MLB Grind Down: Thursday, June 4th
The RotoGrinders MLB Grind Down article will give you an in-depth analysis into the MLB schedule. This article will break down the numbers for every single game and give you analysis on which trends you can exploit. While matchups are a major factor in daily fantasy baseball, there are plenty of other factors to consider such as injuries, weather, and salaries.
The analysis should point you in the right direction, but it is still up to you to decipher the information and make your own selections. No sport has more variance than baseball. The best choice is not always the right choice but following the trends will win you money over time.
Remember, these writeups are done prior to lineups being released, so make sure to check our Starting Lineups page to ensure the recommended options are playing.
Note: For more info on DFS MLB scoring systems on the two largest sites, check out our DraftKings review and FanDuel review.
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Oakland at Detroit – 1:08 PM EST
| Oakland | Detroit | ||||||||
 | Jesse Hahn |  | Shane Greene | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| DET (-118) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.261 | 0.697 | 0.307 | 18.1% | SP vs. Left | 0.293 | 0.797 | 0.352 | 15.40% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.179 | 0.536 | 0.250 | 21.9% | SP vs. Right | 0.215 | 0.601 | 0.272 | 25.90% |
| Batter Splits | OAK BvP | OAK vs R | Batter Splits | DET BvP | DET vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Jesse Hahn (FD: $7500, DK: $6100)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 59 — SIERA: 3.71 — K Rate: 15.9% — K/9: 6.03 — BB Rate: 5.2% — FB Rate: 21.8% — HR/FB: 7.1%
2014: IP: 73 — SIERA: 3.73 — K Rate: 22.9% — K/9: 8.59 — BB Rate: 10.5% — FB Rate: 27.5% — HR/FB: 7.5%
Detroit Tigers vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.323 (Rank: 3) — Strikeout Rate: 18.9% (Rank: 8) — wRC+: 105 (Rank: 5)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.86 (Rank: 8)
Analysis: It’s hard to find a knock on Hahn this season. He owns a 3.71 SIERA with a K/9 of 6.9. While he hasn’t been a high-strikeout pitcher, he has gotten the job done, including cutting his walk rate in half from where it was last season. He draws one of the easiest pitching matchups to stay away from today though. The Tigers are ranked 3rd in wOBA (.323) and 8th in strikeout rate (18.9%) against right-handed pitching this season. The total for this game seems a big high, but Vegas knows best.
Pitcher Rating:56.1
Shane Greene (FD: $7100, DK: $5600)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 60 — SIERA: 4.30 — K Rate: 15.5% — K/9: 5.79 — BB Rate: 6.4% — FB Rate: 32.1% — HR/FB: 13.3%
2014: IP: 78 — SIERA: 3.41 — K Rate: 23.5% — K/9: 9.27 — BB Rate: 8.4% — FB Rate: 28.3% — HR/FB: 12.7%
Oakland Athletics vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.322 (Rank: 4) — Strikeout Rate: 17.5% (Rank: 4) — wRC+: 109 (Rank: 2)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.88 (Rank: 6)
Analysis: Jekyll and Hyde takes the mound for the Tigers today. Greene has either been very good, or very bad in his starts this season, with little in between. He currently owns a 4.30 SIERA with a low K/9 of 5.8. He’s facing one of the best offenses in baseball against right-handed pitching, as the A’s are ranked 4th in wOBA (.322) and 4th in strikeout rate (17.5%) this season. The A’s also make pitchers work with each at-bat, taking the 6th most pitches per plate appearance on the season.
Pitcher Rating:57.7
Batter Grind Down
Oakland
Billy Burns (FD: $3300, DK: $3500)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 123 — wOBA: 0.363 — ISO: 0.092 — wRC+: 137
Analysis: Burns is riding an eight-game hitting streak in which he has accumulated 14 hits, 5 RBI, and 6 runs. He’s one of the fastest players in all of baseball and he has really taken advantage of his playing time thanks to the Coco Crisp injury. He is a switch-hitter that should be able to take advantage of the fact that Shane Greene has allowed a .352 wOBA to left-handed hitters.
