MLB Grind Down: Wednesday, June 15th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2016-06-16 03:17:43

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.

NY Yankees at Colorado – 3:10 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
NY Yankees					Colorado
			Ivan Nova					Chad Bettis
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			NYY -105					12.5
SP vs. Left	0.361	12	10.6%	7.3%	SP vs. Left	0.319	6	17.7%	9.9%
SP vs. Right	0.319	10	20.2%	5.9%	SP vs. Right	0.362	17	19.0%	5.2%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Ivan Nova
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$7,100	Salary:		$5,100
					FPPG:		19.9	FPPG:		9.5
					Pitcher Rating:		34.3	Pitcher Rank:		28
L30 Days	6	87.2	3.78	4.42	18.5%	4.6%	10.1%	54.4%	29.8%	32.5%
2016	7	112.6	3.58	4.39	16.5%	3.9%	9.9%	58.3%	25.0%	32.2%
2015	17	89.9	4.58	5.07	15.3%	8.0%	7.8%	49.0%	31.7%	32.3%

Nova isn’t having the best season thus far, but he has a respectable 3.58 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 16.5%. His ERA will likely take a hit today, as he squares off against the Rockies in Coors Field. This game is basically set as a pick ‘em and the over/under is set at 12.5 runs. As always, avoid the pitchers in Coors Field.

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Chad Bettis
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$5,600	Salary:		$4,100
					FPPG:		21.8	FPPG:		9.6
					Pitcher Rating:		34.0	Pitcher Rank:		29
L30 Days	5	90.0	4.87	8.61	13.2%	7.9%	6.4%	50.6%	28.2%	35.2%
2016	13	94.2	4.23	5.85	16.5%	5.9%	7.8%	49.4%	27.8%	33.5%
2015	20	94.1	4.08	4.23	19.5%	8.4%	9.8%	49.3%	28.5%	31.8%

The Rockies’ starting rotation has been much better this season, but that hasn’t been thanks to Bettis. In 13 starts, he has a 4.23 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 16.5% and a hard hit contact rate of 33.5%. With a matchup against the Yankees in the best hitter’s park in baseball, Bettis is an easy fade in all league formats.

Batter Grind Down

NY Yankees

The Yankees have the highest run projection of the 30 teams in action today. They see a massive ballpark boost playing in Coors Field and they draw a favorable matchup to boot. Over the last two seasons, Chad Bettis has allowed a .319 wOBA to left-handed hitters and a .362 wOBA to right-handed hitters.

Yankees Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.302 (23 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.152 (17 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 18.8% (6 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 3.92 (25 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 6.28 (1 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Brett Gardner	LEFT	0.337	0.151	0.430	OF	$4,200	OF	$5,300
2	Jacoby Ellsbury	LEFT	0.315	0.114	0.362	OF	$4,100	OF	$5,200
3	Alex Rodriguez	RIGHT	0.332	0.209	0.298	3B	$4,000	1B/3B	$4,700
4	Brian McCann	LEFT	0.326	0.204	0.294	C	$3,800	C	$4,800
5	Starlin Castro	RIGHT	0.291	0.132	0.288	2B	$3,200	2B	$4,400
6	Chase Headley	SWITCH	0.302	0.107	0.322	3B	$3,200	3B	$3,900
7	Didi Gregorius	LEFT	0.300	0.122	0.306	SS	$3,100	SS	$3,900
8	Aaron Hicks	SWITCH	0.288	0.129	0.262	OF	$3,000	OF	$3,900
9	Ivan Nova	RIGHT				P	$7,100	P	$5,100
	Team Averages	—	0.311	0.146	0.320	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury, Alex Rodriguez, Brian McCann, Starlin Castro

Secondary Plays – Chase Headley, Didi Gregorius

Stackability – Cash & GPP

Colorado

The Rockies have the second highest team total on the board today, but with this game being set as a pick ‘em we can basically give them the same run projection as the Yankees. They draw a favorable matchup against Ivan Nova, who has allowed a .361 wOBA to left-handed hitters and a .319 wOBA to right-handed hitters over the last two seasons.

