MLB Grind Down: Friday, August 14th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2015-08-15 17:46:04

The RotoGrinders MLB Grind Down article will give you an in-depth analysis into the 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.

Remember, these writeups are done prior to lineups being released, so make sure to check our Starting Lineups page to ensure the recommended options are playing.

Note: For more info on DFS MLB scoring systems on the two largest sites, check out our DraftKings review and FanDuel review.

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Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox – 4:10 PM EST

Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
Chicago Cubs					Chicago White Sox
			Kyle Hendricks					Jeff Samardzija
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			CHC (-110)					8.0
SP vs. Left	0.250	0.687	0.302	17.1%	SP vs. Left	0.253	0.713	0.312	20.80%
SP vs. Right	0.238	0.625	0.277	19.5%	SP vs. Right	0.237	0.644	0.284	20.50%
Batter Splits	CHC BvP		CHC vs R		Batter Splits	CHW BvP		CWS vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Kyle Hendricks : FD: $7,700 — DK: $7,400

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 208.1 — SIERA: 3.69 — ERA: 3.24 — K%: 18.4% — BB%: 5.0% — HR/9: 0.7
Last 30 Days: IP: 29.0 — SIERA: 3.40 — ERA: 4.34 — K%: 23.4% — BB%: 8.1% — HR/9: 0.9

Chicago White Sox Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.305 (Rank: 20) — Strikeout Rate: 20.4% (Rank: 18)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.320 (Rank: 12) — Strikeout Rate: 20.4% (Rank: 12)
Pitchers per PA: 3.78 (Rank: 19)

Analysis: Hendricks is one of those pitchers that always seems to fly under the radar in daily fantasy, despite having excellent numbers. Since the start of the 2014 season, Hendricks has a 3.69 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 18.4%. He has pitched well recently and he draws a fairly nice matchup against the White Sox, who are ranked 20th in team wOBA and 18th in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. There are safer pitching options on the board, but Hendricks offers good upside at his price point.

Pitcher Rating: 65.0

Jeff Samardzija : FD: $9,200 — DK: $7,100

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 377.1 — SIERA: 3.48 — ERA: 3.67 — K%: 20.6% — BB%: 4.8% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 32.1 — SIERA: 5.20 — ERA: 6.96 — K%: 9.4% — BB%: 5.8% — HR/9: 1.4

Chicago Cubs Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.301 (Rank: 24) — Strikeout Rate: 24.2% (Rank: 30)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.325 (Rank: 10) — Strikeout Rate: 23.7% (Rank: 29)
Pitchers per PA: 3.99 (Rank: 1)

Analysis: Samardzija has looked like a completely different pitcher over the last month of play, posting an uncharacteristic SIERA of 5.20 with an extremely low strikeout rate of 9.4%. Even though the Cubs have the lowest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season, we generally don’t want to target pitchers that are in as bad of form as Samardzija is. His one saving grace tonight is that he is only $7,100 on DraftKings. If you think he can bounce out of his slump, that price point is awfully appealing.

Pitcher Rating: 68.6

Batter Grind Down

Chicago Cubs

Even though Jeff Samardzija has not pitched well recently, he is still not a pitcher that we should heavily target hitters against. Since the start of last season, he has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .315 wOBA. The left-handed bats of Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, and Dexter Fowler are in play, but they are best suited as tournaments plays.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Anthony Rizzo : FD: $4,200 — DK: $4,900

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 349 — wOBA: 0.383 — ISO: 0.248 — wRC+: 146
Last 30 Days: PA: 102 — wOBA: 0.366 — ISO: 0.216 — wRC+: 134

Kyle Schwarber : FD: $3,700 — DK: $4,200

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 79 — wOBA: 0.472 — ISO: 0.294 — wRC+: 208
Last 30 Days: PA: 82 — wOBA: 0.449 — ISO: 0.275 — wRC+: 192

