MLB Grind Down: Sunday, June 17th
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The RotoGrinders MLB Grind Down will give you an in-depth analysis into the upcoming MLB schedule. This article will break down the numbers for every single game and give you analysis on which trends you can exploit. While matchups are a major factor in daily fantasy baseball, there are plenty of other factors to consider such as injuries, weather, and salaries.
The analysis should point you in the right direction, but it is still up to you to decipher the information and make your own selections. No sport has more variance than baseball. The best choice is not always the right choice but following the trends will win you money over time.
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Stackability Rating System:
GREEN – A viable full stack in cash games and GPPs.
YELLOW – A viable mini-stack in cash games and full stack in GPPs.
ORANGE – A viable stack in large field GPPs.
RED – Not a recommended stack for cash games or GPPs.
Implied Run Totals
Ballpark Ratings
Miami at Baltimore – 1:05 PM ET
| Miami | Baltimore | ||||||||||||||
 | Trevor Richards |  | Dylan Bundy | ||||||||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||||||||
| BAL-160 | 8.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.306 | 0.320 | 38.1% | 13.9% | 26.4% | 35.7% | SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.358 | 0.388 | 34.5% | 8.7% | 20.9% | 33.9% | ||
| SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.342 | 0.383 | 48.3% | 9.1% | 14.3% | 45.6% | SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.279 | 0.287 | 34.9% | 5.7% | 33.5% | 39.0% | ||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Trevor Richards | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $5,900 | Salary: | $7,900 | Salary: | $15,000 | ||||
| Salary Rank: | 24 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 10 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 8 of 29 | ||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 7 | 4.73 | 4.41 | 20.1% | 11.4% | 41.4% | 44.0% | 16.0% | |
| L14 | 2 | 4.64 | 3.27 | 14.3% | 7.1% | 46.9% | 48.5% | 12.1% | |
The 25 year old rookie has looked serviceable this season and has 30 strikeouts through 34.2 innings. His solid minor league numbers suggest his 20.1% K% in the majors can be sustainable. Walks have been an issue so far as he’s allowed 17 passes already for a 11.4% BB%, but the Orioles are a free-swinging team and are among the bottom-five teams in walk rate. Additionally, the Orioles have a 25% K% against right-handed pitchers, which is near the top. While I’m not a huge Richards fan, the matchup makes him passable as an SP2 if you want to punt the position.
Quick Breakdown: Given the matchup against an Orioles team that doesn’t walk much and strikes out a bunch, Richards can be considered for your SP2 position if you need the savings.
| Dylan Bundy | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $9,200 | Salary: | $10,500 | Salary: | $19,800 | ||||
| Salary Rank: | 2 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 3 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 3 of 29 | ||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 28 | 4.45 | 4.24 | 21.8% | 7.3% | 32.8% | 36.5% | 17.6% | |
| 2018 | 14 | 3.49 | 3.66 | 27.3% | 7.2% | 36.3% | 34.7% | 17.8% | |
| L14 | 2 | 4.22 | 0.00 | 21.8% | 9.1% | 47.4% | 21.1% | 21.1% | |
Your guess is as good as mine as to which Dylan Bundy will show up on Sunday. The good news is that he’s in great form and has thrown 15 consecutive shutout innings. This matchup isn’t too imposing on paper either, as the Marlins have a 23.5% K% against right-handers and are dead-last in team ISO. However, Bundy has allowed 16 home runs already through 83.2 innings and sports a 15.2% HR/FB ratio. Given the nature of this slate where there aren’t many stud pitchers, I do think Bundy is up there in terms of options, but just keep your fingers and toes crossed that he doesn’t have one of those seven-run 1st inning implosions if you roster him.
Quick Breakdown: Bundy is viable in all formats and one of the better options on this slate due to his recent form and matchup against a Marlins team last in team ISO.
Batter Grind Down
Miami
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | L15 | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derek Dietrich | LEFT | 0.339 | 0.420 | 0.160 | 37.9% | 4.1% | 21.0% | 42.9% | OF | $2,700 | OF | $4,100 | IF/OF | $8,400 |
| 2 | Brian Anderson | RIGHT | 0.350 | 0.405 | 0.106 | 37.7% | 7.4% | 21.3% | 47.8% | 3B | $3,400 | 3B/OF | $4,300 | 3B | $8,600 |
| 3 | J.T. Realmuto | RIGHT | 0.395 | 0.408 | 0.225 | 46.2% | 7.0% | 15.8% | 44.4% | C | $3,300 | C | $4,100 | C | $8,200 |
| 4 | Justin Bour | LEFT | 0.414 | 0.343 | 0.248 | 42.2% | 17.9% | 21.4% | 37.6% | 1B | $3,300 | 1B | $3,800 | 1B | $7,700 |
| 5 | Starlin Castro | RIGHT | 0.302 | 0.348 | 0.112 | 37.6% | 5.7% | 20.3% | 51.0% | 2B | $3,000 | 2B | $3,900 | 2B | $7,600 |
| 6 | JT Riddle | LEFT | 0.259 | 0.297 | 0.103 | 38.5% | 2.4% | 34.1% | 52.0% | SS | $2,400 | SS | $3,000 | SS | $5,400 |
| 7 | Lewis Brinson | RIGHT | 0.269 | 0.348 | 0.133 | 38.4% | 4.2% | 35.1% | 51.0% | OF | $2,400 | OF | $2,900 | CF | $5,800 |
| 8 | Miguel Rojas | RIGHT | 0.291 | 0.173 | 0.116 | 32.0% | 4.7% | 13.7% | 56.5% | SS | $2,100 | 3B/SS | $2,600 | 2B | $4,600 |
| 9 | JB Shuck | LEFT | 0.246 | 0.315 | 0.038 | 28.4% | 8.0% | 14.8% | 53.0% | OF | $2,200 | OF | $2,500 | CF | $4,600 |
| Team Averages | 0.318 | 0.340 | 0.138 | 37.7% | 6.8% | 21.9% | 48.5% |
I don’t envision myself trying to pick on Bundy much, if at all. If I did, I would focus on the power bats since Bundy can be homer prone. Justin Bour would be my top option on the Marlins since he’ll hold the platoon advantage and Bundy has been worse against lefties over his career. I also don’t mind Derek Dietrich if you need a punt, or J.T. Realmuto if you need a catcher with power-upside. I suppose even Brian Anderson is interesting but on such a large slate, it’s hard to recommend him. I view the Marlins as a team for one-offs as opposed to a stack.
