MLB Grind Down: Monday, August 17th

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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Oakland at Baltimore – 7:05 PM EST

Oakland Baltimore
oaklandmlb Sonny Gray baltimoremlb Chris Tillman
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
BAL (-108) 7.5
Stats Avg OPS wOBA K% Stats Avg OPS wOBA K%
SP vs. Left 0.204 0.581 0.264 21.8% SP vs. Left 0.252 0.671 0.299 17.10%
SP vs. Right 0.229 0.584 0.263 19.9% SP vs. Right 0.238 0.732 0.321 16.90%
Batter Splits OAK BvP OAK vs R Batter Splits BAL BvP BAL vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Sonny Gray : FD: $9,800 — DK: $11,900

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 380.2 — SIERA: 3.52 — ERA: 2.65 — K%: 20.9% — BB%: 7.5% — HR/9: 0.6
Last 30 Days: IP: 38.0 — SIERA: 3.93 — ERA: 2.13 — K%: 19.6% — BB%: 7.0% — HR/9: 1.0

Baltimore Orioles Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.317 (Rank: 11) — Strikeout Rate: 22.3% (Rank: 28)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.316 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 20.2% (Rank: 10)
Pitchers per PA: 3.83 (Rank: 13)

Analysis: Happy Monday everyone! Gray will be on the bump tonight for the A’s, as they take on the Orioles in the hitter-friendly Camden Yards. This is a boom or bust matchup if we have every seen one, as the Orioles have a lot of power in their lineup, but they also have the third-highest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. Gray can have a dominant outing anywhere, but he is a little overpriced for his matchup tonight. He is a better target for tournaments than he is for cash games.

Pitcher Rating: 71.4


Chris Tillman : FD: $6,400 — DK: $5,500

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 323.1 — SIERA: 4.36 — ERA: 3.81 — K%: 17.0% — BB%: 7.9% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 26.0 — SIERA: 3.78 — ERA: 2.08 — K%: 16.7% — BB%: 4.2% — HR/9: 0.7

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: Tillman comes into tonight’s start in his best form of the season. Over the last month of play, he has a 2.08 ERA (3.78 SIERA) with a strikeout rate of 16.7%. He catches the A’s at the perfect time as well. As a team, they have the second-lowest team wOBA over the last 14 days. While the matchup is a decent one, Tillman’s strikeout potential is severely limited and he has to pitch at home in the hitter-friendly Camden Yards. There are better pitching options on the board tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 56.1

Batter Grind Down

Oakland

The A’s have really struggled to score runs in recent weeks, but they draw a decent matchup tonight against Chris Tillman, who has given up a .299+ wOBA to both left and right-handed hitters over the last two seasons. Josh Reddick is an elite play at only $2,300 on FanDuel, while Danny Valencia and Stephen Vogt are better secondary options.

Elite Plays:

Josh Reddick : FD: $2,300 — DK: $4,000

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 305 — wOBA: 0.372 — ISO: 0.193 — wRC+: 143
Last 30 Days: PA: 83 — wOBA: 0.310 — ISO: 0.185 — wRC+: 100

Secondary Plays:

Danny Valencia : FD: $3,300 — DK: $3,500

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: 64 — wOBA: 0.376 — ISO: 0.254 — wRC+: 144

Stephen Vogt : FD: $2,600 — 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: 84 — wOBA: 0.229 — ISO: 0.127 — wRC+: 43


Baltimore

The Orioles are coming off of a huge outing in yesterday’s win against the A’s. They draw a much more difficult matchup tonight, as Sonny Gray has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .270 wOBA over the last two seasons. Gerardo Parra is the only fantasy option of note here. He has been swinging a hot bat with a .373 wOBA over the last month of play.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Gerardo Parra : FD: $3,300 — DK: $3,800

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 324 — wOBA: 0.376 — ISO: 0.187 — wRC+: 138
Last 30 Days: PA: 107 — wOBA: 0.373 — ISO: 0.146 — wRC+: 135


Minnesota at NY Yankees – 7:05 PM EST

Minnesota NY Yankees
minnesotamlb Kyle Gibson nyyankeesmlb Bryan Mitchell
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
NYY (-155) 8.5
Stats Avg OPS wOBA K% Stats Avg OPS wOBA K%
SP vs. Left 0.253 0.687 0.306 12.4% SP vs. Left 0.217 0.637 0.287 27.80%
SP vs. Right 0.259 0.707 0.311 18.9% SP vs. Right 0.286 0.781 0.341 16.20%
Batter Splits MIN BvP MIN vs R Batter Splits NYY BvP NYY vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Kyle Gibson : FD: $6,500 — DK: $6,600

