On this fine summer Sunday I will play the role of one Captain Obvious and tell you to start the best pitcher in baseball. I don’t condone buying the most expensive pitcher of the day regularly, but today it makes sense. Clayton Kershaw‘s ($14,800) opponent the Houston Astros have been the worst offense in the league the last 14 days. Posting the league’s lowest wOBA and highest strikeout percentage. So let’s put this together and really take it over the top shall we? Best pitcher in the game vs the lightest hitting lineup at the moment, that strikes out at the highest rate. Does this sound like a buying opportunity to you? If not, you can start Michael Wacha at San Diego for $11,000, and tell all your friends that you’re too cool for aces, and that you like Wacha’s matchup better. That’s cool. Or you could start both and fill your lineup with punts and platoon guys. Funny thing is some of my best lineups have been platoons and punts.
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Taijuan Walker, SP: $7,700 – If you decided to not tie up all your budget in pitching. Taijuan could be a novel choice as a two. With big strikeout potential and a good matchup with the blah-White Sox at home. I’m looking to the Mariners starter as a potential 20+ point scorer.
Ryan Raburn, OF: $2,300 – The lefty specialist faces a sub-par southpaw in C.C. Sabathia. He’s only here to do one thing well and that’s crush lefties so crush lefties he shall. The .293 batting average, .344 wOBA, 5 homers, and 20 rbi’s illustrate the point. Plus he’s nice and cheap for us Kershaw/Wacha owners.
Domingo Santana, OF: $2,500 – We’re bargain shopping aren’t we? Zimmermann at home against a righty power hitter isn’t often an optimum play, but I like to play a wild card or two when bargain shopping. He’s got country power and in Draftkings one home run makes a player a win.
Chris Coglhan, 2B/OF: $3,400 – Here’s an upside option that you can play at multiple positions against a struggling rookie in a hitter’s park. Coghlan also is known to hit a homer or two off a righty. Matthew Wisler, Coglhan’s opposing starter, is also allowing 1.93 HR/9 against left handed batters.
Josh Rutledge, 2B/SS: $2,400 – He’s been seeing some playing time the last few weeks and anyone in this Red Sox lineup is worth owning. They’re hitting everything right now so hide yo kids, hide your wife cause they raking everybody out here. Check the lineups and make sure he’s in.
Austin Jackson, OF: $3,500 – This is a BvP play for a bat that’s been hot the last few weeks. Lifetime against Danks, A-Jax has 3 homers, 11 RBI’s and a 1.155 OPS. This is over 54 plate appearances too so the sample size we’re talking about here isn’t small, gentlemen. The lefty is also homer prone in away games yielding 1.46 HR/9 as well as a near 6 ERA. I’m not saying to stack Mariners, but you should probably stack Mariners. Okay, so I did….
Mike Zunino, C: $2,200 – Punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt play. You saw the aforementioned road numbers for John Danks, and I never like to pay for a catcher. Sure Zunino has only hit two long songs since the break, but who knows maybe he’ll sing us an album cut. At $2,200 it allows me to start my aces and spend my final $7,900 on corners.
Travis Shaw, 1B/3B: $3,900 – He’s hitting everything at the moment. I’m just going to start him and see if I can get some of this Chris Shelton magic. Shaw’s not good. I’ve been watching him all season in Pawtucket. This is a hot streak, that’s it.
Greg Bird, 1B: $3,700 – I’m loving all the left handed hitting in the Yankees lineup vs Trevor Bauer tomorrow. Bird has been up to big things the past week posting games of 9, 10, and 32 on DraftKings. He’s always had power, slugging 20 homers in back to back seasons across a few levels. The lowest wOBA he’s posted at any level since 2012 was .367 at AA this year. To put it in perspective .367 would place Bird 25th in the majors between Jose Abreu and Buster Posey, and remember that was his lowest wOBA. He hit for a .411 wOBA at AA last year and .387 wOBA and a .853 OPS at AAA before getting the call last week.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
No real threats of rain today, a couple of places are in the teens in terms of percentage, looks like a full 15 today!
Doing Lines In Vegas
The sharks in Vegas love them some Cubs, Dodgers, Nationals, and Orioles. The biggest totals are in the Kansas City @ Boston contest, the Minnesota @ Baltimore soirée, and the Mets @ Colorado affair of course. The lowest totals are in the Dodgers @ Houston, the Tampa Bay @ Oakland, and the St. Louis @ San Diego contest.
