by Brett Dadian | Jun 6, 2017 | Daily Preview, DraftKings, Fanduel, MLB |
A full 15 game slate Tuesday, and we some very good pitching options. Marco Estrada faces a strikeout heavy A’s team in Oakland. Estrada gets a better park to pitch in, and should be low owned with Scherzer, Ray, deGrom and Archer on the slate. Marco is $9,200 on DraftKings, and for that price I’m willing to go to war with Estrada in GPPs. For cash games, I’d find a way to pay up for Max Scherzer. He’s is a top 3 pitcher in the MLB, and is super safe for cash games. Sure he does give up some bombs to lefties, but his strikeout rate is too high to ignore.
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All of James Paxton‘s stats line up for another solid start vs. the Twins. Pitching in a ballpark that plays big, with big strikeout upside as well, Paxton at $8,800 on DratKings is a steal. 5 of his 7 starts he has gotten 20+ fantasy points. He has already made his first start since coming off the DL, and I expect them to stretch his pitch count. If you want a cheap option, Dinelson Lamet is $6,800, facing the D-Backs in Arizona. It is not a great park, but at a cheap price, is worth a look.
The Milwaukee Brewers get to face Matt Cain in Miler Park. Cain has been awful on the road, and will face a power hitting Brewers team. Thames just got outfield eligibility on DK, and now we can stack this team properly. With Thames in the outfield, that lets us play Aguilar at 1st base. Danny Santana has been hot fire for a week and we get power upside from Thames and Aguilar. Cain has been getting beat by lefties, and he doesn’t strikeout very many hitters. I like the top of this order.
Dillon Gee has been very bad vs. lefties in his career. Holding a .344 wOBA vs. lefties, the Mets find themselves in a great spot in a great hitters ballpark. It’s going to be super hot in Arlington, and the Mets, with their lefties in Bruce, Conforto, Walker and Duda, find themselves in great spots here. They all have power upside, on the road, so they will get the 9th inning for sure, and Dillon Gee is a trash can. The top of the order is my preferred play. Walker as a one off as well.
by Brett Dadian | Jun 5, 2017 | Daily Preview, DraftKings, Fanduel, MLB |
We are back, and we get an interesting 7 game slate today. Carlos Martinez is the most expensive pitcher on DraftKings at $12,500, ad he will be chalky. I’m going to fade a pitcher with a bad park shift, who doesn’t get lefties out. I’m looking to Dan Straily (Go Marlins) at $9,100 in Wrigley Field. Dan has been very good this season, with at least 15.5 points in his last 5 starts. The wind will be blowing in from left field, and the Cubs have been very bad this season. Last years world champs strikeout a lot vs. righties, with the wind blowing in and coming off of an emotional primetime win vs. a rival team. This spot has let down written all over it for the Cubs.
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For my SP2 I’m looking to 2 different pitchers, Sean Manaea and Junior Guerra. Guerra has been a reverse splits guy this season in a small sample size, but he will face a lot of lefties in the Giants lineup. He has logged back to back solid starts, and we know this Giants team isn’t great. They lack pop, but they do get Hunter Pence back. For Manaea, he gets to face the Blue Jays in Oakland’s big ballpark. 32 and 33 points in back to back starts for Manaea, and now he gets a Jays team that strikes out a lot vs. sliders.
So the Houston Astros have been the best team in baseball so far. This lineup with Springer, Altuve, Correa, and the rest the bats are all dangerous. They are priced up, but on a smaller slate I’m willing to pay up for them. Ian Kennedy has been awful in his last 4 starts giving up at least 4 ER in all of them. This stack could be chalky so get creative with the rest of your team. I like the top of the order.
