This article is part of our DFS Baseball 101 series.
Last June, I wrote an article about how to use team batting stats in daily fantasy baseball. Given the positive response, I will be doing monthly reports this year.Team batting with regard to daily fantasy baseball is important for a couple reasons. It allows you to identify a lower-priced starting pitcher who has an optimal matchup based on handedness rankings, and also lets you know what teams to avoid with that starting pitcher based on the same information.
Last year, I used the statistics K% (strikeout percent), ISO (isolated power), wOBA (weighted on base average) and RC+ (runs created plus) to build aggregate team rankings. While these are strong offensive indicators, I have decided to add a few more this year that focus on runners on base and homerun/fly ball measures, which are important for tournaments. They are: BB% (walk rate), FB% (fly ball percentage), and HR/FB% (home run/fly ball percentage).
For my own purposes, I usually update these once per week. Early in the season, I think it's important to take note of a team's schedule, and specifically if they have played in a lot of hitter-friendly or pitcher-friendly parks. For instance, the Nationals' April schedule was extremely weak. Also, note that sample sizes of at-bats versus right-handed pitching are much greater than those versus southpaws. That said, the numbers versus lefties will change more drastically as the season wears on.
Here's a monthly recap of all 30 teams for each category (vs. RHP, vs. LHP, Home, Away):
ANGELS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 568 | 2 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 26 | 15 | 21 | 25 |
| vs. LHP | 294 | 1 | 12 | 21 | 17 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 15 | 19 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 414 | 1 | 16 | 18 | 23 | 14 | 27 | 1 | 17 | 19 |
| Road | 448 | 17 | 1 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 16 | 26 | 19 | 24 |
The Angels don't have many major outliers, and are tough to strike out at home against both right-handed and left-handed pitching. They won't score a lot of runs, but the lack of strikeouts makes them only a target when playing on two-pitcher sites.
ASTROS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 722 | 29 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 2 | 14 | 10 |
| vs. LHP | 169 | 24 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 22 | 11 | 7 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 380 | 30 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 8 |
| Road | 511 | 12 | 27 | 7 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 3 | 14 | 8 |
The Astros were one of the best offensive teams in baseball last year, and they have picked up where they left off. This is a team that strikes out a ton, but they can also put up a lot of runs, making them a risk to target in DFS. You would only want to take pitching against them in a tournament and preferably with an ace as they average almost 10 strikeouts per game.
A's
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 703 | 10 | 21 | 15 | 23 | 19 | 3 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
| vs. LHP | 217 | 5 | 30 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 15 | 21 | 25 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 424 | 5 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 22 |
| Road | 496 | 29 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 10 | 15 | 17 |
Much the same as in 2015, you want to attack the A's with left-handed starting pitching in Oakland which is one of the most pitcher-friendly environments in the league.
BLUE JAYS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 689 | 25 | 4 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
| vs. LHP | 238 | 28 | 22 | 7 | 20 | 19 | 2 | 7 | 15 | 17 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 442 | 24 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
| Road | 485 | 4 | 26 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 5 | 17 | 16 | 13 |
The Blue Jays are once again one of the most feared lineups in baseball, especially at home against lefties. But the numbers are not what they were last year, as they have one of the highest strikeout rates in the league against both righties and lefties. In addition, 18 of their 28 games have gone under the posted Vegas total.
BRAVES
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 559 | 17 | 5 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 30 | 22 | 28 |
| vs. LHP | 313 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 499 | 25 | 20 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 1 | 23 | 30 |
| Road | 373 | 8 | 15 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 19 | 30 | 23 | 27 |
Much like the Padres in 2014, the Braves are setting all-time lows for the worst offense in the history of the modern era of baseball. With only one legitimate offensive threat (Freddie Freeman), this team is being targeted by daily fantasy baseball players on a nightly basis. The only positive is that they don't strike out as much against righties, but they have no power to speak of at all.
BREWERS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 569 | 28 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 25 | 28 | 8 | 19 | 23 |
| vs. LHP | 260 | 25 | 1 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 12 | 20 | 22 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 472 | 29 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 20 | 20 | 1 | 11 | 15 |
| Road | 357 | 2 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 24 | 28 |
The Brewers are definitely a team you want to target on the road. Even though the lineup is no longer a lot of household names outside of Ryan Braun and Jonathan Lucroy, they have done a good job of going out and finding serviceable bats this year.
