The Toronto Blue Jays open their home season today against the Tigers and it will mark the first time that a game is being played post renovations to Right Field. The renovations essentially should make it easier for hitters as the park gets smaller and while people see Right-CF and think that helps lefties I also caution that most lefties when they pull the ball well usually hit it out of medium sized stadiums anyways. So the real boost here, is for RHH who love to spray oppo-field, you know, like Bo Bichette.
WEATHER
It’s warmer today almost everywhere.
- 15+ mph wind out to CF in Citi Field
- 15+ mph wind out to CF in Wrigleyville, with 70+ degree temps and Chris Flexen Deez Nutz on the mound
- 13+ mph wind out to LF in Target. Good weather here for … *checks notes* Minnesota in April????
- Chase Field Roof is Open
This is an A-list pitcher day, we have proven Cy Young caliber guys like Ohtani, Burnes, deGrom and then we have rising stars like Manoah & May, solid trust worthy options like Pablo Lopez and Merrill Kelly and then there’s Chris Flexen and Matt Manning, who, just aren’t good.
SHOHEI OHTANI
Shotime should arguably be 10.5k on DK and 12k on FanDuel since he is at home and facing the Nationals, but often times I and many MLB DFS players get caught up in pricing and it really doesn’t matter. We’re expecting 8-10 strikeouts from Ohtani, very limited power from the Nationals and this is one stadium it’s kinda cooler in tonight so look for a lower scoring game dominated by Ohtani.
ALEK MANOAH
Even though the stadium could help hitting I am not opposed to using quality arms like Manoah, especially when he is in a spot that favors him like this. Manoah struggles with good lefties, the Tigers do not really have much in that department and outside of Riley Greene poking one right down the line, I can’t see the Tigers getting to him.
Manoah’s coming off a 7 inning performance vs KC where he did walk 4 guys, so I look for better command today as he settles into his third start after a bad first, decent second and now … a slate winning performance. He’s only #2 here because Ohtani is at home vs Washington.
CORBIN BURNES
There are two theories right now with Burnes struggling. One is that he is angry because of the off-season arbitration hearings when the Brewers pinched him big time. The other is that he is injured or didn’t take the off-season approach well enough since his velocity is down 1.5 mph and he’s not getting SwStr as much in the early part of the season.
Buy now. Now is the time to buy into Burnes.
FADE
JACOB deGROM
Watch this be the deGrom start where he exits early with a strained deGrom muscle. Either Pasquantino or Dozier will take him yard and with enough other strong options today, I am fine fading deGrom who people will no doubt be heavily chasing after missing him last start & seeing what Heaney did last night.
BLUE JAYS
Bichette, Varsho
Toronto scores 8 runs max tonight, but they do so with 3 homers. Bichette, Varsho and … Kevin Kiermaier ladies and gentlemen, those are my 3 guys that I like and would take a ride on in a SGP with Bichette/Varsho being the DFS core.
CARDINALS
Edman, Carlson, O’Neill, Walker, Yepez
85 degrees with 67% dewpoint in Coors. Not bad, not bad at all. This should be the night the Cardinals offense Ambushes the opposing SP. They have started too poorly and are just itching to go off. We need to see the lineup card post as Edman-Carlson-Goldy-Contreras-O’Neill-Walker-Yepez and then it’s lights out for the Rockies. Good spot on DK to say f it and just play 5 Cardinals because everyone not named Goldy/Arenado is pretty cheap here, so with 1B being deep, we can pass on Goldy.in a 5 man stack.
CUBS
Bellinger, Happ, Mancini
While the wind should help both sides, it’s the Cubs lineup who is better. Honestly, the Mariners lineup IS NOT GOOD and if you stop and go through American League teams you quickly find they are bottom 5, and quite possibly only better than the Tigers and Athletics. So in a Windy Wrigley game I’ll take the lineup that faces Chris Flexen. Thanks.
Also Like: Braves
CATCHER
- Willson Contreras
- Tyler Stephenson … For the narrative crowd, Stephenson is from the Atlanta area. The Analytics crowd will say that Kyle Wright is good vs RHH and that’s fair, but a mistake on a fastball and it’s going to land in Stephenson’s HS parking lot.
- Tucker Barnhardt … Some tough pricing decisions today on DK, not the worst night to search for value behind the dish.
FIRST BASE
Entire world should wright up Goldy here, and while I liked him in Miller Park, I do not love chasing Goldy before the middle of May, he’s annually been a slow starter and with the Cardinals needing to score a ton to pay off in a stack you should look at Yepez in the bottom of the lineup over Goldy in STL stack(s). This position has good value at it, take a gamble.
- Trey Mancini
- Vinnie Pasquantino
- Yuan Yepez
SECOND BASE
- Ryan McMahon
- Nico Hoerner
- Nick Gordon
THIRD BASE
- Nolan Arenado
- Austin Riley
- Manny Machado
SHORTSTOP
- Bo Bichette
- Tommy Edman
- Dansby Swanson
OUTFIELD – Mt. Rushmore
- Daulton Varsho
- Trey Mancini
- Dylan Carlson
- Ian Happ
OUTFIELD – Tier 2
- Cody Bellinger
- Tyler O’Neill
- Starling Marte
OUTFIELD – Value
- Jordan Walker
- Marcell Ozuna
- Kevin Keirmaier
- Jake Lamb
- Marcell Ozuna – OF – Braves – Chairman of The Dongers Club
- Bo Bichette – SS – Blue Jays
- Tyler Stephenson – C – Reds
- Austin Riley – 3B – Braves
- Ryan McMahon – 2B – Rockies
- Vinnie Pasquantino – 1B – Royals
- Trey Mancini – OF – Cubs
- Daulton Varsho – OF – Blue Jays
- BONUS …………… Kevin Kerimaier – OF – Blue Jays
FAVORITE BET(s)
- Atlanta Braves -1.5
TOP PROP(s) OF THE DAY
Pitchers (1-2 yesterday…. 22-11 on season)
- Jacob deGrom under 9.5
- Hayden Wesneski over 4.5
- David Peterson under 4.5