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Todd Zola is in the lead by 15 points over Andrea LaMont and Howard Bender, who are just barely ahead of Mike Gianella and Steve Moyer. And there are many right behind them. This week will be make or break for some of those teams. Especially if Zola continues to score big.

The whole leaderboard is here.

In an unusual turn, we’re playing this week’s contest including the 2:20 ET matinee at Wrigley Field. Those who missed that starting time will be allowed to submit legal rosters (no Rangers or Cubs) up until 7pm ET tonight. The salary list is here: RTDaily-Baseball-Salaries-2.

Who do the Touts pick tonight? Look for the results here at ToutWars.com on Saturday morning.

BRIAN WALTON:

Though Carlos Carrasco ($8600 @ Minnesota) allowed five runs in his last pre-break start, four were unearned due to shaky defense behind him. Over the last month, seven starts and 32 innings, the lndians’ ace has an ERA of 1.97 and takes on the toothless Twins Friday night.

Despite Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph ($3300 vs. NY Mets) being best known as a lefty-masher, more than half of his hits in his current 10-for-18 hot stretch were against righties, such as Friday’s opponent, 43-year-old Mets All-Star Bartolo Colon. Joseph’s price cannot be beaten, freeing money to use elsewhere.

PHIL HERTZ

I’m recommending Carlos Carrasco ($8600 @ Minnesota) as a pitcher and betting that Giancarlo Stanton ($5,700 @ St. Lous) didn’t leave all his home run swings in San Diego.

LAWR MICHAELS

Mike Gianella and Todd Zola tied for second. Todd’s was the highest finishing team that rostered Chris Sale, who scored only two points on the night.

The standings:

Adam’s team:

UPDATE: After two weeks in Period 4, Todd Zola has opened a 15-point lead over Andrea LaMont and Howard Bender. None of the Top 10 teams at this point have previously this year won tickets to the August 26th finals, but among those who have (and could win a second ticket this period), Brian Walton is 12th, Rob Leibowitz is 14th, Jason Collette is 15th, and Jeff Erickson is 17th.

You can see the entire leaderboard here.

We’re heading into the second week of the four-week Period Four of Tout Daily by RTSports.com. You can read the rules here.

After Week 1 Stephania Bell has the lead, with Scott Engel, Todd Zola, Ray Murphy and Tom Kessenich right behind her. You can see the leaderboard here.

Each week the touts send us their top picks for the week. You can follow tonight’s action at RTSports.com/tout-wars, and sign up there to play for prizes or fun.

LAWR MICHAELS

I like Chris Sale ($9,400 vs Atlanta) and Collin McHugh ($7,200 vs Oakland) as pitchers, and Giancarlo Stanton ($5,700 vs Cincinnati) and Odubel Herrera ($4,000 @ Colorado) as hitters!

PHIL HERTZ

Pitcher is Matt Shoemaker ($5,900 @ Baltimore), the hitter is Nolan Arenado ($6,800 vs Philadelphia).

HOWARD BENDER

Chris Sale ($9,400 vs Atlanta) I mean…come on. How do you not use a guy like Sale with this kind of match-up? Sure, it limits your Coors exposure with the bats but the Braves have a .256 wOBA with a 22-percent strikeout rate over the last week and a .273 wOBA with a 21-percent K-rate against southpaws this season. If he doesn’t hit double digit Ks and limit them to one run or fewer, it means the Touts and the baseball gods have conspired against me!

Adrian Gonzalez ($5,300 vs San Diego) He’s got five hits in his last three games and has hit safely in seven of his last 10 with five multi-hit games in that span. He also loves feasting on Andrew Cashner. Over 37 plate appearances against the Padres righty, he’s batting .344 (1.182 OPS) with four home runs, six RBI, eight runs scored and five walks. Giddy up!

CHARLIE WIEGERT

Sometimes you need to zig when everyone else zags. That’s my approach today, with a slate of top pitchers going demanding big salary commitment, I’m taking low priced pitchers and saving $ for hitters.

Top Pitchers…J.A. Happ ($6,300 vs Detroit) and Dan Straily ($3,100 @ Miami).  Neither are impressive, but both are in situations where they should get 6-7 innings, 4-5 k’s and a win…I’m hoping for 12-15 points from each.

Top Hitters…yes I need some production. Josh Donaldson ($6,800 vs. Detroit) and Troy Tulowitzki ($4,900 vs. Detroit),  Jose Altuve ($6,100 vs Oakland) and George Springer ($6,100 vs Oakland), and Rajai Davis ($4,700 vs New York) and Mike Napoli ($4,500 vs NY Yankees), all playing at home.  My sleeper pick is Randall Grichuk ($3,700 @ Milwaukee) vs lefty Nelson.  He’s looked sharp since his return from the minors, and went deep yesterday. I’m hoping for lightning to strike again!

