Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: Best MLB Pitcher Stats, Picks for June 4
The start of a new month has already brought some surprises with fantasy pitchers on DraftKings. There have been massive outings (holy hell, Chris Archer!) and disappointments (what happened, Max Scherzer?) before the first weekend even starts.
Luckily, there is a chance to bounce back on Thursday with quite a few starters to target to win any fantasy games. Here's a look at the best MLB pitchers, stats and picks for June 4.
Matt Harvey, New York Mets ($10,400)
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"He's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him. Because he can take it." That entire quote is taken from The Dark Knight, but it's certainly fitting for Matt Harvey—or, as he's known in New York, Batman.
Harvey has been lighting it up this season at the top of the Mets rotation at 5-3 with a 3.11 ERA and 9.59 K/9 ratio. What that equates to for DraftKings owners is 22.5 fantasy points per game. His numbers would actually be higher if he had more run support, as Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com points out:
The good part is Harvey can take it. He just keeps going out and putting up solid fantasy outings. Over his last two starts, he's given up 11 earned runs, which dropped his price. But he's also tallied 15 strikeouts in that span, making him a solid value even as the highest salary pitcher on Thursday.
Michael Wacha, St. Louis Cardinals ($8,700)
Over his last four starts, Michael Wacha has accounted for nearly 20 fantasy points in each outing. He's also already won seven games and features a 2.27 ERA. At less than $9,000 on Thursday night, that's a great pick for a low-end No. 1.
He is also 5-0 on the road and has a 25-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Could the strikeouts be higher? Yes. But going up against an erratic pitcher like Carlos Frias, gambling on Wacha as a primary pitcher seems it might be the way to go when filling out an offensive-minded lineup.
Trevor Bauer, Cleveland Indians ($7,900)
After posting nearly 27 fantasy points in his last outing, Trevor Bauer's price somehow dropped. The reasoning? He took a loss after giving up just two earned runs over seven innings. Suffice it to say, he did his job and didn't get the run support.
What's lost during that outing is the fact that he struck out 10 batters—the second time he's done that in the last four starts—and allowed both of those runs on one Seth Smith homer. With the swing-and-miss rate that Bauer is pitching at this season, he's the best No. 2 starter on the board and a bargain No. 1.
Roenis Elias, Seattle Mariners ($7,300)
Just below Bauer on Thursday's slate is Roenis Elias, who is bound for a rebound after his last start. The Cuban lefthander had two straight strong outings before getting shelled by the Cleveland Indians. Ironically enough, one of those standout performances was against the Tampa Bay Rays.
On Thursday night, he faces that same lineup again. Only this time, he'll be at home in the comforts of Seattle. Looking to finally break out of a slump, the Rays and DraftKings owners can rely on Elias as a solid play on Thursday against a struggling Erasmo Ramirez.
Carlos Rodon, Chicago White Sox ($5,600)
Since his move to a starting role, Carlos Rodon has put together three strong games in four attempts. The No. 3 pick in the 2014 MLB draft is already a great addition for owners looking to save salary to spend on huge bats.
But wait. He's playing against the suddenly surging Texas Rangers. That's a terrible matchup, right? Just a day after Chris Sale shut down the Rangers, Rodon will bring similar stuff to the party. Equipped with a devastating slider and blazing fastball, the Southpaw will keep the party going after Sale on Thursday.
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