The matchups and statistical data were pulled Saturday morning. Please be aware the matchups are subject to change. The original post can be found at TTFB.
Top Starters
|
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Opp. |
ERA |
K% |
BB% |
|
1 |
TEX |
SEA, @HOU |
2.72 |
32.7% |
8.5% |
|
|
2 |
STL |
@CHC, PIT |
2.66 |
22.6% |
3.0% |
|
|
3 |
DET |
KC, @CWS |
2.84 |
28.9% |
5.8% |
|
|
4 |
SF |
@MIA, @WSH |
2.75 |
24.7% |
7.4% |
|
|
5 |
CWS |
@MIN, DET |
2.77 |
26.6% |
5.8% |
|
|
6 |
PHI |
LAD, @ATL |
3.81 |
21.1% |
6.2% |
|
|
7 |
DET |
KC, @CWS |
3.50 |
18.4% |
4.2% |
|
|
8 |
CIN |
@MIL, @CHC |
3.73 |
24.2% |
5.4% |
|
|
9 |
ATL |
WSH, PHI |
2.96 |
21.3% |
5.3% |
|
|
10 |
CIN |
@MIL, @CHC |
3.21 |
23.3% |
7.4% |
|
|
11 |
NYY |
@BOS, LAA |
2.45 |
17.7% |
4.8% |
|
|
12 |
WSH |
@ATL, SF |
3.52 |
24.4% |
9.3% |
|
|
13 |
LAD |
@PHI |
1.91 |
25.0% |
5.6% |
|
|
14 |
NYM |
@LAD |
2.09 |
29.3% |
4.8% |
|
|
15 |
LAA |
@NYY |
2.90 |
18.7% |
5.8% |
|
|
16 |
TB |
SEA |
3.37 |
19.1% |
3.2% |
|
|
17 |
WSH |
@ATL |
3.02 |
25.7% |
7.6% |
|
|
18 |
PHI |
LAD |
3.13 |
23.4% |
4.0% |
|
|
19 |
SEA |
@TEX |
2.39 |
25.7% |
4.9% |
|
|
20 |
ATL |
WSH |
2.76 |
23.1% |
5.2% |
|
|
21 |
MIA |
@KC |
2.58 |
27.0% |
8.9% |
|
|
22 |
DET |
KC-2 |
3.74 |
22.4% |
8.6% |
|
|
23 |
KC |
MIA |
2.97 |
19.1% |
5.4% |
|
|
24 |
STL |
PIT |
2.89 |
26.8% |
7.1% |
Additional Information: Cole Hamels has quietly been extremely effective. In his past 12 starts, he has a 2.85 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 21.6 percent strikeout rate and 4.6 percent walk rate. The Washington Nationals have the lowest OPS against left-handed pitching in the majors (.643 OPS), which bodes well for Mike Minor owners this week. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch Shelby Miller is healing nicely and will most likely be ready to make his scheduled start against the Pirates. After a rough patch in June, Miller has returned to form with a 2.78 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 24.2 percent strike out rate.
Backend Starters
|
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Opp. |
ERA |
K% |
BB% |
|
25 |
CLE |
@OAK, @MIN |
3.28 |
33.3% |
3.9% |
|
|
26 |
OAK |
CLE, HOU |
2.75 |
13.3% |
4.0% |
|
|
27 |
BAL |
COL, @ARI |
4.10 |
16.9% |
6.6% |
|
|
28 |
SF |
@MIA |
4.47 |
22.2% |
7.7% |
|
|
29 |
DET |
KC |
2.58 |
27.0% |
7.6% |
|
|
30 |
PIT |
ARI |
2.73 |
26.2% |
8.9% |
|
|
31 |
WSH |
SF |
3.10 |
18.6% |
4.7% |
|
|
32 |
TEX |
MIL |
3.09 |
19.0% |
5.8% |
|
|
33 |
LAD |
NYM |
2.99 |
20.3% |
7.2% |
|
|
34 |
LAA |
@NYY |
3.49 |
21.6% |
8.7% |
|
|
35 |
STL |
PIT |
3.78 |
22.4% |
8.3% |
|
|
36 |
TEX |
SEA |
3.02 |
22.6% |
6.8% |
|
|
37 |
BOS |
NYY |
3.21 |
22.5% |
5.2% |
|
|
38 |
LAD |
@PHI |
3.40 |
18.6% |
6.9% |
|
|
39 |
STL |
@CHC |
2.99 |
16.3% |
8.5% |
|
|
40 |
SEA |
@TB |
2.75 |
21.8% |
4.4% |
|
|
41 |
DET |
@CWS |
4.28 |
17.0% |
4.8% |
|
|
42 |
OAK |
HOU |
4.02 |
15.6% |
8.5% |
|
