Dream11 Fantasy CPBL: Monkeys at Lions

Rakuten Monkeys (7-1) at Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions (4-6)

Projected Starters

RHP Weng Wei-Chung (1-0, 1.29 ERA) vs RHP Shi Zi-Qian (1-0, 3.00 ERA)

Game Preview

The three-time defending champion Monkeys got out to a hot start this season, winning their first seven games before blowing a five-run lead Saturday for their first loss of the season. The Monkeys have had an electric offense this season, scoring 9.3 runs per game, but they've also given up a fairly high 5.6 runs per contest. The Lions have scored 4.8 runs while allowing 8.0 runs per game. Both of Sunday's pitchers looked good in their first starts of the season, each coming away victorious, though neither pitcher impressed last year. Weng recorded a 6.14 ERA in 14 starts and two relief appearances as a 20-year-old in his CPBL debut, striking out just 12.6 percent of opposing batters. Shi posted a 6.42 ERA in 18 starts and two relief appearances in 2019, his third in the CPBL, striking out a similarly low 13.3 percent of opposing batters. This looks like it has the potential to be a high-scoring affair.

Monkeys' Last Lineup

RF Chen Chen-Wei

3B Lin Li

1B Chen Chun-Hsiu

DH Lin Hung-Yu

2B Kuo Yen-Wen

LF Chu Yu-Hsien

CF Cheng Chin

C Liu Shih-Hao

SS Lin Cheng-Fei

Lions' Last Lineup 

DH Chen Chieh-Hsien

2B Lin Ching-Kai

RF Lin An-Ko

LF Su Chih-Chieh

1B Teng Chih-Wei

C Chen Chung-Yu

3B Kuo Fu-Lin

SS Lin Tzu-Chieh

CF Tang Chao-Ting

Top Picks

Weng Wei-Chung, Monkeys: While both starting pitchers own similarly unimpressive track records, it's smart to bet on the one tasked with facing a considerably softer lineup. The Monkeys have outscored the Lions by a nearly 2-to-1 margin this season and were similarly dominant over a full-season sample in 2019, scoring 6.7 runs per game compared to just 4.5 for the Lions.

Chu Yu-Hsien, Monkeys: Chu is quite expensive for a player who has been consistently batting in the second half of the Monkeys' lineup, but his production has been incredible. After leading the league with 30 home runs last season, he's already managed eight in eight games this campaign while posting a .548 batting average.

Lin Li, Monkeys: The most expensive player on the slate, Li has been at the center of the Monkeys' explosive offense, scoring 14 times while posting a .500 batting average. If the Monkeys go off again in this contest, expect their number two hitter to be right in the middle of the action.

Su Chih-Chieh, Lions: After tying for second in the league with 27 homers last season, Su has jumped out to an early team lead with three such bombs so far this year. The left-handed hitter has a chance to tee off on the right-handed Weng while occupying a key spot in the heart of the Lions' order.

Captaincy Options

1. Chu Yu-Hsien

2. Lin Li

3. Su Chih-Chieh

Dream11 Team

P Weng Wei-Chun

C Chen Chung-Yu

IF Lin Li (VC)

IF Chu Yu-Hsien (C)

IF Kuo Yen-Wen

IF Kuo Fu-Lin

IF Deng Chih-Wei

OF Su Chih-Chieh

OF Cheng Chin