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MLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 22

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
August special! Use Code MCMLB50 at checkout

If you are playing in a head-to-head fantasy league, using starting pitchers that have two starts in a week can give you a significant edge over your opponent. Here are some starters who will each start two games in the week ahead that you should either target or avoid for your lineup.

Starters With Favorable Matchups

MLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 22

Zack Wheeler, New York Mets: vs. SF, vs. WAS

Not much has gone right for the Mets this season, but Wheeler has made significant improvements. After finishing with a 5.21 ERA and a 5.03 FIP in 2017, he has a 3.75 ERA and a 3.43 FIP this year. Not only has he reduced his WHIP from 1.59 to 1.23, but he’s only allowed 0.8 HR/9 compared to 1.6 HR/9 last year. He’s on a hot streak right now, as well, allowing five runs and recording 30 strikeouts over 33 innings in his last five starts. His first start of Week 22 is a fantastic matchup considering the Giants have the third-lowest OPS on the road (.664) in baseball. The Nationals are certainly a tougher opponent, but they’ve only averaged 4.4 runs over their last 10 games.

Carlos Rodon, Chicago White Sox: vs. MIN, at DET

Rodon enters Week 22 having allowed three runs or fewer in seven straight starts. He has a sparkling 2.69 ERA overall, but his 4.17 FIP and .210 opponents’ BABIP would suggest luck has been on his side. His 7.2 K/9 is by far the lowest mark of his career, but his 9.7% swinging-strike rate is almost right on par with his career average. Some regression might be in his future, but it’s not likely to start this week. The Twins have the sixth-lowest OPS against lefties (.683) and the Tigers have scored the fourth-fewest runs overall (484) in the league.

Kevin Gausman, Atlanta Braves: at PIT, at MIA

Gausman has shown improvement since joining the Braves, allowing five runs across 19 innings in three starts. He only had 12 total strikeouts, but it’s very encouraging that he also allowed just one home run. Homers have been a problem for him this season since he’s allowed 1.4 HR/9 overall. The move from the American League to the National League can provide a big boost for pitchers, which could be the case even more so for Gausman since he was pitching in the AL East. Both the Pirates and the Marlins are in the bottom-third in baseball in home runs and the Marlins struggle to score runs, in general, leaving Gausman with the potential for a valuable week.

Tyler Anderson, Colorado Rockies: vs. SD, vs. STL

Anderson isn’t exactly at the top of his game right now as he’s allowed 21 runs over 20.1 innings in his last four starts. It’s no coincidence that three of those outings came on the road. Anderson actually has thrived pitching at Coors Field, posting a 3.47 ERA there compared to a 5.37 ERA on the road. He had similar splits last year with a 5.44 ERA on the road and a 4.14 ERA at home. The Padres struggle to score runs and have the second-most strikeouts (1,190) in baseball, leaving Anderson with a great matchup in his first start of the week. The Cardinals will be a tougher foe, but Anderson is still available in 69% of Yahoo! leagues and is someone to consider streaming if you need a starter.

Starters to Avoid

MLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 22

Shane Bieber, Cleveland Indians: at BOS, at KC

Bieber has an unsightly 1.41 WHIP this season, but he’s been extremely unlucky with opponents posting a .372 BABIP against him. He has allowed a 42.2% hard-hit rate, though, an area he’ll need to improve on to start lowering that BABIP. He has shown good control by issuing 2.0 BB/9 to go along with a 9.4 K/9. His second start of the week against the Royals stands out as a great matchup, but he’ll have to face the Red Sox in Fenway Park first. The Red Sox have the second-highest OPS at home (.829) and the highest OPS against righties (.816), which could prove disastrous for Bieber. It might be wise to keep him anchored to your bench as a result.

Nathan Eovaldi, Boston Red Sox: vs. CLE, at TB

Eovaldi started off his Red Sox tenure with a bang, throwing 15 shutouts innings in his first two starts. His last two haven’t gone nearly as well as he allowed 11 runs (five earned) across 7.2 innings. His 1.04 WHIP overall this season would be the best mark of his career, but it’s been aided by an abnormally low .265 opponents’ BABIP. The Indians present a dangerous matchup because even though they haven’t been as good offensively on the road, they still have the third-most runs scored (628) in baseball. The Rays aren’t a bad matchup, but with Eovaldi having to face the Indians and his general lack of strikeout upside, he may not be worth the risk.

