MLB Grind Down: Tuesday, July 21st

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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Tampa Bay at Philadelphia – 7:05 PM EST

Tampa Bay Philadelphia
tampabaymlb Nate Karns philadelphiamlb Aaron Nola
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
TBR (-125) 8.0
Stats Avg OPS wOBA K% Stats Avg OPS wOBA K%
SP vs. Left 0.241 0.657 0.296 27.7% SP vs. Left
SP vs. Right 0.211 0.698 0.304 17.5% SP vs. Right
Batter Splits TB vs R Batter Splits PHI BvP PHI vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Nate Karns : FD: $7,500 — DK: $7,800

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 116.0 — SIERA: 3.71 — ERA: 3.72 — K%: 23.0% — BB%: 8.6% — HR/9: 1.09
Last 30 Days: IP: 30.1 — SIERA: 3.32 — ERA: 3.56 — K%: 24.2% — BB%: 6.3% — HR/9: 0.59

Philadelphia Phillies Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.285 (Rank: 30) — Strikeout Rate: 19.1% (Rank: 9)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.305 (Rank: 16) — Strikeout Rate: 23.5% (Rank: 28)
Pitchers per PA: 3.71 (Rank: 27)

Analysis: Karns has pitched well over the last month of play, posting a 3.32 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 24.2%. He has shown improved command, which may be a good reason why his strikeout rate has been higher recently. Tonight he faces a Phillies’ offense that has a shortage of power in their lineup. On the season, Philadelphia is ranked dead last in wOBA (.285) against right-handed pitching. I recommended avoiding Matt Moore yesterday against the Phillies, but Karns is in much better form heading into tonight’s start. He’s a strong SP2 on multi-pitcher sites.

Pitcher Rating:77.2


Aaron Nola : FD: $4,600 — DK: $5,300

Tampa Bay Rays Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.292 (Rank: 27) — Strikeout Rate: 22.1% (Rank: 27)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.285 (Rank: 24) — Strikeout Rate: 20.9% (Rank: 17)
Pitchers per PA: 3.85 (Rank: 10)

Analysis: Nola will be making his first career major league start tonight. He was the seventh overall draft pick in the 2014 draft, so there are certainly some expectations for the Phillies’ young right-hander. In six starts at the Triple-A level this season, he posted a 3.15 FIP with a strikeout rate of 23.4%. He has the element of surprise in his favor tonight, as the Rays have never seen him before. These major league debuts are always tough to predict, but it’s a matchup that he could certainly exploit. Nola makes a very interesting tournament play tonight at his economical price point.

Pitcher Rating:48.8

Batter Grind Down

Tampa Bay

As mentioned above, it’s always difficult to predict how a pitcher is going to perform in his major league debut. He may be prepared for the start, or he may let his nerves get the best of him. Vegas is expecting a decent outing from the Rays offense, as they are small favorites in a game that features a total of 8.0 runs. John Jaso is the preferred target here, as he has a .403 wOBA over the last 14 days of play.

Elite Plays:

John Jaso : FD: $2,800 — DK: $4,200

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 346 — wOBA: 0.361 — ISO: 0.182 — wRC+: 136
Last 14 Days: PA: 39 — wOBA: 0.403 — ISO: 0.176 — wRC+: 168

Secondary Plays:

James Loney : FD: $2,200 — DK: $3,200

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 604 — wOBA: 0.332 — ISO: 0.100 — wRC+: 118
Last 14 Days: PA: 39 — wOBA: 0.305 — ISO: 0.121 — wRC+: 99


Philadelphia

Even though the Phillies have been better recently, they are still ranked dead last in team wOBA against right-handed pitching. They draw a difficult matchup tonight against Nate Karns, who has held left and right-handed hitters under a .305 wOBA over the last two seasons. Cesar Hernandez (ALL HAIL CESAR!) remains a decent value play, but the rest of this lineup can be ignored for fantasy purposes.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Cesar Hernandez : FD: $2,900 — DK: $2,700

