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Top Play SP: Hyun-Jin Ryu, LAD ($11,500) vs. COL
If I’m paying up at pitcher, I think Hyun-Jin Ryu is my boy. Ryu gets a Rocky Road match-up with a sweet meeting against the Rockies outside of Coors. The Rockies have just the 23rd-best wRC+ outside of Coors against left-handed pitching and the second-highest strikeout rate at 30.1%. Ryu has been brilliant this year, sporting a 1.26 ERA and while he won’t keep that up for the full year, his 3.25 SIERA is nothing to sneeze at.
Honorable mention: Chris Paddack, SDP ($9,800) at PIT.
Value SP: Felix Pena, LAA ($6,700) at STL
Keep an eye on this situation, because recently the Angels have been using an opener ahead of Felix Pena, but I really like this match-up and this price. Since May 26th, the Cardinals have a 69 (noice) wRC+ against right-handed pitching, which is tied for dead last. Pena has been excellent against righties this year, striking out 25.6% of the righties he’s faced, while allowing just a .256 wOBA. If Pena can get past Matt Carpenter, who’s only batting .224 with a 26.5% strikeout-rate this month, I think he’ll payoff his price as my SP2.
Honorable mention: Jose Quintana, CHC ($7,500) vs. NYM; Aaron Civale, CLE ($6,700) vs. DET.
Top Play: OF Shin-Soo Choo, TEX ($5,100) vs. CHW
It’s another hot, hot day in Arlington for the Rangers and White Sox game. Currently, this game has the highest run total on the slate according to Vegas at 11 runs. So, I’m starting my lineup off by locking in Rangers’ lead-off man, Shin-Soo Choo. Against right-handed pitching Choo has a 47.6% hard-hit rate, which has led to a .256 ISO and .410 wOBA. Choo and the Rangers have an amazing match-up against Odrisamer Despaigne, who currently has a 13.5% strikeout rate, an 11.5% walk rate, and a 6.42 SIERA. I really like the Rangers stack in full today, but more on that later.
Honorable mention: OF David Peralta, ARI ($4,300) vs. SFG; OF Bryce Harper, PHI ($4,400) vs. MIA.
Top Play: 1B Freddie Freeman, ATL ($5,200) at WAS
I feel weird recommending the same player as a must start twice in the same week, but it worked out on Monday when Freddie Freeman went 2/4 with a walk, two runs, and an RBI. Let’s go back to the well then. Freeman has been incredible against right-handed pitching this year, sporting a 55.2% hard-hit rate, which has led to a .289 ISO and .427 wOBA. He also has a 13.0% walk rate against righties, so look for Freeman to fill up the stat sheet against today when he faces Anibal Sanchez. Sanchez has allowed a .292 ISO and .390 wOBA to lefties this year.
Honorable mention: 2B/3B Tommy La Stella, LAA ($4,300) at STL; 1B Luke Voit, NYY ($4,600) vs. HOU; 1B/2B Derek Dietrich ($4,600) at MIL.
Value: 1B Brandon Belt, SFG ($3,500) at ARI
I’ve been a fool for Brandon Belt in season-long fantasy baseball every year for approximately 10 years, or at least that’s how it feels. There’s just some block in my head that has love for him and allows me to ignore his terrible home ballpark. If I were a smart man, I’d just get my love for him out in match-ups like this; outside of Oracle Park and against Zack Godley. Despite his home ballpark, Belt has a .242 ISO and .368 wOBA to go along with a 15.6% walk rate against right-handed pitchers. Godley, on the other hand, has allowed a .263 ISO and .409 wOBA to left-handed hitters this year. Belt’s price actually inexplicably dropped by $500 from yesterday’s game, making him a super bargain today.
Honorable mention: 3B Vladimir Guerrero, Jr, TOR ($3,800) at BOS; OF Alex Verdugo, LAD ($3,600) vs. COL; 2B Jason Kipnis ($3,800) vs. DET.
Top Stack: Rangers vs. White Sox (RHP Odrisamer Despaigne)
Any time Odrisamer Despaigne is pitching, especially in a Arlington, I’m going to look to take advantage. Despaigne has only thrown 10.1 innings this year, which has resulted in his 6.42 SIERA, but if we look back to 2018, he threw 39 innings of a 6.69 (noice again) ERA. This means it’s time to stack up the Rangers. Man, do I miss Joey Gallo, but there are actually some affordable bats here that make a full stack playable. As I noted earlier, I’m starting all my lineups with Shin-Soo Choo, then I’m looking to Willie Calhoun ($4,200), Nomar Mazara ($4,100), Elvis Andrus ($5,100), and Rougned Odor ($3,900). Good luck today!
Honorable mention: Yankees vs. Astros (LHP Wade Miley); Braves at Nationals (RHP Anibal Sanchez).
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is RMoss1983) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games on which I offer advice. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings, and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any nonpublic information.