Elite Plays – Justin Bour
Secondary Plays – Derek Dietrich, J.T. Realmuto
Stackability – RED
Baltimore
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | L15 | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corban Joseph | LEFT | 2B | $2,000 | 2B | $2,500 | 2B | $4,800 | |||||||
| 2 | Adam Jones | RIGHT | 0.360 | 0.312 | 0.206 | 35.5% | 3.0% | 19.3% | 39.1% | OF | $2,900 | OF | $3,700 | CF | $7,500 |
| 3 | Manny Machado | RIGHT | 0.382 | 0.324 | 0.269 | 33.3% | 11.2% | 17.5% | 33.3% | SS | $4,200 | SS | $4,900 | 3B | $9,100 |
| 4 | Danny Valencia | RIGHT | 0.370 | 0.413 | 0.200 | 36.4% | 9.0% | 20.5% | 43.6% | 3B | $3,200 | 3B | $3,600 | 3B | $7,300 |
| 5 | Trey Mancini | RIGHT | 0.376 | 0.305 | 0.135 | 35.0% | 10.3% | 24.3% | 46.7% | OF | $2,500 | 1B/OF | $3,400 | IF/OF | $6,700 |
| 6 | Jonathan Schoop | RIGHT | 0.219 | 0.207 | 0.173 | 22.9% | 1.4% | 24.8% | 48.1% | 2B | $2,800 | 2B | $3,500 | 2B | $6,900 |
| 7 | Mark Trumbo | RIGHT | 0.343 | 0.294 | 0.149 | 40.3% | 5.4% | 21.5% | 40.3% | OF | $2,700 | OF | $3,700 | DH | $7,700 |
| 8 | Pedro Alvarez | LEFT | 0.339 | 0.036 | 0.230 | 30.4% | 13.0% | 27.0% | 41.2% | 3B | $2,400 | 1B/3B | $3,400 | 1B | $6,400 |
| 9 | Chance Sisco | LEFT | 0.290 | 0.315 | 0.093 | 33.9% | 8.0% | 36.0% | 47.5% | C | $2,100 | C | $3,000 | C | $6,000 |
| Team Averages | 0.335 | 0.276 | 0.182 | 33.5% | 7.7% | 23.9% | 42.5% |
It’s a small sample, but Richards has been hit harder by right-handed batters thus far. That could just be noise, so I’m not reading into that too much. The Orioles offense isn’t one I’m fond of outside of Manny Machado. You could also consider Adam Jones, Jonathan Schoop or Trey Mancini because they’re so cheap, but on such a large slate this isn’t a spot I want much exposure to.
Elite Plays – Manny Machado
Secondary Plays – Adam Jones, Trey Mancini, Jonathan Schoop
Stackability – ORANGE
Washington at Toronto – 1:07 PM ET
| Washington | Toronto | ||||||||||||||
 | Tanner Roark |  | Sam Gaviglio | ||||||||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||||||||
| WAS-110 | 9.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.328 | 0.326 | 31.0% | 7.7% | 22.0% | 39.7% | SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.340 | 0.353 | 30.4% | 7.0% | 12.3% | 43.5% | ||
| SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.252 | 0.340 | 30.7% | 8.1% | 18.8% | 47.8% | SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.272 | 0.283 | 22.9% | 6.5% | 28.6% | 55.3% | ||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Tanner Roark | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $7,900 | Salary: | $8,000 | Salary: | $15,500 | ||||
| Salary Rank: | 8 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 9 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 7 of 29 | ||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 30 | 4.31 | 4.67 | 21.4% | 8.3% | 48.2% | 27.8% | 16.7% | |
| 2018 | 13 | 4.24 | 3.63 | 20.5% | 7.9% | 43.5% | 30.8% | 21.3% | |
| L14 | 3 | 5.30 | 5.21 | 14.3% | 9.5% | 36.5% | 39.7% | 20.6% | |
Roark has been extremely consistent this season. He’s gone at least six innings in 12 of his 14 starts and really hasn’t had a start yet where an offense blew him up (knocks on wood). Roark has also been fantastic against right-handers this season, where they are hitting just .183 against him. That’s good news, considering this Blue Jays lineup will likely contain a majority of right-handed batters. Roark has a 20.5% K% rate so he’s not a heavy strikeout pitcher, and this Blue Jays offense is close to league-average in terms of strikeouts and has a wRC+ of 99 against right-handed pitchers. I’m fine with Roark in cash games but I’m viewing him more as a cash game option and wouldn’t mind taking on someone a little more boom/bust in tournaments with more K upside.
