This article is part of our Draftster MLB series.
Much to the dismay of those in season-long leagues (present company included), there seems to be something wrong with Michael Wacha, as manager Mike Matheny told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Wacha's fastball "doesn't look right" after he was hit hard by the Reds in his last outing. This will result in the 23-year-old having his start against the Rockies skipped Sunday in favor of Marco Gonzales, who entered the season as the fifth-best prospect in the Cardinals' system according to Baseball America. Gonzales has found success in the minor leagues, posting a 2.45 ERA with 140 strikeouts in 147 innings, but struggled after his initial call up in July, allowing 10 runs in his first two starts. He has thrown the ball well since then, however, allowing just three runs in 14 frames (two starts) in between being sent back to the minors on two occasions. Given that Gonzales will likely be on a limited pitch count, he probably isn't a viable selection, but if he can perform reasonably well in the contest, he may have a chance to make a few more starts before the end of the season.
Sunday Picks
Pitching
Edinson Volquez ($7,600)
Volquez may not traditionally be a name you would associate with a DFS selection, but the 31-year-old has been quite good since Aug. 1, tallying a 2.13 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 50.2 innings (eight starts). He will face the Cubs and their 84 wRC+ against right-handed pitching Sunday, which makes him an attractive option for those that don't want to spend for Jon Lester or Clayton Kershaw.
Offense
Trevor May allowed just two runs over five innings in his last start against the Indians on Tuesday but walked four while striking out three in the contest. The 24-year-old has an xFIP at or above 5.00 from both sides of the platoon, making him a nice target in the hitter-friendly confines of U.S. Cellular Field.
Jose Abreu (1B) ($3,000)
Conor Gillaspie (3B) ($3,400)
Hector Noesi will oppose May in the aforementioned contest. I talked about Noesi's proclivity towards the long ball when I recommended him last week, and he didn't disappoint, allowing two homers in 6.1 innings against the A's. We will look to once again exploit his fly-ball tendencies Sunday.
Oswaldo Arcia (OF)($6,700)
Danny Santana (SS) ($7,700)
Unfortunately, Trevor Cahill gets to take his 5.17 xFIP against left-handed pitching into a matchup against the Padres on Sunday, which leaves us without much stacking potential. If we look hard enough, however, we can find some lefties to plug in our lineup.
Seth Smith (OF) ($3,000)
Yasmani Grandal (C) ($6,800)
Trevor Bauer has pitched fairly well this season, but will carry an xFIP of 4.14 against right-handers into his matchup against the Tigers on Sunday. We can take advantage of this, as Detroit has a few batters who don't mind hitting without a platoon advantage in 2014.
J.D. Martinez (OF) ($7,700)
Ian Kinsler (2B) ($3,800)
The Week at a Glance
Stephen Strasburg's 3.46 ERA doesn't do justice to his 2014 season, as he's struck out 223 batters in 195 innings and posted the lowest walk rate (1.85/9) of his career. He will face the Braves on Monday, who strike out more than 22 percent of the time against righties.
Tyler Matzek will need to contend with a number of righty bats in Colorado against the Dodgers on Tuesday. His 4.63 xFIP against right-handers this season could make for a very short outing.
Fresh off an outing against the Phillies in which he tossed eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts, Francisco Liriano will get the Red Sox at home on Wednesday, who have struck out nearly 22 percent of the time against southpaws this season.
Franklin Morales has allowed 19 home runs in 96.2 innings against right-handed hitters this season. He will face the Diamondbacks at home on Thursday, who have at least a couple of power threats worth paying attention to.
As I write this, Tim Hudson has just completed what likely amounts to the worst outing of his career, giving up six earned runs in an inning pitched against the Dodgers. Struggles such as these have helped keep him dirt cheap in advance of a favorable matchup against the Padres at Petco Park on Friday.
Scott Carroll's frighteningly low strikeout rate this season (4.11/9) combined with his higher-than-average walk rate (3.07/9) makes him a nice target from both sides of the aisle against the Rays on Saturday. Carroll left his last start against the Twins with a torn fingernail, so be sure and monitor his status throughout the week.
