Welcome to another edition of Bales’ Top GPP Play. In this article, I will outline my favorite MLB GPP play for today’s games. If you want all of my core plays along with our staff’s Final Thoughts article with access to our Discord, click here.
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Kevin Gausman
Gausman threw at an elite level for the San Francisco Giants in 2020. He posted a 3-3 record with a 3.62 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP over 12 games (10 starts). His numbers were backed by a 3.06 xFIP and a 3.24 SIERA. Gausman recorded 32.2% strikeout and 15.2% swinging-strike rates last season. He held his opponents to a 7.3% barrel rate, as well. Gausman was elite against right-handed batters in 2020, holding them to a 2.89 xFIP with a 33.1% strikeout rate. Unfortunately, he was worse on the road, although he still owned a 4.16 xFIP outside of San Francisco.
Gausman gets an interesting matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies tonight. They rank second on the slate in strikeouts per at-bat while ranking second-last in team wOBA. Gausman is a -109 favorite in a game set at 8.5 runs, giving Philadelphia an implied team total of 4.2 runs. Gausman hasn’t flashed as much strikeout potential this season, but he’s still posted 20+ fantasy points in 2 of his 3 starts. The Phillies boast a high upside offense, but Gausman is a solid tournament option on this small of a slate.
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