*All pricing references are based on DraftKings unless otherwise noted
This article is designed to give you a head start/a brief look at the top pitcher and hitters on the slate from a cash game and single entry contest point of view. Obviously, you’re not going to put together a full lineup from the players listed below but that’s not the idea. The idea is to give you an early look and to point you in the right direction. Combined with all of the other articles and resources we have here at FullTime DFS, collectively we’ll have you in a great spot to cash!
Top Pitchers
Gerrit Cole (HOU)
Cole is the only pitcher I feel comfortable paying up for on tonight’s main slate ($9,000) plus and it just so happens that he’s the highest priced pitcher on the docket. He was very good in his first start of the season allowing one earned run while striking out 10 Rays. Cole faces the Rangers who pose a lineup that can be potent at times, however, most of their damage comes from the left side with hitters such as Shin-Soo Choo, Joey Gallo, Rougned Odor, and Nomar Mazara. Cole was among the elite when it came to right-handed starters against left-handed hitters last season. Cole allowed a minuscule .236 wOBA to the platoon while posting a 41 percent K rate, 14.45 K/9, 47.3 percent ground-ball rate, and a 27.7 hard-contact rate. The righty made four starts against Texas last season and was dominant in all but one (four earned runs in five innings in July). In the other three outings against the division foe, Cole recording 20 innings pitched (at least six innings in all three outings) while recording 33 strikeouts and allowing just eight hits and four earned runs. We get the dominant, shut-down Cole tomorrow night in Arlington.
Jameson Taillon (PIT)
While this is a much-improved offense for the Cardinals (Goldschmidt), Taillon is a very good young pitcher and had some success against the Cards last season totaling 21.1 innings, 16 strikeouts, and just five earned runs. The Cards have put up some good offensive numbers thus far, mostly aided by a series in Miller Park, but have also shown the ability to strikeout against righties at a 31 percent clip thus far, sixth-highest in the majors. Taillon has the ability to generate ground balls at a high rate (52 percent last season) against righties and will benefit from a good park shift. At $7,900, Taillon will produce a solid number as mid-priced play.
Miles Mikolas (STL)
As Taillon’s counterpart, Mikolas will enjoy the same park shift here and he’ll do it with an, on paper, weaker lineup against him. Surely the Cardinals lineup is more formidable and dangerous but the Pirates are pesky in their own right. They don’t strike out much and put a lot of pressure on the defense, a defense in the Cardinals that outside of Yadi Molina have a lot of question marks. With all of that being said, I think this is a low scoring game and I’d have no problem pivoting off of Taillon onto Mikolas for the $700 savings as I can truly see either pitcher winning this game.
Bats to Build Around
My top bats on the slate. Not to say that you should force all of these guys into your lineup(s), simply said, these are my favorite bats considering a number of variables.
Anthony Rizzo (CHC)
We all saw how Julio Teheran struggled early at home, especially against lefties seeing how Sun Trust Park is a great park for left-handed hitters. Lefties posted a .320 wOBA and 44 percent hard-contact rate against Teheran last season and Rizzo posted a 39.3 percent FB rate and a 14.2 percent HR/FB rate against righties last season to go along with a .211 ISO and .378 wOBA. At a position with a lot of high-priced options, Rizzo is the top dog for me.
Xander Bogaerts (BOS)
Xander and the Red Sox have come in slow out of the gates, to say the least, but I love the spot for him and the rest of the Boston righties tonight. Marco Estrada is a disaster against right-handed hitters and it showed in his first start of the season allowing two home runs to the reverse split. Last season, Estrada allowed a .389 wOBA, 56 percent FB rate, and 2.04 HR/9 to righties. Xander, who comes in a bit underpriced tonight at $4,300 pounded righties last season with a .379 wOBA, .259 ISO, and 18.3 percent HR/FB rate. Like first base, shortstop is a deep position tonight and Xander is the guy here for me.
A.J. Pollock (LAD)
Pollock had two hits last night against lefty Madison Bumgarner and faces another southpaw tonight in Derek Holland who has made a career out of getting rocked by right-handed hitters. Last season, Holland allowed a hard contact rate of 45 percent and a fly ball rate of 40 percent translating to a 13.3 percent home run to fly ball rate. Expect a good night out of Pollock in the cleanup spot again tonight.
Quick Hits
Favorite value bat: Ender Inciarte (ATL)
Low owned home run: Evan Longoria (SF)
Weakest position (generally a spot where I’ll look for value): Catcher – Tyler Flowers (ATL), Christian Vasquez (BOS)
GOOD LUCK!!
