Some really good pitchers available today, though some of the match-ups are leaving me a little hesitant to go all-out. Still, there are enough options to squeeze in a few good GPP plays amongst all your cash games. Here’s a look at the data with a few recommendations – and by that, I mean guys I’ll be using across the three main sites.
vs L | vs R | ||||||||||||||||||||
Player | Tm | Hand | H/A | Opp | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | BAA | SwStr% | ERA | xFIP | WHIP | GB% | FB% | GB/FB | wOBA | wOBA | $FD | $DK | $Aces |
Max Scherzer | WSH | R | A | SF | 141.2 | 11.50 | 2.16 | 1.40 | .193 | 16.9% | 2.92 | 2.90 | 0.94 | 37.3% | 43.6% | 0.85 | 0.316 | 0.216 | $11600 | $13600 | $7850 |
Jon Lester | CHI | L | H | SEA | 122.1 | 8.69 | 2.65 | 1.25 | .223 | 11.0% | 3.09 | 3.54 | 1.11 | 49.7% | 30.9% | 1.61 | 0.249 | 0.300 | $9700 | $9900 | $8200 |
Steven Matz | NYM | L | H | COL | 107.0 | 8.50 | 2.02 | 0.93 | .262 | 10.3% | 3.36 | 3.43 | 1.24 | 55.0% | 25.2% | 2.18 | 0.310 | 0.302 | $9700 | $8500 | $7300 |
Jose Quintana | CWS | L | A | MIN | 130.1 | 8.01 | 2.14 | 0.90 | .233 | 8.9% | 2.97 | 3.86 | 1.11 | 40.2% | 38.0% | 1.06 | 0.251 | 0.297 | $9100 | $10600 | $7100 |
Kenta Maeda | LA | R | H | ARI | 113.2 | 9.11 | 2.30 | 0.95 | .224 | 12.4% | 3.25 | 3.51 | 1.11 | 46.3% | 31.8% | 1.46 | 0.297 | 0.264 | $9000 | $10200 | $6900 |
Rick Porcello | BOS | R | A | LAA | 126.0 | 7.71 | 1.71 | 1.00 | .250 | 8.3% | 3.57 | 3.84 | 1.15 | 47.5% | 33.3% | 1.42 | 0.288 | 0.329 | $9000 | $9000 | $6300 |
Vince Velasquez | PHI | R | A | ATL | 91.2 | 10.12 | 3.24 | 1.08 | .248 | 13.1% | 3.34 | 3.63 | 1.29 | 39.4% | 39.4% | 1.00 | 0.341 | 0.290 | $9000 | $9700 | $6700 |
Marco Estrada | TOR | R | H | BAL | 110.1 | 8.32 | 3.26 | 1.14 | .179 | 11.8% | 2.94 | 4.20 | 1.01 | 35.2% | 45.4% | 0.77 | 0.288 | 0.240 | $8600 | $9400 | $6800 |
Trevor Bauer | CLE | R | H | OAK | 111.0 | 8.27 | 3.32 | 0.81 | .236 | 10.6% | 3.65 | 3.95 | 1.26 | 51.1% | 29.1% | 1.76 | 0.287 | 0.303 | $8500 | $8300 | $6900 |
Hisashi Iwakuma | SEA | R | A | CHI | 127.1 | 6.64 | 1.98 | 1.34 | .270 | 8.8% | 3.96 | 4.30 | 1.28 | 42.1% | 37.1% | 1.14 | 0.340 | 0.319 | $8300 | $8700 | $7400 |
Jeff Samardzija | SF | R | H | WSH | 128.0 | 6.82 | 2.04 | 1.34 | .255 | 10.1% | 4.22 | 4.02 | 1.23 | 47.7% | 31.4% | 1.52 | 0.367 | 0.278 | $8200 | $8800 | $6800 |
Junior Guerra | MIL | R | H | PIT | 94.2 | 7.61 | 2.95 | 0.86 | .206 | 12.0% | 2.85 | 4.01 | 1.09 | 48.7% | 32.2% | 1.51 | 0.282 | 0.268 | $8200 | $8400 | $6500 |
Kevin Gausman | BAL | R | A | TOR | 100.1 | 8.52 | 2.06 | 1.44 | .265 | 12.3% | 3.77 | 3.60 | 1.27 | 47.4% | 32.4% | 1.46 | 0.272 | 0.369 | $8200 | $9100 | $6200 |
Jake Odorizzi | TB | R | H | NYY | 118.2 | 8.34 | 2.50 | 1.37 | .248 | 10.6% | 4.10 | 3.99 | 1.23 | 38.6% | 38.9% | 0.99 | 0.270 | 0.346 | $8100 | $8200 | $6350 |
