I am finally back from summer vacation and a two-week Europe trip. Excited to be back writing about baseball as we lead up to the post-season.
The trade deadline was incredible. A lot of teams bolstered their lineups and starting rotations. This will lead to a bigger gap in the teams making a push vs the bottom teams who are seemingly “tanking”, with two months left in the season.
Tonight, there is a 10-game main-slate on DraftKings with a lot of routes to take. The offense overshadows the lack of stud starting pitchers, in a night where there will be a lot of runs scored. Coors field is back in play tonight, which leaves us with the decision to fade or stack, once again.
Let’s take a dive into the set of games and build up our account balance as the NFL starts ramping up.
Pitchers
Cole Hamels (CHC): $9,000 @ KCÂ
Coming off a fantastic performance in his Cubs debut, Cole Hamels showcased his stuff against a stingy Pirates team. Tonight, the southpaw will travel to a pitcher-friendly ballpark and take on a very poor Royals lineup. After the departure of Mike Moustakas, the Royals really do not have any bats to fear. Lucas Duda has power but should be neutralized by the platoon advantage Hamels has. As a team, Kansas City has the fourth worst ISO to left-handed pitchers to go along with the fifth highest strikeout rate. Since the trade deadline, the Royals are striking out at a 30.3% clip in 33 plate appearances.
Although paying up for pitching isn’t ideal on this slate, Hamels is my favorite in the top tier.
Matthew Boyd (DET): $7,600 @ LAAÂ
In a deep, multi-entry GPP, Matt Boyd is an extremely interesting option. Assuming Mike Trout is still out of the lineup, Boyd should come in with single digit ownership, having huge upside against a watered down Angels lineup. The Angels have really struggled against lefties this season and even more so in the last two weeks. The two best hitters, lately, have been Shoei Ohtani and Cole Calhoun, who are both left-handed hitters. There are plenty of strikeouts up and down this lineup and without Mike Trout, Boyd can navigate this lineup at a reasonable price.
Homer Bailey (CIN): $5,500 @ NYM
In a ballpark upgrade, Homer Bailey is an interesting GPP option against the Mets at just $5,500. With so many expensive hitting options to pay up for, Bailey makes a lot of sense against one of the worst offenses in the league. Coming off of two great starts, the Reds starter has thrown well over 100 pitches while scoring at least 22 DraftKings points in each game. There is little doubt that he will allow a run or two, however, at this price we are only hoping for him to not get blown up.
Hitting Stacks
Seattle MarinersÂ
With the Rockies playing at home and the Yankees in a good spot, I am not 100% sure on what the final ownership will look like on this stack. That being said, they are my favorite team stack tonight going into Arlington against a left-handed flyball pitcher. Matin Perez owns a 1.97 HR/FB ratio to go along with a 5.20 SIERA. The Rangers bullpen is weaker after trading their top arm which should lend to a lot of runs being scored. The heat and positive park shift for the Mariners hitters line up perfectly for an important game as they now trail the Oakland A’s.
Cleveland IndiansÂ
One team which could go overlooked tonight are the Indians. Kyle Gibson is a respectable pitcher, however, this Indians team is significantly better when playing at home. Owning a .349 wOBA, .813 OPS, and .193 ISO, they are a top five offense facing a very average pitcher with a weak bullpen. The Indians have a tough lineup with powerful hitters throughout and are worth a look tonight in GPP’s.
Chicago CubsÂ
The Yankees and Rockies are worth a look, no question. In tournaments, these three teams are much better game theory options. The Cubs round out my top stack as an under-owned team. Jakob Junnis has allowed the most home runs this season and will try to limit the damage to a team who will be adding a DH to their already tough lineup. Javier Baez is smoking hot right now and although expensive, is worth a look at a thin 2B position. This lineup should turn over easily which makes them a great stack 1-9.
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