MLB Grind Down: Monday, July 30th
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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, FanDuel promo code, and FantasyDraft promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.
Stackability Rating System:
GREEN – A viable full stack in cash games and GPPs.
YELLOW – A viable mini-stack in cash games and full stack in GPPs.
ORANGE – A viable stack in large field GPPs.
RED – Not a recommended stack for cash games or GPPs.
Implied Run Totals
Ballpark Ratings
Philadelphia at Boston – 7:10 PM ET
| Philadelphia | Boston | ||||||||||||||
 | Aaron Nola |  | David Price | ||||||||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||||||||
| BOS-145 | 9.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | HR/9 | K% | GB% | Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | HR/9 | K% | GB% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.259 | 0.284 | 23.7% | 0.42 | 24.4% | 48.8% | SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.326 | 0.311 | 28.6% | 1.62 | 22.7% | 43.8% | ||
| SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.230 | 0.242 | 26.4% | 0.51 | 27.6% | 52.3% | SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.317 | 0.347 | 34.3% | 1.38 | 24.3% | 38.7% | ||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Aaron Nola | |||||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||||
| Salary: | $9,900 | Salary: | $9,000 | Salary: | $17,800 | ||||||
| Salary Rank: | 2 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 4 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 4 of 18 | ||||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | aFV | SwS% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 27 | 3.60 | 3.54 | 26.6% | 7.1% | 49.8% | 29.7% | 21.6% | 92.0 | 10.8% | |
| 2018 | 21 | 3.50 | 2.42 | 26.0% | 7.1% | 50.6% | 25.1% | 20.8% | 92.3 | 11.7% | |
| L14 | 2 | 3.92 | 4.09 | 22.2% | 6.7% | 54.8% | 18.8% | 18.8% | 92.7 | 9.8% | |
What is up everyone? I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Just so you know, this is officially Tiger week. If you play PGA DFS or would like to try it out, I’ll let you in on a little secret — Tiger is winning this week. Load up on your exposure and get your outright bets ready because this is the one. Now, let’s get back to baseball. We have nine games on the schedule tonight and the slate doesn’t feature a clear ace. We have two talented arms on the mound tonight in Boston, but this game is being played in one of the best hitter’s parks in baseball. Nola is having another standout season for Philadelphia, posting a 3.50 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 26% and a ground ball rate of 51%. I love his skill set, I just don’t love his matchup. The Red Sox projected lineup has an average xwOBA of .379 with a .208 ISO and a strikeout rate of only 18%.
Quick Breakdown: While I’m a big fan of Nola, I don’t target pitchers against the Red Sox in Boston.
| David Price | |||||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||||
| Salary: | $9,300 | Salary: | $8,600 | Salary: | $17,000 | ||||||
| Salary Rank: | 3 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 5 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 5 of 18 | ||||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | aFV | SwS% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 11 | 4.05 | 3.38 | 24.0% | 7.6% | 39.9% | 32.9% | 20.7% | 94.3 | 11.7% | |
| 2018 | 20 | 3.92 | 4.17 | 24.0% | 7.4% | 39.5% | 33.4% | 19.1% | 92.7 | 8.9% | |
| L14 | 1 | 4.07 | 0.00 | 20.0% | 4.0% | 27.8% | 50.0% | 0.0% | 92.6 | 9.4% | |
Price doesn’t have as many green and blue boxes in his pitching table as some of the other big arms in this slate, but his numbers are solid across the board. In 20 starts this season, he has a 3.92 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 24% and a walk rate of 7%. His velocity and swinging strike rate are down a little this season, but they haven’t hurt his fantasy production in the slightest. Of the two pitchers in this game, Price has the highest ceiling thanks to a matchup against the Phillies. Their projected lineup has an average k-rate of 21% against southpaws this season.
Quick Breakdown: Price isn’t a core play tonight, but might make the player pool if I build multiple tournament lineups.
Batter Grind Down
Philadelphia
The Phillies acquired Asdrubal Cabrera, which should help with their numbers against left-handed pitching. They are playing in a hitter-friendly ballpark and are facing a pitcher that has allowed 20 home runs in 18 starts this season. While David Price still has plenty left in the gas tank, he’s not as unhittable as he once was. On the season, Price has allowed a .347 xwOBA and a 34% hard contact rate to right-handed hitters. Red-hot Rhys Hoskins is viable in tournaments, as is Carlos Santana. They both boast a .360+ xwOBA against southpaws and this ballpark favors right-handed power hitters.