Secondary Plays:
Stephen Vogt (FD: $3500, DK: $4100)
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: 1B/C
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 185 — wOBA: 0.428 — ISO: 0.305 — wRC+: 183
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 287 — wOBA: 0.337 — ISO: 0.148 — wRC+: 119
Josh Reddick (FD: $3000, DK: $4400)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 194 — wOBA: 0.442 — ISO: 0.250 — wRC+: 193
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 396 — wOBA: 0.367 — ISO: 0.239 — wRC+: 140
Detroit
Miguel Cabrera (FD: $4700, DK: $5200)
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B/3B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 224 — wOBA: 0.418 — ISO: 0.232 — wRC+: 171
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 685 — wOBA: 0.385 — ISO: 0.203 — wRC+: 148
Analysis: Cabrera has excelled in day games this season, batting 38-for-89 with 10 home runs and 7 doubles. He has also hit well against right-handed pitching, posting a .418 wOBA and a .232 ISO. Jesse Hahn has been very efficient against right-handed hitters since entering the league, but he hasn’t faced many hitters as talented as Miguel Cabrera.
Secondary Plays:
Yoenis Cespedes (FD: $3300, DK: $4600)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 216 — wOBA: 0.362 — ISO: 0.185 — wRC+: 133
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 645 — wOBA: 0.337 — ISO: 0.187 — wRC+: 117
Anthony Gose (FD: $2600, DK: $3800)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 172 — wOBA: 0.354 — ISO: 0.127 — wRC+: 126
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 274 — wOBA: 0.295 — ISO: 0.074 — wRC+: 84
Baltimore at Houston – 2:10 PM EST
| Baltimore | Houston | ||||||||
 | Wei-Yin Chen |  | Dallas Keuchel | ||||||
| LEFT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| HOU (-148) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.251 | 0.655 | 0.290 | 16.7% | SP vs. Left | 0.215 | 0.545 | 0.246 | 24.30% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.260 | 0.752 | 0.328 | 18.4% | SP vs. Right | 0.239 | 0.638 | 0.285 | 16.10% |
| Batter Splits | BAL BvP | BAL vs L | Batter Splits | HOU BvP | HOU vs L | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Wei-Yin Chen (FD: $7400, DK: $7600)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 61 — SIERA: 4.03 — K Rate: 18.9% — K/9: 7.01 — BB Rate: 5.9% — FB Rate: 43.7% — HR/FB: 12.5%
2014: IP: 185 — SIERA: 3.85 — K Rate: 17.6% — K/9: 6.59 — BB Rate: 4.5% — FB Rate: 37.5% — HR/FB: 10.5%
Houston Astros vs. LH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.318 (Rank: 15) — Strikeout Rate: 22.9% (Rank: 22) — wRC+: 104 (Rank: 15)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.79 (Rank: 15)
Analysis: Chen is one of those pitchers that is rarely ever used in daily fantasy baseball. He has decent numbers, but nothing that really stands out. He owns a 4.03 SIERA with a K/9 of 7.0. He is an extreme fly-ball pitcher with a slightly above-average HR/FB rate. That doesn’t bode well for his matchup today against the Astros, who are tied with the Dodgers for the most home runs of any team in baseball. There is more risk than potential reward with Chen today.
Pitcher Rating:53.9
Dallas Keuchel (FD: $9800, DK: $10000)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 81 — SIERA: 3.06 — K Rate: 19.3% — K/9: 6.61 — BB Rate: 6.8% — FB Rate: 15.0% — HR/FB: 8.8%
2014: IP: 200 — SIERA: 3.11 — K Rate: 18.1% — K/9: 6.57 — BB Rate: 5.9% — FB Rate: 19.3% — HR/FB: 9.6%
Baltimore Orioles vs. LH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.308 (Rank: 22) — Strikeout Rate: 19.5% (Rank: 12) — wRC+: 95 (Rank: 21)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.76 (Rank: 19)
Analysis: Keuchel is coming off of his best start of the season, striking out 11 batters in a complete game shutout against the White Sox. When he is on, there are few better pitchers in baseball. While his K/9 doesn’t rival that of the other top aces in baseball, his ability to pitch deep into games more than makes up for it. Keuchel has the highest ground ball rate of any qualified starter, which limits most hits to singles and allows him to get a lot of double-play ground outs. He should be in for another strong outing against the Orioles, who are ranked 22nd in wOBA (.308) against left-handed pitching this season.
Pitcher Rating:78.3
Batter Grind Down
Baltimore
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
Adam Jones (FD: $2700, DK: $4500)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 206 — wOBA: 0.409 — ISO: 0.250 — wRC+: 165
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 682 — wOBA: 0.434 — ISO: 0.260 — wRC+: 182
Steve Pearce (FD: $2700, DK: $4200)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: 2B/OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 131 — wOBA: 0.278 — ISO: 0.182 — wRC+: 73
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 383 — wOBA: 0.472 — ISO: 0.378 — wRC+: 209
Houston
George Springer (FD: $3600, DK: $4400)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 206 — wOBA: 0.383 — ISO: 0.241 — wRC+: 149
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 345 — wOBA: 0.342 — ISO: 0.194 — wRC+: 121
Analysis: Springer hit his eighth home run of the season last night on a line drive to left field. He has some incredible power in his bat, especially when he’s facing a lefty. Springer has a .383 wOBA and a .241 ISO against southpaws this season. He’s a speed/power threat with a more than reasonable price tag on both FanDuel and DraftKings. He also draws a favorable matchup against fly-ball pitcher Wei-Yin Chen.
