Matt Waldron
The knuckleballer shut down a hot Cleveland lineup going 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. He threw the knuckleball 56% of the time, but his peak usage was in June when he threw it 41.6% of the time. The .253 xwOBA against it is the best mark amongst all of his pitches. His sweeper had a 47% CSW today. I really like Waldon moving into the second half, especially if he throws the knuckleball more.
Other Notes...
Brenton Doyle
Doyle has been a pleasant surprise this fantasy season, and he continued being that surprise on Friday when he went 2-4 with a HR, R, and 2 RBI. Doyle's underlying figures are actually really healthy. His .343 xwOBA and .260 xBA roughly support the .828 OPS he's posted so far. There is some punchout to his game (24.9%) and it comes with an average number of walks (8.8%), but the quality of contact is there. What really makes Doyle valuable is his ability to steal bases. He's currently at 16 HR and 20 SB, which is insane when you consider he was pretty much undrafted at the beginning of the year. He is quietly an ultra valuable player and I wouldn't mind buying high.
Anthony Volpe
Volpe, and really the whole bottom of the Yankee lineup, got cold before the All-Star break, but he went 2-4 with 3 RBI against the Rays on Friday. All three RBIs came on a bases clearing double down the line at 98 EV. The underlying figures aren't great for Volpe right now. He's not hitting the ball hard at all (4.1% Barrel, 36% Hard-Hit), but that isn't the biggest red flag. Volpe has poor bat speed (12th Percentile) and whiffs an above-average amount (61st Percentile). Not a great combination. Wait and see, but you don't need to roster him in redraft right now unless you need the stolen bases.
Gerrit Cole
Cole had his best start of the year, going 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. He impressively allowed only three hard hit balls and a 32% CSW. However, his velo is a touch down, as he averaged over 96.5 over the past three seasons (and over 97 in two of them), but now comes in at 95.9, tied for second lowest in his career. He averaged 96.0 against the Rays on Friday. While his first couple starts before the All-Star break were mostly not pretty, Cole still has great underlying figures, getting both Chase and Miss at above 85th Percentile. Buy low, if the window is still open.
Trea Turner
Turner continues to be an offensive machine, as he went 1-4 with a HR, 2 R, 2 RBI and a walk. He's having one of the best years of his career, as his .395 OBP is his highest mark and his .941 OPS is his second highest mark. However, his .286 xBA and .400 BABIP pretty confidently suggest some serious regression, so the biggest mistake you can make is thinking you're trading for a .349 batting average hitter. If anything, it might make him a sell-high, but that's more on the basis that I don't think he can be better, not that he's a bad player.
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