Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: Most Valuable Advanced Statistics for DFS Players

Everyone is looking for an edge when it comes to MLB DraftKings contests. The leader in one-day fantasy games has thousands of players competing, but the thing that separates the best from the rest is a grasp on matchups and advance statistics.

Matchups obviously change on a daily basis. Keeping up with who's playing who is perhaps rule No. 1 to succeeding at DraftKings games. The next most important thing to grasp is advanced stats and how they can help you pick the best lineups.

This slideshow focuses on the two biggest advanced metrics for hitters and pitchers. With the help of these statistics and a focused game plan, you could be a winner when it comes to DraftKings.

For those who are unaware, here's a breakdown of how scoring works in MLB DraftKings contests, per the company website:

• "Hitters will accumulate points as follows:"

  • Single = +3 PTs
  • Double = +5 PTs
  • Triple = +8 PTs
  • Home Run = +10 PTs
  • Run Batted In = +2 PTs
  • Run = +2 PTs
  • Base on Balls = +2 PTs
  • Hit By Pitch = +2 PTs
  • Stolen Base = +5 PTs
  • Caught Stealing = -2 PTs

"

• Pitchers will accumulate points as follows:
  • Inning Pitched = +2.25 PTs
  • Strike Out = +2 PTs
  • Win = +4 PTs
  • Earned Run Allowed = -2 PTs
  • Hit Against = -0.6 PTs
  • Base on Balls Against = -0.6 PTs
  • Hit Batsman = -0.6 PTs
  • Complete Game = +2.5 PTs
  • Complete Game Shut Out = +2.5 PTs
  • No Hitter = +5 PTs

 Now it's time to see the metrics that'll help you win some dough.

"

Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA)

Michael E. Keating/Associated Press

The formula for Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA) looks menacing, but it's pretty lucid once you find out how it works. Here's a look at the formula to calculate:

(.7* (BB + HBP)) + (.9*1B) + (1.25*2B) + (1.6*3B + 2*HR)/PA

Objective

This statistic does an excellent job calculating a player's on-base efficiency.

Why it's Great for DraftKings

You might be thinking: "on-base percentage (OBP) and/or on-base percentage plus slugging (OPS) does that. Both stats do help with assessing a player's on-base efficiency, but wOBA takes the concept to the next level and fits in well with DraftKings' scoring format.

By adding an ascending point value for walks, hit-by-pitches, singles, doubles, etc., the wOBA is a great way to gauge how well a player has performed in a season, for a specific stretch and even against certain pitchers.

Washington Nationals superstar Bryce Harper is currently No. 1 in the majors with a wOBA of .485, per Fan Graphs. It totally backs up Harper's place as the most consistent DraftKings performer in the majors.

Harper is averaging 10.9 fantasy points per game this season.

Other Factors

You should still pay attention to how well a hitter has done against a specific pitcher and platoon stats. When incorporating wOBA with those matchups, you can really narrow down the best players to play.

Fly-Ball Percentage

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

What players hit the highest percentage of fair balls in the air? Here's how fly-ball percentage is calculated:

FB% = Fly Balls/(Ground Balls + Fly Balls)

Objective

To find the players who put the most balls in play that have a chance to be extra-base hits.

Why it's Good for DraftKings

Obviously, home runs are fly balls and a good deal of extra-base hits on a whole are hit in the air. Since extra-base hits score biggest in DraftKings, fly-ball percentage can be useful.

Other Factors

The Houston Astros' Chris Carter leads the majors in fly-ball percentage at 49.4, per Sporting Charts. Carter is a definite long ball threat as evidenced by his 15 dingers in 2015. That said, Carter is hitting just .185 on the season. He's also struck out 115 times in just 85 games.

Carter is the type of all-or-nothing guy that can set you up for failure. 

You'll need to check a player's strikeout rate, batting average, etc. In fact, the fly-ball percentage just might be a good tiebreaker for players with the same or a similar wOBA.

Pitcher Strikeout Percentage

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The strikeout can be the saving grace for fantasy owners. If your pitchers don't have their best stuff, or they're having trouble finding the strike zone, a big strikeout total will still produce a decent fantasy performance in most instances.

Here's how to determine a pitcher's strikeout percentage:

(Total Strikeouts) / (9 Innings Pitched)

Objective

Predictably, this metric is used to determine which pitcher strikeouts the highest percentage of the hitters they face.

Why it's Good for DraftKings

Pitchers like the Chicago White Sox are dominant for a bad team. Sale leads the majors with a strikeout percentage of 33.48. Because he'll often miss out on earning a decision, Sale's strikeout numbers help to compensate for the hurler not getting the points for earning victories.

Other Factors

This is one of the most straight-forward examples of an advanced statistic. However, you'll also want to look at things like walks and innings pitched. The latter is obviously a point producer and walks will subtract from your player's overall production

Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP)

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Max Scherzer has been the most dependable DK pitcher this season. He doesn't issue a ton of walks, strikes out a ton of hitters and eats up innings. He's a good study for the fielding independent pitching rating.

Here's how you can calculate a pitcher's FIP:

FIP= ((13HR + 3(BB+HBP) - 2K)/(IP)) + 3.10

Objective

FIP gauges how a pitcher would perform with an average defense behind them.

Why it's Good for DraftKings

Pitching to contact isn't ideal for pitchers in DK. DK players want hurlers who don't walk batters, give up a ton of hits and home runs. Also, recording a lot of strikeouts and eating up innings in every start are the traits that make a DK pitching stud.

A pitcher with a high FIP does well in most or all of those areas. Scherzer has the best FIP this season at 2.22, per Sporting Charts. Sale is just behind him at 2.24. 

Other Factors

The FIP formula validates that Sale and Scherzer are the majors most dominant players this season, but there's something you need to consider when drafting them. Will their team score enough runs against the opposition to win the game?

This is especially the case with Sale as his White Sox are under .500. If Sale and Scherzer are both pitching on a given day, you'll probably only be able to afford one of them.

It's going to make the most sense to draft Scherzer. The Nats likely have a better chance to win with Scherzer going than Sale does with Chicago.

---

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.