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

I always find it to be a bit easier to set your lineup when most games get started at the same time. That’s the case today as everyone’s under the lights. Weather is going to be a real pain in the you-know-what today. Rain is likely in Colorado (Cubs/Rockies), Pittsburgh (Marlins/Pirates), Philadelphia (Astros/Phillies), Washington D.C. (Mets/Nationals), New York (Tigers/Yankees) and Cleveland (Reds/Indians). Remember to check and adjust your lineup prior to first pitch, and I’d try and stay away from using ANY of the pitchers here. The likelihood of a rain delay cutting your starters day short is best to avoid whenever possible.

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 Orioles and the Rays. The Mark Buehrle story has been fun to watch this season, but that fun train derails today in Baltimore. The Orioles hit left-handed pitching well, they’re top-5 in ISO power against left-handers, and they have a number of players with strong career track records against Buehrle.

Pitchers

It works out well today, with most of the prime options to toe the rubber in places where weather won’t be a factor. It’s hard to see Clayton Kershaw ($14,100) and pass on starting him, regardless of price. Yes, a few of the Angels have proved over the years that Kershaw is human, but what he’s been doing lately is super-human. Felix Hernandez ($12,7oo) is a nice consolation prize if you don’t want to spend on Kershaw, and he gets the free-swinging Braves, who as a team strikeout 22.1% of the time. He’s facing Alex Wood ($7,000) who pitched well his last time out, and the Mariners are dead last in the league with a wRC+ of 78 against left-handed pitching. Both starters in the Padres/Twins game are good values today, but I like Jesse Hahn ($9,200) more than Phil Hughes ($7,600). Obviously if you’re starting Kershaw or King Felix, Hughes might be the way to go in order to save some funds.

Catcher

If you’re read my daily advice before, you know I like to try and save money here. At DraftKings, you aren’t penalized for an 0-4 day at the plate, so I swing for the fences here, literally. I want a catcher that has a chance to hit a home run, and today that catcher is Brian McCann ($4,000). Facing new Tigers starter David Price, the left-handed hitting McCann has hit Price well in the past, albeit a limited sample size. Price has been victimized by the long ball often this season, and it continues today.

First baseman

You have to scroll down a bit on the list to find Chris Davis ($4,400) and that tells you all you need to know about the Orioles slugger this season. He fits in with our Orioles stack today, but my first choice at the position is James Loney ($3,600). Polar opposite player profile from Davis, Loney is someone with a skill set that I typically avoid in daily leagues, but he sees the ball well when facing Jason Hammel, including three career home runs.

Second baseman

I’m looking to fill second base with one of two players today, both from our stack options. First is Ben Zobrist ($4,500) who’s had similar success when facing the A’s Jason Hammel, and he’s raking lately. He’s averaging nearly 13 FPPG over his last 10 games, with a slash line of .432/.510/.672. The Orioles’ Jonathan Schoop ($2,800) is not raking of late, but if he’s in the lineup he’s likely to benefit from the expected offensive output from his Oriole teammates today.

Third baseman

I’m spending at third base today, as some of our best options are the most expensive. Miguel Cabrera ($5,600) has treated Hiroki Kuroda like extended batting practice, and weather provided, will mash the Yankees starter again today. Manny Machado ($4,300) hasn’t seen a lot of Buehrle before, but he’s playing well and again, fits our stack. In yearly leagues, I love Nolan Arenado ($4,500) to finish the year strong, and he’s at home against left-hander Travis Wood. As divisional foes, David Wright ($4,500) sees Gio Gonzalez frequently, and his 1.142 career OPS against him is legit.

Shortstop

I’m looking to save money at short today. I’m looking to spend elsewhere, so that means we need to keep the cost down in a few places, shortstop being one of them. Everth Cabrera ($3,600) has been a real disappointment this season, but he’s back and running of late. Zack Cozart ($2,900) is cheap and has hit Indians starter Josh Tomlin well in his limited at-bats. He fits the mold here for today.

Outfielders

Orioles! Start ’em all! I’m using Adam Jones ($4,600) and Nick Markakis ($3,900) today, as both players have a large sample size of success against Buehrle. Delmon Young ($3,300) has crushed him as well, but make sure he gets the start. If he does, start him with confidence. If this outfield is too Orioles-centric for you, than take a look at the Marlins. Giancarlo Stanton ($5,000) is always appeals, and his teammate Christian Yelich ($3,800) is on a nice run at the plate of late as well.

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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