DFS MLB Picks (August 19, 2017)

Cubs pitcher Jose Quintana has allowed 6 or fewer
hits in 13 consecutive starts.

Pitchers:

Michael Wacha - St. Louis Cardinals: Wacha is 6-2 with a 2.68 ERA in last eight starts (6/26-present), 8th-best ERA among NL pitchers over that span. His six wins pace the NL with five others.

Jose Quintana - Chicago Cubs: Quintana has allowed six or fewer hits in 13-consecutive starts, the longest active streak in the majors and third-longest this season.

First Baseman:

Josh Bell - Pittsburgh Pirates: Bell has 9 RBIs in his last 7 games. His 68 RBIs are the most by a Pirates rookie since Jason Bay collected 82 in 2004. Bell has gone 11-for-26 (.423) with three doubles, two triples, a home run and nine RBI in his last nine games.

Second Baseman:

Javier Baez - Chicago Cubs: Javy, who yesterday had two hits and three RBI (including a two-run homer in the eighth), is hitting .311 (19-for-61) with seven homers, 18 RBI and a 1.049 OPS in 16 August games.

Shortstop:

Paul DeJong - St. Louis Cardinals: DeJong hit team-high 19th HR in 3-hit game (7th, 2nd STL) last night, and he is tied for 4th in Cardinals' rookie HR’s (Mize, 1936).

Third Baseman:

Kris Bryant - Chicago Cubs: Bryant has batted .378 (28-for-74) with six doubles, four homers, 12 RBI and a .460 OBP in his last 19 games since July 29. He has reached base in 15-straight games, his second-longest stretch of the season.

Catcher:

Alex Avila - Chicago Cubs: Avila was 2-for-4 with a double, homer, run scored and three RBI Thursday. He has eight RBI in his last eight games.

Outfielders:

Dexter Fowler - Chicago Cubs: Fowler has a .444 BA (12-27) with 12 RBIs and 1.419 OPS in 8 games batting 4th (.417; 5-12 w/RISP). He leads NL with 18 RBIs in interleave play, and he is 4th in BA (.382) and OBP (.475).

Jon Jay - Chicago Cubs: Jay has reached base multiple times in seven of his last 11 starts. He was 0-for-4 with a walk Thursday and has reached safely in his last seven games.

Starling Marte - Pittsburgh Pirates: Marte went 2-for-4 last night vs. St. Louis, and has gone 8-for-17 (.471) in his last four games after a 1-for-10 stretch. Plus, he is hitting .271 (32-for-118) since returning to action on July 18.

DFS MLB Picks (August 4, 2017)

Boston Red Sox OF Mookie Betts has eight RBIs in his
last six games.

Pitchers:

Kyle Hendricks - Chicago Cubs: Hendricks has gone 3-2 with a 3.11 ERA (19 ER/55.0 IP) in his last 10 starts after going 1-1 with a 6.19 ERA (11 ER/16.0 IP) in his first three starts.

Jacob deGrom - New York Mets: deGrom is 8-1 with a 1.73 ERA (13 earned runs/67.2 innings) in his last nine starts. He is 22-12 with a 2.02 ERA (70 earned runs/312.0 innings) in 48 career starts at home. His 2.02 home ERA is second-best in the majors since 2014 (min. 250.0 innings), trailing Clayton Kershaw (1.71 home ERA).

First Baseman:

Eric Hosmer - Kansas City Royals: Hosmer extended his current hitting streak to eight games with a 1-for-4 effort at Camden Yards last night (.441 BA during streak). Dating to last season, Hosmer is batting .400 in his last four games against the Mariners.

Second Baseman:

Chad Pinder - Oakland Athletics: Pinder went 2 for 4 Thursday as the A's lost to the Giants 11-2. He ended the game with a .247 batting average.

Shortstop:

Didi Gregorious - New York Yankees: Gregorius went 1-for-4 yesterday, garnering at least one hit for the 12th time in his last 14 games (.396 BA during span). Gregorius is 7-for-20 (.350 BA) with two homers and three RBI during his current five-game hitting streak against the Indians at Progressive Field.

Third Baseman:

Miguel Sano - Minnesota Twins: Sano went 2-for-4 with his 25th home run of the season yesterday in San Diego, extending his hitting streak to five games (.250 BA during streak). Sano is batting .400 with five homers and 15 RBI in 13 career games against the Rangers.

Catcher:

Kevan Smith - Chicago White Sox: Smith went 2-for-3 yesterday, and is now batting .500 (6-for-12) with a home run and two RBI during his current four-game hitting streak. Smith is 3-for-9 in three career games against the Red Sox.