Robbie Erlin, San Diego Padres: at COL, at LAD

Erlin has pitched mostly out of the bullpen this season, but he’s done a nice job with a 3.33 ERA that is supported by a 3.12 FIP. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three straight starts, but he’s not someone to consider streaming this week. The Rockies have a .812 OPS at home and a .803 OPS against left-handed pitchers, both of which are in the top-three in baseball. Facing the Dodgers won’t be much easier as they have scored the seventh-most runs (594) in the league.

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

August special! Use Code MCMLB50 at checkout

With 14 games for the main slate Friday in DFS, there are a lot of options to wade through for your entry. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

STARTING PITCHERS

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

Nathan Eovaldi vs. Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $8,700
DraftKings = $9,700

Eovaldi has yet to allow a run since being traded. The fact that one of his two starts with the Red Sox came against the Yankees makes that even more impressive. He has a 3.38 ERA overall that has been aided by a sparkling 0.89 WHIP. That will likely be hard for him to sustain, though, since opponents only have a .230 BABIP against him. The good news is he gets to face an Orioles lineup that wasn’t great, to begin with, then traded away their two best hitters in Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop. His strikeout upside is limited, but this is still a matchup to exploit.

Zach Eflin vs. San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $8,500
DraftKings = $8,500

Eflin was a disaster over 11 starts last year with a 6.16 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP. He’s shown significant improvement this year with a 3.61 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Not only has he cut down his rate of home runs allowed, but he has also increased his K/9 from 4.9 last season to 8.3 this year. His 10.1% swinging-strike rate is almost three percentage points higher than it was in 2017. The Padres have struck out the third-most times (1,097) in baseball and have the second-lowest OPS against righties (.659), making Eflin an excellent option to consider.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

Matt Carpenter vs. Burch Smith, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $4,700
DraftKings = $5,800

There are few hitters in baseball that are hotter than Carpenter right now. He is 10-for-29 (.345) with five home runs during his current seven-game hitting streak. His 63 RBI don’t stand out, but he’s hitting for a ton of power with 31 home runs and 33 doubles. With Burch’s 1.53 WHIP and 1.8 HR/9, Carpenter is someone to build your lineup around.

Matt Olson vs. Felix Pena, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $4,200

Olson’s .235 average this season has been a disappointment, but he’s 10-for-33 (.303) with four doubles and a home run over his last nine games. His power numbers are virtually the same whether he’s been on the road or at home this season, but he’s hit for a higher average on the road at .256. That’s been a common theme for the A’s as they have much better offensive stats as a team on the road. Olson also has a .351 wOBA against right-handed pitching, leaving him as an intriguing option if you don’t want to pay up for Carpenter.

Others to consider: Jake Bauers (first base) and Yadier Molina (catcher)

SECOND BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

Whit Merrifield vs. Austin Gomber, St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,800

Merrifield only has seven home runs this year, but he hasn’t been completely devoid of power with 31 doubles. He’s batting .300 with 25 steals and he’s shown a better eye at the plate, almost doubling his walk rate from 2017. He has a stellar .406 wOBA against left-handed pitching and could provide value against Gomber and his 1.37 WHIP.

Kolten Wong vs. Burch Smith, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $2,300
DraftKings = $3,600

With Smith on the mound Friday, the Cardinals present an excellent stacking opportunity. Carpenter is their big ticket player to target, but Wong is a strong candidate to outproduce his price point. His .229 average and seven home runs don’t jump off the page, but he’s batting .349 over his last 18 games.

Others to consider: Scooter Gennett and Joey Wendle

THIRD BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

Eduardo Escobar vs. Anthony DeSclafani, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,400

Escobar is still looking for his first home run since being traded to the Diamondbacks, but he’s batting an impressive .333 with five doubles since joining his new team. The switch-hitting third baseman has a .377 wOBA against righties this year and DeSclafani has allowed a .410 to left-handed batters, setting up Escobar nicely to continue his recent run of success.

David Freese vs. Derek Holland, San Francisco Giants
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $2,300
DraftKings = $3,900

Freese came through Thursday with a big performance, finishing 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. He’s come on strong down the stretch, batting .343 with three home runs and two doubles across his last 10 games. With his career .363 wOBA against left-handed pitchers, he’s a great cheap option with upside in tournament play.

Others to consider: Mike Moustakas and Rafael Devers

SHORTSTOP

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

Andrelton Simmons vs. Brett Anderson, Oakland Athletics
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $4,200

Anderson tossed seven scoreless innings in his last start against the Tigers, but he had only two strikeouts against what is not an imposing lineup by any means. He’s generally had trouble keeping runners off base this season with a 1.48 WHIP and he’s not fooling many batters with a 4.4 K/9. Simmons doesn’t strike out much and he has a .364 wOBA against lefties, so he could be on base plenty in this game.

