Chris Heston
Heston joined the record books on Tuesday night, tossing a no-hitter with just three hit batsmen being the only baserunners to reach all night (the first time that has happened in MLB history). Heston was just starting to trend down in ownership, as the Giants' rookie had been very off and on in his last few outings. Given his limited experience pitching at a major league level, that is to be expected. However, given that owners have now seen what his ceiling looks like (in addition to tossing the no-hitter, Heston struck out 11 Mets), they will likely take the bumps along the way. If you really want Heston on your team, he probably won't be there by the time it gets to his next start, pick him up right now even though he just started. Heston's 3.72 ERA has been underlined by a 3.32 FIP, and 3.21 xFIP, which should give owners a lot of hope. Heston strikes out a reasonable number of hitters, and gets a good number of wins for a strong Giants team. He should be owned across the board now.
Taylor Jungmann
Former number two Brewers' prospect, and the number 12 draft pick in 2011, Taylor Jungmann made his MLB debut on Tuesday, showing off some of the talent that once made his a top prospect. Jungmann went seven innings allowing just one run on three hits and a walk, while striking out five. Jungmann got the win, and with the Brewers dwelling in the basement of the NL Central, could get a shot to stick in the rotation. Craig Counsell and the Brewers have been testing out a bunch of rookie arms in the past week, and Jungmann's performance against the Pirates will certainly turn some heads. If he makes another start and turns in a line like he did on Tuesday he will almost certainly become a trendy pick up given his solid pedigree. He probably doesn't mandate an off-day pick up, but he's worth a flier on the day he is next probable assuming the Brewers give him another start in the rotation.
Starling Marte
Marte continued his strong season on Tuesday, going 1-for-4 with a home run. The home run was Marte's 12th of the season, putting him just one shy of his career high. With the higher than expected home runs, and a batting average that has dropped forty points from last season, Marte has had one of the stranger seasons so far. Just as one would imagine, the home runs look likely to slow way down, and the average looks to bounce back a fair amount, which would also give Marte more chances to steal bases. Marte's HR/FB rate is by far the most obtrusive stat on his Fangraphs page, with Marte sporting a 35.5 percent HR/FB rate before last night's jack. That figure would be absurd even for 1927 Babe Ruth, let alone a player who has typically profiled as a slap hitter, and has never had a HR/FB rate over 12.7 in his first two full seasons in the big leagues. Given that Marte's fly ball rate is actually lower than ever, look for those home runs to dry up but quickly. The good news, however, is that - as previously noted - that regression should be canceled out, at least in part, to some positive regression in his batting average moving forward. Despite a line drive rate that is higher than any previous season, Marte has seen his BABIP drop 84 points since last season and 74 points from 2013. Of course, Marte's sky high BABIP (.373 and .363 in 2014 and 2013, respectively) were part of the reason for pause with Marte heading into this season, but one has to imagine that he will end the season higher than .289 given his speed and line drive rate. With that rise in BABIP should come an increase in batting average; maybe not to the .291 level from 2014, but a .275ish average seems very sustainable jump from his current .251 average.
Daily Fantasy Leagues
Joey Votto
Votto had a monster day on Tuesday, going 3-for-4 with three home runs, and four runs and RBI apiece. Votto has returned with reckless abandon in 2015, and is now part of the .300/.400/.500 slash club, one of just seven hitters there in 2015. His exact slash line is .300/.406/.560, and that final number is the one his owners will really like to see. Even in off seasons, Votto could get on base; it's his return to a power hitter that his owners were (successfully) banking on. The three home runs put Votto at 13 for the season, and on Wednesday he gets to continue victimizing the horrid Phillies in the home run friendly Great American Ballpark. The Phillies will be sending Jerome Williams to the mound on Wednesday, sporting his 5.68 ERA. Votto is a pricey get at first base, but well worth the money.
DraftKings: $5,100
Zack Cosart
Much of the reasoning for Cosart is the same as Votto. He gets to face Jerome Williams and the Phillies in the Great American Ballpark, and is swinging a hot stick. With a three-run home run on Tuesday, Cosart now has three home runs in his last four games. Unlike Votto, however, Cosart is a nice cheap option at shortstop, a position where points can be tough to come by, especially on a lightly-scheduled day like Wednesday. Cosart's long-term value can be debated (though I'm a bit higher on him than the average Joe), but when he's riding a hot streak, and in the point-friendly environment laid out above, he is an excellent option for daily fantasy lineups.
DraftKings: $3,800
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