Today is a perfect example of what I consider my biggest pet peeve in this industry…the lack of single entry tournaments. For example, today on FanDuel if you want to play single entry GPPs you will be forced to play the all-day slate. Here is the problem with this, not all the lineups are in by 1 p.m. So, FanDuel who chooses to lock their lineups at 1 p.m. are basically forcing you to take a chance on players not playing (which happens a lot on Sundays) if you want to play on a level playing field. Otherwise, you get to play with guys who have 100 entries. Which, well, makes both myself and my wallet sick.

So after a really hot start I have hit a DFS skid the last 10 days or so. Basically a huge GPP slump. It seems each night I put up a decent score but it is just not enough. If I have four HR in my lineup the cash line has five. If my pitcher goes six innings with five strikeouts and one earned run the pay line has a player who goes seven innings with six strikeouts and no earned runs. The one thing I take solace in with this slump is experience. I have been doing this long enough now to know that any day it will turn around and I will get hot again for a few weeks. But as for today…my bankroll is looking rather sad. The best part about DFS is each day is a new one so let’s get this moving.

So with only a few weeks until I find out if I am having a boy or girl, a fresh iced Dark Roast from Dunkin Donuts at my side, and eager anticipation for the long day of Sunday baseball to come I bring you todays Pitching Coach Article.

               
PlayerTmOppWLERAGIPERHRBBSO FD$  DK$  Aces$ 
Jake ArrietaCHIWSH600.84643421237 $ 12,100 $ 13,200 $   7,750
Matt HarveyNYMSD244.776341831125 $   9,300 $ 10,400 $   7,000
Jose QuintanaCWSMIN411.4638.761837 $   9,100 $ 10,600 $   6,250
Jeff SamardzijaSFCOL413.32640.71541235 $   9,000 $   9,400 $   6,500
Gerrit ColePITSTL233.95527.31211025 $   8,800 $   9,200 $   7,000
Michael WachaSTLPIT222.65637.3113932 $   8,800 $   8,100 $   6,000
Steven WrightBOSNYY231.67532.3611431 $   8,500 $   7,900 $   5,150
Aaron NolaPHIMIA222.93640133644 $   8,500 $ 10,100 $   6,350
Josh TomlinCLEKC403.1342383216 $   8,400 $   6,900 $   6,000
Tanner RoarkWSHCHI222.35638.31011534 $   8,300 $   7,600 $   6,400
Hisashi IwakumaSEAHOU134.036381741128 $   8,100 $   8,700 $   6,100
Marco EstradaTORLA122.64530.7921228 $   8,100 $   7,300 $   6,050
Edinson VolquezKCCLE323.13637.31321132 $   7,900 $   7,000 $   6,150
Justin VerlanderDETTEX236.49634.72571333 $   7,800 $   7,800 $   6,200
Collin McHughHOUSEA336.59627.3204723 $   7,800 $   7,500 $   6,200
Chris TillmanBALOAK312.816321011233 $   7,700 $   7,700 $   6,000
Ross StriplingLATOR024.335271311122 $   7,600 $   5,100 $   5,800
Luis SeverinoNYYBOS046.31525.7184416 $   7,100 $   6,200 $   5,850
Jered WeaverLAATB314.72634.3185819 $   7,000 $   7,000 $   5,750
Patrick CorbinARIATL134.91636.72081123 $   6,800 $   7,400 $   5,950
Martin PerezTEXDET123.66351431818 $   6,800 $   6,500 $   5,400
Justin NicolinoMIAPHI202.7213.34152 $   6,600 $   5,300 $   5,400
Tyler DuffeyMINCWS011.74210.32228 $   6,400 $   7,300 $   5,650
Nick TropeanoLAATB113.42526.31041426 $   6,300 $   6,800 $   6,000
Michael FoltynewiczATLARI019.8213.674314 $   5,600 $   5,700 $   5,000
Eddie ButlerCOLSF016.75286217 $   5,600 $   4,300 $   5,000
Junior GuerraMILCIN106164013 $   5,400 $   4,600 $   5,450
Kendall GravemanOAKBAL134.4528.7145825 $   5,300 $   4,900 $   5,450
John LambCINMIL001.5161034 $   5,200 $   7,200 $   5,500
Matt AndrieseTBLAA          $   5,200 $   4,700 $         -  

