MLB Grind Down: Wednesday, April 6th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2016-04-07 01:55:08

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.

Toronto at Tampa Bay – 1:10 PM ET

Toronto					Tampa Bay
			J.A. Happ					Matt Moore
			LEFT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			TOR -110					8.0
Stats	wOBA	HR Allowed	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR Allowed	K%	BB%
SP vs. Left	0.294	2	27.6%	4.3%	SP vs. Left	0.335	4	10.9%	6.5%
SP vs. Right	0.307	14	18.8%	7.0%	SP vs. Right	0.375	5	19.4%	9.1%
Batter Splits					Batter Splits
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

J.A. Happ
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				Salary:$7,600		Salary:$7,700
				FPPG:27.9		FPPG:N/A
				Pitcher Rating:58.9
Statistics	SIERA	K%	BB%	LD%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2015	3.82	21.1%	6.3%	24.3%	41.6%	5	22

Happ is one of those pitchers that typically has better advanced pitching statistics than most would expect. In 2015, he finished with a respectable 3.82 SIERA and a strikeout rate of 21.1%. He doesn’t walk a ton of batters and he held both left and right-handed hitters under a .310 wOBA last season. The issue with Happ is his matchup. Even though the Rays were one of the worst offenses overall in 2015, they did rank fifth in wOBA against left-handed pitching. Happ should be considered a GPP play in the early and all-day slates.

Matt Moore
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				Salary:$6,000		Salary:$7,800
				FPPG:20.8		FPPG:N/A
				Pitcher Rating:56.5
Statistics	SIERA	K%	BB%	LD%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2015	4.67	16.6%	8.3%	22.1%	39.2%	1	3

After having Tommy John surgery in 2014, many expected Moore to bounce back nicely in 2015. He really struggled to get anything going and was eventually sent down to Triple-A. He finished the season with a 4.67 SIERA and an uncharacteristically low strikeout rate of 16.6%. He is a bit of a wildcard heading into this season, although he did show some improved control during the Spring. Given his matchup against the Blue Jays – who ranked first in wOBA against left-handed pitching this season, we should take a wait and see approach on Moore.

Batter Grind Down

Toronto

As mentioned above, no team in baseball hit left-handed pitching better than the Blue Jays last season. It obviously helps when you have the likes of Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, and Troy Tulowitzki. If Matt Moore shows poor command, he could be in for a very rough outing against this potent offense. Moore allowed a .375 wOBA to right-handed hitters last season.

Elite Plays

Josh Donaldson
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$4,900		Salary:$4,900
			Position:3B		Position:3B
			FPPG:10.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	711	0.398	0.271	154	41	18.7%	10.3%
vs.LH Pitching	138	0.428	0.333	175	9	16.7%	13.0%

Edwin Encarnacion
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$4,300		Salary:$4,400
			Position:1B		Position:1B
			FPPG:9.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	624	0.392	0.280	150	39	15.7%	12.3%
vs.LH Pitching	118	0.360	0.220	128	6	21.2%	12.7%

Troy Tulowitzki
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$3,500		Salary:$4,100
			Position:SS		Position:SS
			FPPG:10.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	534	0.335	0.160	100	17	21.3%	7.1%
vs.LH Pitching	110	0.396	0.190	142	4	22.7%	6.4%

Secondary Plays

Jose Bautista
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$4,500		Salary:$4,500
			Position:OF		Position:OF
			FPPG:13.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	666	0.389	0.285	148	40	15.9%	16.5%
vs.LH Pitching	131	0.363	0.221	130	5	14.5%	19.8%

Kevin Pillar
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,900		Salary:$3,500
			Position:OF		Position:OF
			FPPG:8.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	628	0.310	0.121	93	12	13.5%	4.5%
vs.LH Pitching	156	0.299	0.083	86	2	16.0%	5.1%

Chris Colabello
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,700		Salary:$3,400
			Position:OF		Position:1B/OF
			FPPG:0.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	360	0.381	0.198	142	15	26.7%	6.1%
vs.LH Pitching	99	0.400	0.264	155	7	26.3%	8.1%

Tampa Bay

Common thought among the average daily fantasy baseball player is that J.A. Happ is gas can that we can exploit every time that he takes the mound. The numbers don’t bare that out. He held both left and right-handed hitters under the league wOBA last season. Happ is certainly hittable, but he’s not nearly as bad as most think that he is. The good news for the Rays is that they will be able to load up their lineup with right-handed hitters.