JEFF BOGGIS

Jose Fernandez ($9,600 vs Cincinnati) Despite losing 3 out of his last 4 outings, Fernandez is my top pitcher for tonight’s contest. He is a much better pitcher at home and his home stats for this season back this up. At home, Fernandez is 7-1 with an ERA of 1.72 and and a K/BB ratio of 89/17.

Josh Donaldson ($6,800 vs Detroit) I love stacking Toronto players when they are at home for our Friday night contests and Donaldson is the best hitter on his team. Over the past 14 days, Donaldson has the best stats of any hitter with 18 runs, 5 home runs, 14 runs batted in, 1 stolen base, and a .429 batting average.

RAY MURPHY

Jonathan Gray ($6,000 vs Philadelphia) has been strong at Coors this year. Against a weak Phillies lineup, I’m willing to start him in thin air

Michael Saunders ($5,200 vs Detroit) faces the always-hittable Mike Pelfrey tonight, in Rogers Centre. Yes please!

MIKE GIANELLA

Top Pitcher Jose Fernandez ($9,600 vs Cincinnati) Fernandez has the highest whiff rate in the majors, and matches up well at home against a Cincinnati offense that has struggled on the road (fourth lowest wOBA in baseball).

Top Hitter – D.J. LeMahieu ($4,900 vs Philadelphia) Two weeks ago, I won the scoring period in Tout Daily by aggressively using lower profile hitters at Coors. With the Phillies in town, I thought I would repeat the strategy, allowing me to roster two high-end pitchers while taking advantage of the Coors factor. LeMahieu isn’t likely to knock the ball out of the park, but will hopefully put up a solid night anyway.

TIM HEANEY

Chris Sale ($9,400 vs Atlanta) MLB wins leader vs. league’s second-worst offense (.619 OPS) vs. LHP.

Carlos Gonzalez ($6,700 vs Philadelphia) High price is worth it. Among hitters, T-2nd-most HR (13), 3rd-highest OPS (1.112).

BRIAN WALTON

For $1000 less than top-dollared Jake Arrieta, I will go with Cole Hamels ($8,800 vs Minnesota), who draws the whiff-tastic Twins at home. His last outing was rocky, but Texas’ ace has been solid all season long.

Jake Lamb ($4800 @ San Francisco) is on a roll. During his active eight-game hitting streak, the Arizona third baseman has five home runs and 10 RBI. Against Friday’s night opponent Jeff Samardzija, Lamb is 3-for-6 including two doubles in his career.

 

Stephania Bell didn’t play Tout Daily by RTSports any of the four weeks of Period 3. She was busy, work and life got in the way, one has to prioritize. But when she was ready to play, in Week 1 of Period 4, her team exploded, popping into first place late in the evening on Johnny Cueto’s win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Cueto wasn’t Bell’s best pitcher. Reserve that spot for Michael Fulmer, whose 10 strikeout winning performance against Tampa Bay was the biggest scoring game on the night.

And some of her hitters contributed, too, mainly James Loney, owned by one percent of RTSports owners last night, had a homer and a double on his way to 12 much-needed points. Having Mike Trout didn’t hurt.

Bell finished just two points ahead of Scott Engel, who had also taken a leave of absence in Period 3. Engel got a fine night from Jaime Garcia, who won his game versus the Brewers, and strong hitting performances from Kendrys Morales (playing right field!), Chase d’Arnaud (who cost only $1.6K), and Mookie Betts. Brett Lawrie, Carlos Correa and George Springer contributed four points apiece.

Speaking of Springer, his name is on the roster of six of the top seven finishing teams on the night, though his four points (at a cost of $5.7K) was not particularly efficient. Perhaps it is telling that he was also the night’s last-place finisher’s roster.

Three teams missed the unusual 6:05pm early start of the week’s contest. They were not allowed to play for the night’s championship, but were allowed to submit rosters before the 7:05pm regular start so they could compete in Period 4 overall.

Top 10 pitching performances (pitchers on teams that finished in the Top 10): Johnny Cueto (16), Michael Fulmer (21), Jaime Garcia (17), Ian Kennedy (10), Bud Norris (18!), Julio Teheran (7.66), Steven Wright (8), Jacob deGrom (15).

One final note: It looked like a good night to stack hitters from the Texas teams, but it was not.

One extra final note: Eno Sarris finished 10th and got no, zero, nada, nunca points from his outfielders, Ryan Braun, Adam Jones and Angel Pagan.

See the whole Leaderboard here.

You can play RTSports.com’s daily fantasy games for prizes or fun every day of the week. Click here to start!