MLB Grind Down: Friday, June 10th

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.

Detroit at NY Yankees – 7:05 PM ET

Detroit NY Yankees
detroitmlb Mike Pelfrey nyyankeesmlb CC Sabathia
RIGHT LEFT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
NYY -140 9.5
Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB% Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB%
SP vs. Left 0.372 10 11.8% 10.4% SP vs. Left 0.252 4 29.1% 7.4%
SP vs. Right 0.329 11 12.2% 3.6% SP vs. Right 0.347 26 17.0% 7.7%

Pitcher Grind Down

Mike Pelfrey
mike-pelfrey-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $6,100 Salary: $4,200
FPPG: 17.4 FPPG: 7.0
Pitcher Rating: 31.9 Pitcher Rank: 28
Statistics Starts PitchPS SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 95.5 5.43 1.54 11.8% 9.8% 5.2% 47.4% 31.6% 12.8%
2016 11 94.6 5.16 4.76 12.0% 8.6% 7.9% 48.6% 29.3% 32.2%
2015 30 88.8 4.59 4.26 12.0% 6.3% 5.6% 50.8% 26.4% 26.1%

The first game of the night kicks off with two pitchers that are slightly past their prime. In 11 starts this season, Pelfrey has a 5.16 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 12%. He doesn’t generate a lot of swings and misses and he gives up a hard hit contact rate over 30%. He draws a difficult matchup tonight against the Yankees, who have scored 29 runs in their last four games at home. I know we want to get Coors Field batters into our lineup, but that doesn’t mean that we have to take Pelfrey.

CC Sabathia
cc-sabathia-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $7,000 Salary: $8,200
FPPG: 31.4 FPPG: 16.5
Pitcher Rating: 49.7 Pitcher Rank: 24
Statistics Starts PitchPS SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 3 91.3 4.44 1.00 22.9% 11.4% 9.5% 45.5% 43.2% 22.7%
2016 9 91.8 4.48 2.58 20.6% 10.1% 9.2% 45.5% 37.2% 23.0%
2015 29 93.2 4.08 4.73 18.9% 6.9% 9.1% 45.9% 32.4% 29.1%

Sabathia has pitched out of some jams in his last couple of starts. While I always like to see him pitch well, I don’t expect it to last. He is an aging pitcher that has lost velocity and command. That is not a great combination for a pitcher. He draws a very difficult matchup tonight against the Tigers. Sabathia’s biggest weakness has been against right-handed hitters and the Tigers will likely throw nine of them at him tonight.

Batter Grind Down

Detroit

The Tigers are ranked ninth in team wOBA against left-handed pitching this season, but when all is said and done, I expect them to be ranked inside the top five. Their matchup against CC Sabathia couldn’t be any better for their lineup construction. Over the last two seasons, Sabathia has allowed a .347 wOBA and 26 home runs to right-handed hitters.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. LHP ISO vs. LHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Ian Kinsler RIGHT 0.376 0.171 0.395 2B $3,900 2B $5,000
2 Cameron Maybin RIGHT 0.357 0.144 0.347 OF $2,900 OF $3,700
3 Miguel Cabrera RIGHT 0.371 0.179 0.288 1B $3,700 1B $4,600
4 Victor Martinez SWITCH 0.372 0.132 0.410 C $3,100 1B $4,400
5 J.D. Martinez RIGHT 0.377 0.265 0.340 OF $4,000 OF $4,500
6 Nick Castellanos RIGHT 0.376 0.237 0.301 3B $3,200 3B $4,400
7 Justin Upton RIGHT 0.266 0.118 0.309 OF $3,100 OF $3,100
8 James McCann RIGHT 0.384 0.252 0.347 C $2,200 C $3,200
9 Jose Iglesias RIGHT 0.347 0.103 0.360 SS $2,500 SS $3,100
Team Averages 0.358 0.178 0.344

Elite Plays – Ian Kinsler, Cameron Maybin, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez

