Welcome to another edition of Bales’ Top GPP plays. In this article, I will outline my favorite MLB GPP plays 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.
JT Brubaker
Brubaker has seen mixed results this season, allowing 8 earned runs over 15 innings while striking out 16 batters. He owns a 4.80 ERA with a 4.58 xFIP and a 4.49 SIERA through 5 games (3 starts). He does boast a 23.5% strikeout rate to go along with a 9.8% swinging-strike rate in 2020. Brubaker has seen limited innings in his rookie season but he has held right-handed batters to a 4.01 xFIP as opposed to a 5.03 xFIP to lefties. He’s also found more success on the road, but his innings are far too limited to trust whatsoever.
Brubaker gets a matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers, who lead the slate in strikeouts per at-bat while featuring an average offense in terms of team wOBA on this slate. They’re an offense that hasn’t been overly dominant in recent games either. Brubaker is a +158 underdog in a game set at 9 runs, giving Milwaukee an implied team total of 5.2 runs tonight. His pitch count jumped from 57 to 76 in his last start, suggesting he could throw 80+ pitches in this game. There are a few chalky options at pitcher tonight, and this recommendation will get away from that ownership. Brubaker scored 14 fantasy points in his last matchup against the Brewers, and he could be in line for an even better start tonight.
Jacob Stallings
Stallings has quietly performed well for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He’s hitting for a .433 average with a .533 slugging percentage and a 1.002 OPS over his last 10 games. He owns one home run and seven RBIs over that span. Stallings ended 2019 with a .340 average, .596 slugging percentage, and .963 OPS against left-handed pitching. He also recorded a .399 wOBA and a .255 ISO against lefties last season.
Stallings gets a great matchup against Brett Anderson tonight. Anderson allowed right-handed batters to hit for a .280 average with a .441 slugging percentage and a .325 wOBA in 2019. Stallings is currently expected to hit sixth in the Pittsburgh lineup, adding to hit upside. He’s been a consistent option but his price tag doesn’t represent that. He’s more or less a free square at catcher, making it weird he isn’t projected for more ownership at the moment.
Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers has only played in 6 games this season, recording a .100 average with a .150 slugging percentage and a .250 OPS. He doesn’t have any extra-base hits but owns two RBIs. Rodgers is only hitting for a .188 average with a .219 slugging percentage and a .454 OPS against left-handed pitching throughout his short career. He does own a .244/.268/.579 line in Colorado, though.
Rodgers gets a matchup against Adrian Morejon, who has seen limited innings in the MLB. Throughout his career, he has given up a .281 average with a .438 slugging percentage and a .353 wOBA to right-handed batters. He’s also given up a .317/.488/.344 line on the road. Rodgers is only expected to hit seventh in the Colorado Rockies lineup tonight, which should help keep his ownership low. He’s still a Coors bat with an extremely cheap price tag, meaning he’s an outstanding tournament option if he’s going to go overlooked.
Alex Verdugo
Verdugo has been playing well, posting a .289 average with a .447 slugging percentage and a .819 OPS over his last 10 games. He boasts six extra-base hits, four RBIs, and one stolen base in those games. Verdugo was a reverse splits hitter in 2019, but still posted a .281 average with a .471 slugging percentage and a .807 OPS against right-handed pitching. He ended the season with a .337 wOBA and a .190 ISO against righties, as well.
Verdugo gets a plus matchup against Anibal Sanchez, who allowed left-handed batters to hit for a .248 average with a .433 slugging percentage and a .311 wOBA last season. Verdugo, who has found more success against right-handed pitching in 2020, is expected to lead off for the Boston Red Sox. He has been a consistent option in recent games but comes with more home run power than he’s flashed over that span. He’s a great GPP option.
Kole Calhoun
Calhoun has scored fantasy points in each of his last 10 games, recording a .194 average with a .452 slugging percentage and a .827 OPS. He owns four extra-base hits (two home runs) and two RBIs over that span. Calhoun was at his best against right-handed pitching in 2019, posting a .240 average with a .486 slugging percentage and a .816 OPS. He also recorded a .337 wOBA and a .245 ISO against righties last season.
Calhoun gets a great matchup against Trevor Cahill. Cahill allowed left-handed batters to hit for a .296 average with a .598 slugging percentage and a .389 wOBA in 2019. Calhoun is expected to lead off for the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight. He’s a consistent option who comes with plenty of upside. He’ll go overlooked on a Coors slate, though.
SuperDraft
Josh Fuentes (2x)
Fuentes has only played in 4 games in 2020, hitting for a .273 average with a .364 slugging percentage and a .636 OPS. He owns one extra-base hit with one stolen base. In his short time in the MLB, Fuentes is only hitting for a .107 average with a .143 slugging percentage and a .250 OPS against left-handed pitching. With that being said, he owns a .276/.517/.817 line in Colorado.
Fuentes gets a plus matchup against Adrian Morejon, who has been outlined under the Brendan Rodgers recommendation. Fuentes is expected to hit sixth in the Colorado Rockies lineup and he gets a 2x multiplier on SuperDraft. He’ll go overlooked because he isn’t a household name but he makes an elite option with some power and speed.
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