MLB Grind Down: Tuesday, June 7th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2016-06-08 02:25:18

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.

Note: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.

Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia – 7:05 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
Chicago Cubs					Philadelphia
			Kyle Hendricks					Jerad Eickhoff
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			CHC -240					8.0
SP vs. Left	0.321	13	20.9%	6.7%	SP vs. Left	0.358	9	17.1%	5.7%
SP vs. Right	0.252	7	23.1%	4.9%	SP vs. Right	0.250	5	26.2%	5.2%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Kyle Hendricks
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$8,500	Salary:		$10,800
					FPPG:		30.1	FPPG:		16.9
					Pitcher Rating:		87.0	Pitcher Rank:		2
L14 Days	2	102.5	3.14	1.59	22.0%	1.7%	10.2%	56.1%	31.7%	16.3%
2016	10	89.8	3.48	2.84	20.7%	5.3%	8.6%	57.6%	24.7%	22.5%
2015	32	87.3	3.37	3.95	22.6%	5.8%	8.1%	51.3%	26.9%	25.8%

You know it’s an off night for pitching when Kyle Hendricks grades out as the second best pitching option in the slate. He has certainly pitched well this season, but he is generally thought of more as a borderline SP2. That’s not the case tonight though, as he looks like a very strong play against the Phillies. Hendricks has pitched well in his first ten starts this season, posting a 3.48 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 20.7%. We always worry about his inability to pitch deep into games, but he has averaged 102.5 pitches in his last two starts. Maybe the Cubs are looking to stretch his starts out a bit.

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Jerad Eickhoff
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$7,000	Salary:		$7,200
					FPPG:		27.1	FPPG:		14.3
					Pitcher Rating:		65.1	Pitcher Rank:		12
L14 Days	2	105.0	3.48	4.26	20.8%	3.8%	11.9%	51.3%	28.2%	38.5%
2016	11	93.7	3.92	3.93	19.6%	4.7%	9.4%	44.3%	33.0%	31.9%
2015	8	92.4	3.56	2.65	24.1%	6.4%	10.4%	37.9%	40.0%	36.2%

With limited options at pitcher and all the attention being put on Kyle Hendricks, Eickhoff could be a very sneaky contrarian play in GPPs. He has pitched well this season, posting a 3.92 SIERA with a strikeout rate just under 20%. The two concerns here are his matchup and his run support. The Cubs are ranked second in runs scored per game this season and we know how the Phillies’ offense can just forget to show up.

Batter Grind Down

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs come into tonight’s game with the third highest team total on the board. That is actually an impressive accomplishment given the ugly nature of pitching tonight. They draw a mediocre matchup against Jerad Eickhoff, who has really struggled with left-handed hitters. Over the last two seasons, he has allowed a .358 wOBA to batters from the left side of the plate.

Cubs Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.334 (7 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.168 (13 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 21.7% (19 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 5.40 (2 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.81 (3 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Dexter Fowler	SWITCH	0.344	0.180	0.362	OF	$3,900	OF	$4,400
2	Jason Heyward	LEFT	0.336	0.145	0.272	OF	$3,000	OF	$3,900
3	Kris Bryant	RIGHT	0.380	0.216	0.375	3B	$3,800	3B/OF	$4,600
4	Anthony Rizzo	LEFT	0.391	0.265	0.414	1B	$4,200	1B	$4,700
5	Ben Zobrist	SWITCH	0.351	0.168	0.388	2B	$3,300	2B	$4,200
6	Tommy La Stella	LEFT	0.357	0.192	0.202	2B	$2,000	2B/3B	$3,000
7	Addison Russell	RIGHT	0.320	0.143	0.243	SS	$2,900	SS	$3,000
8	Miguel Montero	LEFT	0.323	0.153	0.300	C	$2,500	C	$3,100
9	Kyle Hendricks	RIGHT	0.062	0.000	0.147	P	$8,500	P	$10,800
	Team Averages	—	0.318	0.162	0.300	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Jason Heyward, Anthony Rizzo

Secondary Plays – Dexter Fowler, Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist, Tommy La Stella

Stackability – Cash & GPP

Philadelphia

The Phillies have the lowest implied run total on the board once again. Their offense is ranked 28th in team wOBA against right-handed pitching and they currently only average 3.23 runs per game on the season. Kyle Hendricks looks like one of the best pitching options in the slate, but it’s worth noting that he has allowed a .321 wOBA and 13 home runs to left-handed hitters over the last two seasons.