Collin McHugh | HOU | R | A | DET | 114.0 | 8.69 | 2.61 | 1.11 | .286 | 11.6% | 4.18 | 3.82 | 1.43 | 46.0% | 35.3% | 1.30 | 0.362 | 0.330 | $8000 | $8600 | $6450 |
Edinson Volquez | KC | R | A | TEX | 124.1 | 6.80 | 3.33 | 0.87 | .262 | 9.4% | 4.56 | 4.25 | 1.39 | 55.7% | 24.7% | 2.25 | 0.299 | 0.331 | $7500 | $6100 | $6550 |
Mike Leake | STL | R | A | MIA | 123.0 | 6.66 | 1.17 | 1.17 | .277 | 7.8% | 4.24 | 3.67 | 1.24 | 54.8% | 24.6% | 2.22 | 0.334 | 0.305 | $7500 | $7600 | $6300 |
A.J. Griffin | TEX | R | H | KC | 62.0 | 7.70 | 3.77 | 1.31 | .234 | 9.1% | 4.07 | 4.62 | 1.29 | 35.8% | 42.2% | 0.85 | 0.376 | 0.259 | $7200 | $6500 | $6350 |
Ivan Nova | NYY | R | A | TB | 93.0 | 6.97 | 2.03 | 1.65 | .274 | 10.1% | 4.65 | 3.89 | 1.32 | 56.0% | 26.2% | 2.14 | 0.358 | 0.336 | $7000 | $8300 | $6450 |
Tyler Chatwood | COL | R | A | NYM | 103.2 | 5.73 | 3.91 | 0.61 | .248 | 8.3% | 3.65 | 4.51 | 1.37 | 59.4% | 21.4% | 2.78 | 0.279 | 0.338 | $6900 | $7100 | $6400 |
Kendall Graveman | OAK | R | A | CLE | 110.2 | 5.70 | 2.60 | 1.06 | .278 | 9.1% | 4.15 | 4.42 | 1.38 | 54.7% | 25.7% | 2.13 | 0.366 | 0.298 | $6600 | $6200 | $5750 |
Tim Lincecum | LAA | R | H | BOS | 30.0 | 8.40 | 4.50 | 2.70 | .391 | 12.7% | 8.70 | 5.00 | 2.30 | 45.9% | 27.5% | 1.67 | 0.381 | 0.590 | $6500 | $4300 | $5700 |
Steven Brault | PIT | L | A | MIL | 4.0 | 11.25 | 4.50 | 0.00 | .250 | 14.6% | 2.25 | 4.20 | 1.50 | 27.3% | 45.5% | 0.60 | 0.000 | 0.328 | $6400 | $4,100 | $6450 |
Edwin Jackson | SD | R | H | CIN | 10.2 | 5.90 | 4.22 | 1.69 | .317 | 9.9% | 5.91 | 5.44 | 1.78 | 37.5% | 46.9% | 0.80 | 0.332 | 0.321 | $6300 | $5300 | $5900 |
Ricky Nolasco | MIN | R | H | CWS | 116.2 | 6.71 | 2.16 | 1.31 | .296 | 9.4% | 5.40 | 4.26 | 1.41 | 44.3% | 34.1% | 1.30 | 0.326 | 0.368 | $6300 | $5100 | $5700 |
Matt Boyd | DET | L | H | HOU | 44.2 | 7.66 | 2.82 | 1.21 | .254 | 8.7% | 4.63 | 4.35 | 1.30 | 43.8% | 38.0% | 1.15 | 0.255 | 0.337 | $6200 | $6400 | $5950 |
Tyrell Jenkins | ATL | R | H | PHI | 23.1 | 4.24 | 6.17 | 2.31 | .298 | 5.8% | 6.17 | 6.14 | 1.89 | 52.4% | 31.0% | 1.69 | 0.345 | 0.464 | $6000 | $4700 | $5650 |
Brandon Finnegan | CIN | L | A | SD | 111.1 | 6.55 | 4.53 | 1.78 | .249 | 9.5% | 4.93 | 5.20 | 1.44 | 40.2% | 36.2% | 1.11 | 0.321 | 0.353 | $5800 | $5800 | $6100 |
Jose Urena | MIA | R | H | STL | 32.0 | 5.90 | 2.25 | 0.84 | .266 | 11.7% | 5.34 | 4.42 | 1.41 | 56.2% | 23.8% | 2.36 | 0.288 | 0.343 | $5500 | $5700 | $6250 |
Zack Godley | ARI | R | A | LA | 26.0 | 6.92 | 3.12 | 1.04 | .299 | 11.3% | 5.89 | 4.36 | 1.62 | 56.8% | 22.7% | 2.50 | 0.292 | 0.387 | $5400 | $4000 | $5600 |
