Sports Info Solutions: MLB DFS Advice for Friday, June 8th
America’s Pastime and daily fantasy sports are a perfect fit with an overload of data and statistics to analyze before making your lineup selections.
America’s Pastime and daily fantasy sports are a perfect fit with an overload of data and statistics to analyze before making your lineup selections.
Because of the amount of information available to the DFS player, it can be a bit overwhelming, so I’ve tried to help you out by recommending a number of well-priced options by using Sports Info Solutions’ “SIS Model 3”.
SIS Model 3 gives DFS players an edge when setting their lineups as it uses the most expansive and accurate wealth of baseball data to create a tested DFS algorithm. You can learn more about the development of the algorithm in the RotoGrinders Marketplace.
Today’s recommendations are based on a 14-game 7:05 pm start Main slate.
Pitching Option
Masahiro Tanaka, New York Yankees (FD Price $8600)
I’m sure we’d all like to start Chris Sale on Friday, but the rest of the lineup would suffer by using 32.9% of the budget on one player. Instead I’ve chosen Tanaka, who has started striking out batters again (15 over the past 11.1 IP). He’ll face a New York Mets team ranked 28th of 30 in runs per game (3.92). He’s started three games at Citi Field and while his record is just 1-2 it comes with a 0.797 WHIP. Tanaka hasn’t lost a game since April 17.
Hitting Options
C/1B) Mitch Moreland, Boston (FD Price $3500)
Moreland has feasted on RHP with nine of his 10 homers and a position-leading .441 wOBA. Be aware that J.D. Martinez left Thursday night’s game with back tightness, so if he misses Friday’s contest the Red Sox lineup may be weakened.
2B) Starlin Castro, Miami (FD Price $3200)
Castro’s eight-game hitting streak came to an end Thursday, but he’s been hot of late, raising his average 14 points and his OPS 48 points since May 15. He’s produced a solid .353 wOBA against LHP, making him a very good value versus the Padres’ Eric Lauer.
3B) Matt Carpenter, St. Louis (FD Price $3800)
We’ve seen the return of the “old” Carpenter as he’s batted .322 with a .954 OPS over the past four weeks. He’s facing the “new” Matt Harvey, who is no longer to be feared, with his 1-4 record, 17.2% HR/FB rate, 5.00 FIP and ineffective fastball (-8.4 wFB).
SS) Miguel Rojas, Miami (FD Price $2100)
Rojas was very good in May, producing a .343 wOBA and while his June as started slowly, he should rebound here and is a good value at this price.
OF) Mitch Haniger, Seattle (FD Price $3200)
Haniger has done nothing but hit since being brought up to the big club in 2017. He’s posting a .370 wOBA with 13 home runs in just 258 ABs this season. After a fast start through April (.442 wOBA), Haniger slowed in May (.296 wOBA), but has picked up the pace in June (.406 wOBA). Facing Wilmer Font (0-2, 30.6% HR/FB rate, 8.94 FIP) should produce fireworks.
OF) Curtis Granderson, Toronto (FD Price $2500)
It hasn’t been pretty for fastball pitcher Andrew Cashner (2-7, 5.01 FIP, -7.4 wFB) and the one thing Granderson has always been able to do is hit a fastball. He owns a .350 wOBA at home against RHP and took David Hess deep to lead off the bottom of the first inning Thursday night.
OF) Nelson Cruz, Seattle (FD Price $3700)
It’s just another typical season for Cruz, hitting homers, knocking in runs and posting a .350 wOBA. He’s posted a .421 wOBA with men on base this season and with a hot Jean Segura and Haniger in front of him he should have plenty of opportunities against Font.
UTIL) Jean Segura, Seattle (FD Price $3900)
Segura was very good last season and he’s improved in almost every category for 2018, batting .345, slugging .490 with a .364 wOBA. His wOBA has increased each month this year from .338 in April to .385 in May to .387 in June and he’s been a better hitter on the road than at Safeco Field (.333 wOBA at home, .394 wOBA on the road).
Stacking Option
When it comes time to draft a fantasy baseball team in DFS, stacking is a widely accepted strategy. There’s a reason: it works. If you want to win big, you will need a gigantic score, and stacking makes it easy to rack up the points because the scoring of batters in a given lineup is interrelated. Batters reaching base allows the hitters down the line to drive them in, creating something of a snowball effect.
Seattle Mariners
While the suspension of Robinson Cano hurts in the long run, the Mariners have proven they can survive and even thrive without him so far, going 16-6 since May 14. Stack 2-through-5 in the Seattle lineup; Segura, Haniger, Cruz, and Kyle Seager.
Sports Info Solutions has been at the forefront of in-depth analysis of baseball statistics for nearly two decades. The unequivocal amount of data along with their advanced analytics has made SIS a trusted brand in baseball. SIS works with 25 MLB teams to deliver resources that are used in decision-making both on and off the field. SIS Model 3 uses an expansive amount of data, combining metrics ranging from player age and career performance to game temperature and park factors, which has translated to a proven ROI and helped raised the game of DFS players at all skill levels.
- Author: Steve Schwarz
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