Bartolo Colon faces off against Nick Pivetta in Sun Trust Park. This one should get ugly real quick. Neither of these pitchers are any good, and this ballpark plays very small to left handed bats. Matt Adams has been hot, Inciarte Flowers and Kemp are also very good options. From the Phillies sideI’m looking to the top of the order. All of the lefties are in play in Hernandez, Herrera, Galvis and Saunders. Colon is garbage, getting shelled in almost every start.
by Brett Dadian | Jun 2, 2017 | Daily Preview, DraftKings, Fanduel, MLB |
Today’s Friday slate brings us 14 games, and Clayton Kershaw, at $13,100 on Draftkings. I’m going to fade him, but there’s nothing wrong with him in Milwaukee. I’m going to Stephan Strasburg at $12,000 in a massive ballpark in Oakland. He was lacking some strikeout upside, until his past 2 starts, striking out 26 hitters, and will get another strikeout heavy team. Obviously you could fade the top end pitchers in tournaments to get some big hitters.
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My second pitcher today will be German Marquez at $7,200 in San Diego. Marquez has been very good on the road scoring 15.7, 20.9, and 25.3. Obviously this is a massive park shift form Coors to Petco, and the Padres stakeout a ton. He does give up a few knocks vs. lefties, but the lefties in this lineup could be Schimpf, Spangenberg and Aybar. Schimpf may get a bomb here, but Marquez should be in for a solid showing.
Francisco Liriano gets his first start since returning form the DL, and gets thrown into the fire vs. the Yankees. We all know that Liriano could get yanked in the first inning, or K 11 and throw a gem. I’m will to take the chance that the Yankees get to him early wight the big bats of Judge, Castro, Gregorius and Hicks. Obviously Sanchez and Holiday are in play, but I’m willing to take the lower ownership in Didi and Hicks, who both hit lefties well.
This Boston @ Baltimore game has the making of a high scoring affair. Porcello’s fastball has been getting smashed this season, and he is still throwing it a ton. Porcello has been getting hit hard from both sides of the plate. The Orioles can hit the ball very hard with the top of the order in Machado, Jones, Davis and Trumbo. On the other side of the ball, Alec Asher has been solid out of the bullpen, but as a starter not so much. The Red Sox have a stacked lineup, and I expect them to get to the bullpen early. Betts, Bogarts, Benintendi, Moreland and Hanley are my preferred plays.
by Brett Dadian | Jun 1, 2017 | Daily Preview, DraftKings, Fanduel, MLB |
Yesterday was awful, but we move on. Today’s slate is not very enticing at all. 4 early and 4 late games today. In the early slate Corey Kluber is head and shoulders above his competition. He draws a matchup vs. the Oakland A’s. They strikeout a lot, and Kluber is the biggest favorite in the morning. My SP2 will most likely be Chase Anderson. I think he will be lower owned than Brandon McCarthy, and gets a Mets team that will have a lot of lefties in the lineup. Anderson strikes out lefties 23% of the time. I”m looking for my SP2 to not get shelled today.
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The Indians are my top stack on the board, facing Jharel Cotton in Cleveland. Cotton is giving up a ton of hard contact to right handed bats. This lineup is stacked from top to bottom, so get creative with, because it will be chalky. The next stack is the Dodgers. Wainwright give up 42% hard contact vs. lefties to go along with a .390 wOBA. This Dodgers team is full with lefties. Wainwright has a low K% and will have to face Seager, Bellinger, Grandal and more.
The afternoon slate’s pitching get a little better. Zack Greinke takes the ball in Miami, and he is my top play. At $12,700, he is not a must play, but the Marlins are so bad. Despite a 4 game win streak, it wouldn’t surprise anybody if Zack were to toss a shutout. he gets a big park to work in, and provides strikeout upside from both sides of the plate. My SP2 in the afternoon is Eduardo Rodriguez. He takes on the Orioles in Baltimore, a small park, but has the strikeout upside. He is dominant vs. righties with a .278 wOBA and almost 30% Krate vs. righties. I expect him to be very popular, so if you are contrarian you might look elsewhere.
