MLB Grind Down: Monday, April 20th - Page Two

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2015-04-20 21:30:28

Cleveland at Chicago White Sox

Pitcher Grind Down

Trevor Bauer (FD: $8800, DK: $7100)

Pitching Stats (2014):
ERA: 4.18 / xFIP: 4.14 / SIERA: 3.95
K/9: 8.41 / K%: 0.216 / BB%: 0.091

CWS vs. RH Pitching:
wOBA: 0.315 (Rank: 9)
Strikeout Rate: 0.174 (Rank: 5)

Bauer has been sharp in his first two starts of the season, posting a 3.11 xFIP with a K/9 of 14.3. Obviously, he won’t be able to maintain that elite strikeout rate, but he’s missing a lot of bats, which is great for his fantasy production. He has still had an issue with walks though, as he has already walked nine batters in his first 12 innings of work. A matchup against the White Sox in U.S. Cellular Field may be just what Bauer need to come crashing back down to Earth. The White Sox are one of the best hitting teams against right-handed pitching. Rating = 6

John Danks (FD: $6300, DK: $5300)

Pitching Stats (2014):
ERA: 4.74 / xFIP: 4.62 / SIERA: 4.64
K/9: 5.99 / K%: 0.151 / BB%: 0.087

CLE vs. LH Pitching:
wOBA: 0.246 (Rank: 29)
Strikeout Rate: 0.221 (Rank: 20)

Danks is one of the many pitchers in baseball that comes with more risk that potential reward. He has averaged less than six strikeouts per nine innings in each of the last three seasons. In 2014, he struck out 15.1% of the batters that he faced, while allowing a walk rate of 8.7%. Even though the matchup against the Indians’ left-handed heavy lineup looks terrific on paper, Danks still gave up a .317 wOBA to left-handed hitters last season. Danks is an intriguing tournament option against Cleveland, but he’s still far too risky to target in cash games. Rating = 5.5

Batter Grind Down

Cleveland

Carlos Santana (FD: $3200, DK: $4600)

Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B/C)
BA: 0.231 / wOBA: 0.353 / ISO: 0.196
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.381 / ISO: 0.198

Santana is one of the few right-handed batters in this Indians’ lineup, all of which are in play against John Danks. In 2014, Danks gave up a .355 wOBA to batters that hit from the right side of the plate. Santana meanwhile, posted a .381 wOBA and a .198 ISO against left-handed pitching last season. Don’t be afraid to pair him up with the other right-handed hitters in this lineup.

Additional Plays:

Jerry Sands (FD: $2200, DK: $3400)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. LH Pitching wOBA: 0.309 / ISO: 0.080

Jose Ramirez (FD: $2600, DK: $3700)
Position Eligibility (FD: SS, DK: 2B/SS)
vs. LH Pitching wOBA: 0.300 / ISO: 0.063

Mike Aviles (FD: $2400, DK: $3500)
Position Eligibility (FD: SS, DK: 2B/3B)
vs. LH Pitching wOBA: 0.285 / ISO: 0.101

Chicago White Sox

Jose Abreu (FD: $4400, DK: $5100)
Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B)
BA: 0.317 / wOBA: 0.411 / ISO: 0.264
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.394 / ISO: 0.250

There are few times during the season when Abreu is a bad fantasy option. This is not one of them. Abreu is sitting at a very playable price point on both FanDuel and DraftKings and it’s easy to fit him in your lineup on a night that features very few aces on the mound. Abreu finished 2014 with a .394 wOBA and a .250 ISO against right-handed pitching and Trevor Bauer typically gives up nearly identical splits, regardless of handedness.

Additional Plays:

Adam LaRoche (FD: $3500, DK: $3800)
Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.384 / ISO: 0.221

Adam Eaton (FD: $2600, DK: $3400)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.344 / ISO: 0.119

San Diego at Colorado

Pitcher Grind Down

Odrisamer Despaigne (FD: $6600, DK: $5600)

Pitching Stats (2014):
ERA: 3.36 / xFIP: 4.01 / SIERA: 4.14
K/9: 6.07 / K%: 0.161 / BB%: 0.079

COL vs. RH Pitching:
wOBA: 0.347 (Rank: 4)
Strikeout Rate: 0.174 (Rank: 5)

There are really only two words that need to be said here: Coors Field. As we all know, this is the best hitter’s park in all of baseball. It is ranked first in runs and total bases almost every season. Despaigne can safely be avoided in all league formats, as the Rockies can put up runs quickly, especially at home. Rating = 2

