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MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

August special! Use Code MCMLB50 at checkout

With 14 games for the main slate Friday in DFS, there are a lot of options to wade through for your entry. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

STARTING PITCHERS

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

Nathan Eovaldi vs. Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $8,700
DraftKings = $9,700

Eovaldi has yet to allow a run since being traded. The fact that one of his two starts with the Red Sox came against the Yankees makes that even more impressive. He has a 3.38 ERA overall that has been aided by a sparkling 0.89 WHIP. That will likely be hard for him to sustain, though, since opponents only have a .230 BABIP against him. The good news is he gets to face an Orioles lineup that wasn’t great, to begin with, then traded away their two best hitters in Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop. His strikeout upside is limited, but this is still a matchup to exploit.

Zach Eflin vs. San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $8,500
DraftKings = $8,500

Eflin was a disaster over 11 starts last year with a 6.16 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP. He’s shown significant improvement this year with a 3.61 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Not only has he cut down his rate of home runs allowed, but he has also increased his K/9 from 4.9 last season to 8.3 this year. His 10.1% swinging-strike rate is almost three percentage points higher than it was in 2017. The Padres have struck out the third-most times (1,097) in baseball and have the second-lowest OPS against righties (.659), making Eflin an excellent option to consider.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

Matt Carpenter vs. Burch Smith, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $4,700
DraftKings = $5,800

There are few hitters in baseball that are hotter than Carpenter right now. He is 10-for-29 (.345) with five home runs during his current seven-game hitting streak. His 63 RBI don’t stand out, but he’s hitting for a ton of power with 31 home runs and 33 doubles. With Burch’s 1.53 WHIP and 1.8 HR/9, Carpenter is someone to build your lineup around.

Matt Olson vs. Felix Pena, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $4,200

Olson’s .235 average this season has been a disappointment, but he’s 10-for-33 (.303) with four doubles and a home run over his last nine games. His power numbers are virtually the same whether he’s been on the road or at home this season, but he’s hit for a higher average on the road at .256. That’s been a common theme for the A’s as they have much better offensive stats as a team on the road. Olson also has a .351 wOBA against right-handed pitching, leaving him as an intriguing option if you don’t want to pay up for Carpenter.

Others to consider: Jake Bauers (first base) and Yadier Molina (catcher)

SECOND BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

Whit Merrifield vs. Austin Gomber, St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,800

Merrifield only has seven home runs this year, but he hasn’t been completely devoid of power with 31 doubles. He’s batting .300 with 25 steals and he’s shown a better eye at the plate, almost doubling his walk rate from 2017. He has a stellar .406 wOBA against left-handed pitching and could provide value against Gomber and his 1.37 WHIP.

Kolten Wong vs. Burch Smith, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $2,300
DraftKings = $3,600

With Smith on the mound Friday, the Cardinals present an excellent stacking opportunity. Carpenter is their big ticket player to target, but Wong is a strong candidate to outproduce his price point. His .229 average and seven home runs don’t jump off the page, but he’s batting .349 over his last 18 games.

Others to consider: Scooter Gennett and Joey Wendle

THIRD BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

Eduardo Escobar vs. Anthony DeSclafani, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,400

Escobar is still looking for his first home run since being traded to the Diamondbacks, but he’s batting an impressive .333 with five doubles since joining his new team. The switch-hitting third baseman has a .377 wOBA against righties this year and DeSclafani has allowed a .410 to left-handed batters, setting up Escobar nicely to continue his recent run of success.

David Freese vs. Derek Holland, San Francisco Giants
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $2,300
DraftKings = $3,900

Freese came through Thursday with a big performance, finishing 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. He’s come on strong down the stretch, batting .343 with three home runs and two doubles across his last 10 games. With his career .363 wOBA against left-handed pitchers, he’s a great cheap option with upside in tournament play.

Others to consider: Mike Moustakas and Rafael Devers

SHORTSTOP

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

Andrelton Simmons vs. Brett Anderson, Oakland Athletics
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $4,200

Anderson tossed seven scoreless innings in his last start against the Tigers, but he had only two strikeouts against what is not an imposing lineup by any means. He’s generally had trouble keeping runners off base this season with a 1.48 WHIP and he’s not fooling many batters with a 4.4 K/9. Simmons doesn’t strike out much and he has a .364 wOBA against lefties, so he could be on base plenty in this game.

Asdrubal Cabrera vs. Jacob Nix, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,300

With the Padres desperate for starting pitching, Nix will make his major league debut Friday despite starting only one game at Triple-A. He had a 2.05 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP across nine starts at Double-A, but his 7.0 K/9 at that level doesn’t exactly foster a lot of confidence. The Phillies could be in for a big night, including Cabrera, who has a .366 wOBA against righties.

