Hyun-Jin Ryu Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

The top spot on the board belongs to Danny Duffy. The Tigers are just awful vs LHP, but you’re going to have to pay an unusually heavy price for the lefty. Another lefty, who’s somewhat cheaper on either site in possibly the second highest upside spot on the board is Julio Urias. The breakout was derailed when the Angels took him deep twice and pushed five runs across the plate in his last start, while he struck out only four of 23 batters (no walks). That’s dropped his strikeout rate down to 27.2% (13.7 SwStr%) and was only the second time in seven starts that Urias did not record sixth inning outs. The peripherals are fantastic and the exit velocity just 86.4 mph (0.5 mph above his career rate) with a league average amount of contact on the ground (42.5%). Yet, 11 of his batted balls have been Barrels (9.6%) with six leaving the yard. ERA and non- DRA estimators are in the low threes. The Mariners do have some RH power, but five of eight projected batters have at least a 26 K% vs LHP since 2019.

There are a couple of additional spots we can reasonably expect to be of at least moderately high upside. One is a bit of surprise, but the other certainly is not. The Marlins have an 87 wrC+, 27 K% and 10.9 HR/FB vs RHP. Zac Gallen’s 27.8 K% is right around his career mark. The 12.2 BB% is a new concern, but probably not here. With otherwise average contact managerial numbers this year, the 3.8 HR/FB is an outlier and pushes some non-FIP estimators above four, though it’s just five starts. Gallen may be one of the top values on FanDuel for $8.2K.

The velocity was down slightly, but the peripherals were fine for Hyun-Jin Ryu in his return from the IL against an Oakland lineup that’s tough on lefties. His strikeout rate is at a league average 24.2%, but with a 12.9 SwStr% that suggests he can challenge last year’s 26.2% mark. As usual, he walks nearly nobody (3.0%) and has generated about half his contact on the ground (48.4%) at a low exit velocity (86.7 mph). All non-DRA estimators are 3.30 or lower. The Braves should be a great offense against LHP, but they aren’t and they weren’t last year either. In fact, they have just a 59 wRC+ with a 21.9 K-BB% against southpaws this year. Plate IQ tells that five of eight batters projected for the Atlanta tonight exceed a 25 K% vs LHP since 2019 with just one below 22.9%. Ryu is now down below $8K on either site as well.

Hyun-Jin Ryu has struck out 12 of 49 batters, walking just two with an impressive 15.4 SwStr%. More than half his contact (54.3%) has been on the ground with two Barrels (5.6%) and an 86 mph EV. In other words, he’s done exactly what you’ve come to expect from him the last few years. The Yankees were his Opening Day victims and after being shut down by Robbie Ray, you feel a bit more confident about Ryu’s chances here. This lineup remains loaded with power. Only one projected batter (Aaron Hicks) below a .197 ISO vs LHP since 2019. However, there are also four below a 100 wRC+ against southpaws over that same time span and four below a 65 wRC+ overall this season (10 PA min.). Ryu has handled RHBs well since 2019 as well (.281 wOBA/.286 xwOBA). The mind blowing part here is that Ryu is just $8K on either site. This is a slate loaded with high end pitching, which should keep Ryu’s ownership reasonable. Let ownership projections be your guide, but don’t overlook him at this price.

Hyun-Jin Ryu has raised his strikeout rate five points (27.6%), staving off expected regression from an 82.2 LOB% last year by improving his estimators. His 2.51 ERA is still at least a half run below all of his non-FIP estimators, which see the 10.7 HR/FB as unsustainable, and two of his 14 runs are also unearned. His 26.5% 95+ mph EV is a board low though, and his exit velocity has never been above 87.5 mph with more than 18 batted ball events in a season, so we should probably put less stock in a 3.54 SIERA at this point. While attacking the Yankees has generally been poor daily fantasy strategy in the past, this is not the same offense. They have just an 88 wRC+ and 24.3 K% vs LHP this year. In fact, the projected lineup contains just three batters above a .325 wOBA against southpaws since last season and four below a .160 ISO. At $9.5K, Ryu is just the fourth most expensive pitcher on FanDuel on a six game slate and that might just make him the top value among high end arms tonight.

