MLB Grind Down: Tuesday, August 4th - Page Two
Kansas City at Detroit – 7:08 PM EST
| Kansas City | Detroit | ||||||||
 | Danny Duffy |  | Justin Verlander | ||||||
| LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| DET (-106) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.188 | 0.486 | 0.225 | 0.171 | SP vs. Left | 0.238 | 0.696 | 0.307 | 0.185 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.24 | 0.721 | 0.318 | 0.173 | SP vs. Right | 0.306 | 0 | 0.361 | 0.166 |
| Batter Splits | KCR BvP | KC vs R | Batter Splits | DET BvP | DET vs L | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Danny Duffy : FD: $6,800 — DK: $5,500
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 231.1 — SIERA: 4.52 — ERA: 3.15 — K%: 17.2% — BB%: 9.0% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 32.1 — SIERA: 5.60 — ERA: 2.51 — K%: 9.5% — BB%: 9.5% — HR/9: 1.4
Detroit Tigers Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.340 (Rank: 2) — Strikeout Rate: 23.1% (Rank: 25)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.316 (Rank: 16) — Strikeout Rate: 22.0% (Rank: 21)
Pitchers per PA: 3.85 (Rank: 11)
Analysis: Duffy may own a 2.51 ERA over the last month of play, but it’s only a matter of time before regression hits. Over that same time period, he has a 5.60 SIERA with a low strikeout rate of 9.5%. He can safely be avoided tonight against the Tigers, who are ranked second in team wOBA against left-handed pitching this season. Even without Miguel Cabrera, Detroit still has a very capable offense, especially against left-handed pitching.
Pitcher Rating:40.1
Justin Verlander : FD: $7,600 — DK: $6,200
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 256.0 — SIERA: 4.20 — ERA: 4.61 — K%: 17.6% — BB%: 7.0% — HR/9: 1.0
Last 30 Days: IP: 32.1 — SIERA: 3.54 — ERA: 4.73 — K%: 21.9% — BB%: 3.1% — HR/9: 1.4
Kansas City Royals Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.317 (Rank: 10) — Strikeout Rate: 15.9% (Rank: 1)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.288 (Rank: 25) — Strikeout Rate: 15.1% (Rank: 1)
Pitchers per PA: 3.65 (Rank: 30)
Analysis: Out of nowhere, Verlander came out and dominated the Rays in his last start. Granted, it was against a favorable opponent, but he gave Tigers’ fans a glimmer of hope. The real test will come tonight against the Royals, who have one of the best offenses in all of baseball. I will not be targeting Verlander tonight, but I will be tuning in to see how well he pitches.
Pitcher Rating:57.0
Batter Grind Down
Kansas City
The Royals are large underdogs tonight, but they draw a nice matchup against Justin Verlander, who has been very hittable for the better part of two seasons. Verlander is a reverse-splits pitcher, but don’t count out the left-handed hitters in this lineup.
Elite Plays:
Eric Hosmer : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,200
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 646 — wOBA: 0.354 — ISO: 0.159 — wRC+: 127
Last 14 Days: PA: 54 — wOBA: 0.552 — ISO: 0.327 — wRC+: 265
Secondary Plays:
Ben Zobrist : FD: $4,000 — DK: $4,300
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 671 — wOBA: 0.320 — ISO: 0.143 — wRC+: 109
Last 14 Days: PA: 41 — wOBA: 0.510 — ISO: 0.459 — wRC+: 238
Lorenzo Cain : FD: $3,900 — DK: $4,800
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 612 — wOBA: 0.329 — ISO: 0.123 — wRC+: 110
Last 14 Days: PA: 50 — wOBA: 0.329 — ISO: 0.174 — wRC+: 109
Detroit
Danny Duffy is one of those pitchers whose ERA is always much lower than his SIERA. Eventually, you would think that the two would meet somewhere in the middle. The Tigers have a good chance to help that cause tonight, as they get to face him at home. All of the right-handed hitters in this lineup are in play.