CARDINALS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 756 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| vs. LHP | 208 | 22 | 4 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 14 | 13 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 419 | 18 | 26 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Road | 545 | 3 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 3 |
So far, the Cardinals have been one of the top offensive teams in baseball. They revamped their lineup with Jeremy Hazelbaker, Stephen Piscotty, Randal Grichuk, Aledmys Diaz, Jedd Gyorko, Brandon Moss, and Matt Adams (injured in 2015). That's a lot more power in the lineup versus last year and the numbers are already showing it. You can stack the Cardinals at home or on the road against most right-handed pitchers, and the over has hit in 15 out of 23 games for them this year.
CUBS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 687 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| vs. LHP | 194 | 7 | 3 | 25 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 23 | 15 | 18 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 338 | 7 | 1 | 21 | 13 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 |
| Road | 543 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
Last year, you could target the Cubs in tournaments because of their high strikeout rate. But this year, that advantage is gone and they are an elite offense across the board, with one exception coming gainst some left-handed pitching. This team hardly strikes out and walks a ton which is another solid formula for stacking.
DIAMONDBACKS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 721 | 12 | 29 | 8 | 11 | 17 | 27 | 9 | 15 | 16 |
| vs. LHP | 296 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 23 | 2 | 8 | 3 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 617 | 20 | 23 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 26 | 1 | 12 | 14 |
| Road | 400 | 21 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
Don't tug on Superman's cape, don't spit into the wind, don't pull the mask off the Lone Ranger and don't start any left-handed pitcher against the Diamondbacks in Chase Field.
DODGERS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 717 | 20 | 8 | 28 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 29 | 20 | 26 |
| vs. LHP | 247 | 2 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 425 | 17 | 14 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 1 | 20 | 27 |
| Road | 539 | 7 | 12 | 21 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 28 | 16 | 18 |
The Dodgers have been anything but the best offensive team in baseball thus far in the season. This team could very well be in trouble as they rank in the bottom third in most categories, and their pitching lacks depth. That said, you can safely start right-handed pitching against them in Dodger Stadium.
GIANTS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 633 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 23 | 16 | 6 | 6 |
| vs. LHP | 334 | 6 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 11 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 550 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 21 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| Road | 417 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 12 | 15 | 19 |
The Giants' offense is very balanced and deep much like the Royals, but the strange thing is what they have been able to do at home so far. The over has hit in 9 out of 15 games for the Giants at home. Normally, you would see the opposite and the Giants would be much better on the road. They are destroying right-handed pitching and hardly strike out regardless of who's on the hill.
INDIANS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 484 | 24 | 19 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 9 |
| vs. LHP | 310 | 23 | 21 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 10 | 28 | 23 | 27 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 298 | 26 | 12 | 28 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 16 | 24 |
| Road | 496 | 25 | 24 | 13 | 19 | 14 | 4 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
The Indians have been significantly better against right-handed pitching so far this year. Their home park is usually neutral or slightly pitcher-friendly so you can attack them with left-handed pitching there.
MARINERS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 580 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 18 | 1 | 10 | 5 |
| vs. LHP | 290 | 9 | 19 | 9 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 9 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 404 | 15 | 6 | 19 | 24 | 19 | 16 | 1 | 14 | 20 |
| Road | 466 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 5 |
I said the Mariners were my sleeper team in the American League and I caught a lot of flak for it. But if you look at the changes they made, the M's got rid of all the heavy no-contact/strikeout hitters and replaced them with contact bats. So far, it's paid off as they are among the top five against right-handed pitching and on the road. They are a sneaky stack option in hitter-friendly parks against RHP.
MARLINS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 751 | 14 | 18 | 23 | 12 | 15 | 29 | 19 | 16 | 22 |
| vs. LHP | 142 | 20 | 20 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 30 | 3 | 14 | 12 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 345 | 11 | 19 | 26 | 19 | 23 | 30 | 1 | 20 | 25 |
| Road | 548 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 6 | 9 | 28 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Right-handed pitchers have the most success against the Marlins in Miami, which makes sense as it is a pitcher-friendly park and Giancarlo Stanton is not as good against righties.
