Eric Thames (FDraft: $8,100 DK: $4,400 FDuel: $4,000): Our first Must-Have of the day will be stepping into the box tonight against right-hander Matt Harvey. Pitching at home to left-handers was an issue for Harvey in 2017 since he allowed a 4.15 HR/9, 10.14 FIP, .420 wOBA, and 41% hard hit rate against them. Harvey also allowed a fly-ball rate of over 42% against those left-handers at home and is showcasing his two-seam fastball 30% of the time to left-handers and his slider over 16% of the time to lefties. Thames held down ISOs well above .300 to both of those pitches in 2017 thanks to a .320 ISO vs two-seamers from righties and a .389 ISO vs sliders from righties last season. Right-handers were also getting crushed by Thames in 2017 since he hit them to the tune of a .933 OPS, .286 ISO, .390 wOBA, and 44% hard hit rate to go along with 25 homers against them. Citi Field has been a great park for Thames to hit in thanks to his 1.117 OPS there in 15 career at-bats. Thames is checking out all across the board in our research and will be locked into all of our lineups across all formats.
Jose Pirela (FDraft: $7,400 DK: $3,600 FDuel: $2,800): The San Diego Padres will take on the San Francisco Giants in the third game of this home series. Derek Holland will be toeing the rubber for the Giants tonight and is very exploitable to right-handed batters on the road. In 2017 on the road, Holland allowed right-handers to hit 14 homers off of him to go along with a .430 wOBA, 2.68 HR/9, 7.18 FIP, and 45.3% hard hit rate. Holland also allowed 47% fly-balls to righties on the road and is susceptible to the stolen base allowing nine of them last year. Pirela posted strong numbers against left-handers during his 2017 surge into the big leagues, hitting them to the tune of a .928 OPS, .256 ISO, .390 wOBA, .305 average and 41% hard hit rate. Things haven’t changed to start 2018 as he already holds down a .375 average, .445 wOBA 1.037 OPS and .250 ISO against them to begin the season. Pirela also stole four bases last season to give him some stolen base upside in this matchup as well. We will be locking Pirela in alongside Thames across all formats tonight.
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