Ever since FanDuel adjusted their scoring, it’s taken daily fantasy players a little time to get adjusted. Yes, the one pitcher game still places importance on the position, but not quite the premium we had grown accustomed to over the years. This is even true in cash game scenarios. Now that there’s some flexibility on the mound and offensive players have legitimate chances to match the once lofty pitcher totals, it’s more important than ever to target the best value on the board. The only way to do that is by using Relative Position Value Per Dollar (RPVPD).
Here’s a look at Wednesday night’s pitching slate using the RPVPD tool:
| Player | FPPG | Raw RPV | Salary | Pts per $ | RPV Per Dollar |
| Drew Pomeranz | 39.5 | 0.348 | $ 7,200 | $182 | 0.391 |
| Rick Porcello | 43.8 | 0.495 | $ 8,400 | $192 | 0.359 |
| Jhoulys Chacin | 25.0 | -0.147 | $ 5,600 | $224 | 0.251 |
| Kenta Maeda | 39.0 | 0.331 | $ 8,900 | $228 | 0.237 |
| John Lackey | 39.2 | 0.338 | $ 9,200 | $235 | 0.215 |
| Jaime Garcia | 36.7 | 0.253 | $ 8,800 | $240 | 0.198 |
| Jerad Eickhoff | 28.7 | -0.020 | $ 6,900 | $240 | 0.196 |
| Jordan Zimmermann | 40.5 | 0.383 | $ 9,800 | $242 | 0.191 |
| Juan Nicasio | 30.7 | 0.048 | $ 7,900 | $257 | 0.140 |
| Noah Syndergaard | 42.2 | 0.441 | $ 11,000 | $261 | 0.129 |
| Max Scherzer | 33.9 | 0.157 | $ 9,100 | $268 | 0.103 |
| Yordano Ventura | 25.0 | -0.147 | $ 7,600 | $304 | -0.016 |
| Chase Anderson | 17.7 | -0.396 | $ 5,400 | $305 | -0.020 |
| Michael Pineda | 25.0 | -0.147 | $ 7,700 | $308 | -0.030 |
| Wei-Yin Chen | 24.8 | -0.153 | $ 7,800 | $315 | -0.051 |
| Eric Surkamp | 12.3 | -0.580 | $ 4,800 | $390 | -0.305 |
| Alfredo Simon | 11.5 | -0.607 | $ 6,700 | $583 | -0.948 |
| Matt Shoemaker | 11.8 | -0.597 | $ 7,200 | $610 | -1.040 |
Once upon a time, the eye would run to the dominant Noah Syndergaard, or the streaking Jordan Zimmermann. Heck, even the sluggish Max Scherzer would seem like a good value upon a quick glance. The truth is, Syndergaard and Scherzer are only mildly good plays based on their ratio of production versus price. Zimmermann is twice as cost efficient as his old teammate Scherzer, but still nowhere near the top tier.
The best value on Wednesday night’s pitching slate is made up of a curious collective. Drew Pomeranz has resurrected his career in San Diego after quite a tumultuous journey. Once upon a time, Rick Porcello sported the worst strikeout rate of any starting pitcher in baseball. That mark has jumped from a career mark of 5.9 K/9 to 9.3, making him immediately fantasy relevant. There’s another former Colorado Rockies hurler who, like Pomeranz, has found his way back from oblivion. His name is Jhoulys Chacin. Finally, the Japanese import Kenta Maeda who’s been dominant in his first six starts in the big leagues.
Now that we’ve determined the most cost-efficient options it’s time to narrow down the best choice of the night factoring in the conditions around their appearances. More importantly, we’ll also pinpoint the best format to be starting these pitchers. Value with a purpose!
The Tournament Play:
As respectable as Jhoulys Chacin has been, it’s tough to expect a win out of the Braves. Regardless, the Phillies offense should lead to some strikeouts, but the Braves' offensive woes make him more of a secondary lineup tournament play. The good news is his meager $5.6K salary makes him a perfect fit for a Colorado/Arizona offensive stack.
The Contrarian Play:
The Cubs are on fire right now, making Drew Pomeranz the perfect sneaky play. He has a 4/1 K/BB ratio and a sparkling 2.12 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. The Cubs have actually been a better offense on the road this year ironically (.759 Team OPS at Wrigley vs. .850 at home). At $7.2K, even if Pomeranz doesn’t dominate he can still be an asset tonight.
The Cash Game Play:
Kenta Maeda has been lights out so far in 2016. His 1.66 ERA and 6.2 H/9 are among the best in baseball. Granted, he’ll be facing a tough opponent in Noah Syndergaard, but Maeda has gone 6 innings or more in every start and is $2K less than his opponent the mighty Thor. He’s a worthy foe.
The All-Around Option:
If you asked me a year ago if I’d ever roster Rick Porcello in any fantasy format, the answer would be a swift and decisive, “NO!” Yet here we are, six weeks into the season, and Rick Porcello is looking like an All-Star. He has the best situation of the lot. He’s at home, against a bottom third Oakland offense and a pitcher that can’t make it out of the fifth inning in Eric Surkamp. Yes please! Will these new found statistical plateau’s hold for Porcello all year? Most likely, the answer is no. However, baseball is a game of streaks and right now Porcello is the ride to wave.
Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17) is the seven-time best-selling author of the Fantasy Black Book Series for baseball and football. He hosts Fantasy Sports Tonight on Sirius/XM Fantasy Sports Radio and the Dear Mr. Fantasy Podcast.
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