Elite Plays

Evan Longoria
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$3,000		Salary:$4,100
			Position:3B		Position:3B
			FPPG:6.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	670	0.327	0.166	110	21	19.7%	7.6%
vs.LH Pitching	176	0.398	0.226	159	8	17.0%	9.1%

Secondary Plays

Steve Souza
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,700		Salary:$3,700
			Position:OF		Position:OF
			FPPG:7.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	426	0.316	0.174	103	16	33.8%	10.8%
vs.LH Pitching	120	0.324	0.182	108	4	30.0%	15.0%

Steve Pearce
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,200		Salary:$3,200
			Position:OF		Position:1B/OF
			FPPG:1.5		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	325	0.308	0.204	91	15	21.2%	7.1%
vs.LH Pitching	124	0.270	0.161	65	4	18.5%	7.3%

Logan Forsythe
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$3,100		Salary:$3,600
			Position:2B		Position:2B
			FPPG:12.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	615	0.350	0.163	126	17	18.0%	8.9%
vs.LH Pitching	193	0.405	0.299	164	10	16.1%	9.8%

San Francisco at Milwaukee – 1:40 PM ET

San Francisco					Milwaukee
			Jeff Samardzija					Taylor Jungmann
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			SF -125					8.5
Stats	wOBA	HR Allowed	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR Allowed	K%	BB%
SP vs. Left	0.357	21	17.2%	6.2%	SP vs. Left	0.317	3	20.3%	10.8%
SP vs. Right	0.302	8	18.7%	4.5%	SP vs. Right	0.302	8	22.3%	8.1%
Batter Splits					Batter Splits
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Jeff Samardzija
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				Salary:$8,600		Salary:$8,600
				FPPG:28.4		FPPG:N/A
				Pitcher Rating:74.4
Statistics	SIERA	K%	BB%	LD%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2015	4.18	17.9%	5.4%	21.2%	39.0%	21	23

Despite a down 2015 season, Samardzija was still able to secure a five-year, $90 million contract with the Giants in the offseason. He’s hoping to revive his career on a team that has always been known to get the best out of their pitchers. Samardzija saw a major dip in his strikeout rate last season, but a move back to the National League should help. He opens the season against the Brewers, whose offense has yet to show up this season. Samardzija is a sneaky play in all league formats in the early and all-day slates.

Taylor Jungmann
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				Salary:$7,700		Salary:$6,100
				FPPG:30.3		FPPG:N/A
				Pitcher Rating:54.6
Statistics	SIERA	K%	BB%	LD%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2015	4.11	21.4%	9.4%	20.6%	46.3%	6	6

Jungmann had a decent 2015 season, posting a 4.11 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 21.4%. He did have some command issues though, posting a walk rate near 10%. The biggest issue that I have with Jungmann is his matchup. The Giants are a patient team at the plate that was ranked sixth in wOBA and sixth is strikeout rate against right-handed pitching last season. Their offense has only gotten better since last year and we have already seen that in the first two games of this season.

Batter Grind Down

San Francisco

The Giants have a high team total once again. Of the 24 teams on the schedule, they have the sixth highest run total. They are playing in a hitter-friendly ballpark and they draw a nice matchup against Taylor Jungmann, who allowed a .300+ wOBA to both left and right-handed hitters last season. I would give a small edge to the left-handed bats in this Giants’ lineup, but the right-handed bats are also in play.

