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Reminder: Always double check the lineup card before rosters lock to make sure that a player you've chosen to roster is playing that day, and check the weather to make sure your players won't get rained out of their game.
3 from Early
Pitcher: David Price ($11,400) vs Seattle Mariners
Seattle has a bottom third offense vs LHP on the year at an 89 wRC+ and a middle third K% of 20.6%. They also DFAed one of their better hitters vs LHP, Rickie Weeks, earlier this year because of his poor defense and inability to hit RHP. Comerica Park is a good park to pitch in, and Hisashi Iwakuma has been far less effective this year than normal. Price is a good bet to go deep into the game with a solid amount of strikeouts, and presents the best chance among pitchers to score the highest point total. Use undervalued hitters to fit him into the budget without huge production dropoffs at the hitting positions. Two are listed below.
Avoid: Scott Kazmir faces the Blue Jays, which is a no play because of Toronto's elite ability to hit LHP. Toronto has a 131 wRC+ and .181 ISO vs LHP, #1 in baseball. Specifically, Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista are among baseball's most elite lefty mashers.
C- Stephen Vogt ($2,700) vs Drew Hutchison
It's a day game after a night game, so Vogt might not be in the lineup, but if he is, his $2700 is strong value. Vogt has hit RHP to an elite 158 wRC+/.243 ISO this year in 244 PA. Hutchison has been about average vs LHB.
OF- Josh Reddick ($2,800) vs Drew Hutchison
Reddick is very similar to Vogt both in price and production vs RHP. Reddick has hit RHP to a 151 wRC+/.204 ISO this year in 263 PA. Playing both Vogt and Reddick at these sub 3k prices helps a fantasy owner fit David Price into their lineup.
3 from Late
Pitcher: Clayton Kershaw ($13,000) vs NY Mets
A fantasy owner should not be scared off by Kershaw's high price when matchups are this good. Cheap, productive hitters are available to get Kershaw into a lineup, and the matchup with the Mets is strong. The Mets offense is really, really poor right now. The Dodgers are also the #1 team vs RHP as an offense and face Bartolo Colon, so Kershaw figures to get plenty of run support. Here are two hitters in the under $3k range that can help drive up the average price of each player left in the budget after selecting Kershaw:
OF- Andre Ethier ($2,400) vs Bartolo Colon
Ethier has hit RHP to an elite 147 wRC+/.205 ISO in 254 PA this year, which is around his career norm. He faces Bartolo Colon, a fly ball pitcher who has been getting knocked around this year. Ethier will have a good chance for extra base hits and run scoring as part of the best offense in baseball vs RHP.
OF- Joc Pederson ($2,800) vs Bartolo Colon
Pederson has slumped in July, but slumps can create value, and his matchup vs Colon is a good place to help him bust out of his lack of production lately. On the year, Pederson has a 141 wRC+/ .259 ISO vs RHP in 314 PA, and Colon has given up 46.5% fly balls to LHB this year. Colon's FIP is good, but just watching him, he seems to be getting wacked pretty good in a lot of his games and is prone to blow up starts. Pederson hits leadoff, giving him extra PA chances, and if Colon has another blow up start, Pederson is a strong bet to be a large part of the run scoring.
Follow me on Twitter at @TimFinn521, I usually tweet out more good options as lineups are released.