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Kershaw is back and as good as ever!
13 Games- 7:05 PM ET
Must Play SP: Clayton Kershaw, LAD ($23,100) vs. ARI
The Diamondbacks have the lowest OPS and wRC+ over the last week of play, a staggering 50 percentage points below league average. With Kershaw seeming to have returned to prime form, averaging 7.2 innings per start over his last three, the D-backs will continue to struggle. Another note for this game: Patrick Corbin will not be in my lineup today despite the Pitcher List community’s love for him; the Dodgers are too hot today to be comfortable expecting ace numbers at a mere $900 discount to Kershaw.
Honorable Mention: Blake Snell ($20,300)
Value SP: Robbie Erlin, SD ($9,100) vs. COL
In the most recent edition of The List, Nick released a tiered list of team hitting, and the Rockies away from Coors Field fall under the “weak” category. Erlin’s not one to miss many bats, but he also doesn’t give many free bases away. He only had one quality start the entire month of August, but he only had one outing where he allowed over three runs and pitched less than five innings. He should be able to provide you with mid-teens points in tonight’s game.
Honorable Mention: Wei-Yin Chen ($12,900)
IF: Johan Camargo, ATL ($8,300) vs. PIT (Chris Archer)
Is Chris Archer still good? He hasn’t recorded a quality start since July, and his second half ERA/WHIP is more disappointing than his first half (5.77 ERA, 1.63 WHIP). It’s an ugly stat line, but you know what isn’t? Camargo’s SLG since Monday: 1.000. If Archer keeps leaving balls hanging over the plate like he has, Camargo should continue to swing a hot bat. Hopefully he doesn’t mess that SLG up though.
Honorable Mention: Alex Bregman ($9,800)
OF: Mookie Betts, BOS ($10,200) @ CWS (Carlos Rodon)
For the sake of not appearing lazy (key word “appearing”) I’m not going to make Yelich my #1 recommended OF. He’s facing Stephen Strasburg, so there’s a chance he’s not going to look like the best hitter in baseball right now, but I wouldn’t fault anyone for playing a guy with a 350 wRC+ over the last week. Instead, I’ll recommend Betts, who’s only three percentage points below Yelich in wRC+, and has a more favorable matchup in Carlos Rodon.
Honorable Mentions: Christian Yelich ($10,600), Ender Inciarte ($8,100)
Value Hitter: Billy McKinney, TOR ($6,700) @ MIA (Wei-Yin Chen)
He’s no longer #2 in OPS over the past week, but another week has gone by and McKinney is still getting playing time and hitting very well (166 wRC+). It’ll be interesting to see if he’s in the starting lineup today with a lefty on the mound, which is probably the explanation behind the pricing despite sustained strong play. With the alternatives slumping, I’m fairly confident McKinney will stay atop the order and provide a reliable points floor.
Honorable Mention: Lucas Duda ($6,700)
Stack: Kansas City Royals vs. Baltimore Orioles (Dylan Bundy)
The elite Bundy could make an appearance and ruin this stack, especially if the pitcher friendly confines of Kauffman Stadium help suppress his home run problem. I’m willing to bet he doesn’t, especially with how well the Royals have been playing lately. The Royals have five hitters with wRC+ over 200 in the past week, with Whit Merrifield not too far behind at 191. Aside from Whit, they’re all priced under $8,100.
Honorable Mention: Miami Marlins vs. Toronto Blue Jays