Rockies Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.340 (4 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.191 (4 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 18.9% (7 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 5.00 (4 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 6.22 (2 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Charlie Blackmon	LEFT	0.358	0.184	0.398	OF	$4,100	OF	$5,100
2	DJ LeMahieu	RIGHT	0.333	0.114	0.485	2B	$3,700	2B	$4,600
3	Nolan Arenado	RIGHT	0.385	0.309	0.458	3B	$4,300	3B	$5,500
4	Carlos Gonzalez	LEFT	0.413	0.307	0.407	OF	$4,300	OF	$5,400
5	Trevor Story	RIGHT	0.357	0.289	0.294	SS	$3,400	SS	$5,300
6	Mark Reynolds	RIGHT	0.326	0.159	0.325	1B	$3,500	1B	$3,800
7	Ryan Raburn	RIGHT	0.311	0.149	0.277	OF	$3,200	OF	$3,600
8	Nick Hundley	RIGHT	0.359	0.181	0.218	C	$2,800	C	$3,600
9	Chad Bettis	RIGHT	0.124	0.000	0.000	P	$5,600	P	$4,100
	Team Averages	—	0.330	0.188	0.318	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Charlie Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu, Nolan Arenado, Carlos Gonzalez, Trevor Story

Secondary Plays – Mark Reynolds, Ryan Raburn, Nick Hundley

Stackability – Cash & GPP

LA Dodgers at Arizona – 3:40 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
LA Dodgers					Arizona
			Clayton Kershaw					Patrick Corbin
			LEFT					LEFT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			LAD -220					7.5
SP vs. Left	0.209	5	39.7%	2.4%	SP vs. Left	0.272	2	29.6%	7.0%
SP vs. Right	0.222	15	32.0%	4.3%	SP vs. Right	0.342	19	17.1%	5.5%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Clayton Kershaw
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$13,000	Salary:		$14,100
					FPPG:		51.8	FPPG:		32.0
					Pitcher Rating:		98.1	Pitcher Rank:		1
L30 Days	5	105.4	2.07	1.16	33.3%	1.5%	17.3%	54.2%	30.1%	28.7%
2016	13	104.8	2.06	1.52	33.9%	1.7%	16.1%	51.1%	29.3%	28.7%
2015	33	102.8	2.24	2.13	33.8%	4.7%	15.9%	50.0%	28.2%	25.3%

Kershaw doesn’t have a single box in his pitching table that isn’t blue. In other words, every single statistic of his has been elite. In 13 starts this season, he has a 2.06 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 33.9% and a walk rate of only 1.7%. The only knock on Kershaw today is that he is pitching in Chase Field, but if the Diamondbacks can’t make contact, it doesn’t matter where the game is played. Kershaw is the top rated pitcher once again, although you may have to give up some shares of Coors Field to roster him.

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Patrick Corbin
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$6,400	Salary:		$5,800
					FPPG:		21.3	FPPG:		10.5
					Pitcher Rating:		53.0	Pitcher Rank:		20
L30 Days	6	91.8	3.88	5.66	19.9%	7.3%	9.3%	52.8%	24.1%	38.5%
2016	13	92.2	4.16	4.81	17.4%	6.9%	9.3%	53.1%	27.3%	39.4%
2015	16	78.4	3.44	3.60	21.9%	4.8%	10.8%	46.9%	29.5%	31.5%

Corbin hasn’t been in the best of form this season, posting a 4.16 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 17.4%. His swinging strike rate is down this year, while his hard hit contact percentage is up 8%. He draws a decent matchup today against the Dodgers, but it’s hard to imagine him getting enough run support to get the win. Thanks to Clayton Kershaw, Corbin is one of the largest underdogs on the board.

Batter Grind Down

LA Dodgers

The Dodgers are ranked 28th in team wOBA and 23rd in team ISO against left-handed pitching this season. While that may not inspire confidence in their offense, they do come into today’s game with the seventh highest team total on the board. In addition to a ballpark boost, the Dodgers draw a favorable matchup against Patrick Corbin, who has allowed a .342 wOBA and 19 home runs to right-handed hitters.