METS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 702 | 22 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 3 |
| vs. LHP | 142 | 14 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 2 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 394 | 21 | 10 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 21 |
| Road | 450 | 15 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
The Mets' offense struggled early on this year, but has since caught fire. They are very dangerous through the 1-5 spots in their lineup and make for an optimal stacking option against any pitching -- especially on the road. It is amazing to think that they were one of the worst hitting teams just one year ago before Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto came along.
NATIONALS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 687 | 16 | 9 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 8 | 20 | 21 | 24 |
| vs. LHP | 183 | 21 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 4 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 451 | 16 | 9 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 18 |
| Road | 419 | 11 | 18 | 9 | 18 | 21 | 10 | 6 | 13 | 11 |
This is a great example of why splits are so important when evaluating team hitting. The Nationals are ranked fourth against left-handed pitching, but only 24th against right handers. Also there is a noticeable difference between home and away numbers, as Nats Park is more pitcher friendly.
ORIOLES
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 626 | 18 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 4 |
| vs. LHP | 227 | 13 | 25 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 6 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 408 | 10 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| Road | 445 | 19 | 23 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 6 |
The Orioles have become this year's Blue Jays as one of the most dangerous offenses in baseball, after adding Pedro Alvarez, Mark Trumbo, and getting Jonathan Schoop back from injury. They are the ultimate tournament stack option because you can play them 1-4, 2-5, 3-6, 4-7, or even 5-8 without giving up much power upside.
PADRES
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 642 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 21 | 25 | 28 | 30 |
| vs. LHP | 267 | 19 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 26 | 11 | 14 | 14 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 450 | 22 | 21 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 17 | 1 | 21 | 29 |
| Road | 459 | 20 | 29 | 20 | 14 | 17 | 29 | 11 | 20 | 22 |
There are a lot of bad National League teams this year, and the Padres are right at the bottom. They are right-handed heavy, so you can't use left-handed pitching against them, but taking righties on the road is a definite play.
PHILLIES
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 684 | 19 | 28 | 24 | 22 | 26 | 13 | 22 | 24 | 27 |
| vs. LHP | 186 | 30 | 11 | 15 | 29 | 29 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 24 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 425 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 29 | 30 | 12 | 1 | 20 | 28 |
| Road | 445 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 20 |
Another bad National League hitting team, the Phillies just don't have much upside outside of Maikel Franco. As for pitching, you've got the green light for rolling out righties and southpaws against them.
PIRATES
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 829 | 3 | 6 | 20 | 3 | 5 | 30 | 24 | 7 | 11 |
| vs. LHP | 163 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 393 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 28 | 1 | 9 | 5 |
| Road | 599 | 5 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 27 | 19 | 11 | 10 |
This is a deeper offensive team than a year ago, and I don't think many people expected that. The signings of John Jaso and David Freese have lengthened the lineup to where Gregory Polanco is hitting sixth and Jung-Ho Kang hasn't even come back yet. The interesting thing about the Pirates is that they are solid in almost all categories, but they don't hit a lot of fly balls.
RANGERS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 604 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 27 | 16 | 18 |
| vs. LHP | 272 | 15 | 29 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 21 | 19 | 21 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 497 | 9 | 25 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 1 | 14 | 16 |
| Road | 379 | 26 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 6 | 24 | 21 | 23 |
I don't have a read on the Rangers this year because they lost Shin-Soo Choo early on but replaced him with Nomar Mazara -- who has been very good. But they also lost Robinson Chirinos who was a solid right-handed power bat. Also, Prince Fielder, Ian Desmond, and Delino DeShields have struggled. This is a team to target against while they are not at full strength.
RAYS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 580 | 30 | 22 | 12 | 25 | 21 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 21 |
| vs. LHP | 248 | 12 | 27 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 19 | 13 | 10 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 512 | 28 | 30 | 20 | 25 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 18 | 26 |
| Road | 316 | 13 | 28 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 4 |
The Rays at home are always a team you want to target with right-handed pitching, as the totals are always some of the lowest in baseball and they don't have much by way of power. The strange thing is their road ranking of fourth overall, as they have six hitters all with at least 140 wRC+ away from the Trop.