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 321.0 — SIERA: 4.10 — ERA: 4.15 — K%: 15.5% — BB%: 7.5% — HR/9: 0.8
Last 30 Days: IP: 28.0 — SIERA: 3.87 — ERA: 7.39 — K%: 19.4% — BB%: 7.0% — HR/9: 1.3

New York Yankees Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.324 (Rank: 5) — Strikeout Rate: 19.2% (Rank: 10)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.309 (Rank: 18) — Strikeout Rate: 22.2% (Rank: 25)
Pitchers per PA: 3.89 (Rank: 4)

Analysis: Gibson is one of those pitchers that we don’t love targeting in daily fantasy, but that we don’t love using hitters against either. He has a respectable SIERA and he holds hitters from both sides of the plate in check, but his strikeout rate is low. He can safely be avoided tonight against the Yankees, who are ranked fifth in team wOBA and tenth in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. The Yankees have one of the highest team totals on the board.

Pitcher Rating: 45.0


Bryan Mitchell : FD: $4,600 — DK: $4,900

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 30.1 — SIERA: 3.12 — ERA: 3.26 — K%: 21.1% — BB%: 7.0% — HR/9: 0.6
Last 30 Days: IP: 10.0 — SIERA: 3.04 — ERA: 4.50 — K%: 24.4% — BB%: 8.9% — HR/9: 1.8

Minnesota Twins Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.302 (Rank: 23) — Strikeout Rate: 20.8% (Rank: 23)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.291 (Rank: 26) — Strikeout Rate: 23.0% (Rank: 27)
Pitchers per PA: 3.80 (Rank: 16)

Analysis: Mitchell is making his third career major league start tonight, with most of his work coming out of the bullpen this season. In 15 minor league starts this year, he has a 3.19 FIP with a strikeout rate of 19.3%. His matchup against the Twins is a favorable one, but Mitchell is still a wildcard at this point. He is a deep tournament play at best tonight at home.

Pitcher Rating: 62.3

Batter Grind Down

Minnesota

The Twins are a sneaky offense to target tonight. The masses will be off of them thanks to their low team total, but they get to face an inexperienced pitcher in a hitter-friendly ballpark. Miguel Sano and Joe Mauer have both been very productive over the last couple of weeks and deserve consideration on FanDuel. Brian Dozier and Aaron Hicks are also in play against Mitchell, who has posted reverse-splits in his short stint in the majors.

Elite Plays:

Miguel Sano : FD: $3,500 — DK: $4,400

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 88 — wOBA: 0.436 — ISO: 0.306 — wRC+: 183
Last 30 Days: PA: 99 — wOBA: 0.364 — ISO: 0.259 — wRC+: 133

Joe Mauer : FD: $2,500 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 306 — wOBA: 0.303 — ISO: 0.103 — wRC+: 91
Last 30 Days: PA: 101 — wOBA: 0.309 — ISO: 0.120 — wRC+: 95

Secondary Plays:

Brian Dozier : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,400

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 337 — wOBA: 0.338 — ISO: 0.248 — wRC+: 115
Last 30 Days: PA: 106 — wOBA: 0.299 — ISO: 0.206 — wRC+: 88

Aaron Hicks : FD: $3,200 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 155 — wOBA: 0.280 — ISO: 0.093 — wRC+: 75
Last 30 Days: PA: 108 — wOBA: 0.347 — ISO: 0.168 — wRC+: 122


NY Yankees

The Yankees draw a favorable matchup tonight at home against Kyle Gibson. While he may not give up a high wOBA to left or right-handed hitters, he is a low strikeout pitcher facing a very potent Yankees’ offense.

Elite Plays:

Mark Teixeira : FD: $3,500 — DK: $4,800

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 289 — wOBA: 0.415 — ISO: 0.356 — wRC+: 169
Last 30 Days: PA: 104 — wOBA: 0.440 — ISO: 0.326 — wRC+: 186

Brian McCann : FD: $3,300 — DK: $4,600

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 267 — wOBA: 0.334 — ISO: 0.216 — wRC+: 112
Last 30 Days: PA: 85 — wOBA: 0.293 — ISO: 0.253 — wRC+: 84

Secondary Plays:

Brett Gardner : FD: $3,100 — DK: $4,200

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 312 — wOBA: 0.362 — ISO: 0.166 — wRC+: 132
Last 30 Days: PA: 105 — wOBA: 0.297 — ISO: 0.058 — wRC+: 87