Quick Breakdown: Roark has been in good form this season and has the feel of a “safe” cash game pitcher.
| Sam Gaviglio | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $6,000 | Salary: | $7,200 | Salary: | $14,600 | ||||
| Salary Rank: | 22 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 15 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 12 of 29 | ||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 13 | 4.96 | 4.36 | 15.7% | 8.3% | 49.4% | 31.5% | 15.7% | |
| 2018 | 5 | 3.83 | 3.66 | 21.6% | 6.7% | 49.5% | 26.6% | 22.3% | |
| L14 | 2 | 5.18 | 4.35 | 14.9% | 10.6% | 50.0% | 20.6% | 26.5% | |
After finally throwing a season-high 104 pitches against the Yankees and looking like a good option in his last start against the Rays, Gaviglio let us down by allowing five earned runs over 3.1 innings to these Rays before being pulled after just 70 pitches. Gaviglio has been much better this season compared to last year where he allowed a 21.3% HR/FB rate (this year it’s down to 15.2%). I do think Gaviglio has some promise, but he’s struggled more against left-handed batters this season and the Nationals have the potential to throw several good ones at him. This is a spot where I’ll sit on the sidelines.
Quick Breakdown: Gavilio is a pass for me given the matchup against a Nationals team that’s starting to get healthy.
Batter Grind Down
Washington
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | L15 | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Eaton | LEFT | 0.556 | 0.326 | 0.303 | 66.7% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 33.3% | OF | $3,800 | OF | $4,300 | CF | $8,100 |
| 2 | Trea Turner | RIGHT | 0.340 | 0.293 | 0.140 | 34.7% | 10.1% | 20.2% | 53.2% | SS | $3,800 | SS | $4,300 | IF/OF | $8,100 |
| 3 | Bryce Harper | LEFT | 0.431 | 0.316 | 0.315 | 47.3% | 18.5% | 21.2% | 37.3% | OF | $4,300 | OF | $5,200 | RF | $9,800 |
| 4 | Anthony Rendon | RIGHT | 0.358 | 0.328 | 0.183 | 33.3% | 9.7% | 14.2% | 37.6% | 3B | $3,400 | 3B | $3,700 | 3B | $7,400 |
| 5 | Daniel Murphy | LEFT | 0.328 | 0.212 | 0.000 | 0.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 50.0% | 2B | $3,400 | 2B | $4,100 | 2B | $8,400 |
| 6 | Juan Soto | LEFT | 0.358 | 0.379 | 0.132 | 37.9% | 15.6% | 20.0% | 41.4% | OF | $3,800 | OF | $4,500 | LF | $9,300 |
| 7 | Michael Taylor | RIGHT | 0.298 | 0.397 | 0.144 | 29.8% | 10.4% | 25.8% | 49.5% | OF | $3,000 | OF | $3,700 | CF | $7,200 |
| 8 | Wilmer Difo | SWITCH | 0.316 | 0.278 | 0.119 | 18.4% | 10.3% | 13.8% | 48.6% | 2B | $2,200 | 2B/3B | $2,900 | 2B | $5,800 |
| 9 | Pedro Severino | RIGHT | 0.255 | 0.146 | 0.058 | 22.7% | 10.1% | 20.2% | 45.5% | C | $2,000 | C | $2,700 | C | $5,900 |
| Team Averages | 0.360 | 0.297 | 0.155 | 32.3% | 13.1% | 18.7% | 44.0% |
Update 11:03am EST – No Adam Eaton or Matt Adams makes me like the Nationals slightly less, but the stack is still in-play. It’s just that the bottom of this order isn’t great with Goodwin-Difo-Kieboom.
While Gaviglio hasn’t been awful this season, his last shortened outing against the Rays is a reminder he can be beat. The left-handed batters of Adam Eaton, Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy and Juan Soto would be my priorities if rolling out a Nationals stack, which I do think is fully in-play today. This also isn’t a bad spot for Trea Turner or Anthony Rendon, and I’m interested in Matt Adams if he cracks the lineup (he’s been banged up).
Elite Plays – Bryce Harper, Juan Soto (GPP), Trea Turner
Secondary Plays – Daniel Murphy, Anthony Rendon
Stackability – GREEN
Toronto
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | L15 | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Curtis Granderson | LEFT | 0.371 | 0.389 | 0.204 | 39.8% | 14.8% | 29.0% | 31.5% | OF | $3,000 | OF | $3,900 | CF | $7,600 |
| 2 | Justin Smoak | SWITCH | 0.387 | 0.339 | 0.223 | 35.8% | 19.0% | 25.9% | 34.7% | 1B | $3,000 | 1B | $3,700 | 1B | $7,300 |
| 3 | Teoscar Hernandez | RIGHT | 0.392 | 0.327 | 0.245 | 38.3% | 4.7% | 22.1% | 37.4% | OF | $3,600 | OF | $4,400 | CF | $8,500 |
| 4 | Yangervis Solarte | SWITCH | 0.335 | 0.274 | 0.164 | 29.2% | 7.2% | 16.1% | 43.1% | 3B | $3,100 | 2B/3B | $3,700 | 2B | $7,500 |
| 5 | Kevin Pillar | RIGHT | 0.356 | 0.258 | 0.174 | 35.4% | 5.2% | 18.8% | 40.6% | OF | $2,600 | OF | $3,500 | CF | $6,600 |
| 6 | Russell Martin | RIGHT | 0.313 | 0.330 | 0.181 | 33.3% | 14.4% | 25.2% | 48.1% | C | $2,300 | C | $3,000 | C | $5,600 |
| 7 | Randal Grichuk | RIGHT | 0.324 | 0.302 | 0.265 | 38.3% | 7.8% | 28.6% | 46.8% | OF | $2,600 | OF | $3,600 | LF | $7,200 |
| 8 | Aledmys Diaz | RIGHT | 0.373 | 0.357 | 0.225 | 39.0% | 4.3% | 13.7% | 41.1% | SS | $2,300 | SS | $3,100 | SS | $6,000 |
| 9 | Devon Travis | RIGHT | 0.255 | 0.306 | 0.062 | 19.0% | 5.6% | 25.8% | 65.5% | 2B | $2,300 | 2B | $2,800 | 2B | $5,700 |
| Team Averages | 0.345 | 0.320 | 0.194 | 34.2% | 9.2% | 22.8% | 43.2% |
My priority would be the left-handed batters on the Blue Jays. As I mentioned above, Roark has been able to limit damage against him this season and has only allowed five or more runs in just one of his 14 starts, so it hasn’t been profitable this season to stack against him. Justin Smoak and Yangervis Solarte would be my main choices on the Blue Jays, with Curtis Granderson and Kendrys Morales behind them (my gripe with Granderson is he gets pinch-hit for so often that it’s possible you only get two or three at-bats with him before he’s taken out). Because I respect Roark and consider him one of the better pitchers on this slate, I don’t plan on getting much exposure to the Blue Jays side.