Asdrubal Cabrera vs. Jacob Nix, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,300

With the Padres desperate for starting pitching, Nix will make his major league debut Friday despite starting only one game at Triple-A. He had a 2.05 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP across nine starts at Double-A, but his 7.0 K/9 at that level doesn’t exactly foster a lot of confidence. The Phillies could be in for a big night, including Cabrera, who has a .366 wOBA against righties.

Others to consider: Paul DeJong and Carlos Correa

OUTFIELD

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

Khris Davis vs. Felix Pena, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $5,000

Davis is doing his best to get the A’s back into the playoffs, batting .311 with 12 home runs since July 1. His walk rate is down, but he’s also cut down on his strikeouts to boost his batting average to .256, which would be his highest mark since he played in only 56 games for the Brewers in 2013. Davis actually has better numbers against right-handed pitching and Pena has allowed 1.5 HR/9 for his career, leaving Davis with plenty of potential Friday.

David Peralta vs. Anthony DeSclafani
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $5,500

Peralta had a power outage with just one home run in July, but he’s already gone deep three times so far in August. He has a career-high 19 homers overall and is still hitting for a high average at .306. With DeSclafani’s struggles against left-handed hitters already detailed, Peralta stands out among outfield options, although he is pricey on DraftKings.

Mallex Smith vs. Marco Estrada, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $4,600

Smith continues to find ways to get on base, going 1-for-2 with two walks Thursday. He doesn’t hit for any power, but he does have nine runs scored and seven stolen bases across his last nine games. Estrada is having another subpar season with a 4.65 ERA and a 4.64 FIP and he doesn’t have an overwhelming arsenal with a 6.6 K/9, so don’t be surprised if Smith finds himself on base a couple of times again in this contest.

Others to consider: Christian Yelich and Justin Upton

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/2/18

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

July special! Use Code MCMLB50 at checkout

Monday brings a light slate in the majors with only 10 games, nine of which make up the main evening slate in DFS. There may be fewer options to choose from than normal, but there are still some great matchups you can take advantage of. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

STARTING PITCHERS

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/2/18

Corey Kluber vs. Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $11,200
DraftKings = $12,500

Kluber’s last start was a disaster as he allowed six runs in only 1.2 innings to the Cardinals. It marked the second time in his last three games that Kluber has allowed at least four earned runs after having allowed three runs or fewer in each of his first 14 outings. Even with his recent brief rough patch, Kluber still has outstanding numbers with a 2.54 ERA, 3.29 FIP, and a 0.86 WHIP. The Royals have scored the fewest runs (288) in baseball, so look for Kluber to get back on track in a major way.

Nathan Eovaldi vs. Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $6,300
DraftKings = $8,700

Eovaldi has been inconsistent since returning from Tommy John surgery, but his 4.08 ERA, 4.87 FIP and 0.82 WHIP in six starts is certainly respectable since he hadn’t pitched since 2016. The Rays rotation has been hit hard by injuries, leaving Eovaldi as one of the few healthy traditional starters they have left. He doesn’t have significant strikeout potential with a 6.6 K/9 for his career, but this is a great matchup against a Marlins team that has scored the third-fewest runs (311) in baseball.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/2/18

Wilson Ramos vs. Wei-Yin Chen, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $3,900

Chen pitched well in his last start, but he’ll likely be a popular pitcher to stack against Monday with his 6.17 ERA and 1.62 WHIP this season. He doesn’t strike out many hitters with a 6.6 K/9 and has allowed 1.6 HR/9, which is especially damaging considering his WHIP. Ramos is having one of the best seasons of his career and has a .380 wOBA against left-handed pitchers this year, making him a key part of any Rays stack you might consider.

Yonder Alonso vs. Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $3,800

Junis has allowed at least five runs in three of his last four starts, giving up at least three home runs in all three of those contests as well. He has a 2.1 HR/9 this year and allowed 1.4 HR/9 in 2017, so this isn’t just an isolated bad stretch. Alonso has hit nine of his 12 homers off of righties and has a .355 wOBA against them this season, leaving him as a viable option at a reasonable price on both sites.

Others to consider: Edwin Encarnacion (first base) and Greg Bird (first base)

SECOND BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/2/18

Scooter Gennett vs. James Shields, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $5,000

Shields’ time with the White Sox had largely been a disaster, but he’s shown significant improvement this year with a 4.29 ERA, 4.44 FIP, and a 1.24 WHIP. That being said, he’s still not a dominating pitcher by any stretch of the imagination and will have no easy task against Gennett on Monday. Gennett has a lofty .332 average to go along with 13 homers and a .371 wOBA against right-handers.

