MLB GPP Plays: Tuesday, September 15th
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 PITCHER
Jacob deGrom, New York Mets – Without a lot to like outside of the high dollar range, I plan to pay up at the pitcher position tonight. deGrom has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball this season, consistently going deep into games and generating plenty of punch-outs along the way. He has been nearly unhittable at Citi Field (1.57 ERA, .199 BAA, 96 Ks in 86 IP) and I expect him to dominate this weak Miami Marlins team this evening.
Tyson Ross, San Diego Padres – High-upside value pitchers are hard to come by tonight. Ross has been very good since the all-star break (3.06 ERA, .232 BAA, 67 Ks in 67.2 IP) and he will face an Arizona Diamondbacks team that strikes out the fourth most in the National League (20.7% clip) versus right-handed pitching. The ballpark is not ideal, but Ross has been very good on the road this season (2.91 ERA, .249 BAA, 96 Ks in 92.2 IP), and with his high K rate (9.35 K/9) and groundball tendencies, he should be able to limit the damage. Ross has double-digit strikeout upside in this matchup tonight and the win is also in play against Jhoulys Chacin.
Other Pitchers to Target – Stephen Strasburg, Felix Hernandez, Carlos Martinez, J.A. Happ
CATCHER
Brian McCann, New York Yankees – If you can afford to pay up at catcher, I suggest you get some exposure to McCann in your tournament play. McCann not only has multi-homer upside, but he has also been very successful against Tampa Bay Rays starter Jake Odorizzi throughout his career (11-17, .647 BA, .700 OBP with three doubles, three homers and 10 RBIs).
John Jaso, Tampa Bay Rays – Catcher is a weak position tonight and punting it in your GPPs may be the way to go. Jaso is dirt cheap across the industry and he has been an on-base machine against right-handed pitching, sporting a .387 on-base percentage in the last three seasons combined. Jaso has multi-hit upside and he allows us to load up elsewhere.
Other Catchers to Target – Buster Posey, Evan Gattis, Matt Wieters, Wilson Ramos, Yan Gomes
FIRST BASE
Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers – Phil Hughes returns tonight after being out over a month with a back injury. Hughes was smacked around in his last three appearances prior to his injury (15 ER in 13.2 IP, allowing five home runs) and I don’t expect him to be good in this one. Miggy has as much upside as any player in baseball and he has owned Hughes (.472 BA, .500 OBP with five doubles and five bombs in 37 plate appearances) in his career.
Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins – Mauer may lack home run upside, but he is certainly capable of a two or three hit night against Alfredo Simon and that awful Detroit Tigers bullpen. Alfredo Simon is getting pounded by left-handed batters, allowing a .366 wOBA on the season. Mauer is a bargain on most sites and he may not see a better matchup the rest of the year.
Other First Basemen to Target – Jose Abreu, Joey Votto, Prince Fielder, James Loney, Tyler Moore
SECOND BASE
Jose Altuve, Houston Astros – He won’t come cheap, but he is a guy that you must have at least some exposure to in your GPPs this evening. Altuve has four two-hit games in his last five contests and he continues to wear out southpaws (.379 BA, .409 wOBA).
Anthony Rendon, Washington Nationals – Rendon is absolutely smoking hot at the plate right now. With nine hits in his last three games, it is safe to say he is seeing the ball well these days. Rendon and the Nationals get to face gas can David Buchanan (9.11 ERA, 2.08, WHIP, .373 BAA) in a hitters’ paradise tonight, and I expect another multi-hit effort from Rendon in this game.
Other Second Basemen to Target – Jason Kipnis, Kolten Wong, Jonathan Schoop, Scooter Gennett
THIRD BASE
Trevor Plouffe, Minnesota Twins – I much prefer to pick on Alfredo Simon with left-handed hitters, but everyone has been hitting him hard lately. Plouffe is on a heater with eight hits in his last four games, including a double, two homers and six runs batted in. His price has yet to catch up to his recent production and we should be taking advantage of that.
Pablo Sandoval, Boston Red Sox – Despite an ugly season to date, Sandoval is in a great spot to produce tonight. Ubaldo Jimenez has looked terrible in his last six outings and I expect the Kung-Fu Panda to see plenty of RBI opportunities at Camden Yards tonight. Sandoval is inexpensive and he has terrific BvPs (.361 BA with five extra base hits in 36 ABs) versus Jimenez.
Other Third Basemen to Target – Kris Bryant, Kyle Seager, Matt Carpenter, Justin Turner
SHORTSTOP
Ian Desmond, Washington Nationals – David Buchanan is the top pitcher to pick on tonight. Buchanan has allowed 22 runs in his last three starts (9 IP) and right-handed hitters have hammered him (.385 BAA, .447 wOBA) in 2015. Desmond has jack-and-a-bag potential in this game.
Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians – Lindor has been a pleasant offensive surprise for the Tribe this season and he continues to rake against right-handed pitching (.330 BA, .383 OBP). With Kris Medlen struggling (23 hits and 15 ER in his last 23 IP), we can expect a multi-hit/run game from Lindor versus the Royals.
Other Shortstops to Target – Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts, Jhonny Peralta, Alexei Ramirez
OUTFIELD
Jayson Werth, Washington Nationals – Werth has been swinging a hot stick and went off last night with two home runs and five RBIs. I think we can expect him to stay hot versus whipping boy David Buchanan in the City of Brotherly Love tonight.
Chicago White Sox Outfield – Oakland Athletics righty Aaron Brooks has been lit up like a Christmas tree recently, allowing an absurd 29 hits and 22 earned runs in his last 14 innings pitched. All of Adam Eaton, Melky Cabrera and Avisail Garcia have big potential in this one.
Scott Van Slyke, Los Angeles Dodgers – Colorado Rockies lefty Chris Rusin is another pitcher I plan to pick on in my GPPs tonight. Rusin has been abused by right-handed batters this season (.374 wOBA) and Scott Van Slyke has been a beast versus southpaws in his career (.380 wOBA).
Other Outfielders to Target – Bryce Harper, Michael Brantley, Jason Heyward, George Springer, Jay Bruce, Seth Smith