If you need a way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, watch a few baseball games tonight and make sure to fill out your daily fantasy baseball lineup at Draftstreet. And consider these low-cost pitchers to help you bring home some money.
Best Bet
Martin Perez – $13,618
If it wasn’t for one bad start, Perez’s 2.95 ERA would be much lower than it already is. That poor outing came on Tuesday. He was tagged for eight hits and eight runs in 4.2 innings. It is not what the Rangers had come to expect from him so far this season. The team won his first five games, with Perez picking up the win in four of them. In his last two before his blowup, he threw complete game shutouts, and that was preceded by an eight-inning shutout performance. It’s not worth worrying too much about his last start. He was hit hard by an Oakland team that owns the fourth-best offense in baseball. More than that, he faced them just six days earlier, and the Athletics are plenty good enough to adjust to a pitcher they’d seen that frequently. He does have a tough matchup tonight against Colorado, but he also threw complete game shutouts against both the A’s and MLB’s second-best lineup in the White Sox, so feel good about starting him.
Double Down
Jordan Lyles – $10,249
In six starts, Lyles has failed to go at least six innings only twice, and it’s been four outings since his last five-inning effort. Over his last three, he has gone a total of 20 innings, and has given up just three earned runs. Even his two shorter appearances weren’t total blowouts. He gave up three runs once and four runs another time. It’s all totaled a 3-0 record with a 2.70 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. A few more strikeouts would be nice, but he at least shouldn’t hurt you with an awful performance. Even against a good offense like the Rangers, he’s worth a look.
Roll the Dice
Chris Young – $9,444
The 34-year-old continues to make an impact on the Mariners’ starting rotation. In five games, including on relief appearance, he is 1-0 with a 3.04 ERA. He’s led his team to wins in each of his last two starts, during which he’s gone 12.2 innings, allowing seven hits and four runs. He will face Oakland for the third time this season, and he has yet to allow a run to them. In eight innings, he has given up just four hits. While repeat starts against the Athletics likely doomed Perez to some degree, it shouldn’t be as harsh for Young. His appearances against them came in his first two of the season. It’s been more than three weeks since they have met, whereas it was just six days for Perez. It will be a difficult matchup for Young, but he’s earned a spot in your lineup based on what he’s done this season and his very affordable price.