Gleyber Torres vs. Anibal Sanchez, Atlanta Braves
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,200

There aren’t a lot of great cheap options at second base Monday, so if you don’t want to add Gennett to your entry, Torres is another option to consider. He went deep again Sunday night and incredibly has 15 home runs already after never hitting more than 11 in a season in the minors. Sanchez has a sparkling 2.68 ERA this year, but he’s been a bit lucky considering his 4.05 FIP and .238 BABIP allowed.

Others to consider: Jason Kipnis and Yoan Moncada

THIRD BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/2/18

Max Muncy vs. Nick Kingham, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – Dodger Stadium
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $4,600

Muncy has played at various positions for the Dodgers as they try to keep his hot bat in the lineup. He was declared the everyday second baseman over the weekend, locking him into a significant role that he has earned by hitting .273 with 17 home runs and a .416 OBP. With his .419 wOBA against righties, don’t hesitate to play him against Kingham.

Matt Duffy vs. Wei-Yin Chen, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $4,000

Duffy doesn’t get much hype, mainly because he has just four home runs this year. He’s played very well for the Rays, though, batting a career-high .321. He was particularly hot in June by hitting .340 with a .394 OBP. Currently on a 10-game hitting streak, he is a great cheaper option if you want to save money at third base, especially on FanDuel.

Others to consider: Jose Ramirez and Miguel Andujar

SHORTSTOP

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/2/18

Francisco Lindor vs. Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $4,500
DraftKings = $5,400

With Junis’ recent struggles, he’s another great stacking target. Lindor has been not only one of the best hitters on his team, but he’s been one of the best hitters in all of baseball with a .296 average to go along with 21 home runs and 10 steals. He has scored exactly 99 runs in both of the last two seasons but is on pace to blow past that mark with 70 runs already this year. Although he has better numbers against lefties, his .376 wOBA against righties still makes him a great option Monday.

Willy Adames vs. Wei-Yin Chen, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,700

With Chen on the mound, it might be a good idea to target a couple of cheap hitters on the Rays who can help you fill out the rest of your lineup with high-priced studs. Adames is cheap on both sites and while he hasn’t taken off yet in his first taste of action in the majors, Chen has allowed a .398 wOBA to righties.

Others to consider: Trevor Story and Didi Gregorius

OUTFIELD

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/2/18

Aaron Judge vs. Anibal Sanchez, Atlanta Braves
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $5,000
DraftKings = $5,300

Simply put, Judge loves hitting at Yankee Stadium. He hit .312 with 33 home runs there in last year and is batting .357 with 15 home runs there so far this season. Don’t worry that he doesn’t have the platoon advantage against Sanchez as Judge’s wOBA against righties (.422) is actually much higher than it is against lefties (.367) for his career.

Nick Markakis vs. Jonathan Loaisiga, New York Yankees
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,500

Injuries have forced the Yankees to insert Loaisiga into their starting rotation even though he had never pitched above Double-A. He had an 11.5 K/9 there before being called up and has carried that success over with an 11.6 K/9 through three starts. Two of his three starts came against the Rays and Phillies, so this will be a tougher test against the Braves. Markakis has a .361 wOBA against righties this year, leaving him as a viable option to consider for your lineup.

Lonnie Chisenhall vs. Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $2,500
DraftKings = $3,400

Whenever a righty is on the mound, Chisenhall is a cheap option to target for your outfield. He’s only played 29 games this season due to injury, but he’s hit well with a .321 average and a .394 OBP. He still only has one home run, but he has a .368 wOBA against righties.

Others to consider: Joc Pederson and Jesse Winker

MLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 15

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
June special! Use Code PAMLB30 at checkout

If you are playing in a head-to-head fantasy league, using starting pitchers that have two starts in a week can give you a significant edge over your opponent. Here are some starters who will each start two games in the week ahead that you should either target or avoid for your lineup.

Starters With Favorable Matchups

MLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 15

Robbie Ray, Arizona Diamondbacks: vs. STL, vs. SD

After missing almost two months with an oblique injury, Ray returned to face the Marlins last week. It was a great matchup for his first game back and he took full advantage, striking out six batters in six scoreless innings. Ray had a breakout campaign last year, finishing with a 2.89 ERA, 3.72 FIP, and a 1.15 WHIP. He provided a ton of strikeouts with a 12.1 K/9 and he’s been even better this season with a 13.6 K/9 across seven starts. The Cardinals have the fifth-lowest OPS against left-handed pitchers (.676) in baseball and the Padres have scored the fifth-fewest runs (321) overall, setting Ray up for an excellent Week 15.

