MLB Grind Down: Wednesday, August 5th - Page Two
Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh – 7:05 PM EST
| Chicago Cubs | Pittsburgh | ||||||||
 | Dan Haren |  | Jeff Locke | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| PIT (-125) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.243 | 0.732 | 0.317 | 0.205 | SP vs. Left | 0.216 | 0.608 | 0.275 | 0.108 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.243 | 0.705 | 0.305 | 0.155 | SP vs. Right | 0.269 | 0.743 | 0.328 | 0.187 |
| Batter Splits | CHC BvP | CHC vs L | Batter Splits | PIT BvP | PIT vs R | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Dan Haren : FD: $7,000 — DK: $6,800
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 315.0 — SIERA: 3.97 — ERA: 3.77 — K%: 17.9% — BB%: 4.7% — HR/9: 1.4
Last 30 Days: IP: 30.0 — SIERA: 4.99 — ERA: 3.30 — K%: 13.3% — BB%: 5.5% — HR/9: 1.8
Pittsburgh Pirates Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.306 (Rank: 17) — Strikeout Rate: 20.6% (Rank: 21)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.327 (Rank: 10) — Strikeout Rate: 24.0% (Rank: 27)
Pitchers per PA: 3.78 (Rank: 17)
Analysis: Haren will make his first start as a member of the Cubs tonight. He comes into this start in less than ideal form, posting a 4.99 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 13.3% over the last month of play. He may over-pitch tonight in his first start with his new team, which typically doesn’t end up working out well for pitchers. He can safely be avoided against a competent Pirates’ offense.
Pitcher Rating:50.9
Jeff Locke : FD: $6,600 — DK: $6,200
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 244.2 — SIERA: 4.09 — ERA: 4.05 — K%: 17.0% — BB%: 8.1% — HR/9: 0.9
Last 30 Days: IP: 30.1 — SIERA: 3.87 — ERA: 3.26 — K%: 19.7% — BB%: 9.0% — HR/9: 0.3
Chicago Cubs Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.311 (Rank: 11) — Strikeout Rate: 22.9% (Rank: 23)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.296 (Rank: 22) — Strikeout Rate: 23.3% (Rank: 26)
Pitchers per PA: 3.98 (Rank: 1)
Analysis: Locke is one of those pitchers that rarely finds himself on DFS rosters. He’s a lot like J.A. Happ in that he has decent numbers, but he is just a hard pitcher to trust in DFS. He draws a mediocre matchup tonight against the Cubs, who are ranked 11th in team wOBA and 23rd in strikeout rate against left-handed pitching this season. He’s not the worst play on the board, but he’s not really a pitcher that I will be heavily targeting tonight.
Pitcher Rating:62.0
Batter Grind Down
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs draw a decent matchup tonight against Jeff Locke, who has given up a .328 wOBA to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons. Dexter Fowler and Kris Bryant are both in play here, although neither stands out as a must start at his respective positions.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Kris Bryant : FD: $3,100 — DK: $4,200
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 85 — wOBA: 0.352 — ISO: 0.233 — wRC+: 123
Last 14 Days: PA: 51 — wOBA: 0.246 — ISO: 0.143 — wRC+: 52
Dexter Fowler : FD: $2,800 — DK: $3,900
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 220 — wOBA: 0.377 — ISO: 0.116 — wRC+: 143
Last 14 Days: PA: 56 — wOBA: 0.387 — ISO: 0.200 — wRC+: 149
Pittsburgh
The Pirates draw a favorable matchup against Dan Haren, who has struggled to keep the ball in the park in his career. He is a fly-ball pitcher with an above-average home run per fly ball rate. Left and right-handed hitters are in play here.
