MLB Grind Down: Saturday, July 2nd
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 Toronto – 1:07 PM ET
Editor’s Note: Zach McAllister will start for Cleveland instead of Trevor Bauer.
Cleveland | Toronto | ||||||||
![]() | Trevor Bauer | ![]() | Marco Estrada | ||||||
RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
TOR -120 | 9.0 | ||||||||
Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% | Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SP vs. Left | 0.303 | 15 | 22.5% | 10.5% | SP vs. Left | 0.274 | 22 | 18.9% | 8.2% |
SP vs. Right | 0.303 | 15 | 23.0% | 9.0% | SP vs. Right | 0.259 | 14 | 21.2% | 8.6% |
Pitcher Grind Down
Trevor Bauer | ||||||||||
![]() | FanDuel | DraftKings | ||||||||
Salary: | $8,900 | Salary: | $11,400 | |||||||
FPPG: | 28.2 | FPPG: | 14.9 | |||||||
Pitcher Rating: | 56.1 | Pitcher Rank: | 15 | |||||||
Statistics | Starts | PitchPS | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | SS% | GB% | FB% | HH% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
L30 Days | 6 | 108.0 | 3.53 | 2.01 | 25.0% | 7.0% | 9.4% | 52.1% | 30.8% | 29.1% |
2016 | 12 | 122.0 | 3.92 | 3.19 | 22.6% | 8.1% | 9.6% | 50.0% | 31.7% | 33.5% |
2015 | 30 | 95.6 | 4.20 | 4.55 | 22.9% | 10.6% | 9.6% | 39.2% | 40.7% | 31.0% |
At this point of the day it appears that the Indians will have to go to a bullpen starter after using Bauer for an extended appearance last night. While their pitcher will clearly not be in play, we will have to wait and see as to who they throw out their for the first few innings.
EDIT: McAllister will get the start today after the marathon game last night. He can safely be avoided as he has pitched solely out of the bullpen and has a tough matchup in Rogers Centre today.
Marco Estrada | ||||||||||
![]() | FanDuel | DraftKings | ||||||||
Salary: | $8,700 | Salary: | $9,800 | |||||||
FPPG: | 36.1 | FPPG: | 20.4 | |||||||
Pitcher Rating: | 54.3 | Pitcher Rank: | 16 | |||||||
Statistics | Starts | PitchPS | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | SS% | GB% | FB% | HH% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
L30 Days | 5 | 99.8 | 4.22 | 3.58 | 26.6% | 10.2% | 12.4% | 25.0% | 56.3% | 39.5% |
2016 | 15 | 100.9 | 4.37 | 2.81 | 23.5% | 10.0% | 10.6% | 34.8% | 49.6% | 33.3% |
2015 | 28 | 104.0 | 4.64 | 3.13 | 18.1% | 7.6% | 9.9% | 32.2% | 52.3% | 27.4% |
This game features two pitchers that can rake up the strikeouts in any matchup as Estrada comes into this game with a 23.5% strikeout rate and a. He has an average 4.38 SIERA, which shows some regression is in order to his low 2.81 ERA. He is way too expensive this afternoon given the park factors and the matchup to give him use in cash game formats. His upside makes him tournament playable, but with risk attached.
Batter Grind Down
Cleveland
Estrada has kept batters from both sides of the plate to a wOBA under .270. The Indians come into this game with the tenth highest projected run total and the fifth highest of the early slate. While they do not have the most ideal matchup, the park puts a good number of Indians into play today.