Jacoby Ellsbury : FD: $2,900 — DK: $4,300

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 182 — wOBA: 0.318 — ISO: 0.099 — wRC+: 101
Last 30 Days: PA: 116 — wOBA: 0.230 — ISO: 0.135 — wRC+: 39


Arizona at Pittsburgh – 7:05 PM EST

Arizona Pittsburgh
arizonamlb Jeremy Hellickson pittsburghmlb Gerrit Cole
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
PIT (-180) 7.0
Stats Avg OPS wOBA K% Stats Avg OPS wOBA K%
SP vs. Left 0.251 0.716 0.313 18.4% SP vs. Left 0.237 0.656 0.295 24.20%
SP vs. Right 0.280 0.826 0.357 19.8% SP vs. Right 0.244 0.664 0.293 24.80%
Batter Splits ARI BvP ARI vs R Batter Splits PIT BvP PIT vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Jeremy Hellickson : FD: $7,200 — DK: $5,900

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 187.1 — SIERA: 4.03 — ERA: 4.66 — K%: 19.1% — BB%: 6.9% — HR/9: 1.3
Last 30 Days: IP: 29.0 — SIERA: 4.06 — ERA: 3.72 — K%: 18.0% — BB%: 7.0% — HR/9: 1.6

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: Hellickson comes into tonight’s start in good form, posting a 4.06 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 18.0% over the last month of play. He doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence though, as he seems to have those awful outings every few starts. He draws a difficult matchup against the Pirates, who have the fourth-highest team wOBA over the last 14 days of play. He is a sizable underdog on the road and he can safely be avoided in all league formats.

Pitcher Rating: 47.8


Gerrit Cole : FD: $10,200 — DK: $10,600

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 286.2 — SIERA: 3.15 — ERA: 3.05 — K%: 24.5% — BB%: 6.3% — HR/9: 0.6
Last 30 Days: IP: 31.1 — SIERA: 3.02 — ERA: 3.16 — K%: 25.8% — BB%: 4.7% — HR/9: 0.3

Arizona Diamondbacks Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.320 (Rank: 9) — Strikeout Rate: 20.6% (Rank: 21)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.350 (Rank: 2) — Strikeout Rate: 19.6% (Rank: 7)
Pitchers per PA: 3.71 (Rank: 29)

Analysis: Cole is the top pitching option on the board tonight. He has been terrific over the last two seasons with a 3.15 SIERA and an elite strikeout rate of 24.5%. His matchup against the Diamondbacks may not be perfect, but it’s not terrible either. They have the tenth-highest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season and he gets to face them at home in the pitcher-friendly PNC Park. Cole is the chalk play for cash games tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 94.2

Batter Grind Down

Arizona

The Diamondbacks draw one of the worst matchups on the board tonight. They are huge underdogs and have the lowest team total on the board. There is no reason to target Arizona tonight against Gerrit Cole, who has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .300 wOBA over the last two seasons.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

NONE


Pittsburgh

The Pirates draw a favorable matchup tonight against Jeremy Hellickson, who has been a reverse-splits pitcher in his career. Since the start of the 2014 seasons, Hellickson has given up a .357 wOBA to right-handed hitters. Andrew McCutchen is an elite play tonight, while Jung-Ho Kang and Starling Marte are also worth a look.

Elite Plays:

Andrew McCutchen : FD: $5,000 — DK: $5,300

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 380 — wOBA: 0.386 — ISO: 0.218 — wRC+: 152
Last 30 Days: PA: 106 — wOBA: 0.416 — ISO: 0.273 — wRC+: 172

Secondary Plays:

Jung-Ho Kang : FD: $3,400 — 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: 102 — wOBA: 0.431 — ISO: 0.258 — wRC+: 182

Gregory Polanco : FD: $3,200 — DK: $4,300

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 354 — wOBA: 0.315 — ISO: 0.133 — wRC+: 103
Last 30 Days: PA: 113 — wOBA: 0.387 — ISO: 0.186 — wRC+: 152

Starling Marte : FD: $2,900 — DK: $4,400

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 361 — wOBA: 0.327 — ISO: 0.139 — wRC+: 112
Last 30 Days: PA: 99 — wOBA: 0.347 — ISO: 0.101 — wRC+: 125


Cleveland at Boston – 7:10 PM EST

Cleveland Boston
clevelandmlb Danny Salazar bostonmlb Matt Barnes
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
CLE (-132) 9.0
Stats Avg OPS wOBA K% Stats Avg OPS wOBA K%
SP vs. Left 0.225 0.683 0.299 28.5% SP vs. Left 0.291 0.856 0.373 16.70%
SP vs. Right 0.246 0.705 0.310 25.4% SP vs. Right 0.354 0.000 0.433 22.70%
Batter Splits CLE vs R Batter Splits BOS BvP BOS vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Danny Salazar : FD: $9,000 — DK: $10,800

