MLB Grind Down: Monday, October 12th
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.
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Kansas City at Houston – 1:07 PM EST
| Kansas City | Houston | ||||||||
 | Yordano Ventura |  | Lance McCullers | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| HOU (-127) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.239 | 0.683 | 0.302 | 21.7% | SP vs. Left | 0.208 | 0.590 | 0.260 | 28.40% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.244 | 0.682 | 0.306 | 21.0% | SP vs. Right | 0.241 | 0.729 | 0.317 | 21.20% |
| Batter Splits | KC vs R | Batter Splits | HOU BvP | HOU vs R | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Yordano Ventura : FD: $8,800 — DK: $8,500
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 339.1 — SIERA: 3.82 — ERA: 3.66 — K%: 21.0% — BB%: 8.6% — HR/9: 0.7
Last 30 Days: IP: 36.0 — SIERA: 3.18 — ERA: 3.50 — K%: 23.6% — BB%: 8.1% — HR/9: 0.5
Houston Astros Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.324 (Rank: 4) — Strikeout Rate: 23.6% (Rank: 29)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.375 (Rank: 1) — Strikeout Rate: 19.6% (Rank: 8)
Pitches per PA: 3.88 (Rank: 8)
Analysis: Ventura takes the mound for the Royals in a must win Game 4. Ventura didn’t pitch particularly well in Game 1 of the series, allowing three earned runs in two innings of work. The good news is that he should be well rested after throwing only 42 pitches in the first game. Ventura finished the season strong, but he draws a difficult matchup against an Astros’ offense that was ranked fourth in team wOBA against right-handed pitching this season. Ventura is a small underdog here and given the way that their first meeting went, he is a better target for tournaments than he is for cash games.
Pitcher Rating: 64.2
Lance McCullers : FD: $8,600 — DK: $8,800
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 120.2 — SIERA: 3.57 — ERA: 3.21 — K%: 24.8% — BB%: 8.3% — HR/9: 0.7
Last 30 Days: IP: 31.0 — SIERA: 3.51 — ERA: 3.19 — K%: 24.4% — BB%: 7.3% — HR/9: 1.2
Kansas City Royals Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.319 (Rank: 8) — Strikeout Rate: 16.3% (Rank: 1)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.319 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 21.5% (Rank: 18)
Pitches per PA: 3.71 (Rank: 30)
Analysis: McCullers will make his first career postseason start. He finished the season on a strong note, posting a 3.51 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 24.4% over the last month of play. He is a small favorite today at home, but he does draw a difficult matchup against a Royals’ offense that was ranked eighth in team wOBA and first in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. The Astros can win the series today, but this is an awfully big spot to put a rookie pitcher in. I do not expect the Royals to go down quietly.
Pitcher Rating: 75.9
Batter Grind Down
Kansas City
The Royals may have a low team total in this one, but they are facing an inexperienced pitcher in a hitter-friendly ballpark. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this game cover the total, as both offenses are in decent spots. Left and right-handed hitters are in play against Lance McCullers, although he has been a reverse-splits pitcher this season.
Elite Plays:
Eric Hosmer : FD: $3,100 — DK: $4,500
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 782 — wOBA: 0.351 — ISO: 0.163 — wRC+: 124
Last 30 Days: PA: 118 — wOBA: 0.320 — ISO: 0.192 — wRC+: 101
Secondary Plays:
Lorenzo Cain : FD: $3,700 — DK: $4,900
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 759 — wOBA: 0.328 — ISO: 0.117 — wRC+: 108
Last 30 Days: PA: 94 — wOBA: 0.307 — ISO: 0.115 — wRC+: 92
Ben Zobrist : FD: $3,200 — DK: $4,100
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 835 — wOBA: 0.322 — ISO: 0.141 — wRC+: 107
Last 30 Days: PA: 119 — wOBA: 0.289 — ISO: 0.150 — wRC+: 80
Mike Moustakas : FD: $3,100 — DK: $4,200
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 769 — wOBA: 0.322 — ISO: 0.164 — wRC+: 104
Last 30 Days: PA: 110 — wOBA: 0.390 — ISO: 0.275 — wRC+: 149
Salvador Perez : FD: $2,400 — DK: $3,500
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 834 — wOBA: 0.317 — ISO: 0.164 — wRC+: 100
Last 30 Days: PA: 95 — wOBA: 0.324 — ISO: 0.167 — wRC+: 103
Houston
The Astros can wrap up the series with a win today over the Royals. They have to like their chances in this one. Not only are they playing at home, but they are facing Yordano Ventura, who they already beat once in this series. Colby Rasmus and Luis Valbuena remain elite fantasy options against the right-hander, while the other hitters in this lineup are in play as secondary options.
