Top Stack Options:
Please make sure to monitor the weather, but for now, I’m hesitant to target the HOU/BAL game.
Indians:
While I can see many going back to the Cubs tonight, I prefer the Indians, even if they roll out some secondary players. Pitching is cheap enough to pay up for the top priced bats tonight, and that’s how I like to stack the Indians. Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, and Edwin Encarnacion are all homer threats tonight vs Sparkman. He’s 0-1, with a 5.63 era over two starts this season, but has pitched out of the bullpen since his last start on 8/21. The Indians put up double digit runs last night vs a bullpen day from the White Sox, and the Royals bullpen doesn’t scare me at all. Michael Brantley or Josh Donaldson would be my fourth option, but if they roll out their reserves in a position or two, then I wouldn’t mind using that fourth spot on a cheap option like Melky or Guyer.
Mariners:
The pivot for me off the Indians would be Seattle, as they check in with an over five implied run total vs Jurado and the Rangers. Jurado beat Seattle last Friday when he allowed two runs over five innings of relief after a one inning opener.
That was at home though, and Jurado has allowed 23 earned runs off 36 hits over 26 innings on the road this year. Robinson Cano is on an eight game hitting streak, while Nelson Cruz is only four RBI short of 100. Mitch Haniger has been hot from the leadoff spot, but Denard Span and Ben Gamel are both cheap OF options on FD. It’s only a six game slate tonight, and most will focus on the teams in the playoff hunt, so maybe Seattle goes overlooked.
Possible Lower Owned Stack:
Full Game Tigers vs TwinsStack:
I really want to stick with the Indians, or even go a full game stack with the Royals listed below, but the Twins put up 11 runs last night, and get Liriano tonight, who has allowed 11 runs (seven earned), over 6.2 innings vs the Twins this year. On the other side, the Twins are going the bullpen route, but then to likely Gonsalves, who shut down the Tigers just like Jurado did to Seattle in the relief role. Someone asked in chat about Stewart the other day, and the reality is that users are now targeting the long relief pitchers for lower ownership. I prefer it more with a Tampa player, and thinking we don’t see another shut down relief start from Gonsalves. This game is one of the four games tonight with an implied run total of nine or more runs.
Royals:
It’s a spot starter, or bullpen start type of slate, and that includes Tomlin, especially after a solid start from Bieber last night. Tomlin is 0-3, with a 7.82 era over eight starts this year, which is a main reason why he’s more of a bullpen pitcher now. If stacking the Royals, may as well start with Salvador Perez and Adalberto Mondesi. Perez is 20-40, with a homer off of Tomlin, while Mondesi will be overlooked with Lindor and Baez at SS. Mondesi added two more stolen bases in his last game, and is just two shy of 30 for the year. Four out of his 12 homers this year have come over his last ten games, and has just as much upside as the other top SS options tonight. The other two Royals spots are up for grabs, as it’s likely best suited to fill them in with your salary and position restrictions.