Dream11 Fantasy NPB: Dragons at BayStars

Chunichi Dragons (15-21-3) at Yokohama DeNA BayStars (18-18-2)

Tuesday, August 4th, 5:00 AM EDT

Projected Starters

Yokohama DeNa BayStars: RHP Kentaro Taira (2-2, 1.99 ERA)

Chunichi Dragons: RHP Takumi Yamamoto (1-3, 6.04 ERA)

Game Preview

The Dragons enter this game on a four-game undefeated run (W2, D2), but that doesn't hide the fact that they've been one of the weakest teams in the Central League with a 15-21-3 record – they sit in fifth place of the standings. The BayStars might be coming off a loss the last time out, but they are in third place of the standings with an 18-18-2 record while going 3-1-1 in their last five games. The BayStars are also W7, D1, L2 in their last 10 meetings against the Dragons. As if that wasn't enough, the pitching matchup also favors the BayStars with Kentaro Taira and his 1.99 ERA facing Takumi Yamamoto, who has posted a 6.04 ERA in the current season.

Injuries

Zoilo Almonte - Out - Side

7/3 2:43 PM IST - Almonte was removed from the Dragons' active roster after suffering a side injury Thursday. Almonte hit a ball off his side in Thursday's contest, and he'll be examined Saturday to determine the severity. He'll have to spend at least 10 days off the roster as he recovers. Almonte has a .317 OBP with one home run and five RBI over his first 12 games of 2020.

Ryosuke Hirata - Out - Elbow

7/23 1:30 AM IST - The Dragons deactivated Hirata on Monday due to a right elbow injury. One of the Dragons' more reliable batsmen over the past couple of seasons, Hirata was dropped from the active roster after struggling early on in the 2020 campaign. Over 73 plate appearances, Hirata was batting just .164. Masataka Iryo is expected to take over as the Dragons' primary option in right field in Hirata's stead.

Shun Ishikawa - Out - Hand

7/22 1:24 AM IST - Ishikawa was removed from the Dragons' active roster ahead of Tuesday's 4-0 loss to the Giants due to cartilage damage in his left hand. The Dragons have yet to announce a timeline for Ishikawa's potential return to the active roster. The 30-year-old corner infielder has appeared in 11 games for Chunichi in 2020, going 3-for-10 with a triple and two RBI.

Shotaro Kasahara - Out - Oblique

7/31 3:09 AM IST - Kasahara was diagnosed with a right oblique injury Saturday and has been ruled out indefinitely. Oblique injuries often carry volatile timetables, but it's probably safe to expect the left-hander to be sidelined for multiple weeks. He went 3-2 over his eight outings with the Dragons this season, posting a 5.71 ERA in 34.2 innings.

Yuya Yanagi - Out - Abdomen

7/10 5:56 AM IST - The Dragons deactivated Yanagi on Thursday due to a right abdominal strain, Yahoo Sports Japan reports. Yanagi experienced pain in his side while working out Wednesday, one day after he tossed 121 pitches and struck out 10 over seven innings of one-run ball in a no-decision versus the Swallows. The right-hander lowered his ERA to 1.80 with the excellent outing, but it looks like he'll now have to skip at least his next turn through the rotation and wait until the injury heals up before building on the momentum. The Dragons promoted pitcher Yu Satoh to take Yanagi's spot on the active roster.

Yokohama DeNA BayStars Expected Lineup

SP - Kentaro Taira

1. Takayuki Kajitani

2. Tomo Otosaka

3. Neftali Soto

4. Keita Sano

5. Jose Lopez

6. Toshiro Miyazaki

7. Hikaru Itoh

8. Yamato Maeda

9. Kentaro Taira

Chunichi Dragons Expected Lineup

SP - Takumi Yamamoto

1. Masataka Iryo

2. Yohei Ohshima

3. Toshiki Abe

4. Dayan Viciedo

5. Nobumasa Fukuda

6. Yota Kyoda

7. Takuma Katoh

8. Naomichi Donoue

9. Takumi Yamamoto

Top Picks

Takayuki Kajitani, BayStars: Kajitani has been one of the league's biggest offensive threats, and he is the one who also hits first in the BayStars' order, so he always gets an extra at-bat or two. He has nine homers with 18 RBI while slashing a solid .296/.378/.520 line.

Dayan Viciedo, Dragons: Viciedo is the biggest offensive threat on the Dragons roster, and by a wide margin. He leads the team with nine home runs, but he has also added 32 RBI while hitting an impressive .293 with a .333 on-base percentage.

Toshiro Miyazaki, BayStars: Miyazaki has blasted seven home runs this season, but his game is more than just raw power. The infielder has supplemented that with 24 RBI and a strong .327 batting average.

Neftali Soto, BayStars: Soto has not been able to hit over the .300 threshold and only carries a .246 average, but he has been doing damage every time he puts the barrel to the ball. He has eight homers with 24 RBI.

Captaincy Options

1. Takayuki Kajitani
2. Dayan Viciedo
3. Toshiro Miyazaki

Dream11 Team

P – Kentaro Taira

C – Hikaru Itoh

IF – Keita Sano

IF – Neftali Soto

IF – Toshiro Miyazaki

IF – Dayan Viciedo (VC)

IF – Nobumasa Fukuda

OF – Takayuki Kajitani (C)

OF – Kengo Takeda