Elite Plays:
Colby Rasmus : FD: $3,100 — DK: $3,600
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 613 — wOBA: 0.320 — ISO: 0.230 — wRC+: 102
Last 30 Days: PA: 85 — wOBA: 0.424 — ISO: 0.324 — wRC+: 173
Luis Valbuena : FD: $3,000 — DK: $3,400
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 2B/3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 806 — wOBA: 0.347 — ISO: 0.215 — wRC+: 121
Last 30 Days: PA: 52 — wOBA: 0.457 — ISO: 0.289 — wRC+: 196
Secondary Plays:
Carlos Correa : FD: $4,000 — DK: $4,500
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 280 — wOBA: 0.352 — ISO: 0.198 — wRC+: 124
Last 30 Days: PA: 121 — wOBA: 0.370 — ISO: 0.231 — wRC+: 136
George Springer : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,700
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 526 — wOBA: 0.343 — ISO: 0.198 — wRC+: 119
Last 30 Days: PA: 123 — wOBA: 0.369 — ISO: 0.167 — wRC+: 135
Jose Altuve : FD: $3,400 — DK: $4,400
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 1012 — wOBA: 0.328 — ISO: 0.113 — wRC+: 109
Last 30 Days: PA: 125 — wOBA: 0.385 — ISO: 0.291 — wRC+: 146
Toronto at Texas – 4:07 PM EST
| Toronto | Texas | ||||||||
 | R.A. Dickey |  | Derek Holland | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| TOR (-136) | 9.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.226 | 0.673 | 0.297 | 14.5% | SP vs. Left | 0.280 | 0.686 | 0.300 | 23.40% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.244 | 0.736 | 0.321 | 18.5% | SP vs. Right | 0.250 | 0.756 | 0.325 | 15.30% |
| Batter Splits | TOR BvP | TOR vs L | Batter Splits | TEX BvP | TEX vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
R.A. Dickey : FD: $7,900 — DK: $6,800
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 430.0 — SIERA: 4.42 — ERA: 3.81 — K%: 16.6% — BB%: 7.5% — HR/9: 1.1
Last 30 Days: IP: 40.2 — SIERA: 4.40 — ERA: 2.43 — K%: 13.2% — BB%: 2.6% — HR/9: 0.7
Texas Rangers Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.321 (Rank: 6) — Strikeout Rate: 19.0% (Rank: 8)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.350 (Rank: 3) — Strikeout Rate: 17.9% (Rank: 4)
Pitches per PA: 3.84 (Rank: 14)
Analysis: Dickey will draw the start for the Blue Jays today, but if he does not pitch well, it could be a short outing. The Blue Jays are in a must win Game 4, as they will look to even the series up at two games a piece. Adrian Beltre status is still up in the air, but even if he is forced to miss another game, this is still a difficult matchup for Dickey. On the season, the Rangers were ranked sixth in team wOBA and eighth in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching. This game has the highest total on the board, making both pitchers very risky fantasy options.
