FantasyDraft MLB: Saturday Values

FantasyDraft MLB: Saturday Values

This article is part of our FantasyDraft MLB series.

PITCHERS

Zack Greinke, ARI vs. COL ($23,100): With a pair of doubleheaders on the evening slate, there are a number inexperienced and hard-to-trust pitchers taking the hill, which means spending up at pitcher may well be the way to go. The Rockies are a less fearsome squad away from Coors Field, and they sport a 22.6 percent strikeout rate, .280 wOBA and majors-low 25.1 percent hard contact rate on the road against righties over the last month. Greinke, the most expensive pitcher on the slate, has a 2.68 ERA, .200 BAA and .264 wOBA allowed over 57 innings at Chase Field, along with an impressive 11.68 K/9 and 0.95 WHIP. He's also held his own against the Rockies in three starts this season and turned in a quality start with nine strikeouts in his one previous Chase Field outing versus Colorado.

Gio Gonzalez, WAS at STL ($22,800): The Cardinals have struggled against southpaws at Busch Stadium all season, managing an anemic .264 wOBA and 62 wRC+ against them at home over the last month. While most of Gonzalez's metrics are much better at home, he's been getting increasingly better on the road, scoring between 19.90 and 24.35 fantasy points in his last three road outings. He has also been solid in June overall, posting a 2.53 ERA, .174 BAA, .245 wOBA allowed, 9.84 K/9 and 0.94 WHIP in 32 innings over five quality starts.

INFIELD

Jake Lamb, ARI vs. COL ($10,000): Lamb has a .426 wOBA, .319 ISO and 32.2 percent hard contact rate against right-handed pitching at Chase Field, and he's smacked 16 of his 18 homers on the season off righties as well. He's also touched up Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood for a .308 batting average, a pair of homers and five RBI over 15 plate appearances, and he had a .363 wOBA and 35.4 percent hard contact rate in 108 plate appearances in June. Chatwood has been very effective on the road, but Chase Field is much more similar to Coors, where Chatwood has allowed a .383 wOBA. The Rockies' bullpen has also struggled against left-handed hitters on the road, posting a 5.72 ERA while allowing a 32.1 percent hard contact rate over the last month.

Enrique Hernandez, LAD at SD ($7,600): The Padres are rolling out southpaw Dillon Overton, who's allowed a .366 wOBA, 5.90 xFIP and 38.2 percent hard contact rate to the 63 right-handed hitters he's faced this season. Meanwhile, Hernandez has mashed lefties once again this season, posting a .436 wOBA, .435 ISO, 1.077 OPS and 35.6 percent hard contact rate. The Padres' bullpen also has a 4.91 ERA, including five homers, to right-handed hitters at Petco Park over the last month.

Eduardo Escobar, MIN at KC ($6,600): Royals lefty Eric Skoglund has allowed a .377 wOBA and 48.3 percent hard contact rate to right-handed hitters, while the switch-hitting Escobar has tagged southpaws for a .425 wOBA, .400 ISO and 40.9 percent hard contact rate when facing them on the road. Escobar was hot in June too, posting a .404 wOBA and 27.5 percent line drive rate. Finally, the Royals' bullpen has had its share of struggles against righty bats at home in the last month, posting a 4.71 ERA while allowing a .325 wOBA.

OUTFIELD

Jose Ramirez, CLE at DET ($10,200): Tigers starter Jordan Zimmermann has allowed a .373 wOBA, nine homers and 5.13 xFIP to left-handed hitters, as well as a 43.3 percent hard contact rate when facing them at home. The switch-hitting Ramirez has hit nine of his 12 homers on the season off righties and has a .415 wOBA, .271 ISO and 36.5 percent hard contact rate versus that handedness.

J.D. Martinez, DET vs. CLE ($8,400):Ryan Merritt will start the second game of Saturday's twin-bill for the Indians, and he comes in having allowed a .351 wOBA and 35.7 percent line drive rate to right-handed hitters over a small sample this season. Martinez is punishing left-handed pitching as usual, as evidenced by the .707 wOBA, .667 ISO, 30.8 percent line drive rate and 53.9 percent hard contact rate he's compiled against that handedness in 36 plate appearances. Martinez also had a .389 wOBA and 47.8 percent hard contact rate overall in 104 plate appearances in June.

Whit Merrifield, KC vs. MIN ($6,600): Merrifield makes for an appealing bargain bat versus Twins starter Felix Jorge, who'll make the jump up from Double-A for Saturday's contest. Jorge had a 4.00 ERA, including five homers, and a .271 BAA to right-handed hitters in the minors this season, while Merrifield has a .320 wOBA at Kaufmann Stadium, and a 32.7 percent hard contact rate versus right-handed pitching. Additionally, in a game in which the Twins' bullpen could play a sizable role, it's worth noting they have a 5.79 ERA while allowing a .331 wOBA and 32.1 percent hard contact to right-handed hitters on the road in the last month.

UTILITY

Robinson Cano, SEA at LAA ($9,600): Cano blasted a pair of home runs Friday and checks into Saturday with a .412 batting average and three homers against Angels starter Ricky Nolasco over 18 career plate appearances. Cano also has a .370 wOBA and 37.1 percent hard contact rate against right-handed pitching on the road, while Nolasco has surrendered 23 homers this season, nine of which have come off lefty bats. He's also yielding a .355 wOBA to that handedness at home, and a 40.4 percent hard contact rate over his last five starts (30.1 innings).

Edwin Encarnacion, CLE at DET ($9,200): Encarnacion hit 12 of his 17 homers on the season off righties, posting a .401 wOBA, .326 ISO and 50.0 percent hard contact rate when facing them on the road. Meanwhile, Tigers starter Jordan Zimmermann has struggled against righty bats at Comerica Park, allowing a .376 wOBA, 1.93 HR/9 and 43.1 percent hard contact rate.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Juan Carlos Blanco plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: jcblanco22, FanDuel: jc_blanco22, DraftPot: jc_blanco22, FantasyDraft: jc_blanco22, OwnThePlay: jcblanco22.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juan Carlos Blanco
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
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