Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws against the New York Mets during the first inning in Game 1 of baseball's National League Division Series, Friday, Oct. 9, 2015 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
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Opponent - ATL (Newcomb) Park - @LAD
FD - 49.17 DK - 32.63
I know, you'd never expect Kershaw to be the top pitcher on the slate. Especially against the juggernaut of a team that is the Atlanta Braves. With all joking aside, you can't argue against Kershaw tonight. This is one of the best possible matchups in the entire league for him and it's shown in the Vegas line. Sitting at a 7 over/under, the Dodgers are favored by a stupid -360. It's the most I can remember seeing in a while and not a number you will see more than once or twice per season. It doesn't take much explanation to show why Kershaw should dominate here. First of all, he's the best. He's held both lefties and righties to a sub .300 wOBA while striking out 10.5 and walking 1.5 per 9 innings. You then get to the Braves lineup, which is putrid to begin with. You then add in the top bats being left-handed and it creates a recipe for Kershaw success. As always, it comes down to the price and whether you can fit him. If you can, he's the top option in all formats and it's not too close.
Opponent - TOR (Happ) Park - @CLE
FD - 41.36 DK - 27.28
This is a day where you probably want to pay up at pitcher. The only arm I would consider paying down for is Dinelson Lamet and he's not even that cheap. Instead, let's stay in the high-end and focus on Corey Kluber. Kluber and the Indians move into Toronto to face off with the Blue Jays, a team that is far better against lefties. Against righties, the Jays have ranked 23rd in baseball with a .311 team wOBA. They strikeout 22% of the time and have shown no signs of being unlucky. Kluber on the other hand, has returned to his dominant self. He's striking out 12 batters per 9 innings and dominating both sides of the plate. The Blue Jays will likely have at least 6 righties in the lineup, whom Kluber has held a .239 wOBA against. If you're looking for an elite arm and need some savings off of Kershaw, there is no reason to dislike the Klubot.
Opponent - MIN (Mejia) Park - @MIN
FD - 10.95 DK - 8.35
For absolutely no rhyme or reason, FanDuel has moved Victor Martinez back to catcher. No, he still hasn't caught a game all year long. Anyways, we have to take advantage while we can. Catcher is always one of the weakest spots on the slate and V-Mart is a quality bat in an elite offense. Today, he faces off with the Minnesota Twins and Adalberto Mejia in Target Field. Mejia, a lefty, has given up a .328 BABIP to righties with 8 homers in less than 60 innings. Martinez is a switch-hitter and will hold the platoon advantage no matter the situation. Later into games, it's not something you will take lightly. His price is fair and you should be able to fit him in both cash and tournaments. If you're looking to pay up a bit, let's take a look at the raw projected points leader.
Opponent - SEA (Gallardo) Park - @SEA
FD - 11.65 DK - 8.96
There is nothing to dislike about Gary Sanchez tonight. The only reason to not play him is the price. We have some elite pitchers on the mound and typically, catcher is a spot you safely punt. There are always a few 2K guys who will be hitting 7th or 8th and in good ballparks. If you want to go that direction, I can't blame you. I may end up doing that myself. However, that doesn't take away from what Gary Sanchez brings to the table. He faces off with Yovani Gallardo, who is a major reverse-splits righty. Gallardo has given up a .377 wOBA and an astounding 9 homers in less than 50 innings against righties. Gary Sanchez, on the same note, dominates righties. He prefers them to lefties and has hit nearly 90% of his HR's against them. If you can somehow find the funds to pay up for Sanchez, he's worth every penny.
Opponent - MIA (Koehler) Park - @CIN
FD - 14.09 DK - 10.74
Joey Votto is the clear top tier option at first base on this slate. While there are definitely some guys that deserve consideration and will drive some ownership. I think Votto stands out. He's at home in the uber hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark, where he has held a near .400 wOBA over the last few seasons. He also has the honor of facing off with Tom Koehler, who is pretty atrocious. While a .419 wOBA against lefties so far may be a bit inflated, it's rather clear that he's not a good pitcher. He's allowed a 34% hard contact rate and is barely striking out 6 batters per 9 innings. I expect the Cubs to beat up on him early and Votto should play a big part. Per usual, he's held a .47 wOBA against righties and has remained just as consistent as ever. If you have the funds to pay up and are looking to do it at first, look at Votto. He's the top play in both formats and I will make sure I get him into at least a few lineups.
