MLB Grind Down: Thursday, May 21 - Page Three
Cleveland at Chicago White Sox – 8:10 PM EST
| Cleveland | Chicago White Sox | ||||||||
 | Danny Salazar |  | John Danks | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| CLE (-125) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.233 | 0.686 | 0.301 | 0.313 | SP vs. Left | 0.235 | 0.683 | 0.306 | 0.11 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.276 | 0.785 | 0.341 | 0.247 | SP vs. Right | 0.275 | 0.827 | 0.361 | 0.17 |
| Batter Splits | CLE BvP | CLE vs L | Batter Splits | CWS BvP | CWS vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Danny Salazar (FD: $8900, DK: $9300)
Pitching Stats:
2015: SIERA: 2.15 — K Rate: 34.0% — K/9: 12.42 — BB Rate: 3.9% — FB Rate: 37.4% — HR/FB: 20.6%
2014: SIERA: 3.33 — K Rate: 25.3% — K/9: 9.82 — BB Rate: 7.4% — FB Rate: 42.2% — HR/FB: 10.0%
Chicago White Sox vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.310 (Rank: 17)
Strikeout Rate: 19.5% (Rank: 12)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.71 (Rank: 26)
Analysis: Salazar has been terrific this season, posting a 2.15 SIERA with an impressive K/9 of 12.4. He’s cut down on his walks and he’s actually producing ground balls at a higher rate as well. He is coming off of a rough outing against the Rangers, but he has a good chance to bounce back tonight against a White Sox offense that is ranked right around the major league average in both wOBA and strikeout rate. The White Sox don’t take a ton of pitches either, which could help him pitch a little deeper into tonight’s game.
Pitcher Rating:74.1
John Danks (FD: $6500, DK: $5900)
Pitching Stats:
2015: SIERA: 4.53 — K Rate: 17.1% — K/9: 6.75 — BB Rate: 7.1% — FB Rate: 47.1% — HR/FB: 10.7%
2014: SIERA: 4.64 — K Rate: 15.1% — K/9: 5.99 — BB Rate: 8.7% — FB Rate: 38.3% — HR/FB: 10.4%
Cleveland Indians vs. LH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.313 (Rank: 20)
Strikeout Rate: 16.5% (Rank: 3)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.91 (Rank: 4)
Analysis: Danks has slightly improved strikeout numbers this season, but he’s still not a recommended play in daily fantasy. He owns a 4.53 SIERA with a K/9 of 6.8 this season. He can walk a few too many batters at times and he has a fairly high fly-ball rate. The Indians are a tough team to strike out and they take the fourth-most pitches per plate appearance of any team in baseball. That’s not a great combination for Danks. He can safely be avoided in all league formats.
Pitcher Rating:41.0
Batter Grind Down
Cleveland
Ryan Raburn (FD: $2200, DK: $2900)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.429 — ISO: 0.235 — wRC+: 182
2014 vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.264 — ISO: 0.138 — wRC+: 68
Analysis: Raburn is the Indians’ platoon specialist whenever there is a left-handed pitcher on the mound. He’s not an everyday player, which helps keep his salary at a very low point on both FanDuel and DraftKings. He has been terrific against southpaws this season, posting a .429 wOBA and a .235 ISO. He also has a good track record against John Danks, going 17-for-47 with four home runs and seven doubles lifetime.
Secondary Plays:
Michael Brantley (FD: $4700, DK: $5400)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.439 — ISO: 0.250 — wRC+: 189
2014 vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.364 — ISO: 0.141 — wRC+: 138
Nick Swisher (FD: $2200, DK: $3800)
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B/OF
2015 vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.373 — ISO: 0.111 — wRC+: 143
2014 vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.231 — ISO: 0.040 — wRC+: 45
Chicago White Sox
Jose Abreu (FD: $3600, DK: $4900)
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.389 — ISO: 0.211 — wRC+: 148
2014 vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.394 — ISO: 0.250 — wRC+: 153
Analysis: Once again, Abreu is a recommended option tonight on FanDuel. He is still sitting at a very playable $3,600 and he draws a favorable matchup against Danny Salazar, who is a reverse-splits pitcher. Since the start of 2014, Salazar has given up a .341 wOBA to right-handed hitters. Salazar also gives up a high fly-ball rate and a slightly above average HR/FB rate as well.