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. LH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cesar Hernandez | SWITCH | 0.345 | 0.050 | 32.1% | 15.3% | 18.6% | 52.6% | 2B | $3,200 | 2B | $4,200 | 2B | $8,000 |
| 2 | Rhys Hoskins | RIGHT | 0.366 | 0.130 | 29.6% | 21.5% | 18.3% | 27.8% | OF | $4,400 | OF | $5,200 | IF/OF | $9,900 |
| 3 | Odubel Herrera | LEFT | 0.297 | 0.155 | 22.2% | 4.5% | 20.0% | 51.9% | OF | $3,500 | OF | $4,200 | IF/OF | $8,400 |
| 4 | Carlos Santana | SWITCH | 0.363 | 0.223 | 37.4% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 46.2% | 1B | $3,600 | 1B | $4,100 | 1B | $8,200 |
| 5 | Asdrubal Cabrera | SWITCH | 0.318 | 0.122 | 36.2% | 4.9% | 18.7% | 46.2% | SS | $3,300 | 2B | $4,300 | SS | $8,200 |
| 6 | Maikel Franco | RIGHT | 0.342 | 0.190 | 32.4% | 9.0% | 11.2% | 42.3% | 3B | $3,100 | 3B | $4,000 | 3B | $7,500 |
| 7 | Scott Kingery | RIGHT | 0.258 | 0.069 | 25.4% | 6.5% | 30.1% | 31.0% | SS | $2,300 | SS | $3,200 | SS | $6,400 |
| 8 | Nick Williams | LEFT | 0.348 | 0.127 | 20.5% | 4.9% | 26.2% | 50.0% | OF | $2,800 | OF | $3,900 | RF | $7,200 |
| 9 | Jorge Alfaro | RIGHT | 0.332 | 0.149 | 40.0% | 6.9% | 37.5% | 40.0% | C | $2,700 | C | $3,300 | C | $6,800 |
| Team Averages | 0.330 | 0.135 | 30.6% | 9.3% | 21.2% | 43.1% |
Elite Plays – Rhys Hoskins (GPP), Carlos Santana (GPP)
Secondary Plays – Rhys Hoskins (Cash), Carlos Santana (Cash), Cesar Hernandez, Maikel Franco
Stackability – ORANGE / YELLOW
Boston
The Red Sox could make or break the slate tonight. I don’t love their matchup against Aaron Nola, but that should help keep ownership down in tournaments. We’ve seen the Red Sox tee off against elite pitchers time and time again in this ballpark. The way I’m treating Boston tonight is a full fade in cash games and as a full stack in tournaments. I’m not looking to pick and choose my spots against Nola, who has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .285 xwOBA and under a 27% hard contact rate this season.
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mookie Betts | RIGHT | 0.468 | 0.279 | 46.7% | 11.5% | 13.3% | 32.9% | OF | $4,700 | OF | $5,700 | RF | $10,600 |
| 2 | Andrew Benintendi | LEFT | 0.417 | 0.221 | 31.2% | 13.6% | 14.5% | 35.9% | OF | $4,000 | OF | $5,400 | LF | $10,800 |
| 3 | J.D. Martinez | RIGHT | 0.463 | 0.356 | 47.7% | 10.0% | 21.6% | 45.4% | OF | $4,600 | OF | $5,300 | RF | $9,900 |
| 4 | Mitch Moreland | LEFT | 0.431 | 0.239 | 37.3% | 11.6% | 18.2% | 40.5% | 1B | $3,300 | 1B | $4,000 | 1B | $7,300 |
| 5 | Xander Bogaerts | RIGHT | 0.385 | 0.273 | 39.0% | 6.0% | 17.5% | 47.2% | SS | $3,500 | SS | $4,500 | SS | $9,100 |
| 6 | Brock Holt | LEFT | 0.333 | 0.100 | 28.7% | 8.8% | 14.3% | 55.9% | 2B | $2,400 | 2B/SS | $3,300 | 2B | $6,700 |
| 7 | Eduardo Nunez | RIGHT | 0.259 | 0.111 | 25.8% | 2.1% | 15.6% | 50.5% | 2B | $2,500 | 2B/3B | $3,300 | 2B | $6,700 |
| 8 | Sandy Leon | SWITCH | 0.284 | 0.130 | 33.3% | 4.0% | 28.2% | 43.6% | C | $2,100 | C | $2,800 | C | $5,900 |
| 9 | Jackie Bradley | LEFT | 0.372 | 0.159 | 40.1% | 10.0% | 22.2% | 40.4% | OF | $2,500 | OF | $4,000 | CF | $7,400 |
| Team Averages | 0.379 | 0.208 | 36.6% | 8.6% | 18.4% | 43.6% |
Elite Plays – None
Secondary Plays – Mookie Betts (GPP), Andrew Benintendi (GPP), J.D. Martinez (GPP), Mitch Moreland (GPP), Xander Bogaerts (GPP)
Stackability – YELLOW
Miami at Atlanta – 7:35 PM ET
| Miami | Atlanta | ||||||||||||||
 | Wei-Yin Chen |  | Julio Teheran | ||||||||||||
| LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||||||||
| ATL-165 | 9.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | HR/9 | K% | GB% | Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | HR/9 | K% | GB% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.252 | 0.279 | 39.1% | 1.02 | 29.4% | 47.8% | SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.345 | 0.374 | 41.9% | 1.41 | 17.9% | 39.6% | ||
| SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.367 | 0.321 | 33.0% | 1.49 | 14.8% | 35.0% | SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.292 | 0.317 | 38.3% | 1.83 | 25.9% | 40.5% | ||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Wei-Yin Chen | |||||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||||
| Salary: | $6,200 | Salary: | $4,800 | Salary: | $9,000 | ||||||
| Salary Rank: | 17 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 16 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 16 of 18 | ||||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | aFV | SwS% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 5 | 4.61 | 3.82 | 18.9% | 6.8% | 36.6% | 29.9% | 24.7% | 90.9 | 8.7% | |
| 2018 | 16 | 4.89 | 5.65 | 17.7% | 9.0% | 37.4% | 34.1% | 15.5% | 91.0 | 8.2% | |
| L14 | 2 | 3.91 | 3.00 | 25.0% | 8.3% | 38.7% | 31.3% | 15.6% | 91.6 | 9.4% | |
Chen is an extreme fly-ball pitcher that tends to play better in big ballparks that suppress home run production (especially to right-handed hitters). It’s no surprise that he’s had much better success at home in Marlins Park (averaging 15 fantasy points per game) than he has on the road (averaging one fantasy point per game). While SunTrust Park favors left-handed power, this isn’t a spot to target Chen. He’s a below-average strikeout pitcher that is facing a high-contact Braves’ offense.
