MLB Grind Down: Wednesday, August 19th - Page Three

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2015-08-20 02:37:36

San Francisco at St. Louis – 7:15 PM EST

San Francisco					St. Louis
			Matt Cain					Jaime Garcia
			RIGHT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			STL (-157)					7
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.287	0.863	0.375	0.161	SP vs. Left	0.267	0.719	0.319	0.25
SP vs. Right	0.236	0.742	0.32	0.188	SP vs. Right	0.188	0.538	0.241	0.184
Batter Splits	SFG BvP		SF vs L		Batter Splits	STL BvP		STL vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Matt Cain : FD: $6,400 — DK: $4,800

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 132.0 — SIERA: 4.30 — ERA: 4.77 — K%: 17.5% — BB%: 8.1% — HR/9: 1.4
Last 30 Days: IP: 30.2 — SIERA: 4.71 — ERA: 6.75 — K%: 13.8% — BB%: 5.5% — HR/9: 1.8

St. Louis Cardinals Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.313 (Rank: 13) — Strikeout Rate: 18.9% (Rank: 6)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.293 (Rank: 25) — Strikeout Rate: 20.5% (Rank: 13)
Pitchers per PA: 3.79 (Rank: 19)

Analysis: Cain has been unable to turn the corner this season. He owns a 4.71 SIERA with a low strikeout rate of 13.8% over the last month of play. I’d love to see him get back to the pitcher that he was a few years ago, but he’s an easy pitcher to avoid for now. He draws a tough matchup against the Cardinals, who are ranked 13th in team wOBA and sixth in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season.

Pitcher Rating: 48.4

Jaime Garcia : FD: $8,500 — DK: $10,300

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 118.0 — SIERA: 3.01 — ERA: 2.52 — K%: 20.0% — BB%: 5.5% — HR/9: 0.8
Last 30 Days: IP: 26.1 — SIERA: 3.64 — ERA: 1.37 — K%: 20.0% — BB%: 11.0% — HR/9: 0.3

San Francisco Giants Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.308 (Rank: 16) — Strikeout Rate: 19.2% (Rank: 8)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.339 (Rank: 10) — Strikeout Rate: 17.8% (Rank: 4)
Pitchers per PA: 3.74 (Rank: 25)

Analysis: Garcia has been sharp in his recent starts, posting a 1.37 ERA (3.64 SIERA) with a strikeout rate of 20.0%. While the matchup against the Giants isn’t ideal, they are a better offense against right-handed pitching. On the season, they are ranked 16th in team wOBA against southpaws. There doesn’t appear to be one standout option for cash games tonight, so Garcia is in play on both single and multi-pitcher sites.

Pitcher Rating: 81.4

Batter Grind Down

San Francisco

The Giants draw a difficult matchup against Jaime Garcia tonight in St. Louis. Garcia has been extremely tough on right-handed hitters, holding them to a .241 wOBA over the last two seasons. Buster Posey is the only fantasy option of note here.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Buster Posey : FD: $3,700 — DK: $4,000

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: 1B/C
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 277 — wOBA: 0.367 — ISO: 0.198 — wRC+: 143
Last 30 Days: PA: 101 — wOBA: 0.362 — ISO: 0.128 — wRC+: 139

St. Louis

The Cardinals are large favorites tonight at home against Matt Cain, who has struggled in his last few starts. Cain has given up a .375 wOBA to left-handed hitters over the last two seasons, which puts Matt Carpenter and Kolten Wong in play. Stephen Piscotty has quietly put together a nice month and makes a nice value play in the outfield.

