MLB Grind Down: Monday, May 23rd

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2016-05-24 03:14:12

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.

Cleveland at Chicago White Sox – 5:10 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
Cleveland					Chicago White Sox
			Mike Clevinger					Mat Latos
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			CWS -110					9.0
SP vs. Left	0.407	1	25.0%	8.3%	SP vs. Left	0.348	13	15.8%	7.6%
SP vs. Right	0.176	0	20.0%	0.0%	SP vs. Right	0.302	6	19.3%	6.6%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Mike Clevinger
				FanDuel			DraftKings
				Salary:		$6,000	Salary:		N/A
				FPPG:		19.0	FPPG:		10.4
				Pitcher Rating:		62.3	Pitcher Rank:		9
2016	1	3.52	6.75	22.7%	4.6%	13.2%	40.0%	40.0%	25.0%

This is the first game of a double header between the Indians and White Sox. Clevinger is making his second career major league start. In his debut, he allowed four runs in just over five innings of work. He has shown some nice strikeout upside in the minor leagues and you have to like that long, flowing hair of his. With so many great pitching options available tonight, we should continue to take and wait and see approach with Clevinger.

Statistics	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Mat Latos
				FanDuel			DraftKings
				Salary:		$7,300	Salary:		N/A
				FPPG:		25.1	FPPG:		10.6
				Pitcher Rating:		45.6	Pitcher Rank:		14
L14 Days	2	6.63	8.44	5.5%	12.7%	9.3%	45.5%	31.8%	17.8%
2016	8	5.38	4.00	11.2%	8.6%	6.8%	44.2%	37.7%	24.8%
2015	21	3.88	4.95	20.2%	6.5%	9.9%	43.9%	31.9%	33.0%

Latos may have a 4.00 ERA, but he has not pitched well this season. He currently owns a 5.38 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 11.2%. His swinging strike rate is way down this season. The total for this game is set at 9.0 runs, which suggests that it will be one of the highest scoring games on the schedule. Latos should be avoided in both cash games and tournaments.

Batter Grind Down

Cleveland

The Indians draw a favorable matchup today against Mat Latos, who has allowed a .348 wOBA to left-handed hitters over the last two seasons. If you want some exposure to the early game today, I recommend targeting the hitters rather than the pitchers. This is expected to be one of the highest scoring games on the board today.

Indians Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.319 (12 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.158 (16 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 22.0% (21 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.71 (6 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.44

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Carlos Santana	SWITCH	0.349	0.221	0.386	1B	$3,700	1B
2	Jason Kipnis	LEFT	0.386	0.172	0.399	2B	$3,600	2B
3	Francisco Lindor	SWITCH	0.338	0.134	0.352	SS	$3,900	SS
4	Mike Napoli	RIGHT	0.281	0.156	0.260	1B	$2,900	1B
5	Jose Ramirez	SWITCH	0.301	0.123	0.311	3B	$2,800	3B/OF
6	Yan Gomes	RIGHT	0.283	0.189	0.289	C	$2,700	C
7	Lonnie Chisenhall	LEFT	0.287	0.124	0.294	OF	$2,200	OF
8	Juan Uribe	RIGHT	0.298	0.125	0.244	3B	$2,200	3B
9	Rajai Davis	RIGHT	0.314	0.154	0.341	OF	$3,500	OF
	Team Averages	—	0.315	0.155	0.320	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis

Secondary Plays – Francisco Lindor, Mike Napoli, Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall

Stackability – Cash & GPP

Chicago White Sox

Mike Clevinger pitched pretty well in his first career start, but was ultimately let down by his bullpen. It’s always tough to predict how these young pitchers are going to fare in their first stint at the major league level. Given their high team total, you can look to the White Sox in both cash games and tournaments.

