MLB Grind Down: Saturday, April 9th
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.
Boston at Toronto – 1:07 PM ET
| Boston | Toronto | ||||||||
 | Rick Porcello |  | R.A. Dickey | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| TOR -115 | 9.0 | ||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% | Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.351 | 16 | 20.2% | 5.4% | SP vs. Left | 0.290 | 11 | 11.5% | 7.7% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.327 | 9 | 20.2% | 4.8% | SP vs. Right | 0.322 | 14 | 16.7% | 6.2% |
| Batter Splits | Batter Splits | ||||||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Rick Porcello | |||||||
 | FanDuel: | DraftKings: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary:$7,200 | Salary:$7,800 | ||||||
| FPPG:28.2 | FPPG:0.0 | ||||||
| Pitcher Rating:3.5 | |||||||
| Statistics | SIERA | K% | BB% | LD% | GB% | O-wOBA | O-K% |
| 2015 | 3.73 | 20.2% | 5.2% | 21.8% | 45.7% | 1 | 5 |
I shouldn’t have to tell you not to start anything short of an elite ace at Toronto. But, in case I do have to tell you – Porcello is not an elite ace, so don’t start him at Toronto. He is a very respectable pitcher, and will be useful at times this season, but not today.
| R.A. Dickey | |||||||
 | FanDuel: | DraftKings: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary:$7,900 | Salary:$7,000 | ||||||
| FPPG:27.0 | FPPG:10.5 | ||||||
| Pitcher Rating:3 | |||||||
| Statistics | SIERA | K% | BB% | LD% | GB% | O-wOBA | O-K% |
| 2015 | 4.76 | 14.3% | 6.9% | 20.8% | 41.9% | 8 | 3 |
Dickey continues to defy father time (I feel like I’m supposed to capitalize ‘Father Time’ as if he’s a real person, but that would be ridiculous) with his knuckleball, posting an ERA under 4.00 the past two seasons in Toronto. But, his SIERA spiked to 4.76 in 2015 while his strikeout rate dropped to 14.3%. There’s always a chance the knuckleball can dance just right on any given day, but the chances for an implosion are much higher. Stick to the offenses in this game.
Batter Grind Down
Boston
All Red Sox hitters are in play against Dickey, as he gets hit by both right and left-handed batters when his knuckleball isn’t dancing just right. Dickey has allowed a higher wOBA to right-handed batters the past couple seasons, but seems likely to run into more trouble against lefties soon, as his strikeout rate against LHB fell to 11.5% in 2015.
Projected Lineup
| # | Player | wOBA vs. RHP | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mookie Betts | 0.348 | OF | $4,100 | OF | $5,000 |
| 2 | Dustin Pedroia | 0.343 | 2B | $2,800 | 2B | $4,000 |
| 3 | Xander Bogaerts | 0.320 | SS | $3,600 | SS | $3,800 |
| 4 | David Ortiz | 0.413 | 1B | $3,900 | 1B | $4,500 |
| 5 | Hanley Ramirez | 0.312 | 1B | $3,100 | OF | $4,200 |
| 6 | Travis Shaw | 0.314 | 3B | $2,500 | 1B | $3,400 |
| 7 | Brock Holt | 0.310 | 2B | $2,500 | 2B/3B | $3,100 |
| 8 | Ryan Hanigan | 0.269 | C | $2,100 | C | $2,700 |
| 9 | Jackie Bradley | 0.337 | OF | $3,200 | OF | $3,100 |
Elite Plays
David Ortiz – 2015 vs RHP – .413 wOBA, 161 wRC+
Mookie Betts – 2015 vs RHP – .348 wOBA, 117 wRC+
Secondary Plays
Xander Bogaerts – 2015 vs RHP – .320 wOBA, 97 wRC+
Travis Shaw – 2015 vs RHP – .314 wOBA, 93 wRC+
Dustin Pedroia – 2015 vs RHP – .343 wOBA, 113 wRC+
Toronto
Porcello has struggled against left-handed batters throughout his career, but was nothing spectacular against righties in 2015 with a .327 wOBA allowed and an average strikeout rate. He is not the ideal matchup for Toronto, but this loaded lineup is the most dangerous in the league against any pitcher. They led the league in wOBA and runs scored against right-handed pitchers in 2015.
