Roto Riteup — Presented By DraftKings: September 23, 2014

Yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of “The West Wing” debuting on NBC. How I overlooked that is a terrible mistake and I ask your forgiveness.

On today’s agenda:
1. Tyson Ross is done for the season
2. Gregor Blanco’s quiet production
3. A strong start from Tyler Matzek
4. The daily five

Tyson Ross is done for the season
The San Diego Padres have made the decision to end Ross’ season following a slight flexor strain in his right forearm. Ross followed up his breakout 2013 campaign with an even better season this year. His 2.81 ERA/3.24 FIP/3.11 xFIP are all career bests — minimum 10 starts — as is his 8.97 K/9. Ross still allows a few too many walks however his ground ball rate, north of 50%, help erase runners with double play opportunities. Another single season best is his 12.5% swinging strike rate — third best in baseball among qualified starters. I’m a believer in his strikeout rate though I do harbor concerns about that walk rate. Ross’ 58.4% first strike rate this season was his best ever, however it is still below the 61.1% league average for starting pitchers. Overall I’d still draft him next year at the right price, probably in the third tier of starters.

Gregor Blanco’s quiet production
The 30-year-old Blanco has posted a strong second half, hitting .302/.379/.450 in 192 plate appearances with eight stolen bases. Those numbers are before we include his 2-for-7 game with a home run yesterday. In recent days Blanco has hit everywhere from leadoff to eighth, making it tough to predict exactly where he fits in the lineup. He has proved he isn’t much of a power hitter, but he can steal a bag here and there while drawing a decent amount of walks. Blanco has played in at least 140 game for three straight seasons, though he’s surpassed 500 plate appearances only once in that time frame. Looking to next year, Blanco figures to get some more starts rather than pinch hit/run roles as Michael Morse may or not re-sign with the club. If Morse chooses to go elsewhere, I expect Blanco to get the bulk of the playing time with no top tier outfield prospects knocking on the door.

A strong start from Tyler Matzek
Speaking of sneaky quiet numbers, lately Matzek has looked like a complete pitcher. He’s posted seven straight starts of at least 5.1 innings while allowing three runs or fewer. Matzek has fanned 45 batters over the course of those seven starts, spanning 47.1 innings while giving up 12 walks. Pitching in Coors Field will always be a challenge and while I’m encouraged from what we’ve seen lately out of Matzek, I’m not ready to give him my “automatic starter” label just yet. Still just 23, I’d like to see Matzek refine his change-up and go to it more often. He’s thrown nearly three sliders for every change-up, so I worry about his elbow holding up long term. Matzek won’t start again this season, however next year he could be a solid sleeper pick assuming he’s healthy. Fewer than 10% of ESPN and Yahoo! leagues owned Matzek and just 24% of CBS formats claimed him. He’s better than those ownership rates show, even with my concerns.

The daily five
Starting pitcher: Cole Hamels — $11,300
Pricey? You betcha. That being said, Hamels is up against the Miami Marlins and their 20th ranked 95 wRC+ against southpaws.

Starting pitcher: Gerrit Cole — $9,400
Another not-so-cheap option who I really like due to match ups. Cole will be facing the Atlanta Braves, owners of the second worst wRC+ versus right-handed pitchers in the league.

Infielder: Josh Donaldson — $4,500
Donaldson holds the platoon advantage over Wade LeBlanc.

Outfielder: Kole Calhoun — $4,000
I can’t quit Calhoun. He’s up against a strong pitcher in Sonny Gray, but Calhoun owns a strong 127 wRC+ against righties.

Other hitter: Geovany Soto — $2,800
Soto hits lefties very well for his career, a .283/.378/.482 line is worth giving a shot for under $3,000.

Remaining budget: $18,000

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