Elite Plays:
J.D. Martinez : FD: $4,000 — DK: $4,700
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 221 — wOBA: 0.399 — ISO: 0.289 — wRC+: 157
Last 14 Days: PA: 57 — wOBA: 0.399 — ISO: 0.255 — wRC+: 157
Rajai Davis : FD: $2,600 — DK: $3,300
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 253 — wOBA: 0.381 — ISO: 0.190 — wRC+: 145
Last 14 Days: PA: 36 — wOBA: 0.242 — ISO: 0.143 — wRC+: 48
Secondary Plays:
Ian Kinsler : FD: $3,800 — DK: $4,100
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 277 — wOBA: 0.330 — ISO: 0.141 — wRC+: 109
Last 14 Days: PA: 63 — wOBA: 0.486 — ISO: 0.230 — wRC+: 218
Victor Martinez : FD: $2,600 — DK: $3,100
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 227 — wOBA: 0.450 — ISO: 0.265 — wRC+: 193
Last 14 Days: PA: 61 — wOBA: 0.191 — ISO: 0.018 — wRC+: 12
San Francisco at Atlanta – 7:10 PM EST
| San Francisco | Atlanta | ||||||||
 | Jake Peavy |  | Shelby Miller | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| SFG (-114) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.244 | 0.769 | 0.334 | 0.172 | SP vs. Left | 0.25 | 0.72 | 0.315 | 0.166 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.258 | 0.706 | 0.313 | 0.188 | SP vs. Right | 0.211 | 0.624 | 0.279 | 0.196 |
| Batter Splits | SFG BvP | SF vs R | Batter Splits | ATL BvP | ATL vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Jake Peavy : FD: $7,000 — DK: $6,400
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 242.0 — SIERA: 4.17 — ERA: 3.79 — K%: 18.1% — BB%: 7.2% — HR/9: 1.0
Last 30 Days: IP: 31.2 — SIERA: 4.50 — ERA: 2.84 — K%: 14.5% — BB%: 4.8% — HR/9: 1.1
Atlanta Braves Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.299 (Rank: 24) — Strikeout Rate: 17.2% (Rank: 3)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.270 (Rank: 27) — Strikeout Rate: 15.7% (Rank: 2)
Pitchers per PA: 3.78 (Rank: 18)
Analysis: Peavy has pitched well recently, but his indicators suggest that he has been average at best. Over the last month of play, he has a 4.50 SIERA with a low strikeout rate of 14.5%. He draws a decent matchup tonight against the Braves, who may be without Freddie Freeman again (oblique strain). The issue with this matchup is that the Braves have the third-lowest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. With such limited upside, Peavy is not on my radar tonight.
Pitcher Rating:58.2
Shelby Miller : FD: $8,400 — DK: $9,400
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 316.0 — SIERA: 4.29 — ERA: 3.19 — K%: 18.2% — BB%: 8.8% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 30.2 — SIERA: 3.59 — ERA: 3.23 — K%: 23.3% — BB%: 7.5% — HR/9: 0.9
San Francisco Giants Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.327 (Rank: 5) — Strikeout Rate: 17.9% (Rank: 5)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.320 (Rank: 12) — Strikeout Rate: 17.8% (Rank: 7)
Pitchers per PA: 3.75 (Rank: 24)
Analysis: Miller has pitched well in his recent starts, posting a 3.59 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 23.3%. He draws a very tough matchup tonight, though, as the Giants are ranked fifth in team wOBA and fifth in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. Miller is a pitcher that will be in play for the remainder of the season, but he can be avoided tonight in a bad strikeout matchup against the Giants.
Pitcher Rating:52.7
Batter Grind Down
San Francisco
The Giants draw a difficult matchup tonight against Shelby Miller, who has held left and right-handed hitters under a .315 wOBA over the last two seasons. The Giants are a scrappy offense that should find a way to score a few runs tonight, but trying to predict where that production will come from should prove difficult.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Brandon Belt : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 465 — wOBA: 0.357 — ISO: 0.223 — wRC+: 135
Last 14 Days: PA: 49 — wOBA: 0.382 — ISO: 0.238 — wRC+: 152
Nori Aoki : FD: $2,500 — DK: $3,400
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 634 — wOBA: 0.309 — ISO: 0.079 — wRC+: 98
Last 14 Days: PA: 18 — wOBA: 0.206 — ISO: 0.059 — wRC+: 31
Atlanta
The Braves draw a mediocre matchup against Jake Peavy. If Freddie Freeman is in the lineup tonight, he would become the top play in this lineup, as Peavy has given up a .334 wOBA to left-handed hitters over the last two seasons. If Freeman is out tonight, A.J. Pierzynski would become the only fantasy option of note.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
A.J. Pierzynski : FD: $2,800 — DK: $3,200
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 495 — wOBA: 0.317 — ISO: 0.125 — wRC+: 101
Last 14 Days: PA: 39 — wOBA: 0.339 — ISO: 0.027 — wRC+: 117
NY Mets at Miami – 7:10 PM EST
| NY Mets | Miami | ||||||||
 | Jonathon Niese |  | Brad Hand | ||||||
| LEFT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| NYM (-117) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.249 | 0.662 | 0.291 | 0.186 | SP vs. Left | 0.234 | 0.621 | 0.277 | 0.167 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.269 | 0.754 | 0.332 | 0.16 | SP vs. Right | 0.279 | 0.77 | 0.337 | 0.136 |
