Friday's First Baseman/DH Value Rankings
Here are theScore's first baseman/DH value rankings for Friday, April 8:
Value Rankings
C | 1B/DH | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP
Top Options
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Freddie Freeman (ATL) | vs. STL | 9 |
| Jose Abreu (CWS) | vs. CLE | 9 |
| Chris Davis (BAL) | vs. TB | 9 |
| Adrian Gonzalez (LAD) | at SF | 8 |
| Eric Hosmer (KC) | vs. MIN | 8 |
| Edwin Encarnacion (TOR) | vs. BOS | 8 |
| Paul Goldschmidt (ARI) | vs. CHC | 8 |
Freeman has only seven at bats against Jaime Garcia, but he's made the most of them: the slugger has four hits, including two home runs against the southpaw. He may get faded with the lefty-lefty matchup, so he makes for a great GPP option.
Encarnacion has an absurd .533 OBP in 15 plate appearances against Joe Kelly. The Blue Jays always seem to put on a show for the home opener, and don't expect anything less against the wildly inconsistent Kelly.
Mid-Tier Targets
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Howard (PHI) | at NYM | 7 |
| Sean Rodriguez (PIT) | at CIN | 7 |
| Prince Fielder (TEX) | at LAA | 7 |
| Miguel Cabrera (DET) | vs. NYY | 7 |
| Victor Martinez (DET) | vs. NYY | 7 |
| Mike Napoli (CLE) | at CWS | 6 |
| Mitch Moreland (TEX) | at LAA | 6 |
| Mark Reynolds (COL) | vs. SD | 6 |
| Ben Paulsen (COL) | vs. SD | 6 |
| Lucas Duda (NYM) | vs. PHI | 6 |
| Brandon Belt (SF) | vs. LAD | 6 |
| Anthony Rizzo (CHC) | at ARI | 6 |
| Albert Pujols (LAA) | vs. TEX | 6 |
| Kendrys Morales (KC) | vs. MIN | 6 |
| Chris Carter (MIL) | vs. HOU | 5 |
| Logan Morrison (TB) | at BAL | 5 |
| Byung Ho Park (MIN) | at KC | 5 |
| Wil Myers (SD) | at COL | 5 |
| Alex Rodriguez (NYY) | at DET | 5 |
Howard is a modest 4-for-14 off of Jacob deGrom in his career, but half of those hits left the yard. His boom-or-bust history limits him to tournament use.
Sean Rodriguez has five hits in 12 tries against Alfredo Simon. His price hovers just above the minimum salary, but he sometimes sits against RHP, so the starting lineup will need to be closely monitored.
Nothing to See Here
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Joey Votto (CIN) | vs. PIT | 4 |
| Chris Colabello (TOR) | vs. BOS | 4 |
| Mark Teixeira (NYY) | at DET | 3 |
| Carlos Santana (CLE) | at CWS | 3 |
| David Ortiz (BOS) | at TOR | 3 |
| Joe Mauer (MIN) | at KC | 2 |
| John Jaso (PIT) | at CIN | 2 |
| Mike Morse (PIT) | at CIN | 2 |
Santana, a switch hitter, has swung the bat much better from the right side throughout his career, but John Danks has given him fits. Santana is just 6-for-35 against the veteran lefty.
Big Papi loves hitting at the Rogers Centre. He's hit 39 home runs at the Dome -- second among active ballparks behind Fenway Park. However, Blue Jays ace Marcus Stroman has given him troubles. Ortiz is just 2-for-11 off of the young righty.