It’s trade season! Most teams have either distinguished themselves as playoff teams or have been weeded out. The Reds are a team far out of a playoff picture and have been receiving inquiries about their players. Among those players is Anthony DeSclafani. However, the Reds President of Baseball Operations Walk Jockey, said that “clubs inquire about certain players, but they never want to trade anything.” DeSclafani has been pitching well, and clubs are going to have to pay up to get him. In his past 7 starts, DeScfani has 6 wins, 41 K and only 5 BB. Over this span he has averaged 21.7 fantasy points, and has gone over 6 innings in all but one start. He has also gave up 6 homers and today will be facing the Padres, who can clearly take the ball deep. The Padres may be slugging deep balls, but have been below .500 during that span. The Padres also strike out 24.6% against RHP and have only managed a 82 wRC+. DeSclafani and the Reds should be able to pull out the win against Friedrich and the Padres. And with that, I give you the rest of my DFS picks…
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Jameson Taillon, SP: $8,200 – This 24 year old rookie looks to continue impressing as the Pirates travel to Milwaukee. Miller park is not the easiest field to pitch at, but the Taillon should be able to rack up the K’s as the Brew Crew owns a 24.6% K rate vs RHP.
Josh Tomlin, SP: $7,800 – How does he pitch so well while only throwing 88? Magic! Well, maybe a bit of command, pitch mix, and movement, but mostly magic. The fastball may only comes in at 88 mph, but hitters are only batting .187 off it. Tomlin will be facing off against Overton and the Athletics, which shouldn’t be an issue for a team looking to build their division lead on the Tigers.
Francisco Cervelli, C: $3,300 – Consistently batting 5th or 6th on a team full of good hitters. With a Chase Anderson on the mound and his WHIP of 1.45, Cervelli should have base runners in front of him and plenty opportunity to bang in runs.
Evan Gattis, C: $3,000 – Like most days, it’s not a great day at the catcher position. With 4 homers in 4 games, Gattis continues to be an option in tournaments.
Mike Napoli, 1B: $4,600 – With a lefty Overton on the mound in Cleveland, Napoli will be in his happy place. This season, he is batting .300 with a .920 OPS at home vs LHP.
Carlos Santana, 1B: $4,100 – With his career OBP of .363, it’s amazing that Billy Beane hasn’t traded for him.
Jefry Marte, 1B/3B: $2,800 – Drew Pomeranz has not gave the Red Sox what they were hoping for so far. Marte is cheap and will likely be low owned this Saturday.
Rougned Odor, 2B:, $4,600 – Ian Kennedy started out the season pitching well, but has since looked far less impressive. He struggles when pitching to LHB, and look who we have here … lefty Odor. Odor is batting .309 in July.
Ian Kinsler, 2B: $4,300 – At 34 years old, Kinsler reached 20 homers for the 4th time in his career. He has been hitting the ball well all season. He has yet to be held hitless in 3 straight games this season. Fiers should not pose an issue for Kinsler to earn a hit.
Jung-Ho Kang, 3B: $4,200 – His .185 batting average may scare off some DFS’ers, but it won’t scare this guy. Kang is a much different hitter against RHP. He owns a 120 wRC+ and a .234 ISO. As mentioned in the Cervelli write-up, Anderson has a poor WHIP and is likely to induce many base runners and runs.
Francisco Lindor, SS: $4,600 – Surprisingly, there are several solid options at the SS position today. Lindor is a great switch hitter and is playable nearly every time he goes out. On a day where Overton is pitching, Lindor should tally a few hits and earn us fantasy points.
Troy Tulowitzki, SS: $4,000 – In 30 PA, Tulo has had no troubles against Gallardo, as he owns a .379 average and a 1.021 OPS. The only thing slowing down his production is manager John Gibbons constantly slotting him in the six hole behind Russell Martin.
Jay Bruce, OF: $5,100 – He’s another member of the Reds teams have been after as a trade target. His defense is well below par, but he eats baseballs for breakfast. Some may be avoiding this lefty-lefty match up, but Bruce has been above average vs LHP this season.
Nick Markakis, OF: $3,300 – Pick a Braves player in DFS… am I insane? Yes … but the Braves are actually the favorite in this one, and Nick has been hitting the ball well. The Phillies will be sending out Hellickson, who struggles against lefties.
Alex Dickerson, OF: $3,000 – DeSclafani is likey to give up at least one homer, and this is most likely the guy to do it. He has been destroying balls as of late, with a 1.028 OPS in his last 10. He hit a 5th deck shot in Rodgers Centre the exact day Mark McGwire did 20 years prior. Let’s hope he not drinking the same Kool-Aid that Mark was.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
It won’t be Hot in Cleveland today, and may even see showers. There’s a 40% chance of thunderstorms, so check those reports. There is also trouble in Comerica Park with nearly 60% chance of thunderstorms. Other than that, the skies are clear and baseball shall be played. Strong winds are blowing out to straight away center at AT&T Park should be helpful to hitters.
Doing Lines In Vegas
Jake Arrieta and the Cubs lead the way a -235, followed by Kazmir and the Dodgers at -200 favorites. Vegas agrees that Tomlin should be able to get the win, as the Indians are -190. Let there be RUNS! KC/TEX are the today’s high with a total of 10. CHW/MIN and BAL/TOR are right behind at 9.5. Don’t worry, there are more game with totals at 9, which are PIT/MIL and OAK/CLE.