ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 30: Dansby Swanson #7 of the Atlanta Braves hits an RBI single during the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at SunTrust Park on March 30, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
Shortstop, High End Spend
Early
Jean Segura, $3,500
.500/.667/.500 with 0 HR in 4 at-bats
The shortstop for the Mariners doesn’t have any really major splits, but he does face a lefty who has really been bad so far this season. Danny Duffy is giving up fly balls at a 50 percent clip so far this season and Segura is coming off a big game last night. Until Duffy shows he can get the ship right, he should be attacked where we can. Segura only has five plate appearances this year against lefties but his numbers are good in that sample.
Main
Didi Gregorius, $4,100
.444/.464/.630 with 1 HR in 27 at-bats
I haven’t been a big believer that David Price is all the way back to his old form and I think the Yankees could put up a big number today. If that’s the case, Gregorius should be right in the middle of it. He’s smacked around Price every time they’ve seen each other and even though his splits are just OK against lefties, it’s hard to ignore that BvP data in this case.
Mid-Range
Early
Dansby Swanson, $3,000
.750/.750/1.000 with 1 HR in 4 at-bats
If you’re looking to jam in Freeman and possibly Bryce Harper, you’re going to need some salary relief. Swanson is a perfect example of that and will help round out an Atlanta stack if that’s the way you choose to go. So far this season, Swanson is wrecking right handed pitching. His batting average is over .350, his OPS is over .890 and his wOBA is .389. He’s in a prime spot and his price tag doesn’t match his potential. The only slight nitpick is he bats lower in the order but that’s not enough to turn me away from Swanson this afternoon.
Main
Some folks may want to go right back to Andrelton Simmons($3,300) but I don’t know if I’ll go that route. It just seems too high of a price to pay for a player that is known more for his defense.
Value
Early
Shortstop in the value range is pretty thin for the afternoon slate. Unless someone draws a solid spot in the lineup tomorrow, Swanson is likely as low as I’ll go.
Main
Jordy Mercer, $2,700
.333/.391/.619 with 1 HR in 21 at-bats
He’s a little more expensive than I thought he would be but Mercer has good success against Jon Lester and is far better against lefties in his career. The numbers include a .295 average, an OPS over .800 and a wOBA of .353. Mercer won’t be in this article all that often, but this is a good spot for him to hit double digit FanDuel points.