Top Cash Game Plays

Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs

Let’s face it, Jake Arrieta up till now is the best pitcher in baseball. Besides being 6-0, Arrieta over his first six starts has pitched 43 innings while striking out 37 batters only allowing two HR and four runs total. That is four runs over six starts to lower his ERA to a miniscule 0.84. Today he is home in Wrigley Field that is 20th in MLB in runs scored so he gets a favorable park shift facing a Nationals team that struggles versus RHP. Washington is striking out 20.9 percent of the time with a low .299 wOBA versus RHP and are 27th in MLB in wRC+. They also have a .248 avg. on the road so far this season but have picked things up with a .346 wOBA over the last seven days. No one keeps the ball on the ground like Arrieta does with a 3.39 GB/FB rate and a ton of positive “ips” to go with it. In cash games no one offers the upside of Arrieta today and he should be the chalk for sure.

Danger Zone

If you can believe it the current Nationals roster is actually 24-for-82 with two HR, 10 RBI, and 24 strikeouts when facing Jake from State Farm. Bryce Harper is four-for-12 with two strikeouts and no HR while Danny Espinosa is four-for-eight with one HR off of Arrieta. To be honest, I do not find Espinosa all that scary.

Matt Harvey, New York Mets

In what is a common theme in DFS these days it is time to pick on the Padres. Even though Matt Harvey has had his woes to start the season I still have faith in him. The Padres are striking out 25.5 percent of the time with a low .279 wOBA and are 29th in MLB in wRC+ at 72 versus RHP. They also only have a .228 home avg. which drops to .223 over the last seven days. Although Harvey has allowed at least two earned runs in each start over the last two games he has 11 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings versus the Reds and Braves. He gets a positive park shift in San Diego and if Harvey is going to have a great start all signs certainly point to tonight being the night. Although I prefer Arrieta today in cash games Harvey is certainly viable and I look for the “Dark Knight” to get back on track today.

Danger Zone

The danger it seems sad enough is Matt Harvey himself. He is really struggling with location at times, his velocity is down, and as we all know one lemon spells disaster. The current Padres roster is three-for-18 with one HR (Matt Kemp) lifetime off of Harvey which I do not find all that intimidating.

Jose Quintana, Chicago White Sox

The Minnesota Twins are another team we as DFS players can still pick on and I cannot think of a better pitcher to pick on them with than the red hot Jose Quintana. I am really kicking myself right now for not drafting him in more leagues this season. The kid has been amazing. Besides being 4-1 with a 1.40 ERA to start the season over his last two games he has 15 strikeouts in 14 innings while only allowing one earned run, including a six inning shutout versus the lefty mashing Blue Jays in Toronto. Today he gets the Twins who are striking out 21.9 percent of the time with a low .287 wOBA versus LHP. On the road the Twins have a .303 wOBA and are batting .247 over the last seven days. Today I am all in on Quintana and to be honest he is the guy I am going to try and pair with Arrieta on two-pitcher sites.

Danger Zone

Obviously being in the same division we have a lot of history and it is positive for Quintana. The current Twins roster is batting .235 (44-for-187) off of Quintana with four HR. Two by Joe Mauer and two by Brian Dozier. Obviously anytime we take a pitcher in a hitter’s park like U.S. Cellular we take on risk but, with the way Quintana is dialed in I cannot imagine the Twins beating him up today.

Sometimes good things come in pairs (Cash and GPP).

Keep in mind the pitchers in this section are better GPP plays on FanDuel and what I consider the best cash game plays to pair with one of the pitchers above on DraftKings and other two-pitcher sites.

Chris Tillman, Baltimore Orioles

I have to be honest, if at all possible today I have no intentions on using any pitchers other than the top three. But we do have other options and one of them is Chris Tillman. The thing is today he is facing the Athletics who I find very unpredictable. They are only striking out 18.8 percent of the time versus RHP but do have a low .298 wOBA which elevates on the road to .319. They also are batting .262 over the last seven days which is above the MLB average (11th to be exact). So why recommend Tillman then Right? Here is why. He is a different Chris Tillman and seems to be getting better as he goes along. Over his last two starts he has 18 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings while only allowing one earned run facing the Yankees and Rays. He has a 9.28 K/9 on the young season which usually spells DFS points even versus a strikeout stingy team like Oakland. His price is low and he is more than worth a shot and should get plenty of run support at home today where he has a 1.80 ERA.

