MLB Grind Down: Friday, April 22nd

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2016-04-23 12:50:20

The RotoGrinders MLB Grind Down will give you an in-depth analysis into the upcoming MLB schedule. This article will break down the numbers for every single game and give you analysis on which trends you can exploit. While matchups are a major factor in daily fantasy baseball, there are plenty of other factors to consider such as injuries, weather, and salaries.

The analysis should point you in the right direction, but it is still up to you to decipher the information and make your own selections. No sport has more variance than baseball. The best choice is not always the right choice but following the trends will win you money over time.

Note: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.

Minnesota at Washington – 7:05 PM

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
Minnesota					Washington
			Kyle Gibson					Gio Gonzalez
			RIGHT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			WAS -175					7.5
SP vs. Left	0.309	9	16.3%	9.4%	SP vs. Left	0.270	1	15.4%	6.6%
SP vs. Right	0.302	11	18.0%	7.2%	SP vs. Right	0.316	8	24.5%	9.6%

Pitcher Grind Down

				Salary:$6,200		Salary:$6,500
Kyle Gibson
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				FPPG:20.7		FPPG:9.7
				Pitcher Rating:43.2		Pitcher Rank:21
Statistics	Starts	SIERA	K%	BB%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2016	3	5.02	12.2%	12.2%	60.7%	23	22
2015	32	4.12	17.7%	7.9%	53.4%	18	28

Gibson has not pitched well in his first three starts of the season, posting a walk rate (12.2%) that is as high as his strikeout rate (12.2%). He does produce an elite ground ball rate, but comes into tonight’s game as a major underdog on the road. The Nationals are a below-average offense against right-handed pitching, but Bryce Harper can ruin any pitcher’s outing with a single swing of his bat.

				Salary:$9,000		Salary:$9,100
Gio Gonzalez
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				FPPG:36.0		FPPG:22.6
				Pitcher Rating:77.3		Pitcher Rank:3
Statistics	Starts	SIERA	K%	BB%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2016	2	3.44	24.5%	6.1%	40.6%	17	16
2015	31	3.77	22.3%	9.1%	53.8%	14	12

Gonzalez has cut down on his walks this season and in doing so, has lowered his SIERA and increased his strikeout rate. He is also a ground-ball pitcher that fares well at home in the pitcher-friendly Nationals Park. While the Twins are a capable offense when facing a left-handed pitcher, Gonzalez gets to face them in a National League ballpark. I have him ranked as my third favorite pitcher overall, yet he is the fifth most expensive pitcher on FanDuel and the seventh most expensive pitcher on DraftKings.

Batter Grind Down

Minnesota

Twins Offense
Runs Per Game — 3.00 (26 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.32 (29 of 30)

The Twins have some great young talent in their lineup, but have gotten off to a bad start offensively. They currently have the fifth lowest runs per game and they come into tonight’s contest with the second lowest team total on the board. There aren’t any plays that stand out tonight, as Gio Gonzalez has been fairly tough on both left and right-handed hitters.

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. LHP	ISO vs. LHP	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Eduardo Nunez	RIGHT	0.272	0.190	SS	$2,900	3B/SS	$3,000
2	Brian Dozier	RIGHT	0.338	0.218	2B	$2,900	2B	$4,000
3	Miguel Sano	RIGHT	0.376	0.224	OF	$3,200	OF	$3,800
4	Byung-ho Park	RIGHT	0.000	0.000	1B	$3,200	1B	$3,800
5	Eddie Rosario	LEFT	0.341	0.197	OF	$2,400	OF	$3,400
6	Eduardo Escobar	SWITCH	0.340	0.209	SS	$2,400	SS	$2,800
7	Kurt Suzuki	RIGHT	0.274	0.077	C	$2,200	C	$2,600
8	Byron Buxton	RIGHT	0.160	0.060	OF	$2,200	OF	$2,200
9	Kyle Gibson	RIGHT			P	$6,200	P	$6,500
	Team Averages	—	0.263	0.147	—	$2,675	—	$3,200

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

Washington

Nationals Offense
Runs Per Game — 4.43 (10 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.18 (14 of 30)

The Nationals’ offense is averaging 4.43 runs per game this season, largely thanks to the play of Bryce Harper. On his current pace, he is projected to hit over 80 home runs. As you can see from the table below, the rest of their offense struggles against right-handed pitching. Harper and Daniel Murphy are the top targets here against the right-handed Kyle Gibson.