- Indians Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.330 (9 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.190 (5 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 20.4% (14 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.90 (7 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.38 (10 of 30)
Projected Lineup
# | Player | Bats | wOBA vs. RHP | ISO vs. RHP | wOBA L14 | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Carlos Santana | SWITCH | 0.345 | 0.223 | 0.382 | 1B | $4,000 | 1B | $3,600 |
2 | Jason Kipnis | LEFT | 0.374 | 0.177 | 0.355 | 2B | $3,700 | 2B | $3,800 |
3 | Francisco Lindor | SWITCH | 0.351 | 0.161 | 0.402 | SS | $3,600 | SS | $3,700 |
4 | Mike Napoli | RIGHT | 0.296 | 0.176 | 0.335 | 1B | $3,400 | 1B | $2,900 |
5 | Jose Ramirez | SWITCH | 0.314 | 0.142 | 0.332 | P | $4,000 | 3B/OF | $3,300 |
6 | Lonnie Chisenhall | LEFT | 0.314 | 0.152 | 0.460 | OF | $3,100 | OF | $3,000 |
7 | Yan Gomes | RIGHT | 0.264 | 0.175 | 0.317 | C | $2,600 | C | $2,500 |
8 | Tyler Naquin | LEFT | 0.414 | 0.257 | 0.632 | OF | $3,900 | OF | $3,000 |
9 | Rajai Davis | RIGHT | 0.316 | 0.149 | 0.371 | OF | $3,200 | OF | $3,600 |
Team Averages | — | 0.332 | 0.179 | 0.398 | — | — | — | — |
Elite Plays – Carlos Santana (DK), Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor
Secondary Plays – Mike Napoli, Lonnie Chisenhall
Stackability – GPP
Toronto
This Toronto team is a small favorite today in a game with the third highest overall total on the early slate. Toronto has the second highest projected team total at 4.62 runs. While it is tough to look at just McAllister knowing he may only pitch a few innings, we know the front of the lineup will get him once and he has been mashed by righties this year allowing a wOBA of .396 to them on the year. This Toronto team should see a lot of different pitchers today and are in play in all formats and are extremely underpriced at DK.
- Blue Jays Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.333 (5 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.198 (3 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 21.8% (19 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.78 (10 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.62 (6 of 30)
Projected Lineup
# | Player | Bats | wOBA vs. RHP | ISO vs. RHP | wOBA L14 | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ezequiel Carrera | LEFT | 0.307 | 0.102 | 0.323 | OF | $3,300 | OF | $2,500 |
2 | Devon Travis | RIGHT | 0.378 | 0.211 | 0.520 | 2B | $2,800 | 2B | $3,100 |
3 | Josh Donaldson | RIGHT | 0.391 | 0.265 | 0.510 | 3B | $4,500 | 3B | $3,900 |
4 | Edwin Encarnacion | RIGHT | 0.387 | 0.278 | 0.495 | 1B | $3,900 | 1B | $3,800 |
5 | Michael Saunders | LEFT | 0.355 | 0.206 | 0.338 | OF | $3,000 | OF | $2,800 |
6 | Kevin Pillar | RIGHT | 0.308 | 0.139 | 0.321 | OF | $2,700 | OF | $2,500 |
7 | Justin Smoak | SWITCH | 0.332 | 0.220 | 0.126 | 1B | $2,800 | 1B | $2,600 |
8 | Darwin Barney | RIGHT | 0.313 | 0.117 | 0.266 | SS | $2,400 | 2B/SS | $2,000 |
9 | Russell Martin | RIGHT | 0.308 | 0.176 | 0.349 | C | $2,500 | C | $2,500 |
Team Averages | — | 0.342 | 0.190 | 0.361 | — | — | — | — |
Elite Plays – Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, Ezequiel Carrera, Devon Travis
Secondary Plays – Russell Martin, Michael Saunders
Stackability – Cash & GPP
Texas at Minnesota – 2:10 PM ET
Texas | Minnesota | ||||||||
![]() | Chi Chi Gonzalez | ![]() | Tyler Duffey | ||||||
RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
MIN -105 | 9.5 | ||||||||
Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% | Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SP vs. Left | 0.312 | 1 | 9.2% | 10.5% | SP vs. Left | 0.306 | 5 | 24.1% | 5.8% |
SP vs. Right | 0.272 | 5 | 11.8% | 11.8% | SP vs. Right | 0.351 | 11 | 16.9% | 6.7% |
Pitcher Grind Down
Chi Chi Gonzalez | ||||||||||
![]() | FanDuel | DraftKings | ||||||||
Salary: | $6,400 | Salary: | $4,000 | |||||||
FPPG: | 6.0 | FPPG: | -2.0 | |||||||
Pitcher Rating: | 25.2 | Pitcher Rank: | 30 | |||||||
Statistics | Starts | PitchPS | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | SS% | GB% | FB% | HH% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
L30 Days | 1 | 87.0 | 5.56 | 9.00 | 7.7% | 7.7% | 8.1% | 47.6% | 23.8% | 40.9% |
2016 | 1 | 87.0 | 5.56 | 9.00 | 7.7% | 7.7% | 8.1% | 47.6% | 23.8% | 40.9% |
2015 | 10 | 104.8 | 5.59 | 3.90 | 10.7% | 11.4% | 6.8% | 48.6% | 31.1% | 28.4% |
The man with the name is pitching for the second time this year and his first start went close to expected. He allowed five earned runs on ten hits, while only striking out two in New York. The matchup gets much easier today against a Twins squad that is ranked 22nd and 19th in team wOBA and ISO against righties respectively, but there is no need to use him today in any format.
