DFS Picks
Best Pick:
Gerrit Cole (SP-PIT) - Gerrit Cole should have a big day against the anemic Phillies offense on Monday night. So far this season, Cole is 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 9.84 K/9, and 3.73 GB/FB ratio. If you exclude his two starts against Cincinnati, a team who has always given Cole a hard time, his ERA would only be 1.05. On the road, Cole has been untouchable. His 1.93 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 1.12 K/IP make him a nightmare matchup. Cue the Phillies, a team who has scored a major league low 42 runs at home this season. Their atrocious .227 team batting average and .282 OBP make them tough to lose to. As long as the Pirates can score a few runs off of the hittable Jerome Williams, then Cole is a lock for a win. FanDuel Price $9,000
Value Picks:
Yasmani Grandal (C-LAD) - Since May 1st, Yasmani Grandal's batting average has risen .128 points. His 13 hits this month already exceed his hit total from all of April. On Monday night, Grandal and the Dodgers will face Tom Koehler and the Marlins. Koehler is off to a slow start this season. His .262 BAA, 6.27 K/9, and 1.9 HR/9 make him a long shot to contain the dominant Dodger offense. Grandal is a solid DFS pick because he is red-hot and Koehler can't pitch on the road. Away from Marlins Park this season, Koehler has an 8.59 ERA and 1.57 WHIP. Part of the reason his numbers are so inflated is because Koehler keeps serving up meatballs to left-handed hitters. On the road, lefties already have five home runs against Koehler. At home, he has given up an additional two home runs to left-handed hitters. Grandal, a switch hitter, has hit all four of his home runs this season from the left side of the plate. Also, as a lefty he is batting .308. He may not reach the bleachers on Monday night, but either way, he has a great chance to get on base and drive in a run. FanDuel Value Pick $3,000
Wily Peralta (SP-MIL) - Since Carlos Gomez's return, the Brewers have been a totally different ball club. They've won six of their last nine games, and are creeping toward a respectable record. On Monday night, the Brewers will face the ice-cold White Sox. This matchup presents a great opportunity for Wily Peralta, who has been much better than his 1-4 record and 3.92 ERA indicate. In his six outings this season, Peralta has pitched at least seven innings three times and has four quality starts. At home, he has been slightly better. His 3.86 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 5.46 K/9, and 7.0 IP/GS make him a reasonable DFS value pick. In Peralta's last start, he threw eight innings of six-strikeout two earned run baseball to beat the first place Dodgers. If Peralta can beat the Dodgers, he should have no trouble with a White Sox team who has the second lowest run total in all of baseball. FanDuel Value Pick $7,000
Waiver Wire Adds:
Peter Bourjos (CF-STL) - If Peter Bourjos keeps smacking the daylights out of the ball, Jon Jay will be out of a job. Since the start of May, Bourjos is 9 for 23 with six runs scored and three RBIs. His .342 AVG and .480 BABIP have helped set the table atop the dangerous Cardinals lineup. On Sunday Bourjos led off and went 1 for 3 with a walk. He also scored a run. Bourjos who is known for his speed already has four stolen bases this season. Considering that he only has 38 at bats, I would say that's pretty impressive. As Jon Jay continues to struggle at the plate, Bourjos' fantasy value will rise. The sooner you grab him from waivers, the better.
Jung Ho Kang (SS-PIT) - I think the Pirates wrote Jung Ho Kang off right away due to his lackluster spring training performance. Frankly, how you blame them? He struck out 17 times in 45 at bats. Despite a slow start, Kang has managed to find himself in the lineup on a regular basis. On Sunday, he went 2 for 4 with his second home run of the season. Over his last 10 games, Kang is batting .414 with two home runs, five RBIs, and five runs scored. Much of his recent success is due to the fact that he cut down his strikeout percentage to a more reasonable 20.4%. Kang has coupled this decrease in strikeout percentage to a .394 BABIP. This has helped him to maintain a .333 AVG. Now that Kang is starting, he needs to be picked up in fantasy leagues immediately. He has multiple position eligibility (SS and 3B), and potential as a power hitter.
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Time Frame: Season
