Ben Revere (OF-WAS): Ben Revere went 1-for-5 with 1 run and 1 RBI to help back Max Scherzer against the Mets. 2016 has been a nightmare for Revere, who carries a .225/.269/.303 line into today's contest. He's only 10 for 14 in stolen base attempts, which really diminishes his overall ROTO league appeal. His value has never been lower which makes this the right time to make a play for him. Revere's BABIP of .242 sits over 70 points below his career mark despite a nearly identical batted ball profile. In fact, he has upped his hard hit rate while decreasing his swinging strike and chase rates. Chalk the struggles up to injuries and pick him up for the second half.
Martin Prado (3B-MIA): Martin Prado went 3-for-3 and drove in 2 runs. 2016 has been a resurgent year for the veteran, who moved his slash line to .323/.366/.412 with 36 runs, 30 RBI and a 23:39 BB:K ratio. While his elite contact skills and the lineup around him will continue to make him a must own (especially in points leagues), his .359 BABIP is not supported by his batted ball profile. His 26% hard hit rate is below league average, and while he is hitting more groundballs, his .299 BABIP on those isn't sustainable. His ROTO value will never be higher.
Freddie Freeman (1B-ATL): Freddie Freeman hit his 4th homer of the year but the Braves came up short against Jose Quintana and the White Sox. Freeman has put all talk of his wrist woes behind him, carrying a .286/.371/.517 line with 43 runs and 34 RBI. His 40% hard hit rate and batted ball speed/distance numbers support the 16% HR/FB rate, and his improvements against lefties further support the surface stats. The RBI numbers likely won't improve in the second-half, but otherwise, Freeman should continue to produce like an elite 1B.
Robbie Ray (SP-ARI): Although he continued to pile up the strikeouts with 7, Robbie Ray allowed 3 earned runs on 6 hits and 3 walks in 5 innings and the Diamondbacks fell to the Giants. While Ray continues to endure misfortune with his 15% HR/FB rate and .367 BABIP, I don't envision a significant course correction. He walks too many batters (9%), pitches behind in the count too often (55% first pitch strike percentage), and allows too much hard contact (35%). The 26% K-rate entices, but choose your matchups carefully when he's on the road and against lineups lacking significant right-handed thunder.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis (OF-MIL): Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who is priced at $3000 for his matchup at home against Mike Leake, offers salary relief to those wanting to work in an ace. Niewenhuis has posted a .317 wOBA against righties overall and a .405 mark at home. Leake has allowed a .320 wOBA and 10 homers to lefties and has struggled on the road. Miller Park is 5th in Park Factors HR for 2016, putting the Brewers' lefties in play for a tournament stack today.
