I think Ian Kennedy is worth a mention here today. He’s allowed 10 ER in his last 24 innings pitched, but seven of those came in one start against the Yankees. In his other three starts and 17.2 IP in that stretch, he’s surrendered only three ER. Even more surprising, he’s been racking up the strikeouts in the process. His 9 K/9 is fifth-best on this slate. He’s going to have to face the Twins who have scuffled all season long. They rank 22nd in wOBA this season and strike out at the 6th highest rate. I wouldn’t feel comfortable using him in cash games, but he’s certainly a viable GPP option at this price point.
Today’s DraftKings Projections | Today’s Fanduel Projections | 2016 Game Logs Database | Player Scoring Calendar
Vince Velasquez definitely has his flaws, but he’s proven to be on the higher upside pitchers in the league. His pitch count is always a concern of mine, since it limits how deep he can go into games. For example, it took him 103 pitches to get through 5 innings against the Marlins in his last start. However, he piled on ten strikeouts in those five innings and produced a very useful fantasy outing for his owners. His 10.99 K/9 is second to only Kershaw on this slate. Despite having to face an American League lineup tonight, Velasquez will benefit from a pitcher-friendly park in Detroit tonight.
Here’s an excellent opportunity to target Brandon Finnegan. It’s been a rocky season for Finnegan who has now allowed 23 runs in his last 31 IP and is sporting a 5.81 ERA in that span. He hasn’t allowed less than three runs scored in any of his last seven games, so he’s almost guaranteed to get knocked around a bit. To add insult to injury, he’s walking 4.25 batters per nine which is the second-most on this slate. The Dodgers enter tonight on a bit of a power-surge. They’ve knocked ten homers in the last seven days, which is third most in the league. Their tiny K rate (17.7%) is fourth best in the league which should mean plenty of baserunners and high leverage situations tonight.
That’s all folks! Be sure to follow me on Twitter for more player analysis and news as starting lineups are released! Commentary based on DraftKings strategy and scoring.