Elite Plays

Buster Posey
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$4,000		Salary:$4,600
			Position:C		Position:1B/C
			FPPG:15.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	623	0.363	0.153	138	19	8.3%	9.0%
vs.RH Pitching	475	0.362	0.143	138	14	9.1%	9.9%

Brandon Belt
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$3,200		Salary:$4,500
			Position:1B		Position:1B
			FPPG:15.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	556	0.359	0.197	135	18	26.4%	10.1%
vs.RH Pitching	411	0.362	0.198	137	13	25.8%	10.2%

Joe Panik
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$3,000		Salary:$4,100
			Position:2B		Position:2B
			FPPG:13.5		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	432	0.363	0.144	138	8	9.7%	8.8%
vs.RH Pitching	332	0.369	0.155	142	7	10.2%	8.1%

Secondary Plays

Hunter Pence
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$3,400		Salary:$4,700
			Position:OF		Position:OF
			FPPG:4.5		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	223	0.347	0.203	127	9	21.5%	7.2%
vs.RH Pitching	182	0.370	0.216	143	8	22.0%	8.2%

Matt Duffy
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$3,400		Salary:$3,600
			Position:3B		Position:1B/3B
			FPPG:3.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	612	0.331	0.133	116	12	15.7%	4.9%
vs.RH Pitching	2	0.440	0.000	185	0	50.0%	0.0%

Milwaukee

The Brewers have not been able to get their offense going in this series. It doesn’t help that they have a bottom ten offense in terms of actual talent. Their matchup against Jeff Samardzija is an interesting one, as he gave up a lot of big outings last season. I won’t be heavily investing in the Brewers, but Samardzija did allow a .357 wOBA to left-handed hitters last season.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Scooter Gennett
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,700		Salary:$3,000
			Position:2B		Position:2B
			FPPG:13.5		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	391	0.289	0.117	77	6	17.4%	3.1%
vs.RH Pitching	355	0.305	0.124	87	6	16.3%	3.4%

Ramon Flores
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,200		Salary:$3,100
			Position:OF		Position:OF
			FPPG:1.5		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	33	0.204	0.031	21	0	12.1%	0.0%
vs.RH Pitching	29	0.202	0.036	19	0	10.3%	0.0%

Seattle at Texas – 2:05 PM ET

Seattle					Texas
			Wade Miley					Colby Lewis
			LEFT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			TEX -110					9.5
Stats	wOBA	HR Allowed	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR Allowed	K%	BB%
SP vs. Left	0.294	3	17.9%	5.4%	SP vs. Left	0.324	13	13.4%	4.7%
SP vs. Right	0.331	14	17.6%	8.4%	SP vs. Right	0.310	13	20.2%	5.1%
Batter Splits					Batter Splits
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Wade Miley
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				Salary:$6,900		Salary:$7,200
				FPPG:27.1		FPPG:N/A
				Pitcher Rating:48.8
Statistics	SIERA	K%	BB%	LD%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2015	4.24	17.7%	7.7%	20.8%	48.8%	10	18

Miley is coming off of a disappointing 2015 season, posting a 4.24 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 17.7%. He walked way too many batters and Fenway Park was a bad fit. He sees a small boost now that he is pitching in Seattle, but he still has to pitch in the American League. All it takes to get me off of Miley today is a quick look at the Vegas line. This game is basically set as a pick ‘em with a total of 9.5 runs. Both of these offenses should find some success in this game.

Colby Lewis
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				Salary:$7,900		Salary:$6,300
				FPPG:28.1		FPPG:N/A
				Pitcher Rating:51.1
Statistics	SIERA	K%	BB%	LD%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2015	4.43	16.5%	4.9%	22.0%	33.7%	17	27

Lewis is always one of my favorite pitchers to see on the slate, especially when he is pitching at home. He finished the 2015 season with a 4.43 SIERA and a low strikeout rate of 16.5%. He is a fly ball pitcher that has to face quality opponent in a hitter’s ballpark. There is no reason that Lewis should be on your radar today, as the Mariners have the third highest team total on the board on Wednesday.