Elite Plays:

Matt Carpenter : FD: $3,800 — DK: $4,200

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 821 — wOBA: 0.359 — ISO: 0.149 — wRC+: 131
Last 30 Days: PA: 112 — wOBA: 0.445 — ISO: 0.354 — wRC+: 190

Secondary Plays:

Stephen Piscotty : FD: $2,700 — DK: $3,400

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 62 — wOBA: 0.340 — ISO: 0.123 — wRC+: 118
Last 30 Days: PA: 91 — wOBA: 0.377 — ISO: 0.165 — wRC+: 144

Jhonny Peralta : FD: $2,400 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 833 — wOBA: 0.331 — ISO: 0.154 — wRC+: 112
Last 30 Days: PA: 107 — wOBA: 0.253 — ISO: 0.091 — wRC+: 59

Detroit at Chicago Cubs – 8:05 PM EST

Detroit					Chicago Cubs
			Daniel Norris					Jon Lester
			LEFT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			CHC (-200)					9
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.265	0.855	0.370	0.182	SP vs. Left	0.258	0.699	0.308	0.265
SP vs. Right	0.256	0.756	0.329	0.147	SP vs. Right	0.231	0.637	0.282	0.244
Batter Splits	DET BvP		DET vs L		Batter Splits	CHC BvP		CHC vs L
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Daniel Norris : FD: $6,000 — DK: $5,100

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 47.0 — SIERA: 5.02 — ERA: 4.40 — K%: 15.6% — BB%: 10.2% — HR/9: 1.2
Last 30 Days: IP: 17.0 — SIERA: 4.65 — ERA: 4.76 — K%: 13.9% — BB%: 5.6% — HR/9: 1.1

Chicago Cubs Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.307 (Rank: 17) — Strikeout Rate: 24.0% (Rank: 28)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.349 (Rank: 7) — Strikeout Rate: 25.1% (Rank: 30)
Pitchers per PA: 4.00 (Rank: 1)

Analysis: Norris is one of the largest underdogs on the board tonight. To make matters worse, there is a very strong wind blowing out to right-center field. We all know how well the ball carries in Wrigley Field when the wind is blowing. There’s a good chance that Norris will give up more runs than strikeouts tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 33.2

Jon Lester : FD: $11,000 — DK: $9,900

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 365.1 — SIERA: 3.12 — ERA: 2.76 — K%: 24.9% — BB%: 5.7% — HR/9: 0.7
Last 30 Days: IP: 35.1 — SIERA: 2.37 — ERA: 2.04 — K%: 29.9% — BB%: 4.5% — HR/9: 0.3

Detroit Tigers Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.335 (Rank: 2) — Strikeout Rate: 22.3% (Rank: 22)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.286 (Rank: 27) — Strikeout Rate: 22.1% (Rank: 24)
Pitchers per PA: 3.85 (Rank: 11)

Analysis: Lester is a huge favorite tonight at home, but it’s hard to get too excited about him against the Tigers with the wind blowing out to right-center field. The Tigers are ranked second in team wOBA against left-handed pitching this season. The strikeout potential is there for Lester, but with all of the red flags, he is a better target for tournaments than he is for cash games.

Pitcher Rating: 80.5

Batter Grind Down

Detroit

The Tigers don’t have a great matchup against Jon Lester, but with the wind blowing out to right-center, we could see some home runs in this one. It also doesn’t hurt that the Lester/Ross combination is one of the worst in baseball at holding runners. The big bats of J.D. Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, and Victor Martinez are in play here and I also like the stolen base potential for Rajai Davis and Jose Iglesias.

Elite Plays:

J.D. Martinez : FD: $3,400 — DK: $4,400

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 232 — wOBA: 0.391 — ISO: 0.281 — wRC+: 151
Last 30 Days: PA: 110 — wOBA: 0.361 — ISO: 0.194 — wRC+: 129

Secondary Plays:

Miguel Cabrera : FD: $5,300 — DK: $4,800

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B/3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 249 — wOBA: 0.402 — ISO: 0.245 — wRC+: 159
Last 30 Days: PA: 14 — wOBA: 0.560 — ISO: 0.400 — wRC+: 269

Victor Martinez : FD: $3,000 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 238 — wOBA: 0.440 — ISO: 0.251 — wRC+: 186
Last 30 Days: PA: 117 — wOBA: 0.240 — ISO: 0.110 — wRC+: 46