Pitcher Rating: 45.8
Derek Holland : FD: $9,000 — DK: $6,000
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 95.2 — SIERA: 4.19 — ERA: 3.57 — K%: 16.9% — BB%: 5.6% — HR/9: 1.0
Last 30 Days: IP: 36.1 — SIERA: 5.25 — ERA: 6.19 — K%: 13.2% — BB%: 10.1% — HR/9: 1.5
Toronto Blue Jays Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.354 (Rank: 1) — Strikeout Rate: 17.6% (Rank: 3)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.367 (Rank: 2) — Strikeout Rate: 19.4% (Rank: 7)
Pitches per PA: 3.86 (Rank: 9)
Analysis: Holland did not pitch well to end the season, posting a 5.25 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 13.2% and a walk rate of 10.1% over the last month of play. To make matters worse, he has to face a Blue Jays’ offense that was ranked first in team wOBA and third in strikeout rate against left-handed pitching this season. Holland can safely be avoided in all league formats, as the risk greatly outweighs the potential reward.
Pitcher Rating: 48.0
Batter Grind Down
Toronto
The Blue Jays are the best offense in baseball against left-handed pitching. They need a win today to force a Game 5 back in Toronto. They draw a favorable matchup against Derek Holland, who has allowed a .325 wOBA to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons. The Blue Jays also get to face him in the hitter-friendly Globe LIfe Park. They are one of the top offenses to target in this four game slate.
Elite Plays:
Josh Donaldson : FD: $4,600 — DK: $5,000
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 313 — wOBA: 0.434 — ISO: 0.350 — wRC+: 183
Last 30 Days: PA: 120 — wOBA: 0.375 — ISO: 0.210 — wRC+: 138
Jose Bautista : FD: $4,400 — DK: $5,100
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 266 — wOBA: 0.409 — ISO: 0.255 — wRC+: 164
Last 30 Days: PA: 116 — wOBA: 0.451 — ISO: 0.359 — wRC+: 191
Secondary Plays:
Edwin Encarnacion : FD: $4,800 — DK: $5,200
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 226 — wOBA: 0.375 — ISO: 0.230 — wRC+: 140
Last 30 Days: PA: 106 — wOBA: 0.448 — ISO: 0.337 — wRC+: 189
Troy Tulowitzki : FD: $3,600 — DK: $3,900
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 207 — wOBA: 0.476 — ISO: 0.301 — wRC+: 194
Last 30 Days: PA: 35 — wOBA: 0.302 — ISO: 0.147 — wRC+: 88
Russell Martin : FD: $3,200 — DK: $4,400
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 206 — wOBA: 0.370 — ISO: 0.142 — wRC+: 137
Last 30 Days: PA: 74 — wOBA: 0.367 — ISO: 0.344 — wRC+: 132
Chris Colabello : FD: $3,000 — DK: $3,900
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: 1B/OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 172 — wOBA: 0.329 — ISO: 0.177 — wRC+: 108
Last 30 Days: PA: 56 — wOBA: 0.357 — ISO: 0.216 — wRC+: 126
Ben Revere : FD: $2,800 — DK: $4,200
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 350 — wOBA: 0.312 — ISO: 0.055 — wRC+: 96
Last 30 Days: PA: 121 — wOBA: 0.335 — ISO: 0.097 — wRC+: 111
Texas
The Rangers draw a favorable matchup against knuckleballer, R.A. Dickey, who has allowed a .297 wOBA to left-handed hitters and a .321 wOBA to right-handed hitters. Dickey has a low strikeout rate and the Rangers get to face him at home in the hitter-friendly confines of Globe Life Park. This game is expected to be the highest scoring of the bunch and both offenses are in play.
