MLB Grind Down: Tuesday, May 24th

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.

Tampa Bay at Miami – 12:10 PM ET

Tampa Bay Miami
tampabaymlb Jake Odorizzi miamimlb Tom Koehler
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
TB -120 8.0
Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB% Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB%
SP vs. Left 0.270 7 24.8% 4.9% SP vs. Left 0.339 17 18.0% 10.9%
SP vs. Right 0.333 19 16.6% 8.3% SP vs. Right 0.315 8 15.8% 9.7%

Pitcher Grind Down

Jake Odorizzi
jake-odorizzi-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $7,700 Salary: $7,100
FPPG: 23.6 FPPG: 12.6
Pitcher Rating: 64.6 Pitcher Rank: 13
Statistics Starts SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 6.21 7.00 9.8% 12.2% 7.1% 40.6% 46.9% 40.6%
2016 9 4.25 3.81 18.7% 6.4% 8.8% 37.7% 43.0% 38.8%
2015 28 3.90 3.35 21.4% 6.6% 10.1% 37.3% 40.6% 27.0%

There are two things to look for with Odorizzi – his form and whether or not he is pitching at home. He doesn’t have either in his favor tonight, as he has been shelled in his last two starts and is pitching on the road against the Marlins. Odorizzi has shown nice strikeout upside in the past, but this game is included in the all-day slate, which has pitching options.

Tom Koehler
tom-koehler-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $6,500 Salary: $7,600
FPPG: 22.1 FPPG: 9.7
Pitcher Rating: 43.0 Pitcher Rank: 24
Statistics Starts SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 5.94 2.13 13.8% 17.2% 7.2% 60.5% 26.3% 17.5%
2016 8 5.31 4.71 16.2% 13.1% 7.5% 45.3% 35.9% 24.1%
2015 31 4.67 4.08 17.1% 9.6% 7.3% 46.0% 35.6% 34.5%

Koehler has not pitched well this season, posting a 5.31 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 16.2%. He has really struggled with his command, walking over 13% of the batters that he has faced. His swinging strike rate is too low and he doesn’t have the strikeout upside to make up for the runs that he has been giving up. Even though the matchup against the Rays is a favorable one, Koehler can be avoided in all league formats.

Batter Grind Down

Tampa Bay

The Rays strikeout at a high rate, but they have the second highest team ISO against right-handed pitching this season. If you want some exposure to the early game, you can certainly look at the left-handed hitters from the Rays. Over the last two seasons, Koehler has allowed a .339 wOBA and 17 home runs to batters from the left side of the plate.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Brandon Guyer RIGHT 0.321 0.131 0.411 OF $3,400 OF $3,500
2 Brad Miller LEFT 0.338 0.188 0.315 SS $2,900 SS $3,500
3 Evan Longoria RIGHT 0.308 0.161 0.380 3B $4,000 3B $4,000
4 Steve Pearce RIGHT 0.329 0.206 0.489 1B $3,600 1B/2B $3,900
5 Steven Souza RIGHT 0.321 0.184 0.374 OF $3,200 OF $3,900
6 Desmond Jennings RIGHT 0.280 0.114 0.341 OF $2,400 OF $3,200
7 Tim Beckham RIGHT 0.292 0.197 0.371 SS $2,600 2B/SS $2,900
8 Curt Casali RIGHT 0.325 0.310 0.180 C $2,500 C $3,100
9 Jake Odorizzi RIGHT 0.000 0.000 P $7,700 P $7,100
Team Averages 0.279 0.166 0.358

Elite Plays – Brad Miller

Secondary Plays – Brandon Guyer, Steve Pearce

Stackability – NONE

Miami

It’s hard to get excited about the Marlins’ offense when they are facing a right-handed pitcher at home. The ballpark doesn’t exactly help offensive production and the Marlins come into the game with a mediocre team total of 3.88 runs. Tom Koehler is a reverse-splits pitcher, allowing a .333 wOBA and 19 home runs to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Ichiro Suzuki LEFT 0.256 0.033 0.588 OF $2,200 OF $2,300
2 Martin Prado RIGHT 0.316 0.091 0.263 3B $2,700 3B $3,300
3 Justin Bour LEFT 0.361 0.259 0.362 1B $3,300 1B $3,500
4 Giancarlo Stanton RIGHT 0.358 0.278 0.211 OF $3,300 OF $4,000
5 Marcell Ozuna RIGHT 0.304 0.141 0.514 OF $3,800 OF $4,100
6 Derek Dietrich LEFT 0.369 0.216 0.276 2B $3,100 2B/3B $3,300
7 J.T. Realmuto RIGHT 0.298 0.129 0.304 C $2,600 C $3,100
8 Adeiny Hechavarria RIGHT 0.272 0.085 0.228 SS $2,400 SS $2,500
9 Tom Koehler RIGHT 0.133 0.020 0.000 P $6,500 P $7,600
Team Averages 0.296 0.139 0.305