Rajai Davis : FD: $2,400 — DK: $3,400

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 271 — wOBA: 0.365 — ISO: 0.190 — wRC+: 133
Last 30 Days: PA: 58 — wOBA: 0.198 — ISO: 0.145 — wRC+: 16

Jose Iglesias : FD: $2,200 — DK: $2,700

Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: 3B/SS
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 98 — wOBA: 0.384 — ISO: 0.125 — wRC+: 146
Last 30 Days: PA: 106 — wOBA: 0.289 — ISO: 0.096 — wRC+: 80

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have one of the highest team totals on the board tonight, as they square off against Daniel Norris at home. Once again, we could see a lot of home runs tonight if the wind is as strong as it’s being projected. Left and right-handed hitters are in play here. Don’t be afraid to load up on Cubbies in both cash games and tournaments.

Elite Plays:

Kris Bryant : FD: $3,400 — DK: $4,700

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 106 — wOBA: 0.340 — ISO: 0.196 — wRC+: 117
Last 30 Days: PA: 113 — wOBA: 0.321 — ISO: 0.179 — wRC+: 103

Dexter Fowler : FD: $2,900 — DK: $4,800

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 237 — wOBA: 0.372 — ISO: 0.127 — wRC+: 140
Last 30 Days: PA: 125 — wOBA: 0.405 — ISO: 0.230 — wRC+: 162

Secondary Plays:

Anthony Rizzo : FD: $4,200 — DK: $5,000

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 311 — wOBA: 0.423 — ISO: 0.207 — wRC+: 174
Last 30 Days: PA: 115 — wOBA: 0.399 — ISO: 0.278 — wRC+: 157

Kyle Schwarber : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,700

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 35 — wOBA: 0.340 — ISO: 0.219 — wRC+: 116
Last 30 Days: PA: 106 — wOBA: 0.420 — ISO: 0.307 — wRC+: 171

Jorge Soler : FD: $2,900 — DK: $3,700

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 103 — wOBA: 0.290 — ISO: 0.068 — wRC+: 82
Last 30 Days: PA: 105 — wOBA: 0.338 — ISO: 0.106 — wRC+: 115

Tampa Bay at Houston – 8:10 PM EST

Tampa Bay					Houston
			Nate Karns					Dallas Keuchel
			RIGHT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			HOU (-170)					7.5
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.237	0.681	0.305	0.261	SP vs. Left	0.195	0.502	0.225	0.258
SP vs. Right	0.207	0.685	0.298	0.199	SP vs. Right	0.243	0.639	0.284	0.184
Batter Splits	TBR BvP		TB vs L		Batter Splits	HOU BvP		HOU vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Nate Karns : FD: $8,000 — DK: $7,700

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 142.0 — SIERA: 3.81 — ERA: 3.61 — K%: 23.2% — BB%: 8.9% — HR/9: 1.2
Last 30 Days: IP: 26.0 — SIERA: 3.90 — ERA: 3.12 — K%: 24.5% — BB%: 10.4% — HR/9: 1.7

Houston Astros Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.320 (Rank: 9) — Strikeout Rate: 23.8% (Rank: 29)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.288 (Rank: 26) — Strikeout Rate: 20.6% (Rank: 14)
Pitchers per PA: 3.87 (Rank: 8)

Analysis: Karns has pitched well over the last month of play, posting a 3.90 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 24.5%. He draws a favorable strikeout matchup against the Astros, but he is more of a boom or bust play tonight. The Astros are very good against right-handed pitching and they lead the majors in home runs this season. Karns should only be targeted in tournaments tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 61.7

Dallas Keuchel : FD: $10,900 — DK: $11,400

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 371.2 — SIERA: 2.95 — ERA: 2.66 — K%: 20.1% — BB%: 6.0% — HR/9: 0.5
Last 30 Days: IP: 34.1 — SIERA: 2.43 — ERA: 2.88 — K%: 27.0% — BB%: 4.4% — HR/9: 0.5

Tampa Bay Rays Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.327 (Rank: 7) — Strikeout Rate: 21.5% (Rank: 18)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.362 (Rank: 3) — Strikeout Rate: 19.8% (Rank: 8)
Pitchers per PA: 3.85 (Rank: 10)

Analysis: Keuchel is my favorite pitcher on the schedule tonight. He has been terrific over the last month of play, posting a 2.43 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 27.0%. He does draw a tough matchup against the Rays, but at least they still strikeout at a fairly high rate against left-handed pitching. There are less red flags here than for any other pitcher on the board tonight, which is why I will be targeting him as my main cash game pitcher.

