Eloy Jimenez Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Similar to Monday, the Dodgers top the board at 5.12 implied runs, but no other team is within a full run of them tonight. They once again project to be around twice as popular as any other stack on either site (though projections are fluid and updated throughout the day). The Dodgers also project to smash the slate over 20% of the time with no other offense much higher than 12% on either site. Projecting as the top value stack on either site are the White Sox, an offense that hasn’t gotten much notice today. Josh Winder entered his last start striking out just 19 of his last 171 batters, but punched out six of 21 White Sox without a walk. Aside from a 16.6 K%, he’s allowed 10.1% Barrels/BBE with all estimators more than a quarter of a run above his 4.31 ERA. The White Sox have the fourth best team total on the board at exactly four runs. The margin by which they project as the top value stack is quite a bit larger on FanDuel than on DraftKings. For more on some interesting stacking scenarios beyond the Dodgers, check out today’s final PlateIQ Live Blog.

With a 4.98 team run total that ties for the top mark on the board, the Chicago White Sox currently project to be the most popular stack on the board (although projections are fluid and updated throughout the day), only reaching a double digit ownership projection on DraftKings though and just barely. There’s really very little separation from the board with extremely high priced pitching likely being the largest priority without any offenses above five implied runs. The White Sox are also projected to smash the board most often and here there is a bit more separation, more so on FanDuel with one fewer game. Chad Kuhl has neither gone beyond five innings, nor allowed fewer than three runs in nine straight starts, over which he has a 9.02 ERA/8.16 FIP/5.42 xFIP. The White Sox also project as the top value stack (again by a larger margin on FanDuel). It’s a clean sweep…which makes you wonder why the White Sox aren’t projected to be even more popular. For more on Tuesday’s top rated stacks, check out today’s PlateIQ Live Blog.

With Jacob deGrom and Gerrit Cole costing in excess of $11K on FanDuel tonight, it’s the cheaper offense rather than the best one that projects to be most popular tonight with the Chicago White Sox the only stack currently projecting for double digit ownership (though projections are fluid and updated throughout the day). The White Sox also project for double digit DraftKings ownership, but are slightly behind the Braves, who have the second highest team run total (5.29) against Ryan Feltner. As they did yesterday against Jose Urena, the Braves once again to smash the slate most often, almost 50% more often than any other team. The White Sox also project to be the top FanDuel value stack tonight, though not as separated from the board as you may think. Only the Tigers project for more value than the White Sox on DraftKings, though by a pretty large margin. With players potentially opting for value over potency with their stacks, are the top offenses actually the top rated stacks? Check out today’s PlateIQ Live Blog to find out.

A few odds and ends on tonight’s five game board. Should the game at Wrigley be able to skirt potential weather issues, it’s a great spot for the Milwaukee offense. Alec Mills has struck out just four of his last 72 batters (5.5 SwStr%), while LHBs have a .378 wOBA (.372 xwOBA) against him this year and the Cubs’ bullpen has a major league worst 5.78 FIP over the last 30 days. Rowdy Tellez (157 wRC+ L30 days) costs less than $3K on either site. On the other side, Rafael Ortega (163 wRC+, .233 ISO vs RHP) still costs less than $3K on either site and is a potential top value in this spot, despite Freddy Peralta’s mastery of LHBs this year (.241 wOBA, .253 xwOBA).

BvP truthers may notice that Max Kepler and Lucas Giolito have the largest sample of any batter/pitcher matchup on the board tonight and despite Giolito’s changeup fueled reverse split, Kepler has owned this matchup with three home runs and a triple in 32 PAs (.375 xwOBA). However, none of the remaining five Twins with more than 15 PAs against Giolito have fared well against him. The Twins are third from the bottom with just a 3.95 implied run line tonight. Kepler (148 wRC+ L30 days) should probably be looked at as a one off, rather than part of a stack here, though Giolito has been blown up several times this year, including his last start against the Royals.