Elite Plays:
Gregory Polanco : FD: $2,700 — DK: $3,300
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 558 — wOBA: 0.317 — ISO: 0.127 — wRC+: 104
Last 14 Days: PA: 51 — wOBA: 0.322 — ISO: 0.170 — wRC+: 109
Secondary Plays:
Andrew McCutchen : FD: $4,400 — DK: $4,500
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 888 — wOBA: 0.401 — ISO: 0.221 — wRC+: 161
Last 14 Days: PA: 51 — wOBA: 0.371 — ISO: 0.200 — wRC+: 142
Jung-Ho Kang : FD: $3,500 — DK: $3,600
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: 3B/SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 249 — wOBA: 0.360 — ISO: 0.147 — wRC+: 133
Last 14 Days: PA: 46 — wOBA: 0.458 — ISO: 0.318 — wRC+: 202
Starling Marte : FD: $3,400 — DK: $4,300
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 777 — wOBA: 0.347 — ISO: 0.156 — wRC+: 124
Last 14 Days: PA: 48 — wOBA: 0.351 — ISO: 0.091 — wRC+: 129
Boston at NY Yankees – 7:05 PM EST
| Boston | NY Yankees | ||||||||
 | Steven Wright |  | Luis Severino | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| NYY (-191) | 9 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.255 | 0.701 | 0.31 | 0.205 | SP vs. Left | ||||
| SP vs. Right | 0.244 | 0.738 | 0.321 | 0.156 | SP vs. Right | ||||
| Batter Splits | BOS vs R | Batter Splits | NYY BvP | NYY vs R | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Steven Wright : FD: $6,000 — DK: $4,300
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 80.2 — SIERA: 3.96 — ERA: 4.02 — K%: 17.8% — BB%: 7.0% — HR/9: 1.5
Last 30 Days: IP: 16.1 — SIERA: 4.31 — ERA: 5.51 — K%: 20.3% — BB%: 9.5% — HR/9: 2.2
New York Yankees Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.331 (Rank: 2) — Strikeout Rate: 18.8% (Rank: 9)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.386 (Rank: 1) — Strikeout Rate: 17.1% (Rank: 6)
Pitchers per PA: 3.89 (Rank: 4)
Analysis: Wright has had a decent season for the Red Sox, but he runs into the buzzsaw that is the Yankees’ offense tonight. On the season, New York is ranked second in team wOBA and ninth in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching. They also average the fourth-most pitches per plate appearance. Basically, they are an opposing pitcher’s nightmare. Wright is an easy pitcher to avoid tonight.
Pitcher Rating:40.7
Luis Severino : FD: $6,700 — DK: $4,600
Boston Red Sox Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.315 (Rank: 12) — Strikeout Rate: 16.5% (Rank: 2)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.320 (Rank: 12) — Strikeout Rate: 18.8% (Rank: 11)
Pitchers per PA: 3.96 (Rank: 2)
Analysis: Severino will make his major league debut tonight. He is the Yankees number one prospect and he has dominated at every level thus far. In 11 Triple-A starts this season, Severino has a 2.51 FIP with a strikeout rate of 20.7%. I usually like to take a wait and see approach with pitchers in their debuts, but I might make an exception tonight. Severino is extremely cheap on DraftKings and he is a sizable favorite. The risk is there, but for $4,600, I don’t mind the play one bit, even in cash games.
Pitcher Rating:64.5
Batter Grind Down
Boston
It’s always tough to predict how these major league debuts are going to go. More often than not, the pitcher making the debut is the one that is disappointed after the game. This is a different situation though, as Luis Severino is the Yankees’ top prospect. I will be avoiding all Red Sox tonight in cash games.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
David Ortiz : FD: $4,000 — DK: $4,800
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 693 — wOBA: 0.376 — ISO: 0.257 — wRC+: 139
Last 14 Days: PA: 52 — wOBA: 0.461 — ISO: 0.364 — wRC+: 198
NY Yankees
The Yankees draw a favorable matchup against Steven Wright, who has given up a .320+ wOBA to both left and right-handed hitters. Anything can happen in baseball, but it’s hard not to like the Yankees’ offense again tonight. Hitters from both sides of the plate are in play here.