Phillies Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.289 (28 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.143 (21 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 21.4% (18 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 3.23 (29 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.19 (30 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Odubel Herrera	LEFT	0.358	0.134	0.340	OF	$3,500	OF	$3,500
2	Freddy Galvis	SWITCH	0.289	0.120	0.262	SS	$2,400	SS	$2,800
3	Maikel Franco	RIGHT	0.340	0.193	0.339	3B	$3,200	3B	$3,200
4	Tommy Joseph	RIGHT	0.309	0.256	0.364	1B	$2,200	1B	$4,000
5	Jimmy Paredes	SWITCH	0.325	0.162	0.302	3B	$2,400	2B	$2,700
6	Cameron Rupp	RIGHT	0.291	0.141	0.410	C	$2,800	C	$2,600
7	Tyler Goeddel	RIGHT	0.318	0.187	0.304	OF	$2,000	OF	$3,100
8	Cesar Hernandez	RIGHT	0.292	0.085	0.306	2B	$2,800	2B	$2,700
9	Jerad Eickhoff	RIGHT	0.170	0.036	0.000	P	$7,000	P	$7,200
	Team Averages	—	0.299	0.146	0.292	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Odubel Herrera, Jimmy Paredes

Stackability – NONE

Kansas City at Baltimore – 7:05 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
Kansas City					Baltimore
			Yordano Ventura					Ubaldo Jimenez
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			BAL -125					9.5
SP vs. Left	0.319	13	20.7%	10.4%	SP vs. Left	0.328	17	21.6%	9.3%
SP vs. Right	0.306	9	19.8%	8.6%	SP vs. Right	0.338	9	19.1%	9.5%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Yordano Ventura
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$7,500	Salary:		$5,100
					FPPG:		23.4	FPPG:		10.3
					Pitcher Rating:		54.9	Pitcher Rank:		21
L14 Days	2	103.0	5.04	4.85	12.1%	3.5%	3.9%	32.7%	42.9%	28.6%
2016	11	96.8	5.60	4.82	14.7%	12.5%	6.8%	43.2%	39.7%	28.9%
2015	28	94.7	3.69	4.08	22.5%	8.4%	10.4%	52.2%	27.2%	29.8%

Ventura seems lost this season. In 11 starts, he has a 5.60 SIERA with a strikeout rate under 15%. To make matters worse, he is walking batters at a 12.5% clip and his ground ball rate is down nearly 10% from a year ago. At this point, we should want nothing to do with Ventura, even at this cheap price point. His matchup against the Orioles in Camden Yards just makes the fade even easier.

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Ubaldo Jimenez
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$6,200	Salary:		$4,300
					FPPG:		19.5	FPPG:		7.7
					Pitcher Rating:		56.5	Pitcher Rank:		19
L14 Days	2	70.0	6.06	10.80	10.8%	13.5%	3.6%	46.4%	28.6%	46.4%
2016	11	94.2	4.82	6.59	17.6%	11.7%	7.1%	51.9%	25.9%	32.5%
2015	32	95.6	3.93	4.11	21.2%	8.6%	8.0%	49.1%	28.8%	27.0%

Jimenez was rocked in his last two starts, which has brought his SIERA up to 4.82 on the season. He is walking way too many batters and his strikeout rate has come down significantly. He is still producing a lot of ground balls, but his lack of strikeout upside makes him an easy avoid tonight against the Royals. This game has one of the highest over/unders on the schedule.

Batter Grind Down

Kansas City

The Royals were a disappointment last night against Mike Wright, but that can happen in baseball. We can’t hold grudges against players or teams. They draw another great matchup tonight against Ubaldo Jimenez in the hitter-friendly Camden Yards. Not only is Jimenez in bad form, but he has allowed a .328 wOBA to left-handed hitters and a .338 wOBA to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons.