Projected Lineup
| # | Player | wOBA vs. RHP | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Pillar | 0.313 | OF | $2,900 | OF | $3,600 |
| 2 | Josh Donaldson | 0.390 | 3B | $5,000 | 3B | $4,700 |
| 3 | Jose Bautista | 0.395 | OF | $4,500 | OF | $4,600 |
| 4 | Edwin Encarnacion | 0.399 | 1B | $4,100 | 1B | $4,600 |
| 5 | Troy Tulowitzki | 0.319 | SS | $3,400 | SS | $4,100 |
| 6 | Michael Saunders | 0.196 | OF | $3,100 | OF | $3,400 |
| 7 | Russell Martin | 0.322 | C | $2,800 | C | $3,600 |
| 8 | Ryan Goins | 0.308 | 2B | $2,200 | 2B/SS | $2,600 |
| 9 | Darwin Barney | 0.284 | SS | $2,200 | 2B | $2,400 |
Elite Plays
Edwin Encarnacion – 2015 vs RHP – .399 wOBA, 155 wRC+
Jose Bautista – 2015 vs RHP – .395 wOBA, 152 wRC+
Josh Donaldson – 2015 vs RHP – .390 wOBA, 149 wRC+
Secondary Plays
Troy Tulowitzki – 2015 vs RHP – .319 wOBA, 89 wRC+
Kevin Pillar – 2015 vs RHP – .313 wOBA, 96 wRC+
NY Yankees at Detroit – 1:08 PM ET
| NY Yankees | Detroit | ||||||||
 | CC Sabathia |  | Mike Pelfrey | ||||||
| LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| DET -107 | 9.0 | ||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% | Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.231 | 3 | 30.0% | 4.3% | SP vs. Left | 0.367 | 6 | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.370 | 25 | 16.2% | 7.5% | SP vs. Right | 0.313 | 5 | 12.2% | 1.4% |
| Batter Splits | Batter Splits | ||||||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
| CC Sabathia | |||||||
 | FanDuel: | DraftKings: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary:$7,100 | Salary:$7,300 | ||||||
| FPPG:24.9 | FPPG:0.0 | ||||||
| Pitcher Rating:2.5 | |||||||
| Statistics | SIERA | K% | BB% | LD% | GB% | O-wOBA | O-K% |
| 2015 | 4.08 | 18.9% | 6.9% | 21.7% | 45.9% | 2 | 20 |
It’s now three straight seasons of disappointing results for Sabathia, so we need to assume he is not going to return to being the pitcher he once was. His strikeouts have fallen below league average, and a 4.08 SIERA in 2015 shows he is just another guy at this stage of his career, and not the ace he used to be. Detroit poses a bad matchup for him and he can be safely avoided in all formats.
| Mike Pelfrey | |||||||
 | FanDuel: | DraftKings: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary:$6,000 | Salary:$5,200 | ||||||
| FPPG:19.7 | FPPG:0.0 | ||||||
| Pitcher Rating:2.5 | |||||||
| Statistics | SIERA | K% | BB% | LD% | GB% | O-wOBA | O-K% |
| 2015 | 4.59 | 12.0% | 6.3% | 22.8% | 50.8% | 5 | 12 |
Pelfrey had the second lowest strikeout rate of all major league starters in 2015 at just 12%. He can throw the occasional quality start due to his good control and ground ball rate, but his lack of strikeout ability leaves him vulnerable to getting hit hard every day, and should leave him far off your radar.
Batter Grind Down
NY Yankees
Left-handed batters are the way to attack Mike Pelfrey, as his low strikeout rate is joined by a heightened walk rate and fewer ground balls to lefties. He allowed a .367 wOBA against LHB in 2015. This is one of the top games to target for offense today.
