This article is part of our FantasyAces MLB series.
Fantasy Aces has a great baseball product that offers games at every level and in a variety of formats. Whether you play Traditional or Salary Pro, this article will help you find the optimal plays and build a lineup that'll help build that bankroll.
Pitcher:
Corey Kluber ($7,900): Five days ago Kluber went the distance in a 10-strikeout, three-hit, one-run beauty against the Twins. He gets the Twins again Friday night. Will he do it again? Some will be tempted by Max Scherzer, and understandably so. Pitching in San Francisco is never a promising venture, especially with the Giants having one of the lowest strikeout rates in the majors. Throw in Scherzer's 5.25 ERA over his last two starts, andI prefer Kluber at $100 less. Dallas Keuchel has to face a righty-heavy Detroit Tigers lineup, against which he has been less than elite; Kluber remains on top.
Alex Wood ($6,350): The discount department falls between Wood and Jaime Garcia. With Wood's higher strikeout upside and an unrealistically low BABIP/ERA for Garcia, I landed on Wood. Garcia has been good, but not as good as his ERA shows. Wood has a high BABIP while still maintaining a decent ERA and FIP, and there's simply more interest between the lines with stats that should be trending in his favor.
Chris Bassitt ($5,100): A super risky high-upside and discount play, Bassitt can rack up some strikeouts, something Baltimore does quite a bit. However, Baltimore can also put some large run totals in the friendly confines of Camden Yards. Bassitt has 23 strikeouts and a 1.74 ERA over his last three starts. He's definitely worth a serious look in GPPs and the SalaryPro format.
Catcher:
Yan Gomes ($4,700): Gomes possesses a 1.081 OPS over the last week and gets a favorable matchup against a very hittable Trevor May.
1B/3B:
Mitch Moreland ($4,700): Moreland went 4-for-4 with two home runs Thursday, and he'll look to continue his hot streak against right-hander Nate Karns.
Juan Uribe ($4,350): Uribe is a good price saver at the corners, if you need it. The righty-vs.-lefty matchup against J.A. Happ is favorable and Uribe is have a solid August.
2B/SS:
Jedd Gyorko ($4,000): Affordable, meat of the order, middle infielder, Coors Field. Yes, please.
Francisco Lindor ($4,700): Lindor's batting average over the past week is .478. In the midst of the wonderful season Carlos Correa is having, Lindor has been having a fantastic rookie season himself and does so at a cheaper price.
Outfield:
Justin Upton ($5,050): Upton is the best hitter on the highest expected run scoring team. San Diego's hitters are very affordable, and there will be stacks in abundance with the Coors factor.
Shane Victorino ($4,300): A good price to pay for a leadoff batter against the less-than-impressive Danny Duffy, Victorino has had his struggles at the plate, but over the past three years he has been consistently solid against lefties.
Rusney Castillo ($3,750): Castillo is hitting .328/.357/.453 in 15 games since being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket on July 27.
