This is the final slate before the All-Star break. What’s interesting is that we have no Sunday Night Game either. There is one morning game, but everything else happens between 1ET and 4ET. That means we have hundreds of players to evaluate, and it looks like the pitching pool is stacked. With that in mind, let’s start there!
Starting Pitcher Rankings
This is the final slate before the All-Star break. What’s interesting is that we have no Sunday Night Game either. There is one morning game, but everything else happens between 1ET and 4ET. That means we have hundreds of players to evaluate, and it looks like the pitching pool is stacked. With that in mind, let’s start there!
Starting Pitcher Rankings
Starting Pitcher Strategy
The final day before the All-Star break is constantly stacked with elite pitching. These teams want to get a win from their ace before the break, and it’s clear that’s the case when diving into this player pool. It was nearly impossible to limit it to just four players, and finding some cheaper guys we wanted was even more difficult. All four of these aces are tough to fade in their excellent matchups, so let’s look at some of these studs!
Cash Game Recommendations:
Aaron Nola (PHI) at MIA
Nola has struggled at times this season, but we love what he did in his most recent outing. The right-hander allowed just one runs across 7.1 innings in a start against the best offense in baseball. He also struck out 12 guys, almost identical to what he did a month back against Detroit. That sort of upside makes him enticing against Miami, with the Marlins ranked 22nd in xwOBA, 26th in K rate, and 24th in runs scored.
Logan Webb (SF) vs. COL
The Rockies on the road have been a cheat code for three years now. They were dead last in runs scored, OBP, OPS, and wOBA on the road in each of the last two seasons and could finish there again this year. That’s fantastic for Webb, who’s got a 2.99 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 8.6 K/9 rate since April 17. In his last three home starts against the Rockies, Webb has allowed just three total runs! That has him entering this matchup as a -270 favorite!
GPP Recommendations:
Shane Bieber (CLE) vs. KC
The Royals have been one of the worst offenses in baseball. This team ranks bottom five in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and xwOBA but have been even worse against right-handers. That’s scary against a perennial Cy Young candidate like Bieber, who threw six scoreless innings against KC just a few weeks ago. In their last five matchups, Bieber hasn’t allowed more than one run in any of those! That’s why he’s a -250 favorite!
Joe Ryan (MIN) vs. BAL
It’s funny that Ryan is our final guy because he’s been an ace this season. The right-hander has a 3.42 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in what’s developed into an All-Star season. His only duds came against Atlanta and Houston, but Baltimore is far from that. The Orioles rank 16th in xwOBA, with Ryan dropping 46 FanDuel points in their most recent matchup.
Top Lineup Stacks
Gibson got off to a great start for the O’s, but he’s hit a wall over the last month. The right-hander has his ERA up to 4.73, posting a 7.27 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across his last five starts. This guy has gone on horrific stretches like this for months at a time in the past and could struggle with some of the talent this Minnesota lineup possesses.
Pittsburgh Pirates (vs. Zach Davies)
We rarely recommend bad offenses, but this is a different slate. We need to find some value with how many dominant pitchers are toeing the rubber, and Pittsburgh is one of the best options on the board. Facing Zach Davies is the reason why they’re an excellent choice, with the soft-tosser totaling a 6.52 ERA and 1.57 WHIP.
Chicago White Sox (vs. Steven Matz)
The Cardinals have been the biggest disappointment in baseball, and this backend of the rotation is a significant reason why. Steven Matz has been mauled all season, maintaining a 5.02 ERA and 1.60 WHIP. He’s also got an unsightly 0-7 record and could struggle since the ChiSox have so many dangerous bats hitting from the right side.
Core Studs
| POS |
PLAYER |
DK SALARY |
FD SALARY |
| 1B |
Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) |
$5,000 |
$3,700 |
| 3B |
Jose Ramirez (CLE) |
$6,000 |
$3,900 |
| OF |
Byron Buxton (MIN) |
$5,400 |
$3,500 |
| 1B |
Bryan Reynolds (PIT) |
$5,000 |
$3,200 |
| OF |
Luis Robert (CWS) |
$5,700 |
$4,000 |
- Vlad will get hot sooner rather than later, and we’re starting to see it. The masher has four dingers over his last 12 games, tallying a .365 OBP, .638 SLG, and 1.004 OPS in that span. That’s the stud we know and love, which is incredible since he gets the platoon advantage against a lefty who’s made just one start this year.
