RADIO
As we get started with the last week before the All-Star break, Major League Baseball has a full slate for a Monday night with 12 games across the country all in the evening window giving you plenty of options tonight as you try to assemble your lineup for tonight. There are a number of aces on the hill tonight, so make sure you check your matchups to get players in the right positions.
Each day on Sportsreel Boston you can find the three best and three worst matchups and my full daily league lineup. On Monday's I'll give you my picks here at Rotoballer where you can find plenty of fantasy baseball advice through the whole week from the talented and knowledgable team that I'm privileged to be a part of.
Here are my high price and budget bargain options at each position for Monday, July 8.
STARTING PITCHER
High Price: Max Scherzer (DET): Scherzer's 13-0 record has drawn some skeptical looks, and it does take a little luck, to be sure. But there's no debate that he's been exceptional, holding opponents to a .196 batting average and striking out 139 in 116.2 innings. In his 17 starts, he's faced the Indians twice, going a total of 16 innings and allowing just seven hits (.132 batting average), wining twice and picking up 14 K in the process. He's on the road for this start, and the Indians did win 9-6 yesterday, but he's still an elite-level option at SP for today.
High Price: Matt Harvey (NYM): Matt Harvey is coming off a rough start against Arizona at home as he travels west to take on the Giants. Harvey has been on a strikeout binge with 39 over his last four starts spanning just 26 innings. He'll take on the struggling Giants offense that has scored more than two runs just twice in their last ten games.
Budget Bargain: Jeff Locke (Pit): On some daily sites, Kevin Slowey making his first start back from a bullpen exile costs more than Jeff Locke, who goes at home today against the Oakland. He doesn't pile up strikeouts like Scherzer or Harvey, but he has managed to work his way to a 2.12 ERA and a .206 BAA this season. He's allowed more than two earned runs just once in his last nine starts while going 5-0 during that span. The Athletics are a tough opponent but Locke and the Bucs are on a roll so taking him is a nice value option.
Budget Bargain: Scott Feldman (BAL): In case you missed it, Feldman got traded from the Cubs to the Orioles, and he was solid in his first start for Baltimore, going six innings, striking out six and allowing just two earned runs to the White Sox in Chicago. When he faced tonight's opponent (the Rangers) earlier this season, he went seven shutout innings allowing just two hits and striking out three. He'll return to Texas tonight and face his former team again, and can be used as a value play although there definitely is a high degree of risk.
CATCHER
High Price: Wilin Rosario (COL): Rosario went 0-6 in his last two games after a nine-game hitting streak. I think he'll bounce back as the Rox head to Petco; Rosario is 5-12 with a pair of homers and five RBI against tonight's starter Edinson Volquez.
Budget Bargain: Victor Martinez (DET): V-Mart has hit safely in nine in a row and comes into play tonight 8-16 vs Indians starter Scott Kazmir with two doubles and a home run. He's hitting .368 (14-38) with a homer and six RBI against his former Tribe teammates this season.
FIRST BASE
High Price: Paul Goldschmidt (ARI): Goldy has gone 9-27 over the last week with three doubles, a home run, and five RBI. He and the D-Backs continue their homestand as they welcome in the Dodgers and Zack Greinke today.
Budget Bargain: Lyle Overbay (NYY): Overbay is 11-40 with three doubles and two homers against Jeremy Guthrie. He's hit safely in eight of ten and has hit .300 in the early going for the month of July.
SECOND BASE
High Price: Robinson Cano (NYY): Cano was on fire before the O's came to town and he cooled off going 2-9 in the weekend series. He'll look to bounce back today and be glad to see Jeremy Guthrie who he is 10-40 against in his career with two doubles, three homers, and six RBI.
Budget Bargain: Daniel Murphy (NYM): Murphy is 5-14 with a pair of doubles off of Giants starter Tim Lincecum in his career and has gone 6-25 in his last five games with three runs scored, a double and a home run.
