Daily Dime: Crawford and Panik might be Giants; all the Orioles, some Red Sox
Lineups on the 2s, weather on the 5s. Let's have some fun Thursday, be it for DFS or seasonal.
Players to Buy
Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik, SS/2B, at NYM (Niese), $2900/$3300: While the majority of left-handed hitters don’t like facing left-handed pitching, San Francisco’s middle infield has two notable exceptions to that rule. Panik is a career .367/.401/.469 hitter in these instances, and he’s also swinging a hot bat of late. Crawford’s 2015 OPS against southpaws: 1.180.
And I’ve left out the best part: they’re facing Jon Niese, one of the most hittable pitchers on the Thursday card. Have some fun with the right-handed Giants while you’re at it. San Francisco is the NL’s highest-scoring club over the last 30 days.
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Adam Lind, 1B, vs. WAS (Roark), $2700 on Fan Duel: Tanner Roark is the most homer-prone hurler on the evening card (he also pitches to contact), and Lind makes his living in the platoon advantage (.861 OPS). Miller Park is also part of the fun, as it’s been the friendliest stadium for runs and home runs this season.
Pablo Sandoval, 3B, at BAL (Tillman), $2200: While Panda’s overall numbers don’t look like much, it’s his right-handed hitting (3-for-43) that’s wrecked things most of all. As a lefty swinger in the platoon advantage, he’s hitting .292 with five homers. Chris Tillman hasn’t been sharp the entire year and Panda is at the minimum salary, so let’s take a stab. (Tillman does show reverse splits, but when in doubt, let’s remember the batters generally control more of the outcomes.)
Sandoval also might be a good buy-low in seasonal leagues; he’s junked the switch hitting and is already 4-for-13 in lefty-versus-lefty draws. If nothing else, his mind might be clearing up, his confidence restored.
Matt Wieters, C, vs. BOS (Miley), $3300: Here’s another switch-hitter who needs to be debunked, side to side - Wieters gets an OPS spike of 116 points when facing a left-handed opponent. Smile, you’re at Wade Miley’s. The Baltimore backstop has been sharp since his return from Tommy John surgery, and he’s coming in rested after an off-day Wednesday.
You don’t have to stop at Wieters, as the expected Baltimore lineup has a slew of right-handed bats who are priced reasonably. Adam Jones at $3300, come on down. Manny Machado at $3200, yes please. Steve Pearce and Delmon Young are intriguing punts for $2600 and $2200, respectively. Have a day.
Jeff Baker, 2B, vs. COL (Rusin), $2600: It hasn’t shown up this year, but Baker’s calling card is the ability to mash left-handed pitching (.299/.353/.513). The Marlins realize this and usually give Baker a good slot in the lineup when a southpaw comes calling. There’s nothing special about Chris Rusin’s career line (4.45 ERA, 1.43 WHIP).
Danny Espinosa, 2B, at MIL (Garza), $2500: He comes into the matchup feeling good about himself, fresh off a homer and three hits at New York. Now Espy takes dead aim at a struggling righty (Matt Garza) in a park that’s getting tattoed all year (Miller Park). Fun place to be.
Xander Bogaerts, SS, at BAL (Tillman), $2600: Plenty has gone wrong with the Boston lineup this year, but Bogaerts’s emergence has been an underreported story. He’s on a .354/.386/.476 binge over his last 25 games, but you can still land him under 3K on Fan Duel. The opposing pitcher and the friendly park, that’s the cherry on the sundae. Get me to Eutaw Street, and pour me a Natty Boh while you're at it.
Garrett Richards, SP, at TB (Colome), $8600: It’s one of the ugliest pitching cards on the season, so no one we recommend is going to look all that snazzy. And Richards has been erratic all year, you know that. So let’s focus on the upside here: the Rays are a favorable draw for a right-handed pitcher (Tampa is just 23rd in wOBA versus righties), the park is pitcher-friendly and weather-proof, and Colome is an ordinary draw on the other side.
The Regretful Fade
Chicago at Cincinnati: I had a slew of bats coming your way in this one, but the weather scares me off the case. Sorry, Hot Toddy. Until we meet again, Dexy. See you on the weekend, Ratso Rizzo.