Dodgers Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. LHP — 0.286 (28 of 30)
Team ISO vs. LHP — 0.140 (23 of 30)
Team K% vs. LHP — 19.7% (10 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.11 (20 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.44 (7 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. LHP	ISO vs. LHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Kike Hernandez	RIGHT	0.442	0.291	0.333	OF	$2,000	OF	$3,300
2	Corey Seager	LEFT	0.376	0.235	0.496	SS	$3,800	SS	$5,400
3	Justin Turner	RIGHT	0.328	0.160	0.257	3B	$3,100	3B	$3,400
4	Adrian Gonzalez	LEFT	0.332	0.126	0.253	1B	$3,200	1B	$3,700
5	Trayce Thompson	RIGHT	0.391	0.290	0.390	OF	$3,200	OF	$3,900
6	Scott Van Slyke	RIGHT	0.337	0.134	0.151	OF	$2,200	1B/OF	$3,700
7	Howie Kendrick	RIGHT	0.293	0.077	0.218	2B	$2,700	2B/OF	$3,400
8	A.J. Ellis	RIGHT	0.363	0.200	0.136	C	$2,200	C	$3,200
9	Clayton Kershaw	LEFT	0.084	0.000	0.176	P	$13,000	P	$14,100
	Team Averages	—	0.327	0.168	0.268	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Kike Hernandez, Justin Turner, Trayce Thompson

Secondary Plays – Corey Seager, Scott Van Slyke, Howie Kendrick

Stackability – Cash & GPP

Arizona

The Diamondbacks are one of the best offenses in baseball against left-handed pitching, but they aren’t facing an ordinary lefty today. They draw the worst matchup on the board. In addition to an elite strikeout rate, Clayton Kershaw has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .222 wOBA.

Diamondbacks Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. LHP — 0.351 (2 of 30)
Team ISO vs. LHP — 0.194 (3 of 30)
Team K% vs. LHP — 18.7% (3 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.42 (12 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.06 (28 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. LHP	ISO vs. LHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Jean Segura	RIGHT	0.292	0.100	0.285	2B	$2,000	2B	$2,700
2	Jake Lamb	LEFT	0.275	0.153	0.335	3B	$2,000	3B	$2,800
3	Paul Goldschmidt	RIGHT	0.445	0.236	0.441	1B	$3,000	1B	$4,100
4	Welington Castillo	RIGHT	0.379	0.273	0.335	C	$2,000	C	$2,400
5	Yasmany Tomas	RIGHT	0.368	0.222	0.282	OF	$2,000	OF	$2,400
6	Peter O’Brien	RIGHT	0.611	0.571	0.204	OF	$2,500	OF	$2,100
7	Brandon Drury	RIGHT	0.329	0.200	0.199	OF	$2,000	3B/OF	$2,100
8	Patrick Corbin	LEFT	0.284	0.133	0.430	P	$6,400	P	$5,800
9	Nick Ahmed	RIGHT	0.336	0.154	0.257	SS	$2,000	SS	$2,000
	Team Averages	—	0.369	0.227	0.308	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

Miami at San Diego – 3:40 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
Miami					San Diego
			Justin Nicolino					Luis Perdomo
			LEFT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			MIA -110					8.5
SP vs. Left	0.307	2	13.7%	5.1%	SP vs. Left	0.403	4	9.6%	9.6%
SP vs. Right	0.339	10	7.7%	6.9%	SP vs. Right	0.479	3	23.2%	10.5%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Justin Nicolino
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$7,000	Salary:		$5,300
					FPPG:		18.7	FPPG:		7.8
					Pitcher Rating:		44.7	Pitcher Rank:		27
L30 Days	6	85.5	4.71	5.97	14.7%	5.6%	5.1%	37.8%	34.2%	41.1%
2016	9	86.6	5.20	4.76	10.9%	6.3%	4.6%	43.5%	33.9%	37.0%
2015	12	87.3	5.59	4.01	7.6%	6.6%	5.1%	44.4%	37.5%	30.2%

Nicolino has seen a nice boost in his strikeout rate over the last month of play, but even with a boost, he is still well below the major league average. In nine starts, he owns a 5.20 SIERA with a strikeout rate of only 10.9%. He does draw a plus matchup against the Padres, but they have actually hit left-handed pitching very well over the last month of play. The only reason to target Nicolino is to afford more batters from Coors Field.

