As major sports set their eyes on some key events on the calendar — the NBA’s playoffs begin next week, the NFL Draft is coming up in just two weeks, and golf fans are fawning over the beauty of Augusta National Golf Club — the MLB is preparing to take over the summer.
There’s only a modest offering for today’s slate, though, with just five games on tap in DraftKings’ featured DFS slate. Here are my two favorite value options from that slate:
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SP Jonathan Cannon, Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians, $6,800
The AL Central is a morass of mediocrity at the moment, with the division-leading Detroit Tigers just 7-5 and four of the five teams sitting at .500 or below. As expected, Chicago brings up the rear, with just a 2-9 record, but Cleveland is just 5-6. To be fair, the Guardians have played only two games at home all season, but they haven’t helped their case on friendly turf, scoring just four runs total across those two games and slashing a league-worst .113/.299/.170 at Progressive Field. Sure, it’s the fourth-most pitcher-friendly stadium in the major leagues, per Statcast, but Cleveland has to do better, even if it’s won both of its home games so far.
Cannon’s season so far has been a tale of two extremes. In his first start of the season, he was excellent, going five innings and giving up just four hits and no runs, accruing 17.1 fantasy points. Then, against the Tigers, he gave up three runs on three hits and lasted just 3.2 frames (3.5 FPTS), picking up the loss. But he has solid off-speed stuff and induces a lot of ground balls, which are usually more likely to result in outs. Plus, the Guardians’ most dangerous hitter, José Ramírez, posts his lowest wOBA against off-speed pitches, and Cannon throws his changeup 23% of the time.
OF Garrett Mitchell, Milwaukee Brewers at Colorado Rockies, $3,900
Poor Rockies; not only are they not good — with a 2-9 record, they’re currently tied for the worst mark in all of the major leagues — their division is incredible, with the other four teams all over .500. The reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers are 10-4 and in third in the division, exemplifying just how hot of a start the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres have gotten off to. Colorado’s pitching staff is the third-worst in the MLB so far in ERA, has given up the fourth-most home runs, the highest WHIP, and by far the highest batting average. In games at hitter-friendly Coors Field, that ERA balloons to 6.32; only the Athletics — who are temporarily located in Sacramento — have posted a worse mark.
Given the Rockies’ struggles on defense, anybody would be a target at Coors Field, but Mitchell has the recent track record to boot. Last night, in a 17-2 drubbing, he went 2-5 with a double, an RBI, and a stolen base (15 FPTS), and there’s no reason to expect any different from him tonight against a right-handed starter in Ryan Feltner ($6,000). Feltner has been above average with his off-speed pitches and induces hitters to chase a lot, per Statcast, but that’s where Mitchell thrives. He ranks in the 96th percentile so far this season in chase rate and has his highest wOBA against off-speed pitches, although he’s only faced 13. Coors Field has historically slightly favored lefties like Mitchell, and this season, Colorado has allowed the second-most homers to southpaws.