Projected Lineup
| # | Player | wOBA vs. RHP | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacoby Ellsbury | 0.294 | OF | $3,400 | OF | $4,500 |
| 2 | Brett Gardner | 0.323 | OF | $2,900 | OF | $4,200 |
| 3 | Alex Rodriguez | 0.349 | 3B | $2,900 | 1B/3B | $3,800 |
| 4 | Mark Teixeira | 0.399 | 1B | $3,400 | 1B | $4,400 |
| 5 | Brian McCann | 0.325 | C | $3,300 | C | $3,700 |
| 6 | Carlos Beltran | 0.358 | OF | $3,300 | OF | $3,700 |
| 7 | Chase Headley | 0.298 | 3B | $2,500 | 3B | $3,600 |
| 8 | Starlin Castro | 0.290 | 2B | $3,300 | 2B/SS | $3,300 |
| 9 | Didi Gregorius | 0.311 | SS | $2,800 | SS | $3,100 |
Elite Plays
Mark Teixeira – 2015 vs RHP – .399 wOBA, 155 wRC+
Brian McCann – 2015 vs RHP – .325 wOBA, 104 wRC+
Carlos Beltran – 2015 vs RHP – .358 wOBA, 127 wRC+
Brett Gardner – 2015 vs RHP – .323 wOBA, 102 wRC+
Secondary Plays
Jacoby Ellsbury – 2015 vs RHP – .294 wOBA, 82 wRC+
Alex Rodriguez – 2015 vs RHP – .349 wOBA, 120 wRC+
Chase Headley – 2015 vs RHP – .298 wOBA, 86 wRC+
Detroit
Sabathia is the perfect pitcher for this Detroit offense to face. He has completely lost his way against right-handed batters, and the Tigers are loaded with power righties. Sabathia allowed a .370 wOBA in 2015 and a .401 wOBA in 2014 to RHB.
Projected Lineup
| # | Player | wOBA vs. LHP | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian Kinsler | 0.332 | 2B | $3,400 | 2B | $4,100 |
| 2 | Justin Upton | 0.362 | OF | $3,500 | OF | $4,200 |
| 3 | Miguel Cabrera | 0.408 | 1B | $4,300 | 1B | $4,700 |
| 4 | Victor Martinez | 0.264 | C | $3,000 | 1B | $3,900 |
| 5 | J.D. Martinez | 0.369 | OF | $3,400 | OF | $4,200 |
| 6 | Nick Castellanos | 0.283 | 3B | $2,500 | 3B | $3,600 |
| 7 | James McCann | 0.267 | C | $2,300 | C | $3,000 |
| 8 | Jose Iglesias | 0.291 | SS | $2,300 | SS | $3,100 |
| 9 | Anthony Gose | 0.314 | OF | $2,700 | OF | $3,100 |
Elite Plays
Miguel Cabrera – 2015 vs LHP – .435 wOBA, 180 wRC+
J.D. Martinez – 2015 vs LHP – .385 wOBA, 145 wRC+
Ian Kinsler – 2015 vs LHP – .345 wOBA, 118 wRC+
Victor Martinez – 2015 vs LHP – .375 wOBA, 138 wRC+
Nick Castellanos – 2015 vs LHP – .414 wOBA, 165 wRC+
Secondary Plays
James McCann – 2015 vs LHP – .390 wOBA, 149 wRC+
Justin Upton – 2015 vs LHP – .250 wOBA, 58 wRC+
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati – 1:10 PM ET
| Pittsburgh | Cincinnati | ||||||||
 | Gerrit Cole |  | Raisel Iglesias | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| PIT -135 | 7.0 | ||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% | Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.266 | 5 | 24.3% | 6.3% | SP vs. Left | 0.332 | 4 | 16.8% | 7.6% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.283 | 6 | 24.3% | 4.3% | SP vs. Right | 0.271 | 7 | 34.8% | 6.7% |
| Batter Splits | Batter Splits | ||||||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Gerrit Cole | |||||||
 | FanDuel: | DraftKings: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary:$10,000 | Salary:$10,200 | ||||||
| FPPG:38.7 | FPPG:0.0 | ||||||
| Pitcher Rating:9 | |||||||
| Statistics | SIERA | K% | BB% | LD% | GB% | O-wOBA | O-K% |
| 2015 | 3.23 | 24.3% | 5.3% | 22.4% | 48.0% | 24 | 13 |
Cole has continued to improve every season and is living up to the hype he earned by being the #1 overall pick in the 2011 draft. Last season, he was strong in every category with a 24.3% strikeout rate, 5.3% walk rate, 48% ground ball rate and a 3.23 SIERA. The Reds offense has a lot of holes and should give Cole every opportunity to put up a strong opening start to his 2016 season. Even with several aces on the mound, Cole can be considered in all formats.