Tyler Duffey | ||||||||||
![]() | FanDuel | DraftKings | ||||||||
Salary: | $5,700 | Salary: | $5,300 | |||||||
FPPG: | 23.7 | FPPG: | 11.3 | |||||||
Pitcher Rating: | 56.7 | Pitcher Rank: | 13 | |||||||
Statistics | Starts | PitchPS | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | SS% | GB% | FB% | HH% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
L30 Days | 6 | 91.0 | 3.89 | 7.55 | 19.0% | 4.2% | 8.4% | 45.9% | 27.5% | 33.0% |
2016 | 12 | 94.8 | 3.95 | 5.59 | 19.1% | 4.7% | 8.4% | 46.9% | 29.0% | 32.7% |
2015 | 10 | 90.8 | 3.83 | 3.10 | 21.9% | 8.3% | 9.8% | 49.7% | 30.9% | 26.6% |
Duffey surprised a lot of daily fantasy players as he cruised through the Yankees lineup, pitching eight innings with eight strikeouts, while only allowing one earned run. Prior to that start, he had allowed at least four earned runs in his previous seven. He does come into this game with a solid SIERA of 3.95 and a strikeout rate of 19.1%. Expecting a repeat performance is tough to do as he has a tough matchup against the Rangers who rank in the top half of the league in both wOBA and ISO against righties and strikeout at the seventh lowest rate. Duffey can be avoided today unless you want to take advantage of his very low salary as an SP2.
Batter Grind Down
Texas
The line has shifted in Texas’ favor from when it opened yesterday, which shows Vegas does not think he will have a repeat stellar start. Duffey has allowed lefties a wOBA of .314 and righties a .374 wOBA, putting the majority of the Rangers in play for the early slate as they have the second highest projected run total of the early slate.
- Rangers Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.318 (13 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.166 (13 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 18.9% (7 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.99 (6 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.72 (4 of 30)
Projected Lineup
# | Player | Bats | wOBA vs. RHP | ISO vs. RHP | wOBA L14 | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Shin-Soo Choo | LEFT | 0.384 | 0.195 | 0.346 | OF | $3,900 | OF | $4,100 |
2 | Ian Desmond | RIGHT | 0.312 | 0.165 | 0.502 | OF | $3,800 | OF | $5,000 |
3 | Nomar Mazara | LEFT | 0.358 | 0.189 | 0.264 | OF | $3,000 | OF | $3,600 |
4 | Adrian Beltre | RIGHT | 0.311 | 0.144 | 0.368 | 3B | $3,500 | 3B | $4,100 |
5 | Prince Fielder | LEFT | 0.357 | 0.155 | 0.408 | 1B | $2,600 | 1B | $3,700 |
6 | Rougned Odor | LEFT | 0.325 | 0.215 | 0.341 | 2B | $3,000 | 2B | $4,200 |
7 | Elvis Andrus | RIGHT | 0.281 | 0.079 | 0.302 | SS | $3,100 | SS | $3,600 |
8 | Mitch Moreland | LEFT | 0.349 | 0.220 | 0.249 | OF | $2,400 | 1B | $3,300 |
9 | Robinson Chirinos | RIGHT | 0.307 | 0.195 | 0.182 | C | $2,200 | C | $2,900 |
Team Averages | — | 0.332 | 0.173 | 0.329 | — | — | — | — |
Elite Plays – Shin-Soo Choo, Nomar Mazara, Ian Desmond
Secondary Plays – Adrian Beltre, Prince Fielder, Rougned Odor
Stackability – Cash & GPP
Minnesota
Minnesota has a solid matchup against Chi Chi who has struggled in his short time in the majors. He has allowed lefties a wOBA of .312 in his career making guys like Joe Mauer and Robbie Grossman in play, while the other big bats up front should be used today as well as the Twins sport the highest projected run total of the early slate.
