Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice – 8/22/16
Nick Rodriguez
It’s Monday again – but at least we have some baseball to watch and daily fantasy baseball to play! With no Coors to consider, here are my top pitchers and stacks for tonight’s slate.
Pitching Targets
Jon Lester FD 11000 DK 12500
Opponent – SD (Jackson) Park – @SD
FD – 37.8 DK – 24.59
Jon Lester is a chalky play tonight! He’s a heavy favorite (-230 money line) and will be pitching at pitcher-friendly Petco Park. This matchup is as good as it gets. He’s a heavy favorite, facing a team that’s top 5 in K% and going up against a team that owns a .298 wOBA (28th in MLB) in their last 30 contests. There’s really nothing more you can ask for. So yes, Lester is in play in our optimizer for all formats tonight.
David Price FD 10000 DK 11000
Opponent – TB (Snell) Park – @TB
FD – 38.78 DK – 25.69
Jon Lester is a clear-cut cash game play of the day, but there is another intriguing option that I like for tournaments. David Price.
David Price has had another David Price year. Sure, his ERA is 4.19, but his peripherals suggest that he’s having another great year. He’s sporting a 3.42 xFIP, to go along with a 24.0 K% and 3.54 SIERA. Not only is he cheaper than Lester, but he also draws a matchup that could make him the pitcher with the most fantasy point on the night.
Today, he’s going back home! He will be pitching at pitcher-friendly Tropicana Park, to take on the Rays. On the year, the Rays haven’t been all that great against southpaws. They’re sporting a .315 wOBA (22nd in MLB) and a 98 wRC+ (19th in MLB). Not only have they had some trouble against southpaws, but they also own a whooping 25.5 K% (highest in MLB) against them. This matchup sets Price up to do a whole lot of fanning, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he hit double-digit strikeout numbers tonight. He’s an excellent GPP play.
Stack Targets
Chicago Cubs vs. Edwin Jackson (SD)
What more could you ask for? One of the best offenses in the league will be going up against Edwin Jackson and his 5.41 xFIP? Maybe a cheaper price tag, but [wow] they are in an excellent spot.
The ballpark isn’t ideal, but we know what this offense is capable of. Plus, it’s Edwin Jackson we’re talking about. He owns a 1.51 WHIP on the year, to go along with a 10.6 BB% and 5.36 ERA. It will be tough salary-wise to go with a full-on Cubs stack, but if you’re going with a cheaper pitching option — the Cubs look great tonight.
My top 4 guys to stack: Ben Zobrist, Anthony Rizzo, Dexter Fowler and Kris Bryant**
Colorado Rockies vs. Jimmy Nelson(MIL)
This game might not be at Coors, but I still like a Rockies stack tonight. They will be going up against Jimmy Nelson, who has struggled this season. He’s very similar to Edwin Jackson: The walks are high as well as his WHIP. The only difference is that Nelson’s ERA and xFIP are lower than Jackson’s.
While this game might not be taking place at Coors, it’s still at a hitter-friendly park. Nelson has given up six runs in four out of his last five outings, so look for the Rockies to pounce on the struggling right-hander.
My top 4 guys to stack: D.J. LeMahieu, Carlos Gonzalez, Nolan Arenado and David Dahl.