Tonight’s lineup blurs the line between being a cash-games roster and a GPP one. Ultimately, there’s enough chalk here and calculated swerves off of the chalk for me to prefer this in cash, but the ceiling is high, and there are some wrinkles that give it a high ceiling. Additionally, I provided quite a few hitting honorable mentions so the main roster can be tweaked to better fit GPPs. Gamers can also choose to sneak in an extra chalk bat if they build a bat-heavy cash games lineup using my honorable mention selection at SP instead of the five-figure ace I’ve selected to tout as this team’s SP1.
*At the time of writing, Kyle Freeland was announced as the starter in the second game of the doubleheader. If the lefty is moved up and starts in the afternoon game instead of the main slate night contest, my preference is to spin down from Willson Contreras to honorable mention Jason Castro at catcher, move up from Ben Zobrist to Daniel Murphy at second base, and move up from Domingo Santana to Aaron Judge in the outfield.
Check out today’s MLB Moonshot contest at DraftKings 
Pitcher
Carlos Carrasco (CLE): $10,600 @ Blue Jays
There are three pitchers with five-figure salaries on tonight’s slate. I won’t be touching Justin Verlander, and I’m perfectly content passing on Max Scherzer at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Carrasco is the one big-ticket pitcher I love tonight. Through six starts this year spanning 41.1 innings, he’s sporting a 2.18 ERA (3.34 FIP, 3.05 xFIP, and 3.21 SIERA, according to FanGraphs, as well as a 1.66 DRA, per Baseball Prospectus), 0.82 WHIP, 5.3% BB%, 25.8% K%, and 11.4% SwStr%. The once mighty Blue Jays offense has been dreadful this year turning in the fifth worst wRC+ (77) against right-handed pitchers this year while striking out in 22.5% of their plate appearances. They haven’t exactly been world-beaters recently, either. Over the last two weeks, they rank tied for 21st in wRC+ (92). The Indians are -164 favorites, according to Pinnacle, making Carrasco an easier pitcher to pay up for.
Charlie Morton (HOU): $7,600 vs. Braves
The biggest favorite of the night is Morton and the Astros at -203. They square off with the visiting Braves that rank 18th in wRC+ (93) against righties this year. They’ve been in better form of late, but they still rank outside the top 10 in wRC+ (109) over the last two weeks. Morton’s salary hasn’t caught up to his reinvented self. After years of relying on worm burners and failing to miss bats, Morton’s revved up his fastball and is rocking a juicy 26.2% K% that’s supported by a nasty curveball and a still strong 48.9% GB%. Per Baseball Prospectus, Morton’s curveball has the sixth highest whiff/swing (47.62%) out of 77 thrown a minimum of 50 times this season. It gives him a nasty put-away pitch when he gets hitters to two strikes. The veteran righty’s 3.97 ERA isn’t bad, but his advanced metrics (3.09 FIP, 3.16 xFIP, 3.23 SIERA, and 3.32 DRA) are downright impressive. I love Morton tonight at his salary.
Honorable Mention
- Matt Andriese (TB): $7,900 vs. Royals
Catcher
Willson Contreras (CHC): $4,400 @ Rockies
I don’t think it’s imperative to get tons of exposure to Coors Field tonight since there are some other excellent plays at a fraction of the cost, but it sure as hell doesn’t hurt to nab a few hitters in a game with an over/under total of 11 runs. I mean, don’t forget about these sweet park factors. Part of the motivation for paying up at catcher to Contreras is the fact he hit fifth the last time the Cubs faced a southpaw (Saturday). If he drops to sixth or lower, I’d be more inclined to spin down to one of the trio of backstops highlighted below who are under $3,500. Getting back to Contreras, since reaching The Show last year, he has a .354 OBP, .189 ISO, and 127 wRC+ against lefties.
Honorable Mentions
- Gary Sánchez (NYY): $4,800 @ Reds
- Cameron Rupp (PHI): $3,200 vs. Mariners
- Jason Castro (MIN): $2,900 @ White Sox
- James McCann (DET): $2,900 @ Diamondbacks
First Base
Yonder Alonso (OAK): $2,900 vs. Angels
I’ve been gushing about Alonson lately, yet his salary lags way behind his production. Instead of rehashing the same things I’ve said before, I’d advise checking out Dave Cameron’s piece at FanGraphs that dives into Alonso’s numbers and helps validate his early-season work. With people starting to take note of Alonso’s excellent start and the need to find salary relief at various spots on the diamond tonight, Alonso should be rather chalky. If you’re looking to tweak this team a bit for GPPs, this is a spot where you can be contrarian with the honorable mention I highlight below. Having said that, I’m also fine with eating the chalk with Alonso in GPPs, because there’s no one with his upside at under $3,000 at any position. Also, I’m not crazy about clogging up one of three outfield spots with Jay Bruce, so first base is exclusively where I’d suggest using him should you opt to fade Alonso in the interest of going against the grain. Furthermore, if Alonso gets a night off, there’s a first-base eligible outfielder I’ll discuss below who will also be chalky who makes for a fine pivot in that event.