Elite Plays:
Prince Fielder : FD: $3,400 — DK: $4,100
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 517 — wOBA: 0.377 — ISO: 0.149 — wRC+: 135
Last 30 Days: PA: 131 — wOBA: 0.338 — ISO: 0.159 — wRC+: 108
Mitch Moreland : FD: $2,700 — DK: $3,400
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 494 — wOBA: 0.356 — ISO: 0.200 — wRC+: 122
Last 30 Days: PA: 101 — wOBA: 0.331 — ISO: 0.233 — wRC+: 104
Secondary Plays:
Shin-Soo Choo : FD: $3,800 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 765 — wOBA: 0.361 — ISO: 0.176 — wRC+: 126
Last 30 Days: PA: 134 — wOBA: 0.463 — ISO: 0.215 — wRC+: 194
Delino DeShields : FD: $3,300 — DK: $4,100
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 313 — wOBA: 0.305 — ISO: 0.111 — wRC+: 86
Last 30 Days: PA: 104 — wOBA: 0.298 — ISO: 0.080 — wRC+: 81
Rougned Odor : FD: $2,900 — DK: $3,400
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 590 — wOBA: 0.325 — ISO: 0.187 — wRC+: 101
Last 30 Days: PA: 115 — wOBA: 0.303 — ISO: 0.231 — wRC+: 84
Elvis Andrus : FD: $2,800 — DK: $3,500
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 920 — wOBA: 0.273 — ISO: 0.072 — wRC+: 64
Last 30 Days: PA: 118 — wOBA: 0.289 — ISO: 0.123 — wRC+: 75
St. Louis at Chicago Cubs – 6:07 PM EST
| St. Louis | Chicago Cubs | ||||||||
 | Michael Wacha |  | Jake Arrieta | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| *CHC (-250) | 8.0 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.216 | 0.603 | 0.269 | 19.1% | SP vs. Left | 0.173 | 0.492 | 0.224 | 30.00% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.245 | 0.706 | 0.310 | 21.5% | SP vs. Right | 0.205 | 0.542 | 0.240 | 24.70% |
| Batter Splits | STL BvP | STL vs R | Batter Splits | CHC BvP | CHC vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Michael Wacha : FD: $8,500 — DK: $8,000
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 288.1 — SIERA: 3.93 — ERA: 3.31 — K%: 20.4% — BB%: 7.5% — HR/9: 0.8
Last 30 Days: IP: 24.0 — SIERA: 5.49 — ERA: 7.88 — K%: 17.0% — BB%: 16.1% — HR/9: 2.6
Chicago Cubs Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.316 (Rank: 14) — Strikeout Rate: 24.0% (Rank: 30)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.319 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 24.2% (Rank: 28)
Pitches per PA: 3.97 (Rank: 1)
Analysis: Wacha has a lot going against him today. He comes into this start in awful form, posting a 5.49 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 17.0% and a walk rate of 16.1% over the last month of play. He also has to face a talented Cubs’ lineup with the wind blowing out to right at Wrigley Field. The final nail in the coffin is the fact that Jake Arrieta is pitching opposite him. There is very little fantasy appeal here.
Pitcher Rating: 51.5
Jake Arrieta : FD: $12,700 — DK: $14,000
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 379.2 — SIERA: 2.82 — ERA: 2.11 — K%: 27.1% — BB%: 6.1% — HR/9: 0.4
Last 30 Days: IP: 40.0 — SIERA: 2.08 — ERA: 0.45 — K%: 27.9% — BB%: 2.9% — HR/9: 0.2
“(player-popup)St. Louis”:/players/francis-st-louis-18881 Cardinals Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.318 (Rank: 12) — Strikeout Rate: 19.5% (Rank: 11)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.340 (Rank: 6) — Strikeout Rate: 20.7% (Rank: 14)
Pitches per PA: 3.83 (Rank: 15)
Analysis: The only concern with Arrieta today is the fact that the wind is going to be blowing out to right field at around 20 MPH. We all know what can happen when the wind is blowing in Wrigley Field, but at least this game isn’t being played in the middle of summer when the ball really carries. Everything else checks out for Arrieta. He was dominant over the last month of play and he was dominant in his Wildcard start against the Pirates. With a lack of aces on the mound today, he is a no-brainer on both single and multi-pitcher sites.