| Batter Splits | NYM BvP | NYM vs L | Batter Splits | MIA vs L | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Jon Niese : FD: $7,500 — DK: $6,100
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 309.0 — SIERA: 3.91 — ERA: 3.50 — K%: 16.6% — BB%: 6.2% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 31.1 — SIERA: 3.90 — ERA: 2.87 — K%: 13.6% — BB%: 4.0% — HR/9: 0.9
Miami Marlins Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.328 (Rank: 4) — Strikeout Rate: 21.9% (Rank: 18)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.259 (Rank: 29) — Strikeout Rate: 18.8% (Rank: 11)
Pitchers per PA: 3.72 (Rank: 26)
Analysis: Niese has pitched well over the last two seasons, posting a 3.91 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 16.6%. His strikeout rate has been down recently, though, which is a concern. His matchup against the Marlins may seem like a favorable one, but Miami is actually ranked fourth in team wOBA against left-handed pitching this season. At his price point, Niese is worth a look in tournaments, but there are safer pitching options for cash games.
Pitcher Rating:62.0
Brad Hand : FD: $5,000 — DK: $4,000
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 156.2 — SIERA: 4.24 — ERA: 4.60 — K%: 14.5% — BB%: 7.5% — HR/9: 0.6
Last 30 Days: IP: 6.1 — SIERA: 3.46 — ERA: 0.00 — K%: 15.0% — BB%: 0.0% — HR/9: 0.0
New York Mets Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.282 (Rank: 28) — Strikeout Rate: 24.3% (Rank: 28)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.298 (Rank: 20) — Strikeout Rate: 22.1% (Rank: 22)
Pitchers per PA: 3.87 (Rank: 5)
Analysis: Hand has bounced around the league over the last few years. He is a below-average left-handed pitcher that has to face a Mets’ offense that has gotten a lot better with recent acquisitions. Hand may be cheap, but who knows how deep he is going to be able to pitch into this game. He can be avoided in all league formats.
Pitcher Rating:46.4
Batter Grind Down
NY Mets
The Mets draw a favorable matchup tonight against Brad Hand, although they have to face him in a tough pitcher’s park. The good news is that the Mets had no problem scoring runs in Marlins Park last night. The right-handed hitters have the edge in this matchup, as hand has given up a .337 wOBA to hitters from that side of the plate over the last two seasons.
Elite Plays:
Yoenis Cespedes : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,500
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 246 — wOBA: 0.275 — ISO: 0.179 — wRC+: 72
Last 14 Days: PA: 57 — wOBA: 0.391 — ISO: 0.314 — wRC+: 150
Secondary Plays:
Juan Uribe : FD: $3,000 — DK: $3,100
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 154 — wOBA: 0.358 — ISO: 0.186 — wRC+: 132
Last 14 Days: PA: 29 — wOBA: 0.375 — ISO: 0.167 — wRC+: 143
Miami
The Marlins draw a decent matchup tonight against Jon Niese, who has given up a .332 wOBA to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons. Miami may not have a ton of talented right-handed hitters in their lineup (why on Earth is Ed Lucas still in the minors?), but they do have a couple of bats that are on my radar tonight.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Adeiny Hechavarria : FD: $2,400 — DK: $3,300
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: 3B/SS
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 189 — wOBA: 0.369 — ISO: 0.123 — wRC+: 136
Last 14 Days: PA: 46 — wOBA: 0.280 — ISO: 0.091 — wRC+: 74
Martin Prado : FD: $2,200 — DK: $3,300
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 2B/3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 194 — wOBA: 0.390 — ISO: 0.190 — wRC+: 149
Last 14 Days: PA: 51 — wOBA: 0.243 — ISO: 0.021 — wRC+: 49
St. Louis at Cincinnati – 7:10 PM EST
| St. Louis | Cincinnati | ||||||||
 | John Lackey |  | Anthony Desclafani | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| STL (-130) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.253 | 0.71 | 0.312 | 0.16 | SP vs. Left | 0.266 | 0.81 | 0.351 | 0.164 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.257 | 0.693 | 0.304 | 0.218 | SP vs. Right | 0.248 | 0.658 | 0.287 | 0.177 |
| Batter Splits | STL BvP | STL vs R | Batter Splits | CIN BvP | CIN vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
John Lackey : FD: $9,000 — DK: $8,800
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 337.1 — SIERA: 3.79 — ERA: 3.39 — K%: 18.9% — BB%: 5.7% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 35.2 — SIERA: 3.84 — ERA: 1.26 — K%: 17.9% — BB%: 5.0% — HR/9: 0.8
Cincinnati Reds Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.314 (Rank: 14) — Strikeout Rate: 18.7% (Rank: 6)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.338 (Rank: 8) — Strikeout Rate: 18.8% (Rank: 11)
Pitchers per PA: 3.74 (Rank: 25)
Analysis: Lackey has a 1.26 ERA over the last month of play, but his SIERA suggests that he has been in the same form that we have seen all season. His low ERA has given rise to his price tag, which leaves him a bit over-priced for tonight’s matchup against the Reds, who are ranked 14th in team wOBA and sixth in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. Lackey is not the worst pitching option on the board, but there are pitchers with more upside at his price point.