White Sox Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.309 (21 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.138 (23 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 19.7% (13 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.16 (17 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.56

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Adam Eaton	LEFT	0.361	0.167	0.407	OF	$3,900	OF
2	Jimmy Rollins	SWITCH	0.259	0.124	0.297	SS	$3,000	SS
3	Jose Abreu	RIGHT	0.367	0.221	0.250	1B	$3,700	1B
4	Todd Frazier	RIGHT	0.335	0.221	0.497	3B	$3,800	3B
5	Melky Cabrera	SWITCH	0.330	0.125	0.354	OF	$3,100	OF
6	Brett Lawrie	RIGHT	0.294	0.138	0.249	2B	$2,700	2B
7	Avisail Garcia	RIGHT	0.295	0.117	0.244	OF	$2,800	OF
8	Dioner Navarro	SWITCH	0.275	0.110	0.330	C	$2,900	C
9	Austin Jackson	RIGHT	0.289	0.100	0.245	OF	$2,700	OF
	Team Averages	—	0.312	0.147	0.319	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Adam Eaton

Secondary Plays – Jose Abreu, Todd Frazier, Melky Cabrera

Stackability – NONE

NY Mets at Washington – 7:05 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
NY Mets					Washington
			Bartolo Colon					Gio Gonzalez
			RIGHT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			WAS -145					7.5
SP vs. Left	0.311	16	17.0%	3.6%	SP vs. Left	0.273	1	14.8%	7.1%
SP vs. Right	0.321	15	17.7%	2.9%	SP vs. Right	0.308	10	23.8%	9.0%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Bartolo Colon
				FanDuel			DraftKings
				Salary:		$6,900	Salary:		$5,800
				FPPG:		26.7	FPPG:		13.7
				Pitcher Rating:		49.4	Pitcher Rank:		13
L14 Days	2	5.21	7.45	15.2%	10.9%	4.0%	33.3%	33.3%	42.4%
2016	8	3.79	3.75	20.0%	4.5%	6.6%	38.9%	34.0%	35.3%
2015	31	4.02	4.16	16.7%	2.9%	6.4%	42.3%	36.9%	29.0%

Colon is still doing his thing at the ripe old age of 42 years, 11 months, and 29 days (FanGraphs is very specific). His last couple of starts haven’t been great, but he still owns a 3.79 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 20% on the season. As I mentioned before his last start, we should expect his K-rate to come down to 15-17% range that we have seen from him in the last few years. There are times when we can target Colon in DFS, but I usually prefer him at home and with a better matchup. He can be avoided tonight on the road against the Nationals.

Statistics	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Gio Gonzalez
				FanDuel			DraftKings
				Salary:		$8,900	Salary:		$9,900
				FPPG:		33.9	FPPG:		18.5
				Pitcher Rating:		78.8	Pitcher Rank:		4
L14 Days	2	3.19	0.79	24.5%	6.1%	10.5%	52.9%	26.5%	32.4%
2016	8	3.97	1.86	19.9%	6.5%	9.1%	48.2%	37.4%	32.7%
2015	31	3.77	3.79	22.3%	9.1%	9.8%	53.8%	26.6%	28.7%

Gonzalez has struggled with consistency this season, but he owns a 3.97 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 19.9%. He is coming off of a strong start against this same Mets’ team and now he gets to face them again at home. Gonzalez is a sizable favorite in this one and the Mets are an offense that fares much better against right-handed pitching. On the season, they are ranked 25th in team wOBA and 29th in team strikeout rate against southpaws. With one of the best matchups on the board, Gonzalez is a terrific SP2 on multi-pitcher sites.

Batter Grind Down

NY Mets

The Mets come into tonight’s game with the fourth lowest team total on the board. They have struggled against left-handed pitching this season and were only able to score a single run against Gonzalez in their meeting last week. Gonzalez has been tough on hitters from both sides of the plate, holding lefties to a .273 wOBA and righties to a .308 wOBA over the last two seasons.

Mets Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. LHP — 0.292 (25 of 30)
Team ISO vs. LHP — 0.140 (18 of 30)
Team K% vs. LHP — 27.0% (29 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 3.88 (24 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.49 (17 of 20)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. LHP	ISO vs. LHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Curtis Granderson	LEFT	0.258	0.131	0.294	OF	$3,100	OF	$3,600
2	David Wright	RIGHT	0.380	0.194	0.189	3B	$2,700	3B	$4,100
3	Michael Conforto	LEFT	0.172	0.000	0.378	OF	$3,700	OF	$3,500
4	Yoenis Cespedes	RIGHT	0.358	0.250	0.424	OF	$4,400	OF	$4,200
5	Neil Walker	SWITCH	0.280	0.115	0.299	2B	$2,600	2B	$2,900
6	Asdrubal Cabrera	SWITCH	0.308	0.126	0.246	SS	$2,900	SS	$2,900
7	Eric Campbell	RIGHT	0.280	0.094	0.251	3B	$2,300	1B/3B	$3,000
8	Kevin Plawecki	RIGHT	0.211	0.143	0.222	C	$2,100	C	$2,200
9	Bartolo Colon	RIGHT	0.098	0.000	0.000	P	$6,900	P	$5,800
	Team Averages	—	0.261	0.117	0.256	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Yoenis Cespedes