- Twins Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.306 (22 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.153 (19 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 22.3% (21 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.05 (27 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.78 (3 of 30)
Projected Lineup
# | Player | Bats | wOBA vs. RHP | ISO vs. RHP | wOBA L14 | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Eduardo Nunez | RIGHT | 0.347 | 0.132 | 0.344 | SS | $3,900 | 3B/SS | $5,100 |
2 | Joe Mauer | LEFT | 0.318 | 0.114 | 0.183 | 1B | $3,000 | 1B | $3,700 |
3 | Miguel Sano | RIGHT | 0.370 | 0.248 | OF | $3,000 | OF | $4,600 | |
4 | Brian Dozier | RIGHT | 0.321 | 0.197 | 0.555 | 2B | $3,300 | 2B | $5,300 |
5 | Trevor Plouffe | RIGHT | 0.305 | 0.177 | 0.349 | 3B | $3,100 | 3B | $4,200 |
6 | Robbie Grossman | SWITCH | 0.330 | 0.178 | 0.232 | OF | $3,100 | OF | $4,100 |
7 | Max Kepler | LEFT | 0.339 | 0.222 | 0.390 | OF | $3,100 | OF | $3,200 |
8 | Kurt Suzuki | RIGHT | 0.274 | 0.082 | 0.514 | C | $2,400 | C | $3,600 |
9 | Byron Buxton | RIGHT | 0.288 | 0.156 | 0.156 | OF | $2,900 | OF | $4,100 |
Team Averages | — | 0.321 | 0.167 | 0.340 | — | — | — | — |
Elite Plays – Brian Dozier, Robbie Grossman, Joe Mauer
Secondary Plays – Miguel Sano, Eduardo Nunez, Trevor Plouffe
Stackability – Cash & GPP
Milwaukee at St. Louis – 2:15 PM ET
Milwaukee | St. Louis | ||||||||
![]() | Jimmy Nelson | ![]() | Adam Wainwright | ||||||
RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
STL -170 | 8.0 | ||||||||
Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% | Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SP vs. Left | 0.357 | 19 | 17.5% | 11.0% | SP vs. Left | 0.309 | 2 | 18.8% | 5.4% |
SP vs. Right | 0.277 | 11 | 20.0% | 7.7% | SP vs. Right | 0.310 | 6 | 16.8% | 6.1% |
Pitcher Grind Down
Jimmy Nelson | ||||||||||
![]() | FanDuel | DraftKings | ||||||||
Salary: | $6,900 | Salary: | $5,400 | |||||||
FPPG: | 27.6 | FPPG: | 13.5 | |||||||
Pitcher Rating: | 37.1 | Pitcher Rank: | 26 | |||||||
Statistics | Starts | PitchPS | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | SS% | GB% | FB% | HH% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
L30 Days | 5 | 88.2 | 6.18 | 5.87 | 9.7% | 12.3% | 4.8% | 47.1% | 32.9% | 37.2% |
2016 | 16 | 93.3 | 4.93 | 3.60 | 17.2% | 10.3% | 6.8% | 47.3% | 32.5% | 35.1% |
2015 | 30 | 93.0 | 4.09 | 4.11 | 19.7% | 8.6% | 10.0% | 50.6% | 29.4% | 28.9% |
Jimmy Nelson sports a high 4.94 SIERA and a low 17.2% strikeout rate after his first 16 starts this season. While he has struggled at times, the more worrisome stat is the fact that he has not pitched passed the sixth inning since May. That could cause trouble as he now has to face a Cardinals offense that is has been one of the best offenses in baseball against right-handed pitching (fourth in wOBA and second in ISO). Avoid Nelson this afternoon.
Adam Wainwright | ||||||||||
![]() | FanDuel | DraftKings | ||||||||
Salary: | $8,300 | Salary: | $7,500 | |||||||
FPPG: | 24.4 | FPPG: | 11.5 | |||||||
Pitcher Rating: | 80.1 | Pitcher Rank: | 6 | |||||||
Statistics | Starts | PitchPS | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | SS% | GB% | FB% | HH% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
L30 Days | 5 | 94.6 | 3.56 | 3.69 | 25.4% | 7.1% | 10.8% | 45.8% | 27.7% | 31.3% |
2016 | 16 | 93.4 | 4.43 | 5.04 | 17.6% | 6.3% | 8.1% | 42.3% | 31.3% | 30.5% |
2015 | 4 | 95.8 | 3.45 | 1.61 | 18.0% | 3.6% | 7.8% | 51.2% | 22.6% | 21.8% |
Just when we thought that Waino was starting to round a corner and get back to form, he has two rough starts in a row finished off by allowing six earned runs to the Royals in his last start. He still has an ERA over 5.00 on the season (4.43 SIERA) and his strikeout rate continues to reach close to career lows (17.6%). The matchup is decent against the Brewers who are around league average against righties, making Wainwright an option as an SP2 today as he should be able to bounce back here today.
Batter Grind Down
Milwaukee
The matchup with Wainwright could be a boom or bust option. Vegas thinks bust as the Brewers have a projected team total of just 3.59, which is the second lowest of the early slate. On the year, Waino has allowed a .314+ wOBA from both sides of the plate. They are a tough offense to play in this matchup and I will not be looking much their way unless you want to run a stack assuming Waino struggles again.