Pitcher Rating:71.5
Anthony Desclafani : FD: $6,700 — DK: $6,600
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 153.0 — SIERA: 4.33 — ERA: 4.29 — K%: 17.0% — BB%: 7.7% — HR/9: 0.8
Last 30 Days: IP: 24.2 — SIERA: 4.40 — ERA: 4.01 — K%: 17.3% — BB%: 8.7% — HR/9: 1.5
St. Louis Cardinals Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.316 (Rank: 11) — Strikeout Rate: 18.7% (Rank: 6)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.319 (Rank: 14) — Strikeout Rate: 16.8% (Rank: 4)
Pitchers per PA: 3.78 (Rank: 20)
Analysis: Desclafani comes into tonight’s start in average form, posting a 4.40 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 17.3% over the last month of play. Given his matchup against the Cardinals, he is an easy pitcher to avoid in all league formats. On the season, the Cardinals are ranked 11th in team wOBA and sixth in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching.
Pitcher Rating:45.2
Batter Grind Down
St. Louis
Anthony Desclafani makes our job very easy every time he takes the mound. He keeps right-handed hitters in check, while he continues to struggle against left-handed hitters. Since the start of the 2014 season, Desclafani has given up a .351 wOBA to hitters from the left side of the plate.
Elite Plays:
Matt Carpenter : FD: $3,200 — DK: $4,400
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 781 — wOBA: 0.354 — ISO: 0.137 — wRC+: 128
Last 14 Days: PA: 55 — wOBA: 0.417 — ISO: 0.347 — wRC+: 172
Secondary Plays:
Jason Heyward : FD: $3,700 — DK: $4,100
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 769 — wOBA: 0.350 — ISO: 0.143 — wRC+: 124
Last 14 Days: PA: 50 — wOBA: 0.344 — ISO: 0.163 — wRC+: 121
Kolten Wong : FD: $3,000 — DK: $4,000
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 658 — wOBA: 0.320 — ISO: 0.159 — wRC+: 105
Last 14 Days: PA: 57 — wOBA: 0.286 — ISO: 0.094 — wRC+: 81
Cincinnati
The Reds draw a fairly tough matchup tonight against John Lackey, who has held left and right-handed hitters under a .315 wOBA over the last two seasons. Joey Votto is in play here (10-for-32 with ten extra-base hits against Lackey), but he is a secondary fantasy option at first base.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Joey Votto : FD: $3,800 — DK: $4,700
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 521 — wOBA: 0.387 — ISO: 0.188 — wRC+: 148
Last 14 Days: PA: 60 — wOBA: 0.572 — ISO: 0.293 — wRC+: 276
Houston at Texas – 8:05 PM EST
| Houston | Texas | ||||||||
 | Dan Straily |  | Yovani Gallardo | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| HOU (-111) | 9 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.221 | 0.748 | 0.331 | 0.183 | SP vs. Left | 0.236 | 0.673 | 0.299 | 0.166 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.287 | 0 | 0.381 | 0.24 | SP vs. Right | 0.267 | 0.701 | 0.311 | 0.172 |
| Batter Splits | HOU BvP | HOU vs R | Batter Splits | TEX BvP | TEX vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Dan Straily : FD: $5,900 — DK: $5,900
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 62.2 — SIERA: 4.17 — ERA: 6.46 — K%: 20.9% — BB%: 10.4% — HR/9: 1.6
Last 30 Days: IP: 10.2 — SIERA: 3.54 — ERA: 5.06 — K%: 23.4% — BB%: 10.6% — HR/9: 0.8
Texas Rangers Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.323 (Rank: 8) — Strikeout Rate: 19.4% (Rank: 12)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.338 (Rank: 8) — Strikeout Rate: 18.5% (Rank: 8)
Pitchers per PA: 3.79 (Rank: 16)
Analysis: Straily will draw the start for the Astros tonight. He has been a serviceable starter over the last two seasons, posting a 4.17 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 20.9%. He’s a pitcher that we should keep an eye on moving forward, but it’s hard to justify targeting him tonight against a Rangers’ offense that hits right-handed pitching well and has the eighth-highest team wOBA over the last two weeks of play. Straily can be avoided in what is expected to be a high-scoring affair.