Others to consider: Paul DeJong and Carlos Correa

OUTFIELD

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/10/18

Khris Davis vs. Felix Pena, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $5,000

Davis is doing his best to get the A’s back into the playoffs, batting .311 with 12 home runs since July 1. His walk rate is down, but he’s also cut down on his strikeouts to boost his batting average to .256, which would be his highest mark since he played in only 56 games for the Brewers in 2013. Davis actually has better numbers against right-handed pitching and Pena has allowed 1.5 HR/9 for his career, leaving Davis with plenty of potential Friday.

David Peralta vs. Anthony DeSclafani
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $5,500

Peralta had a power outage with just one home run in July, but he’s already gone deep three times so far in August. He has a career-high 19 homers overall and is still hitting for a high average at .306. With DeSclafani’s struggles against left-handed hitters already detailed, Peralta stands out among outfield options, although he is pricey on DraftKings.

Mallex Smith vs. Marco Estrada, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $4,600

Smith continues to find ways to get on base, going 1-for-2 with two walks Thursday. He doesn’t hit for any power, but he does have nine runs scored and seven stolen bases across his last nine games. Estrada is having another subpar season with a 4.65 ERA and a 4.64 FIP and he doesn’t have an overwhelming arsenal with a 6.6 K/9, so don’t be surprised if Smith finds himself on base a couple of times again in this contest.

Others to consider: Christian Yelich and Justin Upton

MLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 16

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
July special! Use Code MCMLB50 at checkout

If you are playing in a head-to-head fantasy league, using starting pitchers that have two starts in a week can give you a significant edge over your opponent. Here are some starters who will each start two games in the week ahead that you should either target or avoid for your lineup.

Starters With Favorable Matchups

MLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 16

Jose Berrios, Minnesota Twins: vs. KC, vs. TB

Berrios has allowed five home runs in his last two starts and has had problems keeping hitters inside the park, in general, this year with a 1.3 HR/9. However, he still has a 3.54 ERA and a 3.39 FIP because he has kept runners off base with a 1.00 WHIP. He had control issues when he was first called up, but he’s thrown a first-pitch strike to 65.6% of the batters that he has faced and has a 2.0 BB/9 this year. He also has career highs in swinging-strike rate (11.4%) and K/9 (9.0). His first start in Week 16 against the Royals is an excellent matchup considering they have hit the fewest home runs (70) and scored the fewest runs (310) in baseball. The Rays aren’t much better as they have the fifth-fewest home runs (79) and the fifth-fewest runs scored (347).

Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs: at SF, at SD

Hendricks has never finished with an ERA over 3.96 or a FIP over 3.88 in his career, but he has a 4.27 ERA and a 4.80 FIP this season. Not only would his 1.25 WHIP be the highest of his career, but so would his 1.5 HR/9. He’s never been an overpowering pitcher, but he has just a 6.7 K/9. He’s allowed 13 runs over 13.1 innings in his last three starts, but his fortunes could change this week since both the Giants and the Padres are in the bottom-third of the league in runs scored. He has yet to face the Padres this year, but he allowed only one run and recorded seven strikeouts over seven innings in his lone start against the Giants. You shouldn’t count on him for strikeouts, but he can still provide value in Week 16.

Zach Eflin, Philadelphia Phillies: at NYM, at MIA

Eflin was supposed to start twice in Week 15 but left his first start with a blister issue. The Phillies decided to give him an extra day of rest for his next outing, pushing him from Sunday to Monday. He was rolling before suffering the blister against the Orioles, allowing two runs and recording six strikeouts in seven innings. He’s having by far the best season of his young career, posting a 2.97 ERA, 2.92 FIP, and a 1.08 WHIP over 11 starts. Not only does he get to face the aforementioned poor Marlins lineup, but the Mets have been even worse, scoring the third-fewest runs (336). As long as his blister doesn’t cause further issues, this is shaping up to be an excellent week for Eflin.

Jhoulys Chacin, Milwaukee Brewers: at MIA, at PIT

Chacin has been a good addition to the Brewers starting staff, posting a 3.63 ERA, 3.84 FIP, and a 1.29 WHIP across 19 starts. He has only allowed 0.6 HR/9, which is nothing new considering he has a 0.8 HR/9 for his career. That’s especially impressive considering he spent six seasons having to pitch in Coors Field as a member of the Rockies. The Marlins have had a couple of big offensive performances lately, but they have still scored four runs or fewer in 8 of their last 13 games. The Pirates offense is middle of the pack at best, setting up Chacin with the potential for two strong performances. He is still available in 67% of Yahoo! leagues, so pick him up if you are looking to stream someone.

