The Daily Grind: Which Ace?

“To err is human. To respawn, divine.”

~Zeus

AGENDA

1. TDG Invitational
2. Weather Reports
3. Pitchers to Use and Abuse
4. SaberSim Says…

1. The Daily Grind Invitational

It’s never exactly heroic to select Trea Turner, but he does usually cost considerably more than his projection. The reason is games like yesterday when he popped off 45 points. Congrats to Thegottfather for using Turner with a selection of additional core performers. Leaderboard.

We’ll do our usual 52-entry shindig on FantasyDraft. See ya there.

If you have not signed up for FantasyDraft, please use this referral link for tracking purposes. If I understand properly, by using the referral, you will receive a 10 percent return on any rakes you pay.

2. Weather Reports

Looks like we should be free and clear tonight. Just take a quick peek at your preferred weather site closer to game time – just in case.

3. Pitchers to Use and Abuse

Main Slate: Two aces stand atop the pyramid. Chris Sale ($27,400) is almost unrosterable at this price despite a fantastic matchup against the Royals. Unlike my trepidation with Justin Verlander yesterday, which I overcame as a result of the terrible alternatives, there are substitutes for Sale. The best of those is Jacob deGrom versus the Rays. He costs $25,000 – a $2,400 discount on Sale. I also prefer deGrom outright by a very small margin.

Beyond the top two names, a healthy second tier exists. Lance McCullers ($23,300) is a solid if overpriced play versus the strikeout prone White Sox. You’ll get better value elsewhere, but few pitchers offer his strikeout potential.

Another pricey arm, Carlos Carrasco, will return from the disabled list. I expect the Indians to handle him carefully, hence I’m hesitant to drop $21,200. He’s opposed by the Athletics.

Mike Foltynewicz ($20,700) at Freddy Peralta ($19,900) promises to be a popular game tonight. Both pitchers have performed well this year, and both offenses are above average. I see potential to play any side of fence – bats, pitchers, both, neither? It’s all par value.

Gio Gonzalez is a favored early target of mine for just $18,600. While the Marlins aren’t massively strikeout prone, they do tend to roll over without much of a fuss. Gio should receive plenty of run support en route to a victory.

Zack Godley has fallen out of favor in fantasy circles. For 16,900, I may be rolling the dice versus the strikeout prone Padres. Godley’s issues can be traced to a below average fastball. Hitters have become increasingly patient with his curve ball which he rarely throws in the strike zone.

There’s no shortage of others to consider including Nick Pivetta, Dereck Rodriguez, Joey Lucchesi, Jordan Zimmermann, and German Marquez.

Stack Targets: Rays, Jason Hammel, Paul Blackburn, Bartolo Colon, Sam Gaviglio, Dan Straily

4. SaberSim Says…

The Sim favors Sale to deGrom with Carrasco, McCullers, and Peralta rounding out the top five. Bargains include Lance Lynn, Gaviglio, and Godley. As for hitters, premium names like J.D. Martinez, Mookie Betts, Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, and Andrew Benintendi are the cream of the crop. Go Sawx? Value hunters may prefer Matt Adams, Steven Souza, and Elvis Andrus.