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Ichiro Suzuki, Justin Bour, Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna

Stackability – NONE

Arizona at Pittsburgh – 7:05 PM ET

Arizona Pittsburgh
arizonamlb Shelby Miller pittsburghmlb Francisco Liriano
RIGHT LEFT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
PIT -180 8.5
Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB% Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB%
SP vs. Left 0.337 14 15.2% 10.1% SP vs. Left 0.270 3 25.6% 9.6%
SP vs. Right 0.277 8 22.7% 8.5% SP vs. Right 0.301 21 26.1% 9.7%

Pitcher Grind Down

Shelby Miller
shelby-miller-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $6,700 Salary: $5,700
FPPG: 12.5 FPPG: 4.5
Pitcher Rating: 32.3 Pitcher Rank: 28
Statistics Starts SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 4.80 4.76 13.7% 7.8% 7.5% 41.0% 25.6% 40.0%
2016 9 5.65 6.64 14.2% 13.2% 6.5% 39.4% 37.9% 38.0%
2015 33 4.16 3.02 19.9% 8.5% 9.2% 47.7% 34.1% 26.7%

Miller has been one of my favorite pitchers to pick on this season. Through nine starts, he has a 5.65 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 14.2%. He has walked nearly as many hitters as he has struck out and he is giving up an extremely high hard hit contact rate of 38%. At this point, Miller should not be on your radar in any league format. The risk greatly outweighs the potential reward.

Francisco Liriano
francisco-liriano-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $9,500 Salary: $8,500
FPPG: 28.2 FPPG: 14.0
Pitcher Rating: 81.6 Pitcher Rank: 6
Statistics Starts SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 4.52 7.71 20.0% 10.9% 14.1% 43.2% 32.4% 34.2%
2016 8 4.12 4.63 23.9% 12.0% 11.4% 52.8% 31.2% 35.6%
2015 31 3.38 3.38 26.5% 9.1% 14.3% 51.2% 26.3% 24.3%

Liriano pitched well in his last start, but he didn’t see any run support and was eventually left with the loss. He doesn’t have the best command in the world, but a lot of that is by design. He throws a lot of pitches in the dirt to get batters to chase. I’m a big fan of his price tonight, especially on DraftKings. I have him ranked as the sixth best pitching option on the board tonight, yet he is the 12th most expensive. The Diamondbacks have hit left-handed pitching well this season, but Liriano is facing them at home in the pitcher-friendly PNC Park. He is a viable SP2 tonight on DraftKings.

Batter Grind Down

Arizona

The Diamondbacks are ranked inside the top ten in team wOBA, team ISO, and team strikeout rate against left-handed pitching this season. The problem is that they are facing a tough southpaw in Francisco Liriano and they are facing him in the pitcher-friendly PNC Park. With the tenth lowest team total on the board, the Diamondbacks are best suited as GPP plays tonight.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. LHP ISO vs. LHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Jean Segura RIGHT 0.315 0.112 0.289 2B $3,500 2B $3,900
2 Brandon Drury RIGHT 0.359 0.215 0.340 OF $2,800 3B/OF $2,900
3 Paul Goldschmidt RIGHT 0.429 0.229 0.369 1B $4,200 1B $4,400
4 Jake Lamb LEFT 0.252 0.122 0.314 3B $3,500 3B $3,400
5 Welington Castillo RIGHT 0.385 0.301 0.236 C $3,100 C $3,300
6 Yasmany Tomas RIGHT 0.378 0.227 0.324 OF $3,200 OF $3,400
7 Chris Owings RIGHT 0.259 0.124 0.406 OF $2,100 OF $2,800
8 Shelby Miller RIGHT 0.114 0.063 0.531 P $6,700 P $5,700
9 Nick Ahmed RIGHT 0.337 0.164 0.364 SS $2,400 SS $2,500
Team Averages 0.314 0.173 0.353

