Dream11 Fantasy NPB: Giants at Dragons

Yomiuri Giants (24-15-2) at Chunichi Dragons (17-24-3)

Sunday, August 9th, 1:00 AM EDT

Projected Starters

Chunichi Dragons: TBA (Probable: RHP Yuichiro Okano, 2-1, 4.82 ERA)

Yomiuri Giants: TBA (Probable: LHP Kazuto Taguchi, 2-1, 3.60 ERA)

Game Preview

The Giants have been the best team in the Central League all season long, and the stats back that up since they are in first place of the standings with a 24-15-2 record, winning two more games than the second-placed team, the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, while playing two fewer contests. Meanwhile, the Dragons sit dead last in the standings with just 17 wins while playing the most games (44) in the entire Central League. As if that wasn't enough, they're also coming off a 2-3 record in their last five contests, although one positive sign is that they've clinched back-to-back wins against the Giants on Friday and Saturday, surrendering two runs combined. The starting pitchers for this matchup are yet to be announced, but the probable hurlers will be Yuichiro Okano for the Dragons and Kazuto Taguchi for the Giants. The Giants' left-hander gets the edge in this one solely because the team has a better offense at his disposal, thus potentially making his day easier.

Injuries

Zoilo Almonte - Out - Side

7/3 2:43 PM IST - Almonte was removed from the Dragons' active roster after suffering a side injury Thursday. Almonte hit a ball off his side in Thursday's contest, and he'll be examined Saturday to determine the severity. He'll have to spend at least 10 days off the roster as he recovers. Almonte has a .317 OBP with one home run and five RBI over his first 12 games of 2020.

Rubby De La Rosa - Out - Abdomen

7/7 1:49 AM IST - De La Rosa was removed from the Giants' active roster Monday due to a left abdominal muscle strain, NikkanSports.com reports. De La Rosa was off to a hot start in his first full season in NPB, notching four saves and allowing no runs in his five appearances with the club. He'll most likely be down for at least a few days with the injury before the Giants are able to pinpoint a target date for his return.

Ryosuke Hirata - Out - Elbow

7/23 1:30 AM IST - The Dragons deactivated Hirata on Monday due to a right elbow injury. One of the Dragons' more reliable batsmen over the past couple of seasons, Hirata was dropped from the active roster after struggling early on in the 2020 campaign. Over 73 plate appearances, Hirata was batting just .164. Masataka Iryo is expected to take over as the Dragons' primary option in right field in Hirata's stead.

Shun Ishikawa - Out - Hand

7/22 1:24 AM IST - Ishikawa was removed from the Dragons' active roster ahead of Tuesday's 4-0 loss to the Giants due to cartilage damage in his left hand. The Dragons have yet to announce a timeline for Ishikawa's potential return to the active roster. The 30-year-old corner infielder has appeared in 11 games for Chunichi in 2020, going 3-for-10 with a triple and two RBI.

Shotaro Kasahara - Out - Oblique

7/31 3:09 AM IST - Kasahara was diagnosed with a right oblique injury Saturday and has been ruled out indefinitely. Oblique injuries often carry volatile timetables, but it's probably safe to expect the left-hander to be sidelined for multiple weeks. He went 3-2 over his eight outings with the Dragons this season, posting a 5.71 ERA in 34.2 innings.

Seiji Kobayashi - Out - Forearm

6/23 2:14 PM IST - Kobayashi will miss 3-to-4 weeks with a fractured left forearm, according to sponichi.co.jp. Kobayashi started the Giants' first and third games behind the plate, but he will not take the field again until sometime in July. Ginjiro Sumitani and Takumi Oshiro are in line to share the catching duties for the Giants until Kobayashi returns.

Kazuto Taguchi - Out - Undisclosed

7/5 9:44 AM IST - Taguchi was removed from the Giants' first-team roster Sunday. Taguchi was pulled from Saturday's start against the Dragons after three scoreless innings due to an apparent injury, and it appears he may miss some time. The specifics remain unclear, but any absence could be significant since he has a 2.08 ERA this season.

Kota Yamashita - Out - Hand

7/9 4:36 AM IST - Yamashita, who has been sidelined all season with a broken right hand, was able to complete some on-field activities Wednesday, Sponichi.co.jp reports. The 19-year-old outfielder/first baseman only has 13 career NPB plate appearances to his name, but manager Tatsunori Hara suggested Yamashita could be a candidate for an everyday role before he sustained the injury shortly before Opening Day. Yamashita was at least fortunate that the injury was to his non-throwing hand, so he may have a shorter recovery timeline than one normally associated with a fracture. He was able to hit off the tee and play catch Wednesday, so expect him to ramp up his activities in the weeks to come.

Chunichi Dragons Expected Lineup

1. Masataka Iryo

2. Yohei Ohshima

3. Toshiki Abe

4. Dayan Viciedo

5. Nobumasa Fukuda

6. Yota Kyoda

7. Takuma Katoh

8. Naomichi Donoue

9. Yuichiro Okano

Yomiuri Giants Expected Lineup

1. Naoki Yoshikawa

2. Hayato Sakamoto

3. Yoshihiro Maru

4. Kazuma Okamoto

5. Yoshiyuki Kamei

6. Hiroyuki Nakajima

7. Gerardo Parra

8. Ginjiro Sumitani

9. Kazuto Taguchi

Top Picks

Kazuma Okamoto, Giants: Okamoto has been the biggest offensive threat for the Giants this season, and that's not a minor accomplishment in a lineup that has several top-quality hitters. Okamoto has 15 home runs with 40 RBI while slashing .280/.354/.631 in 175 plate appearances.

Dayan Viciedo, Dragons: Viciedo is what Okamato has been for the Giants, but on the Dragons roster. The slugging first baseman has nine homers with 33 RBI this season, but he is "only" hitting .261 in 181 plate appearances. Either way, he should be the team's biggest threat in this game where they're massive underdogs.

Yoshihiro Maru, Giants:  Maru is only hitting .230, but he supplies power and is a threat every time he steps to the plate. Maru has eight home runs and 28 RBI this season while posting a .446 slugging percentage.

Gerardo Parra, Giants: Parra is one of the veterans in the roster who has extensive MLB experience, and that has translated to his numbers. The outfielder is hitting .290 with .798 OPS, three homers, and 12 RBI in 113 plate appearances.

Captaincy Options

1. Kazuma Okamoto
2. Dayan Viciedo
3. Yoshihiro Maru

Dream11 Team

P – Kazuto Taguchi

C – Takumi Ohshiro

IF – Kazuma Okamoto (C)

IF – Dayan Viciedo (VC)

IF – Taiki Mitsumata

IF – Akihiro Wakabayashi

OF – Yohei Ohshima

OF – Yoshihiro Maru

OF – Gerardo Parra