Additional Plays:
Evan Gattis (FD: $4200, DK: $4800)
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: 1B
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 196 — wOBA: 0.268 — ISO: 0.222 — wRC+: 69
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 401 — wOBA: 0.419 — ISO: 0.271 — wRC+: 171
Jose Altuve (FD: $3800, DK: $4800)
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 233 — wOBA: 0.405 — ISO: 0.109 — wRC+: 164
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 707 — wOBA: 0.440 — ISO: 0.151 — wRC+: 189
Chris Carter (FD: $3000, DK: $4400)
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 203 — wOBA: 0.308 — ISO: 0.167 — wRC+: 97
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 572 — wOBA: 0.370 — ISO: 0.274 — wRC+: 140
Minnesota at Boston – 4:05 PM EST
| Minnesota | Boston | ||||||||
 | Tommy Milone |  | Steven Wright | ||||||
| LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| BOS (-148) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.242 | 0.734 | 0.325 | 10.7% | SP vs. Left | 0.258 | 0.706 | 0.313 | 16.70% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.272 | 0.776 | 0.342 | 15.2% | SP vs. Right | 0.244 | 0.648 | 0.288 | 20.50% |
| Batter Splits | MIN BvP | MIN vs R | Batter Splits | BOS BvP | BOS vs L | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Tommy Milone (FD: $6300, DK: N/A)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 22 — SIERA: 5.43 — K Rate: 13.1% — K/9: 5.16 — BB Rate: 11.1% — FB Rate: 44.4% — HR/FB: 15.6%
2014: IP: 118 — SIERA: 4.57 — K Rate: 14.5% — K/9: 5.72 — BB Rate: 7.1% — FB Rate: 39.4% — HR/FB: 10.3%
Boston Red Sox vs. LH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.290 (Rank: 25) — Strikeout Rate: 17.6% (Rank: 5) — wRC+: 80 (Rank: 25)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 4.00 (Rank: 1)
Analysis: Milone will take the mound for the Twins tonight and after watching what his teammate Trevor May was able to do to the Red Sox last night, he should be itching to get on the bump today. Milone has been dealing with injuries all season though and he hasn’t pitched well in his 22 innings of work, posting a 5.43 SIERA with a low K/9 of 5.7. Even though the Red Sox offense has been underperforming, Milone is not a recommended fantasy option today.
Pitcher Rating:34.3
Steven Wright (FD: $5600, DK: $4300)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 27 — SIERA: 4.76 — K Rate: 13.0% — K/9: 4.88 — BB Rate: 7.8% — FB Rate: 42.7% — HR/FB: 13.2%
2014: IP: 21 — SIERA: 2.16 — K Rate: 25.6% — K/9: 9.43 — BB Rate: 4.7% — FB Rate: 20.7% — HR/FB: 16.7%
Minnesota Twins vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.291 (Rank: 26) — Strikeout Rate: 22.3% (Rank: 26) — wRC+: 84 (Rank: 26)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.77 (Rank: 17)
Analysis: Wright has never really been a high-strikeout pitcher, with the exception of his four Triple-A starts this season. He has been a serviceable starter for the Red Sox, posting a 4.76 SIERA with a K/9 of 4.9. The strikeouts need to go up for us to consider targeting him in daily fantasy, as strikeouts can hide the few mistakes that he’s likely going to make over the course of a game. Even though the Twins have not hit right-handed pitching well this season, Wright is a tournament play at best.
Pitcher Rating:61.0
Batter Grind Down
Minnesota
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
Brian Dozier (FD: $4000, DK: $5400)
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 220 — wOBA: 0.347 — ISO: 0.236 — wRC+: 123
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 707 — wOBA: 0.335 — ISO: 0.161 — wRC+: 114
Trevor Plouffe (FD: $2900, DK: $4500)
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 197 — wOBA: 0.343 — ISO: 0.196 — wRC+: 120
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 582 — wOBA: 0.326 — ISO: 0.171 — wRC+: 108
Boston
Dustin Pedroia (FD: $3000, DK: $4300)
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 231 — wOBA: 0.319 — ISO: 0.174 — wRC+: 100
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 609 — wOBA: 0.322 — ISO: 0.151 — wRC+: 102
Analysis: Pedroia has six hits in his last three games and four multi-hit games in his last ten. He is really seeing the ball well right now. He draws a favorable matchup today against Tommy Milone, who has given up a .342 wOBA to right-handed hitters this season. Even though Pedroia’s numbers against left-handed pitching are down since the start of 2014, he still owns a career .370 wOBA against southpaws.
