We’ll be loading up on big bats with tonight’s MLB Fantasy Top Plays.

This evening is extremely weird, as our top pitcher listed below is also the most expensive option on the board — by over $3,000. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that he’s barely $17,000. That should tell you everything about the state of starting pitching tonight. While I certainly recommend rostering the top overall options each night in your cash games, tonight may be a night to deviate slightly from that path in a moderate percentage of you volume play, and especially in tournaments.

The biggest winners tonight will be those who correctly predict the top value hurler performances. As such, choosing the best hitters among our MLB Fantasy Top Plays is key, as there will be an abundance of beastly bats in every lineup. My official recommendation on days like this is to scale back your cash game play and add more tournament bullets to the arsenal. Let’s take a look at our MLB Fantasy Top Plays for tonight!

Five Guys MLB Fantasy Top Plays

Evan Longoria $9,850 - Longoria is one of tonight’s top overall hitters, and targeting right-handed Rays bats is a sound idea this evening. The best part is the salary, as Longo has been in a bit of a slump to start the year. Normally you’d expect to pay around $11,000 for an option of his caliber, but as you see we’re receiving a significant discount for the prolific slugger in a favorable spot.

Ervin Santana $17,300 - Tonight’s lone true “ace” on the mound is also extremely affordable. The matchup isn’t terrifying, and Santana has resembled his former self for much of this season. The lone outlier was his last start, and despite being roughed up he still managed seven K’s in 6.2 innings of work. With no real contenders for top play status this evening I feel like you should be paying up for him in 75% or more of your cash games.

Joe Mauer $9,400 - Mauer is the top catcher on the board today, and he’ll lead a surprisingly strong Twins offense. Minnesota is a well-oiled machine, sitting near the top of many offensive categories. Red Patterson is making an emergency start for the second game of today’s doubleheader, and he’s simply not a Major League Baseball caliber option. Look at the entire Twins lineup as a viable play capable of piecing together a big evening.

Hanley Ramirez $10,650 - Ramirez is the top shortstop on the board outside of Troy Tulowitzki. We often talk about opportunity cost when examining shortstops, and once you fall below HanRam and Tulo there’s a significant dropoff. What makes this an even easier choice though is the fact that the streaking Tulowitzki is priced exorbitantly, while Hanley is affordable.

Daniel Murphy $8,850 - Whenever action is taking place at Coors Field you generally want a piece. Daniel Murphy has sneakily been a monster in the early season, and it seems the “babygate” troubles are long behind him at this point. Look for him to continue his impressive hitting streak against Juan Nicasio tonight.