Dream11 Fantasy NPB: Carp at BayStars

Hiroshima Toyo Carp (23-27-6) at Yokohama DeNA BayStars (28-27-3)

Thursday, August 27th, 5:00 AM EDT

Projected Starters

Yokohama DeNA BayStars: RHP Shoichi Inoh (4-3, 2.21 ERA)

Hiroshima Toyo Carp: LHP Kris Johnson (0-5, 5.83 ERA)

Game Preview

The BayStars and the Carp are riding opposite moments when it comes to their position in the standings – while the BayStars are a clear postseason contender, the Carp are struggling to get things going and sit near the bottom of the Central League standings. The recent form would seem to indicate things are the other way around, though – the Carp have won four of their last five games, while the BayStars have gone 1-4 in that same stretch. The pitching matchup would seem to be to favor the BayStars, though, as Shoichi Inoh has far better numbers in comparison to Kris Johnson. Inoh owns a 2.21 ERA this season, while Johnson has posted an ERA of nearly 6.00 in 2020.

Injuries

Tyler Austin - Out - Concussion

8/13 2:20 AM IST - Austin revealed that he suffered a concussion after colliding with an outfield wall in a July 31 game, Jim Allen of JBallAllen.com reports. The BayStars deactivated Austin on Aug. 5 with a neck injury, but receiving clearance from the concussion may be a greater concern at this point. Austin is eligible to rejoin the BayStars' roster Saturday, but manager Alex Ramirez said he doesn't think the 28-year-old will be ready to go by that point. Over 22 games on the season, Austin has slashed .320/.393/.627 across 84 plate appearances.

Spencer Patton - Day-To-Day - Back

8/21 11:45 PM IST - Patton is day-to-day after experiencing lower-back stiffness during his appearance Tuesday against the Carp, Jim Allen of JBallAllen.com reports. Patton entered the contest in the eighth inning for the BayStars but departed with the injury after issuing a seven-pitch walk. The back issue doesn't look like it will cost the reliever significant time.

Kentaro Taira - Out - Undisclosed

8/12 7:09 AM IST - Taira (3-2) tossed seven scoreless innings Sunday as he earned the win against the Swallows. He allowed four hits and one walk while striking out six. Taira was charged with a loss after allowing two runs in his last start, but he returned to the win column with a dominant performance against the Swallows. Taira carries a 1.72 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over 46.1 innings this season.

Yokohama DeNA BayStars Expected Lineup

1. Takayuki Kajitani

2. Tomo Otosaka

3. Neftali Soto

4. Keita Sano

5. Jose Lopez

6. Toshiro Miyazaki

7. Hikaru Itoh

8. Yamato Maeda

9. Shoichi Inoh 

Hiroshima Toyo Carp Expected Lineup

1. Jose Pirela

2. Ryosuke Kikuchi

3. Ryoma Nishikawa

4. Seiya Suzuki

5. Ryuhei Matsuyama

6. Tsubasa Aizawa

7. Shota Dobayashi

8. Kosuke Tanaka

9. Kris Johnson 

Top Picks From Each Team

Keita Sano, BayStars: Sano has been one of the most consistent hitters in the BayStars lineup this season, and he could be an excellent choice for a captaincy role. He has nine home runs and 36 RBI this season, but he has supplied excellent offense while also posting a .335/.399/.516, good for a .915 OPS.

Seiya Suzuki, Carp: Suzuki has been the best offensive player for the Carp by a wide margin. A legit power threat who can go yard on any given moment, he has 14 homers with 39 RBI while also posting a 1.054 OPS, one of the best marks in the entire NPB season.

Captaincy Options

1. Keita Sano
2. Seiya Suzuki
3. Toshiro Miyazaki
4. Takayuki Kajitani

Dream11 Team

P – Shoichi Inoh

C – Shuto Takajoh

IF – Keita Sano (C)

IF – Toshiro Miyazaki (VC)

IF – Ryoma Nishikawa

OF – Takayuki Kajitani

OF – Kazuki Kamizato

OF – Kouki Ogusa

OF – Seiya Suzuki