Fansided

FanDuel Lineup and Picks for Thursday, April 5th

By Adam Strangis

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 29: Brett Gardner
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 29: Brett Gardner /
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PHOENIX, AZ – MARCH 31: Daniel Descalso #3 of the Arizona Diamondbacks runs to third in the fourth inning of the MLB game against the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field on March 31, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ – MARCH 31: Daniel Descalso #3 of the Arizona Diamondbacks runs to third in the fourth inning of the MLB game against the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field on March 31, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

Second Base, High End Spend

Early

Robinson Cano, $3,500

.296/.310/.333 with 0 HR in 27 at-bats

Brian Dozier is white hot at the moment and you can go that route. I’m just not willing to pay the premium against James Paxton. Instead, Cano draws Kyle Gibson who pitched to an ERA over 5 and a HR/FB ratio of 20.4 percent in 2017. The veteran second baseman is hitting well to start off the season and hopefully won’t be hurt by the absence of Nelson Cruz.

Late

Javier Baez, $3,000

.200/.200/.200 with 0 HR in 5 at-bats

Baez is off to a putrid start, as are most of the Cubs. He lands in this spot sort of by default. I might just take the savings on the four game slate. It’s also hard to ignore his career mark of an .828 OPS and .345 wOBA. His spot in the lineup and strikeout rate make it at least a question mark of a play.

Mid-Range

Early

Eduardo Nunez, $3,200

N/A

Getting a piece of the Boston offense might be a good idea tonight as the Rays are throwing out a cadre of relives for their bullpen day. This could backfire as not being able to see a pitcher multiple times like a starter can make life difficult on the offense. Yonny Chirinos did a good job of generating ground balls in the minors but Fenway Park against the Red Sox offense isn’t the minors anymore. Nunez is well rounded in a good offense.

Late

Chris Owings, $2,600

.333/.333/.667 with 0 HR in 6 at-bats

Owings is just a solid all-around player and I have exactly zero fear for what Adam Wainwright brings to the table. The only small fear lies in Owings isn’t the best hitter against the curveball, but Wainwright can’t throw a curve every time. The infielder for the Diamondbacks has all sorts of avenues for points and should be a safe option for a very reasonable price tag.

Value

Early

Cesar Hernandez, $2,800

0 at-bats vs. Caleb Smith

If you’re not buying Caleb Smith after one start, Hernandez is at a reasonable price. The Philly offense can’t be this bad forever and when it breaks out, the leadoff man should be able to have a solid day. Hernandez doesn’t have a lot of power to offer but he’s not going to be a main source of power anyways. He has a career average of .305 and a wOBA of .333. You could do a lot worse today.

Late

Daniel Descalso, $2,300

.500/.600/1.250 with 1 HR in 4 at-bats

We’re not headed very far away for the value play. Did you know that Descalso finished 54th among ALL major league players against the curveball last year? He’s also respectable against righties and he should be in the lineup with Jake Lamb on the DL. If you’re a big believer in batted ball data, Descalso could be your man.