At FantasyLabs, we believe that we have the best daily fantasy sports tools and data available. We also realize that these tools and data are only as beneficial as our ability to communicate their functionality and worth.
With this in mind, our Trend of the Day series features articles that walk subscribers each weekday through an important trend, created with our FREE Trends tool. Also, shortly after you create a trend, you will be able to see it under the “My Trends” column in our Player Models.
MLB Trend of the Day: Salary-Reduced Batters Versus High-WHIP Pitchers
Finding value is often a necessity when constructing our lineups. In rostering batters who A) have seen reductions in their salaries and B) are facing pitchers who routinely allow opponents to reach base, we might be able to find players who provide unexpected excess value. Let’s use our Trends tool to find out.
Step 1: Fantasy Month Filters > Month Salary Change > -2,200 to -500
We can see that most players who’ve seen a reduction in their salaries over the last month benefit from a positive Plus/Minus.
Step 2: Player Filters > Lineup Order > 1 to 4
In targeting players in the top half of the lineup, we get exposure to batters with a relatively higher likelihood of seeing at-bats.
Step 3: Stat Filters > Opp WHIP Percentile > 70 to 99
Clearly, when depressed batters as a group face pitchers who allow lots of baserunners, these batters overwhelmingly provide value.
Results
Our trend adds 1.70 points to players’ expected averages with 46.8-percent Consistency. Players who match for this trend at a minimum seem to be viable options for cash games.
Current Matches
Three players in tonight’s slate currently match for this trend: Charlie Blackmon, Denard Span, and Xander Bogaerts.
Facing Paul Clemens (who has just been called up from the minor leagues), Blackmon could be worth a long look in tournaments.
Span has struggled against lefties and is currently seeing large dips in his hard-hit percentage and batted-ball distance (per our advanced stats), making him a tough recommendation against Pittsburgh tonight.
Boston’s 5.9 implied run total leads all teams by a wide margin, making Bogaerts one of the best options to utilize tonight, particularly with his 99-percent Bargain Rating on FanDuel.
Good luck tonight!