Quick Breakdown: Avoid Chen in all formats.
| Julio Teheran | |||||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||||
| Salary: | $7,600 | Salary: | $7,300 | Salary: | $14,600 | ||||||
| Salary Rank: | 9 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 12 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 12 of 18 | ||||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | aFV | SwS% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 32 | 4.89 | 4.49 | 18.6% | 8.9% | 40.0% | 30.4% | 21.1% | 91.4 | 9.4% | |
| 2018 | 20 | 4.68 | 4.42 | 21.9% | 11.5% | 40.1% | 40.1% | 18.5% | 89.9 | 11.0% | |
| L14 | 2 | 4.66 | 5.91 | 19.2% | 10.6% | 51.6% | 53.1% | 18.8% | 90.8 | 9.4% | |
Teheran is one of the more polarizing pitchers in this slate. Given how many home runs he has allowed and how badly he has struggled against left-handed hitters, you can easily make a case to stack against him. Given his matchup against the strikeout-prone Marlins, you can easily make a case to play him in tournaments. I expect more ownership will flock to Teheran than to the Marlins’ offense, but I may end up getting exposure to both sides of the matchup (on separate lineups, of course). Miami’s projected lineup has an average xwOBA of .282 with a strikeout rate of 28% against right-handed pitching this season.
Quick Breakdown: Teheran is an elite tournament play, both as an SP1 and as an SP2.
Batter Grind Down
Miami
The Marlins aren’t an offense that I’ve targeted often this season, but I’ll make an exception tonight. Julio Teheran has struggled against left-handed hitters this season, allowing .374 xwOBA and a 42% hard contact rate and the Marlins get to face him in a ballpark that favors left-handed power. Add in the fact that Teheran has a low k-rate and a high walk rate against lefties and we should certainly have interest in the likes of Derek Dietrich (.349 xwOBA against righties) and Justin Bour (.377 xwOBA against righties). Depending on where JT Riddle bats, he could also be worth a look as part of a mini three-man stack.
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derek Dietrich | LEFT | 0.349 | 0.163 | 37.0% | 6.6% | 22.4% | 39.9% | OF | $2,500 | OF | $4,500 | IF/OF | $9,000 |
| 2 | Brian Anderson | RIGHT | 0.353 | 0.117 | 37.9% | 7.1% | 18.3% | 51.7% | OF | $2,800 | 3B/OF | $4,100 | IF/OF | $8,000 |
| 3 | J.T. Realmuto | RIGHT | 0.390 | 0.256 | 42.5% | 5.7% | 16.8% | 43.1% | C | $3,200 | C | $5,000 | C | $9,900 |
| 4 | Justin Bour | LEFT | 0.377 | 0.227 | 42.9% | 16.6% | 26.6% | 40.5% | 1B | $2,500 | 1B | $4,000 | 1B | $7,700 |
| 5 | Starlin Castro | RIGHT | 0.320 | 0.124 | 37.8% | 5.5% | 18.8% | 47.8% | 2B | $2,800 | 2B | $3,900 | 2B | $7,600 |
| 6 | Martin Prado | RIGHT | 0.283 | 0.070 | 28.6% | 4.2% | 19.3% | 45.1% | 3B | $2,200 | 3B | $3,100 | 3B | $5,500 |
| 7 | JT Riddle | LEFT | 0.318 | 0.171 | 34.3% | 5.1% | 21.0% | 48.0% | SS | $2,300 | SS | $3,000 | SS | $5,800 |
| 8 | Magneuris Sierra | LEFT | 0.019 | 0.000 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 75.0% | 100.0% | OF | $2,000 | OF | $3,500 | CF | $6,300 |
| 9 | Wei-Yin Chen | LEFT | 0.128 | 0.053 | 8.3% | 0.0% | 36.8% | 81.8% | P | $6,200 | P | $4,800 | P | $9,000 |
| Team Averages | 0.282 | 0.131 | 29.9% | 5.6% | 28.3% | 55.3% |
Elite Plays – Derek Dietrich (GPP), Justin Bour (GPP)
Secondary Plays – Derek Dietrich (Cash), Justin Bour (Cash), JT Riddle
Stackability – ORANGE / YELLOW
Atlanta
If you look at the ballpark rating table above, you can see that SunTrust Park is right there with Busch Stadium as the worst ballpark of the slate for right-handed power hitters. While this isn’t exactly ideal, I’m still a fan of their matchup against Wei-Yin Chen. He has really struggled on the road this season and has allowed 1.49 home runs per nine innings with a strikeout rate of only 15% when facing right-handed hitters. Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, and Tyler Flowers are all elite play at their respective positions. A full stack is likely out of the equation, as Chen has been very tough on left-handed hitters this season, holding them to a .279 xwOBA with a 29% strikeout rate.
