This is a fascinating player's pool. We don't have any big-name pitchers or anyone above $10K, but we have a group of solid, young pitchers. There's a handful of guys with outstanding matchups, but even more who are below $7K. That likely leads to a higher-scoring slate, and it'll be interesting to see how things play out. With that said, let's get started with some midrange arms and then dive into the bats.
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Pitching
George Kirby, SEA vs. LAA ($8,600)
It's been a disappointing season for Kirby by his lofty standards, but he's still a great pitcher. We're talking about a guy who has a 3.68 ERA and 1.13 WHIP since his rookie season. What makes him a worthy risk here is the home matchup against LA. Not only does Kirby have a 3.56 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 9.1 K/9 rate at home over the last three years, but the Angels have the worst strikeout rate in baseball against righties. Kirby has clobbered them over recent years, collecting a 2.96 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 17.4 K/9 rate in their last four matchups. That equates to an absurd 34 DraftKings points per game, with Kirby entering this game as a -220 favorite!
Trey Yesavage, TOR vs. NYM ($8,100)
Yesavage was the star of Toronto's postseason run last year, and he might be their ace for the next decade. He had a 3.58 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 12.7 K/9 rate throughout last year's playoffs and has a 3.56 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 8.6 K/9 rate this year. His advanced statistics are even more impressive, with Yesavage amassing a 2.92 xERA. We might only be scratching the surface of what this guy could become, and we love this matchup with the Mets. New York ranks 26th in runs scored and 29th in wOBA.
Top Targets
Pete Crow-Armstrong, CHC (vs. Griffin Canning) $6,300
PCA has stretches where he looks like the best player in baseball, and he's amid one of them right now. This defensive stud is up to 17 homers and 18 steals this season while tallying a .454 OBP and 1.254 OPS across his last 25 fixtures. His numbers against righties are even better, totaling a .350 OBP and .890 OPS against them. That doesn't bode well for a struggling Canning, who has compiled a 7.38 ERA and 1.66 WHIP this year. Ian Happ ($4,300) and Michael Busch ($4,000) are a great pairing with PCA if you want to stack Chicago.
Jackson Chourio, MIL (vs. Nick Lodolo) $5,500
Chourio and PCA are battling for the best outfielder in the NL over the last month. This Brewers stud is right there with Crow-Armstrong, collecting a .321 AVG and 1.021 OPS across his last 26 outings. That's the superstardom we've been waiting to see, and we also love that Chourio has a .333 AVG and .961 OPS against southpaws this season. A lackluster lefty like Lodolo, who's posted a 5.59 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP in an injury-plagued season, won't slow him down. William Contreras ($4,500) and Andrew Vaughn ($3,700) both have the platoon advantage against Lodolo as well.
Bargain Bats
George Springer, TOR (vs. Sean Manaea) $3,500
It's been a struggle for Springer, but seeing him at $3,500 is wild. This former All-Star is too talented to be that cheap, accruing a .351 career OBP and .821 OPS. He's showing flashes of ending his season-long slump, sporting a .361 OBP and .812 OPS over the last two weeks. We also love that he has the platoon advantage against Manaea, maintaining a .365 OBP and .791 OPS against lefties this year. We can't overlook the fact that Manaea has a 5.26 ERA and 1.31 WHIP since the start of last year, too. Vladimir Guerrero ($4,500) and Kazuma Okamoto ($3,400) both hit from the right side as well, if you're looking to stack the Jays.
Masataka Yoshida, BOS (vs. Miles Mikolas) $2,800
It's always nice to find a punt play below $3K. That's just what Yoshida is because he's no longer an everyday player in Boston. What matters is that he'll be in the lineup against a righty, hitting leadoff in the last two games against right-handers. That's a prominent lineup spot for a $2,800 player, especially since Yoshida has a .288 AVG and .777 OPS against righties throughout his career. Those are absurd averages from such an affordable player, and we love the matchup with Mikolas. We'll discuss that in the stacks section!
Stacks to Consider
Miami Marlins at Colorado Rockies (Sean Sullivan): Otto Lopez ($5,300), Xavier Edwards ($5,000), Kyle Stowers ($4,900), Jakob Marsee ($4,700)
We've been stacking opponents in Coors Field for years, and that might never change. The Rockies rank last in wOBA and xwOBA while pitching in the most hitter-friendly environment in baseball. That's a horrifying reality for Rockies fans, and Sullivan is unlikely to help those averages. He's only made three career starts, collecting an 11.00 ERA and 2.33 WHIP across the last two.
Lopez has been a breakout for the Marlins, producing a .336 AVG and .851 OPS. He also has a .440 AVG and 1.056 OPS against lefties. Edwards also has the platoon advantage against Sullivan, totaling a .871 OPS against southpaws. Stowers has a .342 OBP and .865 OPS across the last month, while Marsee has a .344 career OBP and .777 OPS against lefties.
Boston Red Sox vs. Washington Nationals (Miles Mikolas): Jarren Duran ($4,500), Wilyer Abreu ($4,400), Yoshida ($2,800), Caleb Durbin ($2,700)
Mikolas had a nice run a handful of years ago, but this 37-year-old is close to done. He's got a 5.01 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over the last four years. That's bad news against Boston because they've won five of their last six outings while scoring at least four runs in all of those.
Duran has been disastrous this season, but he has a .268 AVG and .830 OPS against righties over the last three years. Abreu has better splits against righties too, tallying a .467 SLG anf .787 OPS against them in that same span. Durbin is getting hot, scoring at least 12 DraftKings points in seven of his last 11 outings.
