Baseball, more than any other sport, is tied to streaks. Despite it being a team game, hitters and pitchers are still judged on their individual performances. A player’s confidence level, whether trending positively or negatively, can have a significant impact on their performance. Even with a great tool like Relative Position Value per Dollar (RPVPD), we can sometimes put too much stock in the larger sample rather than the current trend. After all, what is daily fantasy if not current? Understanding how to exploit a player’s current productivity before the salary adjusts is a great way to build value into your lineup.
Here are five outfielders whose current streaks are outperforming their season average point totals under salaries that you can use to your advantage.
1)Justin Upton OF DET ($3.4K FanDuel)
It’s been a lost season for Justin Upton. Over the first half he was sporting a dreadful .235/.289/.381 line. That’s the kind of slash that gets you sent down to the minor leagues. If not for Upton’s huge contract, he very well might have been toiling in Triple-A trying to “find himself”. Something seems to have awoken in Upton over the last week. He’s hitting over .400 with an OPS above 1.000 in his last seven games with four home runs and 11 RBI. Upton is a notoriously streaky player and he’s still striking out too much, but while the power stroke is live, he’s worthy of a look especially against the lowly Angels this weekend.
2)Jose Peraza OF CIN ($3.8K DraftKings)
In the minor leagues, Jose Peraza has had his way with opposing teams on the base paths. He’s now beginning to transfer those skills to the major league level. Power isn’t his M.O., but he’s been making excellent contact of late hitting .433 BA over his last seven games. That plays right into his strength. The nice thing about players like Peraza is that although they might not single handedly win you a contest, they’ll be strong foundation contributors to your point total. Guys who get on base score points and Peraza is getting on base with the ability to steal second and then third. Pony up for the Peraza Express!
3)Ender Inciarte OF ATL ($3.4K FanDuel)
The Braves haven’t been an offense worth targeting all year, but in our quest for value Ender Inciarte is worthy of note. His .429/.500/.643 slash over his last seven games is flying under the radar. Like Peraza, Inciarte isn’t a power guy, but he’s a solid contributor under his current playing level and allows you to spend up the board for power at other positions. Maybe something came alive in him when he played in Arizona this week against his old team. Whatever the reason, Inciarte is a sneaky third outfield choice right now.
4)Leonys Martin OF SEA ($2.6 FanDuel)
There might not have been a more surprising fast start to the 2016 season than Leonys Martin’s. Of course, he came back down to earth and then battled some injuries before becoming a forgotten man once again (which clearly his FanDuel salary suggests). But for a bargain basement salary, Martin has been putting up some points of late hitting .333 with a .968 OPS. He’s flashed some new found power this season, so when you consider he’s always been fleet of foot, Martin looks like a “no risk/all reward” investment right now.
5)Lorenzo Cain OF KC ($3.1K FanDuel)
Hey! Remember when Lorenzo Cain was a “thing”!? Well, he was once. In fact, last year Cain was one of the most cost efficient DFS outfielders in baseball. Then his profile soared along with his salary making him more of an investment risk. However, lately Cain is slashing .400/.458/.700 over the last week and flashing the all-around skills that made him a coveted outfielder once upon a time. He could be headed for a strong finish to an otherwise disappointing season. For now, he’s a daily fantasy value on a tear worth starting.
Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17) is the seven-time best-selling author of the Fantasy Black Book Series for baseball and football and hosts Fantasy Sports Tonight on Sirius/XM Fantasy Sports Radio.