Royals Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.314 (14 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.136 (27 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 19.4% (11 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 3.96 (24 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.60 (8 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Alcides Escobar	RIGHT	0.267	0.060	0.239	SS	$2,700	SS	$3,600
2	Whit Merrifield	RIGHT	0.327	0.087	0.347	OF	$3,100	2B/OF	$4,000
3	Lorenzo Cain	RIGHT	0.329	0.132	0.404	OF	$3,100	OF	$5,000
4	Eric Hosmer	LEFT	0.391	0.199	0.402	1B	$3,500	1B	$5,500
5	Salvador Perez	RIGHT	0.337	0.198	0.552	C	$2,600	C	$4,700
6	Kendrys Morales	SWITCH	0.335	0.214	0.282	1B	$2,700	1B	$4,000
7	Paulo Orlando	RIGHT	0.312	0.183	0.263	OF	$2,500	OF	$3,300
8	Cheslor Cuthbert	RIGHT	0.310	0.144	0.284	3B	$2,200	3B	$3,200
9	Jarrod Dyson	LEFT	0.304	0.120	0.350	OF	$3,000	OF	$4,400
	Team Averages	—	0.324	0.149	0.347	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Salvador Perez (FD)

Secondary Plays – Alcides Escobar, Whit Merrifield, Lorenzo Cain (FD), Eric Hosmer (FD)

Stackability – GPP

Baltimore

The Orioles are one of the best offenses in baseball against right-handed pitching, ranking third in team wOBA and second in team ISO. They draw a favorable matchup tonight against Yordano Ventura, who looks like a shell of his former self. The sample size is small (11 starts), but Ventura has allowed a .319 wOBA to left-handed hitters and a .339 wOBA to right-handed hitters this season.

Orioles Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.343 (3 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.196 (2 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 23.1% (23 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.69 (9 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.90 (2 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Adam Jones	RIGHT	0.336	0.207	0.297	OF	$3,200	OF	$4,600
2	Hyun-Soo Kim	LEFT	0.419	0.119	0.429	OF	$2,700	OF	$3,700
3	Manny Machado	RIGHT	0.389	0.251	0.389	SS	$3,900	3B/SS	$5,200
4	Chris Davis	LEFT	0.394	0.318	0.264	1B	$3,700	1B	$4,600
5	Mark Trumbo	RIGHT	0.346	0.199	0.420	OF	$4,000	OF	$5,100
6	Matt Wieters	SWITCH	0.337	0.159	0.295	C	$3,100	C	$3,800
7	Pedro Alvarez	LEFT	0.336	0.234	0.401	3B	$2,700	1B	$3,700
8	Jonathan Schoop	RIGHT	0.355	0.234	0.244	2B	$3,000	2B	$3,900
9	Ryan Flaherty	LEFT	0.272	0.129	0.276	2B	$2,400	3B	$2,900
	Team Averages	—	0.354	0.206	0.335	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Hyun-Soo Kim, Manny Machado, Chris Davis

Secondary Plays – Adam Jones, Mark Trumbo, Matt Wieters

Stackability – Cash & GPP

LA Angels at NY Yankees – 7:05 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
LA Angels					NY Yankees
			David Huff					Michael Pineda
			LEFT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			NYY -150					9.0
SP vs. Left	0.425	1	0.0%	0.0%	SP vs. Left	0.339	12	23.2%	4.8%
SP vs. Right	0.482	1	19.1%	4.8%	SP vs. Right	0.346	20	24.3%	3.0%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
David Huff
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:			Salary:
					FPPG:			FPPG:
					Pitcher Rating:		36.8	Pitcher Rank:		29
2015	1	94.0	4.05	9.00	13.3%	3.3%	8.5%	50.0%	27.3%	29.2%

Huff is projected to draw the start for the Angels tonight. He has not pitched in the majors this season and he only made three appearances in 2015. He is not a viable fantasy option tonight and it doesn’t really matter, because he isn’t available on FanDuel or DraftKings. This could be a rare time to load up on the Yankees’ offense.