Stackability – NONE

Washington

The Nationals haven’t hit right-handed pitching particularly well this season, but they did manage to rack up five hits, five walks, and three runs in their last meeting against Bartolo Colon. Colon isn’t a pitcher that is going to try to trick batters. He’s going to throw fastballs and see what happens. Hitters from both sides of the plate are in play here, but none of them stand out as elite plays with the exception of Bryce Harper.

Nationals Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.304 (23 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.145 (20 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 20.8% (18 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.34 (12 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.01 (10 of 20)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Ben Revere	LEFT	0.307	0.077	0.193	OF	$2,500	OF	$3,600
2	Jayson Werth	RIGHT	0.281	0.130	0.308	OF	$3,000	OF	$3,700
3	Bryce Harper	LEFT	0.464	0.343	0.374	OF	$4,300	OF	$5,300
4	Daniel Murphy	LEFT	0.369	0.205	0.378	2B	$3,800	2B	$4,900
5	Ryan Zimmerman	RIGHT	0.290	0.156	0.369	1B	$3,300	1B	$3,800
6	Anthony Rendon	RIGHT	0.309	0.104	0.449	3B	$4,000	3B	$4,300
7	Danny Espinosa	SWITCH	0.299	0.156	0.263	SS	$2,400	SS	$2,700
8	Jose Lobaton	SWITCH	0.270	0.096	0.242	C	$2,100	C	$2,500
9	Gio Gonzalez	LEFT	0.164	0.039	0.428	P	$8,900	P	$9,900
	Team Averages	—	0.306	0.145	0.334	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Bryce Harper

Secondary Plays – Ben Revere, Daniel Murphy

Stackability – GPP

Philadelphia at Detroit – 7:08 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
Philadelphia					Detroit
			Vince Velasquez					Mike Pelfrey
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			PHI -115					8.5
SP vs. Left	0.270	5	24.9%	9.6%	SP vs. Left	0.382	10	12.0%	10.8%
SP vs. Right	0.302	3	31.1%	7.3%	SP vs. Right	0.320	9	12.2%	3.3%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Vince Velasquez
				FanDuel			DraftKings
				Salary:		$8,900	Salary:		$11,800
				FPPG:		42.9	FPPG:		24.5
				Pitcher Rating:		74.7	Pitcher Rank:		7
L14 Days	2	2.84	3.27	34.1%	9.1%	11.0%	40.0%	48.0%	32.0%
2016	8	3.01	2.42	30.9%	7.9%	11.5%	38.6%	43.0%	25.0%
2015	7	3.74	4.37	25.1%	9.1%	10.5%	31.3%	46.7%	27.3%

Velasquez is having a breakout season for the Phillies, posting a 3.01 SIERA with a strikeout rate over 30%. He has cut down on his walks and his swinging strike rate is above 11%. He makes a boom or bust tournament play tonight against the Tigers. While Detroit has the sixth highest team strikeout rate against right-handed pitching, they are also ranked fifth in team wOBA. The one thing working against Velasquez is the fact that this game is being played in Detroit. Not only is it a road start, but he will be pitching in an American League ballpark.

Statistics	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Mike Pelfrey
				FanDuel			DraftKings
				Salary:		$6,000	Salary:		$4,900
				FPPG:		14.6	FPPG:		5.5
				Pitcher Rating:		41.6	Pitcher Rank:		17
L14 Days	2	4.29	3.38	17.0%	6.4%	9.9%	45.7%	34.3%	33.3%
2016	8	5.13	5.49	12.1%	9.5%	8.6%	48.3%	28.6%	37.6%
2015	30	4.59	4.26	12.0%	6.3%	5.6%	50.8%	26.4%	26.1%

Pelfrey carries the same risk as a pitcher like Vince Velasquez, except he doesn’t have any of the upside. In eight starts this season, he has a 5.13 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 12.1%. While Pelfrey does generate a decent ground ball rate, his hard hit contact rate for the season is at 37.6%. Even though his matchup against the Phillies is one of the best out there, he doesn’t have enough upside to warrant fantasy consideration.

