Jesse Chavez
Chavez didn't quite have his 'A' stuff on the mound Saturday, breaking a string of two straight eight inning shutouts that he had thrown in late May. On Saturday, Chavez gave up four runs and eleven baserunners in just five innings, netting five strikeouts, but a disappointing start. Even on the day of his start, Chavez was owned in less than half of all ESPN leagues, despite owning outstanding surface numbers, and very strong peripherals as well. This is the third straight season of solid pitching from Chavez (and second as a starter), and it's curious why he doesn't get more credit (or at least ownership in fantasy). Even after his poor start Saturday, Chavez has an ERA of 2.51, a FIP of 2.78, and don't forget, he gets to make half his starts in the cavernous O.co Coliseum, the fourth best home run depressing stadium in 2015. Chavez has good stuff, and the A's are bound to start winning a few more of these one-run games that they have been losing in record fashion this season. In fact, Chavez has six quality starts (out of nine total starts), a much more impressive figure than his two wins, but those wins should start coming, if you're not one of those to have adopted quality starts over wins yet.
Brett Gardner
Gardner filled up the stat sheet with two RBI, a run, a steal, and a walk as part of a 2-for-5 day at the plate. The steal was Gardner's 14th of the season, and he has been caught just three times, a very strong ratio for the soon-to-be 32-year old. This shouldn't be too surprising as this has been Gardner's MO the last half decade, although the steals are actually up from the previous two years. Gardner is on pace for over 40 steals this season, a top-notch number that would be his highest total since 2011. Don't expect a home run total on par with last season, however, as he has been hitting ground balls at a higher rate than any of the last three seasons so far. Of course, for a hitter like Gardner that isn't a big deal, as his value comes from elsewhere. He's still hitting the ball hard, and his walk rate has bounced back after trending the wrong way the last couple of seasons. Gardner isn't always valued as highly as he should be, so if you can nab him off a nonplussed owner, go for it.
Garrett Richards
Richards had an awful outing on Saturday, the shortest of his career in fact, going just two thirds of an inning and giving up six earned runs. Richards has struggled a bit of late, giving up at least five runs in three of his last four most recent starts, raising his ERA from 2.29 to 4.14 in the process. There are some good signs, though. Richards is actually allowing less hard contact this season than in his breakout 2014 campaign. His line drive rate allowed is down, and although the velocity on his fastball is down a hair, it's still coming in at over 96 mph on average, per Brooks Baseball. The biggest change has been how hitters are handling his off-speed pitches. His slider and curveball were basically untouchable in 2014, and there has been some expected regression on that front. Overall, Richards profile still looks strong, however, so don't panic and sell just because of this not so great stretch. In fact, try to see if you can find an owner who will overreact and buy Richards for 80 cents on the dollar.
Robinson Cano
Cano had another quiet night on Saturday, going 0-for-4 and dropping his slashes to .239/.278/.320. Cano's owners have to be losing patience, and with good reason. Cano was drafted like an elite fantasy player, and hasn't even been an average second baseman. Cano has barely even had positive value, per the ESPN player rater, and is currently the 30th ranked player in fantasy baseball... with second base eligibility! For owners simply wainting for the light to click on, there are some troubling signs. For one, his strikeout rate has spiked, and is currently at the highest level of his career (16.9 percent). His walk rate, while never a strength had been improving in recent years, but is as low as it has been since 2009 when it was a real issue. Pitchers seem less afraid of Cano, as they are attacking the strike zone at a higher rate than any season since 2009, while Cano's contact rate is the lowest it has ever been. The only good news is that Cano's line drive rate and hard hit percentage both look good, but if he has no power behind it, he's never going to reach the value his owners are hoping for. Don't sell Cano for 50 cents on the dollar yet, but if you get an offer for 80 percent (say a fourth round pick producing like one) go ahead and take it.
Daily Fantasy Leagues
Colby Lewis
Lewis will be facing the Royals on Sunday, but more importantly will be facing the Royals on the day Jeremy Guthrie gets the start. As noted in Prince Fielder's section, Guthrie is probably the worst pitcher in baseball right now, and a win is likely for the Ranger righty. Lewis has five wins on the season already, and his FIP portends better things than his ERA. His 3.75 FIP and the fact that the Royals have the worst offense, per wRC+, in the past 14 days make Lewis an excellent play for Sunday. He's cheap, looks good for a win, and is facing a struggling Royals' offense in the spacious Kauffman Field. That's three-for-three right there.
DraftKings: $6,300
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