expensive pitcher today, but I think the potential reward is well worth the risk. He is facing Houston, whose offense is not great this year, plus he has owned them in the past – 1.17 ERA in three career starts.
SP Jake Peavy
If you want to go a little bit cheaper on your pitcher, Jake Peavy isn’t a bad option. He gets to face the limited Oakland A’s offense and is coming off of two stellar outings. He’s striking people out again too.
Can the Jakemeister keep his momentum going against the light-hitting A's? Most likely yes.
OF Matt Kemp
I know, I know; this is obvious. But I list Kemp here to make a point: he’s by far the most expensive offensive player, but I think it’s worth it to grab him and then try to fill in other positions with less expensive guys who have good matchups. At home this year, Kemp is hitting an unreal .545 with 4 home runs. In six games. Sweet shit man! And his opponent today, Jair Jurrjens, is a decent pitcher but no one to avoid.
OF Alex Rios
And here is where you can save some money. Do you realize Rios is on a 10-game hitting streak? And that’s driven in six runs over his last five games? He’s hitting .333 and actually making solid contact. He faces strike thrower extraordinaire Bartolo Colon today, so I expect at least a few more knocks for Rios at a reasonable price.
1B Adam Dunn
No, this is not a typo. Yes, I am recommending that you start Alex Rios and Adam Dunn in a fantasy league. If you want to know why the White Sox are a surprising 9-6 right now, that’s why. They offer great value right now, which allows you get higher-priced studs at other positions.
These two guys are both swinging the bat well. Dunn has six hits in his last 16 ABs, and he has “only” struck out five times. He’s also driven in seven runs. He is 4-6 lifetime against the righty Colon, and he should get a few nice pitches to hit today.
SS Mike Aviles
I continue to like Aviles’ value. He has two hits in consecutive games to go along with three RBIs. And Minnesota hasn’t exactly been keeping opposing lineups from scoring runs.
C Russell Martin
He’s been scuffling this year, but after making a few swing adjustments he hit his first homer of the year this weekend. After a day off yesterday, Martin will be ready to go against the lefty Derek Holland today. Good value if you’re grabbing high-priced guys elsewhere.
2B Daniel Murphy
Murphy is 3-8 lifetime with two doubles against Tim Lincecum, and he’s hitting a solid .321 on the year. With Lincecum struggling, this seems like a good place to grab some lower-priced value.
Guys I Don’t Like
SP Brandon Morrow
He has not been sharp in his first three outings of the year, and his track record against Kansas City isn’t great. I still like Morrow’s potential because of his career strikeout numbers, but he needs to actually start producing some good outings.
OF Curtis Granderson
The lefty Granderson faces the lefty Derek Holland, and that usually means no power for Granderson. In his career, Granderson hits just .227 against lefties with 36 home runs. He hits .282 and has 137 home runs against righties. Not worth the price today.
OF Josh Hamilton
I won’t often tell you to sit Hambone, but he’s facing a tough lefty today in CC Sabathia. Hamilton is just 1-13 lifetime off Sabathia. Like Granderson, just not worth the price.
About Jerod Morris
