3 Daily Fantasy Baseball Hitters to Avoid on 4/11/16
As is the case in most daily fantasy sports, finding information on players you might want to roster is a lot easier than finding players to avoid.
While you can get away with a zero from a hitter in daily fantasy, you certainly don't want to target guys whose matchups aren't enticing.
Here are three hitters you may want to lessen your exposure to or even fade altogether on Monday.
Chris Davis, 1B, Baltimore Orioles
FanDuel Price: $3,900
In life and DFS, there are some rules to live by. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, don’t eat leftover Chinese food that has been in your fridge too long, and don’t play Chris Davis in DFS on the road against left-handed pitching. Following these simple rules can result in a happier life, and the latter could be a solid rule to follow here this afternoon against David Price.
Last season, Davis hit only .241 on the road compared to .283 at home, and on the road against lefties, Davis had a wOBA of only .311. Even though right-handed hitters have had less success against Price over the last couple of years compared to lefties, that has not been the case for his entire career. Price owns a wOBA against of .257 against left-handed hitting throughout his career, and lefties have a BABIP of just .271.
Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels
FanDuel Price: $4,600
Mike Trout made an appearance on the landmines on Opening Day, and he has made his way back once week later, as the Angels head into Oakland to play Sonny Gray and the Athletics. Trout is a very transcendent player, but there are certain scenarios that make since to fade him. He has started the year somewhat slowly, and going against Gray in a pitcher's park tonight may be a sign to stay away.
Gray has pretty much owned right-handed hitting throughout his career, and last season was no different. Even though everyone had trouble against Gray in 2015, Gray had a wOBA against of just .255 at home against righties. Right-handed hitters playing in Oakland had a BABIP of just .220 against Gray in 2015.
Another factor for this one is Trout has never been great when playing at the Coliseum. It’s a pretty bad park for hitters to begin with, but that hasn’t stopped Trout in other pitcher's parks like, for example, his own stadium. In Oakland throughout his career, Trout is hitting only .267 and owns a strike out rate of almost 30 percent -- but he does have 10 home runs there.
Lastly, though it doesn’t mean as much in DFS, he is hitting only .179 against Gray in 28 career at-bats, and his strikeout rate against Gray is 39.2 percent.
Adrian Beltre, 3B, Texas Rangers
FanDuel Price: $3,400
Adrian Beltre has seemed like one of those players who could play until he was 45 and still be productive. The Rangers' slugger is in his 19th Major League season and is still getting it done. However, there were a couple of signs from last season that are a bit concerning, especially when you look at who he faces tonight and where he has to play this evening.
Right-handed hitters had a wOBA of just .279 against Hisashi Iwakuma in 2015, and last season, Iwakuma’s BABIP when pitching at home against righties was only .253. Iwakuma also had a strikeout rate of 24.1 percent when pitching at Safeco Field against righties.
Beltre’s wOBA dropped to .307 against right-handed pitching last season, which is considerably lower than his career wOBA against right-handed pitching of .345. Plus, even though the 37-year-old has hit well at Safeco Field in his career, 2015 changed that. Last year, Beltre hit only .077 in 44 plate appearances in Seattle. He had zero extra base hits and a BABIP of just .097.
