Pitchers
For the Pitcher Chart as well as Hitter picks and analysis, click NEXT!
Justin Verlander
If you’re playing the early slate, I don’t see how you avoid Verlander for cash games. He’s priced at $12,800, but is the biggest favorite on the slate, has an OTT of just 2.5 (see pitcher chart), and has the highest strikeout rate on the slate. I’m not sure it will continue throughout the year, but the Giants are striking out at the fifth highest rate this season at 24.7%. There may be merit to fading Verlander in tournaments, but I’m going to have a hard time creating a lineup without him on the five game early slate.
Jacob deGrom
On the main slate, deGrom is the top option. He put to rest any injury concerns last start as he went seven innings with 13 strikeouts. DeGrom will face the Marlins in Citi Field. The Marlins strike out 23.9% of the time against righties, 11th highest rate in the league. They also rank 29th in wRC+. DeGrom has an OTT of three, lowest on the main slate. I expect deGrom to be highly owned in both cash games and tournaments.
Kenta Maeda
Maeda will face the Rockies in Dodger Stadium. The Rockies take a huge park hit, and have the worst wRC+ in the league. They strike out 24.1% of the time, and Maeda has one of the highest strikeout rates on the slate at 28.6%. Maeda has been inconsistent as a fantasy player this season, but has flashed some upside. I will consider him in cash games depending on the Rockies lineup, but I will definitely have some shares of Maeda in tournaments.
For the Pitcher Chart as well as Hitter picks and analysis, click NEXT!
Pitcher Chart
To see my favorite hitters for today’s slate, click NEXT!
The pitching chart will be updated often. Make sure to check back for the newest information, especially if a column is currently incomplete!
Last Updated: 5/23/2018 – 7:0 7 AM CT
| Pitcher | Team | L/R | $Line | OTT | K | +/- | K% | IP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z. Godley | ARI | R | +106 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 21.7 | 6 1/3 |
| B. Suter | MIL | L | -115 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 17.3 | 5 |
| L. Gohara | ATL | L | +115 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 4 2/3 |
| J. Arrieta | PHI | R | -125 | 3.5 | 6 | 2.5 | 15.6 | 6 1/3 |
| C. Kuhl | PIT | R | -116 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0 | 22.2 | 5 1/3 |
| H. Bailey | CIN | R | +107 | 5 | 3 | -2 | 13.1 | 4 1/3 |
| D. Straily | MIA | R | +190 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 15.9 | 5 1/3 |
| J. deGrom | NYM | R | -207 | 3 | 8.5 | 5.5 | 34.3 | 7 1/3 |
| K. Freeland | COL | L | +150 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 22.4 | 5 1/3 |
| K. Maeda | LAD | R | -163 | 3 | 6.5 | 3.5 | 28.6 | 6 |
| M. Fulmer | DET | R | +154 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 1 | 21.1 | 6 |
| K. Gibson | MIN | R | -167 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 2 | 25.6 | 6 |
| C. Sabathia | NYY | L | -183 | 4 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 19.1 | 5 1/3 |
| D. Fister | TEX | R | +168 | 6 | 4 | -2 | 17.1 | 5 |
| T. Skaggs | LAA | L | -127 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 25.4 | 6 |
| A. Sanchez | TOR | R | +117 | 4.5 | 4 | -0.5 | 17.6 | 5 2/3 |
| D. Price | BOS | L | -120 | 3.5 | 6 | 2.5 | 21.6 | 6 1/3 |
| C. Archer | TBR | R | +111 | 3.5 | 6 | 2.5 | 22.4 | 6 |
| A. Cobb | BAL | R | -132 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 11.3 | 5 2/3 |
| D. Covey | CHW | R | +122 | 5 | 4 | -1 | 11.1 | 4 2/3 |
| J. Junis | KCR | R | +176 | 4.5 | 5 | 0.5 | 20.8 | 5 2/3 |
| M. Wacha | STL | R | -192 | 3.5 | 5 | 1.5 | 21 | 6 2/3 |
| J. Samardzija | SFG | R | +234 | 4.5 | 4 | -0.5 | 16.7 | 5 1/3 |
| J. Verlander | HOU | R | -257 | 2.5 | 8 | 5.5 | 32.8 | 7 1/3 |
| A. Plutko | CLE | R | +155 | 4 | 4 | 21.4 | 4 2/3 | |
| J. Lester | CHC | L | -168 | 6 | 6 | 21.2 | 6 1/3 |
Key
L/R = Lefty or Righty
$Line = Money Line
OTT = Opposing team’s run total
K = Projected Strikeouts
+/- = K-OTT
K% = Strikeout Percentage
IP = Innings Projection
Many factors can change between the time I write this article and the time lineups lock. I’ll do my best to update the article, so checking back frequently is encouraged. You can also ask questions on Twitter or Facebook. I’ll do my best to get to all of them!
To see my favorite hitters for today’s slate, click NEXT!
Hitters
Yankees Bats
It’s another day to stack the Yankees bats. They will match up against Doug Fister and have a team run total of six. Obviously Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Gary Sanchez are the top options, but you can’t fit them all into cash games due to their prices. I prefer Stanton in cash, but will have all three in tournaments. I’m also considering Didi Gregorious and Brett Gardner as part of some tournament stacks.
Nationals Bats
This is more of a tournament stack, but I love the Nationals against Tyson Ross today. Ross has been solid this season with a 3.35 ERA (3.94 SIERA), but after his horrendous 2017, I’m not entirely convinced he’s back. I’m convinced enough to avoid stacking Nationals against him in cash games, but I’ll take a few shots in tournaments. Bryce Harper is a must for a Nationals tournament stack and so is Trea Turner. Both Anthony Rendon and Matt Adams help fill out the stack while providing some value as well.
ATTN Dynasty Commissioners: Do you want to do something cool for your league? How about a 1-hour live show dedicated to YOUR league? Team-by-team breakdowns, rankings, and more. For details and to book a show, visit: GoingFor2.com/plp.
The GoingFor2 Live Podcast