Opponent - NYM (Montero) Park - @NYM
FD - 9.13 DK - 7.06
If you need to pay down a bit at first, Yonder Alonso is a fantastic way to look. He's an absolute monster against righties, sporting a .403 wOBA since the start of the season. He's belted 17 homers and looks to be pushing himself into the elite category at first base. As for today, he gets one of my favorite pitchers to target in Rafael Montero. If you ask a Mets fan about this guy, you'll know very quickly that you want to target hitters. Montero was once a big prospect for the Mets, but is now just a huge headache that is continuing to replace injured all-stars over and over. He's given up a .362 wOBA against lefties and has always been absolutely horrible against them. Citi Field is a very average park and a much better one than the O.Co for home runs. The Athletics are a very sneaky offense on this slate and Alonso is the top option on the entire team. While Votto is clearly the top option, he's far more expensive and Alonso has just as much upside.
Opponent - DET (Boyd) Park - @MIN
FD - 13.26 DK - 10.57
This is quite a solid match-up. While things may be very spread out at some other positions, I surely think people will be focused in on Dozier. He is an absolute monster in this spot and is one of my favorite players on the entire slate. While he is expensive, he's not overpriced and it may keep his ownership down just a bit. The Twins face off with MattBoyd, who has some serious issues with right-handed hitters. We'll touch on him plenty later, but just know righties destroy him. As for Dozier, he's death to lefties. So far in '17, he's held a .381 wOBA against them. Target Field is a very average park and the Twins have hit extremely well there. Matt Boyd has had a ton of struggles on the season and I fully expect them to continue here. Get exposure to the Twins, whether it's at 2nd base or not.
Opponent - CIN (Romano) Park - @CIN
FD - 10.22 DK - 9.8
It's great to see Dee Gordon play baseball when things are clicking. Remember, this is a guy who won the batting title just a couple years ago. His stolen base upside is second to none and even though he's not a power hitter, he can still give you a huge performance. So far in 2o17, Gordon has posted a .317 batting average and has been able to steal bases plenty with 32. He faces off with one of the weaker pitchers on the slate in Sal Romano, who has struggled against lefties. While we don't have enough innings to judge in the majors, he hasn't been overwhelming in the minors either. The Reds have weak catchers and if Gordon gets on base you can expect him to steal. Dozier is definitely the preferred option, but Gordon is a bit cheaper and could find himself in a game with a lot of scoring. As a side note, don't be afraid to stack these Marlins in a tournament.
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Opponent - NYY (Cessa) Park - @SEA
FD - 10.26 DK - 8.81
Shortstop isn't the most glorious position on this slate. While there are naturally going to be some choices, it's relatively weak. If you do want to "spend up", Jean Segura is the best way to do it. If you pay much attention to the Mariners offense, you know the role Segura plays. He's one of the 10 best lead off men in my opinion and can wreak havoc in many different ways. He's also better against righties, which gives him an extra bump outside of the SB one that comes naturally. Segura has held a .369 wOBA against righties all the while striking out just 14% of the time. He's hit 8 homers and stole 12 bases, but has also been hurt most of the season. The Mariners face off with Luis Cessa, who has allowed a .354 wOBA in 54 career innings against righties. He's not a good pitcher at all and is simply eating time in the rotation. Segura is one of the top SS' in the game and he should be considered if you're looking to pay up a bit. If you're wanting a cheaper option, we have a very nice one up next.
Opponent - DET (Boyd) Park - @MIN
FD - 10.54 DK - 8.3
You may not know much about Eduardo Escobar. He flies under the radar and is often ignored in the DFS world. While he's not a dominant hitter by any means, he's also not a push over. This is a solidified MLB player who can hit from both sides of the plate with power and speed. Against lefties, Escobar has posted a .382 wOBA. He's hit 8 homers on the season and is making a name for himself in Minnesota. He's also a switch-hitter, which gives him some extra safety in cash games. We touched on Matt Boyd a bit but didn't look very in-depth. Against righties, he is absolutely atrocious. In just under 60 innings, He's allowed 7 home runs and a .376 wOBA. He's also played half his games in Comerica Park, which is more Spacious than Target Field. The Twins are a solid team today and Escobar is a cost-effective piece at an average SS position. If you're looking to pay down, he should be at the top of your list.