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 263 — wOBA: 0.283 — ISO: 0.070 — wRC+: 77
Last 14 Days: PA: 40 — wOBA: 0.210 — ISO: 0.028 — wRC+: 27


Baltimore at NY Yankees – 7:05 PM EST

Baltimore NY Yankees
baltimoremlb Wei-Yin Chen nyyankeesmlb Nathan Eovaldi
LEFT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
NYY (-115) 8.5
Stats Avg OPS wOBA K% Stats Avg OPS wOBA K%
SP vs. Left 0.257 0.671 0.295 17.7% SP vs. Left 0.309 0.799 0.350 16.00%
SP vs. Right 0.249 0.732 0.319 18.9% SP vs. Right 0.262 0.681 0.300 17.20%
Batter Splits BAL BvP BAL vs R Batter Splits NYY BvP NYY vs L
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Wei-Yin Chen : FD: $7,700 — DK: $8,500

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 295.2 — SIERA: 3.81 — ERA: 3.26 — K%: 18.6% — BB%: 5.0% — HR/9: 1.22
Last 30 Days: IP: 29.0 — SIERA: 4.09 — ERA: 2.48 — K%: 16.7% — BB%: 5.3% — HR/9: 1.86

New York Yankees Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.319 (Rank: 5) — Strikeout Rate: 19.1% (Rank: 7)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.315 (Rank: 12) — Strikeout Rate: 19.6% (Rank: 8)
Pitchers per PA: 3.89 (Rank: 4)

Analysis: Chen’s ERA has been much lower than his SIERA in his recent starts, which has led to an increase in his price. I’d much rather see Chen at a price of around $7,000, as he close enough to the aces, that it just makes sense to pay up at pitcher. Add in a matchup against the Yankees and he’s an easy pitcher to avoid in all league formats. On the season, New York is ranked fifth in wOBA (.319) and seventh in strikeout rate (19.1%) against left-handed pitching.

Pitcher Rating:53.7


Nathan Eovaldi : FD: $6,900 — DK: $5,800

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 297.2 — SIERA: 3.91 — ERA: 4.41 — K%: 16.6% — BB%: 5.4% — HR/9: 0.67
Last 30 Days: IP: 27.2 — SIERA: 3.49 — ERA: 2.93 — K%: 18.8% — BB%: 6.3% — HR/9: 0.00

Baltimore Orioles Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.324 (Rank: 7) — Strikeout Rate: 22.4% (Rank: 28)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.326 (Rank: 10) — Strikeout Rate: 21.8% (Rank: 22)
Pitchers per PA: 3.82 (Rank: 12)

Analysis: Eovaldi has been sharp in his recent starts, posting a 3.49 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 18.8% over the last month of play. He draws a plus-matchup against the Orioles, who have the third-highest strikeout rate (22.4%) against right-handed pitching this season. Eovaldi does come with quite a bit of risk though, as he is facing a potent Orioles’ offense in the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium. He’s not the worst pitching option on the board, but he’s not really on my radar tonight.

Pitcher Rating:63.8

Batter Grind Down

Baltimore

The Orioles strike out a lot, but they also hit a lot of home runs. The best hitters to target against Nathan Eovaldi are the ones that can hit from the left side of the plate. Over the last two seasons, Eovaldi has given up a .350 wOBA to left-handed hitters. Chris Davis and Matt Wieters are the preferred targets tonight in Yankee Stadium.