The Nationals

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Michael Taylor	RIGHT	0.264	0.124	OF	$2,600	OF	$3,500
2	Anthony Rendon	RIGHT	0.304	0.098	3B	$3,000	3B	$4,100
3	Bryce Harper	LEFT	0.477	0.368	OF	$5,900	OF	$5,400
4	Ryan Zimmerman	RIGHT	0.289	0.157	1B	$2,800	1B	$3,700
5	Daniel Murphy	LEFT	0.352	0.199	2B	$3,600	2B	$4,300
6	Jayson Werth	RIGHT	0.293	0.132	OF	$3,000	OF	$4,000
7	Wilson Ramos	RIGHT	0.273	0.131	C	$2,800	C	$3,400
8	Danny Espinosa	SWITCH	0.294	0.161	SS	$2,000	SS	$2,800
9	Gio Gonzalez	LEFT	0.153	0.024	P	$9,000	P	$9,100
	Team Averages	—	0.300	0.155	—	$3,213	—	$3,900

Elite Plays – Bryce Harper

Secondary Plays – Daniel Murphy

Stackability – NONE

NY Mets at Atlanta – 7:05 PM

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
NY Mets					Atlanta
			Matt Harvey					Bud Norris
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			NYM -180					7.5
SP vs. Left	0.296	16	24.6%	7.2%	SP vs. Left	0.388	11	20.0%	9.2%
SP vs. Right	0.247	3	22.9%	3.4%	SP vs. Right	0.369	7	16.6%	7.4%

Pitcher Grind Down

				Salary:$9,800		Salary:$10,300
Matt Harvey
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				FPPG:15.3		FPPG:6.3
				Pitcher Rating:84.9		Pitcher Rank:2
Statistics	Starts	SIERA	K%	BB%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2016	3	4.91	12.0%	9.3%	50.9%	26	17
2015	29	3.23	24.9%	4.9%	46.0%	27	2

Harvey has not been sharp in his first three starts this season. His strikeout way is way down, while he is walking nearly twice as many batters as he did in 2015. There hasn’t been a dip in velocity though, so it’s really more of a command issue. He draws a great matchup for a bounce back outing, as the Braves are one of the worst hitting teams in baseball against right-handed pitching. Harvey has more upside that Gio Gonzalez, but doesn’t have as high of a floor as Jon Lester.

				Salary:$6,000		Salary:$7,500
Bud Norris
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				FPPG:22.3		FPPG:9.2
				Pitcher Rating:43.1		Pitcher Rank:22
Statistics	Starts	SIERA	K%	BB%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2016	3	4.59	16.3%	8.8%	45.0%	15	25
2015	11	4.17	18.8%	8.2%	43.4%	20	15

Norris didn’t have a great season in 2015 and so far, it’s more of the same. In his firs three starts, he has a 4.59 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 16.3% and a walk rate of 8.8%. The Mets may strikeout more often than your average offense, but they are also capable of hanging a big score on the board. Norris doesn’t provide enough upside to warrant fantasy consideration tonight.

Batter Grind Down

NY Mets

Mets Offense
Runs Per Game — 4.07 (15 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.21 (13 of 30)

The Mets have been a different offense since acquiring Yoenis Cespedes last season. We are also seeing Michael Conforto on the brink of a breakout season. Their offense is certainly talented, but they have a mediocre team total of 4.21 runs. Since the start of 2015, Bud Norris has allowed a .388 wOBA to left-handed hitters and a .369 wOBA to right-handed hitters.

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Curtis Granderson	LEFT	0.376	0.220	OF	$3,200	OF	$4,200
2	David Wright	RIGHT	0.334	0.127	3B	$3,000	3B	$4,000
3	Michael Conforto	LEFT	0.378	0.263	OF	$3,400	OF	$3,400
4	Yoenis Cespedes	RIGHT	0.387	0.273	OF	$4,600	OF	$4,600
5	Lucas Duda	LEFT	0.352	0.232	1B	$3,500	1B	$4,100
6	Neil Walker	SWITCH	0.333	0.181	2B	$3,300	2B	$3,900
7	Asdrubal Cabrera	SWITCH	0.326	0.164	SS	$2,800	SS	$3,400
8	Travis D’Arnaud	RIGHT	0.317	0.174	C	$2,700	C	$3,400
9	Matt Harvey	RIGHT	0.099	0.047	P	$9,800	P	$10,300
	Team Averages	—	0.322	0.187	—	$3,313	—	$3,875

Elite Plays – Michael Conforto, Lucas Duda

Secondary Plays – Curtis Granderson, Neil Walker

Stackability – NONE

Atlanta

Braves Offense
Runs Per Game — 3.79 (21 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.29 (30 of 30)

Outside of Freddie Freeman, the Braves’ offense does not hit right-handed pitching well. They are ranked dead last in team ISO over the last two seasons. They draw a difficult matchup tonight against Matt Harvey and they come into the game with the lowest team total on the board. Nothing to see here, moving on.