Outfielders:

Yoenis Cespedes - New York Mets: Cespedes is 47-165 (.285) with 10 doubles, two triples, five home runs (one grand slam) and 20 RBIs in 43 games since returning from the Disabled List.

Mookie Betts - Boston Red Sox: Betts went 1 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs Thursday as the Boston Red Sox topped the Chicago White Sox 9-5. The homer was his 18th of the season. He ended the game with a .272 batting average. He has eight RBIs in six games.

Rajai Davis - Oakland Athletics: Davis went 1 for 4 with a home run and an RBI Thursday as the Oakland Athletics lost to the San Francisco Giants 11-2. The homer was his fifth of the season. He ended the game with a .232 batting average. Davis is 7 for 17 with two doubles and two homers in his last five games, but he isn't part of the starting lineup on a regular basis so be careful about using him depending on the matchup.

DFS MLB Picks (July 27, 2017)

Pitchers:

Michael Blazek - Milwaukee Brewers: Blazek is 0-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 5 relief appearances (5.2IP, 2ER). His only career outing at Nationals Park came on July 6, 2016 (1.2IP, 1H, 2K). Blazek, 28, is making his fifth appearance for the Brewers this season and first Major League start after 108 career games out of the bullpen.

Max Scherzer - Washington Nationals: Scherzer is 1-2 with a 1.91 ERA (7 ER/33.0 IP) in five career starts against Milwaukee. He last faced them on July 4, 2p16 (6.0 IP, 4 H, ER, HR, 3 BB, 7 SO).

First Baseman:

Yonder Alonso - Oakland Athletics: Alonso is 26-for-127 (.205) with 20 walks over his last 38 games. He is batting .222 (16-for-72) in the month of July, which his lowest batting average of any month this season.

Second Baseman:

Daniel Murphy - Washington Nationals: Murphy is 22-for-59 (.373) with eight 2Bs, three HRs, and 18 RBIs in his last 15 games.

Shortstop:

Eric Sogard - Milwaukee Brewers: In 46 games so far in 2017, Sogard is batting .313 with 3 HRs, 14 RBIs, and 3 SBs.

Third Baseman:

Anthony Rendon - Waahington Nationals: Rendon has hit safely in 16 of 18 games, going 24-for-60 (.400) with 6 2B, 4 HR, and 17 RBI.

Catcher:

Bruce Maxwell - Oakland Athletics: Maxwell was recalled from Triple-A Nashville June 22 for his third stint with the A’s this year and is batting .243 (17-for-70) with 12 walks (.354 on-base percentage) in 24 games since his return.

Outfielders:

Bryce Harper - Washington Nationals: Harper has scored at least one run in nine of 11 games and at least two runs in six of the 11.

Domingo Santana - Milwaukee Brewers: Santana is batting .321 (89-for-277, 15 HRs, 50 RBIs) since Apr. 28 (76 games), which ranks eighth in the National League.

Khris Davis - Oakland Athletics: Davis has homered seven times in the month of July and now has 28 home runs for the season, which is tied for third in the American League and matches the second best total of his career (2015). His career high is 42 last year.

DFS MLB Picks (July 16, 2017)

Pitchers:

Rich Hill - Los Angeles Dodgers: Jn three career games (two starts) against Miami, Hill has gone 1-1 with a 5.84 ERA (8 ER/12.1 IP) and has struck out 17 against a lone walk in 12.1 innings (17.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio), while limiting hitters to a .234 average and posting a 0.97 WHIP.

Masahiro Tanaka - New York Yankees: Tanaka will make his 19th start of the season in the second game of today's doubleheader. He is 6-3 with a 3.89 ERA (74.0IP, 32ER) in 12 career starts vs. Boston.

First Baseman:

Cody Bellinger - Los Angeles Dodgers: Last night, Bellinger belted his 26th homer of the year in the second inning and then completed the third cycle in Los Angeles Dodger history (Wes Parker-1970, Orlando Hudson-2009) with a triple in the seventh.

Second Baseman:

DJ LeMahieu - Colorado Rockies: LeMahieu has batted .416 since June 15, going 32-for-77. Among players with 75 or plate appearances, that span is tied for first in the National League. LeMahieu hit safely in 17 of this 20 games.

Shortstop:

Jose Reyes - New York Mets: Reyes is hitting .404 (19-47) with five doubles, one triple, three home runs and seven RBI in his last 13 games. He has seven multi-hit games in his last 12 contests.

