Fansided

FanDuel Picks and lineup for Sunday, April 1st

By Adam Strangis

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 22: Aaron Judge
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 22: Aaron Judge /
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CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 15: Joey Votto #19 of the Cincinnati Reds hits a solo home run during the first inning of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park on September 15, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 15: Joey Votto #19 of the Cincinnati Reds hits a solo home run during the first inning of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park on September 15, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

Catcher/First Base, High-End Spend

Main Slate

Jose Abreu, $4,300

.500/.500/1.000 with 0 HRs in 8 at-bats

Abreu’s price is frankly a little higher than I would prefer to pay. His price is high after his massive Opening Day performance although he does get a good matchup against Jason Hammel. Even though Abreu is better against lefties, he’s still very good against right handed pitchers. Hammel is one of the weaker pitchers on the slate, who pitched to a 5.29 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. I’m likely going to land on a value play but Abreu could have a big game.

All Day

Joey Votto, $3,600

.381/.480/.952 with 3 HR in 21 at-bats

That triple slash line will play, as the saying goes. I have zero idea why Votto is so relatively cheap but I’m not upset about it. Votto is one of the best hitters in this generation and even though a 21 at-bat sample size is small, you probably don’t need much convincing to play Votto. His home splits are working in his favor today and even though he was better against righties, he produced at an All-Star level against lefties. He’s definitively one of the best bats on the slate today, like he usually is.

Mid-Range

Main Slate

Jose Martinez, $2,700

0 at-bats vs. Steven Matz

It’s not the biggest sample size but Martinez has utterly destroyed lefties in his short career. In 71 at-bats, he’s tallied a .423 batting average and a ridiculous 1.297 OPS. He’s hit one fewer homer vs. lefties than he has vs. righties in 167 less plate appearances. He’s under $3,000 and I’ll take my chances with those type of splits against a mediocre lefty in Steven Matz. It’s fair to note that Matz has struggled with injuries. He’s still got a 3.99 ERA and 1.30 WHIP during his career.

Ryan Zimmerman, $3,200

0 at-bats vs Sal Romano

The Nationals offense should be able to feast on their matchup today as they face off against Sal Romano in a very hitter friendly park. Zimmerman was better against lefties in 2017 but he was plenty good against righties as well. Many of the Nationals come with a higher price tag. Zimmerman is one of the few ways to get a piece of the offense without wrecking your budget today. They are a team that could match their 13 run output from yesterday.

Value

Main Slate

Travis d’Arnaud, $2,100

0 at-bats vs. Luke Weaver

This is a desperation play only and be sure to double check that d’Arnaud is in the lineup. He hit a homer yesterday and he’s always had the raw talent. He’s just never put it all together. Luke Weaver is still basically an unknown on the mound as he hasn’t hit 100 innings pitched yet. the early results aren’t that great and you don’t need much for d’Arnaud to pay off his near minimum salary.

All Day

Buster Posey, $2,600

.400/.400/.400 with 0 HRs in 15 at-bats

The power potential isn’t there as much as it used to be with the Giants catcher but he’s still pretty cheap for his hitting ability. Posey has always been better against lefties and the bright lights of the national game could bring out the best in him. His three-year mark vs. lefties includes a .328 average and .924 OPS. Still, it’s really hard not to take the discount on Votto.