Starters to Avoid

MLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 16

Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners: at LAA, at COL

Leake was stellar for the Mariners in June, recording a 2.57 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in six starts. He was aided by a .225 opponents BABIP though and even with that hot stretch, he still has a 4.11 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP for the season overall. He’s never provided many strikeouts and this season has been no different with a 5.6 K/9. Leake has already faced the Angels three times this year and while he did have one good start where he allowed one run in six innings, he allowed seven runs (six earned) over 9.1 innings in the other two. It doesn’t get any easier having to pitch in Coors Field for his second start of the week, so this is not the week to take a chance on putting Leake into your lineup.

Tyler Anderson, Colorado Rockies: vs. ARI, vs. SEA

Like many of the Rockies’ pitchers, Anderson struggles to pitch in Coors Field. He has a 3.48 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP on the road this year, but a 4.37 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP at home. He has thrown seven fewer innings at home, but he has allowed three more home runs there than he has on the road. The Diamondbacks have had much more success against lefties with a .762 OPS this year and hammered Anderson for seven runs over 2.1 innings in their first meeting. The Mariners won’t have the use of the DH playing in the National League, but they still have a potent offense that can score in bunches. Keep Anderson on your bench.

Marcus Stroman, Toronto Blue Jays: at ATL, at BOS

Stroman got off to an abysmal start this season, then landed on the DL with a shoulder issue. He put together two strong starts upon first being activated, but was rocked for six runs over 4.2 innings in his last outing against the Mets. Things get much harder for him this week against the Braves and the Red Sox as both teams are in the top-six in baseball in runs scored. The Red Sox have also hit the second-most home runs (128). This has the potential to be a really rough Week 16 for Stroman.

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/3/18

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

July special! Use Code MCMLB50 at checkout

Baseball gets back to a busy schedule Tuesday with all 30 teams in action. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

STARTING PITCHERS

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/3/18

Zach Eflin vs. Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $9,100
DraftKings = $9,900

Eflin made just 11 starts for the Phillies last year and didn’t pitch well with a 6.16 ERA and a 6.10 FIP. A lot of his struggles can be attributed to his 1.42 WHIP and 2.2 HR/9. He also didn’t help his cause with a lowly 4.9 K/9. However, he seems to have put those issues behind him with an excellent first half that resulted in a 3.02 ERA and a 2.86 FIP across 10 starts. He’s cut his WHIP down to 1.13 and has allowed only four home runs in 55.2 innings. His average fastball velocity is up from 93.7 mph last year to 95.1 mph this season to go along with a career-high 10.5% swinging-strike rate, helping him post a 9.1 K/9. The Orioles have scored the second-fewest runs (305) in baseball and won’t have the use of the DH in Philadelphia, making Eflin one of the better pitching options available for the night.

Chris Bassitt vs. San Diego Padres
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $7,000
DraftKings = $6,300

Bassitt hadn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2016 and even that year he only made five appearances. His last significant stretch in the majors came in 2015 when he finished with a 3.56 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in 18 outings, 13 of which were starts. The Athletics have dealt with multiple injuries to their starters this season, leaving Bassitt with another chance to join their rotation. He’s had mixed results in four starts, but he’s also been done in by the Athletics defense as five of the 12 runs he has allowed have been unearned. He handled two bad offenses in the Royals and Tigers, allowing just one run and recording 11 strikeouts across 13 innings. The Padres have scored the fifth-fewest runs (321) in baseball, leaving Bassitt as someone to consider in tournament play.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/3/18

Brandon Belt vs. Antonio Senzatela, Colorado Rockies
Stadium – Coors Field
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $5,500

After a hot start to the season, Belt cooled off in June by hitting .226 with two home runs. A lot of that had to do with his .238 BABIP. Even with his slump, he’s still hitting .295 with 13 homers for the season overall. He has a .419 wOBA against right-handed pitchers this year and gets the benefit of hitting in Coors Field on Tuesday, so this could be just the matchup he needs to start another hot streak.

Yan Gomes vs. Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,200

Duffy can be tough to hit when he’s on top of his game, evident by the fact that he has allowed one or no runs in three of his last four starts. The problem is when he’s off, he’s really off as he has allowed at least five earned runs in a game six times this season. Gomes is 9-for-23 (.391) with two home runs against Duffy in his career and hits lefties well in general, making him a cost-effective option with upside.