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Michael Pineda
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$7,500	Salary:		$6,000
					FPPG:		25.1	FPPG:		11.9
					Pitcher Rating:		81.0	Pitcher Rank:		4
L14 Days	2	85.0	2.86	6.75	25.0%	0.0%	14.7%	37.5%	25.0%	28.1%
2016	11	97.0	3.43	6.41	24.7%	5.5%	14.1%	44.0%	32.1%	29.7%
2015	27	94.4	3.09	4.37	23.4%	3.1%	11.9%	48.2%	29.9%	30.1%

Pineda continues to have good indicators, but a terrible ERA. Through 11 starts, his ERA of 6.41 is nearly three runs higher than his SIERA. Eventually, his ridiculously high BABIP of .397 is going to come down. I have a hard time trusting Pineda in cash games at this point, but he grades out as the fourth best pitching option in the slate. That screams value, as he is the 12th most expensive pitcher on FanDuel and the 18th most expensive pitcher on DraftKings. If you don’t mind a little risk in your DFS diet, Pineda is a high reward play at a discounted price tonight against the Angels.

Batter Grind Down

LA Angels

The Angels haven’t fared well against right-handed pitching this season, ranking 14th in team wOBA and 29th in team ISO. They do see a favorable ballpark boost playing in Yankee Stadium tonight, but they still have the 12th lowest team total on the board. Mike Trout remains an elite play in all league formats, while the rest of the Angels’ offense can be avoided for the most part.

Angels Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.314 (14 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.133 (29 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 15.7% (1 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.36 (14 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.21 (19 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Yunel Escobar	RIGHT	0.342	0.096	0.315	3B	$3,200	3B	$3,700
2	Kole Calhoun	LEFT	0.338	0.166	0.467	OF	$3,900	OF	$5,000
3	Mike Trout	RIGHT	0.414	0.287	0.385	OF	$4,300	OF	$5,300
4	Albert Pujols	RIGHT	0.331	0.215	0.389	1B	$3,500	1B	$4,500
5	C.J. Cron	RIGHT	0.329	0.185	0.297	1B	$2,800	1B	$3,500
6	Johnny Giavotella	LEFT	0.306	0.112	0.282	2B	$2,700	2B	$3,100
7	Rafael Ortega	LEFT	0.266	0.064	0.239	OF	$2,300	OF	$3,100
8	Carlos Perez	RIGHT	0.293	0.129	0.234	C	$2,400	C	$2,400
9	Gregorio Petit	RIGHT	0.279	0.101	0.261	SS	$2,500	SS	$2,900
	Team Averages	—	0.322	0.151	0.319	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Mike Trout

Secondary Plays – Kole Calhoun

Stackability – NONE

NY Yankees

The Yankees have been dreadful offensively this season. They are ranked 28th in team wOBA against left-handed pitching and they average the fifth fewest runs of any team in baseball. The fact that they have the fourth highest team total on the board really goes to show how favorable their matchup must be tonight against the lefty David Huff. I like the Yankees’ offense quite a bit in this spot, especially since they are all very cheap.

Yankees Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. LHP — 0.287 (28 of 30)
Team ISO vs. LHP — 0.116 (28 of 30)
Team K% vs. LHP — 19.3% (5 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 3.79 (26 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.79 (4 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. LHP	ISO vs. LHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Jacoby Ellsbury	LEFT	0.296	0.092	0.298	OF	$3,600	OF	$4,100
2	Starlin Castro	RIGHT	0.294	0.098	0.223	2B	$2,400	2B	$3,100
3	Carlos Beltran	SWITCH	0.316	0.190	0.353	OF	$3,700	OF	$3,800
4	Alex Rodriguez	RIGHT	0.382	0.273	0.287	3B	$3,400	1B/3B	$3,500
5	Chase Headley	SWITCH	0.305	0.107	0.369	3B	$3,000	3B	$3,000
6	Austin Romine	RIGHT	0.307	0.140	0.408	C	$2,500	C	$2,400
7	Ronald Torreyes	RIGHT	0.251	0.053	0.196	2B	$2,000	3B/SS	$2,500
8	Rob Refsnyder	RIGHT	0.314	0.119	0.295	1B	$2,300	2B	$2,800
9	Aaron Hicks	SWITCH	0.313	0.133	0.241	OF	$2,200	OF	$2,900
	Team Averages	—	0.309	0.134	0.297	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Carlos Beltran, Alex Rodriguez

