5 Daily Fantasy Baseball Studs to Target on 7/26/16
As always, when playing any sport on FanDuel, it’s imperative to hit on high-priced players, especially when it comes to pitching.
Let’s take a look at three hitters and two pitchers, who, despite costing a good chunk of change, are worth the investment.
This article is for the main slate, which starts at 7:05 PM EST and features 15 games. The only game not included in the main slate is the opening game of the doubleheader between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets.
Pitchers
Danny Salazar, P, Cleveland Indians
FanDuel Price: $10,100
On a somewhat weak night for pitching, Cleveland's Danny Salazar is the only hurler with a price tag over $10,000, and he's our second-ranked pitcher for his home matchup with the Washington Nationals.
Salazar owns a sparkling 27.4% strikeout rate this season, his best mark over a full campaign, but his 3.77 SIERA is actually a career-worst clip. Salazar has been hampered by a career-high 10.3% walk rate.
He's been better at home, though, limiting hitters to a .263 wOBA in his outings at Progressive Field. Salazar has also given up significantly fewer free passes at home (7.4% walk rate) than he has on the road (13.0% walk rate).
Washington has a solid offense, ranking 13th in wOBA (.321), but they've been worse away from Nationals Park, posting a .314 in their travels. Vegas gives Washington an implied total of 3.67 runs, the second-lowest on the slate.
With at least 39 FanDuel points in 6 of his last 9 outings, Salazar provides some nice safety, but he also comes with a high ceiling, tallying at least 47 points in 5 of those starts.
Chris Archer, P, Tampa Bay Rays
FanDuel Price: $8,400
Chris Archer makes for a mighty fine play tonight as he's our top-ranked pitcher despite not being one of the five most expensive arms.
There's been some chatter about Archer moving to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Dodgers will get to see him first hand as Archer and the Rays travel to Los Angeles.
Archer's traditional numbers -- 5-13 record and 4.60 ERA -- paint an inaccurate picture. The Rays' flamethrower boasts a 3.71 SIERA and 27.3% strikeout rate, which rank eighth and third, respectively, in the American League.
The Dodgers have a slightly below average offense, ranking 22nd in wOBA (.311), 18th in homers (111) and 19th in ISO (.153). Dodger Stadium ranks 27th in park factor, and Los Angeles is sporting a .308 wOBA at home.
Hitters
Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs
FanDuel Price: $5,100
FanDuel jacked up his price, making him the day's most expensive bat, but Anthony Rizzo is still someone you want to try and roster. The dude has been killing right-handed pitching this year, and he gets a mouthwatering matchup against righty James Shields.
The sky-high price may make him a little contrarian today, assuming most people will look elsewhere at first base.
Rizzo's overall numbers -- .406 wOBA, 24 homers and 12.3% walk rate -- are outstanding, but he's been especially lethal against right-handers, torching them for a .429 wOBA, .314 ISO and 13.9% walk rate. Our our top-ranked hitter, Rizzo will be in the middle of a Cubs' lineup that has a juicy implied total of 5.06 runs.
Although he's been better of late, Shields is putting up career-worst numbers across the board. He's struggled to a 5.03 SIERA, 16.1% strikeout rate and 9.5% walk rate this season. Facing the Cubs' gaudy lineup at U.S. Cellular Field, which ranks ninth in home run factor, Shields could be in for a rough night.
David Ortiz, 1B, Boston Red Sox
FanDuel Price: $4,900
David Ortiz is slightly cheaper than Rizzo, but he provides just as much pop.
Like Rizzo, Ortiz is a lefty who has destroyed right-handed pitching. For the year, he owns an insane .465 wOBA against righties, and he's worth a look anytime Boston is facing a right-handed starter, especially when said pitcher isn't very good.
That's the case tonight as the Red Sox host Detroit Tigers' righty Mike Pelfrey.
Pelfrey is sporting an incredibly low 9.8% strikeout rate -- the worst in baseball -- to go with his 9.0% walk rate. His 5.33 SIERA is the third-worst clip among all starters, and he's allowing a .344 wOBA on the road. With the game at hitter-friendly Fenway Park, Vegas expects Boston to light up Pelfrey, giving the Red Sox a 6.35 implied total, the highest of the day.
Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
FanDuel Price: $4,100
Rarely does Mike Trout offer much of a discount, but compared to the other top bats, Trout comes at a bargain price.
Despite being right-handed, Trout has owned right-handed pitchers this season, mashing righties to the tune of a .420 wOBA. He's hit for much more power against right-handers, putting up a .258 ISO, compared to a .185 ISO against southpaws.
Trout gets to face Kansas City Royals' righty Dillon Gee tonight. Gee is having a decent campaign, posting a 4.15 SIERA with a 19.3% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate, but most of that work has come as a reliever. As a starter, he's allowing a .397 wOBA and has given up 15 earned runs in 23 innings.
