Interesting slate today as there aren’t as many “lock” cash game plays as we’ve seen in recent days. We’ve got a few options, but I’m not shelling out big bucks for “big” names. Just look at the match-ups for the highest -priced pitchers on FanDuel – not too pretty, in my opinion. Thankfully, it’s another reason keeping me from any DFS slate that includes Jake Arrieta and the early game. Still, I do have a few good cash plays I’m looking at and a whole lot of GPP darts to keep my Friday night nice and interesting.
Here’s how it all looks to me today:
| 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 |
| Jake Arrieta | CHI | R | H | STL | 185.1 | 8.55 | 3.50 | 0.73 | .185 | 11.2% | 2.96 | 3.70 | 1.06 | 54.5% | 27.0% | 2.02 | 0.264 | 0.249 | $10800 | $10700 | $7400 |
| Danny Duffy | KC | L | A | DET | 169.2 | 9.60 | 1.91 | 1.22 | .234 | 14.5% | 3.18 | 3.44 | 1.08 | 38.2% | 42.2% | 0.90 | 0.204 | 0.314 | $9600 | $11600 | $7200 |
| Chris Archer | TB | R | H | BOS | 188.2 | 10.54 | 3.01 | 1.34 | .236 | 13.5% | 4.06 | 3.23 | 1.24 | 49.0% | 30.6% | 1.60 | 0.303 | 0.310 | $9600 | $8900 | $7000 |
| Cole Hamels | TEX | L | A | OAK | 186.2 | 9.02 | 3.57 | 1.11 | .241 | 13.3% | 3.42 | 3.81 | 1.32 | 51.6% | 28.4% | 1.81 | 0.269 | 0.322 | $9500 | $9300 | $7800 |
| Scott Kazmir | LA | L | H | COL | 135.1 | 8.91 | 3.26 | 1.40 | .251 | 10.6% | 4.59 | 4.11 | 1.35 | 43.0% | 33.6% | 1.28 | 0.279 | 0.349 | $8900 | $6500 | $6400 |
| Drew Pomeranz | BOS | L | A | TB | 164.1 | 9.39 | 3.40 | 1.15 | .270 | 11.9% | 4.91 | 3.51 | 2.50 | 49.1% | 35.8% | 1.37 | 0.292 | 0.291 | $8700 | $8700 | $6700 |
| Gio Gonzalez | WSH | L | A | PIT | 168.2 | 8.64 | 2.77 | 1.01 | .257 | 10.4% | 4.48 | 3.84 | 1.30 | 49.7% | 27.7% | 1.79 | 0.281 | 0.326 | $8400 | $7000 | $6650 |
| Jon Gray | COL | R | A | LA | 158.2 | 9.76 | 2.89 | 0.91 | .239 | 13.0% | 4.42 | 3.67 | 1.23 | 45.5% | 30.9% | 1.47 | 0.295 | 0.311 | $8400 | $10500 | $7100 |
| Michael Fulmer | DET | R | H | KC | 148.2 | 7.26 | 2.30 | 0.97 | .223 | 11.3% | 3.03 | 3.93 | 1.08 | 50.9% | 29.9% | 1.70 | 0.273 | 0.298 | $8400 | $8000 | $6500 |
| Anthony DeSclafani | CIN | R | A | MIL | 111.1 | 7.92 | 1.86 | 1.21 | .260 | 10.2% | 3.15 | 3.81 | 1.20 | 43.8% | 33.4% | 1.31 | 0.371 | 0.241 | $8000 | $11200 | $6550 |
| Trevor Bauer | CLE | R | H | CWS | 176.1 | 7.81 | 3.32 | 0.92 | .248 | 9.9% | 4.24 | 4.15 | 1.32 | 50.5% | 27.9% | 1.81 | 0.310 | 0.313 | $7700 | $6300 | $6650 |
| Francisco Liriano | TOR | L | H | NYY | 150.2 | 9.19 | 4.84 | 1.55 | .264 | 12.0% | 5.46 | 4.25 | 2.86 | 54.7% | 27.0% | 2.03 | 0.339 | 0.352 | $7600 | $7300 | $6900 |
| Jeremy Hellickson | PHI | R | A | NYM | 181.1 | 7.40 | 2.08 | 1.19 | .243 | 11.8% | 3.57 | 3.98 | 1.14 | 43.6% | 31.2% | 1.40 | 0.331 | 0.287 | $7600 | $10100 | $6650 |
| Zach Davies | MIL | R | H | CIN | 158.1 | 7.51 | 2.16 | 1.08 | .260 | 9.2% | 3.92 | 3.93 | 1.24 | 46.9% | 30.7% | 1.53 | 0.337 | 0.295 | $7500 | $7400 | $6300 |
| James Paxton | SEA | L | A | MIN | 109.0 | 8.25 | 1.65 | 0.66 | .283 | 12.6% | 3.88 | 3.54 | 1.34 | 49.7% | 28.4% | 1.75 | 0.319 | 0.311 | $7300 | $8400 | $6200 |