Zach Eflin, Philadelphia Phillies: vs. BAL, at PIT

Eflin couldn’t have pitched much worse than he did in 2017, posting a 6.16 ERA, 6.10 FIP and a 1.42 WHIP across 11 starts. He wasn’t a big strikeout pitcher either with a 4.9 K/9. With tremendous improvement in that area leading to a 9.1 K/9, Eflin has a 3.02 ERA, 2.86 FIP, and a 1.13 WHIP this season. His .295 opponents BABIP is right in line with his career mark, which is good news for his prognosis moving forward. He was particularly hot in the month of June, recording a 1.76 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP in five starts. The Orioles have scored the second-fewest runs (305) in baseball and the Pirates are in the bottom-third in terms of OPS against righties, so look for Eflin to continue his recent run of success.

Kyle Gibson, Minnesota Twins: at MIL, vs. BAL

Like Eflin, Gibson was bad last year with a 5.07 ERA, 4.85 FIP, and a 1.53 WHIP. It marked his second straight season with a WHIP of at least 1.53 and an ERA of 5.07. He’s taken his game in the opposite direction this year with a 3.48 ERA, 3.87 FIP, and a 1.24 WHIP. Not only has his ability to limit baserunners been a key part of his success, but he also has a career-high 8.7 K/9 after never finishing a season with a K/9 higher than 6.9. He allowed five runs in his last start against the White Sox, but he did pitch seven innings and recorded seven strikeouts. He had allowed three runs or fewer in each of his previous six outings. The Brewers aren’t exactly a bad offensive team, but they are middle of the pack in terms of runs scored. With the weak Orioles lineup in his second start, Gibson is a streaming option with upside who is still available in 67% of Yahoo! leagues.

Nathan Eovaldi, Tampa Bay Rays: at MIA, at NYM

Eovaldi has had his ups and downs since returning from Tommy John surgery, but his overall numbers aren’t bad as he has a 4.08 ERA, 4.87 FIP and a 0.82 WHIP in six starts. The Rays rotation is a mess due to injuries, leaving Eovaldi as one of the few healthy traditional starters they have left. He doesn’t have great strikeout potential with a 6.6 K/9 for his career, but you don’t see many better two-start weeks than this. He’ll get to avoid the DH pitching in two National League stadiums and he’ll also get to face two of the bottom-four teams in runs scored. Eovaldi is still available in 75% of Yahoo! leagues and could provide a big boost in Week 15.

Starters to Avoid

MLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 15

Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals: vs. CLE, vs. BOS

Junis had a stretch of success early on this season, but he’s allowed at least five runs in three of his last four starts. He allowed at least three home runs in all three of those games and has a 2.1 HR/9 overall. He allowed 1.4 HR/9 in 2017, so this isn’t just an isolated bad stretch. The Indians and Red Sox are both in the top-three in home runs and the top-six in runs scored, so make sure Junis is anchored to your bench.

Clayton Richard, San Diego Padres: at OAK, at ARI

Richard had his best month of the season in June, posting a 3.27 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in five starts. Two of those outings came against the Braves, making his success even more impressive. His overall numbers don’t stand out, but he hasn’t been bad either with a 4.29 ERA, 3.88 FIP, and a 1.23 WHIP. He’ll have to deal with the DH playing in Oakland for his first start, which is no easy task since the Athletics are tied for the fifth-most home runs (112) in baseball. Despite their struggles to score runs earlier this year, the Diamondbacks have the eight-highest OPS against lefties (.764). Since Richard doesn’t provide much in the way of strikeouts, this may be a good week to keep him out of your lineup.

Anibal Sanchez, Atlanta Braves: at NYY, at MIL

Sanchez was hit hard as a member of the Tigers last year, finishing with a 6.41 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. The Braves have a lot of talented young starters coming up through their system. but decided to take a flier on Sanchez to provide veteran depth. It’s proven to be an excellent signing so far as Sanchez has a 2.68 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP in nine appearances, eight of which are starts. He has been a bit lucky, though, based on his 4.05 FIP and .238 BABIP allowed. This could be the week his numbers start to take a turn for the worse since he will face Yankees in Yankee Stadium for his first start. That game alone makes him someone to avoid.