Low-Ownership Starters for Saturday (9/16)

Here’s your daily dose of lowly owned starters. When Ubaldo Jimenez is the top choice, owners should know today’s pickings are slim.

Max Fried (1% owned) vs Mets (Jacob deGrom)

I can’t come up with a reason to start Fried. Also, I can’t come up with a good pun. His strikeout rate (6.5 K/9 with upside) is acceptable for these lowly owned starters but that’s where the positive traits end. He’s always had walk issues and his walk rate (5.9 BB/9) is almost higher than his strikeouts. His near five ERA (4.70) is near his ERA estimators. Also, he hasn’t gone far into his games to even get a Win averaging just 4.1 IP per start. The low strikeout and low win chances mean a pass for me.

Ubaldo Jimenez (2% owned) vs Yankees (CC Sabathia)

Completely usable especially if an owner can take the ERA and WHIP hit. Jimenez will get his share of strike outs (8.4 K/9) and since he is against Sabathia, he could get the Win. Jimenez’s issue since joining the Orioles has been his propensity to get hit around and give up too many home runs. Both are hampering his 2017 performance (2.0 HR/9, .324 BABIP).

Myles Jaye (0% owned) vs White Sox (Reynaldo Lopez)

I swear the Tigers are just pulling names out of a hat to see who will start. How can I recommend a pitcher with only a 1.9 K/9 and walk rate double that number? And he’s facing the White Sox who kind of suck. I don’t expect his ownership to increase after this start.

Sal Romano (3% owned) vs Pirates (Ivan Nova)

Why not use the flame flower (95 mph fastball)? His strikeouts (7.4 K/9) and walks (4.0 BB/9) aren’t the best but none of these pitchers are great. Julio Teheran is putting up similar numbers and he is 78% owned. I wish it was a home game for Romano so the long ball would be less of an issue.

Jordan Lyles (0% owned) at Colorado (Kyle Freeland)

Odrisamer Despaigne (3% owned) vs Milwaukee (Brandon Woodruff)

What is with these pitchers having a walk rate (5.1 BB/9) higher than their strikeout rate (4.6 K/9)? In 39 innings? No regression? Why are they not in the minors? Who are the 3% who own him? So many questions, so few I want answered.

His 4.38 ERA makes him look startable but no way his 0.2 HR/9 is going to keep going with fly ball tendencies (only 36% GB%). I expect his ERA to jump up near his ERA estimators hear 6.00.

Adalberto Mejia (3% owned) vs Toronto (Marco Estrada)

Earlier in the season, I was rough on Mejia when I did a Quick Look on him.

I can’t find a single reason to recommend Mejia at this point. Besides generating a few BABIP reducing flyballs, his fastball is average at best. His change is horrible. His slider could be good if thrown consistently. His curve could be good if thrown at all. At best, his stuff is average. At worse, useless. Unless he makes some majors changes, I don’t see him as any more than a 5th starter/long setup man.

My stance on his talent hasn’t changed but he’s now a streamable option against a beatable team. His 7.7 K/9 is decent considering the other options.

Ben Lively (7% owned) vs Athletics (Kendall Graveman)

It could be worse. While his strikeouts aren’t the highest (5.4 K/9) his walk rate is the best out of the choices. His 3.86 ERA looks good, it will likely regress upward. He’s one of the last arms I would consider if I was really needing the few extra counting stats.

My rankings for the day

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Jimenez
Romano
Mejia
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Lively
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Fried
Despaigne
Jaye
Lyles