Pitcher Rating: 89.5

Batter Grind Down

Tampa Bay

The Rays hit left-handed pitching well as a team, but they draw an awful matchup against Dallas Keuchel, who has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .285 wOBA over the last two seasons. There are better matchups to exploit tonight.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

NONE

Houston

The Astros are large favorites tonight at home, but the matchup against Nate Karns is less than ideal. He has been tough on both left and right-handed hitters this season. The Astros should be considered secondary fantasy options tonight.

Elite Plays:

NONE

Secondary Plays:

Carlos Correa : FD: $4,200 — DK: $4,900

Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 178 — wOBA: 0.373 — ISO: 0.233 — wRC+: 140
Last 30 Days: PA: 111 — wOBA: 0.412 — ISO: 0.258 — wRC+: 167

Jose Altuve : FD: $3,900 — DK: $4,900

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 890 — wOBA: 0.323 — ISO: 0.097 — wRC+: 106
Last 30 Days: PA: 120 — wOBA: 0.338 — ISO: 0.054 — wRC+: 115

Preston Tucker : FD: $2,900 — DK: $3,200

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 212 — wOBA: 0.370 — ISO: 0.262 — wRC+: 138
Last 30 Days: PA: 79 — wOBA: 0.370 — ISO: 0.316 — wRC+: 138

Washington at Colorado – 8:40 PM EST

Washington					Colorado
			Stephen Strasburg					Jorge De La Rosa
			RIGHT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			WAS (-137)					10
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.237	0.668	0.295	0.242	SP vs. Left	0.223	0.626	0.278	0.246
SP vs. Right	0.26	0.719	0.314	0.297	SP vs. Right	0.241	0.75	0.329	0.177
Batter Splits	WAS BvP		WAS vs L		Batter Splits	COL BvP		COL vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Stephen Strasburg : FD: $9,000 — DK: $9,100

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 289.0 — SIERA: 2.80 — ERA: 3.52 — K%: 27.2% — BB%: 5.3% — HR/9: 1.0
Last 30 Days: IP: 13.0 — SIERA: 1.68 — ERA: 2.08 — K%: 40.0% — BB%: 4.0% — HR/9: 0.7

Colorado Rockies Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.338 (Rank: 1) — Strikeout Rate: 20.3% (Rank: 17)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.294 (Rank: 24) — Strikeout Rate: 24.8% (Rank: 29)
Pitchers per PA: 3.75 (Rank: 23)

Analysis: Strasburg has pitched well recently, but there are two problems tonight. First off, he is pitching on the road, where he has not fared well in his career. The biggest issue is that he will be pitching in Coors Field. Avoid Strasburg in all league formats tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 65.7

Jorge De La Rosa : FD: $6,400 — DK: $6,300

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 294.1 — SIERA: 4.05 — ERA: 4.34 — K%: 19.3% — BB%: 9.4% — HR/9: 1.0
Last 30 Days: IP: 33.1 — SIERA: 3.83 — ERA: 5.67 — K%: 19.3% — BB%: 7.9% — HR/9: 1.1

Washington Nationals Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.303 (Rank: 21) — Strikeout Rate: 21.9% (Rank: 21)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.303 (Rank: 19) — Strikeout Rate: 20.8% (Rank: 17)
Pitchers per PA: 3.76 (Rank: 22)

Analysis: De La Rosa has been a serviceable starter for the Rockies this season, but there is no fantasy appeal here. He is pitching in Coors Field and the Nationals have the highest team total on the board tonight.