Jorge De La Rosa (FD: $6800, DK: $6800)

Pitching Stats (2014):
ERA: 4.10 / xFIP: 3.95 / SIERA: 4.05
K/9: 6.79 / K%: 0.181 / BB%: 0.087

SD vs. LH Pitching:
wOBA: 0.360 (Rank: 2)
Strikeout Rate: 0.243 (Rank: 23)

De La Rosa will be making his first start of the season. He was a bit of an oddity last year, as he was able to post much better numbers at home (Coors Field) than he did on the road. That’s not nearly enough to persuade me to target him in daily fantasy though. He can safely be avoided against the Padres, who are ranked 2nd in wOBA against right-handed pitching this season. Rating = 2

Batter Grind Down

San Diego

Matt Kemp (FD: $4300, DK: $5400)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. LH Pitching wOBA: 0.336 / ISO: 0.196

Justin Upton was not in the lineup on Sunday, but he would obviously make a great play if he is able to play on Monday night. Basically, every hitter in this lineup is in play, especially those that can hit from the right side of the plate. Jorge De La Rosa gave up a .336 wOBA to right-handed hitters last season and this game has a great chance to be the highest scoring one of the night. Don’t be afraid to employ a full or mini-Padres stack in Coors.

Additional Plays:

Derek Norris (FD: $2800, DK: $3800)
Position Eligibility (FD: C, DK: C)
vs. LH Pitching wOBA: 0.379 / ISO: 0.159

Wil Myers (FD: $3700, DK: $4500)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. LH Pitching wOBA: 0.240 / ISO: 0.081

Will Middlebrooks (FD: $3000, DK: $3900)
Position Eligibility (FD: 3B, DK: 3B)
vs. LH Pitching wOBA: 0.201 / ISO: 0.057

Yangervis Solarte (FD: $2600, DK: $3400)
Position Eligibility (FD: 3B, DK: 2B/3B)
vs. LH Pitching wOBA: 0.335 / ISO: 0.133

Jedd Gyorko (FD: $2700, DK: $3900)
Position Eligibility (FD: 2B, DK: 2B/3B)
vs. LH Pitching wOBA: 0.305 / ISO: 0.098

Colorado

Carlos Gonzalez (FD: $4400, DK: $4600)

Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
BA: 0.238 / wOBA: 0.315 / ISO: 0.192
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.334 / ISO: 0.220

Gonzalez is off to a little bit of a slow start this season, batting only 10-for-45, but five of those hits went for extra bases. He’s listed as the premier play, as he is considerably cheaper than a few of his teammates. As always, the Rockies are all in play in Coors Field, but their salaries are certainly priced up for the ballpark, which makes stacking Colorado very difficult. The good news is that pitching is cheaper on Monday night, which allows us to get a few of these hitters in our lineups.

Additional Plays:

Troy Tulowitzki (FD: $5300, DK: $5900)
Position Eligibility (FD: SS, DK: SS)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.404 / ISO: 0.207

Nolan Arenado (FD: $4700, DK: $5100)
Position Eligibility (FD: 3B, DK: 3B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.339 / ISO: 0.188

Corey Dickerson (FD: $4900, DK: $4700)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.419 / ISO: 0.278

Charlie Blackmon (FD: $4200, DK: $4400)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.350 / ISO: 0.158

Justin Morneau (FD: $4000, DK: $3800)
Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.4 / ISO: 0.196

Oakland at LA Angels

Pitcher Grind Down

Kendall Graveman (FD: $5500, DK: $5300)

Pitching Stats (2014):
ERA: 3.86 / xFIP: 1.68 / SIERA: 1.08
K/9: 7.71 / K%: 0.222 / BB%: 0

LAA vs. RH Pitching:
wOBA: 0.27 (Rank: 26)
Strikeout Rate: 0.216 (Rank: 18)

After getting rocked by the Rangers in his first start of the season, Graveman bounced back nicely against the Astros, striking out three batters in five scoreless innings of work. Graveman doesn’t have a ton of upside though, as he has a low strikeout rate and a difficult matchup against the Angels. While the Angels are currently ranked 27th in wOBA against right-handed pitching, I don’t expect that to last much longer. Graveman can be avoided, as he is a sizable underdog on the road. Rating = 4.5

Matt Shoemaker (FD: $8500, DK: $8100)

Pitching Stats (2014):
ERA: 3.04 / xFIP: 3.28 / SIERA: 3.19
K/9: 8.21 / K%: 0.228 / BB%: 0.044