Elite Plays – None
Secondary Plays – Curtis Granderson, Kendrys Morales, Yangervis Solarte, Justin Smoak
Stackability – RED / ORANGE
Minnesota at Cleveland – 1:10 PM ET
| Minnesota | Cleveland | ||||||||||||||
 | Jake Odorizzi |  | Shane Bieber | ||||||||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||||||||
| CLE-135 | 9.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.346 | 0.384 | 40.0% | 10.0% | 20.7% | 22.3% | SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.620 | 0.549 | 60.0% | 7.1% | 21.4% | 30.0% | ||
| SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.348 | 0.345 | 31.9% | 9.7% | 24.6% | 26.6% | SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.176 | 0.237 | 42.9% | 0.0% | 30.0% | 85.7% | ||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Jake Odorizzi | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $7,000 | Salary: | $6,200 | Salary: | $12,200 | ||||
| Salary Rank: | 14 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 21 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 15 of 29 | ||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 28 | 4.90 | 4.14 | 21.0% | 10.1% | 30.6% | 36.8% | 15.3% | |
| 2018 | 14 | 4.52 | 4.19 | 22.9% | 9.8% | 24.6% | 35.6% | 21.2% | |
| L14 | 3 | 4.80 | 7.90 | 20.6% | 10.3% | 22.7% | 43.2% | 13.6% | |
Odorizzi continues to struggle with the longball, and things don’t get easier against an Indians team that has the third highest team ISO against right-handed pitching. Odorizzi is allowing 1.73 HR/9 this year and a 35.6% hard hit rate. The Indians also have some interesting BvP against him. Encarnacion, Ramirez and Lindor have combined for six home runs against him in just 53 career at-bats. I know the Indians have let us down a few times lately, but this isn’t a spot I want to test them.
Quick Breakdown: Odorizzi’s home run problems don’t work well against an Indians team who have hit him well and have plenty of power. He’s not on my radar.
| Shane Bieber | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $6,000 | Salary: | $7,300 | Salary: | $14,700 | ||||
| Salary Rank: | 22 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 14 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 11 of 29 | ||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 | 2.95 | 6.35 | 25.0% | 4.2% | 52.9% | 52.9% | 5.9% | |
| L14 | 1 | 2.98 | 6.35 | 25.0% | 4.2% | 52.9% | 52.9% | 5.9% | |
The Biebs will get a spot start in place of Adam Plutko. Bieber had mixed results in his debut back on 5/31 where he struck out six over 5.2 innings but allowed two homers and four earned runs. The silver lining is that Bieber was doing well until he unraveled late, so he did show promise in his major league debut. If you recall, this is the same Bieber who had some ridiculous minor league numbers. In 274 minor league innings, he struck out 255 batters and allowed just 18 walks. This Twins offense has come alive this weekend and have beaten Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco. Given how hot this Twins offense is I would probably pass on Bieber in cash games, but I do think he warrants some tournament ownership given his minor league track record.
Quick Breakdown: I’d avoid Bieber in cash games but his strong minor league numbers are enough for me to consider him as an SP2 in tournaments.
Batter Grind Down
Minnesota
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | L15 | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Mauer | LEFT | 0.422 | 0.088 | 42.3% | 15.6% | 12.6% | 50.0% | 1B | $2,700 | 1B | $3,500 | 1B | $6,400 | |
| 2 | Eddie Rosario | LEFT | 0.353 | 0.366 | 0.251 | 39.9% | 7.3% | 16.1% | 29.9% | OF | $3,700 | OF | $4,900 | LF | $9,400 |
| 3 | Eduardo Escobar | SWITCH | 0.387 | 0.485 | 0.331 | 42.9% | 5.1% | 23.2% | 22.2% | 3B | $3,800 | 3B/SS | $4,600 | SS | $9,300 |
| 4 | Logan Morrison | LEFT | 0.363 | 0.381 | 0.185 | 39.1% | 12.4% | 18.3% | 32.5% | 1B | $2,600 | 1B | $3,100 | 1B | $5,500 |
| 5 | Brian Dozier | RIGHT | 0.314 | 0.294 | 0.184 | 37.9% | 8.9% | 18.3% | 41.0% | 2B | $3,700 | 2B | $3,700 | 2B | $7,500 |
| 6 | Robbie Grossman | SWITCH | 0.327 | 0.328 | 0.107 | 37.9% | 13.0% | 20.6% | 32.2% | OF | $2,100 | OF | $2,700 | LF | $5,700 |
| 7 | Max Kepler | LEFT | 0.340 | 0.259 | 0.142 | 41.2% | 12.9% | 13.5% | 40.5% | OF | $2,500 | OF | $3,200 | RF | $6,300 |
| 8 | Mitch Garver | RIGHT | 0.303 | 0.303 | 0.138 | 40.0% | 7.9% | 28.1% | 43.6% | C | $2,100 | C | $2,700 | C | $5,400 |
| 9 | Ehire Adrianza | SWITCH | 0.297 | 0.371 | 0.163 | 42.5% | 8.2% | 25.5% | 35.7% | SS | $2,600 | SS | $3,300 | SS | $6,400 |
| Team Averages | 0.345 | 0.348 | 0.177 | 40.4% | 10.1% | 19.6% | 36.4% |
I am a fan of this middle of the order that includes Eddie Rosario, Eduardo Escobar and Logan Morrison, whose price just continues to be dirt cheap on DraftKings. Rosario and Escobar have big price tags across the industry so they will likely carry low ownership, but I do think they have tournament appeal. My exposure to the Twins will likely be focused on the top half of this lineup, and I don’t want to pick on Bieber too much considering he did arrive to the majors with some solid minor league numbers.