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. LH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ronald Acuna | RIGHT | 0.311 | 0.148 | 37.8% | 9.8% | 27.9% | 48.6% | OF | $3,500 | OF | $4,700 | LF | $9,100 |
| 2 | Ozzie Albies | SWITCH | 0.347 | 0.235 | 43.6% | 4.0% | 15.2% | 42.0% | 2B | $3,900 | 2B | $5,300 | 2B | $9,800 |
| 3 | Freddie Freeman | LEFT | 0.413 | 0.266 | 40.8% | 9.0% | 21.5% | 39.8% | 1B | $3,800 | 1B | $4,800 | 1B | $9,200 |
| 4 | Nick Markakis | LEFT | 0.338 | 0.180 | 39.6% | 9.4% | 15.4% | 46.8% | OF | $3,200 | OF | $4,100 | RF | $8,000 |
| 5 | Tyler Flowers | RIGHT | 0.473 | 0.263 | 53.6% | 23.1% | 19.2% | 46.4% | C | $2,500 | C | $3,400 | C | $6,500 |
| 6 | Johan Camargo | SWITCH | 0.355 | 0.260 | 37.5% | 7.2% | 15.7% | 42.2% | 3B | $2,800 | 3B/SS | $4,100 | 3B | $8,100 |
| 7 | Ender Inciarte | LEFT | 0.276 | 0.029 | 25.6% | 7.8% | 15.5% | 50.6% | OF | $2,800 | OF | $3,800 | CF | $7,700 |
| 8 | Dansby Swanson | RIGHT | 0.295 | 0.194 | 43.8% | 6.9% | 26.4% | 42.6% | SS | $2,900 | SS | $3,800 | SS | $7,600 |
| 9 | Julio Teheran | RIGHT | 0.273 | 0.000 | 14.3% | 5.9% | 11.8% | 70.0% | P | $7,600 | P | $7,300 | P | $14,600 |
| Team Averages | 0.342 | 0.175 | 37.4% | 9.2% | 18.7% | 47.7% |
Elite Plays – Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, Tyler Flowers
Secondary Plays – Johan Camargo
Stackability – YELLOW
Cleveland at Minnesota – 8:10 PM ET
| Cleveland | Minnesota | ||||||||||||||
 | Shane Bieber |  | Ervin Santana | ||||||||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||||||||
| CLE-110 | 10.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | HR/9 | K% | GB% | Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | HR/9 | K% | GB% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.444 | 0.381 | 53.6% | 1.71 | 23.0% | 37.7% | SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.379 | 0.534 | 40.0% | 0.00 | 14.3% | 20.0% | ||
| SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.273 | 0.294 | 41.7% | 0.75 | 22.1% | 54.2% | SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.375 | 0.273 | 33.3% | 0.00 | 33.3% | 16.7% | ||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Shane Bieber | |||||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||||
| Salary: | $7,300 | Salary: | $7,700 | Salary: | $15,700 | ||||||
| Salary Rank: | 12 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 10 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 8 of 18 | ||||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | aFV | SwS% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 8 | 3.60 | 4.80 | 22.6% | 4.1% | 46.1% | 47.5% | 9.2% | 92.5 | 11.3% | |
| L14 | 2 | 3.92 | 10.38 | 20.5% | 5.1% | 48.3% | 51.7% | 10.3% | 93.1 | 10.5% | |
Bieber’s 4.80 ERA and 48% hard contact rate are troublesome, but the advanced numbers aren’t quite as bad. In his eight starts, he has a 3.80 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 23% and a walk rate of 4%. I’d like to say that his HR/FB rate is unsustainably high, but he’s basically generating no soft contact. He draws a fairly difficult matchup tonight against the Twins, who can roll out a left-handed heavy lineup. If you glance at the table above, you can see that Bieber has allowed a .381 xwOBA and a 54% hard contact rate to lefties this season.
Quick Breakdown: The risk seems to outweigh the reward here.
| Ervin Santana | |||||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||||
| Salary: | $7,200 | Salary: | $6,500 | Salary: | $12,900 | ||||||
| Salary Rank: | 13 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 13 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 13 of 18 | ||||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | aFV | SwS% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 33 | 4.60 | 3.28 | 19.3% | 7.1% | 41.2% | 27.9% | 22.3% | 92.9 | 10.1% | |
| 2018 | 1 | 4.30 | 5.40 | 21.7% | 4.4% | 18.8% | 37.5% | 18.8% | 89.3 | 6.2% | |
| L14 | 1 | 4.30 | 5.40 | 21.7% | 4.4% | 18.8% | 37.5% | 18.8% | 89.3 | 6.2% | |
Santana is making his second start of the season. The 35-year old veteran threw 97 pitches in his season debut, so at the very least, we don’t have to worry about a pitch count moving forward. He finished the 2017 season with a 4.60 SIERA, a strikeout rate of 19%, and a slight lean to fly-balls over ground balls. These numbers don’t jump off the page at us. He’s a pitcher that I’ll be targeting batters against often moving forward. He draws one of the worst possible matchups tonight, as the Indians’ projected lineup features an average xwOBA of .362 with a 38% hard contact rate and a strikeout rate of only 18%.
Quick Breakdown: This could turn into a shootout. Both pitchers are easy fades tonight.
Batter Grind Down
Cleveland
The Indians have the highest implied run total on the board, which isn’t often the case for a team playing on the road. I always give a slight boost to potential stacks when they are playing away from home, as they are guaranteed ninth inning at-bats, regardless of the score of the game. If we look at Ervin Santana splits since the start of 2017, he has allowed a .303 xwOBA to lefties and a .306 xwOBA to righties. Those aren’t exactly the type of splits that we are looking for, but I’m willing to bet on the talent of this Indians’ offense. Each of the first five hitters in their lineup has a .385+ xwOBA and a .190+ ISO against right-handed pitching this season.