Additional Plays:
Hanley Ramirez (FD: $3600, DK: $5100)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF/SS
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 200 — wOBA: 0.426 — ISO: 0.292 — wRC+: 175
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 512 — wOBA: 0.383 — ISO: 0.194 — wRC+: 150
Mike Napoli (FD: $3200, DK: $4600)
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 189 — wOBA: 0.368 — ISO: 0.313 — wRC+: 135
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 500 — wOBA: 0.407 — ISO: 0.173 — wRC+: 162
Xander Bogaerts (FD: $2400, DK: $3900)
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: 3B/SS
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 182 — wOBA: 0.346 — ISO: 0.089 — wRC+: 119
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 594 — wOBA: 0.332 — ISO: 0.167 — wRC+: 109
Chicago Cubs at Washington – 7:05 PM EST
| Chicago Cubs | Washington | ||||||||
 | Jake Arrieta |  | Gio Gonzalez | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| WAS (-117) | 7.0 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.195 | 0.544 | 0.249 | 29.7% | SP vs. Left | 0.234 | 0.631 | 0.282 | 23.30% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.217 | 0.559 | 0.247 | 25.1% | SP vs. Right | 0.246 | 0.704 | 0.312 | 24.20% |
| Batter Splits | CHC BvP | CHC vs L | Batter Splits | WAS BvP | WAS vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Jake Arrieta (FD: $9600, DK: $9600)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 65 — SIERA: 2.84 — K Rate: 26.0% — K/9: 9.28 — BB Rate: 5.4% — FB Rate: 26.9% — HR/FB: 12.8%
2014: IP: 156 — SIERA: 2.83 — K Rate: 27.2% — K/9: 9.59 — BB Rate: 6.7% — FB Rate: 28.4% — HR/FB: 4.5%
Washington Nationals vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.318 (Rank: 10) — Strikeout Rate: 20.6% (Rank: 21) — wRC+: 100 (Rank: 11)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.76 (Rank: 20)
Analysis: Arrieta continues to pitch well for the Cubs and no one outside of Chicago or the daily fantasy community seems to be noticing. He has a 2.84 SIERA on the season with an impressive K/9 of 9.3. He keeps his walks down and he produces ground balls at a fairly high rate. He draws a mediocre matchup tonight against the Nationals, but he’ll get to face them in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Arrieta is a small underdog in this game, but he still deserves consideration in tournaments and as an SP2 on multi-pitcher sites.
Pitcher Rating:83.6
Gio Gonzalez (FD: $8700, DK: $8500)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 59 — SIERA: 3.38 — K Rate: 21.9% — K/9: 8.54 — BB Rate: 8.2% — FB Rate: 19.5% — HR/FB: 8.8%
2014: IP: 158 — SIERA: 3.43 — K Rate: 24.8% — K/9: 9.19 — BB Rate: 8.6% — FB Rate: 36.6% — HR/FB: 6.6%
Chicago Cubs vs. LH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.338 (Rank: 2) — Strikeout Rate: 22.2% (Rank: 19) — wRC+: 111 (Rank: 7)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 4.00 (Rank: 2)
Analysis: Gonzalez has pitched well this season with a 3.38 SIERA and a K/9 of 8.5. He walks a few too many batters for my liking though and it often comes back to hurt him. The Cubs are a very patient team at the plate, averaging the 2nd-most pitches per plate appearance this season. As a team, the Cubs are also ranked 2nd in wOBA (.338) against left-handed pitching. Even though Gonzlaez is the small favorite, Arrieta looks to be the best pitching option in this game.