Honorable Mention
- Jay Bruce (NYM): $4,400 vs. Giants
Second Base
Ben Zobrist (CHC): $4,800 @ Rockies
Zobrist hit atop the order for the Cubs when they faced lefty Jordan Montgomery on Saturday, their last game against a southpaw. The switch-hitting Swiss Army knife has been tough as nails on lefties with a .397 OBP, .163 ISO, and 142 wRC+ against them since 2014. Couple his excellence against lefties with his lineup spot, and he’s a great piece of the action in Coors today.
Honorable Mentions
- Daniel Murphy (WAS): $5,000 @ Orioles
- Starlin Castro (NYY): $3,800 @ Reds
Third Base
Miguel Sano (MIN): $4,300 @ White Sox
If you’re using the cheap pitcher roster build, you could pony up to Kris Bryant or Nolan Arenado. I don’t think that’s a necessary move, hence paying up to Carrasco and saving some money at the hot corner. Sanó is absolutely terrorizing opposing pitchers this year with eight taters, a .431 OBP, .340 ISO, and 192 wRC+ in 123 plate appearances. He’s been no slouch against righties in his career, either, with a .357 OBP, .252 ISO, and 133 wRC+ in 712 plate appearances. My willingness to fade the two boppers at the hot corner in Colorado is emboldened by Sanó facing Mike Pelfrey. The veteran righty is awful. He’s not a big-league caliber starting pitcher, and he’s yielded a .379 OBP, .519 slugging and .386 wOBA to right-handed batters this year.
Honorable Mentions
- Kris Bryant (CHC): $5,500 @ Rockies
- Nolan Arenado (COL): $5,300 vs. Cubs
- Jake Lamb (ARI): $4,000 vs Tigers
- Eugenio Suarez (CIN): $3,600 vs. Yankees
Shortstop
Francisco Lindor (CLE): $4,500 @ Blue Jays
This is another place to pivot off of Coors Field. I think many gamers will blindly turn to Addison Russell. The over/under total and park factors are obviously inviting, but Russell’s career 87 wRC+ against lefties isn’t impressive. It’s enough to earn Russell an honorable mention nod, but I like Lindor more. He’s priced as if he’s facing Marcus Stroman. DraftKings showed Stroman as the probable starter when the salaries were first released, but Stroman started yesterday, and Mike Bolsinger is the actual starter tonight. The former Dodger ceded a .422 OBP, .538 slugging, and .407 wOBA to left-handed batters last year, and he’s coughed up a .385 OBP, .463 slugging, and .368 wOBA to them in his career. The righty leans heavily on his curve and slider, and last year he threw the two pitches a combined 55.6% of the time, per FanGraphs. As you can see here, Lindor owns positive run values against curves and sliders in his career. If you clicked on the previous link, you’ll notice Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall were also included in the table. If Brantley plays, I love him tonight. He’s nicked up, and there’s a reasonable chance he sits out tonight though. Chisenhall, on the other hand, makes for a sneaky GPP play at a tiny salary, and he’s included in the outfield honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
- Addison Russell (CHC): $4,400 @ Rockies
- Corey Seager (LAD): $4,300 vs. Pirates
Outfield
Andrew McCutchen (PIT): $4,000 @ Dodgers
Tonight’s outfield salary totals a pinch under $11,000. That’s a pretty cheap trio, but it doesn’t sacrifice talent. Cutch is my favorite option of the three. Since 2014, he owns a .386 OBP, .219 ISO, and 146 wRC+ against lefties. Righties are giving him fits this year, but in his 36 plate appearances against lefties, he has three homers with a .472 OBP, .433 ISO, and 226 wRC+.
Cody Bellinger (LAD): $3,500 vs. Pirates
Bellinger has top-shelf power and ranked as one of the top prospects in the game by multiple outlets entering the year because of his hitting exploits. He hasn’t disappointed. Entering play yesterday, he’d hit five homers with a .429 ISO, .413 OBP, and 209 wRC+ in 46 plate appearances. Removing his work against lefties leaves 32 plate appearances against righties in which he’s ripped off a .406 OBP, .533 ISO, and 235 wRC+. Before being called up this year, he smashed five homers with a .456 OBP, and 1.146 OPS in 58 at-bats against righties, according to MiLB.com. The young slugger’s excellence in The Show earned him a promotion to the cleanup spot last night. Ivan Nova isn’t a cake matchup, but his approach of challenging hitters and not missing bats (10.8% K% against lefties this year) is dangerous against a player with Bellinger’s thump.
Domingo Santana (MIL): $3,300 vs. Red Sox
Santana isn’t likely to command a high ownership rate tonight, making him an appealing play in GPPs. As I noted in the intro, however, this is a cash games roster. Santana’s still an excellent play in cash games, even if much of the field will sleep on him. Since 2014, Santana has a .374 OBP, .230 ISO, and 136 wRC+ against lefties in 186 plate appearances. Santana’s value is bolstered by Miller Park’s right-handed batter park factors of 107 for doubles/triples, 114 for homers, and 106 for runs, per StatCorner’s rolling 3-year averages.
Honorable Mentions
- Charlie Blackmon (COL): $5,500 vs. Cubs
- Bryce Harper (WAS): $5,400 @ Orioles
- Aaron Judge (NYY): $4,600 @ Reds
- Michael Conforto (NYM): $4,000 vs. Giants
- Lonnie Chisenhall (CLE): $3,000 @ Blue Jays
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
