MLB Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 6/24/15
If you’ve never played daily fantasy baseball before, it’s time to start. Unlike traditional leagues, you’re able to select the players you want on that specific day only, giving you a different squad to root for each and every day.
And while there are many platforms to play daily fantasy baseball on, one of our favorites is from our partners over at DraftKings.com, a place where over $300,000,000 will be won this baseball season. Never played over there before? It’s time for that to change. Sign up now and use our optimal lineups here at numberFire.com to crush the competition. You won’t regret it.
As for today's lineups -- those can be found here. The information below is to help you understand why particular players are being picked, because we don't want you going into the things completely blind. We want to help you. Keep in mind, however, that things often change up until the games start, so make sure you're refreshing the optimal lineups as close to the start of games as possible.
Top Pitchers
High-Cost Pitcher
Gerrit Cole – With the White Sox and Chris Sale playing an afternoon game today, the Pirates ace becomes the clear cut number-one pitching option on the board tonight. Cole currently ranks third in the Majors among starters in ERA (1.78), fourth in FIP (2.58) and ninth in xFIP (2.82) while striking out an impressive 9.59 batters per nine innings. Not to mention that Pittsburgh is a massive -190 favorite in a game that Vegas expects to be the lowest scoring game on the slate with an over/under of just 6.5. Cole is an absolute slam dunk on a night with very few elite pitching options to choose from.
Alternative Options: Carlos Carrasco
Cost-Effective Pitcher
Jordan Zimmermann - Zimmermann has been very solid so far this season, posting a 3.75 ERA and 3.20 FIP through his first 14 starts. He has also been substantially more effective at home than on the road, earning a 2.75 ERA and 3.24 FIP while holding batters to just a .281 wOBA at pitcher-friendly Nationals Park. With a matchup at home against a Braves team that ranks 20th in the league in wOBA (.304) and 21st in wRC+ (91), Zimmermann makes a very interesting play tonight if you're looking to trot out a pitcher other than the aforementioned Cole tonight.
Alternative Options: Ivan Nova, Ryan Vogelsong
High-Cost Hitters
Charlie Blackmon - Blackmon is in play pretty much any time the Rockies are home at Coors, but he makes a particularly strong play tonight against Diamondbacks' righty Allen Webster. The Rockies' center fielder has absolutely crushed right-handed pitching this season, amassing a .395 wOBA, .194 ISO and .913 OPS against righties so far this season. Meanwhile, Webster has been abysmal through two starts this season, giving up eight earned runs in just 11 innings of work while posting a horrific 6.55 ERA, 6.56 FIP and 5.48 xFIP. Additionally, Webster has struggled to get out left-handed batters throughout his entire career, earning a 6.28 FIP and 5.68 xFIP while allowing lefties to hit for a .376 wOBA in his three seasons in the Majors. Blackmon is dollar-for-dollar my favorite player on the board tonight.
Nelson Cruz - Despite the fact the he's been slumping a bit as of late -- he's posted just a .276 wOBA in the month of June -- Cruz always makes a strong option against left-handed pitching, and he gets an outstanding matchup against Royals' southpaw Danny Duffy tonight. Cruz has put up an outrageous .605 wOBA, .556 ISO and 1.505 OPS against lefties this season and has blasted seven of his 19 homers against southpaws in less than a quarter of the plate appearances than against righties. In his eight starts this season, Duffy has allowed a .376 wOBA to right-handed batters with a less-than-stellar 5.16 FIP and 4.88 xFIP. The Mariners' slugger makes a strong play on DraftKings at $4,700 but is an absolute steal tonight on FanDuel at just $3,200.
Alternative Options: Troy Tulowitzki, Manny Machado
Cost-Effective Hitters
Mitch Moreland - Vegas anticipates tonight's tilt between the Rangers and Athletics to be one of the highest scoring games, and with Oakland starter Kendall Graveman on the hill, all Rangers lefties become excellent plays tonight. Graveman has earned a terrible 5.20 FIP and 5.16 xFIP against lefties through his first 10 starts while left-handed batters have posted a .348 wOBA against him. On the other side of the diamond, Moreland has smashed righties this season with a .393 wOBA, .242 ISO and .914 OPS against right-handed pitching so far this year. The Rangers' first baseman will likely bat clean-up tonight and costs just $3,800 on DraftKings and $2,600 on FanDuel. He makes a strong play in all formats tonight.
Kolten Wong - Cardinals' third-year second baseman Wong is having easily the best season of his young career thus far with career bests in wOBA (.336), OPS (.776), ISO (.163) and wRC+ (114) through his first 69 games of the year. He has also crushed righties over that span, putting up a .353 wOBA, .193 ISO and 126 wRC+ against right-handed pitching so far this season. Tonight, he draws a solid matchup against Marlins' starter Mat Latos who has allowed a .374 wOBA to lefties in 11 starts this season. Wong is always one of my favorite value plays when facing right-handed pitching, and tonight is no different at just $3,00 on FanDuel and $3,700 on DraftKings.
Alternative Option: Ben Paulsen, David Peralta