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Paul Goldschmidt, Welington Castillo, Yasmany Tomas

Stackability – NONE

Pittsburgh

As I mentioned earlier, Shelby Miller has been one of my favorite punching bags this season. In nine starts, Miller has allowed a .421 wOBA to left-handed hitters and a .346 wOBA to right-handed hitters. The Pirates have the fourth highest team total on the schedule, as they are projected to score 4.71 runs. Hitters from both sides of the plate are in play, but the lefties have the edge in this matchup.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 John Jaso LEFT 0.365 0.172 0.380 1B $3,300 1B $3,700
2 Andrew McCutchen RIGHT 0.368 0.199 0.332 OF $4,100 OF $4,600
3 Gregory Polanco LEFT 0.338 0.152 0.412 OF $3,900 OF $4,800
4 Starling Marte RIGHT 0.354 0.155 0.247 OF $4,000 OF $4,700
5 David Freese RIGHT 0.325 0.131 0.308 3B $2,400 3B $3,400
6 Francisco Cervelli RIGHT 0.323 0.082 0.227 C $2,700 C $3,100
7 Josh Harrison RIGHT 0.303 0.103 0.341 2B $3,000 2B $3,400
8 Sean Rodriguez RIGHT 0.303 0.141 0.284 OF $2,400 2B/SS $2,900
9 Francisco Liriano LEFT 0.261 0.095 0.441 P $9,500 P $8,500
Team Averages 0.327 0.137 0.330

Elite Plays – John Jaso, Gregory Polanco

Secondary Plays – Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, David Freese, Francisco Cervelli

Stackability – Cash & GPP

NY Mets at Washington – 7:05 PM ET

NY Mets Washington
nymetsmlb Matt Harvey washingtonmlb Stephen Strasburg
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
WAS -165 7.0
Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB% Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB%
SP vs. Left 0.324 18 23.4% 7.5% SP vs. Left 0.246 6 30.0% 7.4%
SP vs. Right 0.254 5 24.0% 3.1% SP vs. Right 0.310 12 30.1% 3.6%

Pitcher Grind Down

Matt Harvey
matt-harvey-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $7,500 Salary: $7,500
FPPG: 24.1 FPPG: 10.7
Pitcher Rating: 69.5 Pitcher Rank: 8
Statistics Starts SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 3.80 11.88 17.4% 4.4% 10.5% 41.2% 17.6% 30.6%
2016 9 4.08 5.77 19.6% 6.8% 10.7% 39.6% 31.2% 29.8%
2015 29 3.23 2.71 24.9% 4.9% 11.6% 46.0% 36.1% 26.7%

Harvey just doesn’t look right. Even though his SIERA and strikeout rate look a lot better than his ERA, you can tell that he just doesn’t have that same bravado from years past. At this point, I will be avoiding Harvey in all league formats until he can flash some form. The Nationals haven’t fared well against right-handed pitching this season, but they did put up nine runs on Harvey in their meeting last week.

Stephen Strasburg
stephen-strasburg-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $10,600 Salary: $13,400
FPPG: 48.3 FPPG: 26.3
Pitcher Rating: 97.0 Pitcher Rank: 1
Statistics Starts SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 3 2.74 3.79 34.2% 8.5% 11.7% 42.2% 35.6% 26.1%
2016 9 2.79 2.80 30.9% 6.6% 12.1% 47.3% 33.1% 25.2%
2015 23 2.76 3.46 29.6% 5.0% 11.2% 42.2% 34.3% 28.9%

Strasburg dominated the Mets in New York last week and he will look to do the same tonight in Washington. He has been tremendous this season, posting a 2.79 SIERA with a strikeout rate over 30%. He is generating his highest swinging strike rate since his rookie season and he produces a lot of ground ball outs. Even though the Mets have hit right-handed pitching well this season, Strasburg grades out as the top pitching option in the slate, slightly edging out Chris Sale.