Secondary Plays:
Avisail Garcia (FD: $3200, DK: $4500)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.360 — ISO: 0.132 — wRC+: 128
2014 vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.278 — ISO: 0.134 — wRC+: 72
Adam Eaton (FD: $2600, DK: $3500)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.278 — ISO: 0.083 — wRC+: 71
2014 vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.344 — ISO: 0.119 — wRC+: 118
Chicago Cubs at San Diego – 9:10 PM EST
| Chicago Cubs | San Diego | ||||||||
 | Kyle Hendricks |  | Odrisamer Despaigne | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| SD (-110) | 7 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.254 | 0.667 | 0.296 | 0.138 | SP vs. Left | 0.246 | 0.685 | 0.308 | 0.108 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.247 | 0.65 | 0.288 | 0.18 | SP vs. Right | 0.238 | 0.676 | 0.302 | 0.179 |
| Batter Splits | CHC BvP | CHC vs R | Batter Splits | SD BvP | SD vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Kyle Hendricks (FD: $6100, DK: $6700)
Pitching Stats:
2015: SIERA: 3.85 — K Rate: 19.0% — K/9: 7.36 — BB Rate: 5.7% — FB Rate: 35.7% — HR/FB: 9.8%
2014: SIERA: 4.06 — K Rate: 14.6% — K/9: 5.27 — BB Rate: 4.7% — FB Rate: 32.8% — HR/FB: 4.9%
San Diego Padres vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.303 (Rank: 19)
Strikeout Rate: 21.3% (Rank: 22)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 3.86 (Rank: 10)
Analysis: Hendricks is quietly having a good season for the Cubs. He has a 3.85 SIERA with a K/9 of 7.4. He doesn’t give up many walks or home runs, both of which are good signs in daily fantasy. He gets to pitch in Petco Park tonight, which is the best hitter’s venue in all of baseball. The Padres’ offense has really cooled off recently, as they are now ranked 19th in wOBA (.303) and 22nd in strikeout rate (21.3%) this season. He’s a viable tournament play and an SP2 on multi-pitcher sites.
Pitcher Rating:58.7
Odrisamer Despaigne (FD: $5300, DK: $4900)
Pitching Stats:
2015: SIERA: 4.87 — K Rate: 9.3% — K/9: 3.68 — BB Rate: 7.0% — FB Rate: 26.7% — HR/FB: 14.3%
2014: SIERA: 4.14 — K Rate: 16.1% — K/9: 6.07 — BB Rate: 7.9% — FB Rate: 29.0% — HR/FB: 7.1%
Chicago Cubs vs. RH Pitching: (2015)
wOBA: 0.309 (Rank: 18)
Strikeout Rate: 25.8% (Rank: 30)
Pitches per Plate Appearance: 4.01 (Rank: 1)
Analysis: Despaigne has not been sharp this season. He currently owns a 4.87 SIERA with a very low K/9 of 3.7. His strikeout rate has dipped ever since his first few major league starts and at this time, he’s not a recommended fantasy option. The Cubs are currently ranked 18th in wOBA against right-handed pitching, but they average more pitches per plate appearance than any other team in the majors.
Pitcher Rating:50.1
Batter Grind Down
Chicago Cubs
Kris Bryant (FD: $4000, DK: $4500)
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.402 — ISO: 0.174 — wRC+: 152
Analysis: Bryant continues to be one of the most productive third basemen in all of baseball. He has a .402 wOBA and a .174 ISO against right-handed pitching this season and even though this game will be played in the pitcher-friendly Petco Park, he’s still a strong play against the struggling Odrisamer Despaigne.
Secondary Plays:
Miguel Montero (FD: $3000, DK: $3300)
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2015 vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.373 — ISO: 0.158 — wRC+: 133
2014 vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.322 — ISO: 0.131 — wRC+: 100
San Diego
NO ELITE PLAYS
Secondary Plays:
Matt Kemp (FD: $2700, DK: $4100)
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2015 vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.280 — ISO: 0.095 — wRC+: 79
2014 vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.382 — ISO: 0.229 — wRC+: 149
Cory Spangenberg (FD: $2500, DK: $2800)
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/3B
2015 vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.303 — ISO: 0.169 — wRC+: 94
2014 vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.347 — ISO: 0.213 — wRC+: 126