Third Baseman:

Nolan Arenado - Colorado Rockies: Arenado is hitting .380 since June 27, hitting safely in 12 of 13 games. He is 8-for-19 his past five games. Arenado leads Major League Baseball with 51 extra-base hits and is tied for second in the Majors with 70 RBI (tied for first in NL). He is tied for second in the Majors with 29 doubles.

Catcher:

Gary Sanchez - New York Yankees: Sánchez has 4HR off David Price in his career, matching his most off a single pitcher (4HR off Marco Estrada).

Outfielders:

Charlie Blackmon - Colorado Rockies: Blackmon currently leads the Major Leagues in hits (120) and triples (11) and ranks fifth in runs (73). He ranks fifth in the National League in batting average (.320), fourth in slugging percentage (.582) and third in extra-base hits (49). His 20 home runs while batting first in the lineup are the second-most in MLB (Springer, 27) and the most in the National League by eight (Conforto, 12).

Aaron Judge - New York Yankees: Judge has reached base safely in each of his last 41 starts since 5/28, the Majors' longest streak in 2017 and third-longest since the start of 2016 (Freddie Freeman-46G and Jayson Werth-45G).

Yasiel Puig - Los Angeles Dodgers: Puig collected his fourth career multi-homer game of his career on Friday, stroking a solo home run in the fourth inning and a three-run shot in the ninth inning and drove in a season-high tying four runs for the fourth time this year.

DFS MLB Picks (July 15, 2017)

Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale has won 10 of his past 12
decisions.

Pitchers:

Chris Sale - Boston Red Sox: Sale has won 10 of his last 12 decisions. The Sox have won 7 of his last 9 starts since May 24. Plus, he has tossed 7.0+ IP in 5 of his last 6 starts, and he is 4-2 with a 2.47 ERA (12 ER/43.2 IP) in those. Sale allowed 3 or fewer ER over 7.0+ IP in 7 of his last 11 starts (11 BB, 105 SO).

Michael Fulmer - Detroit Tigers: Fulmer's only career start against the Blue Jays came on June 6, 2016 in Detroit, when he earned the win a!er throwing 6.0 shutout innings with two hits allowed, three walks and five strikeouts.

First Baseman:

Mitch Moreland - Boston Red Sox: Moreland drew 38 BB in 336 first-half PA, his most since a career-high 45 in 2013 (in 518 PA). He has a career-best 8.89 PA/BB rate, and has been walked in 6 of his last 9 games. His .349 OBP is higher than his full-season career high.

Second Baseman:

Dustin Pedroia - Boston Red Sox: Pedroia recorded multiple hits last night for the 27th time this season and 14th in his last 26 games. He has reached multiple times in 11 of his last 14 games (.485 OBP).

Shortstop:

Alcides Escobar - Kansas City Royals: Escobar hit a two-run home run off the left-field foul pole in the second inning, extending his home hitting streak to 11 games, in which he’s batting .400 (16-for-40).

Third Baseman:

Adrian Beltre - Texas Rangers: Beltre hit a game-tying, three-run home run in the sixth inning, the 453rd of his career to break a tie with Carl Yastrzemski for 38th all-time.

Catcher:

Gary Sanchez - New York Yankees: Sanchez hit two-run HR (#14) in the fifth and was 2-for-4 with 3RBI in Friday's loss at Boston.

Outfielders:

Aaron Judge - New York Yankees: Judge leads the Majors with 30HR, three ahead of Houston's George Springer (27), and he has held the outright MLB HR lead for 47 straight days (since May 29), the longest stretch by a Yankee since Alex Rodriguez (84d in 2007), per Elias.

Mookie Betts - Boston Red Sox: Betts recorded his 6th multi-hit game last night and stole his 16th base (T-6th in the AL). He ranks 2nd in the AL since last year in SB% (87.5) and 5th in SB (42).

Jorge Bonifacio - Kasas City Royals: Bonifacio had an RBI single with one out in the fifth inning last night, his first RBI since June 27. But he was thrown out 8-3-6 trying to stretch it into a double.

DFS MLB Picks (June 21, 2017)

Marlins pitcher Dan Straily has held opponents to a
.215 batting average this season.

Pitchers:

Ian Kennedy - Kansas City Royals: Kennedy is 1-1 with a 5.29 ERA (10 ER in 17.0 IP) in three career starts vs. the Red Sox. He’s allowed just four walks and fanned 23, including eight K’s in 5.1 innings last August 26 at Fenway Park in a 6-3 triumph. He went 1-1 with a 3.67 ERA in seven outings vs. A.L. East foes a year ago.

