Sean Manaea, SP, OAK
Manaea allowed 2 ER's on 4 hits in 7 IP against the Padres on Wednesday, lowering his ERA to 3.33 for the season, despite recording just 1 strikeout in the contest. He somehow keeps getting it done, posting a 2.79 ERA in since the beginning of June despite a miniscule 5.12 K/9 during that stretch. Manaea's sustained success through the first half of the season makes you want to believe, but the fact is that he has a 4.22 xFIP this season and there's just no way that his .214 BABIP doesn't eventually regress. Even during his strong June, his 4.27 xFIP doesn't suggest that we should expect his performance to be repeatable. Manaea has been great for the A' so far this season, but I'm still not buying in.
Albert Pujols, DH, LAA
Pujols was moved down to 5th in the order for the Angels on Wednesday, the first time he has started a game hitting lower than 4th since his rookie season in 2001. In terms of production, the move down is more than deserved, as Pujols is slashing just .243/.286/.392 since the beginning of the 2017 season. It's a bit unfortunate for Pujols, as hitting in a prime spot in the lineup has allowed him to continue to rack up RBI despite his decline - since the start of 2017, Pujols ranks 19th in MLB with 146 RBI despite ranking 118th out of 130 qualifiers in OPS during that span. Dropping from 4th to 5th won't likely have a large effect on Pujols, but if anything it negatively impacts the one area he was still productive in, especially if he continues to slide down the order.
Yefry Ramirez, SP, BAL
Ramirez allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on just 1 hit in 5 IP against the Phillies on Wednesday, lowering his ERA and WHIP to an impressive 2.51 and 0.84 respectively through his first 3 big league appearances (2 starts). His 13:4 K:BB through 14.1 IP is decent, but not strong enough to suggest that he can maintain such strong ratios. His xFIP currently sits at 4.17, and with his 6.3% HR/FB% and .194 BABIP likely to rise, his ERA should start heading in that direction. Wins will also likely be hard to come by for the right-hander as the last-place Orioles figure to only get worse once they trade Manny Machado, so don't expect mixed-league value here going forward.
Neil Walker, 2B, NYY
With Gleyber Torres heading to the DL with a hip injury, Walker is likely to see an uptick in playing time at 2B for the Yankees. Being part of such a loaded lineup is always an opportunity for run production, but Walker is quite lacking in his fantasy profile. Through 190 PA's this season, he's slashing a miserable .188/.268/.259, while his 23.2% K% and 10.6% SwStr% would both easily be career-highs. Things have gotten worse for Walker lately; since the beginning of June, he is just 4-40 with 15 K's, no XBH's and 1 RBI. His 4.1% HR/FB% should see some positive regression, but even with regular playing time, he is not a recommended fantasy option, at least until he shows he can hit again.
Jorge Polanco, SS, MIN
Polanco's daily price is still down as he just recently returned from an 80-game suspension. He has a nice matchup on Thursday at home against Andrew Cashner and the Orioles. Cashner has struggled this season, especially on the road where he has allowed an OPS of .951 this season. Polanco comes as one of the cheapest SS's available. DraftKings Value Play Salary $3,000.
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