| Raisel Iglesias | |||||||
 | FanDuel: | DraftKings: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary:$8,000 | Salary:$8,600 | ||||||
| FPPG:33.0 | FPPG:19.9 | ||||||
| Pitcher Rating:8 | |||||||
| Statistics | SIERA | K% | BB% | LD% | GB% | O-wOBA | O-K% |
| 2015 | 3.26 | 26.3% | 7.1% | 21.0% | 47.2% | 14 | 17 |
The Reds’ Raisel Iglesias has plenty of hype of his own after coming over from Cuba in 2015. He showed he was no fluke with a 26.3% strikeout rate and an impressive 77 strikeouts in 66 innings after the All-Star Break. He faces a difficult Pirates lineup today, leaving him a notch below the top arms on the slate, but he is in consideration as a GPP option due to his strikeout upside.
Batter Grind Down
Pittsburgh
Iglesias was nasty against right-handed batters in 2015 with a 34.8% strikeout rate, but fell to 16.8% against lefties with a .332 wOBA allowed. I mostly recommend avoiding this game altogether on the offensive side, but if you want to play Pirates, left-handed bats would be the way to do it.
Projected Lineup
| # | Player | wOBA vs. RHP | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Jaso | 0.358 | 1B | $2,600 | OF | $3,000 |
| 2 | Andrew McCutchen | 0.376 | OF | $4,700 | OF | $4,600 |
| 3 | David Freese | 0.328 | 3B | $2,600 | 3B | $3,100 |
| 4 | Starling Marte | 0.344 | OF | $3,300 | OF | $4,300 |
| 5 | Francisco Cervelli | 0.332 | C | $2,500 | C | $3,000 |
| 6 | Gregory Polanco | 0.323 | OF | $3,500 | OF | $3,900 |
| 7 | Josh Harrison | 0.306 | 2B | $2,500 | 2B/3B | $3,500 |
| 8 | Jordy Mercer | 0.250 | SS | $2,300 | SS | $2,800 |
| 9 | Gerrit Cole | P | $10,000 | P | $10,200 |
Elite Plays
Secondary Plays
Gregory Polanco – 2015 vs RHP – .323 wOBA, 107 wRC+
Cincinnati
Cole was outstanding against both right and left-handed batters in 2015, with a .266 wOBA against LHB and a .283 wOBA against RHB, and he is still improving as a pitcher. I suppose Joey Votto could be used if you really want to, but there is not much reason to look at batters against Cole today.
Projected Lineup
| # | Player | wOBA vs. RHP | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zack Cozart | 0.310 | SS | $2,700 | SS | $2,800 |
| 2 | Eugenio Suarez | 0.321 | 3B | $3,200 | SS | $3,300 |
| 3 | Joey Votto | 0.423 | 1B | $3,800 | 1B | $4,300 |
| 4 | Brandon Phillips | 0.317 | 2B | $2,400 | 2B | $3,300 |
| 5 | Devin Mesoraco | 0.247 | C | $2,300 | C | $2,900 |
| 6 | Jay Bruce | 0.317 | OF | $3,600 | OF | $3,600 |
| 7 | Adam Duvall | 0.374 | OF | $2,200 | OF | $3,100 |
| 8 | Scott Schebler | 0.379 | OF | $2,400 | OF | $2,800 |
| 9 | Raisel Iglesias | P | $8,000 | P | $8,600 |
Elite Plays
Secondary Plays
Joey Votto – 2015 vs RHP – .423 wOBA, 170 wRC+
Cleveland at Chicago White Sox – 2:10 PM ET
| Cleveland | Chicago White Sox | ||||||||
 | Cody Anderson |  | Chris Sale | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| CWS -170 | 7.0 | ||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% | Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.309 | 5 | 11.2% | 7.5% | SP vs. Left | 0.281 | 0 | 34.0% | 6.3% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.260 | 4 | 12.8% | 5.9% | SP vs. Right | 0.285 | 23 | 31.7% | 4.7% |
| Batter Splits | Batter Splits | ||||||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Cody Anderson | |||||||
 | FanDuel: | DraftKings: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary:$6,500 | Salary:$5,400 | ||||||
| FPPG:26.5 | FPPG:0.0 | ||||||
| Pitcher Rating:3 | |||||||
| Statistics | SIERA | K% | BB% | LD% | GB% | O-wOBA | O-K% |
| 2015 | 4.89 | 12.1% | 6.6% | 20.5% | 45.9% | 25 | 16 |
Anderson was given a spot in the Cleveland rotation after a strong spring. I was surprised to see this, and I am not expecting it to end well. A glance at his 3.05 ERA from 2015 may make you optimistic, but the underlying metrics are terrifying. He had a 12.1% strikeout rate, which was the third worst rate in all of baseball. He had a BABIP of .237, while the league average is around .300. He was lucky, not good. His SIERA was 4.89, and that’s closer to where I expect him to end up this season. Of course, there is a chance that he’s one of those rare guys who can get things done with a poor K rate, much like Mark Buehrle learned to do late in his career, but I’m officially in the anti-Cody Anderson camp.