Pitcher Rating: 56.7

Batter Grind Down

Washington

The Nationals scored about a thousand runs last night in Coors. In fact, I believe they are still adding runs to the box score as we speak. They are the top offense to target again tonight, as they square off against Jorge De La Rosa. All of the right-handed hitters (and Bryce Harper) are in play tonight. Don’t be afraid to load up on the Nats in both cash games and tournaments.

Elite Plays:

Ian Desmond : FD: $4,000 — DK: $4,500

Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 263 — wOBA: 0.328 — ISO: 0.172 — wRC+: 109
Last 30 Days: PA: 107 — wOBA: 0.402 — ISO: 0.292 — wRC+: 159

Ryan Zimmerman : FD: $3,900 — DK: $4,300

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B/3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 134 — wOBA: 0.358 — ISO: 0.213 — wRC+: 129
Last 30 Days: PA: 74 — wOBA: 0.359 — ISO: 0.284 — wRC+: 130

Yunel Escobar : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,600

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B/SS
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 226 — wOBA: 0.303 — ISO: 0.082 — wRC+: 94
Last 30 Days: PA: 108 — wOBA: 0.299 — ISO: 0.143 — wRC+: 88

Anthony Rendon : FD: $3,400 — DK: $4,100

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 209 — wOBA: 0.357 — ISO: 0.135 — wRC+: 128
Last 30 Days: PA: 87 — wOBA: 0.260 — ISO: 0.078 — wRC+: 62

Secondary Plays:

Bryce Harper : FD: $5,700 — DK: $6,000

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 249 — wOBA: 0.379 — ISO: 0.206 — wRC+: 144
Last 30 Days: PA: 116 — wOBA: 0.374 — ISO: 0.135 — wRC+: 140

Jayson Werth : FD: $3,700 — DK: $3,300

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 198 — wOBA: 0.370 — ISO: 0.171 — wRC+: 137
Last 30 Days: PA: 69 — wOBA: 0.198 — ISO: 0.097 — wRC+: 19

Wilson Ramos : FD: $2,900 — DK: $3,800

Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 177 — wOBA: 0.297 — ISO: 0.101 — wRC+: 87
Last 30 Days: PA: 72 — wOBA: 0.197 — ISO: 0.059 — wRC+: 19

Colorado

The Rockies may have a difficult matchup against Stephen Strasburg, but they still have one of the highest team totals on the board tonight thanks to Coors Field. Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon are the top targets here.

Elite Plays:

Nolan Arenado : FD: $4,900 — DK: $5,000

Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 715 — wOBA: 0.362 — ISO: 0.254 — wRC+: 115
Last 30 Days: PA: 112 — wOBA: 0.320 — ISO: 0.214 — wRC+: 86

Charlie Blackmon : FD: $4,400 — DK: $4,400

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 867 — wOBA: 0.360 — ISO: 0.171 — wRC+: 114
Last 30 Days: PA: 113 — wOBA: 0.328 — ISO: 0.146 — wRC+: 92

Secondary Plays:

DJ LeMahieu : FD: $3,700 — DK: $3,800

Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 763 — wOBA: 0.318 — ISO: 0.104 — wRC+: 85
Last 30 Days: PA: 107 — wOBA: 0.390 — ISO: 0.138 — wRC+: 134

Ben Paulsen : FD: $3,200 — DK: $3,800

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B/OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 286 — wOBA: 0.364 — ISO: 0.197 — wRC+: 117
Last 30 Days: PA: 92 — wOBA: 0.360 — ISO: 0.214 — wRC+: 114

Chicago White Sox at LA Angels – 10:05 PM EST

Chicago White Sox					LA Angels
			Jeff Samardzija					Jered Weaver
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			LAA (-142)					7.5
Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%	Stats	Avg	OPS	wOBA	K%
SP vs. Left	0.255	0.733	0.319	0.209	SP vs. Left	0.256	0.741	0.326	0.182
SP vs. Right	0.239	0.646	0.285	0.203	SP vs. Right	0.230	0.661	0.291	0.154
Batter Splits	CHW BvP		CWS vs R		Batter Splits	LAA BvP		ANA vs R
Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window