- Brewers Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.317 (15 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.155 (17 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 26.2% (30 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.10 (24 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.59 (26 of 30)
Projected Lineup
# | Player | Bats | wOBA vs. RHP | ISO vs. RHP | wOBA L14 | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jonathan Villar | SWITCH | 0.338 | 0.118 | 0.333 | SS | $3,200 | SS | $4,400 |
2 | Scooter Gennett | LEFT | 0.308 | 0.131 | 0.358 | 2B | $3,000 | 2B | $3,700 |
3 | Ryan Braun | RIGHT | 0.359 | 0.211 | 0.497 | OF | $3,800 | OF | $4,700 |
4 | Jonathan Lucroy | RIGHT | 0.351 | 0.168 | 0.293 | C | $3,400 | C | $4,000 |
5 | Chris Carter | RIGHT | 0.325 | 0.245 | 0.347 | 1B | $3,400 | 1B | $3,600 |
6 | Kirk Nieuwenhuis | LEFT | 0.315 | 0.183 | 0.387 | OF | $2,700 | OF | $3,400 |
7 | Aaron Hill | RIGHT | 0.316 | 0.140 | 0.383 | 3B | $2,800 | 2B/3B | $3,200 |
8 | Ramon Flores | LEFT | 0.260 | 0.061 | 0.257 | OF | $2,200 | OF | $2,500 |
9 | Jimmy Nelson | RIGHT | 0.111 | 0.016 | 0.000 | P | $6,900 | P | $5,400 |
Team Averages | — | 0.298 | 0.141 | 0.317 | — | — | — | — |
Elite Plays – None
Secondary Plays – Ryan Braun
Stackability – None
St. Louis
The Cardinals are a top offense in the league against right-handed pitching this season. They are heavy favorites and have the fourth highest projected team total on the early slate. Nelson has allowed a wOBA of .328 to lefties and .325 to righties this year, putting the majority of the top half of the lineup in play today.
- Cardinals Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.346 (4 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.200 (2 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 19.3% (8 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 5.25 (4 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.41 (9 of 30)
Projected Lineup
# | Player | Bats | wOBA vs. RHP | ISO vs. RHP | wOBA L14 | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Matt Carpenter | LEFT | 0.408 | 0.271 | 0.516 | 2B | $4,300 | 2B/3B | $5,400 |
2 | Aledmys Diaz | RIGHT | 0.398 | 0.233 | 0.453 | SS | $4,000 | SS | $4,800 |
3 | Matt Holliday | RIGHT | 0.354 | 0.174 | 0.352 | OF | $3,400 | OF | $4,200 |
4 | Stephen Piscotty | RIGHT | 0.338 | 0.166 | 0.315 | OF | $3,800 | OF | $4,400 |
5 | Jhonny Peralta | RIGHT | 0.325 | 0.122 | 0.193 | 3B | $3,200 | 3B | $4,100 |
6 | Yadier Molina | RIGHT | 0.297 | 0.091 | 0.153 | C | $2,700 | C | $2,600 |
7 | Brandon Moss | LEFT | 0.345 | 0.260 | 0.395 | 1B | $3,800 | 1B/OF | $4,600 |
8 | Kolten Wong | LEFT | 0.322 | 0.127 | 0.297 | OF | $2,600 | 2B/OF | $2,900 |
9 | Adam Wainwright | RIGHT | 0.237 | 0.263 | 0.000 | P | $8,300 | P | $7,500 |
Team Averages | — | 0.336 | 0.190 | 0.297 | — | — | — | — |
Elite Plays – Matt Carpenter, Matt Holliday, Brandon Moss
Secondary Plays – Aledmys Diaz, Kolten Wong (if batting second again), Jhonny Peralta
Stackability – Cash & GPP
Chicago White Sox at Houston – 4:10 PM ET
Chicago White Sox | Houston | ||||||||
![]() | Chris Sale | ![]() | Doug Fister | ||||||
LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||
Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
HOU -105 | 8.0 | ||||||||
Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% | Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SP vs. Left | 0.278 | 2 | 32.7% | 5.0% | SP vs. Left | 0.343 | 19 | 13.0% | 6.7% |
SP vs. Right | 0.277 | 34 | 29.0% | 5.0% | SP vs. Right | 0.308 | 9 | 16.9% | 5.7% |
Pitcher Grind Down
Chris Sale | ||||||||||
![]() | FanDuel | DraftKings | ||||||||
Salary: | $11,200 | Salary: | $12,700 | |||||||
FPPG: | 44.8 | FPPG: | 24.7 | |||||||
Pitcher Rating: | 80.2 | Pitcher Rank: | 5 | |||||||
Statistics | Starts | PitchPS | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | SS% | GB% | FB% | HH% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
L30 Days | 5 | 110.6 | 3.67 | 3.93 | 23.4% | 5.0% | 10.9% | 38.4% | 34.3% | 37.4% |
2016 | 16 | 107.7 | 3.57 | 2.79 | 24.6% | 5.2% | 9.9% | 40.3% | 37.3% | 28.8% |
2015 | 31 | 107.2 | 2.52 | 3.41 | 32.1% | 4.9% | 14.6% | 42.6% | 35.3% | 25.1% |
Chris Sale is the other elite option taking the mound today. Yet, as I said in Fernandez matchup, there are a few reasons Fernandez is the number one option. Sale comes into this game with a SIERA of 3.57, but his strikeout rate continues to be at a career low mark of 24.6%. Add that to the fact that he has a boom or bust matchup against the Astros who have a bunch of power, but also strikeout at a 24.5% clip against righties. You can make the case for Sale this afternoon as he is about 1k cheaper at both main sites than Fernandez, but Jofer seems to be a safer option.