Batter Grind Down

NY Mets

The Mets were unable to get much of anything going against Stephen Strasburg in their last meeting and they will likely have a similar fate tonight. Over the last two seasons, Strasburg has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .310 wOBA. With the third lowest team total on the board, the Mets should be avoided in all league formats.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Curtis Granderson LEFT 0.372 0.224 0.284 OF $3,200 OF $3,200
2 David Wright RIGHT 0.336 0.138 0.229 3B $2,600 3B $3,100
3 Michael Conforto LEFT 0.400 0.289 0.378 OF $3,900 OF $3,200
4 Yoenis Cespedes RIGHT 0.387 0.277 0.451 OF $4,400 OF $3,900
5 Neil Walker SWITCH 0.335 0.182 0.338 2B $2,500 2B $2,900
6 Asdrubal Cabrera SWITCH 0.321 0.157 0.247 SS $3,000 SS $2,500
7 Eric Campbell RIGHT 0.279 0.080 0.224 3B $2,000 1B/3B $2,600
8 Kevin Plawecki RIGHT 0.264 0.064 0.167 C $2,100 C $2,000
9 Matt Harvey RIGHT 0.099 0.038 0.000 P $7,500 P $7,500
Team Averages 0.310 0.161 0.258

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

Washington

The Nationals jumped on Matt Harvey early in their last meeting and eventually scored nine runs against him. While I don’t love the place that Harvey is in right now, I’m not ready to start stacking offenses against him in cash games. The Nationals have the 12th lowest team total on the board. You can certainly mix in some Nationals’ hitters tonight, but I’m not going to go overboard.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Ben Revere LEFT 0.307 0.077 0.197 OF $2,800 OF $3,500
2 Chris Heisey RIGHT 0.371 0.262 0.418 OF $2,100 OF $2,600
3 Bryce Harper LEFT 0.464 0.343 0.352 OF $4,300 OF $5,100
4 Daniel Murphy LEFT 0.369 0.205 0.356 2B $3,900 2B $4,400
5 Ryan Zimmerman RIGHT 0.290 0.156 0.405 1B $3,300 1B $3,600
6 Anthony Rendon RIGHT 0.309 0.104 0.437 3B $4,200 3B $4,200
7 Wilson Ramos RIGHT 0.292 0.137 0.368 C $3,400 C $3,300
8 Danny Espinosa SWITCH 0.299 0.156 0.248 SS $2,500 SS $2,600
9 Stephen Strasburg RIGHT 0.148 0.000 0.000 P $10,600 P $13,400
Team Averages 0.317 0.160 0.309

Elite Plays – Ben Revere, Bryce Harper

Secondary Plays – Daniel Murphy, Ryan Zimmerman

Stackability – GPP

Toronto at NY Yankees – 7:05 PM ET

Toronto NY Yankees
torontomlb R.A. Dickey nyyankeesmlb Nathan Eovaldi
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
NYY -125 8.0
Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB% Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB%
SP vs. Left 0.307 16 12.6% 8.3% SP vs. Left 0.353 8 18.2% 8.4%
SP vs. Right 0.317 17 16.9% 5.9% SP vs. Right 0.285 9 19.7% 5.4%

Pitcher Grind Down

R.A. Dickey
r.a.-dickey-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $7,000 Salary: $6,800
FPPG: 22.5 FPPG: 11.2
Pitcher Rating: 29.3 Pitcher Rank: 30
Statistics Starts SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 3.53 2.57 22.2% 3.7% 14.0% 41.0% 43.6% 22.5%
2016 9 4.36 4.50 17.5% 7.4% 10.4% 45.0% 33.9% 28.5%
2015 33 4.76 3.91 14.3% 6.9% 9.1% 41.9% 37.2% 23.9%

Dickey has pitched well in his last two starts, but we have to trust the larger sample size here. Over the last two seasons, he has a SIERA above 4.50 with a strikeout rate below 15%. There are a number of bad pitching options tonight, yet Dickey grades out as the worst option in the slate. He should be avoided tonight against the Yankees, who have the fifth lowest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season.

Nathan Eovaldi
nathan-eovaldi-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $8,100 Salary: $8,600
FPPG: 32.1 FPPG: 16.5
Pitcher Rating: 65.9 Pitcher Rank: 11
Statistics Starts SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 3.78 3.27 18.6% 4.7% 6.6% 51.5% 33.3% 15.2%
2016 8 3.27 4.44 22.6% 5.0% 8.9% 54.5% 29.4% 30.8%
2015 27 3.99 4.20 18.0% 7.3% 8.7% 52.2% 26.0% 28.0%

Eovaldi has a 4.44 ERA on the season, but his indicators look good. Through eight starts, he has a 3.27 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 22.6% and a walk rate of only 5%. He is producing an elite ground ball rate, although his hard hit contact rate is a small concern. The biggest issue with Eovaldi is his matchup against the Blue Jays. They are currently ranked eighth in team ISO against right-handed pitching and Yankee Stadium is more of a hitter’s park than a pitcher’s park. There are better pitching options available tonight.

