MLB GPP Plays: Friday, May 29th
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, GPPs are all about UPSIDE. We want players who can explode, 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
Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies – Hamels has been terrific this season for the Phillies and he will face a Colorado Rockies team that is banged up and struggling to hit on the road. Hamels has been dealing in his last four starts (allowing only 5 ER, with 29 Ks in 29.1 IP) and he has been brilliant at home this season (2.25 ERA, .184 BAA with 33 Ks in 32 IP). The Rockies have been awful against lefties in 2015, striking out more than 25% of the time. Colorado has had very little success against Hamels over the years and I expect him to dominate the Rockies tonight at Citizens Bank Park.
Trevor Bauer, Cleveland Indians – Bauer has pitched into the eighth inning in three consecutive starts while allowing only one run per start. He continues to rack up the strikeouts and opponents are only hitting .212 off of him this season. The Seattle Mariners have struggled this year against right-handed pitchers, whiffing over 21% of the time. Bauer is moderately priced across the industry and I love his upside tonight.
Other Pitchers to Target – Matt Harvey, Francisco Liriano, Lance McCullers, Carlos Rodon
CATCHER
Evan Gattis, Houston Astros – Gattis is swinging a powerful stick of late, rolling out eight hits in his last four games, including three doubles, a triple and two homers. Carlos Rodon is a talented young pitcher, but he struggles with his control and he finds himself behind in the count far too often. When you are constantly behind in the count, you end up having to throw fastballs over the plate. I can see Gattis in one of these situations tonight, making Rodon pay.
Kurt Suzuki, Minnesota Twins – If you are looking to punt catcher this evening and load up elsewhere, have a look at Kurt Suzuki. Mark Buehrle has been hit hard in 2015 and Suzuki has always been decent versus southpaws. Suzuki is riding a modest three-game hitting streak and has hit Buehrle very well in his career (11-28, .393 BA with 3 XBHs and 6 RBI).
Other Catchers to Target – Buster Posey, Yan Gomes, A.J. Pierzynski
FIRST BASE
Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies – With so many good arms on the mound Friday night, Chad Bettis is easily the #1 target for pitcher to pick on. Lefties have had plenty of success against Bettis and Ryan Howard still has plenty of power in his bat. Howard is reasonably priced and he has multi-homer upside in this matchup.
Adam Lind, Milwaukee Brewers – Adam Lind has mashed right-handed pitching throughout his career and he will face a homer-prone pitcher in Miller Park tonight. Rubby De La Rosa has struggled not only on the road, but also versus LHB in his young career. Lind is inexpensive and has big game upside.
Other First Basemen to Target – Chris Davis, David Ortiz, Brandon Belt, Lucas Duda
SECOND BASE
Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox – I think it is safe to say Pedroia is swinging a hot stick these days. He has hits in eight straight games, including four of the multi-hit variety. Yovani Gallardo has been hit hard all season long and I think Pedroia has another multi-hit game tonight.
Kolten Wong, St. Louis Cardinals – Wong is another two-bagger in a groove right now, registering hits in 10 of his last 11 games. With Mike Bolsinger pitching well, I expect Wong to be highly under-owned, but he has been great atop the Cardinals’ batting order and he has jack-and-a-bag upside.
Other Second Basemen to Target – Jose Altuve, Jason Kipnis, Brian Dozier, Chase Utley
THIRD BASE
Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers – Steven Wright is a knuckleballer and they are hard to predict, but with the game being played in Globe Life Park and the Rangers’ bats scorching hot, I think we can target a few batters against him. Beltre has at least one base knock in each of his last six games and we know he has massive upside.
Trevor Plouffe, Minnesota Twins – Plouffe has three multi-hit performances in his last four games and he has been very productive in the month of May (.296 BA, .376 OBP with 6 doubles, 4 homers and 18 RBIs). Plouffe is a notorious lefty killer and Buehrle is a very hittable pitcher.
Other Third Basemen to Target – Josh Donaldson, Kyle Seager, Pablo Sandoval, Maikel Franco
SHORTSTOP
Jose Reyes, Toronto Blue Jays – Reyes has not done a whole lot since coming off the DL, so we get him at a bit of a discount this evening. Reyes is a much better hitter from the left side of the plate and I love the matchup versus Trevor May tonight. Reyes can have a multi-hit/run/steal game and he has a history of hitting well against the Twins and in Target Field.
Jimmy Rollins, Los Angeles Dodgers – If you think Jose Reyes will be popular and you prefer a shortstop who won’t be highly owned, Jimmy Rollins makes a nice pivot. Like Reyes, Rollins contributes across the board offensively and he has been swinging the bat well of late.
Other Shortstops to Target – Troy Tulowitzki, Marcus Semien, Danny Santana
OUTFIELDERS
George Springer, Houston Astros – Springer is locked in at the plate right now with five multi-hit games in his last eight contests. The Astros feast on left-handed pitching and Springer has as much upside as any Houston bat right now.
Michael Brantley, Cleveland Indians – Brantley is a hitting machine, especially against right-handed pitching. He has rolled off consecutive multi-hit games and I expect another one tonight. Taijuan Walker has been pounded (.333 BA, .412 OBP) by lefties this season and I think he is in trouble against Brantley and the Indians.
Yoenis Cespedes, Detroit Tigers – Cespedes disappointed many fantasy owners last night, but I am going to double-down on him tonight. Cespedes has monster game potential and he has hit Hector Santiago well, in a small sample size (4-11, .364 BA, .462 OBP with 2 bombs).
Angel Pagan, San Francisco Giants – Like Michael Brantley, Pagan has also produced back-to-back two-hit games. Atlanta starter Mike Foltynewicz struggles against left-handed batters and I think Pagan has sneaky upside in this matchup. Pagan can score points in many ways for your fantasy team and he makes a great value play in the outfield tonight.
Other Outfielders to Target – Hanley Ramirez, Adam Jones, Mark Trumbo, Josh Hamilton, Matt Joyce, Gerardo Parra