It is Thursday, August 18th and there is a five-game Main Slate on FanDuel at 7:05 pm Eastern Time. Jacob deGrom ($12,000) is on the mound, which makes him my favorite play of the day, even being opposite of Max Fried and the Atlanta Braves. If you are going to spend big on a pitcher, might as well spend for the guy with a 0.92 SIERA and a 50% strikeout rate… Right? Atlanta is a good offense but they have the fourth-highest strikeout rate in the league. With such a small slate, there aren’t a ton of places to go. In cash games, don’t get cute and just play the best players while in GPPs you might have to. What are the best plays you ask? Read below to check ii out!
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Frankie Montas, SP: $9,400 – Not a bad tournament play here. Many lineups will likely have Yu Darvish against the Nationals. That is a good play for cash games. Montas has a similar strikeout rate, slightly higher SIERA, and a tougher opponent than some of the other options in his priced range on the slate.
Josh Bell, C/1B: $3,000 – Anibal Sanchez is a good pitcher to target against as he has a 5.18 SIERA, a 5.9% K-BB%, and 3.00 HR/9 allowed. Bell’s power has dropped off but his average and OBP are better than they were last year. He is a solid high floor type of player. With only 14 HR this season, I wouldn’t play in tournaments.
Darin Ruf, C/1B: $2,600 – Ruf has a .380 wOBA and a .266 ISO against left-handed pitchers this year. It isn’t wise to target Max Fried, but Ruf makes for an interesting low-dollar GPP option at first base.
Jake Cronenworth, 2B: $2,900 – He has had a major power drop off going from a .194 ISO last year to .143 this year. His OBP is a solid .341 and he is going against Anibal Sanchez.
Rafael Devers, 3B: $4,200 – He’s the best hitter on the slate. Get him in your lineup if you can afford him. If he is too expensive, Bobby Witt might be the next best option, especially considering he is $1,100 cheaper.
C.J. Abrams, SS: $2,100 – Revenge narrative anyone? I am a believer in his talent, however he hasn’t put it together yet. He has power and can steal. I love players that can score fantasy points in multiple ways.
David Peralta, OF: $2,500 – He has a .343 wOBA and .216 ISO against right-handed pitchers this season. He faces a bad one tonight.
Bryan Reynolds, OF: $3,100 – Josh Winckowski is one of the worst pitchers on the slate with a 4.81 SIERA, a 1.29 HR/9 allowed, and a 5.7% K-BB%. Reynolds has a .355 wOBA and .227 ISO against right-handed pitchers this season, however.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
No rain concerns forecasted. Check closer to lock to make sure the forecast hasn’t changed!
Doing Lines In Vegas
For a crazy upset, give me the Pirates at +160 tonight. JT Brubaker is a better pitcher than Josh Winckowski and while the Pirates lineup pales in comparison to Boston’s, PNC park could help neutralize some scoring.
