Stephen Strasburg-Nationals-SP
Stephen Strasburg went 5.2 IP and gave up 4 ER on 7 H, 3 BB, and 4 K's against the Reds. Strasburg has put together a very fine season (3.82 ERA and 1.09 WHIP) on top of a 15-5 record. The ERA is very similar to last year (3.74) but the skills have improved. His strikeout rate is up (29% K) and his walk rate has fallen (6% BB). His swinging-strike rate is up to 14% which is elite. Strasburg's 3.52 SIERA points to the upside that Strasburg has given his current skills. He is someone that has the potential for a strong finish provided he stays healthy. He gets an excellent matchup in PNC Park against a not very good Pirates offense.
Trevor Bauer-Reds-SP
Trevor Bauer went 4.1 IP and gave up 9 ER on 8 H, 2 BB, and 4 K's against the Nationals. Bauer has a 4.12 ERA and 1.25 WHIP through 172.2 IP. He posts above-average strikeout rates (28%) but has been hurt by an increased walk (10% BB) and home run rate (1.30 HR/9). His hard contact given up has also increased this year (40%) which is one of the reasons for the increased home runs. His 4.16 SIERA suggests that he has been somewhat lucky so far in terms of his ERA but Bauer has the skills to be an elite starter but he needs to consistently find the strike zone more often in order to reach his full potential which he showed a year ago (2.21 ERA and 1.09 WHIP). A start against the Padres is a nice matchup for Bauer next time out.
Cal Quantrill-Padres-SP
Cal Quantrill went 5.1 IP and gave up 2 ER on 3 H, 1 BB, and 4 K's against the Rays. Quantrill has pitched well recently with a 0.93 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in the second half. Overall, he has a 3.23 ERA and 1.12 WHIP across 75.1 IP. He has benefited from batted ball luck (.217 BABIP) and an 85% LOB rate in the second half. His strikeouts are still below average (19% K). Quantrill's 4.55 SIERA is closer to what we should expect from the right-hander the rest of the season. His next start comes against the Reds in Great American Ballpark which is not a good matchup for him.
Trent Grisham-Brewers-OF
Trent Grisham was 2-4 with an HR (2), 2 R, 3 RBI, and 1 BB against the Twins. Grisham is playing most days in the Brewers outfield. He has performed well in his limited time at the major league level. Grisham is hitting .314 with 2 HR, 6 R, 8 RBI, and 0 SB through 11 games. At Triple-A this year he hit .381 with 13 HR, 37 R, 30 RBI, and 6 SB while walking (15% BB) than he struck out (14% K). He doesn't have a huge ceiling due to his lack of elite power or speed but he has the ability to control the zone and make solid contact. He profiles similar to Pirates OF Bryan Reynolds who has been valuable this season without any one elite tool.
Ryan McMahon-Rockies-2B
Ryan McMahon was 1-2 with his 14th HR in the Rockies in against the Diamondbacks. McMahon is hitting .264 with 13 HR, 52 R, 56 RBI, and 4 SB in 384 PA. It took him a while to get everyday at-bats but he has responded by playing well. The strikeout rate is high (28%) but he combines that with a good eye (11% BB) and a lot of hard contact (43% Hard). McMahon also benefits from playing half of his games in Coors Field where he has is slashing .299/.367/.514 compared to .226/.319/.360 on the road. If you can play him at home and sit on the road you can maximize his value but that isn't always possible but he has enough value to be mixed league relevant.
DraftKings Value Plays: OF Brian Goodwin (LAA) $3,900 and SS Tim Anderson (CHW) $4,000
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