MLB

5 FanDuel MLB Studs to Target on 7/27/16

Austan Kas  —  @AustanKas Jul 27th, 2016
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Lance McCullers, P, Houston Astros

FanDuel Price: $9,100

Lance McCullers is having an interesting second season. After showing a lot of promise as a rookie, posting a very good 24.8% strikeout rate, McCullers has increased his strikeout rate to 29.3%, but it’s come with a big spike in his walk rate, which is up to 13.7%.

His 12.4% swinging-strike rate tells us his sparking strikeout rate is pretty legit, but his percentage of pitches in the zone (42.8%) means his walk rate isn’t going to fall without some big changes.

Fortunately for McCullers, he gets to face a New York Yankees lineup that hasn’t been very good all year, and he gets to do it at home, where he’s held batters to a .303 wOBA this season. New York ranks 21st in walk rate (7.7%) and 25th in wOBA (.305). The Yankees have been worse on the road, struggling to a .296 wOBA away from the Bronx.

The Yankees have an implied total of 3.33 runs, the lowest of the main slate, and McCullers is our second-ranked pitcher. On a night without much star power taking the mound, McCullers’ ability to get swings and misses makes him a premier option.

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