Batter Grind Down

Seattle

The Mariners are one of the top offenses to target both in the early and all-day slates. This could be a great game to stack, for both cash games and tournaments. Not only is Globe Life Park a hitter-friendly ballpark, but Colby Lewis allowed a .310+ wOBA to both left and right-handed hitters last season. I would give a small edge to the left-handed hitters in the Rangers’ lineup, but you really can’t go wrong with any of the players hitting in the top six or seven spots.

Elite Plays

Nelson Cruz
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$3,900		Salary:$4,800
			Position:OF		Position:OF
			FPPG:3.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	655	0.396	0.264	158	44	25.0%	9.0%
vs.RH Pitching	464	0.371	0.244	141	30	26.5%	7.8%

Kyle Seager
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$3,400		Salary:$4,400
			Position:3B		Position:3B
			FPPG:18.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	686	0.335	0.185	116	26	14.3%	7.9%
vs.RH Pitching	445	0.322	0.168	107	13	12.1%	10.3%

Secondary Plays

Robinson Cano
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$3,300		Salary:$4,700
			Position:2B		Position:2B
			FPPG:18.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	674	0.335	0.159	116	21	15.9%	6.4%
vs.RH Pitching	434	0.349	0.171	126	12	14.7%	7.1%

Norichika Aoki
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,500		Salary:$3,900
			Position:OF		Position:OF
			FPPG:0.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	392	0.326	0.093	112	5	6.4%	7.7%
vs.RH Pitching	281	0.317	0.113	107	5	6.0%	7.8%

Seth Smith
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,500		Salary:$2,000
			Position:OF		Position:OF
			FPPG:0.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	452	0.331	0.195	113	12	21.9%	10.4%
vs.RH Pitching	399	0.343	0.203	122	11	20.1%	11.5%

Texas

The Rangers have the second highest team total in the entire slate of games, as they draw a favorable matchup against Wade Miley at home. It looks like it will be a nice day in Texas and warm weather is always good for the ball to carry. In 2015, Miley allowed a .331 wOBA to right-handed hitters. Prince Fielder can hit left-handed pitching well, but I will likely only be targeting the right-handed bats in the Rangers’ lineup.

Elite Plays

Adrian Beltre
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$3,300		Salary:$4,600
			Position:3B		Position:3B
			FPPG:6.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	619	0.337	0.166	108	18	10.5%	6.6%
vs.LH Pitching	215	0.393	0.237	146	10	10.7%	10.7%

Delino DeShields
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,800		Salary:$3,900
			Position:OF		Position:OF
			FPPG:9.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	492	0.317	0.113	94	2	20.5%	10.8%
vs.LH Pitching	171	0.334	0.121	106	1	24.0%	10.5%

Secondary Plays

Ian Desmond
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,700		Salary:$4,000
			Position:OF		Position:SS
			FPPG:0.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	641	0.294	0.151	83	19	29.2%	7.0%
vs.LH Pitching	132	0.328	0.188	106	5	23.5%	9.8%

Justin Ruggiano
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,400		Salary:$3,600
			Position:OF		Position:OF
			FPPG:6.3		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	141	0.349	0.224	125	6	29.1%	9.9%
vs.LH Pitching	92	0.403	0.277	163	5	23.9%	8.7%

Colorado at Arizona – 3:40 PM ET

Colorado					Arizona
			Tyler Chatwood					Patrick Corbin
			RIGHT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			ARI -170					9.0
Stats	wOBA	HR Allowed	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR Allowed	K%	BB%
SP vs. Left					SP vs. Left	0.250	1	27.6%	5.3%
SP vs. Right					SP vs. Right	0.340	8	20.3%	4.6%
Batter Splits					Batter Splits
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Tyler Chatwood
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				Salary:$5,600		Salary:$6,400
				FPPG:0.0		FPPG:N/A
				Pitcher Rating:35.6
Statistics	SIERA	K%	BB%	LD%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2015						8	19

Chatwood is making his first major league start since 2014. He has started close to 60 games in the pros, but has never really had a ton of success, boasting a career 4.54 FIP. Judging by the Vegas line, oddsmakers do not expect him to fare well today against the Diamondbacks. The Rockies are sizable underdogs and the total for the game is set at 9.0 runs. Chatwood is my least favorite pitcher on the board today and he should be avoided in all league formats.