Elite Plays – Eddie Rosario (GPP)
Secondary Plays – Eduardo Escobar, Logan Morrison
Stackability – ORANGE
Cleveland
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | L15 | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francisco Lindor | SWITCH | 0.404 | 0.363 | 0.260 | 40.0% | 8.4% | 20.5% | 32.4% | SS | $5,100 | SS | $5,000 | SS | $10,100 |
| 2 | Michael Brantley | LEFT | 0.425 | 0.417 | 0.228 | 45.3% | 6.7% | 9.6% | 43.9% | OF | $4,500 | OF | $4,800 | LF | $9,400 |
| 3 | Jose Ramirez | SWITCH | 0.410 | 0.415 | 0.345 | 32.9% | 15.2% | 12.3% | 34.2% | 3B | $5,300 | 3B | $5,300 | IF/OF | $9,700 |
| 4 | Edwin Encarnacion | RIGHT | 0.389 | 0.486 | 0.282 | 37.6% | 7.2% | 25.6% | 35.0% | 1B | $3,900 | 1B | $4,900 | 1B | $9,000 |
| 5 | Jason Kipnis | LEFT | 0.346 | 0.290 | 0.093 | 37.5% | 8.4% | 19.3% | 38.0% | 2B | $2,900 | 2B | $3,300 | 2B | $6,700 |
| 6 | Yan Gomes | RIGHT | 0.303 | 0.318 | 0.195 | 39.2% | 4.9% | 32.8% | 33.8% | C | $2,900 | C | $3,200 | C | $6,300 |
| 7 | Lonnie Chisenhall | LEFT | 0.328 | 0.301 | 0.050 | 35.3% | 8.9% | 13.3% | 30.3% | OF | $2,700 | OF | $3,200 | RF | $6,300 |
| 8 | Tyler Naquin | LEFT | 0.381 | 0.134 | 47.9% | 4.2% | 26.8% | 56.3% | OF | $2,000 | OF | $3,200 | CF | $6,500 | |
| 9 | Erik Gonzalez | RIGHT | 0.331 | 0.293 | 0.194 | 40.9% | 6.1% | 27.3% | 40.9% | 2B | $2,200 | 2B/3B | $3,300 | 2B | $6,600 |
| Team Averages | 0.369 | 0.360 | 0.198 | 39.6% | 7.8% | 20.8% | 38.3% |
Because of Odorizzi’s home run issues I do feel exposure to this Cleveland team makes sense on this slate. Odorizzi is known for his reverse-splits tendencies and we do see him having trouble against right-handed bats this season where he’s allowing a .348 wOBA to right-handed batters, but he’s also allowing a .346 wOBA to lefties and has allowed 8 of his 14 home runs this season to lefties. Jose Ramirez and Edwin Encarnacion are my priority right-handed bats, while Francisco Lindor and Michael Brantley also are solid options here. I see the merit to using Cleveland as a mini-stack or even as one-offs as any of these guys can could take Odorizzi deep here. Yan Gomes and Lonnie Chisenhall are my favorite value options on Cleveland, but I wouldn’t force them into my lineups.
Elite Plays – Edwin Encarnacion, Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez
Secondary Plays – Michael Brantley, Yan Gomes, Lonnie Chisenhall
Stackability – YELLOW
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh – 1:35 PM ET
| Cincinnati | Pittsburgh | ||||||||||||||
 | Anthony DeSclafani |  | Joe Musgrove | ||||||||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||||||||
| PIT-135 | 9.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.396 | 0.201 | 33.3% | 0.0% | 29.4% | 27.3% | SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.254 | 0.262 | 43.3% | 7.0% | 20.9% | 46.7% | ||
| SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.429 | 0.368 | 68.4% | 10.7% | 21.4% | 36.8% | SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.289 | 0.279 | 29.6% | 3.2% | 22.6% | 52.3% | ||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Anthony DeSclafani | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $5,700 | Salary: | $6,500 | Salary: | $13,000 | ||||
| Salary Rank: | 25 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 18 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 13 of 29 | ||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2 | 3.69 | 5.40 | 24.4% | 6.7% | 33.3% | 54.8% | 6.5% | |
| L14 | 2 | 3.69 | 5.40 | 24.4% | 6.7% | 33.3% | 54.8% | 6.5% | |
DeSclafani was able to pick up a win in his last outing and now has 11 strikeouts in his first 10 innings this season, but he’s also allowed 16 hits in that timeframe and now faces a Pirates team that’s the third hardest team for right-handed pitchers to strikeout. It’s obviously a small sample and I’m sure his 54.8% hard hit rate will regress closer to his career average of 31.9%, but it’s not a promising way to start your 2018 campaign. Given his recent form and the Pirates’ ability to make lots of contact I envision myself looking elsewhere for my SP2.
