Pitcher
Justin’s Pick: Collin McHugh
McHugh looked outstanding in his first start this season, scoring 22.9 DK points in only five innings. The Houston Astros are known for getting the most out of their pitchers in terms of strikeouts, and McHugh needed only five innings to post nine strikeouts in his first game. He gets a plus matchup against the Oakland A’s in a pitcher friendly stadium tonight, and they rank as an average team in terms of strikeouts per at-bat against right-handed pitching. McHugh is also a -158 favorite in a game set at 8.5 runs. The A’s feature an implied run total of only 3.8 runs, and McHugh is the perfect pitcher to pair with Thornton tonight.
Jason’s Reaction: McHugh makes a strong option tonight. Agreed he makes a great pairing with Thornton for their prices.
Jason’s Pick: Trent Thornton
Trent Thornton makes for an interesting tournament option tonight against the Cleveland Indians. The Indians are currently the third worst team in the league at securing hits, sporting a .174 batting average as a unit. They’re actually slightly worse than that specifically against right-handed pitching at .169. Thornton is currently sitting on an incredible 14.4 K/9, and he did not allow a single run in his MLB debut, earning 26.1 fantasy points over 5 innings. While his pitch count is rather limited, and his spot on the Toronto Blue Jays starting rotation should also be limited, he has an incredible curveball, which helps him secure strikeouts, and even without run support, he should be able to hit value. His price tag is about as low as it gets, which opens up plenty of opportunity at the second pitcher position, as well as stacking options.
Justin’s Reaction: Thornton isn’t my favorite option, but I can 100% see why you’d use him in GPPs tonight.
Infielder
Justin’s Pick: Christian Walker
Walker has caught fire to start the season, as he owns a .368 average with a .947 slugging percentage and a 1.347 OPS through six games. He has also posted an elite 71.4% extra-base hits rate with three home runs. He gets a plus matchup against Rick Porcello, and Walker has been at his best against right-handed pitching. He enters this game with 0.203 wOBA and 0.132 ISO differentials against righties. Walker is expected to hit fifth in the Arizona Diamondbacks lineup, and he’ll be playing in a hitter friendly stadium tonight. He makes a strong option in all leagues.
Jason’s Reaction: Walker is a high upside option, who has been on fire. Great recommendation.
Jason’s Pick: Neil Walker
Neil Walker is a great high-upside option for tournaments tonight based on a few factors. First, his ISO differential against right-handed pitching is 0.108, and his wOBA differential is 0.103. He is hitting third for the Miami Marlins right now, which gives him the added bonus of potential RBIs, and he has the power to take Kevin Gausman deep, especially as Gausman is coming off of a shoulder injury. Walker is currently hitting far more fly balls than he typically does, which is generally not a great indicator that he is seeing the ball all that well, but he does have one home run, and he is averaging around one home run per 10 fly balls hit in his career. His home run per fly ball percentage is 16.7 right now, and he is hitting 60 percent fly balls. Add in that he doesn’t have to hit in Miami tonight, and he could be in for a surprising fantasy outing.
Justin’s Reaction: Walker makes a strong tournament option tonight.
Outfielder
Justin’s Pick: Ryan Braun
The sample size is extremely limited, but Braun is hitting .308 with a .538 slugging percentage and an .846 OPS through four home games. He’ll be playing in Milwaukee’s hitter friendly stadium once again tonight, where he is both consistent with upside. Furthermore, Braun gets a great matchup against Jose Quintana, and he enters this game with 0.05 wOBA and 0.079 ISO differentials against lefties. Braun is expected to hit third in the Brewers lineup, and he’s a player that comes with tremendous upside in this particular matchup.
Jason’s Reaction: I have no issues with Braun in tournaments.
Jason’s Pick: Shin-Soo Choo
I recommended Shin-Soo Choo on the last Battle of the Bales article, and the reasoning for this back-to-back recommendation remains the same. Choo is seeing the ball extremely well right now, and of recent, those hard hit balls are starting to fall. He has four hits in his last three games, three of which are extra base hits. He comes with added stolen base potential, as well as added at-bat potential due to him hitting lead off for the Texas Rangers. I will continue to recommend and roster Choo in all formats – both cash games and tournaments – until his price tag starts to come up or his hard hit rate comes down.
Justin’s Reaction: I love Choo for his current price tag.
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