Dexter Fowler : FD: $2,900 — DK: $3,800

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 370 — wOBA: 0.307 — ISO: 0.156 — wRC+: 94
Last 30 Days: PA: 110 — wOBA: 0.391 — ISO: 0.170 — wRC+: 152

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox draw a sneaky difficult matchup tonight against Kyle Hendricks, who has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .305 wOBA over the last two seasons. Melky Cabrera and Adam Eaton have both been red-hot over the last month of play, but they are both secondary options tonight against Hendricks.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Melky Cabrera : FD: $4,000 — DK: $3,700

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 355 — wOBA: 0.329 — ISO: 0.120 — wRC+: 108
Last 30 Days: PA: 107 — wOBA: 0.415 — ISO: 0.253 — wRC+: 168

Adam Eaton : FD: $3,800 — DK: $4,000

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 347 — wOBA: 0.363 — ISO: 0.175 — wRC+: 132
Last 30 Days: PA: 109 — wOBA: 0.435 — ISO: 0.191 — wRC+: 183

Oakland at Baltimore – 7:05 PM EST

Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
Oakland					Baltimore
			Brad Mills					Ubaldo Jimenez
			LEFT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			BAL (-180)					8.5
SP vs. Left	0.464	0.000	0.629	12.1%	SP vs. Left	0.236	0.733	0.329	20.80%
SP vs. Right	0.267	0.736	0.333	22.1%	SP vs. Right	0.252	0.697	0.311	21.90%
Batter Splits	OAK BvP		OAK vs R		Batter Splits	BAL BvP		BAL vs L
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Brad Mills : FD: N/A — DK: N/A

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 20.2 — SIERA: 4.40 — ERA: 9.15 — K%: 18.8% — BB%: 10.9% — HR/9: 2.2

Baltimore Orioles Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.311 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 21.9% (Rank: 21)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.316 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 20.2% (Rank: 10)
Pitchers per PA: 3.83 (Rank: 13)

Analysis: Mills is not available on either FanDuel or DraftKings tonight, so we won’t spend a ton of time here. He is a below-average left-handed pitcher in a tough matchup against the Orioles in Camden Yards. He has to (and should be) avoided in all league formats tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 46.6

Ubaldo Jimenez : FD: $7,600 — DK: $7,800

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 251.1 — SIERA: 4.14 — ERA: 4.30 — K%: 21.3% — BB%: 10.7% — HR/9: 1.0
Last 30 Days: IP: 26.2 — SIERA: 4.29 — ERA: 7.43 — K%: 15.1% — BB%: 6.7% — HR/9: 2.0

Oakland Athletics Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.305 (Rank: 20) — Strikeout Rate: 17.8% (Rank: 4)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.267 (Rank: 29) — Strikeout Rate: 19.7% (Rank: 8)
Pitchers per PA: 3.86 (Rank: 9)

Analysis: Jimenez has not been in great form recently, posting a 4.29 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 15.1%. While the A’s offense has struggled over the last few weeks, they are still one of the toughest teams to strikeout this season. Given his bad form and the bad strikeout matchup, Jimenez is an easy pitcher to avoid tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 62.5

Batter Grind Down

Oakland

The A’s draw a favorable matchup against Ubaldo Jimenez and they get to face him in the hitter-friendly Camden Yards. Danny Valencia is worth a look as an elite play, as he has a .436 wOBA over the last month of play. The left-handed bats of Josh Reddick and Stephen Vogt make nice value plays at their respective positions.

Elite Plays:

Danny Valencia : FD: $3,400 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B/OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 101 — wOBA: 0.387 — ISO: 0.292 — wRC+: 148
Last 30 Days: PA: 49 — wOBA: 0.436 — ISO: 0.267 — wRC+: 186

Secondary Plays:

Josh Reddick : FD: $2,300 — DK: $3,900

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 305 — wOBA: 0.372 — ISO: 0.193 — wRC+: 143
Last 30 Days: PA: 71 — wOBA: 0.314 — ISO: 0.188 — wRC+: 103

Stephen Vogt : FD: $2,300 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: 1B/C
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 292 — wOBA: 0.359 — ISO: 0.219 — wRC+: 134
Last 30 Days: PA: 74 — wOBA: 0.199 — ISO: 0.114 — wRC+: 22

Baltimore

The Orioles have one of the highest team totals on the board tonight outside of Coors Field. They draw a favorable matchup against Brad Mills and they get to face him at home in the hitter-friendly confines of Camden Yards. The right-handed hitters and Chris Davis are in play here.