|
43 |
ATL |
WSH |
3.21 |
25.9% |
8.2% |
|
|
44 |
BOS |
@TOR |
4.14 |
22.1% |
5.1% |
|
|
45 |
KC |
@DET-2 |
3.36 |
19.6% |
7.3% |
Additional Information: Danny Salazar has electric stuff. His fastball sits in the mid 90s and can touch 100 mph. Most importantly, according to Jason Parks at Baseball Prospectus, Salazar can “dial it up and dial it down, depending on the situation,” which indicates he’s a pitcher and not a thrower. Salazar features a change-up and slider to go along with his near elite fastball. The change-up is the better secondary pitch right now, but both pitches are good enough to keep batters from sitting on the fastball. He should be owned in all formats. Interesting factoid: Jarrod Parker has not lost a game since May 22. In his last 10 starts, Derek Holland has a 2.92 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 22.1 percent strikeout rate and 7.5 percent walk rate. If Holland can reduce his walk rate two or three percentage points, he can be a top 10 starting pitcher.
Spot Starters
|
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Opp. |
ERA |
K% |
BB% |
|
46 |
NYY |
LAA |
3.08 |
21.8% |
6.8% |
|
|
47 |
LAD |
@PHI, NYM |
3.65 |
19.2% |
5.9% |
|
|
48 |
CIN |
@MIL |
3.05 |
29.0% |
10.4% |
|
|
49 |
TB |
TOR, SEA |
2.71 |
16.9% |
9.4% |
|
|
50 |
PIT |
@STL |
2.02 |
24.2% |
9.6% |
|
|
51 |
CHC |
CIN |
4.23 |
24.0% |
9.0% |
|
|
52 |
BOS |
NYY, @TOR |
4.67 |
21.2% |
10.3% |
|
|
53 |
BOS |
NYY |
3.56 |
21.1% |
9.6% |
|
|
54 |
BAL |
@ARI |
3.89 |
18.8% |
8.6% |
|
|
55 |
NYM |
@SD |
4.22 |
17.6% |
6.1% |
|
|
56 |
BAL |
COL |
2.95 |
15.5% |
6.4% |
|
|
57 |
ATL |
PHI |
3.85 |
18.1% |
6.0% |
|
|
58 |
ATL |
PHI |
9.00 |
12.5% |
4.2% |
|
|
59 |
NYM |
@LAD |
3.82 |
17.0% |
6.2% |
|
|
60 |
TEX |
MIL |
3.28 |
16.3% |
9.9% |
|
|
61 |
ARI |
@PIT, BAL |
3.56 |
17.9% |
8.3% |
|
|
62 |
MIL |
CIN |
3.23 |
15.2% |
3.9% |
|
|
63 |
BAL |
COL |
3.78 |
17.5% |
8.0% |
|
|
64 |
ARI |
@PIT |
4.94 |
14.1% |
4.2% |
|
|
65 |
CIN |
@MIL |
2.94 |
14.8% |
5.9% |
Additional Information: Since coming off the DL, Ivan Nova has a 2.04 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 23.6 percent strikeout rate and 6.4 walk rate in eight starts. What’s remarkable is he’s put these numbers up against the Orioles twice, Tigers, Rangers and the Tampa Rays twice. If Nova has another strong start, he’s a possible top 20 starting pitcher moving forward. There are 26 pitchers with at least 13 starts and an ERA under three. One of those pitchers is Wei-Yin Chen. Chen has a great matchup with the Rockies this week, but his ERA is a mirage as he doesn’t miss enough bats to maintain a 79 percent LOB (left on-base) rate. In his last 13 starts, Jeff Samardzija has a 5.47 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. With a .364 BABIP suggests he’s been extremely unlucky during this stretch, but overall his command has not been as sharp as it was at the beginning of the year.