- We had J-Ram in here yesterday, and we’re going right back to the well. Over his last 25 games, Ramirez has a .431 OBP and 1.094 OPS. He’s also got a handful of steals and is re-establishing himself as one of the best players in fantasy. We’re not sure who will take the mound for KC, but it will be someone terrible.
- Bux has developed into an inconsistent hitter at times, but he’s tough to fade if we want to stack the Twins. Over his last six games, Bux has a .423 OBP, .700 SLG, and 1.123 OPS. He’s also up to 15 homers this year and could pop one against the struggling Gibson, despite being robbed on Friday night.
- If we want to stack the Pirates, we need to use their best hitter. That’s Reynolds, who’s got a .281 AVG, .364 OBP, .487 SLG, and .851 OPS over the last three years. He’s also got a .503 SLG and .858 OPS against right-handers this year, which is awesome since Reynolds has a .960 OPS in 25 career at-bats against Davies.
- Robert is the only bright spot for the White Sox right now. This blossoming superstar is the top candidate in the Home Run Derby, connecting on 25 bombs already. Most of that damage has come recently, with Luis amassing a .376 OBP, .702 SLG, and 1.078 OPS across his last 27 outings. Not to mention, he’s got a 1.108 OPS against left-handers this year!
Value Plays/Punts
| POS |
PLAYER |
DK SALARY |
FD SALARY |
| OF |
Austin Slater (SF) |
$2,600 |
$2,600 |
| 1B/OF |
Alex Kirilloff (MIN) |
$3,200 |
$2,800 |
| OF |
Jack Suwinski (PIT) |
$3,500 |
$3,400 |
| OF |
Eloy Jimenez (CWS) |
$4,300 |
$3,300 |
| 3B |
Eugenio Suarez (SEA) |
$2,800 |
$2,900 |
- Slater has been slaughtering southpaws all season. The Giants outfielder has a .455 OBP, .487 SLG, and .942 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. That won’t sit well for Kyle Freeland, who’s got a 5.88 ERA and 1.55 WHIP since the opening month.
- Kirilloff is the best cheap option if we want to stack the Twins. This youngster has an OBP just shy of .400, accumulating a .416 OBP and .863 OPS against right-handers this year. That makes him about $1,000 too cheap on both sites, and he should be in the heart of this Minnesota lineup once again.
- Suwinski has been a sneaky bat for the Pirates, hitting third for them every day. The sophomore has been slicing through right-handers all year, generating a .380 OBP, .583 SLG, and .963 OPS against them. He also carries some sparkling form into this fantastic matchup, posting a .537 OBP, .833 SLG, and 1.370 OPS across his last 10 games.
- Eloy has a career ISO above .200, and he’s one of the most powerful hitters in the game. It hasn’t been consistent this season, but a .410 OBP, .676 SLG, and 1.086 OPS over the last two weeks is impressive. He’s also one of these ChiSox hitters with the platoon advantage from the right side, totaling a .865 OPS against lefties this year.
- Suarez is second among all hitters in home runs since the 2018 season. That’s quite the feat, and we love it since he has three bombs over his last five outings. A bad start to the year lowered his salary way too far, but a home run could be in play against Brandon Bielak. The Astros righty has a 1.51 WHIP in what’s turning into an ugly season.
Hitter Strategy
We usually like to save some salary with our pitchers and ride some expensive bats, but we’ll have to switch things up today. Almost every team’s horse is toeing the rubber, which means we need to save some salary for our bats. The good news is that we have some cheap lineups to stack, with the Pirates, White Sox, Twins, Giants, and Guardians all looking like great options. We can find numerous value plays among all of those teams, but pairing them with the right pitcher will carry you to a big cash!
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
