This series uses the FantasyLabs Tools to analyze three key MLB players in the day’s slate.
Corey Kluber: Pitcher, Indians
There are three main-slate pitchers with at least -200 moneyline odds, and of the group Kluber has arguably the most upside with an 8.0 K Prediction. Per our Vegas Dashboard, the opposing Twins own a bottom-two implied total of 3.3 runs, and the Indians are the slate’s biggest favorites (-204 moneyline odds):
Kluber leads all of today’s high-end pitchers with a 12-month 0.786 WHIP, and he provides value on FanDuel with a 93% Bargain Rating. Kluber has solid recent Statcast data with a batted-ball distance of 193 feet, exit velocity of 93 miles per hour and fly-ball rate of 26%. With Charlie Morton, James Paxton and Ross Stripling also pitching today, Kluber could have a lower ownership rate than he otherwise might with this type of Vegas data.
Zack Godley: Pitcher, Diamondbacks
If you’re looking to pivot off Kluber (or lock in your SP2 on DraftKings) Godley is an option, as he’s priced at just $7,200 and $8,100 on FanDuel and DraftKings and facing a projected Mets lineup with a bottom-three 28.0% strikeout rate over the past 12 months. The Mets are implied for an unimposing 3.7 runs, and Godley’s 7.8 K Prediction is top-three on the slate. Similarly priced pitchers with comparable Vegas data and strikeout upside have been strong values on DraftKings (per our Trends tool):
He has serviceable Statcast data, including a batted-ball distance of 194 feet, and his +53 Recent Batted Ball Luck suggests that he may be pitching better than his short-term fantasy production indicates. The Mets have struggled to hit right-handed pitching — their lineup has a slate-worst .296 wOBA — and Godley carries immense upside in guaranteed prize pools with his strikeout projection and Vegas data.
Trevor Story: Shortstop, Rockies
With the Lineup Builder, it’s easy to incorporate stacks into DFS rosters. In this 15-game slate, a top five-man DraftKings stack in the Batted Ball Model belongs to the Rockies, who are implied for a slate-leading 5.4 runs against the Rangers:
Batting cleanup, Trevor Story stands out with impressive Statcast numbers, including a recent batted-ball distance of 248 feet, exit velocity of 94 mph and fly-ball and hard-hit rates of 50% each. He’s also on the positive side of his splits with an elite .406 wOBA and .316 ISO against lefties over the past 12 months.
And, for what it’s worth, Nolan Arenado and DJ LeMahieu have even more impressive splits:
While not at Coors Field, the Rockies have a prime matchup against Yohander Mendez, who owns an atrocious 1.56 WHIP and slate-high 2.48 HR/9 over the past 12 months. He has a poor 5.26 ERA in 51 innings in Triple-A this season, and the Rockies should benefit from the 86 Weather Rating in Texas.
Good luck, and be sure to check out The Action Network if you’re looking for more baseball coverage!
After this piece is published, FantasyLabs is likely to provide news updates on a number of players. Be sure to stay ahead of your competition with our industry-leading DFS-focused news blurbs.
Pictured above: Zack Godley
Photo credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
