Chase Anderson, SP, MIL
Anderson worked his magic again on Wednesday, allowing just 1 ER in 5.1 IP despite giving up 7 hits and a BB and striking out only 2. His ERA for the season is an impressive 2.88 but his xFIP is nearly two runs higher at 4.61. To be fair, Anderson has posted a better K% and SwStr% than in years past, but his xFIP is in line with his previous seasons, yet this is the first time his ERA has been under 4.00. This is thanks to an unsustainable .263 BABIP and an 8.2% HR/FB which is also probably due for a bit of regression. The low BABIP can be traceable to an extremely low 16.8% LD%, but since LD% has a low correlation from year to year and Anderson himself has never before had a low LD%, that's not something we can expect to continue. Despite the excellent ERA his season, Anderson shouldn't be viewed as anything more than a late-round draft choice in 2018.
Yu Darvish, SP, LAD
Darvish went 7 shutout innings against the Giants on Wednesday, giving the Dodgers their second straight win after 11 consecutive losses and Darvish his first win in over a month. Darvish was coming off a frustrating 4 start stretch in which he posted a 7.85 ERA and averaged less than 5 IP per start, so Wednesday's outing must have been a relief for both the Dodgers and Darvish owners. While he only recorded 5 K's in his most recent outing, that hadn't really been his problem in recent starts, rather it's been the HR's (6 allowed in 18.1 IP) and the high .404 BABIP. His overall numbers will likely still be disappointing at season's end, as he currently holds an un-ace-like 4.08 ERA and a 9.96 K/9 which is great, but well below his career average. Given his track record, however, Darvish makes for a good bounce-back candidate next season, although that track record will probably still have him going in the early rounds of drafts.
Luiz Gohara, SP, ATL
Gohara allowed 2 runs (1 ER) in 6 IP against the Nationals on Wednesday, striking out 6 without a BB. He has now struck out 12 in 10 IP through his first 2 big-league starts. Gohara had strong strikeout rates throughout the minors, including a 12.23 K/9 in 35.1 AAA innings this season, so the continuation of this trend at the big-league level is an encouraging sign. One possible area of concern is that he hasn't done a great job of keeping the ball on the ground, posting a 32.0% GB% through two starts, which could be problematic as time goes on. He can't be considered trustworthy at this stage of his career, but he seems to be someone worth keeping an eye on given his strikeout capabilities.
Jose Martinez, 1B, OF, STL
Somehow the Cardinals always end up with these good hitters that no one expected, and Jose Martinez is the latest to fall into that category. He has been hot in September, batting .429 (18-42) with 7 XBH's in 12 games this month, raising his season BA to .314 to go along with 13 HR's. However, it would be hard to expect him to replicate his current .353 BABIP, and his 31.1% FB% is not conducive for a lot of power. He has never displayed any significant power in the minors either, and at 29 years old, it would be surprising to see that suddenly change. It's nice to see playing well at the moment but temper expectations moving forward.
Dee Gordon, 2B, MIA
Gordon has been on fire recently hitting .363 with 20 runs and 13 SB's over his last 24 games. On Thursday, he'll have an excellent chance to reach base against the Phillies' Jake Thompson who has allowed a career .394 OBP against LH-hitters. Considering how valuable SB's are in daily fantasy, Gordon comes relatively cheap. DraftKings Value Play Salary $3,700.
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