While we have games spread throughout the day, we’re going to go ahead and focus in on the night slate. We happen to have 12 games in the nightcap, with four games starting before 7ET. What many people will be talking about is the Jacob deGrom vs. Max Scherzer matchup in Washington, but we’re going to avoid that with two hot offenses facing two of the best pitchers in the league. With that in mind, let’s get to a pitcher who has similar upside but is much more affordable.
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Pitcher
Jack Flaherty (STL): $10,000 vs. SF
It’s going to be tough to fade that Scherzer-deGrom duel, but I truly believe Flaherty could match either one of them at quite the discount. The reason for that is his recent form, with Flaherty pitching to a 1.01 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 11.1 K/9 rate over his last 10 starts. That’s scary for an offense like this, with the Giants ranked 25th in runs scored, 26th in OBP, 27th in wOBA and 26th in OPS. That’s why Flaherty and the Cardinals enter this matchup as a -280 favorite with San Fran projected for 3.7 runs.
While we have games spread throughout the day, we’re going to go ahead and focus in on the night slate. We happen to have 12 games in the nightcap, with four games starting before 7ET. What many people will be talking about is the Jacob deGrom vs. Max Scherzer matchup in Washington, but we’re going to avoid that with two hot offenses facing two of the best pitchers in the league. With that in mind, let’s get to a pitcher who has similar upside but is much more affordable.
Get a $5 bonus w/ your 1st deposit on FanDuel
Pitcher
Jack Flaherty (STL): $10,000 vs. SF
It’s going to be tough to fade that Scherzer-deGrom duel, but I truly believe Flaherty could match either one of them at quite the discount. The reason for that is his recent form, with Flaherty pitching to a 1.01 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 11.1 K/9 rate over his last 10 starts. That’s scary for an offense like this, with the Giants ranked 25th in runs scored, 26th in OBP, 27th in wOBA and 26th in OPS. That’s why Flaherty and the Cardinals enter this matchup as a -280 favorite with San Fran projected for 3.7 runs.
First Base
Matt Olson (OAK): $3,400 vs. LAA
We have to get in at least one bat against Jaime Barria, and Olson is undoubtedly their best left-handed hitter. Let’s start with that matchup, as Olson gets the platoon advantage against Barria and his 6.10 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. That’s huge for a power-hitter like Olson, who’s got an incredible .252 ISO for his career. Much of that has come against right-handed pitching, with Olson generating a .356 OBP, .547 SLG and .903 OPS against them since joining the A’s.
Second Base
Luis Arraez (MIN): $2,800 at BOS
It’s crazy that FanDuel is keeping Arraez‘ price under $3,000. This dude has done nothing but produce since being called up and it’s hard to understand why he’s not $3,500. His .333 AVG and .829 OPS speaks loudly, as his splits are even better. Against right-handers this season, Arraez is tallying a .351 AVG, .482 SLG and .879 OPS. That’s got to be scary for a bad pitcher like Rick Porcello, with the Red Sox righty pitching to a 5.42 ERA and 1.14 WHIP so far this season.
Third Base
Josh Donaldson (ATL): $3,500 vs. TOR
I always like to use players against teams that they grew up with, especially someone as motivated as Donaldson. There aren’t many players as feisty as this dude, and that’s scary for a bad pitching staff like this with the way that he’s rolling. Over his last 52 games, Donaldson has a .404 OBP, .610 SLG and 1.013 OPS. Those fantastic numbers are bad news for Trent Thornton, who’s 5.34 ERA and 1.50 WHIP makes him a pitcher we want to exploit.
Shortstop
Francisco Lindor (CLE): $4,200 vs. CWS
How awesome is this guy? He just destroys baseballs and smiles while he does it. His .296 AVG, .531 SLG and .878 OPS tell you everything you need to know about this stud shortstop, but he’s also added 19 steals to those impressive averages. That speed-power combo in unheralded in today’s MLB and it makes him very enticing against a guy like Dylan Cease. The Chicago right-hander is currently pitching to a 6.92 ERA and 1.63 WHIP, as he also puts Lindor on his favorable right side. So far this year, Lindor is amassing a .318 AVG, .587 SLG and .941 OPS against righties.
Outfield
Joc Pederson (LAD): $3,500 vs. COL
Anytime the Dodgers face a weak righty, Pederson should be one of your first considerations. The reason for that is because he typically bats leadoff in these circumstances. That’s no surprise when you look at his splits, with Joc putting together a .525 SLG and .863 OPS against them this season. He happens to be raking right now too, totaling a 1.274 OPS over his last eight games in total. This Rockies pitching staff is a nightmare right now, with Chi Chi Gonzalez toeing the rubber with an 8.07 ERA and 1.82 WHIP here.
Dexter Fowler (STL): $3,300 vs. SF
Fowler hasn’t been a fantasy-relevant player for quite some time, but he’s creeping back into it with his recent form. Over his last 25 games, Fowler has a .398 OBP, .506 SLG and .904 OPS. That’s why the Cardinals have been batting him leadoff recently, which adds to his value exponentially. He’s typically been much better against right-handers too, which is evident by his .793 OPS against them this season. Dereck Rodriguez is certainly not a pitcher we’re worried about either, with the Giants righty pitching to a 5.49 ERA and 1.44 WHIP.
Franmil Reyes (CLE): $3,700 vs. CWS
Reyes hasn’t been great in his time with the Indians but he has too much power potential in a matchup like this. The main reason we like him is this matchup against Cease, as his ugly numbers can be seen in the Lindor write-up. Let’s go over why we like Reyes though, as his .271 ISO is simply one of the best marks in baseball. He appears to be re-discovering that power stroke too, posting a .472 OBP, .833 SLG and 1.306 OPS over his last nine fixtures.
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Joel Bartilotta is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @BartilottaJoel.