Eloy Jimenez may not see the same pitcher more than once tonight, but he’s been destroying RHP since returning (301 wRC+, .619 ISO) and costs just $3.1K on FanDuel, where the returning Luis Robert costs the minimum. Brian Goodwin (159 wRC+, .282 ISO) costs just $2.5K, making a White Sox outfield stack a fairly easy endeavor on FanDuel tonight.

Jameson Taillon may be a popular SP2 on DraftKings and players can leverage that somewhat with the few left-handed bats the Royals employ. Batters from that side have a .334 wOBA (.338 xwOBA) against Taillon this year and Weather Edge gives the park in Kansas City more than 10% run boost currently (though that could change). The Royals have a 4.27 implied run line and the Yankees are without closer Aroldis Chapman, meaning left-handed Kansas City batters won’t have to worry about facing him in the ninth. Who knows how long Sam Hentges will be around, but right-handed Cincinnati bats will certainly have the edge while he is. They have a .432 wOBA (.386 xwOBA) against Hentges this year.

Chi Chi Gonzalez (13.5 K%, 38.8 GB%, 90.2 mph EV) will be pitching to the premier LH power hitter in a park that is more power friendly to LHBs than Coors. Lest it need be said, Shohei Ohtani (177 wRC+, .392 ISO vs RHP this season) is your top bat on the board tonight, as batters from either side of the plate are above a .350 wOBA and xwOBA against Gonzalez this year, according to Baseball Savant. However, Ohtani costs $4.4K on FanDuel and a full $2K more on DraftKings and there are no great pitching bargains tonight. Where can a Daily Fantasy player find some bargain bats?

Luckily, there are a few. Ben Gamel (115 wRC+, .190 ISO) is projected to lead off against Adrian Houser, who has really struggled against LHBs (.348 wOBA, .344 xwOBA) and costs less than $2.5K on either site. Then, if we turn our attention to Kansas City, where the White Sox are the only team with a higher implied run line than the Angels, we find a couple of bargains in the top half of that projected lineup as well, potentially solving all of our salary cap problems, though also maybe creating some ownership ones. RHBs have a wOBA and xwOBA above .350 against Kris Bubic this season and the White Sox could stack the lineup entirely from that site. Eloy Jimenez has a .363 wOBA since starting his season this week, but his xwOBA is 54 points higher. Projected to bat cleanup, Jimenez costs within $300 of $3K on either site. Then there’s Andrew Vaughn, who has been smashing LHP in his rookie year (176 wRC+, .305 ISO) and costs less than $3K on either site.

On a steady decline since 2016, Felix currently has a 6.96 ERA / 5.16 xFIP on the year with a 1.56 WHIP, 2.32 HR/9, 43.8% hard contact rate and an 8.9% SwStr over 54 and 1.3 innings in 2019. He spent almost 4 months on the IL with a shoulder problem from May to late August, and since returning on 8/24 has posted an 8.04 ERA with a 4% K-BB, 1.72 WHIP, 2.9 HR/9, 40% hard contact rate and .422 xwOBA allowed. Felix faces the White Sox tonight, who are not a great offense but could provide both some value in cash games and some low-owned upside in GPPs. Yoan Moncada (.400 xwOBA vs. RHP this year), Jose Abreu (.357), Eloy Jimenez (.346), Tim Anderson (.326), James Mccann (.314), Zack Collins (.299) and Leury Garcia (.264) are all potential options. Zack Collins had a 140 wRC+ / .265 ISO over 367 PA in AAA this year and has upside in the catcher slot at just $2.9k on Draftkings. Leury Garcia isn’t a great hitter, but does mix in a few steals (15 this year) and should leadoff at just $3.8k. Eloy Jimenez is crushing it over the past 2 weeks with a .479 xwOBA, followed closely by Jose Abreu with a .469 mark. The White Sox have currently have a 4.75 implied total, a number I wouldn’t be surprised to see them easily surpass.