| Jameson Taillon | PIT | R | H | WSH | 93.0 | 7.16 | 1.26 | 1.06 | .261 | 9.2% | 3.39 | 3.44 | 1.14 | 56.2% | 23.8% | 2.36 | 0.304 | 0.311 | $7200 | $6800 | $6800 |
| Gabriel Ynoa | NYM | R | H | PHI | 10.0 | 10.80 | 4.50 | 0.00 | .325 | 10.0% | 9.00 | 4.60 | 1.80 | 33.3% | 36.7% | 0.91 | 0.322 | 0.352 | $7000 | $4300 | $6700 |
| Mike Leake | STL | R | A | CHI | 168.1 | 6.31 | 1.39 | 1.07 | .287 | 7.8% | 4.55 | 3.85 | 1.30 | 55.2% | 23.8% | 2.32 | 0.325 | 0.327 | $7000 | $5400 | $6000 |
| Matt Wisler | ATL | R | A | MIA | 146.0 | 6.60 | 2.53 | 1.42 | .260 | 9.9% | 4.93 | 4.53 | 1.32 | 42.2% | 35.7% | 1.18 | 0.340 | 0.307 | $6600 | $6100 | $6450 |
| Shelby Miller | ARI | R | A | BAL | 90.0 | 6.20 | 3.50 | 1.40 | .322 | 8.7% | 6.90 | 5.00 | 1.74 | 45.1% | 29.3% | 1.54 | 0.425 | 0.339 | $6500 | $4800 | $5700 |
| Doug Fister | HOU | R | H | LAA | 174.0 | 5.69 | 3.05 | 1.19 | .272 | 6.1% | 4.45 | 4.79 | 1.41 | 46.4% | 32.6% | 1.42 | 0.396 | 0.272 | $6400 | $5200 | $6000 |
| Kyle Gibson | MIN | R | H | SEA | 136.0 | 6.22 | 3.11 | 1.32 | .298 | 10.2% | 5.10 | 4.62 | 1.55 | 50.2% | 26.1% | 1.92 | 0.390 | 0.329 | $6400 | $5900 | $5700 |
| Andrew Cashner | MIA | R | H | ATL | 122.3 | 7.61 | 3.88 | 1.24 | .264 | 7.8% | 4.77 | 4.55 | 3.15 | 49.7% | 29.5% | 1.68 | 0.388 | 0.337 | $6300 | $5500 | $6000 |
| Miguel Gonzalez | CWS | R | A | CLE | 122.1 | 6.47 | 2.50 | 0.74 | .257 | 9.1% | 3.83 | 4.44 | 1.28 | 43.7% | 34.6% | 1.26 | 0.303 | 0.307 | $6300 | $5700 | $6250 |
| Kendall Graveman | OAK | R | H | TEX | 173.1 | 5.14 | 2.28 | 1.09 | .274 | 8.1% | 4.21 | 4.48 | 1.33 | 54.1% | 25.1% | 2.15 | 0.342 | 0.305 | $6100 | $4800 | $5500 |
| Alex Meyer | LAA | R | A | HOU | 15.3 | 12.28 | 7.31 | 1.69 | .421 | 9.2% | 12.27 | 4.67 | 4.65 | 40.5% | 40.5% | 1.00 | 0.438 | 0.339 | $5700 | $4000 | $6150 |
| Yovani Gallardo | BAL | R | H | ARI | 106.0 | 6.53 | 4.50 | 1.36 | .284 | 7.2% | 5.77 | 5.07 | 1.63 | 44.8% | 32.9% | 1.36 | 0.359 | 0.363 | $5600 | $4500 | $5700 |
| Edwin Jackson | SD | R | H | SF | 71.3 | 6.45 | 3.88 | 1.50 | .288 | 9.7% | 6.02 | 5.02 | 3.36 | 43.4% | 36.0% | 1.21 | 0.362 | 0.377 | $5500 | $5100 | $6150 |
| Bryan Mitchell | NYY | R | A | TOR | 12.0 | 5.25 | 2.25 | 0.75 | .346 | 8.5% | 6.00 | 4.61 | 1.75 | 48.8% | 34.9% | 1.40 | 0.384 | 0.404 | $5300 | $4300 | $5400 |
| Albert Suarez | SF | R | A | SD | 80.0 | 5.97 | 2.25 | 1.13 | .262 | 9.4% | 4.16 | 4.48 | 1.30 | 50.8% | 26.4% | 1.92 | 0.324 | 0.356 | $5200 | $5300 | $6600 |
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Cole Hamels, TEX – Not gonna lie….there’s a bit of trepidation here. Hamels got blasted by the A’s last week and yet the numbers still tilt in his favor. Oakland has a .299 wOBA versus southpaws this season and just a .299 mark with a 21.3-percent strikeout rate over the last seven days. I’m going to give Hamels a look and hope this recent stretch of disgustingness comes to an end, but I’m not investing heavily.
