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Welcome to another Saturday edition of RIVAL Fantasy picks for MLB! We will focus on two fantasy contest types offered on RIVAL - Challenges and FantasyBook (Over/Under) for MLB games on Saturday, July 5th.
Challenges are H2H matchups between two MLB players. You choose which one you think will score the most fantasy points, then place a bet to back it. If another user decides on the other player at any time before the contest, the bet is on! If your player scores more fantasy points, you win 1.8x your bet. FantasyBook is more traditional over/under DFS prop picks - whether you think pitchers and hitters will score Over or Under the set lines, and choosing your amount. You can parlay multiple picks together to vastly increase the juice (ex: 3 picks = 5x your bet).
RIVAL Fantasy offers some of the industry's best and easiest-to-win MLB DFS games. There are no large-field tournaments filled with sharks where you have to get lucky to place. At RIVAL Fantasy, you're not playing against other people; you're just playing against the projections. Check here for the updated rules and scoring.
RIVAL Challenge Picks
Maikel Garcia OVER Aaron Judge
This might seem weird at first, but I see a Rival player (or maybe a few) has already laid some money on Judge against lesser hitters. I just might take them up on that challenge today. Judge has had just one big game since returning from injury. While he is drawing some walks, he hasn't been picking up many extra-base hits (just one home run against Baltimore last week).
Meanwhile, Garcia has been leading off for the Royals and has a nice little eight-game hitting streak going. He's scored a run or driven in a run in all eight of those games, too, while swiping a base once. If Judge hits a bomb today, we probably lose. However, he has struggled in his career against Justin Verlander to the tune of a .133 average with 10 strikeouts in 31 plate appearances. He does have two home runs off Verlander, but those are his only extra-base hits.
Elly De La Cruz OVER Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Talk about a matchup between exciting, dynamic, speedy players! I am taking EDLC here based on a much better matchup and some solid recent form. He's homered in each of his last two games and today he will face Joan Adon from the Nationals. Adon hasn't pitched much at the major league level this year. However, last year he was lit up by lefties to the tune of a .377 wOBA and .231 ISO while striking out only 14.7% of hitters. He's a HR-prone pitcher and a guy who EDLC is likely to make contact against.
Chisholm faces Jon Gray, a pitcher who he has never seen before in his career. Gray hasn't been amazing this year, but he has limited the damage most times out and is only allowing a .302 wOBA to lefties.
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RIVAL Over/Under Picks
Matt Olson (OVER), Masataka Yoshida (OVER), Corey Seager (OVER)
Matt Olson continues to be one of the most consistent hitters in baseball. Even on nights when he's not going yard, he's been driving in runs with timely singles or doubles. It feels like there's almost always someone on base when he comes to the plate because of how good this Atlanta offense is around him. The Cubs just moved Javier Assad from the bullpen into the rotation to start today and it could get ugly. He's been okay as a middle reliever this year but has a low K% and high BB% while allowing 52% hard contact to lefties.
Yoshida had a double last night and now has hit safely in three straight after he had gone through a little mini-slump. He has had some success against Berrios this year, going 4-6 at the plate with a double and home run. Berrios can struggle against lefties while Yoshida has thrived on hitting RHP this season.
If Seager had stayed healthy all year I feel like he'd be at least in the conversation for an MVP (and if Ohtani wasn't doing unheard-of things, too). Seager continues to hit for average and power. He hit yet another home run last night and has now homered twice in the three games since returning from his latest IL stint. He will face hard-throwing RHP George Soriano who is making his first start of the year. While his surface numbers are excellent, I would note that he has allowed a .365 wOBA to lefties and a 12.8% barrel rate.
Anthony Santander (OVER), Nick Castellanos (OVER), Jeimer Candelario (OVER)
Spoiler alert - we are going with overs on all six hitters today as I don't much care for the pitcher selection that has been posted.
Let's talk about Santander first. He might be 0-9 over his last two games, but this offense as a whole is firing on all cylinders and they get to pick on the Mets' Tylor Megill today. Megill has struggled this year and is only getting another shot in the rotation because the Mets traded away their top two pitchers. Santander is a switch hitter who can swing around and hit from the right side against lefty relievers, too. This number feels far too low for a player with his hitting ability.
Castellanos has been the Phillies' hottest hitter recently. He homered last night for his second bomb in the last four games and extended his hitting streak to five. He had a pretty "meh" first half but has shown some signs of coming on strong in the second half and perhaps he has a big finish up his sleeve. Today, he will face the rookie Alec Marsh who has been getting hit hard by both righties and lefties alike.
Candelario finally went hitless for the first time as a Cub last night, but I like his chances of getting back on track today. He will face Bryce Elder from Atlanta, a pitcher who has regressed after his hot start to the season. Elder doesn't miss many bats (just a 15% K% to LHH) and has seen his GB% rate to lefties drop, too. Candelario has already taken him yard this season as a member of the Nationals and his numbers hitting from the left side of the plate this year have been fantastic (.388 wOBA, .251 ISO)
Play the MLB FantasyBook Over/Under and Challenges Contests Now on RIVAL Fantasy
Good luck, RotoBallers, and thanks for reading!
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