Secondary Plays – Jacoby Ellsbury, Starlin Castro, Chase Headley

Stackability – Cash & GPP

NY Mets at Pittsburgh – 7:05 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
NY Mets					Pittsburgh
			Jacob deGrom					Juan Nicasio
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			NYM -125					7.5
SP vs. Left	0.289	14	24.7%	5.3%	SP vs. Left	0.410	6	20.4%	13.8%
SP vs. Right	0.225	6	27.2%	5.8%	SP vs. Right	0.275	3	25.9%	8.8%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Jacob deGrom
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$9,800	Salary:		$9,500
					FPPG:		29.4	FPPG:		15.9
					Pitcher Rating:		86.4	Pitcher Rank:		3
L14 Days	2	105.0	3.07	1.29	32.1%	9.4%	11.0%	51.7%	27.6%	23.3%
2016	9	95.3	3.99	2.62	21.1%	7.2%	11.5%	45.8%	31.4%	33.3%
2015	30	99.2	2.99	2.54	27.3%	5.1%	12.7%	44.4%	34.7%	26.3%

After last night’s game was postponed, these two teams will play a double-header today in Pittsburgh. This will be the second half of the double-header with deGrom squaring off against Juan Nicasio. After a slow start to the season (coming back from injury), deGrom has really picked it up in his last few starts. He now owns a 3.99 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 21.1%. Those numbers are only going to get better moving forward. I have him ranked as the third best pitching option tonight. While his chances of getting the win aren’t as great as Zack Greinke or Kyle Hendricks, he provides just as much upside.

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Juan Nicasio
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$8,100	Salary:		$7,300
					FPPG:		27.6	FPPG:		13.6
					Pitcher Rating:		77.6	Pitcher Rank:		6
L14 Days	2	104.0	4.75	5.91	16.3%	8.2%	5.8%	41.7%	33.3%	37.8%
2016	10	93.6	4.19	4.75	22.2%	9.1%	7.5%	41.4%	35.5%	22.9%
2015	1	1083.0	3.77	3.86	25.0%	12.3%	11.0%	43.3%	31.8%	23.5%

Nicasio may not stand out at as a good play at first glance, but he is one of my favorite GPP targets on the board tonight. He is pitching at home in the pitcher-friendly PNC Park, he is facing a short-handed Mets’ lineup, and he has a strikeout rate well above 22% on the season. Nicasio has really pitched well at home this season, posting a 3.23 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 25.2%. Fire him up as a contrarian GPP play tonight.

Batter Grind Down

NY Mets

The Mets have really struggled offensively over the last few weeks. They are missing a number of key players and it has really taken a toll on their offensive production. They draw a mediocre matchup tonight against Juan Nicasio in PNC Park. The one positive in this matchup is that Nicasio has allowed a .410 wOBA to left-handed hitters over the last two seasons.

Mets Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.313 (16 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.182 (6 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 24.0% (26 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 3.76 (27 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.90 (24 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Curtis Granderson	LEFT	0.367	0.220	0.298	OF	$3,400	OF	$4,000
2	Asdrubal Cabrera	SWITCH	0.318	0.161	0.321	SS	$3,100	SS	$3,200
3	Yoenis Cespedes	RIGHT	0.377	0.269	0.230	OF	$3,300	OF	$4,500
4	Neil Walker	SWITCH	0.338	0.180	0.473	2B	$3,500	2B	$4,200
5	Michael Conforto	LEFT	0.381	0.267	0.112	OF	$3,100	OF	$3,600
6	Wilmer Flores	RIGHT	0.277	0.107	0.352	SS	$2,400	1B/3B	$3,100
7	James Loney	LEFT	0.307	0.075	0.381	1B	$2,500	1B	$3,100
8	Rene Rivera	RIGHT	0.229	0.124	0.315	C	$2,300	C	$2,400
9	Jacob deGrom	RIGHT	0.206	0.016	0.230	P	$9,800	P	$9,500
	Team Averages	—	0.311	0.158	0.301	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Curtis Granderson

Secondary Plays – Asdrubal Cabrera, Neil Walker, Michael Conforto

Stackability – NONE

Pittsburgh

The Pirates draw arguably the worst matchup on the board tonight. While they do get to face Jacob deGrom at home, they will likely have trouble sparking any kind of production. Over the last two seasons, deGrom has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .290 wOBA. Avoid the Pirates’ offense in all league formats.