Batter Grind Down

Toronto

The Blue Jays have struggled offensively this season, but they have shown flashes recently. They could finally be coming out of their month-long slump. They draw a mediocre matchup tonight against Nathan Eovaldi, who has allowed a .353 wOBA to left-handed hitters over the last two seasons. I prefer the left-handed hitters in this matchup, but the righties are worth a look in tournaments.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Jose Bautista RIGHT 0.390 0.298 0.432 OF $4,600 OF $5,000
2 Josh Donaldson RIGHT 0.379 0.254 0.281 3B $3,800 3B $4,400
3 Edwin Encarnacion RIGHT 0.377 0.269 0.314 1B $3,700 1B $4,200
4 Michael Saunders LEFT 0.363 0.169 0.481 OF $3,900 OF $3,800
5 Troy Tulowitzki RIGHT 0.321 0.176 0.397 SS $3,100 SS $3,700
6 Justin Smoak SWITCH 0.345 0.225 0.351 1B $2,700 1B $3,100
7 Russell Martin RIGHT 0.298 0.172 0.218 C $2,000 C $2,800
8 Darwin Barney RIGHT 0.341 0.191 0.324 SS $2,300 2B/3B $2,400
9 Kevin Pillar RIGHT 0.305 0.129 0.131 OF $2,700 OF $3,100
Team Averages 0.347 0.209 0.325

Elite Plays – Michael Saunders

Secondary Plays – Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki

Stackability – GPP

NY Yankees

The Yankees haven’t been great offensively this season, but they are ranked right around the major league average in team wOBA and team ISO. They draw a favorable matchup tonight against R.A. Dickey, who has allowed 33 home runs in the last two seasons. Dustin Ackley and Mark Teixeira have the best track records against Dickey, but all of the left-handed bats are in play here.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Jacoby Ellsbury LEFT 0.307 0.111 0.424 OF $3,700 OF $4,400
2 Brett Gardner LEFT 0.337 0.158 0.343 OF $3,400 OF $4,200
3 Carlos Beltran SWITCH 0.360 0.216 0.443 OF $3,500 OF $4,100
4 Brian McCann LEFT 0.338 0.212 0.338 C $3,200 C $3,700
5 Mark Teixeira SWITCH 0.354 0.277 0.202 1B $2,500 1B $3,400
6 Starlin Castro RIGHT 0.295 0.132 0.280 2B $2,900 2B $3,100
7 Chase Headley SWITCH 0.302 0.099 0.375 3B $2,800 3B $3,100
8 Didi Gregorius LEFT 0.301 0.119 0.369 SS $2,300 SS $3,000
9 Aaron Hicks SWITCH 0.289 0.130 0.300 OF $2,400 OF $3,200
Team Averages 0.320 0.162 0.342

Elite Plays – Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann

Secondary Plays – Brett Gardner, Carlos Beltran, Mark Teixeira

Stackability – GPP

Philadelphia at Detroit – 7:08 PM ET

Philadelphia Detroit
philadelphiamlb Jeremy Hellickson detroitmlb Justin Verlander
RIGHT RIGHT
Vegas Moneyline Vegas Over/Under
DET -185 8.5
Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB% Stats wOBA HR All. K% BB%
SP vs. Left 0.348 11 18.1% 9.4% SP vs. Left 0.266 10 23.0% 6.7%
SP vs. Right 0.325 20 22.0% 4.6% SP vs. Right 0.309 11 21.8% 6.8%

Pitcher Grind Down

Jeremy Hellickson
jeremy-hellickson-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $7,300 Salary: $8,400
FPPG: 31.2 FPPG: 16.2
Pitcher Rating: 43.3 Pitcher Rank: 23
Statistics Starts SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 2.86 1.38 27.7% 4.3% 14.8% 43.8% 31.3% 25.0%
2016 9 3.52 3.99 24.2% 6.3% 12.0% 41.0% 36.7% 32.9%
2015 27 4.14 4.62 19.0% 6.8% 10.3% 42.4% 36.5% 34.3%

Hellickson continues to pitch well for the Phillies. Through his first nine starts of the season, he has a 3.52 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 24.2%. He is generating his highest swinging strike rate since his rookie season and he doesn’t give up many walks. Unfortunately, Vegas doesn’t seem to be on board, at least not for tonight’s game. He is one of the largest underdogs on the board, as he squares off against the Tigers in Detroit. We should wait for a better matchup before targeting Hellickson.