Elite Plays:

Chris Davis : FD: $3,400 — DK: $3,800

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 623 — wOBA: 0.321 — ISO: 0.217 — wRC+: 103
Last 14 Days: PA: 34 — wOBA: 0.275 — ISO: 0.121 — wRC+: 71

Matt Wieters : FD: $2,600 — DK: $3,200

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 161 — wOBA: 0.363 — ISO: 0.182 — wRC+: 133
Last 14 Days: PA: 31 — wOBA: 0.332 — ISO: 0.067 — wRC+: 111

Secondary Plays:

Manny Machado : FD: $4,400 — DK: $4,600

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 552 — wOBA: 0.373 — ISO: 0.207 — wRC+: 140
Last 14 Days: PA: 41 — wOBA: 0.464 — ISO: 0.313 — wRC+: 204

Jimmy Paredes : FD: $2,700 — DK: $3,700

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 1B/2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 294 — wOBA: 0.348 — ISO: 0.179 — wRC+: 122
Last 14 Days: PA: 33 — wOBA: 0.175 — ISO: 0.000 — wRC+: 1


NY Yankees

The Yankees have one of the best offenses in baseball. They hit left and right-handed pitching well, they strikeout at a low rate, and they average the fourth-most pitches per plate appearance on the season. Tonight they face Wei-Yin Chen, who has given up a considerably higher wOBA to right-handed hitters than he has to left-handed hitters.

Elite Plays:

Mark Teixeira : FD: $3,700 — DK: $4,500

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 255 — wOBA: 0.325 — ISO: 0.163 — wRC+: 106
Last 14 Days: PA: 38 — wOBA: 0.403 — ISO: 0.294 — wRC+: 160

Secondary Plays:

Alex Rodriguez : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,500

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 102 — wOBA: 0.398 — ISO: 0.263 — wRC+: 157
Last 14 Days: PA: 34 — wOBA: 0.341 — ISO: 0.313 — wRC+: 116

Chase Headley : FD: $2,400 — DK: $3,400

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 246 — wOBA: 0.303 — ISO: 0.142 — wRC+: 92
Last 14 Days: PA: 24 — wOBA: 0.338 — ISO: 0.095 — wRC+: 115


NY Mets at Washington – 7:05 PM EST

NY Mets Washington
nymetsmlb Jacob Degrom washingtonmlb Joe Ross
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
NYM (-117) 7.0
Stats Avg OPS wOBA K% Stats Avg OPS wOBA K%
SP vs. Left 0.227 0.622 0.278 24.2% SP vs. Left 0.407 1.004 0.435 13.80%
SP vs. Right 0.202 0.537 0.238 26.4% SP vs. Right 0.157 0.314 0.138 37.30%
Batter Splits NYM vs R Batter Splits WAS BvP WAS vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Jacob deGrom : FD: $11,100 — DK: $10,900

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 254.0 — SIERA: 3.12 — ERA: 2.44 — K%: 25.4% — BB%: 6.4% — HR/9: 0.53
Last 30 Days: IP: 28.2 — SIERA: 3.58 — ERA: 1.57 — K%: 20.6% — BB%: 3.7% — HR/9: 0.31

Washington Nationals Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.314 (Rank: 14) — Strikeout Rate: 21.1% (Rank: 24)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.252 (Rank: 29) — Strikeout Rate: 27.5% (Rank: 30)
Pitchers per PA: 3.73 (Rank: 23)

Analysis: After a couple of subpar starts, deGrom bounced back nicely against the Giants, striking out ten batters over eight scoreless innings of work. My hope is that everyone will see the five runs that the Nationals put up on Matt Harvey and immediately think to avoid deGrom tonight. I’m not falling for the fools gold that is the Nats’ offense though. They are missing half of their offense, which is a big reason why they are ranked 29th in wOBA (.252) and 30th in strikeout rate (27.5%) over the last 14 days of play. Run support is always an issue for the Mets’ starting rotation, but hopefully they can muster up a couple of runs for deGrom tonight.

