MLB Top DRAFT Picks for June 26th from Chris Aliperto and FantasyCPR

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Welcome to today’s edition of MLB Top DRAFT Picks from FantasyCPR. The DRAFT app can be downloaded to your mobile device through your app store, or you can access their desktop site here.

I play quite a bit on DRAFT, and have always been a big fan of the snake draft format. On DRAFT, you roster one starting pitcher, two infielders, and two outfielders. They offer head-to-head, 3-man, 6-man and 10-man drafts that start upon filling. Also, they have a tournament format, where one contest will span a few days. The further you advance, the more you win. I play mostly the six-man contests for cash games, which payout to the top two spots.

My goal here will be to give you my strategy for drafting today on DRAFT, followed by my top 30 overall rankings. Strategy of course changes day by day, depending on what type of slate we are working with. I always start with my pitcher, as everything else revolves around that. After having completed my rankings for today and done a few six-man drafts, here is how I am attacking this slate.

DRAFT – DFS Slate Overview:

Today we are working with a 14-game main slate, as this article will be geared towards the main slate starting at 6:05 CDT. Lot’s of great pitchers to target today, with a group of three or four aces highlighting the options. On the flip side, a couple of pitchers who look to be way overmatched in their match-up’s. Because there is quite a few elite pitchers in action today, I am grabbing my top hitters today as they are in amazing spots, while I let everyone else decide who will be better. Meanwhile, I won’t mind taking the last pitcher today, If I can get the hitters I am targeting. As seems to be the story as of late, we have some weather to watch so let’s dig right in.

Weather Watch:

It is still a long way from now until game time, but early weather forecasts show showers and thunderstorms for a few games. We have three spots with similar outlooks so let’s just lump them together and say they all look to be in play at this point. Basically anywhere from 30-60% of storms which means maybe a delay in Detroit, Atlanta and St. Louis. The Tigers will host Oakland, the Braves host the Reds, and the Cardinals are hosting the Indians. Keep in mind if you are drafting players from these teams that there may need to check that weather once more if you are drafting closer to lock.

The one game that is calling for heavier rains is in Chicago, where the White Sox will be hosting the Minnesota Twins. Higher percentage chances of rain throughout the course of the day has me avoiding drafting players from this game. My main target was Eddie Rosario, who looked to be in a great spot here, but I won’t be chancing it today.

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 08: Luis Severino #40 of the New York Yankees pitches in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on May 8, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

MLB Top DRAFT Picks Today’s Top Pitching Targets:

I felt like changing this up a bit so welcome to the new format! It is pretty easy to decipher throughout my rankings what that day’s particular strategy will be, so let’s mix it up a bit. Instead of giving you some basic vanilla strategy, like repeating the fact that the Infield position is usually deep throughout, and the outfield position drops off pretty dramatically usually in terms of “lock” type plays, I will opt to point out the guys I am actually targeting and drafting. I think this will be more helpful in terms of understanding why I have certain players ranked where they are. Similar to the rankings, followed by each target will be their overall ranking of 30 in parenthesis.

Luis Severino – New York Yankees – (7)

Pretty unlike me to not have the top pitcher ranked first overall, but today there seems to less elite options on the hitting side, making them more important in my opinion. Severino has been elite and the same could be said about my second ranked pitcher Corey Kluber. The deciding factor for me here is just that sketchy weather expected in St. Louis could spell an early exit for Kluber in the event of any early extended delay. It isn’t enough to scare me off of him, but it is enough to give Severino the slight edge today. James Paxton and Charlie Morton will be in action, and both make great second round picks today as well. However, if you want any of these four studs, they will likely garner your first pick, depending on the draft flow.

Freddy Peralta – Milwaukee Brewers – (29)

Now with three starts under his belt, Peralta will finally make his first home start. We all remember the 13 strikeout, 22.7 DP dazzling debut at Coors Field against the Rockies a month ago, which was a followed by a disappointing four inning early exit against the Twins. Now he is back and spun a six inning gem in Pittsburgh a week ago. He went for a solid 17 DP in that game, allowing no runs, and striking out seven. Kansas City isn’t the greatest match-up here, but nothing about Peralta’s three starts suggest that should matter. I am hoping to have Peralta in at least half of my drafts with some Red Sox and Braves bats. Speaking of bats, let’s move along.