Batter Grind Down

Philadelphia

The Phillies typically have one of the lowest team totals on the board, but with a matchup against Mike Pelfrey, they are projected to score the seventh most runs tonight. Over the last two seasons, Pelfrey has allowed a .382 wOBA to left-handed hitters and a .320 wOBA to right-handed hitters. The Phillies’ lineup could be a great source of value tonight, especially if you are trying to fit Clayton Kershaw in your lineup.

Phillies Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.286 (27 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.128 (27 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 21.1% (19 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 3.23 (29 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.34 (7 of 20)

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	0.137	0.397	OF	$3,500	OF	$4,000
2	Cesar Hernandez	RIGHT	0.289	0.071	0.252	2B	$2,600	2B	$3,000
3	Maikel Franco	RIGHT	0.339	0.187	0.291	3B	$2,700	3B	$3,900
4	Ryan Howard	LEFT	0.325	0.238	0.186	1B	$2,300	1B	$3,500
5	Cameron Rupp	RIGHT	0.277	0.128	0.403	C	$2,500	C	$2,600
6	Freddy Galvis	SWITCH	0.289	0.116	0.303	SS	$2,400	SS	$3,200
7	Tyler Goeddel	RIGHT	0.337	0.136	0.436	OF	$2,000	OF	$3,500
8	Tommy Joseph	RIGHT	0.000	0.000	0.317	1B	$2,000	1B/C	$3,200
9	Peter Bourjos	RIGHT	0.249	0.110	0.255	OF	$2,000	OF	$2,700
	Team Averages	—	0.274	0.125	0.316	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Maikel Franco

Secondary Plays – Odubel Herrera, Cesar Hernandez, Ryan Howard, Cameron Rupp

Stackability – GPP

Detroit

The Tigers have the eighth highest team total on the board tonight, but their matchup against Vince Velasquez is less than appealing. In addition to an elite strikeout rate, Velasquez has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .310 wOBA. The Tigers’ offense has been on a roll recently, but the hitters in their lineup don’t stand out as elite plays at their respective positions.

Tigers Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.338 (5 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.181 (6 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 23.4% (25 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.60 (9 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.16 (8 of 20)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Ian Kinsler	RIGHT	0.338	0.145	0.438	2B	$4,400	2B	$4,300
2	J.D. Martinez	RIGHT	0.364	0.243	0.484	OF	$3,900	OF	$3,900
3	Miguel Cabrera	RIGHT	0.412	0.209	0.499	1B	$4,200	1B	$3,900
4	Victor Martinez	SWITCH	0.299	0.143	0.372	C	$3,000	1B	$3,000
5	Nick Castellanos	RIGHT	0.313	0.166	0.364	3B	$3,400	3B	$3,100
6	Justin Upton	RIGHT	0.343	0.203	0.230	OF	$2,900	OF	$3,100
7	Cameron Maybin	RIGHT	0.312	0.090	0.602	OF	$3,100	OF	$2,900
8	James McCann	RIGHT	0.256	0.076	0.238	C	$2,400	C	$2,100
9	Jose Iglesias	RIGHT	0.281	0.055	0.190	SS	$2,100	SS	$2,200
	Team Averages	—	0.324	0.148	0.380	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Ian Kinsler, J.D. Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez

Stackability – NONE

Tampa Bay at Miami – 7:10 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
Tampa Bay					Miami
			Matt Moore					Wei-Yin Chen
			LEFT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			MIA -130					7.5
SP vs. Left	0.341	6	14.8%	5.9%	SP vs. Left	0.255	3	17.6%	3.2%
SP vs. Right	0.351	11	21.0%	8.8%	SP vs. Right	0.342	31	20.2%	5.5%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Matt Moore
				FanDuel			DraftKings
				Salary:		$6,900	Salary:		$6,300
				FPPG:		26.3	FPPG:		13.6
				Pitcher Rating:		49.2	Pitcher Rank:		12
L14 Days	2	4.60	5.59	19.2%	10.6%	10.2%	45.5%	36.4%	36.4%
2016	8	3.75	5.09	23.0%	7.5%	11.5%	43.8%	35.0%	35.0%
2015	12	4.67	5.43	16.6%	8.3%	9.9%	39.2%	38.7%	31.7%