Doug Fister | ||||||||||
![]() | FanDuel | DraftKings | ||||||||
Salary: | $7,600 | Salary: | $9,200 | |||||||
FPPG: | 30.3 | FPPG: | 15.1 | |||||||
Pitcher Rating: | 51.6 | Pitcher Rank: | 20 | |||||||
Statistics | Starts | PitchPS | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | SS% | GB% | FB% | HH% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
L30 Days | 5 | 101.0 | 4.16 | 2.45 | 18.8% | 4.5% | 7.1% | 45.9% | 41.8% | 30.0% |
2016 | 15 | 98.1 | 4.67 | 3.36 | 15.8% | 7.3% | 5.8% | 48.4% | 32.9% | 29.8% |
2015 | 15 | 110.3 | 4.47 | 4.19 | 14.0% | 5.4% | 5.2% | 44.6% | 34.1% | 29.5% |
Fister has actually turned his season around a bit lately as he has dropped his ERA to a solid 3.36 over the last month and a half or so and now is a slight favorite against Sale today. Yet, his advanced statistics left a bit to be desired as he has a SIERA of 4.67 and a very low strikeout rate of 15.8%. I can see using him as an SP2 today, but I don’t love it.
Batter Grind Down
Chicago White Sox
Fister has had a bit of resurgence, but he has allowed lefties to hit him hard this year as he has allowed them a wOBA of .373 on the season. The White Sox have some decent options, but have a low projected team total of under 4.00. Temper your expectations against Fister today.
- White Sox Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.307 (20 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.153 (19 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 21.1% (17 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.17 (21 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.97 (19 of 30)
Projected Lineup
# | Player | Bats | wOBA vs. RHP | ISO vs. RHP | wOBA L14 | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tim Anderson | RIGHT | 0.368 | 0.236 | 0.326 | SS | $3,000 | SS | $3,500 |
2 | Adam Eaton | LEFT | 0.350 | 0.163 | 0.330 | OF | $3,200 | OF | $3,900 |
3 | Jose Abreu | RIGHT | 0.362 | 0.217 | 0.349 | 1B | $3,800 | 1B | $3,400 |
4 | Todd Frazier | RIGHT | 0.327 | 0.218 | 0.300 | 3B | $3,500 | 3B | $3,900 |
5 | Dioner Navarro | SWITCH | 0.276 | 0.115 | 0.348 | C | $3,000 | C | $2,500 |
6 | Brett Lawrie | RIGHT | 0.297 | 0.148 | 0.407 | 2B | $3,100 | 2B | $3,600 |
7 | Avisail Garcia | RIGHT | 0.291 | 0.108 | 0.245 | OF | $2,600 | OF | $2,700 |
8 | J.B. Shuck | LEFT | 0.285 | 0.099 | 0.255 | OF | $2,900 | OF | $2,700 |
9 | Tyler Saladino | RIGHT | 0.278 | 0.134 | 0.399 | SS | $3,000 | 3B/SS | $2,900 |
Team Averages | — | 0.315 | 0.160 | 0.329 | — | — | — | — |
Elite Plays – Jose Abreu
Secondary Plays – Tim Anderson, Adam Eaton
Stackability – None
Houston
Houston actually comes into this game as slight favorites, yet it becomes very difficult to pay their salaries against Sale today. They have a projected team total of 4.03, which is an average total for the afternoon slate. Sale has kept batters to a wOBA of under .270 from both sides of the plate making the Astros deep tournament plays only.
