We’ve got a 13-game slate for Tuesday’s MLB action.
Let’s find some studs and values for your MLB DFS lineups on DraftKings. This article was written before lineups were announced.
Make your DraftKings MLB DFS picks here: MLB $200K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Zac Thornton, New York Mets at Milwaukee Brewers ($8,000) — I am not enamored with the pitchers at the top of the price pole, so I will likely live in the midrange. I do think those options can get close to matching the fantasy production of their higher-priced brethren. Thornton is a soft-tossing lefty that’s had only three starts this season with 17.1 total innings pitched. The BABIP is only .217, yet the FIP still remains below 3.00. His first start was back in May and he finished with only 4.2 FPTS while pitching 4.1 innings. The last two starts occurred on 6/26 and 7/12. Thornton went six and seven innings while putting up 21.9 and 23.4 FPTS. Against left-handed pitching, Milwaukee is 28th in ISO and 23rd in wRC+.
Value
Luis Castillo, Seattle Mariners vs. Cincinnati Reds ($7,600) — Castillo was never dominant, but he had some very good stretches in his career. He was solid with an S. Now he’s meh with a M. The FIP is 4.16 with a 13.6% K-BB%. On the season, he has seven single-digit FPTS games, with two of those in the negatives. He’s gone over 20 FPTS only twice. The last four games prior to the break are a microcosm of Castillo’s season. He went four, six, six and five innings while producing 5.2, 13.9, 20.5 and 4.8 FPTS. That said, at home, the FIP is 2.99 compared to 5.04 on the road. Cincinnati is second in strikeouts and 28th in wRC+.
INFIELD
Stud
Spencer Torkelson, Detroit Tigers at Chicago Cubs ($3,500) — Torkelson has a 32.6% strikeout rate and is batting .207 in 383 plate appearances. That said, the ISO is .216 and he has 18 home runs, 40 runs and 47 RBI. The average exit velocity is 89.8 mph, barrel rate is 14.6% and the bat speed is 73.1 mph. Against left-handed pitching, the wRC+ is 129 with a .184 ISO and .253/.369/.437 slash. David Peterson has a 4.65 FIP and minuscule 1.9% K-BB% against righties.
Value
Tim Tawa, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Athletics ($2,800) — Tawa has only racked up 107 plate appearances this season, posting a .217/.291/.413 slash. The average exit velocity is only 87.9 mph while the barrel rate and launch angle are both in the 5% range. The bat speed, though, is 74.4 mph. Tawa does have reverse splits, posting a 103 wRC+ against right-handed pitching compared to a 52 wRC+ against lefties. The ISO is .225 against righties with all four home runs coming off them. Jack Perkins is a righty that also has reverse splits. The FIP is 4.95 against righties compared to 3.89 against lefties. The strikeout rate is 9% lower against righties as well.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Trent Grisham, New York Yankees vs. Pittsburgh Pirates ($4,000) — Grisham is a righty masher with a 91.2 mph average exit velocity, 17.8 degree launch angle and 11.3% barrel rate. The ISO is .197 against right-handed pitching while the wRC+ is 112. Nine of the 11 home runs hit have come off a righty. Bubba Chandler averages 98.6 mph on the fastball, but he has a little too much Ricky Vaughn in him, as the walk rate is 13.1%. He’s allowed 10 home runs in 94.1 innings and the FIP is 4.58. Lefties have tagged him for eight of the 10 home runs and the FIP is 5.37 with a 6.3% K-BB%.
Value
Victor Mesa Jr., Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays ($2,900) — Through 112 plate appearances, Mesa has seven home runs, 15 runs, 14 RBI and three stolen bases. The walk rate is 11.6%, strikeout rate is 22.3% and the ISO is .237. The batting average is only .216, but the BABIP is also only .212, so he’s been unlucky. The bat speed is 74.1 mph, launch angle is 23.2 degrees and the barrel rate is 10.8%. Mesa has gone yard in three of the last six games, with two of those in the latest contests.