Pitcher Rating:89.4


Joe Ross : FD: $5,000 — DK: $5,000

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 20.1 — SIERA: 2.15 — ERA: 2.66 — K%: 28.8% — BB%: 2.5% — HR/9: 0.00
Last 30 Days: IP: 7.1 — SIERA: 1.46 — ERA: 1.23 — K%: 40.7% — BB%: 3.7% — HR/9: 0.00

New York Mets Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.290 (Rank: 29) — Strikeout Rate: 20.3% (Rank: 20)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.312 (Rank: 14) — Strikeout Rate: 19.5% (Rank: 7)
Pitchers per PA: 3.86 (Rank: 8)

Analysis: Looking for a cheap tournament play? Or a cheap SP2 on DraftKings? If so, Ross deserves consideration tonight. He doesn’t have a ton of experience under his belt, but Tyson’s little brother has really pitched well in his first three major league starts. He has a 2.15 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 28.8%. He draws a terrific matchup tonight against the Mets, who are ranked 29th in wOBA (.290) and 20th in strikeout rate (20.3%) against right-handed pitching. Ross is a safer pick than the two rookies making their major league debuts tonight.

Pitcher Rating:79.1

Batter Grind Down

NY Mets

The Mets continue to struggle offensively. They have very few extra-base hits and they are one of the worst teams in baseball with runners in scoring position. They can easily be avoided altogether tonight, but if you are being forced into some Mets exposure, Daniel “I can’t catch the ball” Murphy is the top target. He is a cheap third base option and he has good numbers against right-handed pitching in his career.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Daniel Murphy : FD: $2,500 — DK: $3,200

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 2B/3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 693 — wOBA: 0.331 — ISO: 0.130 — wRC+: 115
Last 14 Days: PA: 38 — wOBA: 0.180 — ISO: 0.088 — wRC+: 11


Washington

Outside of Bryce Harper, this Nationals’ lineup is downright awful. Sure, they put up seven runs last night, but they were helped out by Matt Harvey, who couldn’t seem to find the strike zone in the first few innings. Harper may be worth a look in tournaments, but if I’m paying up for a hitter, I’d rather target Mike Trout or one of the big bats in Coors Field.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

NONE


Seattle at Detroit – 7:08 PM EST

Seattle Detroit
seattlemlb Taijuan Walker detroitmlb Shane Greene
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
SEA (-125) 9.0
Stats Avg OPS wOBA K% Stats Avg OPS wOBA K%
SP vs. Left 0.251 0.723 0.318 22.4% SP vs. Left 0.313 0.876 0.381 14.70%
SP vs. Right 0.247 0.719 0.317 22.6% SP vs. Right 0.232 0.689 0.305 24.40%
Batter Splits SEA BvP SEA vs R Batter Splits DET BvP DET vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Taijuan Walker : FD: $8,000 — DK: $7,200

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 140.1 — SIERA: 3.63 — ERA: 4.23 — K%: 22.5% — BB%: 7.6% — HR/9: 1.15
Last 30 Days: IP: 30.1 — SIERA: 2.57 — ERA: 4.45 — K%: 28.6% — BB%: 0.8% — HR/9: 1.78

Detroit Tigers Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.331 (Rank: 3) — Strikeout Rate: 19.1% (Rank: 9)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.349 (Rank: 3) — Strikeout Rate: 22.0% (Rank: 24)
Pitchers per PA: 3.83 (Rank: 11)

Analysis: Walker may have a 4.45 ERA over the last month of play, but his indicators suggest another story. Over that stretch, he has a 2.57 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 28.6% and a walk rate of only 0.8%. If this was a better matchup, I would be heavily targeting Walker tonight. Unfortunately, he has to face a red-hot Tigers’ offense in the hitter-friendly Comerica Park. At his price point, there are better pitching options tonight.

