Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer throws in the first inning of their baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Friday, Aug. 14, 2015, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Welcome to Tuesday baseball! We have a nice 15 game slate on our hands with some aces and a few offenses in great spots to put up some runs. Make sure to check out our other articles as they will touch on more pitching options, tournament stacks and any weather concerns that may arise. Let's get into the top options at each position!
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Opponent - ARI (Godley) Park - @WSH
FD - 39.07 DK - 26.1
Max Scherzer is a top 3 pitcher on the planet. While some may argue that, the number confirm it. With a .199 wOBA against righties, they have basically no chance of success when they step to the plate. He also sports a .301 wOBA against lefties, a low hard contact rate and a very accurate HR/FB rate. He will be taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have struggled on the road against righties. So far in 2016, the Diamondbacks have sported a .306 road wOBA, which is in the bottom 10 of the league. They lack home run power and fail to strung together hits outside of the hitter friendly Chase Field. Scherzer should be able to mow these guys down, and rack up a bunch of strikeouts in the process. While he is insanely expensive on both sites, he is still my top option in both cash games and tournaments. He brings a level of consistency and a blasphemous ceiling that nobody else can hit. While Syndergaard might have that upside, he is also very inconsistent at times and I think he might struggle against a motivated Marlins team.
Opponent - PHI (Eickhoff) Park - @ATL
FD - 34.36 DK - 21.63
We are going to move down the salary range a little bit and take a look at Julio Teheran. Teheran and the Braves will stay at home and take on the Philadelphia Phillies. As we all know, the Phillies are horrible. Against righties, the Phillies have sported a .298 wOBA, which is the 2nd worst in the league behind just the Braves. Alongside the pitiful wOBA, they strikeout almost 24% of the time and have a pitiful hard contact rate of only 26%. Teheran on the other hand, has been terrific against both lefties and righties. He has exhibited a .276 combined wOBA to go along with a spectacular set of peripherals and batted ball rates. The game will take place in Turner Field, which is one of the best parks in the league for pitchers. While he is a lot cheaper than Scherzer, he is still by no means "cheap". However, he is priced correctly and I expect him to go a little under owned because of it. While I obviously prefer Scherzer, Teheran is a close 2nd when you consider price and match up.
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Opponent - BAL (Gausman) Park - @TOR
FD - 9.42 DK - 7.23
Russell Martin is going to start us off here at the catcher position. Martin and the Blue Jays will be facing off with Kevin Gausman and the Baltimore Orioles. While Gausman has had a decent season, he is a reverse splits pitcher and is actually worse against right handers. Dating back to 2013, Gausman has been .37 points worse against right handers. Russell Martin is the same way. He actually hits righties better over the course of his career. Since 2013, Martin has sported a .341 wOBA to go along with some great peripherals. He is fairly priced on both sites and will be sitting in the middle of a very lethal offense. The ballpark should help a bit as the Rogers Centre is a top 10 park for right handed power. If you need a safe guy with some upside and a lot of safety, Russell Martin is your guy. If you want to pay down even more, let's take a look at Miguel Montero.
Opponent - PIT (Vogelsong) Park - @PIT
FD - 8.54 DK - 6.46
First of all, this is a FanDuel only play. He is too expensive on DraftKings and there is no reason to pay that much on this slate. Secondly, the Cubs are our top offense of the night. You are going to see a bunch of them, starting with Montero. The Cubs will be facing off with Ryan Vogelsong, who we will be touching on in a minute. For now, all you need to know is that he is horrible and gives up a bunch of homers. Montero has been quite good over the past couple years as a Cub against righties. Since 2014, he has sported a .329 wOBA against right handers. Though I do definitely prefer Martin in a 1-off, you have to go with Montero if you are stacking the Cubs. If he is lower in the lineup, I will only have exposure in tournaments. If he is up higher than normal, I could see the merit in both cash games and tournaments.
