Matt Harvey faces the Phillies at home Tuesday. (Getty)
I scoured the entire slate of games Tuesday, looking at each pitcher-hitter matchup and I have to say, there aren’t many worth noting.
Usually there more than a few matchups you can exploit, but that is not the case for Tuesday. A lot of young pitchers are on the hill, so they don’t have much of a history with the batters.
So Tuesday is going to be all about hot hitters or taking advantage of weak hurlers. Which isn’t a bad philosophy anyway.
Oh, and I totally splurged on Matt Harvey as my pitcher at $9,900, so I needed to get creative with my hitting lineup. But I like the squad.
FanDuel uses the following parameters: You get a $35,000 cap to spend on 9 players – 1 pitcher, 1 catcher, 1 first baseman, 1 second baseman, 1 shortstop, 1 third baseman and 3 outfielders.
Hitters Scoring:
Single = +1 points
Double = +2 points
Triple = +3 points
Home Run = +4 points
Run Batted In = +1 points
Run = +1 points
Base on Balls = +1 points
Hit By Pitch = +1 points
Stolen Base = +2 points
Out = -.25 points
Pitchers Scoring:
Inning Pitched = +1 points (fractional scoring per out)
Strike Out = +1 points
Win = +4 points
Earned Run Allowed = -1 points
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Here are the best FanDuel lineup picks for April 14:
Pitcher
Matt Harvey, Mets, $9,900, vs. Phillies
This is a total splurge. But that Phillies offense is putrid at the moment and Harvey (1-0, 0.00 ERA) is on his way to being one of the best pitchers in the league, if he isn’t already. This salary is going to take away from the hitting lineup, but we’ll make it work.
Catcher
Astros catcher Jason Castro. (Getty)
Jason Castro, Astros, $2,600, vs. A’s
Castro and his Astros teammates face the A’s Kendall Graveman (0-1, 18.90 ERA), who was absolutely lit up in his first start. Lefties like Castro had two homers and 7 RBIs in 10 official at-bats in the game.
First Base
CJ Cron is coming off a 2-hit game. (Getty)
C.J. Cron, Angels, $2,3000, at Rangers
Big – well, bigger – things were expected from Cron this season, but he’s been slow to start. Cron did have a 2-hit game Monday, but this is more about that low price and the fact in his 4 at-bats vs. Rangers starter Nick Martinez, the Angels DH has 2 hits, including a home run. Could be on to something here.
Second Base
Dee Gordon has 4 stolen bases. (Getty)
Dee Gordon, Marlins, $4,000, vs. Braves
Gordon appears to have found a comfortable spot at the top of Miami’s lineup. Hitting .345 with 4 steals, he should continue that success vs. Braves starter Trevor Cahill – Gordon is 6 for 15 (.400) against the righty, who is making his first go on the bump in 2015.
Shortstop
Jed Lowrie of the Astros. (Getty)
Jed Lowrie, Astros, $2,800, vs. A’s
The switch-hitting Lowrie has deceivingly decent pop (well, it’s not great, it’s decent … and deceiving) and, as mentioned above, has a matchup with one of the more generous pitchers on the day’s docket. At that price, make Lowrie a lock.
Third Base
Jake Lamb has 7 RBIs. (Getty)
Jake Lamb, Diamondbacks, $2,800, at Padres
Here’s your opportunity to the get Lamber in your lineup. I know Petco Park isn’t conducive to offense, but Lamb, who is hitting .400 with a dinger and 7 RBIs in 4 starts, didn’t seem phased Monday evening. He’ll play vs. righties and the Pads are sending one, Odrisamer Despaigne, out there tonight.
Outfield
Jorge Soler has 4 career home runs vs. the Reds. (Getty)
Charlie Blackmon, Rockies, $3,800, at Giants
Blackmon hit well in two parks last season – Coors Field (duh) and San Francisco’s AT&T (.364). Tuesday night the Rockies play in San Fran. Plus, Blackmon fares well vs. Tim Hudson, the Giants starter; 5 hits in 16 at-bats.
Jorge Soler, Cubs, $3,700, at Reds
Soler slugged his first 2 homers of the season Monday. Not sure if we can expected a repeat performance, but the Reds are a team he has taken a liking to. In his short career vs. Cincy, Soler eclipsed all expectations – 10 for 21 with 4 homers and 9 RBIs.
Michael Cuddyer, Mets, $3,000, vs. Phillies
With 3 hits and a homer over the past 2 games, Cuddyer seems to be waking up. He’s a streaky hitter and it appears he’s at the beginning of something good here. At $3k, you can certainly make room for Cuddyer.
Total Lineup Salary: $34,900 of an allotted $35,000
Each day, we’ll give you the rundown of who to pick for a winning lineup, so stay with us the entire season.
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