Daily Fantasy Strategy — April 8 — For Draftstreet

We’re a little over a week into the season at this point, and while it’s still much too early to draw any meaningful conclusions from the games that have been played, we might as well have a little fun.

If you had asked me at the beginning of the season which teams I’d be inclined to choose opposing pitchers against. I likely would have chosen: Miami, Houston, Philadelphia,  & Minnesota. San Francisco wouldn’t have made the cut, but I wouldn’t have been terrified to plug in a pitcher against them. Here we are, after 8 or so games, and those offenses are ranked first, twenty-third , eighth, fourth, and second, respectively, in runs scored. At least I would have been correct on the Astros? I’m not sure that counts for much, though.

Going forward, I’m not betting on any of the five above offenses to continue producing at a high level, except for San Francisco. The Giants offense can be scary when Posey and Co. are hitting on all cylinders, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they were a well oiled machine for most of the remaining season. Although, I’m pretty sure Brandon Hicks won’t do his best Babe Ruth impression all season.

The Daily Five

White Sox stack

Jose Abreu – $7,749
Marcus Semien – $5,684

Saying Morales struggles versus right handed batters would be an understatement. Abreu’s rather clearly the top hitter on the White Sox, and should have the advantage today in almost every way imaginable. Semien hasn’t had a ton of success yet, but his plate discipline and overall chops at the plate make him a nice play. Colorado can sometimes be a springboard for offensive production. Here’s to hoping Semien is able to do just that.

Joey Votto – $6,634

It’s kind of amazing how bad Lance Lynn can be versus left handed batters. He proved it once again during his earlier start versus the Reds, and I’m betting Votto can continue his productive ways. Luckily, all of the bad weather will be cleared out of the area by game time, so it should be all systems go.

Bryce Harper – $5,895

He’s going to hit at some point. And today seems like a nice day to start. Henderson Alvarez has been rather dreadful versus left handed batters during his short career, and Harper has been death to righties (143 wRC+) during his.

Mark Buehrle – $13,882

The Astros offense isn’t very good. Coming in to play Monday, the Astros had only scored 20 runs, good for the 10th lowest total. There are questions surrounding Dexter Fowler’s health, so there offense is even weaker than projected. The matchup isn’t perfect, because any game can turn into a home run derby in Toronto, but Buehrle should be up to the task.

Bonus Pick: Charlie Morton – $12,902

Morton’s a groundball machine. He struggles mightily with lefties, but the Cubs’ offense isn’t too terrifying, so if you’re uncomfortable with Buehrle, Morton is a nice alternative.

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