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francisco Lindor | SWITCH | 0.411 | 0.282 | 43.0% | 9.7% | 17.3% | 35.3% | SS | $4,600 | SS | $5,600 | SS | $10,500 |
| 2 | Michael Brantley | LEFT | 0.411 | 0.199 | 44.4% | 7.1% | 8.2% | 43.7% | OF | $3,300 | OF | $4,600 | LF | $9,400 |
| 3 | Jose Ramirez | SWITCH | 0.425 | 0.362 | 40.3% | 17.1% | 11.6% | 31.2% | 3B | $4,700 | 3B | $5,700 | IF/OF | $10,100 |
| 4 | Edwin Encarnacion | RIGHT | 0.392 | 0.280 | 42.7% | 8.7% | 22.9% | 37.0% | 1B | $3,800 | 1B | $4,600 | 1B | $9,000 |
| 5 | Yonder Alonso | LEFT | 0.386 | 0.192 | 39.1% | 10.1% | 19.9% | 39.3% | 1B | $3,200 | 1B | $4,600 | 1B | $9,100 |
| 6 | Melky Cabrera | SWITCH | 0.330 | 0.085 | 34.6% | 4.5% | 11.9% | 45.5% | OF | $2,200 | OF | $3,800 | LF | $7,700 |
| 7 | Jason Kipnis | LEFT | 0.345 | 0.133 | 36.7% | 10.1% | 18.5% | 36.7% | 2B | $2,800 | 2B | $3,700 | 2B | $7,600 |
| 8 | Yan Gomes | RIGHT | 0.279 | 0.147 | 39.4% | 4.4% | 29.6% | 34.1% | C | $2,300 | C | $3,500 | C | $6,500 |
| 9 | Rajai Davis | RIGHT | 0.283 | 0.096 | 22.0% | 4.8% | 20.5% | 51.8% | OF | $2,100 | OF | $3,200 | CF | $6,500 |
| Team Averages | 0.362 | 0.197 | 38.0% | 8.5% | 17.8% | 39.4% |
Elite Plays – Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Edwin Encarnacion
Secondary Plays – Michael Brantley, Yonder Alonso, Melky Cabrera, Jason Kipnis
Stackability – YELLOW / GREEN
Minnesota
Shane Bieber is a rookie pitcher that has struggled with the long ball, especially against left-handed hitters. In eight starts this season, he has allowed six home runs (four to lefties). While he has given up hard contact to righties, he has held them to a .294 xwOBA on a 54% ground ball rate. His splits clearly favor those that bat from the left side. Joe Mauer, Eddie Rosario, Jorge Polanco, and Logan Morrison all bat from the left side and they all hit right-handed pitching well. While we can’t roster Mauer and Morrison together on DraftKings, you can choose either to pair with Rosario and Polanco as a nice three-man stack with plenty of upside.
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Mauer | LEFT | 0.408 | 0.103 | 42.1% | 12.1% | 11.6% | 49.4% | 1B | $2,600 | 1B | $4,100 | 1B | $8,500 |
| 2 | Eddie Rosario | LEFT | 0.353 | 0.241 | 38.7% | 7.2% | 16.5% | 31.2% | OF | $3,600 | OF | $5,200 | LF | $9,500 |
| 3 | Jorge Polanco | SWITCH | 0.332 | 0.133 | 28.1% | 16.7% | 24.1% | 38.7% | SS | $2,800 | SS | $4,100 | SS | $8,500 |
| 4 | Brian Dozier | RIGHT | 0.303 | 0.203 | 37.9% | 9.0% | 21.0% | 37.2% | 2B | $3,800 | 2B | $4,500 | 2B | $9,000 |
| 5 | Logan Morrison | LEFT | 0.375 | 0.195 | 40.9% | 11.0% | 19.9% | 28.7% | 1B | $2,800 | 1B | $3,900 | 1B | $7,700 |
| 6 | Miguel Sano | RIGHT | 0.301 | 0.234 | 45.2% | 7.5% | 40.8% | 41.9% | 3B | $2,700 | 1B/3B | $4,100 | IF/OF | $8,200 |
| 7 | Robbie Grossman | SWITCH | 0.313 | 0.106 | 37.9% | 11.3% | 21.0% | 38.2% | OF | $2,600 | OF | $3,600 | LF | $7,200 |
| 8 | Mitch Garver | RIGHT | 0.341 | 0.183 | 41.5% | 9.2% | 23.2% | 40.9% | C | $2,500 | C | $3,800 | C | $7,700 |
| 9 | Jake Cave | LEFT | 0.378 | 0.225 | 40.4% | 5.3% | 25.3% | 48.1% | OF | $2,200 | OF | $3,300 | CF | $6,400 |
| Team Averages | 0.345 | 0.180 | 39.2% | 9.9% | 22.6% | 39.4% |
Elite Plays – Eddie Rosario, Jorge Polanco, Logan Morrison
Secondary Plays – Joe Mauer, Brian Dozier, Jake Cave (GPP)
Stackability – YELLOW / GREEN
Colorado at St. Louis – 8:10 PM ET
| Colorado | St. Louis | ||||||||||||||
 | Tyler Anderson |  | Carlos Martinez | ||||||||||||
| LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||||||||
| STL-135 | 8.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | HR/9 | K% | GB% | Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | HR/9 | K% | GB% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.340 | 0.283 | 28.4% | 1.73 | 23.4% | 39.4% | SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.307 | 0.325 | 37.4% | 0.48 | 17.3% | 45.0% | ||
| SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.290 | 0.290 | 30.6% | 1.14 | 22.5% | 38.9% | SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.301 | 0.291 | 38.3% | 0.46 | 26.3% | 56.9% | ||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Tyler Anderson | |||||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||||
| Salary: | $8,600 | Salary: | $8,200 | Salary: | $16,000 | ||||||
| Salary Rank: | 6 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 7 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 7 of 18 | ||||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | aFV | SwS% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 15 | 4.14 | 4.81 | 22.4% | 7.2% | 43.7% | 32.0% | 24.1% | 92.0 | 12.0% | |
| 2018 | 21 | 4.17 | 3.57 | 22.7% | 8.3% | 39.0% | 30.1% | 22.4% | 91.7 | 11.6% | |
| L14 | 2 | 4.19 | 2.03 | 20.0% | 8.0% | 55.6% | 19.4% | 13.9% | 91.3 | 8.3% | |
Anderson has been a solid pitcher for the Rockies this season. He’s certainly been their most consistent starter, even though Jon Gray has the most talent of anyone in the rotation. In 21 starts this season, Anderson has a 4.17 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 23% and a soft contact rate of 22%. While he sees a ballpark boost playing in St. Louis, he checks into tonight’s game as an underdog against a right-handed heavy offense. The projected lineup for the Cardinals has a .350 xwOBA and a 37% hard contact rate against left-handed pitching.