Elite Plays:
Mark Teixeira : FD: $4,300 — DK: $5,500
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 635 — wOBA: 0.362 — ISO: 0.265 — wRC+: 131
Last 14 Days: PA: 54 — wOBA: 0.535 — ISO: 0.457 — wRC+: 252
Brett Gardner : FD: $3,700 — DK: $4,900
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 741 — wOBA: 0.351 — ISO: 0.189 — wRC+: 123
Last 14 Days: PA: 51 — wOBA: 0.278 — ISO: 0.095 — wRC+: 73
Jacoby Ellsbury : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,600
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 600 — wOBA: 0.320 — ISO: 0.125 — wRC+: 102
Last 14 Days: PA: 60 — wOBA: 0.282 — ISO: 0.196 — wRC+: 76
Secondary Plays:
Alex Rodriguez : FD: $4,300 — DK: $5,100
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 285 — wOBA: 0.373 — ISO: 0.221 — wRC+: 138
Last 14 Days: PA: 56 — wOBA: 0.495 — ISO: 0.409 — wRC+: 224
Brian McCann : FD: $3,500 — DK: $4,300
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 645 — wOBA: 0.308 — ISO: 0.181 — wRC+: 93
Last 14 Days: PA: 39 — wOBA: 0.369 — ISO: 0.306 — wRC+: 136
Chase Headley : FD: $3,200 — DK: $4,100
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 677 — wOBA: 0.314 — ISO: 0.119 — wRC+: 99
Last 14 Days: PA: 54 — wOBA: 0.428 — ISO: 0.143 — wRC+: 177
LA Dodgers at Philadelphia – 7:05 PM EST
| LA Dodgers | Philadelphia | ||||||||
 | Brett Anderson |  | Aaron Harang | ||||||
| LEFT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| LAD (-185) | 7.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.292 | 0.693 | 0.31 | 0.155 | SP vs. Left | 0.279 | 0.758 | 0.334 | 0.152 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.258 | 0.695 | 0.303 | 0.171 | SP vs. Right | 0.252 | 0.698 | 0.307 | 0.197 |
| Batter Splits | LAD BvP | LA vs R | Batter Splits | PHI BvP | PHI vs L | ||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Brett Anderson : FD: $7,500 — DK: $6,700
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 161.0 — SIERA: 3.39 — ERA: 3.19 — K%: 16.6% — BB%: 6.7% — HR/9: 0.6
Last 30 Days: IP: 21.2 — SIERA: 3.88 — ERA: 4.57 — K%: 12.9% — BB%: 5.4% — HR/9: 1.3
Philadelphia Phillies Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.311 (Rank: 11) — Strikeout Rate: 20.7% (Rank: 13)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.348 (Rank: 6) — Strikeout Rate: 18.7% (Rank: 10)
Pitchers per PA: 3.71 (Rank: 28)
Analysis: Anderson has pitched well for the Dodgers this season. He hasn’t been in the best of form recently, but he is a large favorite tonight against the Phillies. With Aaron Harang pitching opposite him, he should have plenty of run support. Surprisingly, the issue here is his matchup. The Phillies are actually ranked above the major league average in both team wOBA and strikeout rate against left-handed pitching this season. If I’m looking for a cheap pitcher, I’d rather target Luis Severino in his debut.
Pitcher Rating:73.5
Aaron Harang : FD: $6,400 — DK: $6,000
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 315.1 — SIERA: 4.25 — ERA: 3.71 — K%: 17.6% — BB%: 7.4% — HR/9: 0.8
Last 30 Days: IP: 5.0 — SIERA: 4.52 — ERA: 1.80 — K%: 12.0% — BB%: 4.0% — HR/9: 0.0
Los Angeles Dodgers Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.328 (Rank: 4) — Strikeout Rate: 20.3% (Rank: 17)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.317 (Rank: 15) — Strikeout Rate: 20.9% (Rank: 17)
Pitchers per PA: 3.87 (Rank: 6)
Analysis: Harang is a very hittable pitcher, which should leave the Dodgers salivating for this matchup. He draws one of the worst matchups on the board, as Los Angeles is ranked fourth in team wOBA against right-handed pitching this season. There is little to no fantasy appeal for Harang tonight.