Pirates Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.338 (6 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.146 (20 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 18.8% (7 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.95 (6 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.60 (29 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	John Jaso	LEFT	0.355	0.158	0.223	1B	$2,900	1B	$3,100
2	Andrew McCutchen	RIGHT	0.367	0.195	0.286	OF	$3,600	OF	$3,600
3	Gregory Polanco	LEFT	0.344	0.162	0.430	OF	$3,900	OF	$4,900
4	Jung-Ho Kang	RIGHT	0.372	0.203	0.409	3B	$3,300	3B	$3,500
5	Starling Marte	RIGHT	0.356	0.159	0.377	OF	$3,600	OF	$4,600
6	Francisco Cervelli	RIGHT	0.320	0.080	0.278	C	$2,400	C	$2,600
7	Josh Harrison	RIGHT	0.311	0.102	0.364	2B	$2,900	2B	$3,200
8	Jordy Mercer	RIGHT	0.265	0.066	0.220	SS	$2,800	SS	$2,500
9	Juan Nicasio	RIGHT	0.147	0.000	0.000	P	$8,100	P	$7,300
	Team Averages	—	0.315	0.125	0.287	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

Toronto at Detroit – 7:08 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
Toronto					Detroit
			Aaron Sanchez					Matt Boyd
			RIGHT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			TOR -120					9.0
SP vs. Left	0.340	12	16.0%	12.0%	SP vs. Left	0.433	6	12.1%	6.0%
SP vs. Right	0.230	1	21.3%	7.9%	SP vs. Right	0.371	13	19.3%	8.2%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Aaron Sanchez
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$9,000	Salary:		$10,500
					FPPG:		36.1	FPPG:		19.0
					Pitcher Rating:		62.8	Pitcher Rank:		16
L14 Days	2	104.5	3.14	2.03	21.4%	7.1%	9.1%	60.0%	10.0%	30.0%
2016	11	99.0	3.62	2.99	21.4%	8.4%	8.5%	58.5%	18.4%	29.2%
2015	11	131.7	4.43	3.22	16.1%	11.6%	7.0%	60.6%	21.6%	21.0%

Thanks to an elite ground ball rate, Sanchez is a pitcher that can succeed anywhere he goes. Through 11 starts this season, he has a 3.62 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 21.4%. The Tigers are typically a scary matchup for opposing pitchers, but this actually suits Sanchez quite well. He doesn’t give up many fly balls and he dominates right-handed hitters. Meanwhile, the Tigers get a lot of production on home runs and their lineup is almost exclusively right-handed batters. I would have loved to target Sanchez in tournaments tonight, but I can’t pay that price tag.

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Matt Boyd
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$6,000	Salary:		$6,200
					FPPG:		21.0	FPPG:		11.7
					Pitcher Rating:		43.9	Pitcher Rank:		26
L14 Days	2	86.5	3.59	5.56	21.3%	2.1%	9.8%	35.3%	35.3%	36.1%
2016	2	86.5	4.11	3.94	18.8%	6.3%	10.3%	41.3%	32.6%	29.2%
2015	12	83.6	4.83	7.53	17.1%	7.9%	8.2%	31.9%	51.9%	34.0%

Boyd hasn’t looked bad in his first two starts this season, but he is still a wild card from a DFS perspective. The Blue Jays have struggled a bit against southpaws this season, but they were ranked first in team wOBA and team ISO a season ago. With all of those right-handed power bats in the Blue Jays’ lineup, I will be avoiding Boyd in all league formats.

Batter Grind Down

Toronto

The Blue Jays have been better against left-handed pitching lately, as they are now ranked 16th in team wOBA and 11th in team ISO on the season. The sample size is obviously small, but Matt Boyd has allowed a .371 wOBA to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons. With the seventh highest team total on the board, you may want to get some exposure to this offense tonight.