- Astros Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. LHP — 0.315 (18 of 30)
Team ISO vs. LHP — 0.165 (13 of 30)
Team K% vs. LHP — 24.5% (28 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.53 (14 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.03 (16 of 30)
Projected Lineup
# | Player | Bats | wOBA vs. LHP | ISO vs. LHP | wOBA L14 | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | George Springer | RIGHT | 0.389 | 0.225 | 0.346 | OF | $4,500 | OF | $3,800 |
2 | Marwin Gonzalez | SWITCH | 0.357 | 0.205 | 0.370 | 1B | $3,500 | 1B/3B | $3,200 |
3 | Jose Altuve | RIGHT | 0.417 | 0.176 | 0.494 | 2B | $4,100 | 2B | $5,200 |
4 | Carlos Correa | RIGHT | 0.345 | 0.213 | 0.491 | SS | $4,400 | SS | $4,100 |
5 | Carlos Gomez | RIGHT | 0.305 | 0.129 | 0.355 | OF | $3,800 | OF | $2,600 |
6 | Evan Gattis | RIGHT | 0.305 | 0.212 | 0.388 | C | $2,900 | C | $2,900 |
7 | Luis Valbuena | LEFT | 0.289 | 0.169 | 0.466 | 3B | $3,100 | 3B | $2,600 |
8 | Jake Marisnick | RIGHT | 0.282 | 0.196 | 0.267 | OF | $2,100 | OF | $2,200 |
9 | Danny Worth | RIGHT | 0.303 | 0.143 | 0.198 | 3B | $2,200 | 2B/SS | $2,200 |
Team Averages | — | 0.332 | 0.185 | 0.375 | — | — | — | — |
Elite Plays – None
Secondary Plays – None
Stackability – None
Detroit at Tampa Bay – 4:10 PM ET
Detroit | Tampa Bay | ||||||||
![]() | Justin Verlander | ![]() | Blake Snell | ||||||
RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
DET -125 | 8.0 | ||||||||
Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% | Stats | wOBA | HR All. | K% | BB% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SP vs. Left | 0.277 | 13 | 23.1% | 6.6% | SP vs. Left | 0.339 | 0 | 20.0% | 17.1% |
SP vs. Right | 0.301 | 16 | 22.7% | 5.9% | SP vs. Right | 0.314 | 0 | 14.8% | 8.2% |
Pitcher Grind Down
Justin Verlander | ||||||||||
![]() | FanDuel | DraftKings | ||||||||
Salary: | $8,800 | Salary: | $10,900 | |||||||
FPPG: | 35.6 | FPPG: | 19.2 | |||||||
Pitcher Rating: | 77.6 | Pitcher Rank: | 7 | |||||||
Statistics | Starts | PitchPS | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | SS% | GB% | FB% | HH% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
L30 Days | 5 | 101.2 | 3.90 | 4.73 | 22.4% | 4.5% | 10.1% | 35.1% | 48.9% | 28.1% |
2016 | 16 | 106.1 | 3.76 | 4.30 | 25.2% | 6.6% | 11.3% | 34.4% | 46.8% | 28.7% |
2015 | 20 | 107.5 | 3.95 | 3.37 | 21.1% | 6.0% | 10.0% | 34.6% | 45.5% | 23.0% |
Verlander had been solid this season prior to getting lit up last Sunday for eight earned runs in just 4.2 innings. He comes into this game with a 3.77 SIERA, while posting a four percent increase in his strikeout rate from last year (25.2%). He gets a solid matchup against the Rays who rank 24th in team wOBA against righties, while having a high ISO and striking out at the second highest clip. Verlander is in a good spot, but looks a bit too expensive on DK, but the price could be right at FD where he is over $2000 cheaper.