Pitcher Rating:39.1
Batter Grind Down
LA Dodgers
The Dodgers are one of the top offenses to target tonight, as they square off against Aaron Harang, who has given up a .334 wOBA to left-handed hitters over the last two seasons. Hitters from the left side of the plate have the clear advantage in this matchup, but Howie Kendrick and Yasiel Puig are also in play tonight.
Elite Plays:
Adrian Gonzalez : FD: $3,300 — DK: $3,900
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 807 — wOBA: 0.388 — ISO: 0.247 — wRC+: 153
Last 14 Days: PA: 42 — wOBA: 0.351 — ISO: 0.086 — wRC+: 128
Yasmani Grandal : FD: $3,400 — DK: $3,500
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 604 — wOBA: 0.368 — ISO: 0.230 — wRC+: 140
Last 14 Days: PA: 40 — wOBA: 0.383 — ISO: 0.105 — wRC+: 149
Jimmy Rollins : FD: $2,500 — DK: $3,300
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 760 — wOBA: 0.298 — ISO: 0.152 — wRC+: 89
Last 14 Days: PA: 44 — wOBA: 0.452 — ISO: 0.341 — wRC+: 197
Secondary Plays:
Howie Kendrick : FD: $3,100 — DK: $4,100
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 834 — wOBA: 0.317 — ISO: 0.103 — wRC+: 107
Last 14 Days: PA: 45 — wOBA: 0.284 — ISO: 0.167 — wRC+: 81
Yasiel Puig : FD: $2,800 — DK: $3,400
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 667 — wOBA: 0.370 — ISO: 0.193 — wRC+: 141
Last 14 Days: PA: 35 — wOBA: 0.215 — ISO: 0.182 — wRC+: 33
Andre Ethier : FD: $2,700 — DK: $3,000
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 602 — wOBA: 0.339 — ISO: 0.159 — wRC+: 119
Last 14 Days: PA: 30 — wOBA: 0.315 — ISO: 0.250 — wRC+: 103
Philadelphia
The Phillies may be a decent offense against left-handed pitching, but it’s hard to justify targeting them in daily fantasy. As a team, they don’t score many runs or hit many home runs. Cesar Hernandez is a decent punt option at second base, but the rest of the Phillies can be avoided against Brett Anderson.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Cesar Hernandez : FD: $3,100 — DK: $3,000
Position Eligibility: FD: 2B — DK: 2B/SS
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 115 — wOBA: 0.346 — ISO: 0.067 — wRC+: 121
Last 14 Days: PA: 49 — wOBA: 0.316 — ISO: 0.067 — wRC+: 100
Minnesota at Toronto – 7:07 PM EST
| Minnesota | Toronto | ||||||||
 | Tyler Duffey |  | Drew Hutchison | ||||||
| RIGHT | RIGHT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| TOR (-200) | 8.5 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | SP vs. Left | 0.259 | 0.78 | 0.34 | 0.209 | ||||
| SP vs. Right | SP vs. Right | 0.264 | 0.724 | 0.318 | 0.232 | ||||
| Batter Splits | MIN BvP | MIN vs R | Batter Splits | TOR vs R | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Tyler Duffey : FD: $6,200 — DK: $4,000
Toronto Blue Jays Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.329 (Rank: 3) — Strikeout Rate: 18.8% (Rank: 9)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.353 (Rank: 4) — Strikeout Rate: 16.1% (Rank: 3)
Pitchers per PA: 3.80 (Rank: 14)
Analysis: Duffey is also making his major league debut tonight, although he is on the opposite end of the moneyline as Luis Severino. Duffey is one of the largest underdogs on the board, as he faces one of the best offenses in baseball in a hitter-friendly ballpark. This is a situation where we should take a wait and see approach. While he could come out and surprise some people, he could also come out and get shelled against this potent Blue Jays’ lineup.