Elite Plays:

Manny Machado : FD: $3,900 — DK: $4,700

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 109 — wOBA: 0.355 — ISO: 0.172 — wRC+: 126
Last 30 Days: PA: 108 — wOBA: 0.377 — ISO: 0.196 — wRC+: 142

Adam Jones : FD: $3,200 — DK: $4,200

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 92 — wOBA: 0.402 — ISO: 0.259 — wRC+: 159
Last 30 Days: PA: 105 — wOBA: 0.361 — ISO: 0.238 — wRC+: 130

Secondary Plays:

Chris Davis : FD: $4,900 — DK: $5,000

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 124 — wOBA: 0.361 — ISO: 0.211 — wRC+: 131
Last 30 Days: PA: 102 — wOBA: 0.455 — ISO: 0.411 — wRC+: 196

Jonathan Schoop : FD: $2,400 — DK: $3,900

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/3B
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 45 — wOBA: 0.288 — ISO: 0.167 — wRC+: 80
Last 30 Days: PA: 83 — wOBA: 0.372 — ISO: 0.192 — wRC+: 139

NY Yankees at Toronto – 7:07 PM EST

Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
NY Yankees					Toronto
			Ivan Nova					David Price
			RIGHT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			TOR (-240)					8.5
SP vs. Left	0.308	0.795	0.348	8.4%	SP vs. Left	0.253	0.649	0.287	23.80%
SP vs. Right	0.250	0.000	0.369	22.2%	SP vs. Right	0.228	0.640	0.280	26.40%
Batter Splits	NYY BvP		NYY vs L		Batter Splits	TOR BvP		TOR vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Ivan Nova : FD: $6,700 — DK: $6,900

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 66.2 — SIERA: 4.38 — ERA: 4.99 — K%: 14.9% — BB%: 7.6% — HR/9: 1.5
Last 30 Days: IP: 22.1 — SIERA: 3.94 — ERA: 3.63 — K%: 20.7% — BB%: 9.8% — HR/9: 0.8

Toronto Blue Jays Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.331 (Rank: 2) — Strikeout Rate: 18.9% (Rank: 6)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.349 (Rank: 3) — Strikeout Rate: 17.7% (Rank: 5)
Pitchers per PA: 3.83 (Rank: 14)

Analysis: Nova comes into tonight’s start in his best form of the season, but unfortunately, that’s likely going to come to an end. The Blue Jays have been on fire recently and they are ranked second in team wOBA against right-handed pitching this season. Given the matchup, the ballpark, and the fact that he is a huge underdog, he should be avoided in all league formats tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 36.9

David Price : FD: $11,700 — DK: $12,300

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 409.1 — SIERA: 2.95 — ERA: 2.90 — K%: 25.8% — BB%: 4.4% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 36.0 — SIERA: 2.85 — ERA: 2.25 — K%: 29.5% — BB%: 6.5% — HR/9: 1.3

New York Yankees Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.334 (Rank: 3) — Strikeout Rate: 18.8% (Rank: 4)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.309 (Rank: 18) — Strikeout Rate: 22.2% (Rank: 25)
Pitchers per PA: 3.89 (Rank: 4)

Analysis: Price dominated the Yankees in his last start, striking out seven batters in seven scoreless innings of work. It’s always difficult to face the same team in consecutive starts, but Price is facing the Yankees at the perfect time. Over the last two weeks of play, New York is ranked 18th in team wOBA and 25th in strikeout rate. Price is the largest favorite on the board tonight and should easily pick up a win. The only question is how big the differential will be between his runs allowed and his strikeouts.