Hyun-Jin Ryu has allowed 18 runs over his last 14.2 innings. He was always due some major regression and has faced three quality offenses against LHP over that span (Braves, Yankees, Diamondbacks). The Colorado Rockies are certainly not that (90 wRC+, 25.3 K% vs LHP) and even worse on the road (74 wRC+, 19.7 K-BB%). The Rockies did touch up Ryu for seven runs at Coors in late June, but he also shut them out for six innings there just five starts back with another quality start at home earlier in the season. While Ryu strikes out batters at just an average rage (21.9%), exceptional control (3.2 BB%) and strong contact management (85.3 mph aEV, 4.9% Barrels/BBE) with a 50.1 GB% have supported his 2.35 ERA that’s still well below his 3.85 SIERA and even 2.91 DRA. But estimators along with a .283 xwOBA confirm he’s still been a quality pitcher. In this spot, he may not be a bit undervalued. Ryu costs $9.2K or less on either site on a board where Shane Bieber is the only really high priced stand out arm at a cost of more than $2K more. Recent struggles could help drop Ryu’s ownership, but there’s a good chance of a bounce back in a much better spot.

The Red Sox and Blue Jays will throw their bullpens at each other. The Phillies and Braves feature two below average strikeout, contact managers in the Atlanta heat. Griffin Canning vs Lance Lynn would be an interesting matchup in another park. Canning owns a 15.1 SwStr% and 19.7 K-BB% against an offense with a 24.5 K% vs RHP. Lynn has a 31.3 K% over the last month. However, this game is in Texas, where Canning’s 36.4 GB% could be a problem and Lynn is facing an offense that refuses to join the strikeout revolution (17.7% vs RHP). To make matters even more difficult, this matchup appears to feature hitter friendly umpiring assignment.

In the final game, Dinelson Lamet makes his return from Tommy John surgery against an offense that has annihilated RHP at home. By default, that leaves Hyun-Jin Ryu as an essentially unfadable pitcher tonight. This, despite the fact that he’s the only $10K+ pitcher tonight and his 1.83 ERA is built upon an unsustainable 86.3 LOB% with 16% of his runs being unearned thus far. He’s walked just seven batters this season, turning a slightly above average strikeout rate into a 22.1 K-BB%. A 30.6 Z-O-Swing% has helped him manage contact to an 85.8 mph aEV and 4.5% Barrels/BBE, projecting a .264 xwOBA that’s just as optimistic as his 2.46 DRA, a bit below his remaining estimators (3.45 SIERA). He owns an even better .231 xwOBA at home since last season. The Padres had been hitting the ball well and, in fact, have a 104 wRC+ with a 22 HR/FB vs LHP, but were recently cooled down by the vaunted Giants’ pitching staff and still own a 25.9 K% against southpaws. Ryu is bound to be featured in a ton of lineups on a four game slate, but it’s difficult to see how you get away from him considering the conditions.

Hyun-Jin Ryu is very obviously the best SP play on this night slate that really lacks good arms to choose from. Ryu is an early Cy Young candidate with a stellar 1.26 ERA / 2.85 xFIP / 3.26 SIERA and 25.4% K rate, 1.4% BB rate (!!) and 51.2% GB rate. His Statcast numbers are just as impressive as he has a .255 xwOBA allowed, 3.9% barrel rate and 85.5 MPH aEV on the year. Ryu will have a great matchup with a Rockies team that just can’t hit on the road; they have a 73 wRC+ and 27.1% K rate on the road which is a yearly occurrence for them when away from Coors. Teammate Walker Buehler diced up the Rockies last night, striking out 16 batters and giving up just 2 runs over 9 innings. Ryu is also a much better pitcher at home; since 2017, Ryu has just a .265 xwOBA in home games compared to a .327 xwOBA in away games. Ryu isn’t cheap with an $11.5k price on Draftkings and $10.6k on Fanduel, but projects to be plenty worth his price tonight and you can expect him to be very highly-owned. The Rockies have just a 3.15 implied line versus Ryu and the Dodgers tonight.