Others to consider: Edwin Encarnacion (first base) and Carlos Santana (first base)

SECOND BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/3/18

Joe Panik vs. Antonio Senzatela, Colorado Rockies
Stadium – Coors Field
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,400

Coors Field sure makes it hard for the Rockies to develop young starting pitchers. Senzatela has put up impressive numbers as a starter in the minors, but he’s struggled with the Rockies this year with a 6.23 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP in 10 relief appearances. Panik only has a .223 wOBA against lefties this year, but he’s a great option against Senzatela considering his .345 wOBA against righties.

Joey Wendle vs. Trevor Richards, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $2,400
DraftKings = $3,000

Wendle sits against lefties. but should be in the lineup against the right-handed Richards. Richards’ 3.90 FIP indicates he hasn’t pitched as bad as his 5.06 ERA would lead you to believe, but he’s allowed a ton of baserunners with a 1.48 WHIP. Wendle doesn’t have much power upside with only two home runs, but if you want to go really cheap at second base in tournament play, he is someone to consider.

Others to consider: Scooter Gennett and Yoan Moncada

THIRD BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/3/18

Max Muncy vs. Ivan Nova, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – Dodger Stadium
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,700

Muncy hit another home run Monday, leaving him 11-for-33 (.333) with five homes in his last 10 games. He’s been one of the biggest surprises in all of baseball this season as he didn’t even play in the majors in 2017 and entered 2018 with only five career home runs. With his recent run of success, he is now batting .271 with 18 long balls. Look for him to keep things rolling against Nova, who doesn’t have an overpowering arsenal by any means with a 6.7 K/9 for his career.

Adrian Beltre vs. Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $3,800

Hamstring injuries have limited Beltre to only 54 games this year. It may also have something to do with his power drought as he only has four home runs. He still has a .309 average, though, and is drawing walks with a .373 OBP. He has a .376 wOBA against lefties so far and is 21-for-68 (.309) with two home runs and seven doubles against Keuchel in his career, so he has some upside at this price.

Others to consider: Jose Ramirez and Jed Lowrie

SHORTSTOP

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/3/18

Francisco Lindor vs. Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $4,700
DraftKings = $5,700

Lindor launched two homers Monday, marking his third-straight game with a home run and his third multi-hit game in his last four contests. The AL MVP race is loaded with great candidates, but Lindor should also be towards the top of the list since he is hitting .298 with 23 home runs, 55 RBI, and 73 runs scored. He has crushed lefties with a 185 wRC+ this year and should be a part of any Indians stack against Duffy.

Elvis Andrus vs. Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $3,900

Andrus missed over two months with an elbow injury and got off to a slow start when he did finally return. However, he’s shown signs of turning things around by hitting 8-for-29 (.276) across his current five-game hitting streak. He finished with a wOBA against lefties of at least .357 in both of the last two seasons and is someone to consider if you can’t make Lindor’s high salary work with your entry.

Others to consider: Brandon Crawford and Marcus Semien

OUTFIELD

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/3/18

Rhys Hoskins vs. Alex Cobb, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $5,200

Cobb has allowed at least five runs in three of his last four starts and seven times this season overall. His first year with the Orioles has been a disaster overall with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP. Hoskins has rebounded from his slow start to hit at least one home run in four of his last eight games. Considering all the baserunners Cobb allows, Hoskins could have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs in this game.

Scott Schebler vs. Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,300

Giolito has been as bad as Cobb, recording a 6.59 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP in 16 starts. He’s allowed as many walks as he has strikeouts and has given up 13 home runs in only 84.2 innings. Lefties have posted a .397 wOBA against him, setting up Schebler with the potential for a big performance. Schebler not only has 11 home runs this season, but his .283 batting average and .357 OBP are both career highs.

Mark Canha vs. Clayton Richard, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,700

When a lefty is on the mound, it’s time to target Canha. He’s having a nice season overall with a .255 average and 10 home runs, but he is crushing left-handed pitching with a .422 wOBA. Eight of his 10 homers have come off lefties as well.

Others to consider: Ronald Acuna Jr. and Avisail Garcia

MLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 15

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
June special! Use Code PAMLB30 at checkout

If you are playing in a head-to-head fantasy league, using starting pitchers that have two starts in a week can give you a significant edge over your opponent. Here are some starters who will each start two games in the week ahead that you should either target or avoid for your lineup.