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Luis Perdomo
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$6,000	Salary:		$4,000
					FPPG:		5.5	FPPG:		1.1
					Pitcher Rating:		66.7	Pitcher Rank:		15
L30 Days	2	100.0	4.08	9.27	18.6%	11.0%	9.5%	58.2%	19.0%	35.0%
2016	2	100.0	4.29	9.50	16.4%	10.1%	8.9%	52.6%	21.5%	34.6%

Perdomo is making his third career start today against the Marlins. He doesn’t have a ton of success in the minors and he hasn’t had any success at the majors. Even though he draws a favorable matchup against the Marlins, he is only drawing the start because there is a hole in the starting rotation after the Padres traded away James Shields. It won’t hurt to take a wait and see approach with Perdomo.

Batter Grind Down

Miami

The Marlins have the tenth highest team total on the board, which speaks to how favorable their matchup is. They are playing in arguably the best pitcher’s park in all of baseball and they haven’t hit right-handed pitching all that well as a team. Hitters from both sides of the plate are in play here, especially if you can find them at a discount.

Marlins Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.317 (10 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.135 (27 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 19.0% (9 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.09 (21 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.31 (10 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Derek Dietrich	LEFT	0.371	0.205	0.245	2B	$3,100	2B	$4,000
2	Martin Prado	RIGHT	0.311	0.093	0.429	3B	$3,300	3B	$5,000
3	Christian Yelich	LEFT	0.368	0.154	0.391	OF	$3,600	OF	$5,300
4	Marcell Ozuna	RIGHT	0.308	0.142	0.283	OF	$3,400	OF	$5,200
5	Giancarlo Stanton	RIGHT	0.344	0.261	0.164	OF	$3,000	OF	$4,000
6	Justin Bour	LEFT	0.353	0.248	0.287	1B	$3,000	1B	$4,000
7	J.T. Realmuto	RIGHT	0.308	0.127	0.372	C	$3,100	C	$4,000
8	Adeiny Hechavarria	RIGHT	0.271	0.082	0.249	SS	$2,700	SS	$3,500
9	Justin Nicolino	LEFT	0.051	0.000	0.220	P	$7,000	P	$5,300
	Team Averages	—	0.298	0.146	0.293	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Derek Dietrich

Secondary Plays – Christian Yelich, Justin Bour

Stackability – GPP

San Diego

The Padres have really picked up their play against lefties this season. They still strikeout at a high rate, but San Diego is ranked eighth in team wOBA and fifth in team ISO against southpaws. They draw a favorable matchup against Justin Nicolino, who has allowed a .339 wOBA and ten home runs to right-handed hitters over his last 21 starts.

Padres Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. LHP — 0.328 (8 of 30)
Team ISO vs. LHP — 0.179 (5 of 30)
Team K% vs. LHP — 25.0% (28 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.00 (24 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.19 (13 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. LHP	ISO vs. LHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Jon Jay	LEFT	0.320	0.057	0.291	OF	$2,900	OF	$3,200
2	Wil Myers	RIGHT	0.365	0.164	0.522	1B	$3,900	1B	$5,100
3	Matt Kemp	RIGHT	0.369	0.254	0.380	OF	$3,200	OF	$4,900
4	Yangervis Solarte	SWITCH	0.330	0.171	0.296	3B	$2,700	2B/3B	$3,400
5	Derek Norris	RIGHT	0.342	0.184	0.381	C	$2,600	C	$3,800
6	Alexei Ramirez	RIGHT	0.300	0.095	0.366	SS	$2,600	SS	$3,200
7	Melvin Upton	RIGHT	0.315	0.160	0.212	OF	$3,000	OF	$4,000
8	Adam Rosales	RIGHT	0.292	0.115	0.445	2B	$2,300	2B/3B	$2,000
9	Luis Perdomo	RIGHT	0.000	0.000	0.440	P	$6,000	P	$4,000
	Team Averages	—	0.293	0.133	0.370	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Matt Kemp

