MLB GPP Plays: Friday, July 10th
GPPs are very different from your cash games and you use a different strategy with them. In our GPPs we are not interested in safe plays, since GPPs are all about UPSIDE. We want players who can explode, as all-or-nothing type players can become GPP gold, and your value players are just as important as your star players. You need your players to have huge nights in order to take down these big tournaments.
My goal is to provide players who will be under-owned and/or have that big game upside you are looking for. I will also try to find as much value as I possibly can. Now, let’s get to the MLB GPP plays!
STARTING PITCHERS
Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets – Syndergaard has been dominant in three of his last four starts and he has been a beast at home (1.89 ERA, .215 OPP BA) in his five career starts at Citi Field. The Arizona Diamondbacks are not an offense to fear and they have the third-most strikeouts per game in the Senior Circuit. Syndergaard is very reasonably priced on most sites and he has huge upside in this matchup.
Erasmo Ramirez, Tampa Bay Rays – Erasmo Ramirez is finally starting to put it all together for the Rays. He has been very good in his last seven starts, allowing only five total earned runs in 35 innings pitched over that seven game stretch. Ramirez has a decent 7.5 K/9 rate, and that should see a boost tonight against the strikeout prone Houston Astros at Tropicana Field. The Astros are striking out at a 26% clip versus right-handed pitching which is the most in Major League Baseball. The price is right across the industry and the upside is certainly there in this one.
Other Pitchers to Target – Madison Bumgarner, Danny Salazar, Collin McHugh
CATCHER
Yasmani Grandal, Los Angeles Dodgers – Yasmani Grandal is swinging a hot stick with hits in six his last eight contests, including four multi-hit games. During this eight game streak, Grandal has generated two doubles, four home runs and 10 runs batted in. Milwaukee Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson has really struggled over the past six weeks and left-handed batters have done most of the damage against him. Grandal has been dynamite versus righties in 2015 and I love his upside tonight.
Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles – Wieters has hammered southpaws over the years and he has owned Gio Gonzalez (8-for-14, .571 BA, .611 OBP with a double and a homer) in a decent sample size. Gonzalez has been very hit or miss this season and right-handed batters have been his Achilles’ heel in those off games. Wieters has big potential tonight at Camden Yards and I expect him to be under-owned due to the matchup versus Gonzalez.
Other Catchers to Target – A.J. Pierzynski, Brian McCann, Derek Norris, Yan Gomes, Jason Castro
FIRST BASE
Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers – The Los Angeles Dodgers are the best offense in baseball when it comes to hitting right-handed pitching and that does not bode well for Jimmy Nelson and his inability to retire lefties. Look for the Dodgers lefties to tee off on Nelson this evening with A-Gon leading the way.
Kendrys Morales, Kansas City Royals – Marco Estrada has pitched well of late but left-handed hitters still give him issues and he remains susceptible to the long-ball. Morales has a potent bat and he is an underrated GPP play. Morales is very inexpensive on most sites and he has the home run upside we require in our tournament play.
Other First Basemen to Target – Albert Pujols, Adam Lind, Carlos Santana, Joe Mauer
SECOND BASE
Dee Gordon, Miami Marlins – Gordon had a monster game last night (two hits, two runs, three stolen bases) and he continues to be an on-base machine for the Marlins. Gordon has been a terror on the base paths this season, racking up runs and stolen bases seemingly at will. Lefties have had plenty of success against Mike Leake throughout his career and I expect Gordon to reach base multiple times in this game.
Danny Espinosa, Washington Nationals – If you are looking for value at the keystone position tonight, have a look at Danny Espinosa. He has five hits in his last three games and he has plenty of pop in his bat. The Baltimore Orioles will be sending Chris Tillman to the mound tonight and he has been hit hard all season long by lefties and righties alike. Espinosa has big game upside in this matchup and he makes a great punt at second base tonight.
Other Second Basemen to Target – Neil Walker, Scooter Gennett, Derek Dietrich, Stephen Drew
THIRD BASE
Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays – You simply can’t write a GPP article and not include Josh Donaldson when he is facing a southpaw. Donaldson is a notorious lefty killer and you should have at least some exposure to him in your tournaments this evening. Fade him at your own risk.
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees – Alex Rodriguez has put together a very impressive season so far in 2015, especially in the power department (12 doubles, 16 HR and 47 RBIs). Regardless of who is pitching, the Yankees and Red Sox rivalry always seems to produce plenty of runs. A-Rod has multi-homer upside on a nightly basis and he has hammered Clay Buchholz in his career (11-for-27, .407 BA with two homers and 10 RBIs).
Other Third Basemen to Target – Adrian Beltre, Miguel Sano, Danny Valencia, Juan Uribe
SHORTSTOP
Truth be told, I am not in love with any shortstop tonight. Obviously Troy Tulowitzki is in play any time he is at home, but I worry about him at that price and facing a very good pitcher in Shelby Miller. Perhaps he isn’t as popular as a result and we know all about his upside. Jose Reyes is solid, but I much prefer him from the left side of the plate and he is in a tough ballpark tonight. Andrelton Simmons seem to get overlooked because he lacks power and he bats near the bottom of the Atlanta Braves order. I will likely have more exposure to Simmons than any other player from this position. If you are strictly looking for salary relief, Jimmy Rollins has jack-and-a-bag upside versus Jimmy Nelson. Alcides Escobar can have a multi-hit night and Ian Desmond has home run upside in Camden Yards against the Chris Tillman.
Other Shortstops to Target – Carlos Correa, J.J. Hardy, Francisco Lindor
OUTFIELDERS
Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals – If I am paying up for any outfielder tonight it is going to be Bryce Harper. There are a lot of reasons to like Harper in this one – he is facing a very hittable pitcher, in a hitter friendly environment and he has absolutely murdered right-handed pitching this season. Harper has double-dong potential in this game.
Atlanta Braves Outfield – The entire Braves outfield is in play tonight in Coors Field. Cameron Maybin, Kelly Johnson and Nick Markakis have all been swinging the bat well, and we should be picking on that awful Colorado Rockies bullpen. In Coors Field this season, the Rockies bullpen owns a 5.41 ERA and opponents are hitting .298 off of them; both of those marks are the worst in baseball.
Mitch Moreland, Texas Rangers – Sure Ian Kennedy has been pitching much better of late, but Global Life Park is not pitcher-friendly and he is still homer prone. Moreland has cooled down after a very productive month of June (.323 BA, 9 HR, 25 RBIs) and I like him to get back on track tonight.
Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City Royals – Cain has been locked in at the plate, yet he continues to be low owned in large field tournaments. Cain has hits in seven of his last eight contests, including five multi-hit performances. During this eight-game hit streak, Cain has racked up five doubles, a triple, two home runs, eight runs batted in and two stolen bases. Cain can do it all offensively and he is likely to be under-owned again tonight.
Other Outfielders to Target – Nelson Cruz, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Anthony Gose, David Murphy