3 Daily Fantasy Baseball Hitters to Avoid on 5/18/16
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 Wednesday.
Eric Hosmer, 1B, Kansas City Royals
FanDuel Price: $4,000
Eric Hosmer has absolutely been destroying the ball lately. He has double-digit fantasy points in seven of his last 10 games, and in Kansas City’s first game against the Red Sox on Tuesday, he clubbed another home run. However, now he has to face off against David Price tonight, and almost all of his appeal goes out the window with a tough lefty-lefty matchup.
Hosmer has a wOBA against lefties this season of .313 and an average of just .184 through 38 at-bats but owns a respectable .265 against lefties for his career. He has hit three of his seven home runs off lefties this year, but for his career, his ISO drops from .171 to .111 against left-handed pitchers, and this season, his hard hit rate against lefties is just 20 percent.
Price, on the other hand, has smothered lefties to start the season. They have a wOBA of .263 off him through 37 total batters (compared to .258 in his career). This season, Price’s hard hit rate of 29.3 percent against lefties is going to make it hard for Hosmer to keep tattooing the ball, so it might be wise to spend elsewhere at first base on Wednesday.
Michael Conforto, OF, New York Mets
FanDuel Price: $3,400
Another tough lefty-lefty matchup on the Wednesday slate is Michael Conforto against Gio Gonzalez. The Nationals’ southpaw has struggled some in his last two outings, but Conforto hasn't been able to hit lefties well in the Majors.
Conforto is hitting just .175 against lefties since last season, and his wOBA is .181 through 40 at-bats against left-handed pitchers during his career. He has yet to record an extra-base hit against a left-handed pitcher, making his ISO zero, and his hard hit rate against left-handed pitching is 31.3 percent. Considering he is hitting at home tonight in one of the most friendly pitcher's parks in the country, it’s a night you should probably lay off of Conforto.
Gonzalez presents some nice value at the pitching spot tonight, even after his two most recent outings. Lefties have a wOBA of .256 against Gonzalez this season, and they are hitting under .200 against him through 37 total batters. While Gonzalez isn’t striking out lefties much this season, he has been tough on them. They own a hard hit rate of 27.6 percent.
Matt Kemp, OF, San Diego Padres
FanDuel Price: $3,000
The Padres in general may be a team to avoid tonight as they are not only at home but are also facing Johnny Cueto. Cueto has been lights out to start the season for the Giants, and he is easily the top arm on the night in daily fantasy baseball.
Cueto owns an xFIP of 3.08 this season, and he has been generally tough on all hitters. However, righties have had extra trouble with the Giants' new acquisition. They own a wOBA of just .273 on the year through 136 total batters, and Cueto has a strikeout rate of 22.1 percent against them. His hard hit rate of 24.5 percent against righties is also very good, and if any Padre is a landmine tonight, it’s Matt Kemp.
Kemp had two big fantasy days in his last three games. He had a 41-FanDuel-point performance over the weekend against the Brewers, and after a hitless day, he followed it up Tuesday night with a solo home run. However, don’t let his recent performance trick you into rostering him against Cueto. Kemp owns a wOBA of .295 against righties this season, and so far this season, his power has dropped significantly against righties, with an ISO of .214, compared to .359 against lefties. His career ISO against righties is .197, and his strikeout rate against them in his 11 Major League seasons is 24.8 percent.