After a strong start to the season, Moore has struggled in his last few starts. He now has a 3.75 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 23%. The upside has still been there, but he has given up too many walks. He draws a boom or bust matchup tonight against the Marlins. While he does get to face them in a pitcher-friendly ballpark, the Marlins are sizable favorites and they have six batters in their projected lineup with a .325+ wOBA against left-handed pitching. Moore is best suited as a GPP play tonight.

Statistics	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Wei-Yin Chen
				FanDuel			DraftKings
				Salary:		$8,300	Salary:		$9,000
				FPPG:		30.0	FPPG:		15.5
				Pitcher Rating:		63.8	Pitcher Rank:		8
L14 Days	2	2.17	2.92	35.3%	3.9%	12.6%	33.3%	33.3%	22.6%
2016	8	3.61	4.22	20.9%	4.5%	8.4%	44.2%	32.0%	32.7%
2015	31	3.97	3.34	19.3%	5.2%	8.6%	40.5%	39.4%	28.3%

Chen’s fantasy production over his last three starts have been all over the map. He failed to record a single strikeout against the Phillies, he struck out 12 batters against the Brewers, and then he struck out six batters in his second starts against the Phillies. I like that Chen is a favorite in a game that features a low total of 7.5 runs, but the Rays are one of the best offenses in baseball against left-handed pitching. On the season, they are ranked fifth in team wOBA and second in team ISO.

Batter Grind Down

Tampa Bay

The Rays have six batters in their lineup with .185+ ISO against left-handed pitching. They are one of the top offenses in baseball against southpaws, but they do have the fifth lowest team total on the board tonight. The Rays are still decent targets tonight though, as Wei-Yin Chen has allowed a .342 wOBA and 31 home runs to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons.

Rays Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. LHP — 0.343 (5 of 30)
Team ISO vs. LHP — 0.210 (2 of 30)
Team K% vs. LHP — 23.1% (21 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.24 (15 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.57 (16 of 20)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. LHP	ISO vs. LHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Brandon Guyer	RIGHT	0.382	0.187	0.377	OF	$3,400	OF	$3,600
2	Taylor Motter	RIGHT	0.524	0.000	0.330	SS	$2,100	3B/SS	$2,200
3	Evan Longoria	RIGHT	0.387	0.225	0.425	3B	$4,000	3B	$4,600
4	Steve Pearce	RIGHT	0.346	0.235	0.502	1B	$3,600	1B/2B	$3,400
5	Steven Souza	RIGHT	0.343	0.216	0.331	OF	$3,200	OF	$3,900
6	Desmond Jennings	RIGHT	0.249	0.048	0.368	OF	$2,500	OF	$3,000
7	Curt Casali	RIGHT	0.336	0.258	0.207	C	$2,600	C	$3,000
8	Desmond Jennings	RIGHT	0.249	0.048	0.368	OF	$2,500	OF	$3,000
9	Matt Moore	LEFT				P	$6,900	P	$6,300
	Team Averages	—	0.352	0.152	0.364	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Brandon Guyer (DK)

Secondary Plays – Taylor Motter, Evan Longoria, Steve Pearce, Steven Souza

Stackability – NONE

Miami

The Marlins draw a mediocre matchup tonight against Matt Moore, who has been very inconsistent this season. While the sample size is still relatively small, Moore has allowed a .351 wOBA to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons. Giancarlo Stanton has been swinging a cold bat over the last two weeks, but his $3,400 price tag on FanDuel makes him one of the top of the top plays on the board. He has a ridiculous .457 ISO against left-handed pitching over the last two seasons.

