MLB Lineup First Thoughts - FRI 7/24/15

Fourteen game slate tonight on Draftkings, with a game at Coors as the Rockies host the Reds.  Definitely will want some exposure to that game.  Anthony DeSclafani has a career wOBA of .349 against lefties (with a 25% line drive rate, a 39% fly ball rate, and a 35% hard-hit rate).  This puts Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez and Ben Paulson on the radar.  Blackmon's price tage of $5,300 may price him out of the lineup, but Gonzo at $4,400 and Paulson at only $3,100 look like must plays.  I also like Troy Tulowitski at only $4,400, but DeSclafani is markedly better against righties than lefties, so I'm on the fence with him.

On the other side of the diamond, the Reds square off against arguably the worst SP of the night in Eddie Butler, who has allowed a .439 wOBA to lefties and a .365 wOBA to righties.  I love, love, love Joey Votto in this spot as he's been raking lately (five multi-hit games in his last six).  His $5,700 pricetag may be hard to squeeze into the lineup but I'm gonna try to make it happen.  Todd Frazier would be awesome, but at $5,800 he's gonna be impossible to fit in along with Votto.  Marlon Byrd is reasonably priced at $4,300 playing in Coors.  Other options are Eugenio Suarez at $4,300.  I like Jay Bruce too, but I can't see paying his $5,100 pricetag.

The other hitter who I'm initially targeting is Ian Kinsler against Rick Porcello and the Red Sox.  Kinsler is on fire lately going 10 for his last 20 with four 2Bs.  His wOBA is .553 over the past two weeks.  He's also got a solid history against Porcello with six hits in 10 ABs.  I like to ride Kinsler while he's hot.

Another team I'd like to target tonight is the Angels at home against Colby Lewis and the Rangers.  Lewis is one of the most hittable starting pitchers in baseball, and he has a terrible history against a few of the Angels hitters.  Unfortunately, Mike Trout, who is 9-for-24 with four XBHs against Lewis, is probably priced out of the lineup at $5,500.  Albert Pujols at $4,300 is an option (9-for-20 with two HRs against Lewis).  The best value and the guy most likely to be in my lineup is Kole Calhoun.  He's favorably priced at only $3,900, he's been hitting well of late with a .511 wOBA in the past 14 days, and he's got a great history against Lewis, going 9-for-19 with four XBHs.

With a few solid targets for the lineup, I'm gonna try and fit Max Scherzer and his $14,000 into one of the pitcher spots, but it may be hard to do if I want to roster Votto.  Several good options though on the slate.  Corey Kluber at $11,500 looks like a good option, but he's been hit around in the past by a few of the White Sox batters (Abreu 9-25 2 HR, Cabrera 7-15 double and a triple, Eaton 6-23 three doubles, two triples).  Chris Archer gest the Orioles at home with a $11,400 pricetag.  Over the last month of play, Archer has a 3.10 SIERA with a strikeout rate of 27.0%. He draws a favorable matchup tonight against the Orioles, who have the third-highest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season.  And Felix Hernandez at $10,700 gets a home date against the Blue Jays.  While I don't normally target a pitcher against the high-powered Jays offense, King Felix has pretty much stymied all of the Toronto bats in the past, holding current Jays players to a .212 BA and .647 OPS in 165 career ABs.

A couple of lower-priced options I have my eye on are Andrew Cashner at $7,200 at home against the Marlins and Tim Cooney at $6,600 at home against the Braves.  Cashner is always a guy I look at when he pitches at Petco, especially in a plus-matchup like the one he has tonight against Miami.  Cooney is a considerable favorite pitching at home against a Braves team that is ranked 29th on the season in wOBA against LHP.