Opponent - NYY (Cessa) Park - @SEA
FD - 10.81 DK - 8.27
Starting us off at third base is Kyle Seager. While his brother may be a bit better, that doesn't take anything away from him and how good of a hitter he is. Seager has demolished both lefties and righties for a while now, but does get to righties a bit better. He's sported a .363 wOBA against them dating back to 2016, accompanied by a very impressive set of batted ball peripherals (36% hard contact, 24% line drive, 7.2% HR/FB). The Mariners will host Luis Cessa, who is a young right without much to offer. He's been worse against righties, but bad against everyone and has also been a bit lucky. Kyle Seager is fairly priced around the industry and makes a lot of sense in cash games if you're rostering a superstar like Kershaw or Kluber.
Opponent - DET (Boyd) Park - @MIN
FD - 13.57 DK - 10.14
Sano has already returned to his ways after the ASB, cranking 2 dingers in the last 3 games. He is mashing the ball on a daily basis this season and has shown no signs of slowing down. If you're a Twins fan, this is a guy I would be extremely excited about for a long time. As for today, he's facing off with the perfect pitcher for production. Matt Boyd, who is absolutely pitiful against righties, has a slow, 4 pitch arsenal. He is a fastball thrower with 2 decent offspeed pitches that have held .350-.370 wOBA's against on the season. As for Sano, he has been ridiculous against lefties in 2017 with a .432 wOBA. He's hit 6 homers in just 81 at-bats and has peripherals to back everything up. Sano hits better at Target Field and should have at least a couple RBI opportunities. If you have the funds to pay up from Seager and are looking for a bit more HR upside, look at Sano. He's also a must in any Twins stack.
Opponent - CHW (Holland) Park - @KC
FD - 12.47 DK - 10.36
Opponent - CHW (Holland) Park - @KC
FD - 11.18 DK - 8.73
Derek Holland is REALLY BAD against righties. In just 77 innings of work this season, he's allowed a .386 wOBA and has somehow managed to give up 19 home runs. Yes, 19 home runs in 77 innings! The Royals are projected to score close to 6 runs, so Vegas is definitely on board. Both Lorenzo Cain and Bonifacio hit lefties well, though Cain is obviously a bit better and more well-known. Bonifacio could draw low ownership and he has more than enough power to send one to the moon against Holland. All in all, these are 2 elite hitters against lefties and should be heavily considered in both cash games and tournaments. The Royals as a whole are also a very interesting stack in both formats.
Opponent - BAL (Bundy) Park - @BAL
FD - 12.78 DK - 10.02
I could have thrown George Springer and/or Carlos Beltran here as well, but let's keep it simple and take a look at Josh Reddick. Reddick, a lefty, is one of the Astros best bats against righties.his .369 wOBA has been solid this season, but not overwhelming. He is an elite bat against them and will be in the 2 hole, sandwiched between Springer and Altuve. They face off with Dylan Bundy. Who is having a rough sophomore season. He's allowed a .350 wOBA to lefties and has not shown any signs of turning things around soon. Reddick is one of the top options in both cash games and tournaments, and you can throw Beltran in there as well as a pivot.
Opponent - TEX (Ross) Park - @TB
FD - 11.4 DK - 8.95
Corey Dickerson flies under the radar a ton, eve though he is one of the more productive OF's out there.hes dominated both lefties and righties to a .379 wOBA so far this season and has been making hard contact at a 39.2% clip. He's the Rays best hitter and a guy they rely on at the top of the order. The Rays face off with Tyson Ross today, who is everything but his old self. The new Ross is not a good pitcher and while we don't have enough numbers to judge, it's clear when watching him. This game will be in Tropican Field and while it's a bigger park, Dickerson hits better in it. He's a great option in all formats and deserves to be considered as an elite option.
If you can afford Aaron Judge, go for it. Gallardo is a reverse-splits righty and Judge is in a great spot to hit one out. He's just not very affordable with these pitchers on the hill.
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