Marlins Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. LHP — 0.319 (12 of 30)
Team ISO vs. LHP — 0.118 (24 of 30)
Team K% vs. LHP — 25.0% (25 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 3.91 (22 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.93 (11 of 20)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. LHP	ISO vs. LHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	J.T. Realmuto	RIGHT	0.326	0.184	0.312	C	$2,700	C	$3,500
2	Martin Prado	RIGHT	0.360	0.117	0.279	3B	$2,800	3B	$3,700
3	Christian Yelich	LEFT	0.334	0.068	0.368	OF	$3,700	OF	$4,000
4	Giancarlo Stanton	RIGHT	0.450	0.457	0.181	OF	$3,400	OF	$4,700
5	Marcell Ozuna	RIGHT	0.412	0.216	0.488	OF	$3,800	OF	$5,000
6	Chris Johnson	RIGHT	0.312	0.063	0.278	1B	$2,300	1B/3B	$2,600
7	Adeiny Hechavarria	RIGHT	0.353	0.117	0.270	SS	$2,500	SS	$3,400
8	Miguel Rojas	RIGHT	0.224	0.061	0.294	SS	$2,000	2B/SS	$2,400
9	Wei-Yin Chen	LEFT	0.000	0.000	0.000	P	$8,300	P	$9,000
	Team Averages	—	0.308	0.143	0.274	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Giancarlo Stanton

Secondary Plays – J.T. Realmuto, Martin Prado, Marcell Ozuna

Stackability – GPP

LA Angels at Texas – 8:05 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
LA Angels					Texas
			Nick Tropeano					Derek Holland
			RIGHT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			TEX -110					9.5
SP vs. Left	0.351	3	25.0%	11.7%	SP vs. Left	0.303	1	20.6%	6.9%
SP vs. Right	0.317	6	19.9%	5.6%	SP vs. Right	0.350	13	13.5%	7.2%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Nick Tropeano
				FanDuel			DraftKings
				Salary:		$6,600	Salary:		$5,300
				FPPG:		29.5	FPPG:		14.8
				Pitcher Rating:		43.1	Pitcher Rank:		16
L14 Days	2	5.37	2.25	13.2%	9.4%	8.0%	40.0%	47.5%	27.5%
2016	8	4.52	3.30	21.9%	11.2%	12.3%	32.8%	48.4%	34.6%
2015	7	3.58	3.82	23.6%	6.2%	11.5%	38.5%	40.4%	24.8%

Tropeano has a low ERA, but it may not be sustainable given the rest of his pitching statistics. He has a 4.52 SIERA with a walk rate of 11.2% this season. He comes into tonight’s game as a small underdog against the Rangers in the hitter-friendly Globe Life Park. On the season, the Rangers have the seventh lowest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching. Tropeano is too risky to trust in cash games and I’ll probably be looking elsewhere in GPPs as well.

Statistics	Starts	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Derek Holland
				FanDuel			DraftKings
				Salary:		$7,200	Salary:		$4,700
				FPPG:		18.0	FPPG:		7.4
				Pitcher Rating:		31.4	Pitcher Rank:		20
L14 Days	2	5.74	6.48	8.1%	5.4%	4.6%	32.3%	45.2%	25.8%
2016	8	5.35	5.63	12.0%	7.4%	6.3%	33.6%	44.3%	32.1%
2015	10	4.43	4.91	16.7%	6.9%	6.9%	41.9%	35.2%	34.6%

Holland has been one of the worst starters in baseball this season. In his last eight starts, he has a 5.35 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 12%. At this point, we should avoid him in all league formats until he can flash some form. The matchup isn’t that great anyway, as the Angels currently have the lowest strikeout rate of any team against left-handed pitching this season.

Batter Grind Down

LA Angels

Outside of Mike Trout, the Angels don’t hit left-handed pitching very well. The good news is that they draw arguably the best matchup on the board. In his last 18 starts, Derek Holland has allowed a .350 wOBA and 13 home runs to right-handed hitters. Trout is the obvious target here, but don’t be afraid to load up on Angels’ hitters, especially on sites where you can get them at a discount.

