Fantasy Baseball: 5 Shrewd Plays For June 6

Those who get too close to Carpenter right now run the risk of burning themselves. This left-handed bat is scorching hot of late as he's hitting .419 over his last 18 games, and has hit safely in all but one of those. He faces the Toronto Blue Jays and rookie Marcus Stroman tonight, and in a limited sample size, Stroman sports a 7.30 ERA, and is allowing lefties to hit .379 against him.

Jones' bat has gone into hyper-drive his past four games as he's hitting .500 with two HRs and seven RBIs. His overall numbers are still below expectations but considering the talent, this could be the beginning of a very productive stretch. It's doubtful he slows down tonight as he'll face lefty starter Tommy Milone and the Oakland Athletics. Jones has feasted on left-handed pitching this season to the tune of a .456 average in 57 at bats.

Just when you think Wright is on the verge of a breakout, he goes without a hit in 10 straight at bats. Perhaps a matchup against one of his favorite pitchers can get him going again. The Mets take on the San Francisco Giants this evening, and the Mets' third baseman has owned projected starter Matt Cain in his career. He sports a lofty .440 average off of him in 25 at bats, including six doubles.

Despite a recent hiccup against the Washington Nationals, Cueto is likely still the front-runner for NL MVP. His 1.68 ERA and 0.76 WHIP are both dazzling, and his 9.10 K's per nine innings rank him 13th among all starting pitchers in baseball. He faces a struggling Philadelphia Phillies team today that have lost six games in a row and rank just 24th in the league at 3.83 runs scored per game. A very big day could be in store.

While Ellsbury has yet to live up to the lofty expectations that were placed upon him entering this season, he's working on it. His bat is truly sizzling right now as he's hitting .410 over his past 10 games, and the sizzle should continue tonight in a great matchup. The Yankees take on Jeremy Guthrie and the Kansas City Royals this evening, and Ellsbury has tormented Guthrie in his career with a .435 average against him in 46 at bats.