Pitcher Rating:63.6


Shane Greene : FD: $6,600 — DK: $4,100

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 151.1 — SIERA: 3.90 — ERA: 5.00 — K%: 19.3% — BB%: 7.7% — HR/9: 1.13
Last 30 Days: IP: 4.2 — SIERA: 6.59 — ERA: 13.50 — K%: 8.7% — BB%: 13.0% — HR/9: 3.86

Seattle Mariners Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.296 (Rank: 25) — Strikeout Rate: 22.0% (Rank: 25)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.335 (Rank: 7) — Strikeout Rate: 20.4% (Rank: 15)
Pitchers per PA: 3.88 (Rank: 7)

Analysis: Greene’s numbers over the last two seasons are more than respectable, but most of that work was done in 2014. His SIERA and HR/9 are both up this season, while his strikeout rate is down drastically. He can safely be avoided tonight against a Mariners’ offense that is finally starting to show signs of life. Over the last two weeks of play, Seattle is ranked seventh in team wOBA (.335).

Pitcher Rating:44.7

Batter Grind Down

Seattle

The Mariners are finally starting to hit. Well, Robinson Cano is finally starting to hit. They draw a favorable matchup tonight against Shane Greene, who has given up a .381 wOBA to left-handed hitters over the last two seasons. Nelson Cruz is also worth a look here, but the top targets are the ones that can hit from the left side of plate.

Elite Plays:

Robinson Cano : FD: $3,200 — DK: $3,900

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 687 — wOBA: 0.357 — ISO: 0.164 — wRC+: 134
Last 14 Days: PA: 45 — wOBA: 0.365 — ISO: 0.256 — wRC+: 139

Seth Smith : FD: $2,300 — DK: $3,300

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 708 — wOBA: 0.351 — ISO: 0.190 — wRC+: 129
Last 14 Days: PA: 23 — wOBA: 0.419 — ISO: 0.211 — wRC+: 177

Secondary Plays:

Nelson Cruz : FD: $3,300 — DK: $4,500

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 808 — wOBA: 0.356 — ISO: 0.231 — wRC+: 130
Last 14 Days: PA: 42 — wOBA: 0.364 — ISO: 0.057 — wRC+: 138

Kyle Seager : FD: $2,800 — DK: $4,200

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 687 — wOBA: 0.356 — ISO: 0.202 — wRC+: 133
Last 14 Days: PA: 44 — wOBA: 0.456 — ISO: 0.231 — wRC+: 203


Detroit

The Tigers put up five runs against Taijuan Walker in their last meeting and they are one of the hottest hitting teams in baseball. The problem here is that they are expensive. If I’m paying up for hitters, I’d much rather target the ones that are playing in the hitter’s paradise that is Coors Field. I see the Tigers as secondary plays tonight against Walker.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

J.D. Martinez : FD: $4,200 — DK: $4,600

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 640 — wOBA: 0.385 — ISO: 0.245 — wRC+: 148
Last 14 Days: PA: 43 — wOBA: 0.377 — ISO: 0.256 — wRC+: 143

Victor Martinez : FD: $3,500 — DK: $3,800

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 666 — wOBA: 0.357 — ISO: 0.180 — wRC+: 129
Last 14 Days: PA: 42 — wOBA: 0.491 — ISO: 0.375 — wRC+: 223

Anthony Gose : FD: $2,500 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 466 — wOBA: 0.315 — ISO: 0.100 — wRC+: 99
Last 14 Days: PA: 29 — wOBA: 0.406 — ISO: 0.214 — wRC+: 163


LA Dodgers at Atlanta – 7:10 PM EST

LA Dodgers Atlanta
ladodgersmlb Brett Anderson atlantamlb Alex Wood
LEFT LEFT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
LAD (-133) 7.5
Stats Avg OPS wOBA K% Stats Avg OPS wOBA K%
SP vs. Left 0.284 0.646 0.292 15.8% SP vs. Left 0.260 0.652 0.291 23.40%
SP vs. Right 0.264 0.714 0.311 17.7% SP vs. Right 0.257 0.698 0.310 21.30%
Batter Splits LAD BvP LA vs L Batter Splits ATL BvP ATL vs L
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Brett Anderson : FD: $7,700 — DK: $7,400

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 151.1 — SIERA: 3.32 — ERA: 3.09 — K%: 17.1% — BB%: 6.6% — HR/9: 0.59
Last 30 Days: IP: 32.0 — SIERA: 2.82 — ERA: 2.53 — K%: 20.6% — BB%: 5.6% — HR/9: 0.84