Secondary Plays – Wil Myers, Yangervis Solarte, Derek Norris

Stackability – GPP

Milwaukee at San Francisco – 3:45 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
Milwaukee					San Francisco
			Jimmy Nelson					Johnny Cueto
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			SF -220					7.0
SP vs. Left	0.360	19	18.8%	10.8%	SP vs. Left	0.267	8	23.0%	5.5%
SP vs. Right	0.275	11	20.2%	7.5%	SP vs. Right	0.293	16	18.9%	5.0%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Jimmy Nelson
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$7,500	Salary:		$7,400
					FPPG:		31.2	FPPG:		15.7
					Pitcher Rating:		48.4	Pitcher Rank:		26
L30 Days	5	92.8	4.72	3.30	18.8%	10.9%	8.2%	42.7%	25.6%	41.2%
2016	13	93.2	4.52	3.43	19.2%	9.7%	7.3%	47.1%	31.3%	35.0%
2015	30	93.0	4.09	4.11	19.7%	8.6%	10.0%	50.6%	29.4%	28.9%

Nelson hasn’t shown that upside that we saw from him in a few starts last season. He currently owns a 4.52 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 19.2% and a walk rate of 9.7%. He draws a difficult matchup today against the Giants, who are a more than capable offense against right-handed pitching. Nelson typically struggles on the road and he comes into the game as one of the largest underdogs on the board.

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Johnny Cueto
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$10,700	Salary:		$12,800
					FPPG:		43.8	FPPG:		24.6
					Pitcher Rating:		92.0	Pitcher Rank:		4
L30 Days	5	109.2	3.78	0.95	19.6%	6.3%	8.1%	55.9%	26.5%	18.5%
2016	13	106.7	3.55	2.16	21.7%	5.1%	9.4%	50.6%	27.8%	25.0%
2015	32	102.1	3.81	3.44	20.3%	5.3%	9.9%	42.4%	35.6%	28.7%

Cueto is off to a terrific start this season, posting a 3.55 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 21.7% and a walk rate of 5.1%. He makes a lot of sense today if you want to spend up at pitcher, but still want to be able to afford a few hitters in Coors Field. He is $2,300 cheaper than Clayton Kershaw on FanDuel, which can really come in handy when it comes to the game in Coors. Cueto draws an excellent matchup against the Brewers, who have the highest strikeout rate of any team against right-handed pitching this season.

Batter Grind Down

Milwaukee

The Brewers have the lowest team total on the board today, even lower than the Diamondbacks (who are facing Clayton Kershaw). They draw a difficult matchup against Johnny Cueto and they have to face him in the pitcher-friendly AT&T Park. The Brewers’ offense is an easy fade in all league formats.

Brewers Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.314 (15 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.152 (17 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 25.9% (30 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.13 (19 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 2.81 (30 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Jonathan Villar	SWITCH	0.334	0.111	0.303	SS	$2,600	SS	$3,700
2	Scooter Gennett	LEFT	0.304	0.124	0.415	2B	$2,400	2B	$3,100
3	Ryan Braun	RIGHT	0.353	0.204	0.248	OF	$2,800	OF	$3,600
4	Jonathan Lucroy	RIGHT	0.354	0.174	0.411	C	$2,700	C	$3,200
5	Chris Carter	RIGHT	0.327	0.260	0.351	1B	$2,800	1B	$3,100
6	Kirk Nieuwenhuis	LEFT	0.307	0.165	0.322	OF	$2,000	OF	$2,500
7	Aaron Hill	RIGHT	0.312	0.139	0.269	3B	$2,400	2B/3B	$2,300
8	Ramon Flores	LEFT	0.249	0.059	0.309	OF	$2,200	OF	$2,100
9	Jimmy Nelson	RIGHT	0.115	0.016	0.000	P	$7,500	P	$7,400
	Team Averages	—	0.295	0.139	0.292	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

San Francisco

The Giants draw a favorable matchup against Jimmy Nelson, who has been downright awful against left-handed hitters in his career. Over the last two seasons, he has allowed a .360 wOBA and 19 home runs to lefties. That bodes well for the Giants, who have five left-handed bats in their projected lineup.