Quick Breakdown: DeSclafani has been getting hit hard and now goes up against a Pirates team that has been difficult to strikeout, so I’m not planning to use DeSclafani.
| Joe Musgrove | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $7,600 | Salary: | $8,500 | Salary: | $16,200 | ||||
| Salary Rank: | 11 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 6 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 4 of 29 | ||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 15 | 4.04 | 4.77 | 21.2% | 6.1% | 44.9% | 30.2% | 20.2% | |
| 2018 | 4 | 3.61 | 2.16 | 21.9% | 4.8% | 50.0% | 35.1% | 17.6% | |
| L14 | 2 | 3.46 | 4.09 | 22.5% | 2.0% | 41.2% | 47.1% | 17.7% | |
Similar to Desclafani’s matchup, the Reds on the other side don’t strike out much either. Musgrove has been good through his first four starts and hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of those starts. I don’t know how big of a ceiling he has in this matchup, but given our pitching options, I do feel Musgrove deserves consideration as an SP2.
Quick Breakdown: Musgrove is on my list of SP2 options.
Batter Grind Down
Cincinnati
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | L15 | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scott Schebler | LEFT | 0.359 | 0.421 | 0.202 | 39.0% | 7.5% | 20.5% | 54.0% | OF | $3,500 | OF | $4,200 | RF | $8,200 |
| 2 | Tucker Barnhart | SWITCH | 0.335 | 0.322 | 0.119 | 36.4% | 10.9% | 18.6% | 41.6% | C | $2,500 | C | $3,200 | C | $6,600 |
| 3 | Joey Votto | LEFT | 0.467 | 0.442 | 0.157 | 37.2% | 16.5% | 11.9% | 32.1% | 1B | $4,300 | 1B | $4,700 | 1B | $9,400 |
| 4 | Scooter Gennett | LEFT | 0.359 | 0.316 | 0.196 | 41.2% | 6.6% | 17.3% | 40.8% | 2B | $4,100 | 2B | $4,500 | 2B | $9,300 |
| 5 | Eugenio Suarez | RIGHT | 0.396 | 0.421 | 0.239 | 44.1% | 8.0% | 17.3% | 35.6% | 3B | $3,900 | 3B | $4,700 | 3B | $8,900 |
| 6 | Jesse Winker | LEFT | 0.376 | 0.378 | 0.099 | 41.9% | 12.6% | 13.1% | 42.2% | OF | $2,800 | OF | $3,300 | RF | $6,300 |
| 7 | Adam Duvall | RIGHT | 0.352 | 0.359 | 0.180 | 35.2% | 6.7% | 28.2% | 34.3% | OF | $2,800 | OF | $3,400 | IF/OF | $6,600 |
| 8 | Jose Peraza | RIGHT | 0.294 | 0.329 | 0.087 | 29.9% | 4.0% | 12.1% | 37.7% | SS | $3,100 | SS | $3,200 | SS | $6,800 |
| 9 | Anthony DeSclafani | RIGHT | 0.251 | 0.205 | 0.000 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 66.7% | 0.0% | P | $5,700 | P | $6,500 | P | $13,000 |
| Team Averages | 0.354 | 0.355 | 0.142 | 33.9% | 8.1% | 22.9% | 35.4% |
I’m more likely to play Joe Musgrove than play these Reds bats and try to pick on him. I don’t love the prices of Joey Votto or Scooter Gennett over on DraftKings, as that’s a bit too rich for my blood. They are certainly playable, but I would only do it in tournaments as they’ll probably be low owned. Tucker Barnhart is viable in cash games if he’s starting and hitting out of the two-spot. Overall this isn’t a spot where I’d try to force Reds in or try the stack as Musgrove has been solid lately.
Elite Plays – None
Secondary Plays – Scooter Gennett (GPP), Eugenio Suarez, Joey Votto (GPP)
Stackability – RED / ORANGE
Pittsburgh
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | L15 | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Harrison | RIGHT | 0.309 | 0.360 | 0.107 | 35.4% | 5.6% | 15.2% | 33.7% | 2B | $3,200 | 2B | $4,000 | 2B | $7,200 |
| 2 | Austin Meadows | LEFT | 0.322 | 0.339 | 0.182 | 38.3% | 1.8% | 15.8% | 38.3% | OF | $3,100 | OF | $3,900 | CF | $7,600 |
| 3 | Corey Dickerson | LEFT | 0.340 | 0.270 | 0.168 | 32.3% | 4.6% | 10.2% | 31.9% | OF | $2,800 | OF | $4,000 | LF | $7,200 |
| 4 | Colin Moran | LEFT | 0.364 | 0.341 | 0.153 | 32.6% | 9.2% | 16.2% | 40.0% | 3B | $2,500 | 3B | $3,100 | 3B | $5,900 |
| 5 | Francisco Cervelli | RIGHT | 0.418 | 0.329 | 0.266 | 39.0% | 11.9% | 19.5% | 33.0% | C | $3,000 | C | $3,900 | C | $7,500 |
| 6 | Josh Bell | SWITCH | 0.332 | 0.329 | 0.137 | 31.5% | 10.7% | 18.4% | 50.3% | 1B | $3,100 | 1B | $3,500 | 1B | $6,500 |
| 7 | Gregory Polanco | LEFT | 0.356 | 0.320 | 0.213 | 36.9% | 12.4% | 21.4% | 33.8% | OF | $3,200 | OF | $3,700 | RF | $7,700 |
| 8 | Jordy Mercer | RIGHT | 0.344 | 0.437 | 0.168 | 28.7% | 7.3% | 19.1% | 40.3% | SS | $2,700 | SS | $3,200 | SS | $6,700 |
| 9 | Joe Musgrove | RIGHT | 0.160 | 0.063 | 0.000 | 20.0% | 0.0% | 16.7% | 100.0% | P | $7,600 | P | $8,500 | P | $16,200 |
| Team Averages | 0.327 | 0.310 | 0.155 | 32.7% | 7.1% | 16.9% | 44.6% |
I don’t love the ballpark, and this Pirates offense ranks league-average in terms of ISO and wRC+ against right-handed pitching. While Desclafani has been getting hit hard lately, I don’t know if a Pirates stack has enough upside to win a tournament. Lefties have had more success against Desclafani so those would be my focus. Corey Dickerson and Colin Moran are interesting, while Josh Bell and Gregory Polanco will hold the platoon advantage but haven’t been great lately. As such, I’m more likely to just focus on Dickerson and Moran in this spot as one-offs where I need to fill out my roster.