Pitcher Grind Down

Jeff Samardzija : FD: $9,300 — DK: $6,800

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 383.1 — SIERA: 3.50 — ERA: 3.76 — K%: 20.6% — BB%: 4.9% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 38.1 — SIERA: 5.07 — ERA: 7.28 — K%: 10.8% — BB%: 6.0% — HR/9: 1.9

LA Angels of Anaheim Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.308 (Rank: 16) — Strikeout Rate: 19.6% (Rank: 12)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.280 (Rank: 28) — Strikeout Rate: 19.9% (Rank: 10)
Pitchers per PA: 3.79 (Rank: 18)

Analysis: Samardzija has looked like a completely different pitcher over the last month of play. He has a 7.28 ERA (5.07 SIERA) with a strikeout rate of only 10.8% over the last month of play. We typically like to avoid pitchers in bad form and that’s exactly what I will be doing tonight with Samardzija.

Pitcher Rating: 58.8

Jered Weaver : FD: $7,400 — DK: $6,100

Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 321.0 — SIERA: 4.34 — ERA: 3.93 — K%: 17.1% — BB%: 6.2% — HR/9: 1.2
Last 30 Days: IP: 11.0 — SIERA: 3.57 — ERA: 3.27 — K%: 21.7% — BB%: 4.4% — HR/9: 0.8

Chicago White Sox Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.306 (Rank: 21) — Strikeout Rate: 20.5% (Rank: 18)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.309 (Rank: 17) — Strikeout Rate: 20.6% (Rank: 14)
Pitchers per PA: 3.79 (Rank: 16)

Analysis: Weaver has pitched well in his first two starts back from injury, but I’m still not completely sold on him. His strikeouts were way down before getting hurt this season. I’m going to take a wait and see approach with Weaver, which means I will be avoiding him tonight against the White Sox.

Pitcher Rating: 62.5

Batter Grind Down

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox draw a mediocre matchup tonight against Jered Weaver. While he has been tough on right-handed hitters, he has given up a .326 wOBA to hitters from the left side of the plate. Adam Eaton and Melky Cabrera are both in play tonight.

Elite Plays:

Adam Eaton : FD: $3,700 — DK: $3,600

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 752 — wOBA: 0.352 — ISO: 0.147 — wRC+: 125
Last 30 Days: PA: 118 — wOBA: 0.402 — ISO: 0.173 — wRC+: 159

Secondary Plays:

Melky Cabrera : FD: $3,900 — DK: $3,400

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 824 — wOBA: 0.344 — ISO: 0.139 — wRC+: 119
Last 30 Days: PA: 115 — wOBA: 0.403 — ISO: 0.262 — wRC+: 160

LA Angels

The Angels are sizable favorites at home tonight, but their team total is not nearly as high as a few of the other teams on the schedule tonight. Mike Trout is an elite play at his somewhat discounted price point, while Albert Pujols and Kole Calhoun are decent secondary options.

Elite Plays:

Mike Trout : FD: $4,600 — DK: $4,600

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 905 — wOBA: 0.407 — ISO: 0.288 — wRC+: 170
Last 30 Days: PA: 109 — wOBA: 0.378 — ISO: 0.258 — wRC+: 149

Secondary Plays:

Albert Pujols : FD: $3,700 — DK: $4,000

Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 894 — wOBA: 0.355 — ISO: 0.227 — wRC+: 134
Last 30 Days: PA: 115 — wOBA: 0.314 — ISO: 0.191 — wRC+: 104

Kole Calhoun : FD: $3,300 — DK: $3,700

Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 771 — wOBA: 0.345 — ISO: 0.186 — wRC+: 127
Last 30 Days: PA: 120 — wOBA: 0.338 — ISO: 0.193 — wRC+: 121

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