NL Player Analysis - July 10, 2015

Matt Holliday, OF, STL

Holliday is nearing a return from the DL but will likely be used only as a pinch hitter immediately upon his return. Obviously, this means owners shouldn't expect to get much value from Holliday until after the All-Star break, but he should be ready to go once the 2^nd half begins. Holliday has contributed in the BA department as expected this year, but his power numbers (or lack thereof) have been rather disappointing to say the least, as he only has 3 HR's in 52 games and his .118 ISO is by far a career low. Being that his FB% of 26.8% is far lower than previous seasons, I wouldn't count on a sudden power surge in the near future. That being said, he should have plenty of opportunities to score and drive in runs for the Cardinals making him a still very valuable fantasy player.

Carlos Martinez, SP, STL

Martinez posted another stellar start on Thursday, going 7.1 shutout innings while striking out 8 to improve to 10-3. At this point, it's hard to even remember that back in early May, there was a point when he gave up 7 ER's in back-to-back starts. Unless of course you're one of the owners that cut him after that stretch only to see him get scooped up by a league-mate shortly afterwards and reap the rewards, in which case you probably remember quite well. Since that time, Martinez has gone 7-2 with a 1.37 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 78 K's in 72.1 IP over 11 starts. Overall, his 3.14 xFIP indicates that his success is pretty sustainable, and at 23 years old, he may even get better. The fact that he pitches for one of the best teams in baseball and has the ability to rack up wins just increases his fantasy value that much more. Right now, he's looking like an ace.

Yasiel Puig, OF, LAD

Puig homered and drove in 4 runs for the Dodgers on Thursday, marking his best game in quite some time. This was his first homerun since June 10, and he really hadn't provided any fantasy value in the past few weeks. Over his past 21 games, Puig had slashed .182/.267/.299 with a measly 2 RBI, so the big night was definitely a happy sight for Puig owners. He only had a .241 BABIP over the aforementioned cold stretch, so it was just a matter of time before he breaks out of the slump. He is still an excellent player, and it would not be a surprise to see him get hot at some point over the second half.

Troy Tulowitzki, SS, COL

Tulowitzki extended his hitting streak to 21 games by going 1-3 in Thursday's game against the Braves. Not only does Tulo have a 21 game hitting streak right now, he also has hit safely in 33 of his last 34 games. In the 33 game stretch entering Thursday, Tulo was slashing a ridiculous .380/.433/.574 with 7 HR's and 27 RBI over 141 PA's. It's almost a shame that the All-Star voting started so early - before Tulo got on this hot streak - because right now he seems like the best SS in baseball, yet it looks like he will have a tough time making the All-Star team through the final vote.

Mike Leake, SP, CIN

Leake's overall numbers have not been great this year, as he holds a 4.39 ERA and 1.29 WHIP through 17 starts. However, his home/road splits have been quite drastic. Leake has a 5.92 ERA at home to go along with an .899 OPS, compared to an impressive 2.95 ERA and .568 OPS allowed in road games. Pitching in Miami on Friday is certainly a good situation for Leake, as he goes against a Marlins team that has a combined .662 OPS against RHP's this year - and that's with having Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup for most of the season. Leake is the 3^rd cheapest pitcher on the FanDuel slate on Friday, but his chances of having a good outing probably deserve better than that. Value Play FanDuel Salary: $6,100.

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