Secondary Plays – J.D. Martinez, Nick Castellanos, Justin Upton

Stackability – Cash & GPP

NY Yankees

The Yankees come into tonight’s game with the fourth highest implied run projection on the board. Their offense should be riding high, after scoring 29 runs against the Angels in their last four games. They have a great chance to keep it rolling tonight against Mike Pelfrey, who has allowed a .372 wOBA to left-handed hitters and a .329 wOBA to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Jacoby Ellsbury LEFT 0.317 0.116 0.383 OF $3,700 OF $4,900
2 Brett Gardner LEFT 0.334 0.153 0.351 OF $3,800 OF $4,600
3 Carlos Beltran SWITCH 0.359 0.220 0.461 OF $4,200 OF $5,100
4 Alex Rodriguez RIGHT 0.336 0.212 0.282 3B $3,400 1B/3B $3,800
5 Brian McCann LEFT 0.326 0.205 0.213 C $3,100 C $4,100
6 Starlin Castro RIGHT 0.292 0.135 0.319 2B $2,700 2B $3,900
7 Didi Gregorius LEFT 0.297 0.120 0.248 SS $2,400 SS $3,000
8 Chase Headley SWITCH 0.299 0.101 0.297 3B $2,700 3B $3,200
9 Rob Refsnyder RIGHT 0.379 0.348 0.261 1B $2,200 2B $3,100
Team Averages 0.327 0.179 0.313

Elite Plays – Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann

Secondary Plays – Alex Rodriguez, Starlin Castro, Chris Parmelee

Stackability – Cash & GPP

Philadelphia at Washington – 7:05 PM ET

Philadelphia Washington
philadelphiamlb Jeremy Hellickson washingtonmlb Stephen Strasburg
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
WAS -250 7.0
Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB% Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB%
SP vs. Left 0.348 13 18.6% 9.3% SP vs. Left 0.253 10 30.7% 7.2%
SP vs. Right 0.321 20 22.2% 4.5% SP vs. Right 0.305 12 30.0% 4.3%

Pitcher Grind Down

Jeremy Hellickson
jeremy-hellickson-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $7,200 Salary: $7,600
FPPG: 31.2 FPPG: 16.6
Pitcher Rating: 53.8 Pitcher Rank: 20
Statistics Starts PitchPS SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 93.5 3.52 3.00 24.5% 6.1% 13.9% 41.9% 29.0% 27.3%
2016 12 92.1 3.56 3.80 24.4% 6.0% 12.6% 42.0% 34.0% 30.8%
2015 27 91.8 4.14 4.62 19.0% 6.8% 10.3% 42.4% 36.5% 34.3%

Hellickson has been underrated in the early part of the season. He is off to a great start, posting a 3.56 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 24.4% and a walk rate of only 6%. Unfortunately, he plays for the Phillies and is almost always listed as an underdog. He checks into tonight’s game as the largest underdog on the board. He draws a difficult matchup against the Nationals and run support will likely be limited with Stephen Strasburg pitching opposite him.

Stephen Strasburg
stephen-strasburg-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $12,000 Salary: $13,500
FPPG: 47.5 FPPG: 26.0
Pitcher Rating: 99.1 Pitcher Rank: 1
Statistics Starts PitchPS SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 100.5 3.42 3.18 29.2% 8.3% 10.0% 40.0% 53.3% 23.3%
2016 12 103.2 2.92 2.85 31.6% 6.9% 11.6% 44.5% 36.6% 25.8%
2015 23 88.8 2.76 3.46 29.6% 5.0% 11.2% 42.2% 34.3% 28.9%

When I first looked at the pitcher ratings that my model spits our for me each day, I had to do a double take – Kershaw wasn’t ranked #1. I then saw that Strasburg beat him out by .1 percentage point in terms of their overall rating tonight. The way Kershaw is pitching right now, it’s hard to argue against him. However, Strasburg is pitching at home and he draws the better matchup of the two. On the season, the Phillies are ranked 28th in team wOBA and 18th in team K% against right-handed pitching. Strasburg should dominate tonight and pick up an easy win.

Batter Grind Down

Philadelphia

The Phillies have struggled offensively all season, averaging the second fewest runs scored per game. They draw a difficult matchup tonight against Stephen Strasburg, who has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .305 wOBA over the last two seasons. This one is pretty simple – don’t target bad offenses against elite pitchers.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Odubel Herrera LEFT 0.357 0.133 0.306 OF $3,400 OF $3,000
2 Cesar Hernandez RIGHT 0.291 0.084 0.316 2B $2,700 2B $2,400
3 Tommy Joseph RIGHT 0.346 0.318 0.406 1B $2,200 1B $3,600
4 Maikel Franco RIGHT 0.336 0.190 0.256 3B $2,900 3B $2,700
5 Cameron Rupp RIGHT 0.287 0.140 0.331 C $2,400 C $2,100
6 Tyler Goeddel RIGHT 0.300 0.173 0.282 OF $2,000 OF $2,600
7 Freddy Galvis SWITCH 0.291 0.125 0.247 SS $2,600 SS $2,500
8 Tyler Goeddel RIGHT 0.300 0.173 0.282 OF $2,000 OF $2,600
9 Jeremy Hellickson RIGHT 0.237 0.000 0.000 P $7,200 P $7,600
Team Averages 0.305 0.148 0.270