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Mallex Smith	LEFT	0.241	0.050	OF	$2,400	OF	$3,000
2	Nick Markakis	LEFT	0.353	0.100	OF	$3,300	OF	$3,500
3	Freddie Freeman	LEFT	0.377	0.223	1B	$2,800	1B	$3,800
4	Adonis Garcia	RIGHT	0.309	0.163	3B	$2,300	3B	$2,500
5	Kelly Johnson	LEFT	0.312	0.169	3B	$2,000	2B/OF	$2,600
6	A.J. Pierzynski	LEFT	0.338	0.139	C	$2,300	C	$2,800
7	Erick Aybar	SWITCH	0.283	0.076	SS	$2,000	SS	$2,800
8	Jace Peterson	LEFT	0.299	0.095	2B	$2,200	2B/OF	$2,700
9	Bud Norris	RIGHT	0.172	0.000	P	$6,000	P	$7,500
	Team Averages	—	0.298	0.113	—	$2,413	—	$2,963

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

Tampa Bay at NY Yankees – 7:05 PM

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
Tampa Bay					NY Yankees
			Matt Moore					CC Sabathia
			LEFT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			NYY -107					8.0
SP vs. Left	0.326	4	12.0%	6.0%	SP vs. Left	0.244	4	30.0%	5.3%
SP vs. Right	0.349	7	21.8%	7.9%	SP vs. Right	0.366	25	16.1%	7.5%

Pitcher Grind Down

				Salary:$7,600		Salary:$7,900
Matt Moore
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				FPPG:37.3		FPPG:21.1
				Pitcher Rating:56.7		Pitcher Rank:16
Statistics	Starts	SIERA	K%	BB%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2016	3	2.70	28.4%	4.1%	43.8%	23	10
2015	12	4.67	16.6%	8.3%	39.2%	7	7

Moore has been terrific in his first three starts of the season, posting a 2.70 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 28.4%. He struggled all of last season trying to make his way back from Tommy John surgery, but looks poised for a strong 2016 campaign. At his price point, he makes a nice tournament play tonight against the Yankees. New York has not hit left-handed pitching well this season and the fact that the game is being played in Yankee Stadium should keep his ownership down.

				Salary:$7,100		Salary:$7,700
CC Sabathia
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				FPPG:25.0		FPPG:11.2
				Pitcher Rating:55.5		Pitcher Rank:17
Statistics	Starts	SIERA	K%	BB%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2016	2	4.50	17.0%	10.6%	55.9%	19	14
2015	29	4.08	18.9%	6.9%	45.9%	5	22

Sabathia is making his third start of the season. While he was once one of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball, father time appears to be catching up to him. In 2015, he posted a 4.08 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 18.9%. We should continue to see his strikeout rate come down and with a matchup against the Rays, he is an easy pitcher to avoid tonight. Tampa Bay was ranked fifth in team wOBA against southpaws last season.

Batter Grind Down

Tampa Bay

Rays Offense
Runs Per Game — 2.86 (29 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.95 (20 of 30)

The Rays may not hit right-handed pitching well, but they were ranked fifth in team wOBA and fourth in team ISO against left-handed pitching last season. All of the right-handed hitters in the Rays’ lineup are in play tonight. Over the last two seasons, CC Sabathia has allowed a .366 wOBA and 25 home runs to hitters from the right side of the plate. Evan Longoria is 24-for-64 with six home runs against Sabathia in his career.