| Chris Sale | |||||||
 | FanDuel: | DraftKings: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary:$12,000 | Salary:$12,100 | ||||||
| FPPG:48.0 | FPPG:25.0 | ||||||
| Pitcher Rating:9.5 | |||||||
| Statistics | SIERA | K% | BB% | LD% | GB% | O-wOBA | O-K% |
| 2015 | 2.52 | 32.1% | 4.9% | 22.1% | 42.6% | 9 | 5 |
Sale is in the conversation for the second best starter in all of baseball behind Clayton Kershaw. He was 2nd in the majors in strikeout rate, 3rd in swinging strike % and 2nd in SIERA in 2015. He had 13 starts with double digit strikeouts and struck out at least six batters in 28 of his 31 starts. Because he is in better position to pick up a win than Clayton Kershaw today, feel free to consider him the #1 starter in all formats.
Batter Grind Down
Cleveland
Sale will give up the occasional HR to right-handed batters, but there is no reason to play Cleveland batters today against an elite pitcher.
Projected Lineup
| # | Player | wOBA vs. LHP | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rajai Davis | 0.324 | OF | $2,700 | OF | $3,000 |
| 2 | Jason Kipnis | 0.296 | 2B | $3,000 | 2B | $3,500 |
| 3 | Francisco Lindor | 0.381 | SS | $3,200 | SS | $3,400 |
| 4 | Mike Napoli | 0.403 | 1B | $2,800 | 1B | $3,200 |
| 5 | Carlos Santana | 0.333 | 1B | $3,200 | 1B | $3,500 |
| 6 | Yan Gomes | 0.235 | C | $2,500 | C | $2,900 |
| 7 | Marlon Byrd | 0.347 | OF | $3,100 | OF | $3,300 |
| 8 | Juan Uribe | 0.379 | 3B | $2,200 | 3B | $2,800 |
| 9 | Collin Cowgill | 0.256 | OF | $2,200 | OF | $2,200 |
Elite Plays
Secondary Plays
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox can be used liberally in all formats against Cody Anderson. He keeps the ball in the zone with underwhelming stuff.
Projected Lineup
| # | Player | wOBA vs. RHP | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Eaton | 0.291 | OF | $3,200 | OF | $4,400 |
| 2 | Melky Cabrera | 0.261 | OF | $2,700 | OF | $3,600 |
| 3 | Jose Abreu | 0.288 | 1B | $3,700 | 1B | $4,800 |
| 4 | Todd Frazier | 0.377 | 3B | $3,600 | 3B | $4,400 |
| 5 | Avisail Garcia | 0.324 | OF | $2,200 | OF | $3,600 |
| 6 | J.B. Shuck | 0.307 | OF | $2,200 | OF | $3,000 |
| 7 | Brett Lawrie | 0.354 | 2B | $2,300 | 2B/3B | $3,600 |
| 8 | Dioner Navarro | 0.385 | C | $2,200 | C | $2,900 |
| 9 | Tyler Saladino | 0.284 | SS | $2,200 | 3B | $3,200 |
Elite Plays
Jose Abreu – 2015 vs RHP – .384 wOBA, 144 wRC+
Adam Eaton – 2015 vs RHP – .367 wOBA, 133 wRC+
Todd Frazier – 2015 vs RHP – .331 wOBA, 107 wRC+
Secondary Plays
Melky Cabrera – 2015 vs RHP – .323 wOBA, 102 wRC+
LA Dodgers at San Francisco – 4:05 PM ET
| LA Dodgers | San Francisco | ||||||||
 | Clayton Kershaw |  | Madison Bumgarner | ||||||
| LEFT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| LAD -125 | 6.0 | ||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% | Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.242 | 5 | 38.1% | 2.5% | SP vs. Left | 0.240 | 2 | 32.9% | 4.0% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.228 | 10 | 32.6% | 5.4% | SP vs. Right | 0.272 | 19 | 25.7% | 4.6% |
| Batter Splits | Batter Splits | ||||||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Clayton Kershaw | |||||||