Pitcher Rating: 93.3

Batter Grind Down

NY Yankees

Even though the Yankees get to play in the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre, they are secondary fantasy options tonight against David Price. Brian McCann is really the only fantasy option on my radar in this one. He has good numbers against McCann in his career and he homered in last night’s game in Cleveland.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Brian McCann : FD: $3,400 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 91 — wOBA: 0.329 — ISO: 0.207 — wRC+: 109
Last 30 Days: PA: 72 — wOBA: 0.313 — ISO: 0.269 — wRC+: 98

Toronto

The Blue Jays have one of the highest team totals on the board tonight (YET AGAIN), as they square off against Ivan Nova. Nova has been pitching recently, but he has given up a .348+ wOBA to both left and right-handed hitters over the last two seasons. The Blue Jays stack is in order for cash games and tournaments once again.

Elite Plays:

Jose Bautista : FD: $5,200 — DK: $5,400

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 364 — wOBA: 0.382 — ISO: 0.298 — wRC+: 145
Last 30 Days: PA: 101 — wOBA: 0.364 — ISO: 0.330 — wRC+: 132

Chris Colabello : FD: $3,200 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 197 — wOBA: 0.363 — ISO: 0.159 — wRC+: 131
Last 30 Days: PA: 49 — wOBA: 0.339 — ISO: 0.171 — wRC+: 115

Russell Martin : FD: $2,900 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 296 — wOBA: 0.322 — ISO: 0.190 — wRC+: 103
Last 30 Days: PA: 75 — wOBA: 0.340 — ISO: 0.206 — wRC+: 115

Secondary Plays:

Josh Donaldson : FD: $5,500 — DK: $6,000

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 397 — wOBA: 0.385 — ISO: 0.263 — wRC+: 147
Last 30 Days: PA: 100 — wOBA: 0.490 — ISO: 0.458 — wRC+: 220

Troy Tulowitzki : FD: $4,100 — DK: $4,500

Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 322 — wOBA: 0.340 — ISO: 0.175 — wRC+: 102
Last 30 Days: PA: 92 — wOBA: 0.351 — ISO: 0.256 — wRC+: 117

Seattle at Boston – 7:10 PM EST

Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
Seattle					Boston
			Mike Montgomery					Joe Kelly
			LEFT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			BOS (-116)					9.5
SP vs. Left	0.243	0.695	0.312	22.5%	SP vs. Left	0.252	0.714	0.318	17.80%
SP vs. Right	0.223	0.668	0.294	16.3%	SP vs. Right	0.276	0.000	0.347	17.20%
Batter Splits	SEA BvP		SEA vs R		Batter Splits	BOS BvP		BOS vs L
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Michael Montgomery : FD: $7,500 — DK: $6,800

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 80.1 — SIERA: 4.31 — ERA: 3.25 — K%: 17.8% — BB%: 9.2% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 25.1 — SIERA: 4.53 — ERA: 5.33 — K%: 21.7% — BB%: 15.0% — HR/9: 1.4

Boston Red Sox Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.316 (Rank: 9) — Strikeout Rate: 19.6% (Rank: 7)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.324 (Rank: 11) — Strikeout Rate: 21.2% (Rank: 18)
Pitchers per PA: 3.98 (Rank: 2)

Analysis: Montgomery has enjoyed a fairly successful rookie season, posting a 4.31 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 17.8% in just over 80 innings of work. His biggest issue has been his command, which could cause some problems tonight against the Red Sox, who average the second-most pitches per plate appearance this season. With this game being played in Fenway Park, there is not reason for Montgomery to be on your radar tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 45.7

Joe Kelly : FD: $6,200 — DK: $4,900

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 190.0 — SIERA: 4.21 — ERA: 5.07 — K%: 17.5% — BB%: 9.2% — HR/9: 1.0
Last 30 Days: IP: 19.0 — SIERA: 3.33 — ERA: 7.11 — K%: 23.3% — BB%: 4.4% — HR/9: 1.9

