Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: MLB DraftKings Pitcher Studs and Duds for June 14
Three superstar aces and several other high-quality options will work on Sunday, giving DraftKings players plenty of options for the daily fantasy slate.
Max Scherzer, Chris Sale and Corey Kluber are all Cy Young names to build around when they take the hill, but all three studs are going on Sunday afternoon. With a couple of notable mid-level values, gamers are encouraged to select just one of those top-shelf starting pitchers.
Although a difficult choice in a vacuum, the matchups make one the preferable choice.
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Studs
Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals ($11,700) at Milwaukee
Scherzer is the most expensive pitcher for a reason. Alongside a pristine ERA, his 2.26 fielding independent pitching (FIP) trails only Chris Archer among qualified MLB starters. While he also stands tall in terms of strikeouts-minus-walks percentage, Sale exceeds him with Kluber close behind:
| 1 | Chris Archer | 26.4 |
| 2 | Chris Sale | 25.9 |
| 3 | Clayton Kershaw | 25.8 |
| 4 | Max Scherzer | 24.9 |
| 5 | Corey Kluber | 24.7 |
He pulls ahead, however, due to his opponent. Kluber must tame the Detroit Tigers, and Sale faces a Tampa Bay lineup better against lefties than righties. The Milwaukee Brewers, meanwhile, possess a bottom-five weighted runs created plus (wRC+) versus righties.
They're also one of baseball's least disciplined lineups, which means Scherzer should have no trouble pitching deep into Sunday's game. Sale's scorching hot streak will likely make him the most owned name, drawing some competitors off the Scherzer bandwagon.
A.J. Burnett, Pittsburgh Pirates ($9,500) vs. Philadelphia
A.J. Burnett will have to twirl a gem with Cole Hamels facing the Pittsburgh Pirates, a weak offense against southpaws. Yet the former Philadelphia Phillies righty bests Hamels' ERA and FIP by more than a run each, and he's $1,300 cheaper.
| Burnett | 76.2 | 2.11 | 2.76 | 8.22 | 2.70 | 55.5 |
| Hamels | 87.1 | 3.19 | 3.79 | 9.38 | 3.09 | 46.6 |
Hamels gets a great matchup, but Burnett gets an even better one. The Phillies rank last in OPS and wRC+ against righties. Besides fewer innings and more walks, he has pitched similarly to the much more expensive Sonny Gray, except he's a boring veteran coming off a terrible season away from Pittsburgh.
Although his price has risen, Burnett remains a bargain at home against the Phillies.
Lance McCullers, Houston Astros ($7,800) vs. Seattle
Yes, it's odd Lance McCullers jumped straight from Double-A to the majors and immediately dominated MLB hitters. It's even weirder that he has allowed six walks through five starts after enduring command issues throughout his minor league career.
But why fight a good thing? The rookie has registered a 2.32 ERA and 2.07 FIP, collecting 36 strikeouts through 31 innings. The Houston Astros quickly removed his training wheels, letting the 21-year-old go seven frames on Monday after tossing a complete game.
Only the Astros and Chicago Cubs strike out more against right-handed pitchers than the Seattle Mariners, one of few teams to reach base below a .300 clip versus righties. This won't last forever, but the matchup and affordable price make McCullers worth another spin.
Mike Bolsinger, Los Angeles Dodgers ($7,700) at San Diego
Petco Park is no longer a sure thing for pitchers. According to ESPN.com, it has generated runs and home runs at an above-average clip. Most of that offense, however, has come at the San Diego Padres' expense.
San Diego is one of those squads with a sub-.300 on-base percentage against righties, and it also ranks in the bottom 10 in terms of walks and strikeouts. Even though McCullers is the better mid-tier play, Mike Bolsinger also warrants consideration at a similar price point.
He continues to shine with a 2.08 ERA and 56.3 ground-ball percentage, surrendering two or fewer runs in each of his six starts outside of Coors Field. While he'll need to outduel James Shields to earn a victory, the Los Angeles Dodgers clobber right-handed pitching. Those worried about McCullers' high ownership rate should turn to Bolsinger instead.
Tournament Flier: Mike Foltynewicz, Atlanta Braves ($6,500) at NY Mets
Following a pair of strong outings, Mike Foltynewicz yielded five runs during 5.2 innings in each of his last two starts. There's little safety in employing a rookie with a 4.72 ERA, but he has also shown promise with 47.2 strikeouts during 45 innings. The New York Mets, five days removed from getting no-hit by Chris Heston—who as a result will likely be a popular play worth fading—are reeling without David Wright and Daniel Murphy.
Duds
Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics ($10,600) at LA Angels
This isn't meant to rain on Sonny Gray's parade. He has issued a 1.74 ERA this season, allowing three or fewer earned runs in all but one start. His 19.8 hard-hit percentage ties for baseball's lowest clip behind Dallas Keuchel, one of his primary competitors in the early American League Cy Young Award race.
But if anyone is going to pay over $10,000 for an ace, he's the least appealing choice. Despite performing nearly a run below his 2.71 FIP, Gray still averages fewer DraftKings points per start than the trio of aces, who all strike out over 10 batters per nine innings:
| Max Scherzer | 10.35 | $11,700 | 26.5 |
| Chris Sale | 11.31 | $11,400 | 25.5 |
| Cole Hamels | 9.38 | $10,800 | 21.1 |
| Sonny Gray | 8.08 | $10,600 | 23.0 |
| Corey Kluber | 10.70 | $10,300 | 23.1 |
Previously a favorable matchup during their early slumber, the Los Angeles Angels rank third in wRC+ over the past 30 days. Mike Trout and Albert Pujols have caught fire, crushing a combined 13 home runs (seven for Pujols, six for Trout) less than halfway through June. Usually a top play, Gray isn't an optimal choice on Sunday.
Eduardo Rodriguez, Boston Red Sox ($7,300) vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Having forfeited one run through three starts, Eduardo Rodriguez is a tempting option for $7,300. Yet the rookie sensation is about to come crashing down against the Toronto Blue Jays, who lead baseball in slugging percentage and weighted on-base average (wOBA).
Rodriguez won't maintain a .149 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) all season. Nor will he strand every runner who reaches base. For all their hulking power, the Blue Jays are also one of the toughest teams to strike out, making them someone to avoid regardless of their opponent's hot hand.
Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs.
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