Blue Jays Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. LHP — 0.318 (16 of 30)
Team ISO vs. LHP — 0.163 (11 of 30)
Team K% vs. LHP — 20.1% (10 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.24 (18 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.62 (7 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. LHP	ISO vs. LHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Jose Bautista	RIGHT	0.365	0.231	0.312	OF	$4,500	OF	$4,200
2	Josh Donaldson	RIGHT	0.429	0.310	0.361	3B	$4,000	3B	$4,900
3	Edwin Encarnacion	RIGHT	0.382	0.255	0.393	1B	$4,000	1B	$4,200
4	Michael Saunders	LEFT	0.411	0.295	0.277	OF	$3,200	OF	$3,700
5	Justin Smoak	SWITCH	0.334	0.195	0.306	1B	$3,200	1B	$3,700
6	Russell Martin	RIGHT	0.362	0.206	0.425	C	$2,800	C	$3,800
7	Devon Travis	RIGHT	0.357	0.219	0.259	2B	$3,000	2B	$3,600
8	Kevin Pillar	RIGHT	0.290	0.093	0.202	OF	$2,800	OF	$3,100
9	Darwin Barney	RIGHT	0.351	0.153	0.394	SS	$2,600	2B/SS	$2,600
	Team Averages	—	0.365	0.217	0.325	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin

Secondary Plays – Edwin Encarnacion, Michael Saunders, Justin Smoak

Stackability – Cash & GPP

Detroit

I was high on the Tigers’ offense last night. While they have a fairly high team total again tonight, I’m not nearly as bullish. Aaron Sanchez has one of the highest ground ball rates of any starting pitcher in baseball. While ground balls produce a decent number of singles, that’s not really what we are looking for in DFS. For that reason, I see the Tigers’ hitters as secondary plays tonight.

Tigers Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.331 (8 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.176 (10 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 23.1% (23 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.63 (10 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.38 (14 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Ian Kinsler	RIGHT	0.338	0.145	0.376	2B	$3,700	2B	$4,400
2	Cameron Maybin	RIGHT	0.310	0.084	0.348	OF	$3,200	OF	$3,200
3	J.D. Martinez	RIGHT	0.363	0.245	0.357	OF	$4,000	OF	$3,900
4	Miguel Cabrera	RIGHT	0.413	0.214	0.377	1B	$3,700	1B	$3,700
5	Victor Martinez	SWITCH	0.305	0.149	0.450	C	$3,100	1B	$3,600
6	Nick Castellanos	RIGHT	0.314	0.168	0.288	3B	$2,800	3B	$2,900
7	Justin Upton	RIGHT	0.337	0.199	0.262	OF	$2,900	OF	$3,000
8	James McCann	RIGHT	0.248	0.073	0.276	C	$2,100	C	$2,200
9	Jose Iglesias	RIGHT	0.280	0.057	0.305	SS	$2,600	SS	$2,500
	Team Averages	—	0.323	0.148	0.338	—	—	—	—

MLB Grind Down: Tuesday, June 7th

Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia – 7:05 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

Chicago Cubs

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Jason Heyward, Anthony Rizzo

Secondary Plays – Dexter Fowler, Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist, Tommy La Stella

Stackability – Cash & GPP

Philadelphia

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Odubel Herrera, Jimmy Paredes

Stackability – NONE

Kansas City at Baltimore – 7:05 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

Kansas City

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Salvador Perez (FD)

Secondary Plays – Alcides Escobar, Whit Merrifield, Lorenzo Cain (FD), Eric Hosmer (FD)

Stackability – GPP

Baltimore

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Hyun-Soo Kim, Manny Machado, Chris Davis

Secondary Plays – Adam Jones, Mark Trumbo, Matt Wieters

Stackability – Cash & GPP

LA Angels at NY Yankees – 7:05 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

LA Angels

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Mike Trout

Secondary Plays – Kole Calhoun

Stackability – NONE

NY Yankees

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Carlos Beltran, Alex Rodriguez

Secondary Plays – Jacoby Ellsbury, Starlin Castro, Chase Headley

Stackability – Cash & GPP

NY Mets at Pittsburgh – 7:05 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

NY Mets

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Curtis Granderson

Secondary Plays – Asdrubal Cabrera, Neil Walker, Michael Conforto

Stackability – NONE

Pittsburgh

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

Toronto at Detroit – 7:08 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

Toronto

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin

Secondary Plays – Edwin Encarnacion, Michael Saunders, Justin Smoak

Stackability – Cash & GPP

Detroit

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Cameron Maybin, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez

Stackability – NONE

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