Seattle Mariners Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.305 (Rank: 20) — Strikeout Rate: 21.7% (Rank: 25)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.333 (Rank: 7) — Strikeout Rate: 20.9% (Rank: 16)
Pitchers per PA: 3.87 (Rank: 7)

Analysis: Kelly may have a 7.11 ERA over the last month of play, but his indicators suggest that a good start is coming soon. During that same stretch, he had a 3.33 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 23.3%. The Mariners have not hit right-handed pitching well on the season, but they have been a much different offense over the last month of play. With so many other options available tonight, Kelly can be avoided.

Pitcher Rating: 56.4

Batter Grind Down

Seattle

The Mariners find themselves in a favorable matchup tonight against Joe Kelly. This game has one of the highest run totals on the schedule and both offenses are expected to fare well in this one. Left and right-handed hitters are in play against Kelly, who has given up a .318+ wOBA to hitters from both sides of the plate.

Elite Plays:

Nelson Cruz : FD: $5,000 — DK: $5,800

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 357 — wOBA: 0.398 — ISO: 0.258 — wRC+: 162
Last 30 Days: PA: 116 — wOBA: 0.501 — ISO: 0.404 — wRC+: 234

Robinson Cano : FD: $3,700 — DK: $3,900

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 323 — wOBA: 0.338 — ISO: 0.179 — wRC+: 120
Last 30 Days: PA: 97 — wOBA: 0.405 — ISO: 0.276 — wRC+: 166

Secondary Plays:

Kyle Seager : FD: $3,400 — DK: $3,700

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 332 — wOBA: 0.314 — ISO: 0.161 — wRC+: 103
Last 30 Days: PA: 117 — wOBA: 0.331 — ISO: 0.173 — wRC+: 115

Seth Smith : FD: $2,400 — DK: $3,200

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 300 — wOBA: 0.332 — ISO: 0.189 — wRC+: 115
Last 30 Days: PA: 65 — wOBA: 0.280 — ISO: 0.182 — wRC+: 79

Boston

The Red Sox offense has let us down more often than not recently, but they are in a good spot tonight at home against Mike Montgomery. Boston has one of the highest team totals on the board. The right-handed hitters and David Ortiz are in play here.

Elite Plays:

Mookie Betts : FD: $3,400 — DK: $4,500

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 99 — wOBA: 0.293 — ISO: 0.146 — wRC+: 81
Last 30 Days: PA: 53 — wOBA: 0.210 — ISO: 0.060 — wRC+: 23

Secondary Plays:

David Ortiz : FD: $4,500 — DK: $5,000

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 126 — wOBA: 0.233 — ISO: 0.133 — wRC+: 39
Last 30 Days: PA: 94 — wOBA: 0.439 — ISO: 0.349 — wRC+: 182

Xander Bogaerts : FD: $3,400 — DK: $3,900

Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: 3B/SS
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 112 — wOBA: 0.407 — ISO: 0.114 — wRC+: 160
Last 30 Days: PA: 105 — wOBA: 0.317 — ISO: 0.050 — wRC+: 97

Rusney Castillo : FD: $2,800 — DK: $3,300

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 42 — wOBA: 0.375 — ISO: 0.075 — wRC+: 138
Last 30 Days: PA: 49 — wOBA: 0.359 — ISO: 0.111 — wRC+: 127

Pittsburgh at NY Mets – 7:10 PM EST

Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
Pittsburgh					NY Mets
			J.A. Happ					Bartolo Colon
			LEFT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			NYM (-113)					8.0
SP vs. Left	0.284	0.845	0.367	24.9%	SP vs. Left	0.276	0.717	0.311	16.40%
SP vs. Right	0.265	0.753	0.329	17.4%	SP vs. Right	0.273	0.752	0.325	18.70%
Batter Splits	PIT BvP		PIT vs R		Batter Splits	NYM BvP		NYM vs L
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