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. LHP	ISO vs. LHP	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Logan Forsythe	RIGHT	0.405	0.297	2B	$3,300	2B	$4,200
2	Brandon Guyer	RIGHT	0.379	0.187	OF	$2,400	OF	$3,500
3	Evan Longoria	RIGHT	0.388	0.223	3B	$2,900	3B	$4,600
4	Steve Pearce	RIGHT	0.270	0.148	OF	$2,100	1B/OF	$3,300
5	Desmond Jennings	RIGHT	0.300	0.071	OF	$2,600	OF	$3,400
6	Steve Souza	RIGHT	0.329	0.195	OF	$2,900	OF	$4,000
7	Tim Beckham	RIGHT	0.294	0.205	SS	$2,200	2B/SS	$3,000
8	Kevin Kiermaier	LEFT	0.268	0.105	OF	$2,500	OF	$3,000
9	Curt Casali	RIGHT	0.322	0.279	C	$2,000	C	$3,200
	Team Averages	—	0.328	0.190	—	$2,544	—	$3,578

Elite Plays – Logan Forsythe, Evan Longoria

Secondary Plays – Brandon Guyer, Steve Pearce, Desmond Jennings, Steven Souza

Stackability – GPP

NY Yankees

Yankees Offense
Runs Per Game — 4.08 (14 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.05 (19 of 30)

The Yankees have historically hit left-handed pitching well, even though they have gotten off to a slow start this season. They draw a mediocre matchup against Matt Moore, who looks like a different pitcher than a season ago. The Yankees may be small favorites tonight, but the Rays’ hitters are the better targets in this matchup.

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. LHP	ISO vs. LHP	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Jacoby Ellsbury	LEFT	0.289	0.065	OF	$3,400	OF	$4,100
2	Starlin Castro	RIGHT	0.287	0.074	2B	$3,100	2B	$3,600
3	Carlos Beltran	SWITCH	0.325	0.200	OF	$3,500	OF	$3,700
4	Mark Teixeira	SWITCH	0.332	0.176	1B	$3,300	1B	$3,900
5	Alex Rodriguez	RIGHT	0.379	0.250	3B	$3,200	1B/3B	$4,000
6	Chase Headley	SWITCH	0.310	0.115	3B	$2,800	3B	$3,700
7	Aaron Hicks	SWITCH	0.346	0.165	OF	$2,200	OF	$4,100
8	Didi Gregorius	LEFT	0.284	0.065	SS	$2,500	SS	$3,000
9	Austin Romine	RIGHT	0.414	0.125	C	$2,200	1B	$2,500
	Team Averages	—	0.330	0.137	—	$2,911	—	$3,622

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Starlin Castro, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez

Stackability – GPP

Oakland at Toronto – 7:07 PM

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
Oakland					Toronto
			Sonny Gray					Aaron Sanchez
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			TOR -130					8.0
SP vs. Left	0.258	8	21.9%	8.0%	SP vs. Left	0.361	11	13.4%	14.2%
SP vs. Right	0.269	10	18.9%	6.7%	SP vs. Right	0.196	0	22.9%	7.6%

Pitcher Grind Down

				Salary:$9,900		Salary:$9,500
Sonny Gray
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				FPPG:39.3		FPPG:20.4
				Pitcher Rating:56.8		Pitcher Rank:15
Statistics	Starts	SIERA	K%	BB%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2016	3	3.83	21.3%	10.0%	58.2%	15	27
2015	31	3.80	20.3%	7.1%	52.7%	1	5

Gray picked up right where he left off last season. In his first three starts, he has a 3.83 SIERA with a strikeout rate north of 20%. He does tend to walk more batters than your average starter though, which could pose a problem against the Blue Jays. As I have mentioned in the past, the Rogers Centre is basically the Coors Field of the American League. It would take a steep discount for me to even consider Gray tonight.

				Salary:$6,700		Salary:$7,200
Aaron Sanchez
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				FPPG:41.0		FPPG:24.3
				Pitcher Rating:46.5		Pitcher Rank:19
Statistics	Starts	SIERA	K%	BB%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2016	3	3.16	26.3%	9.2%	59.2%	24	10
2015	11	4.43	16.1%	11.6%	60.6%	21	4

Sanchez has shown some nice upside this season, posting a 3.16 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 26.3%. He is still a wildcard at this point, but he is a viable value pitching option tonight. His price is still extremely cheap across the industry and he checks in as a small favorite tonight against the A’s. While I don’t love targeting pitchers in the Rogers Centre, Sanchez produces an elite ground ball rate, which helps him limit the damage in this ballpark.