Quick Breakdown: There are better pitching options for both cash games and tournaments.
| Carlos Martinez | |||||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||||
| Salary: | $7,700 | Salary: | $7,900 | Salary: | $15,300 | ||||||
| Salary Rank: | 8 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 9 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 9 of 18 | ||||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | aFV | SwS% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 32 | 3.85 | 3.64 | 25.3% | 8.3% | 51.3% | 32.1% | 19.4% | 95.6 | 10.6% | |
| 2018 | 17 | 4.62 | 3.39 | 20.9% | 11.3% | 49.4% | 37.8% | 20.5% | 93.4 | 9.7% | |
| L14 | 2 | 4.65 | 7.20 | 12.5% | 6.3% | 54.1% | 44.7% | 15.8% | 92.6 | 7.8% | |
Martinez may have a low ERA (3.39) this season, but his peripheral numbers are worse across the board. In 17 starts, he has a 4.62 SIERA with a walk rate of 11% and a hard contact rate of 38%. He’s not inducing as many ground balls or as many swings and misses. Eventually, he’s going to start giving up more runs. While there are concerns, it’s hard not to like him tonight at home against a strikeout-prone Rockies’ offense. Colorado always seems to struggle on the road and Martinez should have the platoon advantage with only a few lefties in the Rockies’ lineup.
Quick Breakdown: At a price of only $7,900 on DraftKings, I’ll bite (probably only in tournaments).
Batter Grind Down
Colorado
The Rockies have one of the easiest matchups to break down, but we should start with the fact that they are going from the best hitter’s park in baseball to one of the best pitcher’s parks in baseball. Add in the fact that Carlos Martinez has held righties to a .291 xwOBA on a 57% ground ball rate and we can rule out most of the Rockies’ batters. The three that deserve consideration are Charlie Blackmon, Gerardo Parra, and Carlos Gonzalez (FD only). Blackmon may end up being a core tournament play for me, while the other two are secondary options at best.
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlie Blackmon | LEFT | 0.370 | 0.264 | 35.9% | 10.3% | 19.5% | 41.4% | OF | $3,900 | OF | $4,800 | CF | $8,900 |
| 2 | Gerardo Parra | LEFT | 0.340 | 0.125 | 39.5% | 7.4% | 17.0% | 41.9% | OF | $2,400 | OF | $3,800 | LF | $7,700 |
| 3 | Nolan Arenado | RIGHT | 0.344 | 0.200 | 39.0% | 10.4% | 19.3% | 41.1% | 3B | $4,400 | 3B | $4,900 | 3B | $8,800 |
| 4 | Carlos Gonzalez | LEFT | 0.313 | 0.215 | 35.3% | 7.8% | 24.0% | 43.5% | OF | $2,800 | OF | $4,900 | RF | $9,000 |
| 5 | Trevor Story | RIGHT | 0.358 | 0.232 | 45.7% | 7.7% | 25.5% | 35.5% | SS | $3,600 | SS | $4,200 | SS | $8,100 |
| 6 | Ian Desmond | RIGHT | 0.315 | 0.194 | 34.4% | 8.6% | 27.2% | 62.6% | 1B | $3,400 | 1B | $4,200 | LF | $8,000 |
| 7 | Garrett Hampson | RIGHT | 0.389 | 0.250 | 44.4% | 20.0% | 20.0% | 44.4% | 2B | $2,300 | 2B | $3,600 | 2B | $7,700 |
| 8 | Tom Murphy | RIGHT | 0.251 | 0.159 | 36.0% | 4.3% | 41.3% | 36.0% | C | $2,100 | C | $3,400 | C | $6,900 |
| 9 | Tyler Anderson | LEFT | 0.128 | 0.000 | 9.1% | 4.0% | 48.0% | 33.3% | P | $8,600 | P | $8,200 | P | $16,000 |
| Team Averages | 0.312 | 0.182 | 35.5% | 8.9% | 26.9% | 42.2% |
Elite Plays – Charlie Blackmon (GPP)
Secondary Plays – Charlie Blackmon (Cash), Gerardo Parra, Carlos Gonzalez
Stackability – ORANGE
St. Louis
The Cardinals haven’t had the best season overall and would need quite a run in the next two months in order to make the playoffs. Tonight’s matchup against Tyler Anderson is mediocre at best. In addition to limiting hard contact, Anderson has held right-handed hitters to a .290 xwOBA with a 23% strikeout rate. This doesn’t exactly bode well for a right-handed heavy Cardinals’ offense. I don’t have any interest in Anderson as a play, but I’m not itching to load up on the Cardinals either. Matt Carpenter is viable, but expensive (especially for a lefty/lefty matchup). Paul DeJong and Yadier Molina are my two favorite targets here, as catcher and shortstop are two of the thinnest positions of the slate.
