Fernando Romero Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Fernando Romero has some talent, but has struggled of late and LHBs have had his number with not just a .358 wRC+ this season, but a .393 xwOBA. Batters from either side of the plate exceed a 40% hard hit rate. Minnesota is not Texas and actually suppresses LH power a bit, but it's still a positive overall run environment. Shin-Soo Choo (115 wRC+, 200 ISO vs RHP last calendar year) is the top overall daily fantasy bat in the lineup and up to nearly $5K on DraftKings. Nomar Mazara (104 wRC+, .185 ISO) has a 198 wRC+ over the last week. Joey Gallo (125 wRC+, .319 ISO) has the top wRC+ and ISO in the lineup against RHP over the last calendar year.

Fernando Romero has had above average strikeout rates at every stop up the ladder since 2016, including 25% through five major league starts in which he's also generated a 54.3 GB%. He faces a Kansas City offense without a wRC+ above 86 either at home, vs RHP or over the last seven days for a cost of less than $8K, but the main concern is that the Royals also have a strikeout rate below 19% in all three instances. PlateIQ (now available with conditional formatting and player scores for premium subscribers) tells us that tonight's confirmed lineup has just a .293 wOBA and .134 ISO vs RHP since 2017 with a more daily fantasy friendly 21 K%, but none of the first four in the order are above 18%. Romero is cheap enough that he could pay off from just run prevention alone against a poor offense, but upside may be limited.

There's plenty of high priced pitching available tonight and players may wish to pair them with low cost arms on DraftKings to keep offensive options open, but there are also a few mid-range options worth talking about as well. Jon Gray has allowed 11 runs over his last nine innings, but struck out one 10 in one of those starts (at home). In fact, not only is his ground ball rate higher at home (50% to 42.2%), his strikeout rate is 29% at Coors compared to 22.9% on the road. In his last two starts at Coors, he's struck out 18 Brewers and Angels. The Reds are a below average offense, which Coors makes an above average one, but it's not the worst matchup on the board. Gray has a 32.8 K% and 15 SwStr% over the last month. The latter is behind just Max Scherzer on tonight's board. He costs less than $7.5K on either site. If a pitcher has a 21.7 K% and 12.0 SwStr% over the last month and the second highest ground ball rate on the board (54.4%) with one of the lowest rates of Barrels/BBE (4.3%), should there be interest in him against a team with an 87 wRC+ and 6.6 HR/FB in an extremely negative run environment. This pitcher has pitched into the eighth inning in three straight starts $7.1K or less on either site...because that pitcher's name is Clayton Richard and his opponent is the Dodgers. Fernando Romero is coming off his worst start of his four start career, striking out fewer than five and allowing more than one run for the first time against the Brewers. The young flame thrower with a 50 Future Value grade (Fangraphs) has failed to generate an 11+ SwStr% and/or at least 50 GB% just once in four starts as well. There are certainly some flaws, including a 12.2 BB%, .347 xwOBA and ERA that’s going to regress, but there’s talent here the Mariners have been consistently working their "depth" guys into the starting lineup due to injuries and suspensions. Romero costs $7.7K or less on either site. Ross Stripling worked his way through 96 pitches and six innings last time out. He’s throwing 62% non-fastballs, even in a starting role, and has struck out 21 of his last 61 batters. Of course, the 8.0 SwStr% over the last month does not support that, but he’s facing the Padres (26.4 K% vs RHP) in tonight’s top matchup.

Tommy Pham is out of the St Louis lineup tonight, making it a bit easier to navigate for the rookie Fernando Romero making his second major league start in St Louis. Romero was one out away from six shutout innings against the Blue Jays in his MLB debut, but as they were in AAA in 21 innings (11.5%), walks were a problem (three of 23 batters faced). He did strike out five with an 11.5 SwStr% and generated a 57.1 GB%. He missed all of 2015, but since returning to A ball in 2016, his strikeout rate has been at least 22% with a ground ball rate above 50% at every stop. That's basically the upside of most of the guys between he and Strasburg on the salary scale tonight. It may not be as cheap as players wish, but even at $7.7K he's an interesting SP2 on DraftKings with that profile. If not, Matt Carpenter, Dexter Fowler, Marella Ozuna, and Paul DeJong all have a wRC+ between 120 and 135 with an ISO between .220 and .245 against RHP over the last calendar year.