Starters With Favorable Matchups

MLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 15

Robbie Ray, Arizona Diamondbacks: vs. STL, vs. SD

After missing almost two months with an oblique injury, Ray returned to face the Marlins last week. It was a great matchup for his first game back and he took full advantage, striking out six batters in six scoreless innings. Ray had a breakout campaign last year, finishing with a 2.89 ERA, 3.72 FIP, and a 1.15 WHIP. He provided a ton of strikeouts with a 12.1 K/9 and he’s been even better this season with a 13.6 K/9 across seven starts. The Cardinals have the fifth-lowest OPS against left-handed pitchers (.676) in baseball and the Padres have scored the fifth-fewest runs (321) overall, setting Ray up for an excellent Week 15.

Zach Eflin, Philadelphia Phillies: vs. BAL, at PIT

Eflin couldn’t have pitched much worse than he did in 2017, posting a 6.16 ERA, 6.10 FIP and a 1.42 WHIP across 11 starts. He wasn’t a big strikeout pitcher either with a 4.9 K/9. With tremendous improvement in that area leading to a 9.1 K/9, Eflin has a 3.02 ERA, 2.86 FIP, and a 1.13 WHIP this season. His .295 opponents BABIP is right in line with his career mark, which is good news for his prognosis moving forward. He was particularly hot in the month of June, recording a 1.76 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP in five starts. The Orioles have scored the second-fewest runs (305) in baseball and the Pirates are in the bottom-third in terms of OPS against righties, so look for Eflin to continue his recent run of success.

Kyle Gibson, Minnesota Twins: at MIL, vs. BAL

Like Eflin, Gibson was bad last year with a 5.07 ERA, 4.85 FIP, and a 1.53 WHIP. It marked his second straight season with a WHIP of at least 1.53 and an ERA of 5.07. He’s taken his game in the opposite direction this year with a 3.48 ERA, 3.87 FIP, and a 1.24 WHIP. Not only has his ability to limit baserunners been a key part of his success, but he also has a career-high 8.7 K/9 after never finishing a season with a K/9 higher than 6.9. He allowed five runs in his last start against the White Sox, but he did pitch seven innings and recorded seven strikeouts. He had allowed three runs or fewer in each of his previous six outings. The Brewers aren’t exactly a bad offensive team, but they are middle of the pack in terms of runs scored. With the weak Orioles lineup in his second start, Gibson is a streaming option with upside who is still available in 67% of Yahoo! leagues.

Nathan Eovaldi, Tampa Bay Rays: at MIA, at NYM

Eovaldi has had his ups and downs since returning from Tommy John surgery, but his overall numbers aren’t bad as he has a 4.08 ERA, 4.87 FIP and a 0.82 WHIP in six starts. The Rays rotation is a mess due to injuries, leaving Eovaldi as one of the few healthy traditional starters they have left. He doesn’t have great strikeout potential with a 6.6 K/9 for his career, but you don’t see many better two-start weeks than this. He’ll get to avoid the DH pitching in two National League stadiums and he’ll also get to face two of the bottom-four teams in runs scored. Eovaldi is still available in 75% of Yahoo! leagues and could provide a big boost in Week 15.

Starters to Avoid

MLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 15

Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals: vs. CLE, vs. BOS

Junis had a stretch of success early on this season, but he’s allowed at least five runs in three of his last four starts. He allowed at least three home runs in all three of those games and has a 2.1 HR/9 overall. He allowed 1.4 HR/9 in 2017, so this isn’t just an isolated bad stretch. The Indians and Red Sox are both in the top-three in home runs and the top-six in runs scored, so make sure Junis is anchored to your bench.

Clayton Richard, San Diego Padres: at OAK, at ARI

Richard had his best month of the season in June, posting a 3.27 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in five starts. Two of those outings came against the Braves, making his success even more impressive. His overall numbers don’t stand out, but he hasn’t been bad either with a 4.29 ERA, 3.88 FIP, and a 1.23 WHIP. He’ll have to deal with the DH playing in Oakland for his first start, which is no easy task since the Athletics are tied for the fifth-most home runs (112) in baseball. Despite their struggles to score runs earlier this year, the Diamondbacks have the eight-highest OPS against lefties (.764). Since Richard doesn’t provide much in the way of strikeouts, this may be a good week to keep him out of your lineup.

Anibal Sanchez, Atlanta Braves: at NYY, at MIL

Sanchez was hit hard as a member of the Tigers last year, finishing with a 6.41 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. The Braves have a lot of talented young starters coming up through their system. but decided to take a flier on Sanchez to provide veteran depth. It’s proven to be an excellent signing so far as Sanchez has a 2.68 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP in nine appearances, eight of which are starts. He has been a bit lucky, though, based on his 4.05 FIP and .238 BABIP allowed. This could be the week his numbers start to take a turn for the worse since he will face Yankees in Yankee Stadium for his first start. That game alone makes him someone to avoid.