Roto Riteup: June 18, 2015

Both the USWNT and South Korea advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup! I’m sure you’re all as thrilled about this as I am.

On today’s agenda:
1. Let’s talk about Billy Burns
2. Matt Moore continues rehabbing
3. I still like Mike Foltynewicz
4. Streaming Pitching Options

Let’s talk about Billy Burns
Count me among the crowd that didn’t believe Burns’ game would translate to the major league level. Yeah, his speed was excellent and he had shown a keen batting eye, but I was skeptical of his ability to put the barrel of the bat on the ball against big league pitchers. While his double-digit walk rate hasn’t shown itself in the majors just yet, Burns’ speed certainly has. Despite not getting his first plate appearance until May 2, Burns’ 10 infield hits entering yesterday’s game was tied for 18th most in baseball. Power isn’t Burns’ game, though he does have 11 extra-base hits already, including a pair of home runs. His prime batting spot atop the A’s offense and switch-hitting ability make him a worthy option in any league setting. Since 2009, 29 other rookies have posted a .361 BABIP or better so Burns is in rare though not historic territory with his batted ball fortune. The more I see of his approach and speed in-game, the more I like him. I can’t be the only fantasy nerd out there who has been on the draw with Burns as he is available in over 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues and more than 30 percent of CBS and ESPN formats.

Matt Moore continues rehabbing
According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Times, Moore is likely to make his first Triple-A rehab start on Sunday. This is my own personal thought now, but if Moore does well enough in his upcoming start, he may still make it back to the big leagues before the All-Star break. I’d stash Moore now in all but the shallowest of leagues as he is free to pick up in over 45 percent of CBS settings and 80 percent of Yahoo! and ESPN leagues.

I still like Mike Foltynewicz
Although the Braves just sent him down to Triple-A, I’m confident we’ll see Folty in the bigs again this season. Among starting pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched, he owned the eighth fastest heater. With a 4.03 SIERA and 4.26 xFIP a good bit better than his 5.19 ERA and a .352 BABIP indicative of some poor fortune, it’s hard to imagine Folty being stranded in Gwinnett for long. His poor BABIP had a negative effect on his strand rate as his 68.3 LOB% ranked 90th out of 118 starters. Count on him “figuring things out” for a handful of starts, then rejoining the Braves.

Streaming Pitching Options
If you enjoy streaming pitchers, tune into the Roto Riteup for recommendations each and every day.

A pitcher for today: Kendall Graveman vs SD (Ian Kennedy)
The Padres haven’t fared particularly well against right-handers thus far. Graveman owns a strong ground ball rate and a 24:8 strikeout to walk ration in five starts since being recalled from Triple-A. One can find Graveman available in nearly 80 percent of CBS formats as well as over 90 percent of Yahoo! or ESPN leagues.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Kyle Hendricks at MIN (Phil Hughes)
My fondness of Hendricks continues to grow with every grounder or strikeout he induces. He’s up against the third worst offense by wRC+ against right-handers in a spacious ballpark. For someone who is free to grab in 40 percent of CBS leagues and more than 80 percent of ESPN and Yahoo! settings, Hendricks is a great option.