MLB GPP vs. H2H Plays: April 8th
In this article I am going to give you my strategies in baseball for building a winning lineup for all game types, including 50/50s/double-ups/head-to-head and GPPs. I will break down each game type and my strategies involved.
Part 1 – 50/50s and Head to Head Plays
When playing 50-50s/double-ups or head-to-head, you want guaranteed points. This is not where you roll the dice on all-or-nothing players. The idea is to simply produce a solid, well balanced team. It may not be explosive, but it doesn’t matter whether you finish in first place or not, you just need to cash.
STARTING PITCHERS
Gio Gonzalez – The Marlins are off to a great start, but they are still not a great hitting team. Gonzalez was great at home last year and the Marlins as a team are only hitting .193 off of him.
Corey Kluber – Kluber very quietly had a solid season last year. He was very impressive at home with a 2.76 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 73 Ks in 75 IP. He will be home to the Padres tonight. San Diego has a weak offense and was 4th in the NL last year in strikeouts.
CATCHER
Wilin Rosario – Rosario loves facing LHP, especially at home. His is due for a big game and I think it comes tonight.
Victor Martinez – Batting clean-up behind Miggy, Martinez sees a lot of good pitches and RBI opportunities. He is a great example of what you are looking for in cash games, a solid, steady performer. Victor has also had some success against Haren over the years posting a .414 OBP.
FIRST BASE
Freddie Freeman – Freeman is off to a great start and will face 40 year old Bartolo Colon tonight. Freeman destroyed RHP last year with a .334 BA and a .409 OBP.
Edwin Encarnacion – Edwin is much better hitter at home VS a lefty, which will be the case tonight. Encarnacion has hit some balls hard and not had a lot of luck this season, I say he breaks out with a big game tonight. Encarnacion has hit 78 HRs in the last two years and is due for his first tonight. He is certainly capable of a monster game.
SECOND BASE
Jason Kipnis – Kipnis is another solid, safe pick. He is capable of scoring points in so many ways. He can hit for power (17 HRS in 2013) and steal a base (30 SBs). He is also willing to take a walk, which lead to SBs and runs. He is off to a slow start so take advantage of his low price.
Daniel Murphy – Murphy will bat 2nd in the Mets lineup tonight VS the cagey veteran Aaron Harang. Murphy has owned Harang so far in his career, batting 6/11 off him, with 4 doubles and a homer. At this price, he makes a great value play.
SHORTSTOP
Troy Tulowitzki – This is a no brainer. Tulo is at home facing a LHP. The only other SS that is on the same level as Tulo is Hanley Ramirez and he faces Scherzer tonight.
Ian Desmond – I don’t think Desmond gets the credit he deserves, despite hitting 20+ homeruns and stolen 20+ bases in each of the last two seasons. He faces Alvarez at home tonight and has hit him well (4/9) in a small sample size.
THIRD BASE
David Wright – Not to pick on Aaron Harang, but Wright has crushed him over the years. Look at these ridiculous numbers over 21 at bats: a .524 BA, .577 OBP and a 1.434 OPS. That is gross!
OUTFIELDERS
Jose Bautista – Joey Bats loves hitting in the Rogers Center and VS LHP and tonight he gets both. Bautista had some great at bats this past weekend with very little to show for it. I think he is good for a bomb tonight.
Andrew McCutchen – McCutchen has a fantastic combination of power and speed. He has always hit well in Wrigley Field, posting a career .373 BA. He will face Edwin Jackson, whom he owns a career .500 OBP against.
- Other hitters I like – Michael Cuddyer, Jason Heyward and Starling Marte.
Part 2 – GPPs
GPPs are a whole new ball game. You need guys to have huge nights. GPPs are all about upside. All-or-nothing players can become GPP gold, while value players are just as important as your star players.
STARTING PITCHERS
Yordano Ventura – Ventura has an electric arm and is one the best young pitching prospects in MLB. He had a solid spring with a 23/6 K/BB ratio in 23.1 IP. He has huge GPP upside due to his price and big time K ability.
Aaron Harang – It seems like he has been pitching forever but he is only 35 years old. Harang can still be very effective and comes extremely cheap across the industry. It seems like every 3rd or 4th game he throws a gem with enough strikeouts to matter. He will be home to the K happy Mets tonight.
Other Boom or Bust pitchers I like are Lance Lynn, Mark Buehrle and James Paxton
CATCHER
Dioner Navarro – Navarro will be home to LHP Oberholtzer tonight. The ball flies in the Rogers Center and Navarro crushed LHP last year. Dioner had a .361 BA .451 OBP and a 1.123 OPS against lefties in 2013.
Tyler Flowers – Flowers is off to a hot start and will face a LHP in Coors field tonight. Do you need more?
FIRST BASE
Jose Abreu – I am telling you this kid will hit for both power and average. He will face an average LHP in Morales at Coors Field tonight. I am riding him again. Giddy-up!
Adam LaRoche – I think the Nats are in good shape tonight and will score some runs off of Alvarez. LaRoche is always a sneaky GPP play, he is rarely owned and has the ability to have a two homer game.
SECOND BASE
Emilio Bonifacio – Bonifacio is sizzling hot right now and I doubt Morton can slow him down. Morton allowed LHB to reach base at a .425 clip in 2013. Bonifacio wreaks havoc on the base paths and I expect more SBs and runs scored tonight.
D.J. LeMahieu – The thought process here is not to expect a monster game, but to give you some salary relief. DJ will hit for average and steal some bases, but is not much of a homerun threat. He is at home facing a LHP which is a nice match-up for him. He usually bats 8th in the order, so he just might get a bonus walk or two hitting on front of the pitcher. He can steal when he reaches base and runners tend to score in Coors field.
Danny Espinosa – Yes we are digging deep here. Assuming he plays I like his value tonight. He is finally healthy and looks much better at the plate. Espinosa has only faced Alvarez 3 times, but he had a double and a homer off of him. At his price, you can’t go wrong.
SHORTSTOP
Alexei Ramirez – The Cuban Missile is not a guy you want in your cash games. However he can make for a great GPP play. Ramirez can hit the odd homer and steal a base. He has a career .341 OBP against LHP.
Ruben Tejada – This is another value play along the lines of DJ LeMahieu. Tejada is another non power threat who can hit for average and steal a bag. Tejada also bats 8th and could see that bonus walk in front of the pitcher. Ruben has hit Harang well going 6/11 with 2 doubles in his career.
THIRD BASE
Nolan Arenado – Arenado can flat out hit. He may never hit 30 homers in a season, but he will hit a lot of gaps in that spacious park. Nolan hit LHP hard last year and as we saw Saturday night, is capable of a monster game.
Luis Valbuena – Valbuena is an underrated player with some pop. He will face Charlie Morton at home tonight. Morton was outstanding against the Cubs in his last start, but Valbuena still had 3 hits and 2 walks. LHBs crushed Morton last year and I doubt he throws another gem.
OUTFIELDERS
Nate Schierholtz – Schierholtz hits very well against RHP and will hit in the heart of the Cubs order VS Morton tonight. Morton is not the same pitcher on the road and allowed a .312 BA VS LHB last year.
Travis Snider – I am not a fan of Edwin Jackson and I think the Pirates will hit him well tonight. Snider should bat 2nd in the lineup and has big upside at this price. Snider has 4 hits in his last 2 games and looks good at the plate.
- Other hitters with Boom or Bust potential: Eric Young, Corey Hart, Avisail Garcia and Jesus Guzman