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. LH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Carpenter | LEFT | 0.430 | 0.369 | 55.7% | 16.8% | 22.8% | 37.3% | 3B | $3,900 | 1B/3B | $5,000 | 3B | $9,600 |
| 2 | Yadier Molina | RIGHT | 0.430 | 0.158 | 39.6% | 7.8% | 14.1% | 20.8% | C | $3,100 | C | $4,200 | C | $8,400 |
| 3 | Paul DeJong | RIGHT | 0.298 | 0.170 | 29.4% | 12.3% | 26.3% | 35.3% | SS | $3,400 | SS | $4,100 | SS | $8,100 |
| 4 | Marcell Ozuna | RIGHT | 0.328 | 0.119 | 41.8% | 6.5% | 19.6% | 53.7% | OF | $2,900 | OF | $3,700 | LF | $7,500 |
| 5 | Jose Martinez | RIGHT | 0.335 | 0.088 | 33.3% | 11.7% | 14.3% | 40.4% | 1B | $2,800 | 1B | $4,000 | IF/OF | $7,500 |
| 6 | Tommy Pham | RIGHT | 0.436 | 0.107 | 46.6% | 13.6% | 19.3% | 53.4% | OF | $2,800 | OF | $4,400 | CF | $8,000 |
| 7 | Dexter Fowler | SWITCH | 0.324 | 0.151 | 43.2% | 11.3% | 27.4% | 48.6% | OF | $2,700 | OF | $3,700 | CF | $7,300 |
| 8 | Yairo Munoz | RIGHT | 0.308 | 0.255 | 32.4% | 11.9% | 25.4% | 45.9% | SS | $2,600 | SS | $4,000 | SS | $7,500 |
| 9 | Carlos Martinez | RIGHT | 0.263 | 0.143 | 14.3% | 0.0% | 12.5% | 66.7% | P | $7,700 | P | $7,900 | P | $15,300 |
| Team Averages | 0.350 | 0.173 | 37.4% | 10.2% | 20.2% | 44.7% |
Elite Plays – Yadier Molina, Paul DeJong
Secondary Plays – Matt Carpenter, Marcell Ozuna, Jose Martinez (FD)
Stackability – ORANGE / YELLOW
Texas at Arizona – 9:40 PM ET
| Texas | Arizona | ||||||||||||||
 | Martin Perez |  | Robbie Ray | ||||||||||||
| LEFT | LEFT | ||||||||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||||||||
| ARI-200 | 8.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | HR/9 | K% | GB% | Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | HR/9 | K% | GB% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.356 | 0.272 | 31.0% | 1.00 | 13.9% | 64.3% | SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.232 | 0.272 | 30.6% | 1.08 | 31.8% | 54.3% | ||
| SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.448 | 0.415 | 47.9% | 2.27 | 12.5% | 45.5% | SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.377 | 0.342 | 47.4% | 2.05 | 30.5% | 31.9% | ||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Martin Perez | |||||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||||
| Salary: | $5,600 | Salary: | $4,000 | Salary: | $8,000 | ||||||
| Salary Rank: | 18 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 18 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 18 of 18 | ||||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | aFV | SwS% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 32 | 5.04 | 4.82 | 14.2% | 7.8% | 47.3% | 33.3% | 15.2% | 93.1 | 7.3% | |
| 2018 | 8 | 5.34 | 7.08 | 12.8% | 9.7% | 49.0% | 44.7% | 14.0% | 92.2 | 5.7% | |
| L14 | 3 | 4.79 | 3.93 | 15.6% | 9.1% | 50.0% | 41.4% | 13.8% | 92.9 | 6.6% | |
Perez is always one of my favorite pitchers to see on the schedule. He has one of the lowest strikeout rates in baseball (13%), he gives up a ton of hard contact (45%), and his control is below-average (10% walk rate). This combination leads to a lot of base runners and a lot of extra-base hits. That sounds like the perfect recipe for a pitcher to stack against.
Quick Breakdown: Perez is an easy fade in all formats.
| Robbie Ray | |||||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||||
| Salary: | $8,300 | Salary: | $8,000 | Salary: | $15,200 | ||||||
| Salary Rank: | 7 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 8 of 18 | Salary Rank: | 10 of 18 | ||||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | aFV | SwS% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 28 | 3.53 | 2.89 | 32.8% | 10.7% | 40.3% | 40.4% | 16.4% | 94.3 | 14.2% | |
| 2018 | 12 | 3.62 | 4.90 | 30.8% | 11.0% | 37.2% | 43.3% | 14.0% | 93.3 | 13.1% | |
| L14 | 2 | 4.26 | 4.38 | 16.3% | 4.1% | 47.4% | 31.6% | 18.4% | 94.1 | 11.6% | |
When you factor in price, Ray is my favorite pitching option of the slate. There are certainly some concerns (11% walk rate and a 43% hard contact rate), but the upside is just too good at this price point. In 12 starts this season, he has a 3.62 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 31%. The Rangers have struggled against southpaws all season. Their projected lineup has an average xwOBA of .288 with a strikeout rate of 23% and that doesn’t even include the numbers for Martin Perez, who has yet to take an at-bat this season. All aboard the Ray train tonight!