Opponent - PIT (Vogelsong) Park - @PIT
FD - 12.78 DK - 9.77
We are going to go right back to another Chicago Cub in Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo is in a spectacular spot here against Ryan Vogelsong and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Vogelsong has been quite bad against lefties for about 5 years now. So far in 2016, he has done more of the same with a 396 wOBA and has given up 6 homers in only 30 innings of work to lefties. Rizzo on the other hand, is one of the absolute best hitters in the league against right handers. In 2016, he has possessed a .403 wOBA against righties that is backed up by an impressive set of peripherals and batted ball rates. While Rizzo is very expensive across the board, he offers a ton of safety as well as a ton of upside. He is one of my top overall plays on the slate, and I will do my best to get him in as many lineups as possible. I definitely do prefer him on FanDuel as he is cheaper and the scoring fits his style of play more.
Opponent - OAK (Mengden) Park - @LAA
FD - 11.78 DK - 9.02
Albert Pujols is a guy that consistently goes under the radar, but has 31 homers on the season. 21 of those came against right handers, like the one he is facing off with tonight. Daniel Mengden is a guy that i will continue to target until he gets himself acclimated to the major league ecosystem. Pujols, along with Trout, could easily give him a warm HR welcome to Los Angeles. I do expect one of them to connect tonight, as Mengden just really isn't very good. The ballpark is not ideal for homers, but Pujols has shown his ability to produce there. The Angels run total is around 4, which is larger than normal. Pujols and Trout are the only good hitters in the lineup, so they will have to shoulder a huge responsibility.
Opponent - CIN (Stephenson) Park - @STL
FD - 12.84 DK - 9.87
The Cardinals are an interesting team tonight. They are in a great spot, but are going overlooked by the community. Just because the Reds moved out of Great American Ballpark doesn't mean that they are all of a sudden a better bullpen. They are still horrible and the Cardinals are going to get to these pitchers. The first guy that will face off with the Cards is Robert Stephenson. Stephenson has been pitiful against lefties on the season with a .387 wOBA to go along with his pitiful peripherals. Carpenter on the other hand, has been swinging the bat well lately and I expect him to breakout very soon with a big week or two. That could easily start tonight against a pitcher as bad as Stephenson and a bullpen as bad as the Reds. Carpenter is fairly priced around the industry and makes for a phenomenal play in both cash games and tournaments.
Opponent - MIL (Nelson) Park - @TEX
FD - 11.71 DK - 9.48
The Rangers are going to come in as our second favorite offense of the slate, behind just the Cubs. While this is the first guy mentioned, you can definitely play a guy like Jonathan Lucroy or Mitch Moreland in tournaments. However, we are gonna touch on the money guys. The guys that you can use in both cash games and tournaments. The first of which being Rougned Odor. Odor has been one fo the best hitters on the team, especially against righties. He has sported a .376 wOBA that is obviously held up by plenty of strong peripherals and batted ball rates. We will touch on Jimmy Nelson later, but just know that he struggles mightily on the road. Odor is definitely expensive, but hsould be lower owned and is definitely worth it when you consider his price and match up.
Opponent - CIN (Stephenson) Park - @STL
FD - 10.19 DK - 7.87
Peralta is going to be our top play on DraftKings at shortstop, with Addison Russell as our top option on FanDuel. We just talked about Matt Carpenter, so there is really not too much to say. Stephenson is one of the worst pitchers on the slate, and that really isn't up for argument. He has been pitiful against both lefties and righties, and has shown so signs of promise in his peripherals. Peralta has been great aganst righties over the past couple seasons with a .341 wOBA that is backed up by a 36% hard contact rate and a 23% line drive rate. While Busch Stadium isn't a hitters park, it is still a place where some homers can be hit, especially if it is warm. Peralta makes for a great play in both cash games and tournaments, though he is just a tournament play on FanDuel because of Addison Russell.
Opponent - PIT (Vogelsong) Park - @PIT
FD - 9.44 DK - 7.31
Once again, this is a FanDuel specific play. Addison Russell is $2300 on FanDuel. $2300.... That is just WAY too cheap. While Vogelsong is better against righties, he is still not necessarily good by any means. Addy Russ has been solid against righties with a .314 wOBA alongside a 33% hard contact rate and a 21% line drive rate. PNC Park is going to take away some of his power upside, but we don't need a home run at this price. At $2300, all he needs is a base hit or two to pay off his salary. In conclusion, Peralta is my guy on DraftKings, and Russell is my guy on FanDuel. I do think Russell makes for an interesting GPP play on DraftKings, as he will be very low owned and always has the upside for a huge game.