Patrick Corbin
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				Salary:$7,200		Salary:$7,600
				FPPG:28.7		FPPG:N/A
				Pitcher Rating:71.2
Statistics	SIERA	K%	BB%	LD%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2015	3.44	21.9%	4.8%	23.6%	46.9%	25	24

Corbin is coming off of an impressive 2015 campaign where he posted a 3.44 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 21.9%. The only knock on him last season was that he didn’t pitch very deep into games, which limited his upside in DFS. He had improved velocity last season and it looks like he could be in for another nice season for the Diamondbacks. While the Rockies do have a high team total, they did not fare well against left-handed pitching last season. Corbin should see plenty of run support in this one and he makes for a sneaky tournament play.

Batter Grind Down

Colorado

The Rockies’ offense must not know that they are playing away from Coors Field. In their first two games of the season, they have put up runs in bunches. They will look to continue that today against Patrick Corbin. We should stay away from the left-handed hitters in the Rockies’ lineup, but Corbin did allow a .340 wOBA to right-handed bats last season.

Elite Plays

Trevor Story
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,900		Salary:$3,500
			Position:SS		Position:SS
			FPPG:42.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)
vs.LH Pitching

Secondary Plays

Nolan Arenado
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$4,700		Salary:$4,300
			Position:3B		Position:3B
			FPPG:27.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	665	0.371	0.287	119	42	16.5%	5.1%
vs.LH Pitching	156	0.312	0.178	79	5	14.1%	9.6%

Ryan Raburn
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,500		Salary:$3,400
			Position:OF		Position:OF
			FPPG:0.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	201	0.397	0.243	155	8	21.9%	11.4%
vs.LH Pitching	176	0.423	0.265	173	8	19.3%	11.4%

Arizona

The Diamondbacks are the premier team to target offensively. They have the highest team total on the board and they arguably draw the best matchup on the board as well. Tyler Chatwood has only made four major league starts since the start of the 2014 season and all signs point to him struggling on the road in Arizona. Both left and right-handed hitters are in play from the Diamondbacks.

Elite Plays

Paul Goldschmidt
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$4,700		Salary:$5,300
			Position:1B		Position:1B
			FPPG:3.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	695	0.418	0.249	164	33	21.7%	17.0%
vs.RH Pitching	551	0.408	0.247	157	25	21.2%	17.6%

David Peralta
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$3,400		Salary:$3,700
			Position:OF		Position:OF
			FPPG:15.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	517	0.380	0.210	138	17	20.7%	8.5%
vs.RH Pitching	427	0.397	0.228	150	16	19.7%	8.9%

Jean Segura
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,700		Salary:$3,800
			Position:SS		Position:SS
			FPPG:9.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	584	0.268	0.079	62	6	15.9%	2.2%
vs.RH Pitching	434	0.260	0.072	57	5	17.7%	2.5%

Welington Castillo
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,900		Salary:$3,200
			Position:C		Position:C
			FPPG:3.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	378	0.321	0.216	99	19	24.3%	6.6%
vs.RH Pitching	275	0.317	0.212	96	13	21.8%	5.5%

Jacob Lamb
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,400		Salary:$3,400
			Position:3B		Position:3B
			FPPG:24.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	390	0.312	0.123	92	6	24.9%	9.2%
vs.RH Pitching	339	0.322	0.131	99	5	23.0%	9.1%

Secondary Plays

Socrates Brito
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,200		Salary:
			Position:OF		Position:
			FPPG:0.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	34	0.333	0.152	106	0	20.6%	2.9%
vs.RH Pitching	29	0.367	0.172	130	0	20.7%	0.0%