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

Washington

The Nationals have the 12th highest team total on the board tonight, as they square off against Jeremy Hellickson at home. Since Hellickson has looked like a different pitcher this season, I am placing more of an emphasis on his recent splits. In 2016, he has held right-handed hitters to a .300 wOBA while allowing a .369 wOBA to left-handed hitters. The two-man wrecking crew of Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy remain elite plays.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Ben Revere LEFT 0.300 0.073 0.210 OF $2,900 OF $3,200
2 Jayson Werth RIGHT 0.281 0.135 0.365 OF $3,800 OF $3,600
3 Bryce Harper LEFT 0.455 0.333 0.349 OF $4,200 OF $4,600
4 Daniel Murphy LEFT 0.377 0.217 0.406 2B $4,200 2B $4,900
5 Ryan Zimmerman RIGHT 0.308 0.182 0.427 1B $3,600 1B $3,700
6 Wilson Ramos RIGHT 0.300 0.143 0.469 C $3,600 C $3,800
7 Anthony Rendon RIGHT 0.311 0.125 0.437 3B $3,600 3B $4,200
8 Danny Espinosa SWITCH 0.298 0.171 0.397 SS $3,300 SS $3,100
9 Stephen Strasburg RIGHT 0.145 0.000 0.000 P $12,000 P $13,500
Team Averages 0.308 0.153 0.340

Elite Plays – Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy

Secondary Plays – Ben Revere, Wilson Ramos

Stackability – NONE

St. Louis at Pittsburgh – 7:05 PM ET

St. Louis Pittsburgh
stlouismlb Michael Wacha pittsburghmlb Gerrit Cole
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
PIT -150 8.0
Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB% Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB%
SP vs. Left 0.286 9 19.4% 8.2% SP vs. Left 0.281 6 24.0% 6.6%
SP vs. Right 0.320 15 20.5% 7.7% SP vs. Right 0.279 8 21.8% 4.9%

Pitcher Grind Down

Michael Wacha
michael-wacha-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $7,200 Salary: $5,400
FPPG: 23.6 FPPG: 11.4
Pitcher Rating: 53.1 Pitcher Rank: 22
Statistics Starts PitchPS SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 86.0 4.19 5.73 22.2% 6.7% 9.3% 21.9% 43.8% 28.1%
2016 12 94.0 4.32 5.16 19.8% 8.5% 7.9% 42.5% 30.0% 31.1%
2015 30 97.9 4.02 3.37 20.1% 7.6% 9.5% 45.8% 32.0% 29.7%

Wacha is not having his best season. In 12 starts, he has a 4.32 SIERA (5.16 ERA) with a strikeout rate of only 19.8%. His swinging strike rate and ground ball rate are both down from where they were a year ago. While I like the fact that his price has come down across the industry, I will wait for him to flash some form or for a favorable matchup at home. I have little interest in Wacha on the road against the Pirates.

Gerrit Cole
gerrit-cole-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $9,000 Salary: $7,000
FPPG: 32.0 FPPG: 16.2
Pitcher Rating: 83.6 Pitcher Rank: 5
Statistics Starts PitchPS SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 3 105.3 4.22 3.00 15.9% 7.3% 7.6% 52.4% 20.6% 23.8%
2016 11 101.1 4.27 2.85 18.6% 6.8% 7.9% 42.8% 31.8% 28.5%
2015 32 101.2 3.23 2.60 24.3% 5.3% 10.2% 48.0% 29.6% 29.5%

Where, oh where have the strikeouts all gone? Oh where, oh where could they be?

Cole has a low ERA this season, but eventually those balls put into play are going to start finding holes and gaps. His strikeout rate is down 6% from where is was last season and he is generating a very mediocre swinging strike rate of 18.6%. While he is pitching at home tonight, he draws a tough matchup against the Cardinals, who are ranked second in team wOBA and first in team ISO against right-handed pitching. I will be avoiding Cole in all league formats.