Opponent - PIT (Vogelsong) Park - @PIT
FD - 12.76 DK - 9.8
I promise, this is the last Cubs bat. How can you not mentioned Bryant when you have 3 other Cubs mentioned? You can't. He is right up there with Rizzo against righties and the combo between the two is absurd. I doubt Vogelsong is able to get through his order 2 times, let alone enough to hinder the offense. Kris Bryant is phenomenal against right handed pitching, as evident by his .398 wOBA in 2016. While the park isn't phenomenal for right handed power, Bryant has one of the most powerful bats in the league and will have no problem getting it over the fence. He, like Rizzo, is very expensive on both sites. You can't play both of them as well as Scherzer. You are going to have to make a decision to go with bats or pitching on this slate, and it is going to be a close call for me.
Opponent - MIL (Nelson) Park - @TEX
FD - 12.34 DK - 9.45
If you want to pay down a bit off of Kris Bryant, you have to consider Adrian Beltre. While Beltre hits lefties better, he is still a very good hitter against righties. So far in 2016, he has sported a .336 wOBA that shows some power upside with a low HR/FB rate and a high hard contact rate. Jimmy Nelson is a guy I tend to target on the road, as his wOBA is almost 100 points worse than his home number. THe game will also be played in Globe Life Park, which is a huge bonus as it is a top 7 park in the league for right handed power. While I definitely do prefer Bryant, Beltre makes for an interesting play as he will be lower owned and has a ton of upside at home. I do prefer him on FanDuel more than DraftKings.
Opponent - CIN (Stephenson) Park - @STL
FD - 11.52 DK - 9.03
Stephen Piscotty is going to be the last Cardinals bat we look at here, and he might be my favorite. He is right up there with Matt Carpenter talent-wise, but has been a lot more consistent on the season. There is not too much more to say about Robert Stephenson. He is really bad and so is the bullpen that will follow him. The Cardinals are a team that can be stacked in both cash games and tournaments, as they are priced fairly, have a solid floor and also have a crazy amount of upside. Piscotty has sported a .341 wOBA against righties and his peripherals suggest that is actually lower than it should be. Piscotty makes for a great play in all formats, and I will have a ton of exposure.
Opponent - MIL (Nelson) Park - @TEX
FD - 12.1 DK - 10.1
Opponent - MIL (Nelson) Park - @TEX
FD - 12.31 DK - 9.96
Let's take a look at this duo of Carlos Gomez and Ian Desmond. This could of easily been a trio with Carlos Beltran, but that is just overdoing it. Carlos Gomez and Desmond will likely hit 1 and 2, and will be a big part of my tournament lineups. Jimmy Nelson is a lot worse on the road, and I expect him to struggle here. Both Gomez and Desmond have sported +.340 wOBA's against righties over the past 3 seasons. While Desmond is obviously the preferred play, Gomez is a bit cheaper and has as much upside as anyone with his power and speed combo. Globe Life Park is also going to play a big factor as it can turn a double into a homer. Both of these guys can be played in our tournaments and cash games.
Opponent - OAK (Mengden) Park - @LAA
FD - 14.44 DK - 11.45
I mentioned Trout earlier as I think he has a great chance to home run off of Daniel Mengden tonight. First of all, Mengden is just not a good pitcher right now. he has given up a .339 wOBA to righties and that is backed up by some very lackluster peripherals and batted ball rates. Secondly, Mengden is a lowball pitcher. He will attempt to keep the ball in the bottom third of the zone. The problem with that is Mike Trout likes the ball in the bottom half. If Mengden attempts to throw a low fastball, Trout is going to send a missile to northern LA. Though he is expensive on both sites, he could be worth it in tournaments. I do not think you will have the salary to use him in cash games, bu if you find a way, go for it.
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