Angels Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. LHP — 0.296 (20 of 30)
Team ISO vs. LHP — 0.117 (25 of 30)
Team K% vs. LHP — 16.2% (1 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.09 (18 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.69 (2 of 20)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. LHP	ISO vs. LHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Yunel Escobar	RIGHT	0.359	0.127	0.333	3B	$3,300	3B	$3,700
2	Kole Calhoun	LEFT	0.307	0.144	0.324	OF	$3,500	OF	$4,300
3	Mike Trout	RIGHT	0.409	0.247	0.432	OF	$4,800	OF	$5,400
4	Albert Pujols	RIGHT	0.307	0.230	0.375	1B	$3,500	1B	$4,500
5	Johnny Giavotella	LEFT	0.285	0.076	0.398	2B	$3,100	2B	$3,700
6	C.J. Cron	RIGHT	0.289	0.131	0.314	1B	$2,700	1B	$3,500
7	Rafael Ortega	LEFT	0.294	0.000	0.225	OF	$2,600	OF	$3,500
8	Carlos Perez	RIGHT	0.204	0.023	0.401	C	$2,600	C	$2,800
9	Gregorio Petit	RIGHT	0.160	0.067	0.293	SS	$2,500	2B/3B	$3,900
	Team Averages	—	0.290	0.116	0.344	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Mike Trout, Johnny Giavotella

Secondary Plays – Yunel Escobar, Kole Calhoun, Albert Pujols, C.J. Cron

Stackability – Cash & GPP

Texas

The Rangers have the highest team total on the board tonight. They draw a favorable matchup against Nick Tropeano, who has allowed a .351 wOBA to left-handed hitters and a .317 wOBA to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons. Prince Fielder stands out as an elite value play in this slate. He is cheap across the industry and he has a .361 wOBA to left-handed hitters over the last two seasons.

Rangers Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.312 (19 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.162 (13 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 19.0% (7 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.52 (11 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.81 (1 of 20)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Rougned Odor	LEFT	0.333	0.216	0.247	2B	$3,500	2B	$4,000
2	Ian Desmond	RIGHT	0.288	0.144	0.405	OF	$3,800	OF	$4,800
3	Prince Fielder	LEFT	0.361	0.148	0.319	1B	$2,800	1B	$3,900
4	Adrian Beltre	RIGHT	0.307	0.145	0.284	3B	$3,100	3B	$3,800
5	Mitch Moreland	LEFT	0.358	0.214	0.230	OF	$2,900	1B	$3,500
6	Elvis Andrus	RIGHT	0.281	0.083	0.321	SS	$3,300	SS	$3,700
7	Nomar Mazara	LEFT	0.389	0.215	0.306	OF	$2,900	OF	$3,700
8	Ryan Rua	RIGHT	0.243	0.136	0.365	OF	$2,100	1B/OF	$2,600
9	Bryan Holaday	RIGHT	0.306	0.163	0.666	C	$2,600	C	$2,200
	Team Averages	—	0.318	0.163	0.349	—	—	—	—

MLB Grind Down: Monday, May 23rd

Cleveland at Chicago White Sox – 5:10 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

Cleveland

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis

Secondary Plays – Francisco Lindor, Mike Napoli, Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall

Stackability – Cash & GPP

Chicago White Sox

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Adam Eaton

Secondary Plays – Jose Abreu, Todd Frazier, Melky Cabrera

Stackability – NONE

NY Mets at Washington – 7:05 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

NY Mets

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Yoenis Cespedes

Stackability – NONE

Washington

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Bryce Harper

Secondary Plays – Ben Revere, Daniel Murphy

Stackability – GPP

Philadelphia at Detroit – 7:08 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

Philadelphia

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Maikel Franco

Secondary Plays – Odubel Herrera, Cesar Hernandez, Ryan Howard, Cameron Rupp

Stackability – GPP

Detroit

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Ian Kinsler, J.D. Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez

Stackability – NONE

Tampa Bay at Miami – 7:10 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

Tampa Bay

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Brandon Guyer (DK)

Secondary Plays – Taylor Motter, Evan Longoria, Steve Pearce, Steven Souza

Stackability – NONE

Miami

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Giancarlo Stanton

Secondary Plays – J.T. Realmuto, Martin Prado, Marcell Ozuna

Stackability – GPP

LA Angels at Texas – 8:05 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

LA Angels

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Mike Trout, Johnny Giavotella

Secondary Plays – Yunel Escobar, Kole Calhoun, Albert Pujols, C.J. Cron

Stackability – Cash & GPP

Texas

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Rougned Odor, Prince Fielder

Secondary Plays – Ian Desmond, Adrian Beltre, Mitch Moreland

Stackability – Cash & GPP

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