Proceed With Caution
|
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Opp. |
ERA |
K% |
BB% |
|
69 |
ARI |
BAL |
2.34 |
20.7% |
6.1% |
|
|
70 |
CHC |
STL, CIN |
3.04 |
17.7% |
8.5% |
|
|
71 |
NYY |
@BOS, LAA |
4.73 |
19.5% |
5.6% |
|
|
72 |
CWS |
@MIN |
3.51 |
18.9% |
6.9% |
|
|
73 |
NYM |
@SD |
3.73 |
18.3% |
12.5% |
|
|
74 |
PIT |
ARI |
2.47 |
18.1% |
11.3% |
|
|
75 |
PIT |
@STL |
3.95 |
17.7% |
5.7% |
|
|
76 |
OAK |
CLE |
3.91 |
19.6% |
5.3% |
|
|
77 |
MIA |
@KC |
2.68 |
16.2% |
7.9% |
|
|
78 |
SD |
NYM, @COL |
3.50 |
15.4% |
4.8% |
|
|
79 |
CIN |
@CHC |
3.62 |
13.3% |
4.3% |
|
|
80 |
MIL |
CIN |
4.42 |
15.0% |
9.0% |
|
|
81 |
MIN |
CWS, CLE |
3.38 |
13.5% |
8.9% |
|
|
82 |
BOS |
@TOR |
4.37 |
20.1% |
7.6% |
|
|
83 |
TB |
TOR |
4.77 |
18.9% |
6.4% |
|
|
84 |
ARI |
@PIT |
6.51 |
21.1% |
7.9% |
|
|
85 |
CWS |
@MIN, DET |
3.43 |
24.1% |
10.6% |
|
|
86 |
NYY |
LAA |
4.86 |
19.0% |
6.9% |
|
|
87 |
TB |
SEA |
4.75 |
17.3% |
5.2% |
Additional Information: Eric Stults is an extremely difficult decision for fantasy owners in weekly leagues. At home this year, he has a 2.37 ERA and 0.93 WHIP while on the road he has a 4.64 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. In his last five starts, Jeff Locke has a 3.38 ERA despite a 1.57 WHIP and 13.2 walk rate. Eventually, Locke’s luck is going to run out. Gerrit Cole has a strikeout rate of 22 percent and a 6.7 percent walk rate; that’s a profile of a back-of-the-rotation fantasy starter. On paper, it looks like a tough matchup against the Cardinals, but since the All-Star Break, the Cardinals offense has struggled; they are only 19th in the majors in OPS.
Avoid
|
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Opp. |
ERA |
K% |
BB% |
|
88 |
WSH |
SF |
5.14 |
19.4% |
4.1% |
|
|
89 |
KC |
@DET, MIA |
1.79 |
17.8% |
6.4% |
|
|
90 |
OAK |
CLE, @TOR |
4.41 |
19.0% |
7.4% |
|
|
91 |
KC |
@DET-2 |
4.86 |
36.8% |
10.5% |
|
|
92 |
ARI |
BAL |
3.48 |
18.0% |
4.5% |
|
|
93 |
SD |
NYM |
5.13 |
19.9% |
9.1% |
|
|
94 |
SF |
@WSH |
4.18 |
25.1% |
8.9% |
|
|
95 |
MIA |
SF |
2.80 |
12.8% |
5.6% |
|
|
96 |
CLE |
@OAK |
4.18 |
21.5% |
12.1% |
|
|
97 |
TOR |
@TB |
4.49 |
17.6% |
8.0% |
|
|
98 |
SF |
@WSH |
7.19 |
16.4% |
7.4% |
|
|
99 |
CLE |
@MIN |
3.89 |
20.9% |
7.7% |
|
|
100 |
PIT |
ARI, @STL |
3.88 |
17.9% |
5.0% |
|
|
101 |
SEA |
@TEX |
7.26 |
18.7% |
7.5% |
Additional Information: I never thought I would ever rate Bruce Chen ahead of Tim Lincecum in any type of starting pitcher rankings, but it honestly wasn’t even close. I’ve always been a believer in Danny Duffy and it looks as though his stuff is almost back, especially his fastball velocity. He should be owned in all formats. In his last six starts, Dan Haren has a 2.43 ERA, 0.92 WHIP. 26.9 percent strikeout rate and 5.5 walk rate. I’m still not a believer, but he’s a sneaky stream option against of the worst offenses in the majors in the Giants.