 | FanDuel: | DraftKings: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary:$13,000 | Salary:$14,200 | ||||||
| FPPG:60.0 | FPPG:36.6 | ||||||
| Pitcher Rating:10 | |||||||
| Statistics | SIERA | K% | BB% | LD% | GB% | O-wOBA | O-K% |
| 2015 | 2.24 | 33.8% | 4.7% | 21.8% | 50.0% | 17 | 5 |
It didn’t take long to get a playoff caliber matchup between Cy Young caliber pitchers, and division rivals no less. Kershaw is hands down the best pitcher in the world right now. He opened the season with a seven inning one-hit shutout with 9 strikeouts. In 2015, he was as good as ever, posting a 2.24 SIERA with a 33.8% strikeout rate, a 4.7% walk rate and the highest swinging strike rate among all starters at 15.9%. You could quibble that he may have a tough time picking up a win against Bumgarner, any way you slice it he is the best pitching option today and every day he’s on the mound. NOTE – The weather looks highly questionable for this game, so keep an eye on Kevin Roth’s weather report before locking these pitchers in your lineup.
| Madison Bumgarner | |||||||
 | FanDuel: | DraftKings: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary:$11,200 | Salary:$11,600 | ||||||
| FPPG:36.0 | FPPG:15.3 | ||||||
| Pitcher Rating:9.5 | |||||||
| Statistics | SIERA | K% | BB% | LD% | GB% | O-wOBA | O-K% |
| 2015 | 3.00 | 26.9% | 4.5% | 22.7% | 41.7% | 4 | 12 |
Bumgarner is one of the few pitchers in the league who could have the chance to keep up with Kershaw. Bumgarner had a rough spring and a tough first start, though he was dealing with nagging injuries and then the flu. I’m going to side with the past five years and 1000+ innings of elite skills over one questionable start. He has strikeout ability and impeccable control which always keeps his walks down and his ERA low. Probably only the 3rd best choice on this ace loaded slate, but in play in all formats.
Batter Grind Down
LA Dodgers
If you are looking to use batters in this game, you’re doing it wrong.
Projected Lineup
| # | Player | wOBA vs. LHP | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chase Utley | 0.252 | 2B | $2,600 | 2B | $2,900 |
| 2 | Corey Seager | 0.398 | SS | $3,600 | 3B/SS | $3,400 |
| 3 | Justin Turner | 0.327 | 3B | $3,000 | 3B | $3,000 |
| 4 | Adrian Gonzalez | 0.340 | 1B | $3,600 | 1B | $3,700 |
| 5 | Yasiel Puig | 0.393 | OF | $3,700 | OF | $3,900 |
| 6 | 1.256 | Position | Salary | 0 | $0 | |
| 7 | Joc Pederson | 0.298 | OF | $3,000 | OF | $3,200 |
| 8 | A.J. Ellis | 0.395 | C | $2,300 | C | $2,800 |
| 9 | Clayton Kershaw | P | $13,000 | P | $14,200 |
Elite Plays
Secondary Plays
San Francisco
NO!
Projected Lineup
| # | Player | wOBA vs. LHP | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denard Span | 0.250 | OF | $3,600 | OF | $3,200 |
| 2 | Joe Panik | 0.340 | 2B | $3,100 | 2B | $3,100 |
| 3 | Buster Posey | 0.366 | C | $4,000 | 1B/C | $3,500 |
| 4 | Hunter Pence | 0.245 | OF | $3,300 | OF | $3,600 |
| 5 | Brandon Belt | 0.349 | 1B | $3,200 | 1B | $3,400 |
| 6 | Matt Duffy | 0.403 | 3B | $3,400 | 1B/3B | $4,100 |
| 7 | Brandon Crawford | 0.307 | SS | $3,000 | SS | $2,900 |
| 8 | Madison Bumgarner | P | $11,200 | P | $11,600 | |
| 9 | Angel Pagan | 0.316 | OF | $2,800 | OF | $3,000 |