I’m looking at the Boston Red Sox in the afternoon, taking on Wade Miley. Wade has been getting hit hard by righties this season, but does get a lot of swings and misses. From the Sox I’m looking towards Betts, Bogarts, Benintendi and Vasquez. The Twins face Alex Meyer in Anahiem. Meyer does struggle more to lefties than righties but everyone is in play. I like Dozier, Kepler, Sano and Grossman. Meyer struggles with walks, and he is making his first start off the DL and this is a spot I really like.
by Brett Dadian | May 31, 2017 | Daily Preview, DraftKings, Fanduel, MLB |
We have a 9 game late slate today, with a few aces not he bump. Scherzer is priced up at $13,300 in San Francisco. He is perfectly fine, but I will save some money and go to deGrom at $12,000 Jacob deGrom has been lighting opposing teams up this year. A K% of above 31% to both sides of the plate, and the Brewers do strikeout a lot. deGrom has been dominant vs. left handed bats this season, and has truly become an ace.
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So I’m looking to spend down for my SP2 today. One option is Jamie Garcia at $7,600, in Anaheim. The Angels were already a bad offense, now they lose Trout. Not many of these guys hit lefties well, and I’m looking for my SP2 not to suck. Garcia has had back to back good outing and if we get 6 IP and 6Ks and a win, we are dancing. The other guy is Matt Cain. I know it’s gross, but if Harper is suspended, then I’ll give Matt a look. Cain, no worse than 15 points when pitching at home. Obviously a bad matchup and a tournament flier at best.
We have a game in Camden Yards with Tanaka and Gausman on the bump. Tanaka has been getting smashed by righties, giving up a .441 wOBA and close to a .700 slugging. The O’s can throw some righties that mash in Machado, Trumbo, Jones, Castillo and Schoop. On the other side Kevin Gausman hasn’t been good to righties either. He’s not tricking out many hitters, and is given up a .440 wOBA to righties. The Yanks have Sanchez, Judge, Holiday and Castro. Both sides might be popular.
Mike Pelfrey has been dealing his last 2 starts. But, can Mike Pelfrey contain the Red Sox? I hope not, Betts and Bogarts are playing well, and Pelfrey does struggle vs. righties. Only striking out 9% of righties, Pelfrey is missing very few bats. The Sox can get the train running and take Pelfrey out early. Hot take Bogarts and Betts combine for 7 hits and 2HRs. To finish the stack Benintendi and Vasquez are in skid spots as well.
by Brett Dadian | May 30, 2017 | Daily Preview, DraftKings, Fanduel, MLB |
Today we get a 14 game slate, and we also get Chris Sale in a revenge game at the Chicago White Sox. And yes he is always a good play, there is reasons to fade him. He is $13,400, and he will be popular. So with that in mind, I’m looking to Robbie Ray at $9,600. He strikes out lefties at a 36% rate, which is higher than Chris Sale’s. He also gets a great matchup in the Pittsburg Pirates in PNC Park. Whilst it is worth it to get up to Sale for cash games, he is not a lock in GPPs.
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“The Shark” Jeff Samardzija takes on the Washington Nationals in AT&T Park. I’ll assume after the brawl yesterday, that Harper won’t be in this lineup, which will make Brain Goodwin or another bench player be forced to start. Jeff has great K% to both sides of the plate, and has really been limiting hard contact vs. righties. Hopefully The Shark will go low owned due to the bad matchup, but the strikeouts, and a good ballpark outweighs the matchup.
The Phillies face the Marlins in Miami. Justin Nicolino is on the bump for the fish and his stats aren’t great. .431 wOBA to righties, and there will be many righties in the lineup. Joseph, Knapp, Franco are the power bats in this lineup, but the switch hitters are in play too. Nicolino gets very few swings and misses, and this is a big ballpark, but the ball will get knocked around. My preferred stack is the top of the order.
The Twins get to face Mike Fiers at Target Field. Fiers is awful vs. righties. A .469 wOBA and .800 slugging to righties won’t help with Dozier and Sano in this lineup. Those are my two favorite plays, but Grossman or Kepler can complete a mini stack. Fiers is better to lefties, but not elite.