Batter Grind Down

Oakland

Athletics Offense
Runs Per Game — 3.00 (26 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.82 (21 of 30)

The A’s may be playing in a hitter’s park tonight, but they still have the tenth lowest team total on the board. Their offense has really struggled in the early part of the season, averaging only 3.00 runs per game. I am intrigued by the left-handed hitters in this lineup though, as Aaron Sanchez has allowed 11 home runs to hitters from that side of the plate in only 14 starts.

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Billy Burns	SWITCH	0.310	0.106	OF	$3,000	OF	$4,300
2	Chris Coghlan	LEFT	0.348	0.211	OF	$2,200	OF	$3,400
3	Josh Reddick	LEFT	0.356	0.200	OF	$3,300	OF	$4,000
4	Jed Lowrie	SWITCH	0.283	0.127	2B	$2,400	2B	$3,200
5	Stephen Vogt	LEFT	0.351	0.208	C	$2,800	C	$3,500
6	Khris Davis	RIGHT	0.349	0.241	OF	$2,600	OF	$3,500
7	Yonder Alonso	LEFT	0.314	0.101	1B	$2,000	1B	$3,400
8	Coco Crisp	SWITCH	0.231	0.076	OF	$2,300	OF	$3,200
9	Marcus Semien	RIGHT	0.284	0.139	SS	$3,100	SS	$3,600
	Team Averages	—	0.314	0.157	—	$2,633	—	$3,567

Elite Plays -Stephen Vogt

Secondary Plays – Josh Reddick, Jed Lowrie

Stackability – NONE

Toronto

Blue Jays Offense
Runs Per Game — 3.94 (16 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.18 (15 of 30)

The Blue Jays’ offense has gotten off to a slow start this season, but the sample size is too small to make any judgments from. In 2015, they were ranked first in both team wOBA and team ISO against right-handed pitching. Their matchup against Sonny Gray isn’t all that appealing, but they do get to face him at home. I see the Blue Jays’ hitters as GPP options tonight.

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Michael Saunders	LEFT	0.317	0.083	OF	$3,300	OF	$3,300
2	Josh Donaldson	RIGHT	0.390	0.261	3B	$5,200	3B	$4,800
3	Jose Bautista	RIGHT	0.398	0.302	OF	$4,600	OF	$4,400
4	Edwin Encarnacion	RIGHT	0.389	0.276	1B	$4,100	1B	$4,500
5	Troy Tulowitzki	RIGHT	0.314	0.151	SS	$3,200	SS	$3,600
6	Russell Martin	RIGHT	0.309	0.192	C	$2,600	C	$3,300
7	Justin Smoak	SWITCH	0.335	0.225	1B	$2,200	1B	$2,900
8	Kevin Pillar	RIGHT	0.309	0.127	OF	$2,800	OF	$3,400
9	Ryan Goins	LEFT	0.300	0.099	2B	$2,100	2B	$2,400
	Team Averages	—	0.340	0.191	—	$3,344	—	$3,622

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Michael Saunders, Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion

Stackability – NONE

Cleveland at Detroit – 7:08 PM

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
Cleveland					Detroit
			Josh Tomlin					Justin Verlander
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			DET -126					8.5
SP vs. Left	0.206	5	20.4%	1.5%	SP vs. Left	0.269	8	21.2%	5.8%
SP vs. Right	0.347	9	26.3%	4.5%	SP vs. Right	0.313	8	21.0%	6.8%

Pitcher Grind Down

				Salary:$8,500		Salary:$8,500
Josh Tomlin
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				FPPG:42.0		FPPG:22.9
				Pitcher Rating:60.2		Pitcher Rank:11
Statistics	Starts	SIERA	K%	BB%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2016	1	2.08	31.6%	0.0%	38.5%	9	26
2015	10	3.46	22.7%	3.2%	37.5%	13	13

Tomlin was a sneaky play all last season. For whatever reason, people refused to play him, even though the numbers suggested otherwise. In ten starts last year, he posted a 3.46 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 22.7% and a walk rate of only 3.2%. He pitched well in his first start this season and should be on your radar moving forward. He can be avoided tonight though, as the Tigers present a very difficult matchup.

				Salary:$8,100		Salary:$8,400
Justin Verlander
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				FPPG:22.3		FPPG:9.7
				Pitcher Rating:60.8		Pitcher Rank:10
Statistics	Starts	SIERA	K%	BB%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2016	3	4.09	21.1%	8.5%	34.7%	8	23
2015	20	3.95	21.1%	6.0%	34.6%	16	9

Verlander’s command has been a bit shaky here in his first three starts, but he is still striking hitters out at higher than a 20% clip. He is listed as a small favorite tonight against the Indians at home. While Cleveland has been good against right-handed pitching thus far, they do have the eighth highest strikeout rate. There are safer plays in cash games, but Verlander is a nice GPP option tonight.