Yasmany Tomas
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$2,900		Salary:$3,300
			Position:OF		Position:3B/OF
			FPPG:15.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	426	0.307	0.128	88	9	25.8%	4.0%
vs.RH Pitching	307	0.294	0.102	79	5	27.7%	3.3%

Detroit at Miami – 4:55 PM ET

Detroit					Miami
			Anibal Sanchez					Jose Fernandez
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			MIA -153					7.0
Stats	wOBA	HR Allowed	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR Allowed	K%	BB%
SP vs. Left	0.297	12	22.5%	9.1%	SP vs. Left	0.373	3	24.6%	5.7%
SP vs. Right	0.368	17	19.1%	5.5%	SP vs. Right	0.199	1	34.3%	4.9%
Batter Splits					Batter Splits
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Anibal Sanchez
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				Salary:$7,900		Salary:$8,300
				FPPG:29.8		FPPG:N/A
				Pitcher Rating:70.3
Statistics	SIERA	K%	BB%	LD%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2015	4.03	20.9%	7.4%	21.0%	40.0%	29	6

Sanchez wasn’t nearly as dominant in 2015 as he was in year’s past. He finished the season with a 4.03 SIERA and a strikeout rate of 20.9%. Those numbers aren’t bad, but they aren’t up to the standard that Sanchez set for himself in the previous few seasons. The good news for Sanchez is that he opens the season against a National League offense in a very spacious Marlins Park. The Tigers are sizable underdogs here, but the total is set at only 7.0 runs. With Jose Fernandez expected to be the chalk in the early slate, Sanchez could be a nice pivot in tournaments.

Jose Fernandez
				FanDuel:		DraftKings:
				Salary:$11,200		Salary:$11,700
				FPPG:40.0		FPPG:N/A
				Pitcher Rating:91.4
Statistics	SIERA	K%	BB%	LD%	GB%	O-wOBA	O-K%
2015	2.77	29.8%	5.3%	28.7%	40.1%	13	13

Fernandez is one of my favorite pitchers in baseball. He has that same sort of energy around him that Clayton Kershaw does. While I wouldn’t consider any regular season game a must watch, I always tune in when Fernandez is on the mound. He has one of the highest strikeout rates in all of baseball and he has been dominant at home throughout his career. The matchup against the Tigers may scare a few people away, but he gets to face them at home and he won’t have to deal with Victor Martinez, as there is no DH under National League ruled. The only downside with Fernandez is that he will be on an innings limit this season. That said, he is still the clear number one pitching option in the early slate.

Batter Grind Down

Detroit

The Tigers have one of the best offenses in baseball, but they are playing under National League rules in a pitcher’s ballpark. They are also facing a top ten pitcher in Jose Fernandez, who has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .290 wOBA in his career. The Tigers are all a bit overpriced for this matchup and I will be avoiding them in all league formats.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

NONE

Miami

The Marlins draw a neutral matchup against Anibal Sanchez. While he is no longer a dominant ace, Sanchez is still an above-average major league starter. There are enough plays in some of the other matchups that you don’t have to look to the Marlins today, but if you do, the right-handed hitters have a slight edge in this matchup.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Giancarlo Stanton
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$4,700		Salary:$5,100
			Position:OF		Position:OF
			FPPG:13.3		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	318	0.394	0.341	152	27	29.9%	10.7%
vs.RH Pitching	251	0.375	0.291	139	18	29.5%	10.8%

Dee Gordon
			FanDuel:		DraftKings:
			Salary:$3,500		Salary:$4,600
			Position:2B		Position:2B
			FPPG:11.0		FPPG:N/A
Statistics	PA	wOBA	ISO	wRC+	HR	K%	BB%
Overall (2015)	653	0.337	0.085	113	4	13.9%	3.8%
vs.RH Pitching	484	0.329	0.079	108	2	13.8%	4.1%

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