Dan Straily - Miami Marlins: Straily has held opponents to a .215 (62x288) batting average this season, which ranks seventh among National League starters. He is also seventh among NL starters in hits allowed per 9.0 innings (7.15).

First Baseman:

Ryan Zimmerman - Washington Nationals: This season, Zimmerman ranks in MLB in AVG (1st, .347), SLG (2nd, .661), OPS (2nd, 1.048), extra-base hits (T3rd, 39), total bases (5th, 162), RBI (T3rd, 57), and HR (T8th, 19).

Second Baseman:

Jose Peraza - Cincinnati Reds: Peraza has hit safely in 9 of his last 11 starts (13-41, .317, 1 RB, 1HR, 5RBI).

Shortstop:

Xander Bogaerts - Boston Red Sox: Bogaerts is 7-for-14 with 6 RBI in his last 3 games. He ecorded his 1st career multi-HR game on Sunday at Houston.

Third Baseman:

Evan Longoria - Tampa Bay Rays: Since May 5, Longoria is batting .278/.338/.449 (49-for-176) with 15 multi-hit games. Prior to that, he was batting .202/.282/.367 with 3 multi-hit games.

Catcher:

J.T. Realmuto - Miami Marlins: Realmuto Leads the MLB in hits (63) as a catcher, is 3rd in AVG (.293) and 5th in OBP (.356). His 12 CCS rank 3rd in the MLB, behind Yan Gomes (14) and Tucker Barnhart (14).

Outfielders:

Andrew Benintendi - Boston Red Sox: Benintendi has 4 HR in his last 14 games since June 4. In that time, he has hit .333 (17-for-51) with a 1.007 OPS.

Corey Dickerson - Tampa Bay Rays: Yesterday vs. Cincinnati, Dickerson's homer off of Amir Garrett was his third vs. LHP this season, matching a career high (2014).

Bryce Harper - Washington Nationals: Harper has hit 22 home runs against the Marlins, more than any other team in his young career.

DFS MLB Picks (May 21, 2017)

Pitchers:

CC Sabathia - New York Yankees: CC is 6-8 with a 3.84 ERA (140.2IP, 60ER) in 21 career starts at Tropicana Field. Although his eight losses mark his most as a visitor at any ballpark, he is 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA (25.2IP, 4ER) with 23K in his last four starts at Tropicana (since April 17, 2014).

Jesse Chavez - Los Angeles Angels: In five career games against the Mets (all in relief), Chavez is 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA (4.2 IP – 2 ER). His last appearance vs. New York came on Aug. 20, 2014 for Oakland (2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 SO) at the Coliseum.

First Baseman:

Ryan Zimmerman - Washington Nationals: Zimmerman ranks in Major League Baseball in total bases (1st, 109), extra-base hits (1st, 29), slugging percentage (2nd, .736), RBI (2nd, 38), batting average (2nd, .365), OPS (3rd, 1.146), home runs (T3rd, 13), and hits (4th, 53).

Second Baseman:

Jonathan Schoop - Baltimore Orioles: Schoop is tied with Welington Castillo for the Orioles team lead with 8 RBI in the seventh inning or later this season.

Shortstop:

Andrelton Simmons - Los Angeles Angels: In 61 career games vs. the Mets, Simmons is batting .335 (79/236) with 15 doubles, two triples, three home runs and 26 RBI. The .335 clip is his highest vs. any single opponent (min. 100 PA).

Third Baseman:

Eugenio Suarez - Cincinnati Reds: Suarez has a 4-game hitting streak, including 2 hits on Thu at Chicago (NL) and 3 on hits Fri vs Colorado (7-15, .467, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI).

Catcher:

TJ Rivera - New York Mets: Rivera ranks third among National League rookies with .333 on-base percentage, third in doubles (seven), sixth with a .267 batting average, seventh in runs scored (13), eighth with a .407 slugging percentage and 10th in RBI (10).

Outfielders:

Mike Trout - Los Angeles Angels: Trout is leading the AL with a .730 slugging percentage and is tied for the A.L. lead with 25 extra-base hits.

Brett Gardner - New York Yankees: Gardner has 7HR over his last 19G while hitting .351 (26-for-74) with 20 R and 16 RBI.

Bryce Harper - Washington Nationals: Harper is hitting .371 (39-for-105) with 8 2B, 11 HR, 28 RBI, 20 BB and 32 R in his last 28 games.