Pitcher Rating: 97.4
Batter Grind Down
St. Louis
The Cardinals draw the worst matchup on the board, as they square off against Jake Arrieta, who has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .240 wOBA over the last two seasons. Matt Carpenter and Jason Heyward are worth a look as secondary plays with the wind blowing out to right field, but they are tournament plays at best.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Matt Carpenter : FD: $4,300 — DK: $4,800
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 944 — wOBA: 0.367 — ISO: 0.175 — wRC+: 136
Last 30 Days: PA: 111 — wOBA: 0.467 — ISO: 0.386 — wRC+: 204
Jason Heyward : FD: $3,400 — DK: $3,900
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 917 — wOBA: 0.361 — ISO: 0.150 — wRC+: 131
Last 30 Days: PA: 103 — wOBA: 0.382 — ISO: 0.138 — wRC+: 146
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have one of the highest team totals on the board on Monday. They draw a favorable matchup against the struggling Michael Wacha and they get to face him at home with a healthy wind blowing out to right field. Left and right-handed hitters from the Cubs are in play in this matchup.
Elite Plays:
Anthony Rizzo : FD: $4,400 — DK: $4,600
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 935 — wOBA: 0.387 — ISO: 0.254 — wRC+: 147
Last 30 Days: PA: 125 — wOBA: 0.333 — ISO: 0.162 — wRC+: 110
Kyle Schwarber : FD: $3,400 — DK: $4,100
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: C/OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 205 — wOBA: 0.409 — ISO: 0.287 — wRC+: 162
Last 30 Days: PA: 84 — wOBA: 0.306 — ISO: 0.145 — wRC+: 92
Dexter Fowler : FD: $2,800 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 909 — wOBA: 0.325 — ISO: 0.147 — wRC+: 106
Last 30 Days: PA: 117 — wOBA: 0.302 — ISO: 0.117 — wRC+: 89
Secondary Plays:
Kris Bryant : FD: $4,300 — DK: $4,200
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 492 — wOBA: 0.380 — ISO: 0.219 — wRC+: 142
Last 30 Days: PA: 117 — wOBA: 0.375 — ISO: 0.198 — wRC+: 139
Starlin Castro : FD: $3,400 — DK: $3,000
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 882 — wOBA: 0.316 — ISO: 0.138 — wRC+: 99
Last 30 Days: PA: 89 — wOBA: 0.453 — ISO: 0.293 — wRC+: 192
Miguel Montero : FD: $2,300 — DK: $3,000
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 785 — wOBA: 0.324 — ISO: 0.142 — wRC+: 103
Last 30 Days: PA: 75 — wOBA: 0.324 — ISO: 0.061 — wRC+: 104
LA Dodgers at NY Mets – 8:37 PM EST
| LA Dodgers | NY Mets | ||||||||
 | Brett Anderson |  | Matt Harvey | ||||||
| LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| NYM (-180) | 6.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.291 | 0.702 | 0.311 | 16.0% | SP vs. Left | 0.225 | 0.676 | 0.295 | 25.50% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.267 | 0.725 | 0.314 | 15.4% | SP vs. Right | 0.213 | 0.544 | 0.237 | 24.30% |
| Batter Splits | LAD BvP | LA vs R | Batter Splits | NYM BvP | NYM vs L | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Brett Anderson : FD: $6,500 — DK: $6,500
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 223.2 — SIERA: 3.50 — ERA: 3.54 — K%: 15.6% — BB%: 6.3% — HR/9: 0.8
Last 30 Days: IP: 28.0 — SIERA: 3.54 — ERA: 5.14 — K%: 13.2% — BB%: 5.0% — HR/9: 1.3
New York Mets Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.314 (Rank: 16) — Strikeout Rate: 23.6% (Rank: 28)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.329 (Rank: 8) — Strikeout Rate: 22.2% (Rank: 23)
Pitches per PA: 3.89 (Rank: 6)
Analysis: Anderson has been an above-average pitcher over the last two seasons, posting a 3.50 SIERA. While he doesn’t strike hitters out at an elite rate, he always seems to give his team a chance to win the game. Anderson is a sizable underdog tonight against the Mets, but it’s a decent matchup on Paper. On the season, New York was ranked 16th in team wOBA and 28th in strikeout rate against left-handed pitching. Anderson may be a large underdog, but given the price point, he may be my favorite pitcher to pair with Jake Arrieta on multi-pitcher sites.
