Back to a full slate of MLB action tonight! This is the time of year where things get very hairy. Teams will make their September call-ups and really throw everything out of whack! Commentary based on DraftKings strategy and scoring.
It should be no surprise that Jacob deGrom ($11,400) is my #1 pitcher today. The kid is pure stud who has been dazzling outside of his bad start against PHI on the 24th. He still owns the slate’s best xFIP and best K/9 as he walks into one of the most pitcher friendly parks against the lowly Marlins. deGrom’s upside and situation are both A+ tonight. Deployable in all formats.
The GPP play of the day appears to be Corey Kluber ($11,700). His rollercoaster season continues but he’s in the midst of a great run right now. He owns the slate’s 3rd best xFIP and is the only other player with a K/9 over 10 (deGrom). No pitcher has averaged more DK points over the L30 than Kluber’s 29.14. The matchup with the Tigers is a little scary on paper, but DET has scuffled recently. They have the 5th worst wOBA this week with a 21.3% K rate. Kluber also sees a nice boost from pitching at Comerica in this one.
The man who leads the Pitcher Value Chart is Joe Kelly ($6,400). Kelly has been very solid in his L5, averaging 20.48 DK points. If he has that same game today, he would return 3.2x value to his owners, the highest on the slate. It’s certainly possible for Kelly to find success today versus the Phillies who lack much pop in their lineup. It should be noted that they will get to add a DH in this one, but I can’t imagine they can construct a lineup to do much damage in this one.
Another guy flying under the radar is Drew Hutchison ($7,100). He enters the value rankings at the #2 spot, averaging 22.43 DK points per game in the L4. And what a matchup this is! The Orioles have played themselves out of playoff contention with a terrible run of baseball. They have the worst wOBA and a massive 27.9% K rate in the last week. They’ve been diced up by just about every pitcher they’ve faces in the last week, scoring the fewest runs in the league.