Ben Zobrist- 2B- CHC- Idea- Zobrist owns a .302/.409/.462 slash line against RH pitchers. This bodes well in his matchup against Luis Castillo and his .280/.351/.525 slash line against LH hitters. Zobrist's availability for the OF is a plus. Value play- Draft Kings salary $4100
Jordy Mercer- SS- PIT- Stats- Mercer's .245 average is 20 points below his preseason projection. His LD% and FB% are both increased from 2017 (20.8% to 23.2% and 30.9% to 36.5% respectively.) Mercer's Hard% has dropped from 31.0% to 28.9%, but that isn't the main thing plaguing him this season. He has seen a double whammy of his K% going up from 15.8% to 20.9% and his BB% fall from 9.1% to 7.3%. The combination has sent Mercer's Batting EYE falling to .35 from .58. That's a big decline in plate control. Mercer needs to get that back to the number he posted last year (not to mention the .60 Batting EYE projected for him) to get his production into worthwhile range.
Jose Peraza- 2B- CIN- Hot- Despite going 0-for-3 yesterday, Peraza walked and stole a base, his 16th of the season. He has collected multiple hits in 6 of his last 11 games. In that span Peraza has 3 homers and 3 steals. There could be some regression to the mean at play here. Before this hot stretch his BABIP was at .289, well below his career mark of .308. It is now up to .296, which gives Peraza more room for positive regression.
Chris Iannetta- C- COL- FYI- In very deep leagues that count OBP, Iannetta can have some value. His BB% of 12.1% gives him a solid .345 OBP. He does have a .302 BABIP, above his career mark of .280, but Iannetta did post a .308 BABIP over 316 PAs last season and has finished over .300 in 2 other seasons with at least 373 PAs, so regression to the mean may not be a foregone conclusion. Iannetta has hit 7 homers in 207 PAs this season, below his pace of 17 in 316 PAs with the Diamondbacks last year, but still respectable. He won't help you with average but can be a positive in homer and OBP.
Tyler Saladino- SS- MIL- Cold- Saladino took the collar for the first time in 3 games since coming off the DL. He went 0-for-3 yesterday after going 2-for-4 with a homer, 3 RBI, 2 runs, and a steal in his first two games since being activated. With a .343 BABIP, some negative regression to the mean will be expected for Saladino. His current .302 average is likely not sustainable, especially if he continues to strike out at a career-high 24.6% rate. Saladino would be in the sell high category.
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