This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy CPBL series.
Fubon Guardians (6-9) at Rakuten Monkeys (11-3)
Thursday, May 7, 6:35 AM EDT
Projected Starters
RHP Bryan Woodall (1-2, 7.98 ERA) vs LHP Justin Nicolino (1-0, 0-00 ERA)
Game Preview
The Guardians come into the series having climbed out of a rough patch with a pair of wins over the Lions. Meanwhile, the Monkeys continue to roll through the rest of the league, opening up a 4.5-game lead atop the standings after winning four of their last five. The Guardians will send out American Bryan Woodall for the difficult task of trying to shut down the league's best lineup. Things haven't gone well for him thus far in his sixth CPBL campaign, as he's recorded a 7.98 ERA and a miniscule 8.6 percent strikeout rate. He did manage to hold the Monkeys to just two runs in 5.2 innings last time he faced them, however. Opposing him on the mound for the Monkeys will be a fellow American, lefty Justin Nicolino. Nicolino owns a respectable 4.65 ERA in 201.1 MLB innings, though he's been stuck in the minors for the last two seasons. He joined the Monkeys this offseason and looked excellent in his only CPBL start to date, holding the Guardians to just two hits in eight shutout innings back on April 28.
Guardians' Last Lineup
DH Hu Chin-Lung
2B Wang Cheng-Tang
1B Lin Yu-Chuan
RF Chiang Chih-Hsien
LF Kao Kuo-Lin
3B Fan Kuo-Chen
CF Chen Pin-Chieh
SS Lee Tsung-Hsien
C Lin Yu-Ying
Monkeys' Last Lineup
RF Chen
Fubon Guardians (6-9) at Rakuten Monkeys (11-3)
Thursday, May 7, 6:35 AM EDT
Projected Starters
RHP Bryan Woodall (1-2, 7.98 ERA) vs LHP Justin Nicolino (1-0, 0-00 ERA)
Game Preview
The Guardians come into the series having climbed out of a rough patch with a pair of wins over the Lions. Meanwhile, the Monkeys continue to roll through the rest of the league, opening up a 4.5-game lead atop the standings after winning four of their last five. The Guardians will send out American Bryan Woodall for the difficult task of trying to shut down the league's best lineup. Things haven't gone well for him thus far in his sixth CPBL campaign, as he's recorded a 7.98 ERA and a miniscule 8.6 percent strikeout rate. He did manage to hold the Monkeys to just two runs in 5.2 innings last time he faced them, however. Opposing him on the mound for the Monkeys will be a fellow American, lefty Justin Nicolino. Nicolino owns a respectable 4.65 ERA in 201.1 MLB innings, though he's been stuck in the minors for the last two seasons. He joined the Monkeys this offseason and looked excellent in his only CPBL start to date, holding the Guardians to just two hits in eight shutout innings back on April 28.
Guardians' Last Lineup
DH Hu Chin-Lung
2B Wang Cheng-Tang
1B Lin Yu-Chuan
RF Chiang Chih-Hsien
LF Kao Kuo-Lin
3B Fan Kuo-Chen
CF Chen Pin-Chieh
SS Lee Tsung-Hsien
C Lin Yu-Ying
Monkeys' Last Lineup
RF Chen Chen-Wei
2B Lin Li
LF Lan Yin-Lun
C Lin Hung-Yu
DH Chen Chun-Hsiu
1B Chu Yu-Hsien
3B Lin Chih-Ping
SS Yu Te-Lung
CF Cheng Chin
Top Picks
Justin Nicolino, Monkeys: There will rarely be an easier pitcher choice than this one. Nicolino has the far stronger track record than his counterpart, Bryan Woodall. He faces the league's worst offense, while Woodall is tasked with shutting down the league's best. If that wasn't enough, Nicolino also costs four fewer credits.
Lan Yin-Lin, Monkeys: You'll likely want to squeeze in as many shares of the Monkeys' lineup as you can, so grabbing the team's number three hitter who carries a modest 9.5-credit price tag seems like a no-brainer. Lan has seven hits, including two doubles and two homers, in his last two contests.
Hu Chin-Lung, Guardians: If you're inclined to bet on the underdogs, Hu could be your best choice as captain. The Guardians' leadoff hitter has scored 10 times and driven in 15 runs in 14 games so far this season.
Chu Yu-Hsien, Monkeys: The Monkeys have more than their fair share of elite hitters, making the decision of who to include as captain or vice captain a difficult one. It's hard to go wrong with the man who leads the entire league in homers, RBI, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, however.
Captaincy Options
2. Chu Yu-Hsien
3. Lan Yin-Lun
Dream11 Team
P Justin Nicolino (C)
C Lin Hung-Yu
IF Chu Yu-Hsein (VC)
IF Fan Kuo-Chen
OF Chen Chen-Wei
OF Hu Chin-Lung
OF Lan Yin-Lun
OF Kao Kuo-Lin
OF Yu Te-Lung