Elite Plays – None
Secondary Plays – Corey Dickerson, Colin Moran
Stackability – ORANGE
San Diego at Atlanta – 1:35 PM ET
| San Diego | Atlanta | ||||||||||||||
 | Matt Strahm |  | Julio Teheran | ||||||||||||
| LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||||||||
| ATL-115 | 8.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | Stats | wOBA | xwOBA | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.472 | 0.534 | 42.9% | 21.1% | 5.3% | 35.7% | SP vs. Left (2016-17) | 0.353 | 0.375 | 42.7% | 15.2% | 16.6% | 37.0% | ||
| SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.175 | 0.299 | 27.8% | 9.6% | 21.2% | 34.3% | SP vs. Right (2016-17) | 0.308 | 0.329 | 35.3% | 6.9% | 21.2% | 40.6% | ||
Pitcher Grind Down
| Matt Strahm | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $5,500 | Salary: | $4,800 | Salary: | $9,300 | ||||
| Salary Rank: | 26 of 30 | Salary Rank: | 26 of 30 | Salary Rank: | 17 of 30 | ||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 3 | 4.75 | 5.45 | 24.0% | 14.3% | 37.1% | 28.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2018 | 3 | 5.23 | 2.55 | 16.9% | 12.7% | 34.7% | 32.0% | 24.0% | |
| L14 | 2 | 2.90 | 1.42 | 28.6% | 0.0% | 28.6% | 40.0% | 13.3% | |
Update 11:00am EST – Matt Strahm will start for the Padres. I don’t have interest in him as he hasn’t thrown more than 36 pitches in a game, so I worry about how long he goes. I was high on Ozzie Albies but he’s out of the lineup today.
As of early Sunday morning, we don’t yet have a starting pitcher announced for the Padres. I will do my best to come back and update this article but as of now, I’m just focused on other pitching options as the Braves aren’t an offense I want to pick on anyway.
Quick Breakdown: No interest in Strahm as this should be a bullpen game.
| Julio Teheran | |||||||||
 | FanDuel | DraftKings | FantasyDraft | ||||||
| Salary: | $6,900 | Salary: | $7,800 | Salary: | $14,900 | ||||
| Salary Rank: | 15 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 11 of 29 | Salary Rank: | 9 of 29 | ||||
| Stats | Starts | SIERA | ERA | K% | BB% | GB% | HC% | SC% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 32 | 4.89 | 4.49 | 18.6% | 8.9% | 40.0% | 30.4% | 21.1% | |
| 2018 | 13 | 4.94 | 4.31 | 18.9% | 11.1% | 38.8% | 39.0% | 19.0% | |
| L14 | 1 | 6.68 | 9.00 | 9.5% | 14.3% | 46.7% | 43.8% | 37.5% | |
It will be interesting to see what kind of ownership Teheran draws on Sunday. His name alone will probably draw some ownership, as well as the fact he’s facing the Padres, who have the third highest K% against right-handed pitching. Teheran was put on the 10-day DL in early June with a thumb contusion to his throwing hand but didn’t go on a rehab assignment. The more concerning aspect of Teheran is that he revealed recently that he’s been dealing with arm soreness this season. Take a look at his velocity this season compared to his past two seasons via FanGraphs:
He’s been in the upper 80s for a lot of this season, and that’s probably the reason he has just an 18.9% K%, allowing a career-high 39% hard hit rate and has just a 9.8% swinging strike rate (he’s been at 10.3% over his career). And the fact he didn’t go on a minor league rehab assignment doesn’t give us insight into how much these past 10 days have helped him. So here’s where you need to take a stand – do you want to play him against a woeful Padres offense or do you want to take the wait-and-see approach. I think Teheran is too risky for cash games but if you’re playing multiple lineups in tournaments, I do think it makes sense to at least sprinkle him onto a few teams and see what happens.
Quick Breakdown: Teheran has an elite matchup but question marks around his overall health and velocity drop still exist. I can’t recommend him for cash games but I do think having some exposure in tournaments is viable given he’s facing the Padres.