Pitcher Rating: 59.6
Matt Harvey : FD: $10,100 — DK: $11,100
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 183.1 — SIERA: 3.33 — ERA: 2.80 — K%: 24.2% — BB%: 5.1% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 23.1 — SIERA: 2.81 — ERA: 5.01 — K%: 27.7% — BB%: 4.0% — HR/9: 0.4
Los Angeles Dodgers Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.319 (Rank: 8) — Strikeout Rate: 20.6% (Rank: 17)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.289 (Rank: 26) — Strikeout Rate: 19.3% (Rank: 5)
Pitches per PA: 3.88 (Rank: 7)
Analysis: ALL THE DRAMA! After Chase Utley slid into Ruben Tejada in a controversial Game 2, the series heads to New York tied at a game a piece. Most were expecting some sort of retribution in this game, but the league stepped in and suspended Utley for two games. Additionally, we have the innings limit for Harvey. It has been going on for quite a while now and it will be very interesting to see if the Mets let Harvey pitch deep into this game. We have seen him top 90 pitches in each of his last two starts and barring a bad outing, I would be shocked if he didn’t throw that many pitches again tonight. He is the clear number two pitching option in this slate, but in my eyes, Jake Arrieta is the better play.
Pitcher Rating: 88.6
Batter Grind Down
LA Dodgers
The Dodgers draw a difficult matchup against Matt Harvey, who has really pitched well in the second half of the season. There aren’t any hitters that stand out as elite options here, but the left-handed bats of Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier, and Carl Crawford are worth a look as secondary plays.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Adrian Gonzalez : FD: $3,000 — DK: $3,100
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 944 — wOBA: 0.373 — ISO: 0.234 — wRC+: 142
Last 30 Days: PA: 98 — wOBA: 0.306 — ISO: 0.108 — wRC+: 96
Andre Ethier : FD: $2,700 — DK: $2,500
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 722 — wOBA: 0.354 — ISO: 0.176 — wRC+: 129
Last 30 Days: PA: 68 — wOBA: 0.360 — ISO: 0.197 — wRC+: 133
Carl Crawford : FD: $2,200 — DK: $2,100
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 465 — wOBA: 0.322 — ISO: 0.133 — wRC+: 107
Last 30 Days: PA: 59 — wOBA: 0.300 — ISO: 0.127 — wRC+: 92
NY Mets
The Mets draw a mediocre matchup against Brett Anderson, who has allowed a .311 wOBA to left-handed hitters and a .314 wOBA to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons. I’m not going to go overboard with the hitters in this lineup, as the Mets have the fifth-highest team total of the eight teams in this slate.
Elite Plays:
David Wright : FD: $3,400 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 170 — wOBA: 0.411 — ISO: 0.168 — wRC+: 169
Last 30 Days: PA: 94 — wOBA: 0.370 — ISO: 0.188 — wRC+: 141
Secondary Plays:
Yoenis Cespedes : FD: $4,300 — DK: $4,500
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 308 — wOBA: 0.299 — ISO: 0.209 — wRC+: 90
Last 30 Days: PA: 104 — wOBA: 0.375 — ISO: 0.295 — wRC+: 144
Daniel Murphy : FD: $3,800 — DK: $3,900
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 291 — wOBA: 0.294 — ISO: 0.097 — wRC+: 89
Last 30 Days: PA: 92 — wOBA: 0.355 — ISO: 0.264 — wRC+: 131
Travis d’Arnaud : FD: $2,900 — DK: $3,600
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 154 — wOBA: 0.358 — ISO: 0.229 — wRC+: 132
Last 30 Days: PA: 83 — wOBA: 0.274 — ISO: 0.143 — wRC+: 75
Michael Cuddyer : FD: $2,200 — DK: $2,900
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B/OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 167 — wOBA: 0.402 — ISO: 0.184 — wRC+: 155
Last 30 Days: PA: 34 — wOBA: 0.225 — ISO: 0.063 — wRC+: 41