Batter Grind Down

St. Louis

The Cardinals have an underrated offense, but they draw a difficult matchup against Gerrit Cole in the pitcher friendly PNC Park. Over the last two seasons, Cole has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .285 wOBA. With so many offenses projected to score more runs tonight, the Cardinals bats are GPP fliers at best.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Matt Carpenter LEFT 0.399 0.261 0.469 2B $4,300 3B $5,000
2 Aledmys Diaz RIGHT 0.389 0.234 0.310 SS $3,600 SS $3,500
3 Matt Adams LEFT 0.344 0.199 0.445 1B $3,600 1B $3,300
4 Stephen Piscotty RIGHT 0.345 0.167 0.319 OF $3,800 OF $4,200
5 Jhonny Peralta RIGHT 0.331 0.119 0.610 3B $2,800 SS $3,200
6 Brandon Moss LEFT 0.335 0.250 0.544 1B $3,200 1B/OF $3,600
7 Yadier Molina RIGHT 0.304 0.096 0.152 C $2,700 C $2,700
8 Randal Grichuk RIGHT 0.356 0.259 0.201 OF $3,000 OF $3,200
9 Michael Wacha RIGHT 0.141 0.017 0.523 P $7,200 P $5,400
Team Averages 0.327 0.178 0.397

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Matt Carpenter, Matt Adams

Stackability – NONE

Pittsburgh

The Pirates are sizable favorites tonight, but they have a mediocre team total of 4.29 runs. They are facing a struggling Michael Wacha, who hasn’t been nearly as sharp as he was in years past. If you are targeting anyone from the Pirates, give an edge to the right-handed hitters. Wacha has some serious reverse-splits, allowing a .320 wOBA to righties over the last two seasons.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 John Jaso LEFT 0.359 0.160 0.307 1B $2,900 1B $3,500
2 Andrew McCutchen RIGHT 0.365 0.193 0.279 OF $3,100 OF $4,200
3 Gregory Polanco LEFT 0.345 0.164 0.358 OF $3,500 OF $5,300
4 Starling Marte RIGHT 0.355 0.159 0.392 OF $3,200 OF $5,000
5 Jung-Ho Kang RIGHT 0.371 0.201 0.416 3B $3,000 3B $4,100
6 Josh Harrison RIGHT 0.310 0.103 0.357 2B $2,600 2B $3,900
7 Francisco Cervelli RIGHT 0.321 0.079 0.277 C $2,200 C $3,100
8 Sean Rodriguez RIGHT 0.305 0.164 0.289 OF $2,400 2B/SS $3,200
9 Gerrit Cole RIGHT 0.107 0.000 0.833 P $9,000 P $7,000
Team Averages 0.315 0.136 0.390

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Andrew McCutchen, Jung-Ho Kang

Stackability – NONE

Baltimore at Toronto – 7:07 PM ET

Baltimore Toronto
baltimoremlb Kevin Gausman torontomlb Marco Estrada
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
TOR -157 9.0
Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB% Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB%
SP vs. Left 0.267 6 25.2% 6.3% SP vs. Left 0.266 19 18.2% 7.8%
SP vs. Right 0.360 20 19.2% 5.8% SP vs. Right 0.267 12 20.2% 8.8%

Pitcher Grind Down

Kevin Gausman
kevin-gausman-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $8,100 Salary: $8,600
FPPG: 27.6 FPPG: 15.5
Pitcher Rating: 52.6 Pitcher Rank: 23
Statistics Starts PitchPS SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 3 107.0 3.30 5.29 27.0% 6.8% 11.8% 45.8% 31.3% 24.5%
2016 9 102.8 3.72 3.52 22.3% 5.8% 11.1% 45.9% 34.4% 26.4%
2015 17 110.4 3.69 4.25 21.9% 6.2% 10.9% 44.4% 38.1% 27.4%

Gausman has some nice numbers so far this season. In nine starts, he has a 3.72 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 22.3%. While there are certainly spots when we can use him in DFS, this is not one of them. Not only does he have to face the Blue Jays in the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre, but the splits don’t line up well for him in this matchup. He is a reverse-splits pitcher and the Blue Jays best hitters bat from the right side of the plate.

Marco Estrada
marco-estrada-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $8,300 Salary: $10,700
FPPG: 36.5 FPPG: 20.6
Pitcher Rating: 57.0 Pitcher Rank: 18
Statistics Starts PitchPS SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 109.0 4.97 1.13 19.3% 10.5% 7.8% 30.8% 51.3% 32.5%
2016 11 102.2 4.50 2.41 21.5% 9.9% 9.7% 36.2% 48.5% 31.3%
2015 28 104.0 4.64 3.13 18.1% 7.6% 9.9% 32.2% 52.3% 27.4%

Estrada has been the Blue Jays best pitcher so far this season. In 11 starts, he has a 2.41 ERA with a strikeout rate of 21.5%. While those numbers are certainly impressive, it’s hard to imagine him keeping a .191 BABIP for the rest of the season. Estrada generally has a lower BABIP than the major league average, but his career average is .255. He is an extreme fly-ball pitcher that could struggle against a powerful Orioles’ lineup.