Justin Verlander
justin-verlander-300x200 FanDuel DraftKings
Salary: $8,500 Salary: $11,000
FPPG: 33.3 FPPG: 18.0
Pitcher Rating: 81.9 Pitcher Rank: 5
Statistics Starts SIERA ERA K% BB% SS% GB% FB% HH%
L14 Days 2 3.18 2.35 30.0% 8.3% 15.2% 38.9% 47.2% 16.7%
2016 9 3.73 4.58 25.4% 8.5% 11.3% 35.9% 47.1% 28.6%
2015 20 3.95 3.37 21.1% 6.0% 10.0% 34.6% 45.5% 23.0%

Verlander is coming off of two nice starts in a row. For the season, he now owns a 3.73 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 25.4%. He grades out as a top five pitching option tonight, but his price across the industry varies greatly. He is the eighth most expensive option on FanDuel ($8,500) and the fourth most expensive on DraftKings ($11,000). He draws a favorable matchup against the Phillies, who are ranked 27th in both team wOBA and team ISO against right-handed pitching this season.

Batter Grind Down

Philadelphia

The Phillies currently average the second fewest runs per game this season. They are one of the worst offenses in baseball against right-handed pitching and they have the ninth lowest team total on the board. Maikel Franco is the only Phillies’ hitter on my radar tonight. He has a .189 ISO against right-handed pitching and Justin Verlander is a reverse-splits pitcher.

Projected Lineup

# Player Bats wOBA vs. RHP ISO vs. RHP wOBA L14 FD Position FD Salary DK Position DK Salary
1 Odubel Herrera LEFT 0.357 0.137 0.417 OF $3,600 OF $3,400
2 Cesar Hernandez RIGHT 0.289 0.071 0.227 2B $2,600 2B $2,400
3 Maikel Franco RIGHT 0.339 0.187 0.331 3B $2,800 3B $2,900
4 Ryan Howard LEFT 0.325 0.238 0.163 1B $2,300 1B $2,900
5 Tommy Joseph RIGHT 0.000 0.000 0.415 1B $2,000 1B/C $2,900
6 Cameron Rupp RIGHT 0.277 0.128 0.409 C $2,700 C $2,200
7 Freddy Galvis SWITCH 0.289 0.116 0.296 SS $2,600 SS $2,700
8 Tyler Goeddel RIGHT 0.337 0.136 0.436 OF $2,000 OF $2,900
9 Peter Bourjos RIGHT 0.249 0.110 0.233 OF $2,100 OF $2,200
Team Averages 0.274 0.125 0.325

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Maikel Franco

Stackability – NONE

Detroit

The Tigers strikeout at a high rate against right-handed pitching, but they are ranked fifth in team wOBA and sixth in team ISO. They have the third highest team total on the board, as they host Jeremy Hellickson and the Phillies. Over the last two seasons, Hellickson has allowed a .348 wOBA to left-handed hitters and a .325 wOBA to right-handed hitters.

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 0.419 2B $4,300 2B $4,800
2 J.D. Martinez RIGHT 0.364 0.243 0.469 OF $4,000 OF $4,300
3 Miguel Cabrera RIGHT 0.412 0.209 0.584 1B $4,400 1B $4,500
4 Victor Martinez SWITCH 0.299 0.143 0.394 C $3,400 1B $3,400
5 Nick Castellanos RIGHT 0.313 0.166 0.385 3B $3,500 3B $3,400
6 Steven Moya LEFT 0.304 0.150 0.328 OF $2,200 OF $2,800
7 Cameron Maybin RIGHT 0.312 0.090 0.578 OF $3,200 OF $3,200
8 Jarrod Saltalamacchia SWITCH 0.326 0.236 0.274 C $2,500 C $3,000
9 Jose Iglesias RIGHT 0.281 0.055 0.185 SS $2,200 SS $2,500
Team Averages 0.328 0.160 0.402

Elite Plays – J.D. Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Cameron Maybin (DK)

Secondary Plays – Ian Kinsler, Victor Martinez, Nick Castellanos

Stackability – Cash & GPP


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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