J.A. Happ : FD: $6,100 — DK: $6,600

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 271.0 — SIERA: 4.03 — ERA: 4.45 — K%: 19.0% — BB%: 7.3% — HR/9: 1.2
Last 30 Days: IP: 17.1 — SIERA: 4.79 — ERA: 8.31 — K%: 15.7% — BB%: 10.8% — HR/9: 2.1

New York Mets Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.286 (Rank: 25) — Strikeout Rate: 24.3% (Rank: 29)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.315 (Rank: 15) — Strikeout Rate: 23.6% (Rank: 28)
Pitchers per PA: 3.88 (Rank: 5)

Analysis: The Pirates are hoping that this Happ isn’t the Happ that they are going to see the rest of the season. Over the last month of play, he has an 8.31 ERA (4.79 SIERA) with a walk rate of 10.8%. While his matchup against the Mets appears favorable on paper, there is a new winning attitude in New York. They have been much better offensively since acquiring Yoenis Cespedes. There are better (and safer) pitching options tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 52.6

Bartolo Colon : FD: $7,000 — DK: $6,400

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 336.2 — SIERA: 3.81 — ERA: 4.36 — K%: 17.5% — BB%: 3.1% — HR/9: 1.1
Last 30 Days: IP: 29.1 — SIERA: 4.59 — ERA: 5.83 — K%: 11.7% — BB%: 2.3% — HR/9: 1.2

Pittsburgh Pirates Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.310 (Rank: 14) — Strikeout Rate: 20.5% (Rank: 19)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.347 (Rank: 4) — Strikeout Rate: 20.8% (Rank: 15)
Pitchers per PA: 3.79 (Rank: 17)

Analysis: Colon is one of the more streaky pitchers in baseball. He will string together good or bad outings often. Right now, he is in the midst of a bad stretch, as he has a 4.59 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 11.7% over the last month of play. We never quite know what to expect from Colon, which makes him an easy pitcher to avoid in cash games. His limited upside also makes him an easy pitcher to avoid in tournaments.

Pitcher Rating: 59.2

Batter Grind Down

Pittsburgh

The Pirates would be in play tonight, were it not for the other great matchups on the schedule tonight. They draw a favorable matchup against the hittable Bartolo Colon, but they have the ninth-lowest team total on the board. Andrew McCutchen, Jung-Ho Kang, and Gregory Polanco are all secondary options tonight in Citi Field.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Andrew McCutchen : FD: $5,100 — DK: $4,800

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 380 — wOBA: 0.386 — ISO: 0.218 — wRC+: 152
Last 30 Days: PA: 93 — wOBA: 0.398 — ISO: 0.228 — wRC+: 160

Jung-Ho Kang : FD: $3,500 — DK: $3,500

Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: 3B/SS
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 268 — wOBA: 0.357 — ISO: 0.149 — wRC+: 132
Last 30 Days: PA: 89 — wOBA: 0.464 — ISO: 0.278 — wRC+: 205

Gregory Polanco : FD: $3,200 — DK: $3,900

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 354 — wOBA: 0.315 — ISO: 0.133 — wRC+: 103
Last 30 Days: PA: 99 — wOBA: 0.374 — ISO: 0.191 — wRC+: 143

NY Mets

The Mets’ offense has been rolling recently and if J.A. Happ recent outings are any indication of how well he will pitch tonight, New York should have another productive night at the plate. The left-handed hitters technically have the edge in this matchup, but the hitters from the right side of the plate are the top targets here.

Elite Plays:

Yoenis Cespedes : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,300

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 98 — wOBA: 0.246 — ISO: 0.133 — wRC+: 50
Last 30 Days: PA: 103 — wOBA: 0.329 — ISO: 0.196 — wRC+: 110

Secondary Plays:

Michael Cuddyer : FD: $2,500 — DK: $3,200

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: 1B/OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 71 — wOBA: 0.278 — ISO: 0.048 — wRC+: 78
Last 30 Days: PA: 11 — wOBA: 0.555 — ISO: 0.333 — wRC+: 268