Batter Grind Down

Baltimore

The Orioles may not have the best matchup on the board, but if we have learned anything from Baltimore, it’s that they always make a great stack in tournaments. They are facing an extreme fly-ball pitcher in a hitter-friendly ballpark. That alone makes them worthy of GPP consideration. I will be avoiding the Orioles in cash games though, as Marco Estrada has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .270 wOBA.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Adam Jones RIGHT 0.338 0.211 0.350 OF $3,400 OF $3,400
2 Hyun-Soo Kim LEFT 0.405 0.105 0.357 OF $2,800 OF $2,700
3 Manny Machado RIGHT 0.390 0.255 0.370 SS $3,600 3B/SS $3,700
4 Chris Davis LEFT 0.395 0.321 0.277 1B $3,300 1B $3,400
5 Mark Trumbo RIGHT 0.346 0.203 0.504 OF $4,000 OF $4,300
6 Matt Wieters SWITCH 0.334 0.157 0.280 C $2,900 C $2,700
7 Jonathan Schoop RIGHT 0.354 0.230 0.247 2B $3,000 2B $2,800
8 Pedro Alvarez LEFT 0.334 0.231 0.372 3B $2,700 1B $2,700
9 Ryan Flaherty LEFT 0.277 0.139 0.344 2B $2,700 3B $2,300
Team Averages 0.353 0.206 0.345

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo

Stackability – GPP

Toronto

The Blue Jays come into tonight’s game with the sixth highest run projection. Their matchup against Kevin Gausman looks like it favors the Blue Jays when you look at his splits. Over the last two seasons, Gausman has allowed a .360 wOBA and 20 home runs to right-handed hitters. The best part is that with a game in Coors Field tonight, Toronto’s offense will be lower owned that it otherwise would be. Jose Bautista left last night’s game early with hamstring tightness. Make sure he is in the lineup if you are considering him tonight.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Jose Bautista RIGHT 0.385 0.285 0.303 OF $4,400 OF $3,900
2 Josh Donaldson RIGHT 0.383 0.259 0.436 3B $4,100 3B $4,200
3 Edwin Encarnacion RIGHT 0.371 0.261 0.338 1B $3,700 1B $4,000
4 Michael Saunders LEFT 0.338 0.157 0.308 OF $3,100 OF $3,400
5 Justin Smoak SWITCH 0.339 0.223 0.332 1B $3,200 1B $3,100
6 Russell Martin RIGHT 0.300 0.176 0.326 C $2,600 C $2,800
7 Kevin Pillar RIGHT 0.304 0.129 0.312 OF $3,100 OF $3,200
8 Devon Travis RIGHT 0.343 0.160 0.217 2B $2,700 2B $3,200
9 Darwin Barney RIGHT 0.364 0.160 0.373 SS $2,400 2B/SS $2,400
Team Averages 0.347 0.201 0.327

Elite Plays – Edwin Encarnacion

Secondary Plays – Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Michael Saunders, Russell Martin

Stackability – GPP

Houston at Tampa Bay – 7:10 PM ET

Houston Tampa Bay
houstonmlb Lance McCullers tampabaymlb Matt Andriese
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
HOU -110 8.0
Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB% Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB%
SP vs. Left 0.268 3 29.4% 8.7% SP vs. Left 0.305 5 15.8% 6.8%
SP vs. Right 0.321 8 22.0% 10.5% SP vs. Right 0.277 4 17.9% 5.3%

Pitcher Grind Down

Lance McCullers
lance-mccullers-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $8,800 Salary: $10,300
FPPG: 38.2 FPPG: 18.9
Pitcher Rating: 82.8 Pitcher Rank: 7
Statistics Starts PitchPS SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 3 104.0 3.83 3.18 32.9% 16.5% 13.5% 64.1% 15.4% 20.0%
2016 5 98.6 3.96 4.23 29.4% 15.1% 12.6% 59.4% 18.8% 27.1%
2015 22 95.9 3.57 3.22 24.8% 8.3% 9.8% 46.5% 31.8% 28.9%

McCullers has incredible upside, but he is a wild pitcher that really struggles with his command. On the season, he has a 3.96 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 29.4% and a walk rate of 15.1%. Basically, you are getting the good and the bad when you roster McCullers. He is not a great cash game target (especially at his price) and I’m not sure that you need to look at him in tournaments either. While the upside is there, I find myself leaning toward other pitching options.