Blake Snell | ||||||||||
![]() | FanDuel | DraftKings | ||||||||
Salary: | $7,400 | Salary: | $7,200 | |||||||
FPPG: | 24.3 | FPPG: | 11.0 | |||||||
Pitcher Rating: | 38.7 | Pitcher Rank: | 25 | |||||||
Statistics | Starts | PitchPS | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | SS% | GB% | FB% | HH% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
L30 Days | 3 | 99.7 | 5.72 | 4.11 | 13.0% | 13.0% | 4.7% | 46.3% | 24.1% | 22.8% |
2016 | 4 | 97.3 | 5.18 | 3.54 | 16.7% | 11.5% | 5.1% | 42.4% | 30.3% | 26.1% |
Snell has now made four starts in his early career and had a solid 3.54 ERA to show for it. With that said, he has allowed too many base runners (11.5% walk rate) and has had a bit of luck on his side as his SIERA sits at 5.19. He has also not struck people out even close to his minor league numbers so far. He has a tough matchup against some mashing right-handed bats in this Tigers lineup that is ranked tenth and eighth in team wOBA and ISO against lefties respectively. He can be seen as a cheap tournament option if he can put his skill set together, but with maybe too much risk today.
Batter Grind Down
Detroit
The Tigers have a decent team total of 4.15 against Snell today who has allowed righties to a wOBA of .314 in his short career. Miguel Cabrera is always in play against lefties, while Victor Martinez is a great tournament option as well.
- Tigers Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. LHP — 0.330 (10 of 30)
Team ISO vs. LHP — 0.176 (8 of 30)
Team K% vs. LHP — 21.1% (13 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.79 (9 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.15 (14 of 30)
Projected Lineup
# | Player | Bats | wOBA vs. LHP | ISO vs. LHP | wOBA L14 | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ian Kinsler | RIGHT | 0.370 | 0.171 | 0.227 | 2B | $3,700 | 2B | $4,000 |
2 | Cameron Maybin | RIGHT | 0.353 | 0.134 | 0.339 | OF | $3,300 | OF | $3,800 |
3 | Miguel Cabrera | RIGHT | 0.353 | 0.175 | 0.412 | 1B | $4,100 | 1B | $4,500 |
4 | Victor Martinez | SWITCH | 0.385 | 0.158 | 0.369 | C | $3,700 | 1B | $3,800 |
5 | Nick Castellanos | RIGHT | 0.376 | 0.242 | 0.388 | 3B | $3,600 | 3B | $4,200 |
6 | Justin Upton | RIGHT | 0.274 | 0.137 | 0.323 | OF | $2,800 | OF | $2,700 |
7 | James McCann | RIGHT | 0.376 | 0.250 | 0.308 | C | $2,400 | C | $2,900 |
8 | Mike Aviles | RIGHT | 0.281 | 0.088 | 0.232 | 2B | $2,100 | 2B/OF | $2,700 |
9 | Jose Iglesias | RIGHT | 0.347 | 0.126 | 0.304 | SS | $2,600 | SS | $3,100 |
Team Averages | — | 0.346 | 0.165 | 0.322 | — | — | — | — |
Elite Plays – Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez
Secondary Plays – Cameron Maybin, Ian KInsler
Stackability – None
Tampa Bay
Tampa is always a solid source of value against left-handed pitching, but goes back to an average offense against righties as evidenced by being shut down last night to Fulmer. They have a projected run total of just 3.85 against Verlander today and should only be used as a source of value high up in the lineup.
- Rays Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.303 (24 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.181 (7 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 25.1% (29 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.08 (25 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.85 (22 of 30)
Projected Lineup
# | Player | Bats | wOBA vs. RHP | ISO vs. RHP | wOBA L14 | FD Position | FD Salary | DK Position | DK Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Logan Forsythe | RIGHT | 0.325 | 0.113 | 0.335 | 2B | $3,500 | 2B | $3,400 |
2 | Brad Miller | LEFT | 0.339 | 0.193 | 0.421 | SS | $3,200 | SS | $3,600 |
3 | Evan Longoria | RIGHT | 0.320 | 0.186 | 0.322 | 3B | $3,800 | 3B | $3,500 |
4 | Logan Morrison | LEFT | 0.316 | 0.180 | 0.271 | 1B | $3,300 | 1B | $3,200 |
5 | Brandon Guyer | RIGHT | 0.302 | 0.130 | 0.815 | OF | $3,100 | OF | $3,200 |
6 | Desmond Jennings | RIGHT | 0.292 | 0.139 | 0.331 | OF | $2,400 | OF | $2,900 |
7 | Corey Dickerson | LEFT | 0.350 | 0.280 | 0.245 | OF | $3,100 | OF | $3,000 |
8 | Oswaldo Arcia | LEFT | 0.308 | 0.183 | 0.484 | OF | $2,700 | OF | $3,300 |
9 | Hank Conger | SWITCH | 0.328 | 0.195 | 0.301 | C | $2,200 | C | $2,400 |
Team Averages | — | 0.320 | 0.178 | 0.392 | — | — | — | — |