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Kopech is amped to bring the same electricity from Tuesday’s start to Detroit. Will he light up the Tigers?
10 Games- 7:05 PM ET
Must Play SP: Michael Kopech, CWS ($18,900) @ DET
His start on Tuesday was only two innings worth of work, but damn was it electric in Chicago when he was on the mound. He showed strong fastball command, as he had the ability to come up and in to lefties with almost no issue (he did run a bit too far inside and hit Robbie Grossman). His secondaries were solid. His changeup was nasty. The Tigers are sitting at a wRC+ 17% below league average over the past week, so Kopech could notch his first quality start if his command from last start persists.
Honorable Mention: Kevin Gausman ($15,900)
Value SP: Steven Matz, NYM ($12,600) vs. WAS
The Nationals have been shut out for three straight games, and they no longer have Met killer Daniel Murphy. They’ve been 5th worst in wRC+ over the last week, with only three players carrying an individual wRC+ above league average. Matz is an enigma, and if you look at his starts against Washington this year his FantasyDraft point total is 8.95 over three starts. I doubt he’ll get shelled for seven runs in 0.2 innings again, but it’s a risk you’re willing to take if you slot Matz into your lineup.
Honorable Mention: Pablo Lopez ($11,900)
IF: Kendrys Morales, TOR ($9,200) vs. PHI (Vince Velasquez)
Morales has the highest OPS in baseball over the past week, yet has 0 walks in 20 plate appearances. He’s not struck out much either, which indicates to me that he’s seeing the ball really well. He has made 0 soft contact on ball in play, and also has hit more homers than singles in this time frame. Velasquez has struggled to go deep into games in his last few starts, and in two of them earned negative fantasy points. If his command is still wavering, Morales will take full advantage.
Honorable Mention: Javier Baez ($9,600)
OF: Christian Yelich, MIL ($10,000) @ PIT (Chris Archer)
Thank you Yelich, for bringing those who listened to my suggestion to slate you in their lineups a homer that was needed to offset an otherwise meh performance. I’ll admit that suggesting Yelich for a second straight day is like trying to ride the hot hand at a craps table, but is it a fallacy if it proves to be true? Since joining the Pirates, Archer’s had a 4.91 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP, so there’s a relatively high probability he struggles this afternoon.
Honorable Mention: Adam Eaton ($8,300)
Value Hitter: Billy McKinney, TOR ($6,500) vs. PHI (Vince Velasquez)
The point about Velasquez holds true for McKinney as well as Morales. McKinney hasn’t been crushing the ball as impressively as Morales, but he too has made 0 soft contact on balls in play this week, and he’s #2 in the MLB in OPS. He has a homer in each of the last two games, but the three strikeout performance from yesterday is probably why his price is down in this value range.
Honorable Mention: Lucas Duda ($6,700)
Stack: Oakland Athletics @ Minnesota Twins (Jose Berrios)
FantasyDraft has made it nearly impossible to stack Rockies or Cardinals for today’s game at Coors, but neither of these offenses are top five in wRC+ in the past week. Rather than pay a premium for the Coors effect, go with the A’s, who have been the third best offense and have four of their top five hitters from the past week priced under $8,500. Khris Davis is the exception; Ramon Laureano, Jed Lowrie, Stephen Piscotty and Matt Chapman are the other four
Honorable Mention: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Philadelphia Phillies