Dream11 Fantasy NPB: Carp at Swallows

Hiroshima Toyo Carp (15-19-4) at Tokyo Yakult Swallows (17-17-5)

Thursday, August 6th, 5:00 AM EDT

Projected Starters

Swallows: LHP Keiji Takahashi (1-1, 2.28 ERA)

Carp: RHP Yosuke Nomura (2-0, 0.86 ERA)

Game Preview

The Carp enter this game in a good run of form, as they have won each of their last three contests and seem to be on the rise. The Swallows, on the other hand, have gone D1, L4 in their last five games. This negative streak has forced them to fall to third place in the Central League standings, and they could be out of the playoffs by the end of the week if they don't pick things up soon. The pitching matchup for this game features two hurlers that have been pitching extremely well of late, as lefty Keiji Takahashi will go up against righty Yosuke Nomura. Takahashi has a 2.28 ERA, while Nomura enters this game with an even-better 0.86 ERA. Don't be surprised if the pitching performances end up deciding the outcome of this game.

Injuries

Yuhei Nakamura - Out - Undisclosed

6/20 10:09 AM IST - Nakamura was removed from the Yakult Swallows' roster Friday due to an undisclosed injury, BaseballKings reports. Nakamura didn't appear in the team's season opener, and he'll now miss time with an injury, although it's unclear how long he'll be sidelined. Nakamura appeared in 126 games last season, logging a .269 batting average with five home runs and 36 RBI. Suguru Ino was promoted in a corresponding move.

Albert Suarez - Out - Not Injury Related

7/10 5:49 AM IST - The Swallows deactivated Suarez on Wednesday, Jim Allen of JBallAllen.com reports. Though the right-hander is sitting on a microscopic 0.53 ERA through three starts, the Swallows want Suarez to hit the reset button and work on his mechanics after he walked seven batters in Tuesday's win over the Dragons. The Swallows replaced Suarez on the active roster with lefty Keiji Suzuki, but it's not expected that the 30-year-old will miss more than one turn through the rotation.

Tokyo Yakult Swallows Expected Lineup

SP - Keiji Takahashi

1. Tomotaka Sakaguchi

2. Tetsuto Yamada

3. Norichika Aoki

4. Munetaka Murakami

5. Kotaro Yamasaki

6. Yuhei Takai

7. Alcides Escobar

8. Motohiro Shima

9. Yasuhiro Ogawa

Hiroshima Toyo Carp Expected Lineup

SP - Yusuke Nomura

1. Jose Pirela

2. Ryosuke Kikuchi

3. Ryoma Nishikawa

4. Seiya Suzuki

5. Ryuhei Matsuyama

6. Tsubasa Aizawa

7. Shota Dobayashi

8. Kosuke Tanaka

9. Hiroki Tokoda

Top Picks

Munetaka Murakami, Swallows: Murakami has been one of the best offensive players in the current NPB season, and he enters this game hitting .326 with six home runs and 38 RBI. He is tied for the team's lead in home runs while leading the club in runs driven in.

Ryoma Nishikawa, Carp: Nishikawa is hitting for .329 this season and, even though he only has four home runs, he still has decent fantasy value due to his consistency at the plate. He is slashing a solid .329/.383/.490 in 163 plate appearances.

Norichika Aoki, Swallows: Aoki was never considered a power hitter in the MLB, but that notion has changed now that he's back in the NBP. The veteran outfielder has hit a team-leading six homers, and he has accomplished that feat while hitting an impressive .325 in 145 plate appearances.

Seiya Suzuki, Carp: Suzuki's game is all about power, and the stats back him up since he is one of the top home run hitters in the NBP with 11 long balls in only 143 at-bats. He is not just a power threat, however, as he's also hitting .343 with a 1.094 OPS in 171 plate appearances.

Captaincy Options

1. Munetaka Murakami
2. Ryoma Nishikawa
3. Norichika Aoki

Dream11 Team

P – Yusuke Nomura

C – Tsubasa Aizawa

IF – Munetaka Murakami (C)

IF – Ryoma Nishikawa (VC)

IF – Naomichi Nishiura

IF – Shingo Kawabata

OF – Norichika Aoki

OF – Seiya Suzuki

OF – Tomotaka Sakaguchi