It’s time to find the Draftstreet daily fantasy baseball value pitchers who can give you a chance to win your leagues tonight. As has been the case for much of the first week of the season, most of the low-cost pitchers are relatively young and inexperienced. But that doesn’t mean they’re not worth your time.
Best Bet
Yordano Ventura – $8,488
Ventura was supposed to make his first start of the year last week, but that got pushed back because of rain. Rather than start him the next day, Royals manager Ned Yost decided to use him in the bullpen in the meantime instead. The team wants to limit his innings this year to around 180, so Yost felt no need to force another start on him. Now, though, he’s scheduled to start again, with much anticipation from the Kansas City fanbase. The Royals hope that Ventura can one day become their own Pedro Martinez, and while there is a lot that needs to happen before that becomes a reality, the ability is there. He made three starts last year, posting a 3.52 ERA and limiting opponents to a .224 average. Then, this spring, it was more of the same, with the same .224 BAA and a 2.70 ERA in 23.1 innings, while averaging a strikeout an inning. Rested and ready to go, Ventura makes for a nice and inexpensive play against the Rays.
Double Down
James Paxton – $12,726
Ventura and Paxton are your 1 and 1a options for tonight. But the fact that Ventura is a cheaper option by more than $4,000, that gives him the slight edge. Paxton, though, more than deserves a spot on this list today. The lefty’s Major League career, while very brief, has been excellent. In four starts last fall, he was 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA. This spring, he turned in a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings. Now, as a member of the Mariners’ staff from the outset, Paxton has still shown why he belongs. He went seven strong innings, giving up only two hits while striking out nine Angels. It was a great moment for Paxton, and now sets the tone for his season. It’s a lot to follow up on, but Paxton has shown he can handle it any chance he’s gotten. Another date against the Angels tonight should go pretty well for him, too.
Roll the Dice
Jose Quintana – $12,200
Quintana had a rough preseason, giving up 20 runs in 11 innings. Batters hit a staggering .375 against him. To put it bluntly, he was hammered. But he didn’t let that follow him into the regular season. Quintana made his first start of the year last Thursday and was a completely different pitcher. He threw six innings and allowed two earned runs (though three more unearned runs) while picking up eight strikeouts against Minnesota. Quintana was also able to go at least seven innings in four of his last five starts. It may have been last fall, though when you’re looking at low-cost options, it’s something to consider. But, beware, he does have a tough matchup against the Rockies, who have the third-highest run total in the league and fifth fewest strikeouts.
