Yunel Escobar Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Despite a poor offensive showing this year (82 wRC+ at home, 76 wRC+ vs RHP, 43 wRC+ last seven days), the Rockies have an implied run line (6.68) more than a run above any other offense at home tonight against the rookie Luis Castillo, who has shown an ability to miss bats through two starts (30.4 K%, 13.5 SwStr%), but has also walked 8 of 46 batters. In all, six of 16 offenses are above five implied runs tonight. If looking to pay up for those Coors hitters though (maybe a nearly $6K Joey Votto on DraftKings), the Angels (4.83) may provide some cheaper complimentary bats against Adalberto Mejia (RHBs .338 wOBA, 34.8 Hard%). Most Angels cost around the $3K mark on FanDuel, while only a couple (Cameron Maybin, Andrelton Simmons) are a bit more costly on DraftKings. Yunel Escobar doesn't have much power, but has a 139 wRC+ against LHP since last season. Maybin (108 wRC+ vs LHP since last season) may be able to use his speed against a pitcher with control issues. Martin Maldonado (138 wRC+, .172 ISO vs LHP this season) may even be the catcher of choice on a small slate. Despite a 12 wRC+ over the last week, he has a 57.1 Hard%.

Ariel Miranda has pitched better at home (17.2 K-BB% since last season) than on the road, but has been a bit of a HR machine either way (10 in 50 innings at home). The Angels have just a 4.0 HR/FB vs LHP, but are predominantly RH. Though Miranda has kept RHBs to a wOBA more than 40 points lower than to LHBs, he’s surrendered 17 of his 18 career HRs to righties. If we’re dealing with a potential hard contact generator against a contact prone offense (6.8 K-BB% vs LHP), it’s difficult to find enough upside beyond the risk for more than $7K. Mike Trout was a top ranked bat no matter the platoon split of the pitcher. Projecting for a middling 4.1 runs with the expectation of a full strengh lineup, the issue is that they still don't strike out. Ben Revere may actually lessen the strikeout expectation, In a solidly negative run environment no bat deems necessary exposure here, but as one of just a few games without weather related risk tonight, Kole Calhoun (102 wRC+, .160 ISO vs LHP since 2015) and Yunel Escobar (126 wRC+, .107 ISO vs LHP since 2015) may merit looks.

Sean Manaea struck out seven Astros through six shutout innings in his last start, throwing 85 pitches in his second start back from injury. He’s up to a 12.1 SwStr% on the season, which would be a top 10 mark among qualified pitchers this year. If we consider just his last 16 starts, it’s 13.4%. Only four major league pitchers have exceeded that mark this season. He’s continuing to have issues with hard contact (35.3% this season). That’s less of an issue in Oakland and also the pitcher friendly park in which he faces the Angels tonight. The biggest issue is that the Angels don’t strike out (16.6% vs LHP). They also lean predominantly right-handed, but most of those RHBs aren’t very good (101 wRC+). Manaea may still have enough upside even with a strikeout reduction to overcome a reasonable cost, especially on FanDuel ($6.8K) in a winnable matchup with Weaver. Mike Trout (173 wRC+, .250 ISO vs LHP since 2015) is still doing great things if you can afford him. Pujols (115 wRC+, .248 ISO vs LHP since 2015) and Escobar (127 wRC+ vs LHP since 2015) may also be options for $3.2K or less on FanDuel if not using Manaea, while Jefry Marte (132 wRC+, .252 ISO vs LHP since 2015) costs $2.9K on either site.

Derek Holland has not been good against right-handed batters with a 13.3% strikeout rate and 43.8% fly balls. Though he’s tough to fit in lineups, Mike Trout (153 wRC+, .393 wOBA, .189 ISO vs LHP) is one of the top plays of the night, and Albert Pujols (129 wRC+, .358 wOBA, .250 ISO vs LHP) is a tournament target as well. The Angels lineup is not exciting beyond those guys, but Yunel Escobar (140 wRC+, .373 wOBA, .157 ISO vs LHP) is a very solid leadoff hitter and this is one of the lineups you can look for a pure punt play to fill out tour cash game rosters with a bottom of the order hitter. Gregorio Petit and Andrelton Simmons (cheap on FanDuel) are not great hitters, but in a matchup like this, we could see production from all over the lineup. Jefry Marte (129 wRC+, .357 wOBA, .222 ISO vs LHP) also has some power potential and should be included in Angels stacks.

Martin Perez and his 12.3% strikeout rate will be on the mound as the Rangers are set to take the Angels tonight, and the only positive thing about Perez is that he has a 52.9% ground ball rate. This allows Perez to get out of some self-created jams and makes it hard to stack against him. He is very good against left-handed batters, but he has allowed a 32.9% hard hit rate and a .337 wOBA to right-handed batters, while his ground ball rate dips by just a few percentage points. Don’t sleep on Yunel Escobar (136 wRC+, .368 wOBA vs LHP), Mike Trout (149 wRC+, .387 wOBA, .178 ISO vs LHP), Albert Pujols (132 wRC+, .362 wOBA, .258 ISO vs LHP), Jefry Marte (130 wRC+, .360 wOBA, .235 ISO) and C.J. Cron (.155 ISO vs LHP) as a sneaky little stack on the other side of this high total game.

Ariel Miranda hasn't particularly gotten bombed in any one start, but has allowed at least three runs in all but two outings with just an 8.0 K-BB% and a 38% hard hit rate by batters from either side. The Angels stack up right-handed, as they normally do, with Mike Trout (171 wRC+, .243 vs LHP since 2015) the top bat, but also the most expensive, by far. Yunel Escobar (130 wRC+) and Jefry Marte (145 wRC+, .286 ISO) both stack up well against LHP since last year as well, while Pujols (116 wRC+, .252 ISO) still shows us some power. While there is some value in an Angels stack here, none of these bats are particularly cheap in a negative run environment. Escobar may provide the best value for $3K on FanDuel.

Ariel Miranda seems like he could be a serviceable pitcher but is only making his second major league start on the road tonight against the Angels. With a minimal sample size in the big leagues, it’s tough to fully analyze the ability of Miranda at the major league level. His numbers at AAA this season weren’t overly impressive but weren’t bad either (20.7% K%, 13.3% K-BB%, 3.79 FIP). We’d have to give the edge to the Angels offense in this spot as they take on the young lefty. The Angels have this rep that they are a putrid offense, but they are actually an above-average team versus left-handed pitching (108 wRC+, .326 wOBA, .154 ISO). Mike Trout is the obvious top play in this lineup and may go overlooked (as he seemingly always does) with the other high team totals on the slate. Yunel Escobar (155 wRC+, .393 wOBA, .172 ISO vs LHP), Albert Pujols (135 wRC+, .365 wOBA, .245 ISO vsLHP), Jefry Marte (.267 ISO vs LHP), and Cole Calhoun (120 wRC+, .344 wOBA, .159 ISO vs LHP) would be the other best options to consider as a part of an Angels stack in tournaments.

David Price has been very up and down lately, following three straight starts with 10 Ks each with a total five in his last two outings. He faces the Angels with the lowest strikeout rate in baseball tonight (15.6% vs LHP), but it's in a pitcher's park and he still has an elite 20.1 K-BB% on the season, so he is an option even if he's not the top one. This is not a great spot for hitters, but Mike Trout (170 wRC+, .246 ISO vs LHP this season) is still the top bat here, though he's struck out in nine of 19 career PAs against Price without an extra-base hit. Yunel Escobar (161 wRC+, .190 ISO vs LHP this season) has a 174 wRC+ over the last week and costs just $2.9K on FanDuel at a tough 3B position tonight.