Pitcher Rating:41.1
Drew Hutchison : FD: $8,400 — DK: $5,400
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 297.2 — SIERA: 3.73 — ERA: 4.84 — K%: 22.0% — BB%: 7.4% — HR/9: 1.1
Last 30 Days: IP: 24.2 — SIERA: 4.58 — ERA: 6.93 — K%: 15.7% — BB%: 7.8% — HR/9: 1.1
Minnesota Twins Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.300 (Rank: 23) — Strikeout Rate: 20.8% (Rank: 22)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.296 (Rank: 22) — Strikeout Rate: 21.8% (Rank: 19)
Pitchers per PA: 3.80 (Rank: 15)
Analysis: Hutchison has not pitched well since returning from injury, but this is a good spot for a bounce back performance. The Twins are ranked 23rd in team wOBA and 22nd in strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. Hutchison is extremely cheap on DraftKings ($5,400) and he is one of the biggest favorites on the board. He may give up a couple of runs, but he should be able to rack up some strikeouts and hopefully pick up a win to boot.
Pitcher Rating:74.5
Batter Grind Down
Minnesota
The Twins draw a decent matchup against Drew Hutchison tonight in the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre. The problem is that the Twins are a tough team to predict and they don’t have any one particular hitter that stands out in this matchup. They should be considered secondary plays tonight.
Elite Plays:
NONE
Secondary Plays:
Miguel Sano : FD: $2,700 — DK: $4,200
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 62 — wOBA: 0.515 — ISO: 0.375 — wRC+: 238
Last 14 Days: PA: 55 — wOBA: 0.358 — ISO: 0.209 — wRC+: 129
Toronto
The Blue Jays square off against Tyler Duffey, who is making his major league debut tonight. These debuts are always difficult to predict, but Vegas has the Blue Jays installed with one of the highest team totals on the board. The usual suspects are all in play for Toronto tonight.
Elite Plays:
Josh Donaldson : FD: $5,200 — DK: $5,300
Position Eligibility: FD: 3B — DK: 3B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 877 — wOBA: 0.342 — ISO: 0.185 — wRC+: 120
Last 14 Days: PA: 60 — wOBA: 0.479 — ISO: 0.451 — wRC+: 213
Troy Tulowitzki : FD: $4,500 — DK: $4,400
Position Eligibility: FD: SS — DK: SS
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 562 — wOBA: 0.373 — ISO: 0.188 — wRC+: 123
Last 14 Days: PA: 47 — wOBA: 0.313 — ISO: 0.200 — wRC+: 90
Secondary Plays:
Jose Bautista : FD: $4,700 — DK: $4,900
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 864 — wOBA: 0.385 — ISO: 0.252 — wRC+: 146
Last 14 Days: PA: 57 — wOBA: 0.271 — ISO: 0.204 — wRC+: 67
Edwin Encarnacion : FD: $4,500 — DK: $4,500
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 755 — wOBA: 0.373 — ISO: 0.268 — wRC+: 138
Last 14 Days: PA: 48 — wOBA: 0.389 — ISO: 0.075 — wRC+: 150
Russell Martin : FD: $3,300 — DK: $4,600
Position Eligibility: FD: C — DK: C
2014-15 vs. RH Pitching: PA: 634 — wOBA: 0.362 — ISO: 0.187 — wRC+: 132
Last 14 Days: PA: 46 — wOBA: 0.390 — ISO: 0.250 — wRC+: 150
Kansas City at Detroit – 7:08 PM EST
| Kansas City | Detroit | ||||||||
 | Johnny Cueto |  | Matt Boyd | ||||||
| RIGHT | LEFT | ||||||||
| Vegas Moneyline | Vegas Over/Under | ||||||||
| KCR (-160) | 8 | ||||||||
| Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% | Stats | Avg | OPS | wOBA | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP vs. Left | 0.187 | 0.543 | 0.247 | 0.249 | SP vs. Left | 0.421 | 0 | 0.562 | 0.158 |
| SP vs. Right | 0.201 | 0.607 | 0.269 | 0.242 | SP vs. Right | 0.438 | 0 | 0.545 | 0.235 |
| Batter Splits | KC vs L | Batter Splits | DET BvP | DET vs R | |||||
| Batter Split Links Above Open In Pop-Up Window | |||||||||
Pitcher Grind Down
Johnny Cueto : FD: $10,300 — DK: $10,100
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 380.1 — SIERA: 3.23 — ERA: 2.41 — K%: 24.6% — BB%: 6.4% — HR/9: 0.8
Last 30 Days: IP: 32.0 — SIERA: 4.01 — ERA: 2.25 — K%: 20.8% — BB%: 8.5% — HR/9: 0.0
Detroit Tigers Offense (2015)
vs. RH Pitching: wOBA: 0.327 (Rank: 5) — Strikeout Rate: 19.5% (Rank: 13)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.316 (Rank: 16) — Strikeout Rate: 22.0% (Rank: 21)
Pitchers per PA: 3.85 (Rank: 11)
Analysis: Cueto is making his second start with the Royals. After facing the Blue Jays in his first start and now the Tigers in his second start, I’m sure that he is missing the National League already. Cueto has the ability to dominate any lineup that he faces, but it’s hard to justify that price tag against an offense that is as talented as the Tigers. On the season, Detroit is ranked fifth in team wOBA against right-handed pitching.
Pitcher Rating:80.6
Matt Boyd : FD: $5,100 — DK: $4,400
Pitching Stats:
2014 – 2015: IP: 6.2 — SIERA: 3.58 — ERA: 14.85 — K%: 19.4% — BB%: 2.8% — HR/9: 6.8
Kansas City Royals Offense (2015)
vs. LH Pitching: wOBA: 0.312 (Rank: 10) — Strikeout Rate: 14.9% (Rank: 1)
Last 14 Days: wOBA: 0.288 (Rank: 25) — Strikeout Rate: 15.1% (Rank: 1)
Pitchers per PA: 3.65 (Rank: 30)
Analysis: Boyd is making his third major league start tonight. Two starts is not a big enough sample size, so let’s take a look at his minor league numbers. In six Triple-A starts this season, he has a 3.47 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 24.2%. He is a pitcher to keep your eye on moving forward, but he can safely be avoided against the Royals, who are the toughest team to strikeout in the majors.
Pitcher Rating:52.7
Batter Grind Down
Kansas City
The Royals are sizable favorites tonight in a game that features a relatively high total of 8.0 runs. The Royals should be able to score some runs against Matt Boyd, but outside of Eric Hosmer, this lineup has been inconsistent.
Elite Plays:
Eric Hosmer : FD: $3,600 — DK: $4,800
Position Eligibility: FD: 1B — DK: 1B
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 320 — wOBA: 0.306 — ISO: 0.111 — wRC+: 93
Last 14 Days: PA: 50 — wOBA: 0.532 — ISO: 0.304 — wRC+: 251
Secondary Plays:
Lorenzo Cain : FD: $3,900 — DK: $5,100
Position Eligibility: FD: OF — DK: OF
2014-15 vs. LH Pitching: PA: 277 — wOBA: 0.398 — ISO: 0.194 — wRC+: 158
Last 14 Days: PA: 46 — wOBA: 0.339 — ISO: 0.190 — wRC+: 116
Detroit
Since the start of the 2014 season, Johnny Cueto has held left and right-handed hitters under a .270 wOBA. The Tigers may be able to score some runs tonight at home, but none of their hitters stand out as enticing fantasy options.
Elite Plays / Secondary Plays:
NONE