Pitcher Rating:78.7
Batter Grind Down
Chicago Cubs
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
Kris Bryant (FD: $4300, DK: $4300)
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 186 — wOBA: 0.302 — ISO: 0.160 — wRC+: 88
Dexter Fowler (FD: $3500, DK: $3800)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 220 — wOBA: 0.367 — ISO: 0.129 — wRC+: 131
2014 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 505 — wOBA: 0.392 — ISO: 0.140 — wRC+: 155
Washington
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
Bryce Harper (FD: $5800, DK: $5100)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 217 — wOBA: 0.515 — ISO: 0.451 — wRC+: 232
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 395 — wOBA: 0.338 — ISO: 0.144 — wRC+: 115
Cincinnati at Philadelphia – 7:05 PM EST
| Cincinnati | Philadelphia | ||||||||
 | Anthony Desclafani |  | Aaron Harang | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| CIN (-108) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.290 | 0.861 | 0.374 | 16.2% | SP vs. Left | 0.275 | 0.723 | 0.321 | 16.40% |
| SP vs. Right | 0.190 | 0.536 | 0.237 | 20.4% | SP vs. Right | 0.238 | 0.663 | 0.294 | 19.90% |
| Batter Splits | CIN BvP | CIN vs R | Batter Splits | PHI BvP | PHI vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Anthony Desclafani (FD: $6900, DK: $7000)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 58 — SIERA: 4.76 — K Rate: 16.7% — K/9: 6.36 — BB Rate: 10.2% — FB Rate: 38.0% — HR/FB: 6.2%
2014: IP: 33 — SIERA: 3.70 — K Rate: 17.8% — K/9: 7.09 — BB Rate: 3.4% — FB Rate: 40.2% — HR/FB: 9.3%
Philadelphia Phillies vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.270 (Rank: 30) — Strikeout Rate: 19.9% (Rank: 16) — wRC+: 67 (Rank: 30)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.69 (Rank: 27)
Analysis: Desclafani is a below-average major league pitcher. He owns a 4.76 SIERA with a K/9 of 6.4. He has walked 10.2% of the batters that he has faced this season and he gives up a high fly-ball rate of 38%. Even with mediocre numbers at best, Desclafani is a decent play tonight against the Phillies, who are still ranked dead last in wOBA (.270) and wRC+ (67) against right-handed pitching. The Phillies can make an average pitcher look like an All-Star.
Pitcher Rating:50.4
Aaron Harang (FD: $7900, DK: $6800)
Pitching Stats:
2015: IP: 71 — SIERA: 4.08 — K Rate: 18.9% — K/9: 6.69 — BB Rate: 5.3% — FB Rate: 46.8% — HR/FB: 4.2%
2014: IP: 204 — SIERA: 4.18 — K Rate: 18.4% — K/9: 7.09 — BB Rate: 8.1% — FB Rate: 37.8% — HR/FB: 6.4%
Cincinnati Reds vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.305 (Rank: 19) — Strikeout Rate: 18.6% (Rank: 7) — wRC+: 90 (Rank: 21)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.70 (Rank: 25)
Analysis: Harang hasn’t given up more than two earned runs in any of his last six starts, holding his opponents to a combined seven earned runs during that stretch. He has a 4.08 SIERA on the season with a K/9 of 6.7. He doesn’t walk many batters, but he does give up a high fly-ball rate and his HR/FB rate of 4.2% is unsustainable. Regression will catch up to him eventually and not in a good way. He’s not a pitcher that is on my radar tonight, even though he is a small favorite against the Reds.
Pitcher Rating:58.0
Batter Grind Down
Cincinnati
Joey Votto (FD: $3600, DK: $4700)
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 211 — wOBA: 0.382 — ISO: 0.250 — wRC+: 142
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 272 — wOBA: 0.342 — ISO: 0.093 — wRC+: 116
Analysis: Votto hit another home run in last night’s win over the Phillies. He now has a .382 wOBA and a .250 ISO against right-handed pitching this season. His price is still very affordable on FanDuel, making him one of the top plays at first base. He draws a favorable matchup against fly-ball pitcher, Aaron Harang, who has given up a .321 wOBA to left-handed hitters.
Secondary Plays:
Todd Frazier (FD: $4400, DK: $5000)
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 1B/3B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 212 — wOBA: 0.405 — ISO: 0.297 — wRC+: 157
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 660 — wOBA: 0.355 — ISO: 0.195 — wRC+: 125
Jay Bruce (FD: $3100, DK: $4500)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 193 — wOBA: 0.301 — ISO: 0.142 — wRC+: 88
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 545 — wOBA: 0.301 — ISO: 0.149 — wRC+: 88
Philadelphia
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
Ryan Howard (FD: $3000, DK: $3800)
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 188 — wOBA: 0.355 — ISO: 0.281 — wRC+: 125
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 648 — wOBA: 0.292 — ISO: 0.132 — wRC+: 84
Chase Utley (FD: $2800, DK: $4000)
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 185 — wOBA: 0.267 — ISO: 0.120 — wRC+: 66
2014 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 664 — wOBA: 0.333 — ISO: 0.144 — wRC+: 111