Batter Grind Down

Cleveland

Indians Offense
Runs Per Game — 3.83 (19 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.10 (18 of 30)

The Indians may have the platoon advantage over Justin Verlander tonight, but that may actually work against them. Verlander has been a reverse-splits pitcher for most of his career. I’m not going to have a ton of exposure to the Indians tonight, but I will take a strong look at a couple of the right-handed hitters in tournaments.

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Rajai Davis	RIGHT	0.331	0.173	OF	$3,400	OF	$2,900
2	Jason Kipnis	LEFT	0.393	0.170	2B	$3,500	2B	$3,900
3	Francisco Lindor	SWITCH	0.329	0.141	SS	$3,500	SS	$3,500
4	Mike Napoli	RIGHT	0.276	0.142	1B	$3,100	1B	$2,700
5	Carlos Santana	SWITCH	0.335	0.203	1B	$2,900	1B	$3,600
6	Yan Gomes	RIGHT	0.288	0.174	C	$2,500	C	$3,200
7	Lonnie Chisenhall	LEFT	0.287	0.131	OF	$2,300	3B/OF	$2,600
8	Juan Uribe	RIGHT	0.303	0.127	3B	$2,100	3B	$2,500
9	Tyler Naquin	LEFT	0.253	0.000	OF	$2,000	OF	$2,800
	Team Averages	—	0.311	0.140	—	$2,811	—	$3,078

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Rajai Davis, Mike Napoli

Stackability – NONE

Detroit

Tigers Offense
Runs Per Game — 5.15 (4 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.40 (7 of 30)

The Tigers have been terrific offensively to start the season, averaging well over five runs per game. They come into tonight’s game with the seventh highest team total on the board at 4.40 runs. However, as I mentioned above, Josh Tomlin is a better pitcher than most people realize. He, like Justin Verlander, allows a much higher wOBA to right-handed hitters even though he is a right-handed pitcher.

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Ian Kinsler	RIGHT	0.335	0.134	2B	$4,000	2B	$4,300
2	Justin Upton	RIGHT	0.352	0.218	OF	$3,200	OF	$4,300
3	Miguel Cabrera	RIGHT	0.397	0.183	1B	$4,000	1B	$4,100
4	Victor Martinez	SWITCH	0.268	0.124	C	$2,900	1B	$3,400
5	J.D. Martinez	RIGHT	0.368	0.239	OF	$3,600	OF	$4,000
6	Nick Castellanos	RIGHT	0.292	0.145	3B	$3,100	3B	$3,200
7	Jarrod Saltalamacchia	SWITCH	0.337	0.238	C	$3,300	C	$3,300
8	Anthony Gose	LEFT	0.310	0.118	OF	$2,500	OF	$3,200
9	Jose Iglesias	RIGHT	0.295	0.054	SS	$2,400	SS	$2,700
	Team Averages	—	0.328	0.161	—	$3,222	—	$3,611

MLB Grind Down: Friday, April 22nd

Minnesota at Washington – 7:05 PM

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

Minnesota

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

Washington

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Bryce Harper

Secondary Plays – Daniel Murphy

Stackability – NONE

NY Mets at Atlanta – 7:05 PM

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

NY Mets

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Michael Conforto, Lucas Duda

Secondary Plays – Curtis Granderson, Neil Walker

Stackability – NONE

Atlanta

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

Tampa Bay at NY Yankees – 7:05 PM

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

Tampa Bay

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Logan Forsythe, Evan Longoria

Secondary Plays – Brandon Guyer, Steve Pearce, Desmond Jennings, Steven Souza

Stackability – GPP

NY Yankees

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Starlin Castro, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez

Stackability – GPP

Oakland at Toronto – 7:07 PM

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

Oakland

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays -Stephen Vogt

Secondary Plays – Josh Reddick, Jed Lowrie

Stackability – NONE

Toronto

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Michael Saunders, Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion

Stackability – NONE

Cleveland at Detroit – 7:08 PM

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

Cleveland

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Rajai Davis, Mike Napoli

Stackability – NONE

Detroit

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez

Stackability – GPP

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