Vincent Velasquez-Phillies-SP
Vincent Velasquez went 6 IP and gave up 0 ER on 2 H, 4 BB, and 6 K's. Velasquez has posted a 1.44 ERA (2.73 xFIP), 33% K, and 6% BB. Velasquez has shown the ability to miss bats with his strikeout rates, but they are also backed up by his 14% SwStr. Velasquez is going to remain a good source of strikeouts but you have to consider that he is going to be on an innings limit this year. He will likely not be there for the playoffs of most leagues, which hurts his overall value. If you can trade him and get a good package in return, I think you need to consider it, given Velasquez's innings limit. He is a very talented pitcher and has a ton of upside regardless.
Carlos Martinez-Cardinals-SP
Carlos Martinez went 6.2 IP and gave up 4 ER on 7 H, 0 BB, and 8 K's. Martinez was in the news this week as he is being investigated by the league for an off the field issue. As of right now, we do not have much information on the issue. On the field, Martinez has been up and down. He has a 2.60 ERA, but a 4.24 xFIP. The discrepancy comes from his .182 BABIP and 86% LOB. Martinez's strikeout rate is down from 24% to 18%, which is concerning. His SwStr has also fallen from 10.5% to 9.0%. It is only five starts, but his GB% is down as well (55%->48%). There is still plenty of time for the youngster to turn it around, but add in the legal issues and there are some serious questions about Martinez going forward.
Michael Conforto-Mets-OF
Michael Conforto was 0-5 with three strikeouts against the Giants. Conforto is slashing .342/4/18 over his first 22 games. The move to the three-hole was the correct one by manager Terry Collins, as Conforto has shown that he is one of the Mets top hitters. Everything Conforto has done to start this year is backed up by his peripheral and advanced stats. He has a 52% Hard along with an excellent 10% BB. He is also striking out less than the league average (17% K). He is also hitting 45% FB, which will help his power numbers to continue to trend upwards. The only question mark in his game is his ability to handle left-handed pitching, but that will play itself out over the course of the season. At this point, there is a lot to like about this talented hitter. He has big time upside for this Mets team.
Gregory Polanco-Pirates-OF
Gregory Polanco was 2-3 with a HR (3), R, RBI, and 2 BB in the loss to the Reds. Polanco is slashing .315 with 3 HR and 15 RBI. He also has a 15% BB, which is a very positive sign for Polanco. He also makes a ton of contact with just a 12% K. Polanco isn't sacrificing power for contact as he has hit the ball hard in 34% of his AB's. He is swinging at less pitches out of the zone and making more contact inside the zone. He is also hitting the balls in the zone very hard at 34%. Polanco is turning into an elite fantasy contributor, by bringing value in all categories. He would see a significant increase in value if he were moved up in the order from the sixth spot.
DFS Value Play
Bartolo Colon-Mets-SP
The Atlanta Braves offense is pretty terrible. They are striking out 23% of the time. They also have no power (.060 ISO) and are a below average offense as a whole (59 wRC+). Bartolo Colon comes into the game with a 3.42 ERA (2.96 xFIP) with a very nice 22% K and 19% K-BB. Colon offers tremendous value at his price going against arguably the league's worst offense. DraftKings: $6,700
**This is just a small sample our our daily analysis, join our member area for more premium content: http://www.fantistics.com/join/join.php3
Also, follow us on twitter @fantistics and @philip_double
