Jed Lowrie
Lowrie is a good guy to pick up, especially for teams in need of shortstop help. Lowrie is 6-for-11 in his last three games, and with Lowrie, the question is never whether he can hit, but whether he can stay healthy. Well, Lowrie is healthy now, and with a 2-for-3 day with two runs and two RBI, his statistics are looking pretty great for a shortstop. He's slashing a Billy Beane fever dream of .296/.415/.519 with three home runs and a steal on the season, and is available in over three quarters of ESPN leagues as of writing this. However, with this most recent performance, that availability will be shrinking, and is you need help at shortstop - and let's be honest, who doesn't - minimize this page, and pick him up right now while he's still healthy and on the waiver wire.
C.C. Sabbathia
Sabbathia got rocked by the Mets on Saturday (5 IP 7 R 2 K), but there are still some signs of life for the Yanks' vet. Before Saturday, Sabbathia's FIP was 2.31 compared to an ERA of 4.35, thanks to an incredibly high opponent BABIP (now .355), an incredibly low LOB% (now 59.2 percent), and some dreadful Yankee defense. Well, those factors all bit him on Saturday, along with some not-so-hot pitching. I still like Sabbathia on a start-to-start basis, however, as he still sports an excellent strikeout to walk ratio (22:4) this year, and his luck isn't going to get much worse than it has been so far. It might surprise folks, but Sabbathia has actually has had some strong xFIP numbers in the last couple seasons. Despite an ERA of 4.78 in 2013, his xFIP was 3.76, and that gap was even bigger in a smaller sample size of 2014, when his xFIP (3.11) was leagues better than his ERA (5.28). Part of that is his home park, and the defense behind him, but in good match ups, Sabbathia is still a viable option.
Jimmy Paredes
After another big night, Paredes is going to be one of the hotter pick-ups Sunday, and there may be good reason to join the trend - but not for the reasons it seems. Paredes has earned our attention with some pop in his seven games with the Orioles in 2015. With three home runs and three doubles in his first seven games, it would seem to be power that anyone picking up Paredes would be hoping for. However, based on the far larger sample size of his minor league numbers, Paredes' value may well be with his ability on the basepaths. Paredes stole about a base every three games in his last three minor league seasons, and could well have some value for owners looking for steals while he holds onto his spot in the Orioles' lineup. Don't expect to much more pop, though, as he has only topped 10 home runs in a season once in his minor league career.
Daily Fantasy League Suggestions
Adrian Beltre
Believe it or not, there are 14 third baseman that cost more than Adrian Beltre for tomorrow's set of games. That's an incredible value for one of the best hitters at his position, not to mention he'll be facing a pitcher who he is 6-for-17 with three home runs off of in his careers. Sure, Beltre is hitting .179/.247/.328, but he has been hitting better in the last five games, and the larger sample of the last five years is far more predictive than his first three weeks of 2015. By the numbers, Beltre would seem to be one of the biggest locks for Sunday's slate of games.
DraftKings: $4,200
Stephen Vogt
Riding the hot bat isn't necessarily the best idea for non-daily fantasy leagues, but in daily fantasy sports, selecting a hitter on recent performance is a solid strategy. Vogt has been hitting the cover off the ball so far this season, with a triple slash of .364/.438/.673 with four home runs, 23 RuBIns, and nearly as many walks as strikeouts. With a day off on Friday, Vogt should be fresh when he faces the Astros' aggressively mediocre Asher Wojciechowski (spell that name five times fast) on Sunday. Vogt has always bashed right-handed pitching, and Woj is far from an elite right-handed arm. Always double-check that a catcher type is in the official lineup before drafting him, but Vogt should have a big day should he be in the starting lineup Sunday.
DraftKings: $4,100
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