Drew Pomeranz, BOS – More nervousness here as it looks like Pomeranz is getting tired, having thrown a career-high 164 innings thus far. He’s managed just 5.2 innings in his last two outings. But his track record against Tampa, which this year includes back-to-back quality starts in late August, and the Rays recent struggles against lefties, has me giving him a shot today. I’ll probably use him like I use Hamels. Very low-cost 50/50s at best.
Anthony DeSclafani, CIN – Minimal exposure to the Brewers this year and that one start was at least a good one. He’s got three quality starts in his last four outings and the Brew Crew is sitting on a .299 wOBA with a whopping 30.6-percent strikeout rate over the last seven days. It’s very possible that DeSclafani becomes my primary cash game pitcher tonight.
James Paxton, SEA – Time to feast on the Twins here as their offensive numbers lately have been downright offensive. We’re talking a league-worst .237 wOBA with a 31.4-percent strikeout rate over the last week. They’re also coming off a double-header with the Tigers yesterday, so it’s not like their bats are fresh. Paxton is going to be in a number of lineups for me tonight, both cash and GPP.
Jameson Taillon, PIT – He hasn’t thrown more than six innings in any of his last four outings, so you have to watch pitch counts and a quick hook with the youngster. But the Nationals are scuffling at the plate lately with a .294 wOBA, a 23.4-percent K-rate and just a 5.3-percent walk rate over the past week. Their hard contact and power rates in that span are below league-average, so that puts Taillon on my radar for GPP work.
Matt Wisler, ATL – I’ll always think fondly of Tommy G who called out Wisler as a great GPP play early in the season and I actually took him up on it. Well, I’m going to give the Braves righty a look today despite having been shellacked by these Marlins two starts ago. The Marlins have averaged fewer than three runs per game over their last seven and have posted a dismal .259 wOBA with a 21.3-percent strikeout rate over that span.
Doug Fister, HOU – Probably my favorite dart here despite the fact that the Astros offense isn’t lending much in the way of run support lately. But Fister gets the Angels tonight and the Halos are still struggling offensively. They’re not as bad as they were two weeks ago or as bad as the Twins are now, but we’re still looking at a .278 wOBA and a .087 ISO over the last seven days.
The Coin Flip
Edwin Jackson, SD/Albert Suarez, SF – I’m building two GPP lineups tonight so that I can use both of these pitchers. I’m not stacking one team against the other in either case, however, because both offenses are looking like crap lately. I just can’t decide which hurler is going to land the win. You can get some fierce bats in some favorable match-ups tonight and one of these pitchers is going to help me find the money line in a GPP tournament. Just look at some of these numbers from the last seven days:
Padres -- .251 wOBA, 30.2% K-rate, 57 wRC+, .138 ISO, .330 slugging
Giants -- .245 wOBA, 24.7% K-rate, 53 wRC+, .083 ISO, .294 slugging
I mean…..come on!!