Batter Grind Down
San Diego
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. RH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | L15 | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travis Jankowski | LEFT | 0.270 | 0.250 | 0.071 | 16.7% | 8.9% | 13.0% | 67.4% | OF | $2,500 | OF | $3,700 | CF | $7,600 |
| 2 | Cory Spangenberg | LEFT | 0.316 | 0.326 | 0.190 | 42.0% | 3.6% | 33.3% | 39.7% | 3B | $2,700 | 2B/3B | $3,600 | 2B | $7,700 |
| 3 | Eric Hosmer | LEFT | 0.363 | 0.441 | 0.200 | 40.9% | 11.6% | 21.7% | 58.3% | 1B | $3,800 | 1B | $4,400 | 1B | $8,100 |
| 4 | Hunter Renfroe | RIGHT | 0.327 | 0.353 | 0.217 | 45.5% | 6.2% | 24.6% | 47.7% | OF | $2,700 | OF | $3,600 | RF | $7,900 |
| 5 | Christian Villanueva | RIGHT | 0.281 | 0.254 | 0.144 | 29.4% | 6.2% | 27.4% | 30.4% | 3B | $3,100 | 3B | $3,900 | 3B | $7,600 |
| 6 | Freddy Galvis | SWITCH | 0.306 | 0.412 | 0.086 | 39.6% | 10.1% | 19.2% | 48.1% | SS | $2,400 | SS | $2,900 | SS | $5,800 |
| 7 | Manuel Margot | RIGHT | 0.276 | 0.374 | 0.104 | 33.0% | 7.4% | 20.1% | 53.8% | OF | $2,500 | OF | $3,200 | CF | $6,500 |
| 8 | Raffy Lopez | LEFT | 0.272 | 0.358 | 0.123 | 42.2% | 11.8% | 35.3% | 31.1% | C | $2,200 | C | $2,700 | C | $5,500 |
| 9 | Matt Strahm | LEFT | 0.059 | 0.059 | 0.000 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 50.0% | 100.0% | P | $5,500 | P | $4,800 | P | $9,300 |
| Team Averages | 0.274 | 0.314 | 0.126 | 32.1% | 7.3% | 27.2% | 52.9% |
If there’s ever a day to play a Padres stack, it would be on Father’s Day. But in all seriousness, Teheran continues to struggle more against lefties. Unfortunately, the Padres don’t have a lot of good ones. They also don’t have a lot of good right-handed batters. Poor Padres. I suppose you could try Eric Hosmer in tournaments and hope they get to Teheran, but I’m not too excited about this idea. I cant get on-board with a stack, but if you think Teheran is still broken I’m fine with some of these Padres as one-offs in tournaments. It is a hitter’s ballpark and Teheran has struggled to keep the ball in the park this season, so it’s not the worst idea to chase the power upside here. Lefties like Travis Jankowski, Rafael Lopez and Cory Spangenberg deserve to at least be mentioned if they crack the lineup, so just monitor the starting lineup on Sunday to see if the Padres take advantage of Teheran’s troubles against lefties.
Elite Plays – None
Secondary Plays – Eric Hosmer
Stackability – RED (If we see a lineup full of lefties you could make a case for ORANGE and a stack in large field GPPs, but it really depends on the lineup they roll out)
Atlanta
Projected Lineup (Splits vs. LH Pitching)
| # | Player | Bats | xwOBA | L15 | ISO | HC% | BB% | K% | GB% | FD Pos. | FD Sal. | DK Pos. | DK Sal. | FDRFT Pos. | FDRFT Sal. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ozzie Albies | SWITCH | 0.381 | 0.329 | 0.279 | 43.4% | 4.4% | 12.1% | 36.0% | 2B | $4,200 | 2B | $4,800 | 2B | $9,100 |
| 2 | Dansby Swanson | RIGHT | 0.282 | 0.354 | 0.209 | 42.9% | 8.5% | 31.9% | 40.7% | SS | $3,000 | SS | $4,000 | SS | $7,200 |
| 3 | Freddie Freeman | LEFT | 0.433 | 0.412 | 0.293 | 39.2% | 8.7% | 18.4% | 39.2% | 1B | $5,000 | 1B | $5,500 | 1B | $10,900 |
| 4 | Nick Markakis | LEFT | 0.351 | 0.390 | 0.182 | 39.8% | 7.5% | 15.0% | 43.4% | OF | $3,600 | OF | $4,300 | RF | $8,300 |
| 5 | Kurt Suzuki | RIGHT | 0.400 | 0.297 | 0.263 | 39.4% | 9.5% | 11.9% | 42.4% | C | $2,700 | C | $3,400 | C | $6,300 |
| 6 | Charlie Culberson | RIGHT | 0.263 | 0.242 | 0.109 | 26.3% | 4.2% | 16.7% | 62.2% | SS | $2,100 | 3B/OF | $3,000 | SS | $6,000 |
| 7 | Ender Inciarte | LEFT | 0.268 | 0.261 | 0.027 | 27.9% | 7.5% | 15.0% | 50.8% | OF | $3,000 | OF | $3,900 | CF | $7,600 |
| 8 | Johan Camargo | SWITCH | 0.331 | 0.331 | 0.208 | 36.8% | 5.9% | 19.6% | 39.5% | 3B | $2,600 | 3B/SS | $3,200 | 3B | $6,800 |
| 9 | Julio Teheran | RIGHT | 0.221 | 0.141 | 0.000 | 10.0% | 0.0% | 9.1% | 75.0% | P | $6,900 | P | $7,800 | P | $14,900 |
| Team Averages | 0.326 | 0.306 | 0.174 | 34.0% | 6.2% | 16.6% | 47.7% |
Update 11am EST – The Braves are rolling a starting lineup without Ozzie Albies. That knocks them down a peg for me in terms of stacks I like, but I do like Swanson and Culberson at the top. Culberson specifically has been swinging a good bat. Freeman and Markakis are still fine against lefties, and this should turn into a bullpen game anyway.
Elite Plays – Dansby Swanson (cash), Charlie Culberson
Secondary Plays – Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis, Kurt Suzuki
Stackability – YELLOW
Note: Unless noted, all statistics in the Grind Down are from the 2018 season.