Pitcher Rating:57.5
Yovani Gallardo : FD: $7,600 — DK: $5,800
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 319.2 — SIERA: 4.06 — ERA: 3.46 — K%: 16.9% — BB%: 7.5% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 25.1 — SIERA: 6.12 — ERA: 6.75 — K%: 9.3% — BB%: 13.2% — HR/9: 1.1
Houston Astros Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.324 (Rank: 7) — Strikeout Rate: 24.4% (Rank: 30)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.360 (Rank: 3) — Strikeout Rate: 18.5% (Rank: 8)
Pitchers per PA: 3.86 (Rank: 9)
Analysis: Gallardo’s great form ended about as abruptly as it started. He has been awful over the last month of play, posting a 6.12 SIERA with a walk rate (13.2%) that is higher than his strikeout rate (9.3%). A pitcher in bad form is always a red flag in daily fantasy baseball, especially when they have to face a potent offense in a hitter-friendly ballpark.
Pitcher Rating:44.0
Batter Grind Down
Houston
The Astros draw a favorable matchup against Yovani Gallardo, who has been unable to find the strike zone recently. The one thing that you don’t want to do against the Astros is walk a lot of batters because they lead the majors in home runs. Those would be solo shots now turn into two and three-run home runs. Hitters from both sides of the plate are in play here.
Elite Plays:
Carlos Correa : FD: $4,400 — DK: $5,200
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 130 — wOBA: 0.371 — ISO: 0.246 — wRC+: 140
Last 14 Days: PA: 50 — wOBA: 0.449 — ISO: 0.357 — wRC+: 194
Secondary Plays:
Jose Altuve : FD: $4,000 — DK: $5,200
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 838 — wOBA: 0.325 — ISO: 0.103 — wRC+: 108
Last 14 Days: PA: 55 — wOBA: 0.372 — ISO: 0.100 — wRC+: 141
Preston Tucker : FD: $3,100 — DK: $3,600
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 177 — wOBA: 0.396 — ISO: 0.272 — wRC+: 157
Last 14 Days: PA: 38 — wOBA: 0.411 — ISO: 0.351 — wRC+: 167
Texas
The Rangers are coming off of a huge offensive outburst last night against Lance McCullers and the Astros. They will look to keep it going tonight against Dan Straily, who has given up a .331+ wOBA to both left and right-handed hitters over the last two seasons.
Elite Plays:
Prince Fielder : FD: $3,800 — DK: $4,300
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 380 — wOBA: 0.380 — ISO: 0.138 — wRC+: 139
Last 14 Days: PA: 55 — wOBA: 0.341 — ISO: 0.111 — wRC+: 113
Adrian Beltre : FD: $3,300 — DK: $3,600
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 696 — wOBA: 0.339 — ISO: 0.143 — wRC+: 112
Last 14 Days: PA: 58 — wOBA: 0.357 — ISO: 0.120 — wRC+: 124
Secondary Plays:
Mitch Moreland : FD: $3,500 — DK: $4,200
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 369 — wOBA: 0.359 — ISO: 0.212 — wRC+: 126
Last 14 Days: PA: 37 — wOBA: 0.314 — ISO: 0.097 — wRC+: 94
Rougned Odor : FD: $3,500 — DK: $3,800
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 464 — wOBA: 0.325 — ISO: 0.180 — wRC+: 102
Last 14 Days: PA: 58 — wOBA: 0.365 — ISO: 0.264 — wRC+: 130