Matt Andriese
matthew-andriese-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $7,700 Salary: $8,700
FPPG: 34.7 FPPG: 18.8
Pitcher Rating: 64.1 Pitcher Rank: 14
Statistics Starts PitchPS SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 91.0 3.78 2.25 16.3% 4.1% 8.8% 54.1% 21.6% 33.3%
2016 6 95.7 4.23 2.52 16.2% 5.2% 8.7% 50.0% 31.4% 35.8%
2015 8 136.0 4.02 4.11 17.4% 6.4% 8.6% 48.1% 34.8% 32.9%

Andriese has been a serviceable starter for the Rays this season, posting a 4.23 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 16.2%. While we do need to save some salary cap somewhere if we are planning on using an ace with some Coors Field hitters, Andriese seems a bit overpriced on DraftKings. The Astros may strikeout at a high rate, but they are ranked above the major league average in both team wOBA and team ISO against right-handed pitching this season.

Batter Grind Down

Houston

The Astros are an offense that most people will just gloss over tonight. I will likely be doing the same. They draw a mediocre matchup against Matt Andriese in the pitcher-friendly Tropicana Field. Over the last two seasons, Andriese has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .305 wOBA. While I don’t hate the Astros, they seem a bit overpriced in this matchup.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 George Springer RIGHT 0.346 0.182 0.428 OF $4,200 OF $5,200
2 Jose Altuve RIGHT 0.341 0.157 0.441 2B $4,300 2B $5,400
3 Carlos Correa RIGHT 0.354 0.204 0.358 SS $3,900 SS $4,300
4 Colby Rasmus LEFT 0.329 0.226 0.235 OF $3,200 OF $3,600
5 Luis Valbuena LEFT 0.346 0.220 0.408 3B $3,200 3B $3,400
6 Evan Gattis RIGHT 0.316 0.222 0.291 C $3,500 C $4,100
7 Carlos Gomez RIGHT 0.292 0.141 0.351 OF $2,800 OF $3,600
8 Marwin Gonzalez SWITCH 0.290 0.126 0.277 1B $2,900 1B/3B $3,000
9 Jason Castro LEFT 0.326 0.198 0.323 C $2,400 C $3,300
Team Averages 0.327 0.186 0.346

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – George Springer, Jose Altuve

Stackability – NONE

Tampa Bay

The Rays are small underdogs tonight at home against Lance McCullers. While he does struggle with his command at times, he has an elite strikeout rate. The one potential weakness for McCullers is right-handed hitters – allowing a .321 wOBA and eight home runs to righties in his last 27 starts.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Taylor Motter RIGHT 0.202 0.111 0.179 SS $2,400 3B/SS $2,000
2 Brad Miller LEFT 0.335 0.183 0.275 SS $2,800 SS $3,200
3 Evan Longoria RIGHT 0.318 0.178 0.491 3B $3,900 3B $4,300
4 Logan Morrison LEFT 0.324 0.188 0.381 1B $3,100 1B $3,600
5 Steve Pearce RIGHT 0.334 0.193 0.408 OF $2,900 1B/2B $3,200
6 Corey Dickerson LEFT 0.368 0.293 0.336 OF $2,800 OF $3,200
7 Steven Souza RIGHT 0.320 0.177 0.266 OF $3,000 OF $3,400
8 Hank Conger SWITCH 0.334 0.199 0.493 C $2,100 C $2,700
9 Tim Beckham RIGHT 0.284 0.189 0.273 2B $2,300 2B/SS $2,700
Team Averages 0.313 0.190 0.345

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Evan Longoria, Steve Pearce

Stackability – NONE


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About the Author

Notorious
Derek Farnsworth (Notorious)

Derek Farnsworth (aka Notorious) is a lead RotoGrinders Expert and one of the most recognizable names and faces in all of DFS. Before joining the RotoGrinders team, Derek received a Master’s Degree from the University of Utah. When he’s not busy providing content, he’s dominating the DFS industry as evidenced by his consistent top rankings in several sports and multiple Live Final appearances. Noto provides expert NBA, NFL, MLB, and PGA analysis for RotoGrinders Premium members on a daily basis and has also been nominated for five different Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association (FSWA) awards. Follow Noto on X – @RG_Notorious