Madison Bumgarner is coming off a strong start against Oakland (Getty).
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Yesterday we all fell victim to a monster performance to Brandon Phillips. It was the seventh time in his career Phillips had a two homer game, but it was the first time Phillips had seven RBI. This has been a fine year for Philips, but don’t expect these kinds of nights again anytime soon. Congrats to those that took a flyer on him.
Going into today, you’ll need to take a Phillips-type player if you want a piece of the aces. Kershaw, Harvey, Bumgarner, Cueto, and Wacha are all available for a high price today. Cheap infielders make it a little easier to swallow, or you could take your chances with someone cheaper on the mound.
On the the lineup:
Today’s Pitchers: Kershaw & Bumgarner
Kershaw’s start was pushed to tonight due to hip soreness (Getty).
Let’s go for it. Both pitchers have the potential to go the distance and put up a ton of points. Kershaw’s start was pushed back this week due to hip soreness, but he has pitched fine through soreness before. The Angels don’t come in full strength either, as Mike Trout is dealing with a wrist injury.
Due to the abundance of aces available tonight, a strong start from Bumgarner might separate you from the competition. He’s coming out of a rocky stretch this month when he didn’t finish the sixth inning for the straight starts, before coming back and shutting down Oakland last week. Before that stretch he had a slew of quality starts, so expect a big total as Bumgarner comes into form.
Featured Hitters: Frazier & Lagares
Todd Frazier is always a solid buy (Getty).
Even with the hefty pitching prices, you can still work one or two big hitters into your lineup. Frazier had the day off yesterday, and should be fresh to face off against the Pirates’ Jeff Locke. Locke has struggled against the Reds, allowing a .315 average and .860 OPS in 111 at-bats against them. Frazier himself is .450 against Locke and should be a popular choice.
Juan Lagares on the other hand may not be as popular. Lagares is batting .254 on the season, but that average skyrockets to .455 against the Nats’ Gio Gonzalez. The only worry is that Lagares may be involved in any last-minute trade discussions. If Lagares stays in the lineup, he’s a super-cheap option that could break out for your squad.
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Here’s the full lineup:
SP: Clayton Kershaw, LA Dodgers, $14,500
SP: Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants, $10,300
C : Mike Zunino, Seattle Mariners, $2,600
1B: Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds, $5,000
2B: Yangervis Solarte, San Diego Padres, $3,100
3B: Danny Valencia, Toronto Blue Jays, $2,800
SS: Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers, $3,000
OF: Juan Lagares, New York Mets, $2,700
OF: Adam Eaton, Chicago White Sox, $4,000
OF: Ichiro Suzuki, Miami Marlins, $2,000
Total Cost: $50,000
Think we should make any changes? Let us know in the comments section below. Good luck and have fun!
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DraftKings Baseball Picks: Best Lineup for July 31