Friday kicks off the second half of the MLB season, which gives both players and daily fantasy baseball owners a chance to either build off their early success or turn things around after a slow start.
The contests on July 17 feature plenty of high-priced talent like Clayton Kershaw ($13,600) and Jose Fernandez ($10,200) on the mound as well as hitters Paul Goldschmidt ($5,500) and Bryce Harper ($5,400). However, the best way to succeed might be to use some of these bargains and create balance with your team.
Julio Teheran, SP, Atlanta Braves ($8,100)
It seems like Julio Teheran is way too good to have a 4.56 ERA at the All-Star break, but the crazy thing is that most of the damage has come on the road this year:
The Braves ace has looked like a Cy Young candidate when at Turner Field and has pitched at least seven innings in each of his last five home starts. Against a Chicago Cubs team that strikes out more than anyone else in the National League, Teheran can easily outproduce his cost.
Mike Montgomery, SP, Seattle Mariners ($6,400)
The former highly touted Kansas City Royals pitcher is finally putting together the major league career many expected of him a few years ago. In eight starts with the Mariners, he has posted a 2.29 ERA thanks mainly to back-to-back complete-game shutouts in June.
While he came back to earth a bit in his last start (five earned runs in five innings), Montgomery still has plenty of talent and is tough to hit. Opponents have only batted .209 against him this year for a reason. He should be able to get back on track Friday against the New York Yankees.
Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays ($4,100)
Although his power numbers are down this year, Evan Longoria's .276 batting average and .350 on-base percentage would be his highest in three seasons. More importantly, he has a great matchup against a pitcher who hasn't performed anywhere near as well as his 8-2 record would indicate.
Toronto Blue Jays starter Drew Hutchison comes out of the All-Star break with a 5.33 ERA while failing to get out of the sixth inning in any of his last six starts. The right-hander has especially struggled against fellow righties this year, allowing those batters to hit .335 against him.
Longoria has a chance to lead the Rays to a big day at the plate.
Gerardo Parra, OF, Milwaukee Brewers ($3,900)
The All-Star break couldn't have come at a worse time for Gerardo Parra, who has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball. Since the start of July, the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder has hit .425 to go with four home runs and 11 runs.
He has started nine games this month and has multiple hits in seven of them.
Assuming the few days off didn't cool him off too much, Parra represents great value at this price.
C.J. Cron, 1B, Los Angeles Angels ($3,200)
Throughout the first few months of the year, C.J. Cron only managed a .204 batting average with one home run. After being sent down to the minors and recalled on June 29, the 25-year-old hitter has been a completely different player.
In 10 games since the call-up, Cron has batted .459 with four home runs and 12 RBI. As long as he can keep his new spot in the lineup, this remains a bargain for fantasy players.
Note: All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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