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 242.2 — SIERA: 3.21 — ERA: 3.71 — K%: 26.8% — BB%: 7.4% — HR/9: 1.1
Last 30 Days: IP: 34.0 — SIERA: 3.68 — ERA: 1.85 — K%: 26.5% — BB%: 10.6% — HR/9: 1.1

Boston Red Sox Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.310 (Rank: 14) — Strikeout Rate: 16.8% (Rank: 2)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.324 (Rank: 11) — Strikeout Rate: 21.2% (Rank: 18)
Pitchers per PA: 3.98 (Rank: 2)

Analysis: Salazar is having a terrific season for the Indians and he comes into tonight’s start in great form. Over the last month of play, he has a 1.85 ERA (3.68 SIERA) with a strikeout rate of 26.5%. This is not an ideal matchup for him though, as he tends to walk a lot of batters and the Red Sox are one of the most patient teams at the plate in all of baseball. He is a slight favorite tonight, but the total for the game is set at 9.0 runs. I will be fading Salazar in all league formats tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 79.4


Matt Barnes : FD: $4,600 — DK: $4,400

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 31.1 — SIERA: 3.67 — ERA: 5.17 — K%: 20.3% — BB%: 6.8% — HR/9: 2.0

Cleveland Indians Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.311 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 18.9% (Rank: 6)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.316 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 21.6% (Rank: 22)
Pitchers per PA: 3.91 (Rank: 3)

Analysis: Barnes is making his first major league start tonight, after making 26 appearances out of the bullpen over the last two seasons. In five minor league starts this year, he has a 3.98 FIP with a strikeout rate of 23.5%. I typically like to trust Vegas whenever possible and they have him listed as an underdog in a game that is expected to be one of the highest scoring of the night. There are safer options for cash games and pitchers with more upside for tournaments tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 42.1

Batter Grind Down

Cleveland

The Indians have the highest team total on the board tonight, as they square off against Matt Barnes in the hitter-friendly Fenway Park. The best part about the Indians is that they are very cheap. An Indians’ stack may not only prove effective, but it will also help you afford an expensive pitcher tonight, such as Gerrit Cole.

Elite Plays:

Carlos Santana : FD: $3,100 — DK: $4,200

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B/3B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 295 — wOBA: 0.346 — ISO: 0.222 — wRC+: 123
Last 30 Days: PA: 116 — wOBA: 0.312 — ISO: 0.125 — wRC+: 99

Francisco Lindor : FD: $3,100 — DK: $4,300

Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 141 — wOBA: 0.299 — ISO: 0.126 — wRC+: 90
Last 30 Days: PA: 124 — wOBA: 0.371 — ISO: 0.131 — wRC+: 141

Secondary Plays:

Jose Ramirez : FD: $2,800 — DK: $3,300

Position Eligibility: FD: P — DK: 2B/SS
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 138 — wOBA: 0.261 — ISO: 0.091 — wRC+: 63
Last 30 Days: PA: 53 — wOBA: 0.394 — ISO: 0.159 — wRC+: 157

Abraham Almonte : FD: $2,900 — DK: $2,000

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 53 — wOBA: 0.353 — ISO: 0.239 — wRC+: 126
Last 30 Days: PA: 42 — wOBA: 0.436 — ISO: 0.333 — wRC+: 184

Yan Gomes : FD: $2,800 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 164 — wOBA: 0.281 — ISO: 0.169 — wRC+: 77
Last 30 Days: PA: 91 — wOBA: 0.348 — ISO: 0.220 — wRC+: 125


Boston

While I won’t be targeting Danny Salazar tonight, that doesn’t mean that we have to target hitters against him. This is one of those situations that may be best to avoid altogether. The Red Sox are a patient team at the plate, but Salazar has held both left and right-handed hitters in check this season. David Ortiz and Travis Shaw are secondary plays tonight at home.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

David Ortiz : FD: $4,600 — DK: $4,800

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 308 — wOBA: 0.398 — ISO: 0.284 — wRC+: 154
Last 30 Days: PA: 107 — wOBA: 0.473 — ISO: 0.383 — wRC+: 206

Travis Shaw : FD: $2,900 — DK: $2,000

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 1B/3B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 28 — wOBA: 0.337 — ISO: 0.125 — wRC+: 111
Last 30 Days: PA: 31 — wOBA: 0.525 — ISO: 0.464 — wRC+: 243