Giants Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.310 (21 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.141 (22 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 16.2% (1 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.38 (13 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 4.19 (12 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Denard Span	LEFT	0.356	0.121	0.298	OF	$3,400	OF	$3,700
2	Joe Panik	LEFT	0.353	0.165	0.317	2B	$3,500	2B	$3,800
3	Brandon Belt	LEFT	0.370	0.198	0.420	1B	$3,800	1B	$4,000
4	Buster Posey	RIGHT	0.345	0.153	0.243	C	$3,700	C	$3,900
5	Matt Duffy	RIGHT	0.324	0.135	0.298	3B	$3,200	3B	$3,300
6	Brandon Crawford	LEFT	0.342	0.217	0.355	SS	$3,400	SS	$3,600
7	Angel Pagan	SWITCH	0.271	0.078		OF	$2,200	OF	$3,100
8	Gregor Blanco	LEFT	0.319	0.113	0.183	OF	$2,800	OF	$2,900
9	Johnny Cueto	RIGHT	0.133	0.000	0.000	P	$10,700	P	$12,800
	Team Averages	—	0.313	0.131	0.264	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – Denard Span, Brandon Belt

Secondary Plays – Joe Panik, Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford

Stackability – Cash

Chicago Cubs at Washington – 4:05 PM ET

Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%	Stats	wOBA	HR All.	K%	BB%
Chicago Cubs					Washington
			Jason Hammel					Stephen Strasburg
			RIGHT					RIGHT
			Vegas Moneyline					Vegas Over/Under
			WAS -140					7.5
SP vs. Left	0.309	9	22.9%	9.4%	SP vs. Left	0.251	10	30.7%	7.0%
SP vs. Right	0.290	20	24.1%	4.1%	SP vs. Right	0.305	13	30.4%	4.4%

Pitcher Grind Down

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Jason Hammel
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$8,900	Salary:		$8,400
					FPPG:		29.7	FPPG:		15.7
					Pitcher Rating:		71.6	Pitcher Rank:		10
L30 Days	6	85.0	3.86	2.86	23.2%	7.3%	12.0%	42.4%	39.1%	30.5%
2016	12	87.8	4.19	2.36	21.7%	8.7%	10.5%	43.2%	37.7%	28.6%
2015	31	88.7	3.45	3.74	24.2%	5.6%	10.9%	38.3%	37.2%	32.9%

Hammel is off to a nice start this season, but like Kyle Hendricks, there is always the risk that Joe Maddon will pinch hit for him anytime after the fifth inning. There is nothing more frustrating than when you pitcher gets pulled after 80 pitches, even though he is doing well. The other issue for Hammel is his run support. With Stephen Strasburg pitching opposite him, it’s going to be tough for him to be in line for the win.

Statistics	Starts	PitchPS	SIERA	ERA	K%	BB%	SS%	GB%	FB%	HH%
Stephen Strasburg
					FanDuel			DraftKings
					Salary:		$11,200	Salary:		$12,300
					FPPG:		47.8	FPPG:		26.1
					Pitcher Rating:		96.1	Pitcher Rank:		3
L30 Days	6	105.0	2.73	3.41	34.0%	7.2%	11.1%	41.4%	39.1%	24.7%
2016	13	103.2	2.84	3.03	32.0%	6.7%	11.8%	45.4%	35.1%	25.2%
2015	23	88.8	2.76	3.46	29.6%	5.0%	11.2%	42.2%	34.3%	28.9%

Strasburg has been terrific this season, posting a 2.84 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 32%. The best part is that he hasn’t had any major injuries, which has allowed him to average 103.2 pitches per game. His matchup against the Cubs isn’t ideal, but they do have the 18th highest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. Additionally, we saw what Max Scherzer did against them a couple of nights ago. I slightly prefer Clayton Kershaw and Johnny Cueto, but Strasburg is worth a look in all league formats.

Batter Grind Down

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have the fifth lowest team total on the board today, as they square off against Stephen Strasburg in the pitcher-friendly Nationals Park. In addition to an elite strikeout rate, Strasburg has held both left and right-handed hitters under a .305 wOBA over the last two seasons.