Max Scherzer, WAS – At this point, we’re all very much aware of Scherzer’s issues with the long ball. If you’re not already factoring that in, then you’re doing it wrong. His match-up with the Giants is a nice one, especially in pitcher-friendly AT&T Park. The Giants offense (regardless of the addition of Eduardo Nunez) has been average, at best, at home and the bats have been pretty cold as of late with just a .289 wOBA, .122 ISO and 21-percent strikeout rate over the past seven days.
Steven Matz, NYM – Matz hit a slight bump against the Cubs but rebounded beautifully against the Marlins his last time out. The path stays relatively easy for him with a home start against a Rockies team that posts a 29th-ranked .291 wOBA with a 23.6-percent strikeout rate on the road. Their numbers against southpaws are decent, but you have to factor in all those Coors Field games. Focus on their 23.5-percent K-rate against lefties on the year and let Citi Field do the rest.
Vince Velasquez, PHI – Time to pick on the Braves again, though using Velasquez isn’t really any kind of stretch. You’d use him against most teams. But here are the Braves who may be swinging the sticks pretty well over the last seven days, but still have just a .288 wOBA with a .120 ISO and 20-percent strikeout rate against right-handed pitching. If he can get through the lefty-stacked early part of the lineup, he should be ok.
Trevor Bauer, CLE – It’s going to be tough to get big strikeout numbers, but the A’s are still posting a 27th-ranked .302 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season. Bauer’s 51.1-percent groundball rate should hopefully shine through here as the A’s are mashing the ball into the dirt 42.4-percent of the time against righties.
Jake Odorizzi, TB – You know I hate to pick on my Yankees, but a .294 wOBA on the road and a .268 wOBA over the last seven days doesn’t exactly scream “offense,” does it? Not to mention the ridiculously feeble .087 ISO and an uncharacteristic 23.6-percent strikeout rate in that span.
Mike Leake, STL – Normally I’d be concerned about run support for the win as the Cardinals bats are so cold right now, my nipples froze up just typing out their team name. But the key to this match-up here is the Marlins’ 48.4-percent ground ball rate against righties and Leake’s 54.8-percent ground ball rate. The Cardinals infield is going to get some work, so barring any catastrophic errors, Leake’s pitching line should look tasty.
Ivan Nova, NYY – Now we’re moving into dart territory here as Nova is hardly a guy you want to trust and with everything I’ve already said about Odorizzi and the Yanks’ offense, the win might be tough to attain. But holy crap, these Rays bats are downright pitiful right now. Not only are they sporting a 26th-ranked .302 wOBA with a 243.3-percent strikeout rate against righties this year, but they’ve also posted a league-worst .229 wOBA with a 25-percent K-rate over the past week.
Jose Urena, MIA – Remember my nipples? Well that should be worth a $1 GPP on FanDuel or a $3 Moonshot entry on Draft Kings.