Quick Breakdown: Ray is an elite play in all formats.
Batter Grind Down
Texas
The Rangers see a ballpark downgrade playing in Arizona. As mentioned above, they have been one of the worst offenses in baseball against left-handed pitching. Add in a matchup against a high-strikeout pitcher and they become a candidate for a full fade. Robbie Ray has elite strikeout upside, which limits the appeal of this Rangers’ offense. The two batters with below-average strikeout rates against southpaws this season are Elvis Andrus and Jurickson Profar. They are both viable in tournaments, as Ray has allowed a 47% hard contact rate to righties this season.
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. LH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shin-Soo Choo | LEFT | 0.338 | 0.095 | 38.4% | 12.1% | 25.8% | 45.2% | OF | $3,000 | OF | $4,600 | RF | $8,900 |
| 2 | Rougned Odor | LEFT | 0.265 | 0.114 | 40.0% | 7.5% | 22.6% | 44.2% | 2B | $3,600 | 2B | $4,600 | 2B | $9,000 |
| 3 | Elvis Andrus | RIGHT | 0.366 | 0.182 | 34.2% | 8.3% | 6.3% | 48.8% | SS | $3,700 | SS | $4,600 | SS | $9,200 |
| 4 | Adrian Beltre | RIGHT | 0.357 | 0.075 | 45.3% | 7.9% | 21.1% | 43.4% | 3B | $2,700 | 3B | $4,100 | 3B | $8,200 |
| 5 | Jurickson Profar | SWITCH | 0.332 | 0.222 | 30.9% | 9.9% | 8.9% | 39.5% | 3B | $3,000 | 3B/SS | $4,200 | SS | $8,300 |
| 6 | Robinson Chirinos | RIGHT | 0.325 | 0.200 | 46.9% | 14.9% | 35.8% | 37.5% | C | $2,400 | C | $4,300 | C | $8,100 |
| 7 | Willie Calhoun | LEFT | 0.090 | 0.000 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 33.3% | 50.0% | OF | $2,200 | OF | $3,700 | IF/OF | $7,500 |
| 8 | Carlos Tocci | RIGHT | 0.234 | 0.000 | 14.3% | 8.3% | 33.3% | 33.3% | OF | $2,000 | OF | $3,300 | CF | $6,500 |
| 9 | Martin Perez | LEFT | P | $5,600 | P | $4,000 | P | $8,000 | ||||||
| Team Averages | 0.288 | 0.111 | 31.3% | 8.6% | 23.4% | 42.7% |
Elite Plays – None
Secondary Plays – Elvis Andrus, Jurickson Profar
Stackability – ORANGE
Arizona
Even though the humidor in Chase Field has suppressed run production a little in Arizona, I don’t hesitate to play this offense at home. They are my favorite stack of the slate, so I’m basically betting on all things Diamondbacks in this one. Martin Perez has a low strikeout rate, a high walk rate, and has been shredded by right-handed hitters. On the season, he has allowed a .415 xwOBA and a 48% hard contact rate to batters from the right side of the plate. Ketel Marte, Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, and Steven Souza are all elite plays at their respective positions. You can complete the five-man stack with any of the following batters — David Peralta, Nick Ahmed, or John Ryan Murphy.
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. LH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Peralta | LEFT | 0.295 | 0.136 | 33.8% | 5.8% | 27.3% | 59.7% | OF | $3,200 | OF | $4,200 | RF | $8,500 |
| 2 | Ketel Marte | SWITCH | 0.375 | 0.270 | 45.1% | 9.9% | 9.2% | 54.9% | 2B | $3,200 | 2B/SS | $4,400 | SS | $8,100 |
| 3 | Paul Goldschmidt | RIGHT | 0.453 | 0.300 | 52.5% | 15.3% | 22.9% | 33.8% | 1B | $4,300 | 1B | $4,700 | 1B | $9,400 |
| 4 | A.J. Pollock | RIGHT | 0.372 | 0.338 | 44.8% | 7.6% | 17.7% | 37.9% | OF | $3,800 | OF | $5,100 | CF | $9,700 |
| 5 | Steven Souza | RIGHT | 0.405 | 0.097 | 59.1% | 11.4% | 25.7% | 45.5% | OF | $2,800 | OF | $4,100 | RF | $8,400 |
| 6 | Nick Ahmed | RIGHT | 0.331 | 0.243 | 41.7% | 4.9% | 16.4% | 39.6% | SS | $2,600 | SS | $4,300 | SS | $8,200 |
| 7 | Chris Owings | RIGHT | 0.295 | 0.095 | 43.0% | 7.8% | 24.1% | 30.8% | OF | $2,300 | OF | $3,600 | IF/OF | $7,400 |
| 8 | John Ryan Murphy | RIGHT | 0.364 | 0.239 | 50.9% | 6.6% | 21.1% | 34.5% | C | $2,000 | C | $3,200 | C | $6,500 |
| 9 | Robbie Ray | LEFT | 0.054 | 0.000 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 45.5% | 80.0% | P | $8,300 | P | $8,000 | P | $15,200 |
| Team Averages | 0.327 | 0.191 | 41.2% | 7.7% | 23.3% | 46.3% |
Elite Plays – Ketel Marte, Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, Steven Souza
Secondary Plays – David Peralta, Nick Ahmed, John Ryan Murphy
Stackability – GREEN
Note: Unless noted, all statistics in the Grind Down are from the 2018 season.