TORONTO, ON – MAY 12: Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox is congratulated by J.D. Martinez #28 after scoring a run in the third inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on May 12, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

MLB Top DRAFT Picks Today’s Top Hitter Targets:

IF – JD Martinez – Boston Red Sox – (2)

I had a bunch of shares of Martinez the other day when he went off for an amazing 45 DP on Friday against the Mariners. I am hoping to have a bunch again, because this is a fantastic spot today. Martinez is always a top play against a lefty, and only his teammate Mookie Betts gets a higher ranking today, and this is only due to the scarcity of elite plays at the outfield position. Boston will take on the Angels at home, who will run out lefty John Lamb, who has given up five earned runs in just 8.1 innings of action this year in two starts.

IF – Nolan Arenado – Colorado Rockies – (11)

Pretty sure if this game was at Coors Field, Arenado is the number one pick today against Giants lefty Derek Holland. However, the Rockies are on the road and to me, Arenado is being way overlooked here. This guy can crush anywhere, and he certainly can crush lefties. In a small sample size against Holland, he is 3-for-7 with a double and a homer. He can be grabbed in the third round pretty easily today, and gives tremendous value at that spot in this match-up as one of the best in the game.

OF – Matt Kemp – Los Angeles Dodgers – (24)

It seems weird to wait for outfielders ever on DRAFT, but I am taking numerous shots on two low projected outfielders. In the ideal scenario, I get a top Braves bat in Freddie Freeman or Ozzie Albies, or a top Red Sox bat in Martinez or Betts in the first. I then follow that with my pitcher, one of the top four aces, preferably Severino. Follow that with Arenado or another high ranked infielder. Then close out the draft with my outfielders. Kemp has just a 7.9 projection at the moment, and could very well be had with your last pick. The overachieving Jon Lester will be on the hill, so I am loving Dodgers right-handed bats today.

OF – David Peralta – Arizona Diamondbacks – (25)

Peralta should be back in the lineup today, as he was given a day off yesterday. It seemed odd because they were facing a righty in Dan Straily, but he did take a walk in a pinch-hit appearance suggesting no injury or anything of that nature. His projection sits at 7.8 right now, and before his day off, he had back-to-back solid games, posting 23 and 16 DP. The Diamondbacks will face rookie Elieser Hernandez, who has really had a tough go as of late. Kemp and Peralta are looking to be the difference for me today. Let’s hope it pays off.

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 11: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves follows his single in the twelfth inning against the Washington Nationals during the Braves 5-3 win at Nationals Park on April 11, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

MLB Top DRAFT Picks Today’s Rankings:

My rankings are pretty easy to follow. I have ranked the top 30 overall. We will go six deep at pitcher, and twelve deep at IF and OF. Rankings are broken down into positions, and following each players name will be their overall ranking in parenthesis.

Pitchers:

1. Luis Severino – New York Yankees – (7)

2. Corey Kluber – Cleveland Indians – (8)

3. James Paxton – Seattle Mariners – (9)

4. Charlie Morton – Houston Astros – (10)

5. Freddy Peralta – Milwaukee Brewers – (29)

6. Ross Stripling – Los Angeles Dodgers – (30)

Infielders:

1. J.D. Martinez – Boston Red Sox – (2)

2. Freddie Freeman – Atlanta Braves – (3)

3. Ozzie Albies – Atlanta Braves – (4)

4. Nolan Arenado – Colorado Rockies – (11)

5. Joey Votto – Cincinnati Reds – (12)

6. Jose Ramirez – Cleveland Indians – (14)

7. Francisco Lindor – Cleveland Indians – (15)

8. Xander Bogaerts – Boston Red Sox – (17)

9. Giancarlo Stanton – New York Yankees – (18)

10. Shin-Soo Choo – Texas Rangers – (19)

11. Eric Thames – Milwaukee Brewers – (20)

12. Khris Davis – Oakland Athletics – (23)

Outfielders:

1. Mookie Betts – Boston Red Sox – (1)

2. Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels – (5)

3. Aaron Judge – New York Yankees – (6)

4. Andrew Benintendi – Boston Red Sox – (13)

5. Charlie Blackmon – Colorado Rockies – (16)

6. Christian Yelich – Milwaukee Brewers – (21)

7. Michael Brantley – Cleveland Indians – (22)

8. Matt Kemp – Los Angeles Dodgers – (24)

9. David Peralta – Arizona Diamondbacks – (25)

10. Starling Marte – Pittsburgh Pirates – (26)

11. George Springer – Houston Astros – (27)

12. Scott Schebler – Cincinnati Reds – (28)

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That is all for today’s MLB Top DRAFT picks on FantasyCPR. If you have any questions regarding any of my rankings, reach out to me on Twitter at @JuanBondDFS. You can also leave a question right here in the comments, and I will do my best to respond. Good luck tonight and happy drafting on DRAFT!

MLB Top DRAFT Picks (DRAFT.com): Tuesday, June 26th

By Chris Aliperto | Jun 26, 2018