Atlanta Braves Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.280 (Rank: 29) — Strikeout Rate: 22.2% (Rank: 19)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.298 (Rank: 18) — Strikeout Rate: 20.9% (Rank: 17)
Pitchers per PA: 3.78 (Rank: 20)

Analysis: Anderson has pitched well over the last month of play, posting a 2.82 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 20.6%. The Dodgers’ pitching staff looks awfully good right now with Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw pitching so well. Anderson offers great value tonight against the Braves, who are ranked 29th in wOBA (.280) and 19th in strikeout rate (22.2%) against left-handed pitching. I’d like him better if he was at home, but he’s still a favorite in a game that is expected to be low scoring.

Pitcher Rating:76.0


Alex Wood : FD: $7,900 — DK: $6,500

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 277.0 — SIERA: 3.48 — ERA: 3.15 — K%: 21.8% — BB%: 6.5% — HR/9: 0.71
Last 30 Days: IP: 26.0 — SIERA: 3.75 — ERA: 4.85 — K%: 17.4% — BB%: 4.4% — HR/9: 0.35

Los Angeles Dodgers Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.312 (Rank: 12) — Strikeout Rate: 21.1% (Rank: 15)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.328 (Rank: 8) — Strikeout Rate: 21.0% (Rank: 19)
Pitchers per PA: 3.88 (Rank: 5)

Analysis: Wood has struggled to find his 2014 form. His SIERA is up this season, while his strikeout rate is down. That’s not a great combination for a pitcher. The Dodgers may not hit left-handed pitching as well as they do right-handed pitching, but they are still ranked at or above the major league average in both wOBA and strikeout rate. Wood is not a pitcher that I will be targeting tonight, especially since there are quite a few value pitchers in play.

Pitcher Rating:59.3

Batter Grind Down

LA Dodgers

The Dodgers draw a decent matchup tonight against Alex Wood. Since the start of this season, Wood has given up a .341 wOBA to right-handed hitters. He has been efficient against left-handed bats, but he struggles against those that can hit from the right side of the plate. Justin Turner, Howie Kendrick, and Scott Van Slyke are all in play here.

Elite Plays:

Justin Turner : FD: $3,200 — DK: $3,200

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 2B/3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 162 — wOBA: 0.330 — ISO: 0.140 — wRC+: 113
Last 14 Days: PA: 35 — wOBA: 0.315 — ISO: 0.063 — wRC+: 103

Secondary Plays:

Howie Kendrick : FD: $2,900 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 242 — wOBA: 0.346 — ISO: 0.122 — wRC+: 127
Last 14 Days: PA: 43 — wOBA: 0.333 — ISO: 0.075 — wRC+: 116

Scott Van Slyke : FD: $2,700 — DK: $2,600

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 176 — wOBA: 0.440 — ISO: 0.294 — wRC+: 188
Last 14 Days: PA: 6 — wOBA: 0.472 — ISO: 0.200 — wRC+: 211


Atlanta

The Braves draw a difficult matchup against Brett Anderson, who has held left and right-handed hitters in check this season. The Braves really lack firepower with Freddie Freeman out of the lineup and they can safely be avoided in all league formats.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

NONE


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About the Author

Notorious
Derek Farnsworth (Notorious)

Derek Farnsworth (aka Notorious) is a lead RotoGrinders Expert and one of the most recognizable names and faces in all of DFS. Before joining the RotoGrinders team, Derek received a Master’s Degree from the University of Utah. When he’s not busy providing content, he’s dominating the DFS industry as evidenced by his consistent top rankings in several sports and multiple Live Final appearances. Noto provides expert NBA, NFL, MLB, and PGA analysis for RotoGrinders Premium members on a daily basis and has also been nominated for five different Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association (FSWA) awards. Follow Noto on X – @RG_Notorious