MLB

4 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on 5/2/17

Jason Schandl  —  @JasonSchandl May 2nd, 2017
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Chris Sale, P, Boston Red Sox

Price: $11,700

It's hard to find many reasons to fade Chris Sale today.

The Boston Red Sox are the biggest favorites (-240 money line) on today's full 15-game slate, and they're taking on a Baltimore Orioles team that has struggled with left-handed pitching. They're sporting a wRC+ of 87 with 26.2% strikeout rate against lefties, which is the second-highest mark in the majors.

Sale has been absolutely dominant to open the 2017 season. Through five starts, he has a stellar 2.05 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) and an absurd 37.4% strikeout rate -- with 10-plus punchouts in four of those five starts.

He has always been a big strikeout threat, with strikeout rates of 30.4%, 32.1% and 25.7% over the last three seasons, but his swinging-strike rate has jumped to a massive 17.0% to start this season -- a good indication that this jump is no fluke.

He's a hard fade regardless of matchup, but since he's taking on the strikeout-happy Orioles, you probably don't want to be going anywhere else at pitcher on Tuesday.

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