This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Welcome to my Daily Plays article for Tuesday April 7, 2015. Hopefully you enjoyed Opening Day and the excitement that a new season brings. Yesterday was a difficult day to construct DFS lineups due to the high volume of aces on the mound, along with the high salaries they carry. Tuesday's slate has eight games on the schedule, so let's get on to the picks!
Pitcher:
Zack Greinke ($10,000): Greinke is the top option on the board and is worth a look Tuesday night at home against the San Diego Padres. Yes, the Padres improved their lineup in the offseason, but they are heavily right handed and Zack averaged over 9 strikeouts-per-nine last year. He was also 10-2 with a 2.55 ERA at Dodger Stadium last year, and struck out 13 Padres in 13 innings along with a 2.08 ERA. If you're spending at pitcher or playing a cash game, then Greinke is your top choice.
Jesse Hahn ($7,600): For those wanting to go cheaper at pitcher, there is a strong value option available. Jesse Hahn pitched for the Padres last year and showed flashes of strikeout potential, and was trade to the A's in the offseason. He is facing Texas at home, and the opposing pitcher is Colby Lewis and his 5.18 ERA. Hahn was 7-4 in 2014 with a 3.07 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 73.1 innings. He is set up nicely for a successful home debut in Oakland.
Catcher:
Mike Zunino ($2,800): There are a few cheap options at catcher tomorrow such as Miguel Montero (2900) and Rene Rivera (2500), but Zunino stands out as the best value. He is facing lefty CJ Wilson who struggled mightily last year, he bats .252 vs LHP (as opposed to .176 vs RHP) and he has shown power in the past vs Wilson (4-10 with a homer and a double).
First Base:
Chris Davis ($3,800): There are a multitude of options at 1b including Rizzo (4400) vs Lynn, Belt (3500) @ De La Rosa, and Lind (2800) vs Lyles, for those that want to save cap especially. But, my top choice is Chris Davis. He served his one game suspension and will (likely) be in the lineup vs righty Nate Karns. Davis showed flashes of his monster 2013 season in the spring, and is facing a pitcher with very little experience. Look for Davis to go deep in his first game of 2014.
Second Base:
Ben Zobrist ($3,100): Zobrist is the best value at second base as he faces Colby Lewis, bats at the heart of the Oakland lineup, and provides power and speed potential at a tough position for value hitters. He homered in his first game of the season and is a nice bet for all-around production again on Tuesday. He is also 3-6 with 2 doubles and 3 walks for those that include BvP in their assessment. Also in play is Joe Panik (2400) for a cheaper price, at Arizona vs the right handed De La Rosa.
Third Base:
Evan Longoria ($3,800): This one is a coin flip between Longoria and Nolan Arenado (3500). Longoria gets the slight edge since he's facing a lefty in Chen that is prone to the long ball, and his splits vs LHP (.273 BA and .448 SLG and .824 OPS) as opposed to (.247/.389/.690 vs RHP). Arenado won't be under 4000 for much longer though, so he is definitely also in play for 3500.
Shortstop:
Asdrubal Cabrera ($2,800): Troy Tulowitzki is the best option at SS but he is pricey (4400). He is worth fitting in if salary allows, but if not then I would go with Cabrera vs Chen. Cabrera switch hits and bats 3rd for the new look Rays and can provide solid value for the price. He also has slightly better splits vs LHP and had a solid debut for his new club. Chris Owings might also be worth a look at home vs replacement-arm Vogelsong.
Outfield:
Carlos Gonzalez ($3,900): Target CarGo vs RHP at this price as long as he is healthy. He is one of the best all-around hitters in the game, and is facing Matt Garza in a hitters park. He also has three homers in 12 at bats vs Garza (for those that pay attention to BvP) so he likes to face the aging righty. Fire up Cargo while the price is right.
Alejandro De Aza ($2,900): De Aza is batting at the top of the Orioles lineup and provides power and speed along with a good price point. He homered in his first game of the season and is facing another RHP in Karns. Look for De Aza to keep racking up points at the top of the Orioles lineup. I also like Travis Snider for similar reasons in the middle of the Orioles lineup (2700).
A.J. Pollock and Mark Trumbo ($3,400):
Pollock and Trumbo get to face replacement pitcher Vogelsong at home and are priced nicely. Vogelsong could not crack the Giants rotation, but is filling in for Jake Peavy who was scratched today. Look for the Diamondbacks to score early and often with Pollock and Trumbo providing solid production for the price.
Also interesting is Gerardo Parra ($2,600) vs. Lyles, who would likely fill in for Ryan Braun who got hurt in the opener.
Good luck and enjoy the games!
