MLB GPP Plays: Friday, June 26th
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
First off, I love Max Scherzer tonight. I mean, how can you not? He just may be the best pitcher in the game and his strikeout rate is ridiculous. Not to mention he is facing the worst offense in baseball. However, with his incredibly expensive price across the industry, it is almost impossible to get the bats you want into your GPP rosters with him as your ace. So, I plan to fade him in my tournament play this evening.
Francisco Liriano, Pittsburgh Pirates – Liriano has been sensational this season for the Pirates and he has similar upside to Scherzer at a discounted price. Most fantasy owners will be skeptical of his upside since he is facing an Atlanta Braves team that makes solid contact and does not strike out a lot. However, the Braves are not the same offense against left-handed pitching, striking out at a 23% clip versus southpaws. Atlanta is missing their best hitter in Freddie Freeman and PNC Park is a very pitcher-friendly environment. Liriano may fly under the radar tonight and he has massive upside in this matchup.
Trevor May, Minnesota Twins – If you are looking for a diamond in the rough tonight, look no further. Trevor May has been dominant in his last four starts with a 1.88 earned run average and 24 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched. The matchup versus the Milwaukee Brewers in Miller Park may not look good on paper, but if we dig a little deeper, it actually favors May. The Brew Crew have really under-achieved offensively in 2015, hitting only .237 on the season and striking out the third most in the National League. The Minnesota Twins should provide May with plenty of run support against the struggling Kyle Lohse for that all important win. Trevor May is easily the best value on the mound tonight.
Other Pitchers to Target – Johnny Cueto, Tyson Ross, Anibal Sanchez, John Lackey
CATCHER
Yan Gomes, Cleveland Indians – There is a lot of thing to like in Gomes’ matchup against Wei-Yin Chen tonight. Camden Yards is a great hitting park and Chen is a homer prone, fly ball pitcher. Yan Gomes has had plenty of success against lefties in his career and makes for a great value play at catcher this evening.
Jason Castro, Houston Astros – Catcher is a position I often punt in GPPs. When I do punt a position, I am not just looking for salary relief, I also want a hitter in a good spot with home run upside. Castro has both of those in his favor tonight. Nathan Eovaldi has been hammered by left-handed hitters in his career and that trend has continued this season. Castro is the best bang for your buck at catcher tonight.
Other Catchers to Target – Stephen Vogt, Buster Posey, Derek Norris, Brian McCann
FIRST BASE
Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians – I mentioned earlier that Wei-Yin Chen likes to give up the long-ball and that puts Carlos Santana in a prime spot to go off. With so many great options at first base on a nightly basis, he is rarely above 10% owned in any large field tournament. Santana is a notorious lefty killer and he has double-dong potential in this one.
Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox – Abreu’s bat has started to come alive in June (.325 BA) but he is still lacking in the power department. He has not been a popular play in GPPs this season and is surely to be under-owned again tonight. Abreu still has multi-homer upside and he has hit Anibal Sanchez hard (5-for-8, .625 BA with a homer, two doubles, and five RBIs) in a small sample size.
Other First Basemen to Target – Edward Encarnacion, Adam Lind, Joe Mauer
SECOND BASE
Neil Walker, Pittsburgh Pirates – Walker has been scuffling lately, but there is a good chance he busts out tonight. Walker has done most of the damage in his career at home versus right-handed pitching, and he will have both of those in his favor tonight at PNC Park. Williams Perez has been solid for the Braves, but lefties have still smacked him around. Batting in the heart of the Pirates’ potent lineup, Walker should see plenty of RBI opportunities in this game.
Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners – Cano has shown some signs of life in his bat recently and he is just way too cheap to ignore on most sites. He may not be a guy you are looking at to go yard twice tonight, but he can certainly be productive with a multi-hit/run/RBI game.
Other Second Basemen to Target – Brian Dozier, Ben Zobrist, Scooter Gennett, Joe Panik
THIRD BASE
Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers – There is so much to like in this matchup for Adrian Beltre. Mark Buehrle is a very hittable pitcher, who has been crushed by right-handed batters throughout his career, and they will face off in a great hitting environment. All signs point to a big game from Beltre tonight at the Rogers Centre.
Luis Valbuena, Houston Astros – Sure he is only hitting .199, but his 19 bombs are the second most in the American League. Chicks dig the long-ball and so do fantasy owners, as homers are exactly what we need to climb up the leaderboard in our GPPs. I mentioned earlier Nathan Eovaldi’s inability to get lefties out and that bodes well for Valbuena and his home run upside.
Other Third Basemen to Target – Nolan Arenado, Alex Rodriguez, Josh Donaldson, Justin Turner
SHORTSTOP
To be honest I am not in love with any shortstop tonight. Jose Reyes is always a great option thanks to his contributions to all scoring categories and we are certainly not afraid of Nick Martinez. Nobody will be on Troy Tulowitzki at AT&T Park, yet he still has more home run upside than any other shortstop. Carlos Correa continues to impress and I doubt Nathan Eovaldi slows him down. If you are looking to save at the position, both Mike Aviles and Elvis Andrus are inexpensive and hit lefties well.
Other Shortstops to Target – Ian Desmond, Brandon Crawford, Marcus Semien
OUTFIELDERS
Yoenis Cespedes, Detroit Tigers – Cespedes possesses massive upside in his bat and he is your BvP special of the day. In 12 career at-bats against Jose Quintana, Cespedes has eight hits (6.67 BA), including two doubles, four home runs and nine runs batted in.
Denard Span, Washington Nationals – Aaron Harang has really struggled in his last four starts and left-handed batters have done most of the damage. Span feasts on righties (.346 BA, .400 OBP) and I love his upside in this game.
Gregory Polanco, Pittsburgh Pirates – Polanco is another Pirates lefty bat that you should have some exposure to tonight. Polanco can get the job done with his bat and his legs, making him a prime candidate for a jack-and-a-bag night.
Melky Cabrera, Chicago White Sox – Cabrera has been a hitting machine against righties over the years and he has looked much better at the plate recently, despite little to show for it. The “Melk Man” is cheap and he has hit Anibal Sanchez very well (.519 BA in 27 ABs) in his career.
Other Outfielders to Target – Matt Kemp, Ryan Raburn, Scott Van Slyke, Gerardo Parra, Matt Joyce, Seth Smith, Chris Coghlan, Kevin Kiermaier, Angel Pagan