Seattle at Texas – 8:05 PM EST

Seattle Texas
seattlemlb Taijuan Walker texasmlb Cole Hamels
RIGHT LEFT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
TEX (-145) 8.5
Stats Avg OPS wOBA K% Stats Avg OPS wOBA K%
SP vs. Left 0.243 0.696 0.307 23.2% SP vs. Left 0.215 0.642 0.291 20.70%
SP vs. Right 0.237 0.710 0.311 22.5% SP vs. Right 0.238 0.661 0.291 25.60%
Batter Splits SEA BvP SEA vs L Batter Splits TEX BvP TEX vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Taijuan Walker : FD: $6,700 — DK: $8,100

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 173.0 — SIERA: 3.63 — ERA: 4.16 — K%: 22.9% — BB%: 7.3% — HR/9: 1.2
Last 30 Days: IP: 32.2 — SIERA: 3.36 — ERA: 3.86 — K%: 24.8% — BB%: 6.2% — HR/9: 1.4

Texas Rangers Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.321 (Rank: 7) — Strikeout Rate: 19.5% (Rank: 12)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.338 (Rank: 6) — Strikeout Rate: 19.3% (Rank: 6)
Pitchers per PA: 3.80 (Rank: 15)

Analysis: Walker has been in good form recently, posting a 3.36 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 24.8% over the last month of play. His form is starting to resemble that of a couple of months ago when he was carving opposing lineups up left and right. The issue here isn’t his form, it’s his matchup. The Rangers are ranked seventh in team wOBA against right-handed pitching this season and Walker has to face them in the hitter-friendly Globe Life Park. He could be a nice tournament target tonight, but there is a little too much risk to use him in cash games.

Pitcher Rating: 63.6


Cole Hamels : FD: $10,400 — DK: $10,500

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 347.0 — SIERA: 3.28 — ERA: 3.03 — K%: 24.5% — BB%: 7.1% — HR/9: 0.8
Last 30 Days: IP: 25.2 — SIERA: 2.96 — ERA: 4.91 — K%: 26.7% — BB%: 5.0% — HR/9: 1.8

Seattle Mariners Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.302 (Rank: 21) — Strikeout Rate: 20.8% (Rank: 13)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.333 (Rank: 7) — Strikeout Rate: 20.9% (Rank: 16)
Pitchers per PA: 3.87 (Rank: 7)

Analysis: Hamels may have a 4.91 ERA over the last month of play, but his indicators all look good. During that same time period, he posted a 2.96 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 26.7%. He is the second-highest rated pitcher on the board tonight and could be a nice pivot from Gerrit Cole in tournaments. He draws a favorable matchup against the Mariners, who are ranked 21st in team wOBA and 13th in strikeout rate against left-handed pitching this season.

Pitcher Rating: 83.5

Batter Grind Down

Seattle

The Mariners draw a difficult matchup tonight against Cole Hamels, but at least they get to face him in the hitter-friendly Globe Life Park. Nelson Cruz and Franklin Gutierrez both have terrific numbers against southpaws this season, but they are better tournaments targets tonight.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Nelson Cruz : FD: $4,900 — DK: $5,500

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 118 — wOBA: 0.493 — ISO: 0.346 — wRC+: 227
Last 30 Days: PA: 120 — wOBA: 0.508 — ISO: 0.421 — wRC+: 239

Franklin Gutierrez : FD: $2,800 — DK: $2,900

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 50 — wOBA: 0.412 — ISO: 0.277 — wRC+: 171
Last 30 Days: PA: 48 — wOBA: 0.440 — ISO: 0.378 — wRC+: 191


Texas

The Rangers draw a mediocre matchup tonight against Taijuan Walker, who has really pitched well recently. Walker has given up equal splits to hitters from both sides of the plate. Prince Fielder, Shin-Soo Choo, and Mitch Moreland are all in play here, but they are secondary fantasy options at their respective positions.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Prince Fielder : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,500

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 289 — wOBA: 0.403 — ISO: 0.161 — wRC+: 156
Last 30 Days: PA: 112 — wOBA: 0.332 — ISO: 0.133 — wRC+: 106

Shin-Soo Choo : FD: $3,300 — DK: $3,900

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 270 — wOBA: 0.364 — ISO: 0.212 — wRC+: 128
Last 30 Days: PA: 85 — wOBA: 0.429 — ISO: 0.261 — wRC+: 174

Mitch Moreland : FD: $3,100 — DK: $3,700

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: 1B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 238 — wOBA: 0.392 — ISO: 0.257 — wRC+: 148
Last 30 Days: PA: 85 — wOBA: 0.352 — ISO: 0.104 — wRC+: 121


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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