RED SOX
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 817 | 11 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 20 | 23 | 8 | 8 |
| vs. LHP | 122 | 26 | 15 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 17 | 29 | 24 | 29 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 525 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| Road | 414 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 23 | 13 | 12 |
The Red Sox offense has been tearing it up for the most part, except against lefties. However, they have faced right-handed pitching 817 times which is one of the highest totals in the league. The strong numbers are driven by David Ortiz, Travis Shaw, and Dustin Pedroia. So far, they have paid off huge as tournament stacking options,
REDS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 630 | 21 | 30 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 19 | 28 | 27 | 29 |
| vs. LHP | 240 | 3 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 28 | 10 | 15 | 15 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 470 | 12 | 29 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 23 | 1 | 18 | 23 |
| Road | 400 | 30 | 22 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 29 | 26 | 30 |
The Reds do have some decent pieces, but Joey Votto has been awful so far this year. You can attack them with right-handed pitching on the road, and even though the home numbers don't look good, I will still stay away from them with my pitchers at Great American "Small" Park.
ROCKIES
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 642 | 6 | 23 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 16 | 7 | 11 | 7 |
| vs. LHP | 281 | 18 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 1 | 9 | 5 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 485 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| Road | 438 | 28 | 13 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 1 | 12 | 9 |
Every year it seems we get a couple of Rockies that break out in a huge way. So far it's been Trevor Story. They have had some injuries with Charlie Blackmon and Nick Hundley, so they have not been at full strength, but they are now viable options on the road. So far this season, the Coors factor has been in full effect with eight out of 12 games going over the posted Vegas total.
ROYALS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 670 | 5 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 26 | 16 | 20 |
| vs. LHP | 168 | 8 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 14 | 20 | 23 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 395 | 8 | 27 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 | 1 | 13 | 13 |
| Road | 443 | 24 | 5 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 9 | 27 | 21 | 26 |
The Royals have recently been a team that you never wanted to target against with your starting pitching. They rarely strike out, draw plenty of walks, and make a lot of contact. However, they are not drawing walks as much this year and they're safe to throw your pitcher at while they're on the road.
TIGERS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 661 | 26 | 27 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 16 | 13 |
| vs. LHP | 216 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 4 | 20 | 12 | 8 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 398 | 27 | 22 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 17 |
| Road | 479 | 23 | 17 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 16 | 12 | 7 |
The Tigers have usually been a heavy right-handed hitting power team with Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler, and also now Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Nick Castellanos – who are mashing in the bottom part of the lineup. They strike out a ton, making them a tournament stack option only against weaker pitching.
TWINS
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 783 | 23 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 17 | 17 |
| vs. LHP | 141 | 27 | 7 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 21 | 25 | 23 | 28 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 480 | 6 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 12 | 12 |
| Road | 444 | 9 | 30 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 7 | 21 | 20 | 21 |
The Twins started off 0-9 and every game went under the Vegas total, but in the past 16 games, 11 of them have gone over the total. This is why it is important to track these teams over a two-week stretch and look at the month as a first half/second half, as their recent improved play is masked by the aforementioned awful start.
WHITE SOX
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 745 | 4 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 15 | 14 |
| vs. LHP | 183 | 17 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 26 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 321 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 |
| Road | 607 | 27 | 9 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 25 |
The White Sox have been winning thanks to incredible starting pitching, so from a team batting perspective they don't really offer much of an edge, even though they rank great at home.
YANKEES
| HAND | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| vs. RHP | 481 | 9 | 20 | 19 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 5 | 19 | 19 |
| vs. LHP | 333 | 10 | 6 | 28 | 21 | 21 | 6 | 26 | 17 | 20 |
| PARK | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wOBA | wRC+ | FB% | HR/FB | AVG | RANK |
| Home | 461 | 19 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 11 |
| Road | 353 | 18 | 3 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 20 | 22 | 29 |
The Yankees' offense hasn't been good so far this year, but I will always target their left-handed hitters at home against a right-handed fly ball pitcher because of the short right-field porch at Yankee Stadium.
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. Michael Rathburn plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: burnnotice, DraftKings: burnnotice, Yahoo: burnnotice, Fantasy Aces: burnnotice, FantasyDraft: burnnotice.