Danger Zone

The BVP today is more than acceptable with the current Oakland roster batting .169 off of Tillman with four HR over 83 AB. I do not find any one hitter to be dangerous today I only fear Tillman reverts to the player of old at some point and gets rocked.

Steven Wright, Boston Red Sox

If someone told you before the season started that Steven Wright would be the Red Sox ace and not David Price I am sure the laughter would have been resounding. The reality up till now is it certainly is true. As a matter of fact, over his five starts spanning 32 1/3 innings he has 31 strikeouts and has only allowed six earned runs. Today he faces a Yankees team in shambles that has a low .299 wOBA versus LHP but is only striking out 19.2 percent of the time. They do tend to hit better at home with a .330 wOBA but are ice cold coming in at 20th in MLB over the last seven days with a .245 avg. It is not often I will take a chance on a lefty in Yankee Stadium which is far from favorable but with the current Yankee woes I see no reason not to and you get to have a pitcher in the late game for those of you who love the whole “late bullet” thing, like myself.

Danger Zone

The current Yankee roster is six-for-44 (.136 Avg.) with two HR off of Wright. Outside of maybe Carlos Beltran I do not find any one player all that intimidating and Beltran comes in at the bottom of the scary pool.

GPP plays that will make or break your wallet.

Of course anytime you take players in this section you are doing so with risk. That is why they are here and are not for the faint at heart.

Nick Tropeano, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Nick Tropeano gets a favorable park shift at home in Los Angeles today facing the team that strikes out more than anyone else in MLB versus RHP, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays are striking out 26.6 percent of the time and only have a .291 wOBA versus RHP and are 20th in wRC+. Although Tropeano does not go deep into games (around five innings) he does offer strikeout upside (17 strikeouts over his last 15 2/3 innings pitched) and has a low home ERA under two. His price is low, the numbers are favorable, and the opponent is less than stellar. All of this lines up to be one hell of a GPP play today with a call-up Matt Andriese taking the hill for TB.

Danger Zone

We have minimal history to go by but outside of a few bats like Evan Longoria, Corey Dickerson, and Logan Forsythe I find the Rays lineup for the most part putrid and will continue to pick on them as long as the strikeout percentage stays high.

Patrick Corbin, Arizona Diamondbacks

I find it funny that a team that is supposed to have a decent rotation this year like Arizona seems to keep getting blown up. Even on the road. Believe me when I say I enjoy it as a Dodgers fan and I hope it continues. Especially for Zack Greinke (I didn’t like you as a Dodger and I like you less now). I do however have a strong feeling that Patrick Corbin is going to be the surprise of the day with all the big guns overshadowing him on the slate. Today he gets a great park shift pitching in Atlanta facing a Braves team that cannot hit LHP. They are striking out 25.6 percent of the time (2nd in MLB), walking 5.9 percent of the time, have a low .243 wOBA (30th in MLB), and a wRC+ of 46 (also 30th in MLB) versus LHP. The Braves are also struggling to get the bats going at home with a .258 wOBA and wRC+ of 56, both dead last in MLB. Just remember this really is a GPP play today as Corbin only has a K/9 of 5.65 which is certainly not stellar and his numbers across the board are less than favorable. Even bad pitchers (and to be honest I think Corbin is actually decent) have great games. Just ask John Danks.

Danger Zone

The current Braves roster with minimal history is two-for-17 with two RBI and zero HR. I believe Corbin is a great GPP play on FanDuel and worthy of most lineups on a two-pitcher site with such a horrible opponent.

Good luck today and be sure your catchers are playing as most do not if playing a day game after a night game. Saturdays and Sundays can be tough in that respect if you are new to this. As for me…I am burning up and that is the excuse I will use for Weaver today if he implodes.

Go Dodgers!

Follow me on Twitter @RealJerryColvin or email me at TheRealJerryColvin@yahoo.com