SHORTSTOP
High Price: Hanley Ramirez (LAD): Ramirez has been on fire since returning from the DL; he's hitting .410 on the season with 41 hits in 100 at-bats. 18 of those hits have gone for extra bases with seven leaving the yard and he's added four stolen bases in four chances. The Dodgers lineup has definitely been impacted by #66 and Puig-mania, but Hanley's red-hot return has had a lot to do with their recent turnaround too.
Budget Bargain: Omar Quintanilla (NYM): Quintanilla has gone 8-24 to start the month with a double, a triple and a stolen base. He's 5-14 against Lincecum in his career with a double and a pair of walks. If you have to go cheap at SS, check out the Mets' lefty.
THIRD BASE
High Price: Miguel Cabrera (DET): Cabrera missed July 4 with a bad back but he's gone 6-13 in the three games since then, including a 4-4 performance Sunday. He has three homers in his last five games to go with eight RBI. His average is all the way up to .368 and he has 28 homers and 90 RBI as he chases another triple crown. He's 5-17 (.294) against Scott Kazmir in the past with a homer and eight RBI. If you can afford him, there's little doubt that Cabrera is the best option money can buy at the hot corner
Budget Bargain: Trevor Plouffe (MIN): Plouffe has rediscovered his power stroke with four homers in his last nine games bringing his total for the season up to nine. He and the Twins face Roberto Hernandez and the Rays tonight at the Trop. Plouffe is 2-7 against Hernandez in the past but both hits have been home runs. He's a nice value play at 3B today.
OUTFIELD
High Price: Jayson Werth (WAS): The Nats are in Werth's old territory as they take on the Phillies tonight. Werth has gone 4-12 with a homer against his former team this season and has started July hot, going 11-25 over the last week with a homer and eight RBI. Tonight he faces former National John Lannan in a "Freaky Friday" matchup on Monday. He hit Lannan well in their previously-reversed roles going 9-27 with four homers and seven RBI.
High Price: Justin Upton (ATL): After a torrid start, Upton has come back to earth the last few months. Tonight may be a good night for him to get it turned back around though as he and the Braves take on the Fish in Miami and he faces Kevin Slowey whom Upton is 4-4 against in his career with a double, home run, and a walk.
High Price: Jay Bruce (CIN): Bruce has been feast or famine, getting two hits in four of his last nine games and zero in the other five. He hasn't homered during that stretch making him seem due a long ball as he and the Reds head to Milwaukee to take on Kyle Lohse. Bruce has hit .308 (8-26) against him in the past with three doubles, a triple, and a home run.
Budget Bargain: Tyler Colvin (COL): With the recent rash of injuries to the Rockies outfield, Colvin needs to step up and claim a spot. He hasn't been able to do that lately though, as he's struggled going 2-20 in his last eight games. Tonight could be a different story as he takes on Edinson Volquez at Petco. Colvin has homered and doubled in his three at-bats against Volquez in the past and should fare much better as he faces righties and avoids tough southpaws.
Budget Bargain: Logan Schafer (MIL): As long as Schafer makes it into the lineup tonight, he'll be a good play against Homer Bailey and the Reds. Schafer went 3-4 Saturday with a double and RBI ans has started the last six for Milwaukee. He should get the nod, especially since he has gone 3-3 in his looks at Bailey with a pair of doubles and two RBI. A pitchers who throws a no-hitter often struggles in his next start, and Schafer will hope thats the case against the Reds tonight.
Budget Bargain: Brian Bogusevic (CHC): Bogusevic is among the cheapest options there are in most scoring systems, but he had a solid start before getting injured. In his nine games played, he's 9-31 with three doubles, three RBI, and a stolen base. If he's in the lineup tonight against the crosstown rival White Sox, there's no better bargain basement option than Bogusevic.
As always, remember to check your daily MLB lineups before they lock and make sure you are doing your own research, too, for optimal performance! The most successful daily leaguers are grinders who are constantly tweaking their lineups as the day goes on and fantasy news gets released. Good luck today, RotoBallers!