OAK vs. RH Pitching:
wOBA: 0.344 (Rank: 5)
Strikeout Rate: 0.179 (Rank: 8)

Shoemaker has pitched pretty well in his first two starts of the season. He has given up three runs in each start, while striking out a combined 12 batters. He is coming off of a strong 2014 campaign, where he posted a 3.28 xFIP and a K/9 of 8.2. He’s a -145 favorite at home against the A’s. Even though the matchup isn’t ideal, I expect a quality outing from him against Oakland. He should get plenty of run support with Kendall Graveman on the mound. Rating = 7

Batter Grind Down

Oakland

NO ELITE PLAYS

Additional Plays:

Ike Davis (FD: $2900, DK: $3600)
Position Eligibility (FD: 1B, DK: 1B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.341 / ISO: 0.159

LA Angels

Kole Calhoun (FD: $3600, DK: $4700)

Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
BA: 0.272 / wOBA: 0.341 / ISO: 0.178
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.348 / ISO: 0.190

The sample size is still extremely small, but Kendall Graveman has given up a career .518 wOBA to batters from the left-side of the plate. Calhoun is one of the top outfield options on the board, as he posted a .348 wOBA and a .190 ISO against right-handed pitching last season. He also has bats leadoff, which can lead to that extra at-bat.

Additional Plays:

Mike Trout (FD: $5900, DK: $5800)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.404 / ISO: 0.283

Matt Joyce (FD: $3000, DK: $3800)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.337 / ISO: 0.13

Houston at Seattle

Pitcher Grind Down

Asher Wojciechowski (FD: $5800, DK: $4400)

SEA vs. RH Pitching:
wOBA: 0.298 (Rank: 16)
Strikeout Rate: 0.217 (Rank: 19)

In two appearances this season, Wojciechowski has posted a 5.03 xFIP with a K/9 of 6.7. He’s not expected to throw more than around 90 pitches and he’s one of the largest underdogs on the board. He can safely be avoided against the Mariners, who have quite a few left-handed hitters to throw at him. Rating = 4

Hisashi Iwakuma (FD: $8300, DK: $8800)

Pitching Stats (2014):
ERA: 3.52 / xFIP: 2.85 / SIERA: 2.94
K/9: 7.74 / K%: 0.217 / BB%: 0.03

HOU vs. RH Pitching:
wOBA: 0.266 (Rank: 28)
Strikeout Rate: 0.253 (Rank: 29)

We haven’t seen the dominant Iwakuma in quite some time. He has really struggled since the All-Star Break last season and he’s off to a rocky start this season as well. In his first two starts, he has given up nine runs, while only striking out eight batters. A home matchup against the Astros may be just what he needs to kick-start his season though. Iwakuma has always had excellent splits at Safeco and the Astros have the 2nd-highest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. Iwakuma is a large favorite that is one of the top pitching options on the board. Rating = 8.5

Batter Grind Down

Houston

NO ELITE PLAYS

Additional Plays:

Jose Altuve (FD: $4100, DK: $4100)
Position Eligibility (FD: 2B, DK: 2B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.340 / ISO: 0.1

Luis Valbuena (FD: $2900, DK: $3500)
Position Eligibility (FD: 3B, DK: 2B/3B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.355 / ISO: 0.208

Seattle

Nelson Cruz (FD: $4700, DK: $4900)

Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
BA: 0.271 / wOBA: 0.37 / ISO: 0.254
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.356 / ISO: 0.254

Cruz is known for his power against left-handed pitching, but he’s no slouch against right-handed pitching. He finished 2014 with a .356 wOBA and a .254 ISO against righties. Cruz is also the hottest hitter in baseball right now. Over his last eight games, he has piled up 16 hits, 8 home runs, 14 RBIs, and 9 runs. He is in full “video-game” mode right now and he’s still priced under $5,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings. A matchup against Asher Wojciechowski will not scare him in the slightest.

Additional Plays:

Robinson Cano (FD: $3800, DK: $4900)
Position Eligibility (FD: 2B, DK: 2B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.382 / ISO: 0.166

Kyle Seager (FD: $3500, DK: $4700)
Position Eligibility (FD: 3B, DK: 3B)
vs. RH Pitching wOBA: 0.376 / ISO: 0.221

Seth Smith (FD: $2400, DK: $4000)
Position Eligibility (FD: OF, DK: OF)
vs. LH Pitching wOBA: 0.353 / ISO: 0.080