MLB DFS Winners and Losers: Jonesing

219

By Vincent Pensabene

There were 15 games on the slate for May 24, but the Yankees and Royals were rained out and will have a doubleheader today. We will discuss who was a great play and others who underachieved. All scores and prices are based off DraftKings.

Winners

Jorge Alfaro ($3,400)

The Nationals and Marlins had a slugfest on Friday, and Alfaro had his footprints all over the game. He went 3-for-5 with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored. Alfaro, like many of the Marlins, has had a difficult start to the season with a .257 average, but with Patrick Corbin on the bump today, I would look to fade him.

Alfaro’s Outlook

The Marlins will continue their four-game set in Washington in the battle of the bottom of the NL East. This was Alfaro’s first multi-hit game since May 17 against the Mets. The Nationals have struggled at the beginning of the year, but with a legitimate pitcher in Patrick Corbin, I would expect him to shut down the lowly Marlins. Also, Alfaro has a chance of sitting, as today’s game is at 4:05 p.m.

Adam Jones ($4,400)

The Diamondbacks dominated the San Francisco Giants and Adam Jones was the leader of the pack.  Jones was in the cleanup spot in the order and went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. He also scored three times.

Jones’ Outlook

This was the opener of a three-game set in San Francisco for the Diamondbacks. The Giants have not been a good pitching staff, as they have a 4.39 ERA and a .242 batting average against. Arizona, as a whole, has been putrid for the past week, so Jones’ outburst was welcomed. Jones was 1-for-18 in his previous four games, but I would look to put him back in the lineup against a tired Giants’ team.

Jacoby Jones ($2,800)

Jacoby Jones only went 2-for-5 but hit his fifth homer of the season and had four RBI vs. the Mets. He also recorded a double and scored twice to produce in the victory. I do not think Jones will have another game with this kind of production for a while so I would avoid him, even with his low price tag.

Jones’ Outlook

This wasn’t the biggest splash you will see in DFS but with his price tag, it was definitely worth mentioning. His average rose to .183 for the year and had a season-high six total bases. The Tigers aren’t much better as a team than Jones’ average indicates so I would not look for another game like this for a while.

Losers

Noah Syndergaard ($10,100)

Syndergaard did not have a good outing against the Detroit Tigers yesterday. His final line was 5.1 innings with six runs on 10 hits with a walk and two strikeouts. He also gave up two home runs in the outing but recorded a no decision. Most of the struggles came in the first two innings but they all count the same in DFS.

Syndergaard’s Outlook

Syndergaard had the chance to build off his last start in Miami and came out of the gates slow. Syndergaard has had a solid month of May before yesterday’s game but the six runs and 10 hits were tied for his most given up this season. The positive is that he only allowed one free pass, but Detroit is one of the worst offensive teams in the league with a .650 OPS, so this was a matchup where Syndergaard should have thrived. His next start is scheduled for Wednesday at the L.A. Dodgers, so it will be difficult to see a situation where he could bounce back.

Drew Pomeranz ($7,200)

Pomeranz has not had a good 2019 season thus far, only going 27.2 innings in nine starts. He was granted the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks, but they woke up, as Pomeranz only went 2.2 innings and gave up five runs on eight hits, including a home run. He also struck out six and gave up a walk en route to his fifth loss of the season. It’ll be a while before you should consider Pomeranz as a viable option in any lineup.

Pomeranz’s Outlook

Pomeranz hasn’t looked anywhere similar to his 2017 campaign where he went 17-6. The Diamondbacks are tied for the fourth-best average in the National League but were under the Mendoza Line during their recent losing streak. This was also Pomeranz’s fourth consecutive start where he failed to complete five innings. His next start should be Thursday in Miami against the Marlins so it’ll be interesting to see how he could manage against a much weaker lineup than he faced yesterday.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr ($4,200)

The youth movement in Toronto has been exciting to watch for the Blue Jays but yesterday was a struggle offensively. It was Guerrero’s second consecutive hitless game,  as he went 0-for-4 with a punchout. It’s nothing to be worried about but it is his first time struggling in the majors. Pitchers are getting a look at him and learning how to work to him.

Guerrero’s Outlook

This is not the end of the world for Vlad. He has been in the big leagues for 30 days, so the slump was bound to happen eventually. The Blue Jays will play the second of their three-game set against the San Diego Padres today and Guerrero will have the opportunity to work out of the slump.

Injury Update

Didi Gregorius has officially started his rehab assignment from Tommy John surgery in October. This means he should return by mid-June.

Dustin Pedroia and Brock Holt have begun their rehab assignments for the Boston Red Sox.

Khris Davis was placed on the 10-day IL retroactive to May 22 with a left hip/oblique contusion.