Cubs Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.331 (7 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.169 (12 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 22.3% (18 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 5.42 (3 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.52 (26 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	0.340	0.178	0.256	OF	$3,200	OF	$3,300
2	Jason Heyward	LEFT	0.335	0.147	0.367	OF	$2,900	OF	$3,400
3	Kris Bryant	RIGHT	0.378	0.216	0.367	3B	$4,000	3B/OF	$3,900
4	Anthony Rizzo	LEFT	0.393	0.268	0.464	1B	$3,200	1B	$4,300
5	Ben Zobrist	SWITCH	0.352	0.171	0.250	2B	$3,200	2B	$3,300
6	Chris Coghlan	LEFT	0.323	0.192	0.135	3B	$2,300	2B/OF	$2,000
7	Miguel Montero	LEFT	0.323	0.157	0.225	C	$2,300	C	$2,500
8	Addison Russell	RIGHT	0.318	0.141	0.207	SS	$2,600	SS	$2,300
9	Jason Hammel	RIGHT	0.183	0.040	0.220	P	$8,900	P	$8,400
	Team Averages	—	0.327	0.168	0.277	—	—	—	—

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

Washington

The Nationals are an easy offense to avoid in the early slate. While they may be sizable favorites in this game, they still have the 11th lowest team total on the board. If you are looking for hitters in the early slate, let me suggest Coors Field. It pairs nicely with a cash game or a tournament. And unlike win, it won’t leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Nationals Offense (2016)
Team wOBA vs. RHP — 0.316 (12 of 30)
Team ISO vs. RHP — 0.169 (12 of 30)
Team K% vs. RHP — 20.0% (14 of 30)
Runs Per Game — 4.63 (11 of 30)
Projected Run Total — 3.98 (20 of 30)

Projected Lineup

#	Player	Bats	wOBA vs. RHP	ISO vs. RHP	wOBA L14	FD Position	FD Salary	DK Position	DK Salary
1	Ben Revere	LEFT	0.302	0.074	0.289	OF	$3,100	OF	$3,500
2	Jayson Werth	RIGHT	0.284	0.135	0.468	OF	$3,500	OF	$4,000
3	Bryce Harper	LEFT	0.453	0.328	0.327	OF	$3,500	OF	$4,600
4	Daniel Murphy	LEFT	0.379	0.222	0.365	2B	$3,600	2B	$4,900
5	Ryan Zimmerman	RIGHT	0.304	0.179	0.215	1B	$2,800	1B	$3,200
6	Wilson Ramos	RIGHT	0.303	0.147	0.492	C	$3,200	C	$4,000
7	Anthony Rendon	RIGHT	0.310	0.125	0.360	3B	$3,000	3B	$4,200
8	Danny Espinosa	SWITCH	0.302	0.175	0.483	SS	$3,000	SS	$3,500
9	Stephen Strasburg	RIGHT	0.140	0.000	0.000	P	$11,200	P	$12,300
	Team Averages	—	0.309	0.154	0.333	—	—	—	—

MLB Grind Down: Wednesday, June 15th

NY Yankees at Colorado – 3:10 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

NY Yankees

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury, Alex Rodriguez, Brian McCann, Starlin Castro

Secondary Plays – Chase Headley, Didi Gregorius

Stackability – Cash & GPP

Colorado

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Charlie Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu, Nolan Arenado, Carlos Gonzalez, Trevor Story

Secondary Plays – Mark Reynolds, Ryan Raburn, Nick Hundley

Stackability – Cash & GPP

LA Dodgers at Arizona – 3:40 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

LA Dodgers

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Kike Hernandez, Justin Turner, Trayce Thompson

Secondary Plays – Corey Seager, Scott Van Slyke, Howie Kendrick

Stackability – Cash & GPP

Arizona

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

Miami at San Diego – 3:40 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

Miami

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Derek Dietrich

Secondary Plays – Christian Yelich, Justin Bour

Stackability – GPP

San Diego

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Matt Kemp

Secondary Plays – Wil Myers, Yangervis Solarte, Derek Norris

Stackability – GPP

Milwaukee at San Francisco – 3:45 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

Milwaukee

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

San Francisco

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – Denard Span, Brandon Belt

Secondary Plays – Joe Panik, Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford

Stackability – Cash

Chicago Cubs at Washington – 4:05 PM ET

Pitcher Grind Down

Batter Grind Down

Chicago Cubs

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Stackability – NONE

Washington

Projected Lineup

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy

Stackability – NONE

Are you an incentives member? Come check out the MLB Expert Chat from 5:30 – 6:00 PM ET.

Jump to Page 1 2 3

About the Author