MLB DFS Winners and Losers: Montas, Jimenez and More

There was a full slate of games on Wednesday May 22nd. The game between the Twins and Angels was postponed and there was a doubleheader between the Royals and the Cardinals. I will go into detail on some players who played well and some who underachieved. Points and salaries are based on DraftKings.

Winners

Frankie Montas ($9,500)

Frankie Montas pitched a gem against the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday. Montas got through six innings and gave up zero earned runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out nine over his 102 pitches thrown. He was the top fantasy scorer on the night with 31.30 fantasy points. Montas has been a great pitcher so far this year and has an ERA of 2.40 and a WHIP of 1.13. After Wednesday’s win, Montas improved to 6-2 on the season. Momtas has a K/9 of 9.15 and has been especially good recently. He has 26 strikeouts over his last three starts.

Montas’ Outlook

Montas’ next projected start will come against the Los Angeles Angels in Oakland. The Angels have an average offense this year and have a team batting average of .253 and score 4.74 runs per game. They strike out with by far the lowest rate in MLB, as mentioned in Tuesday’s recap, and average only 6.15 per game. Montas has been so solid this year that I will still look to roster him in this spot. His strikeout numbers have been on the rise and he has been dominant in his last three starts. Montas’ salary is still below where it should be and because of this I will have him in lineups again in his next start.

Eloy Jimenez ($3,300)

Jimenez and the White Sox visited Houston to play the Astros on Wednesday. The White Sox were able to pull off the upset and beat Gerrit Cole and the Astros. Jimenez was a big part of this, as he went 2-for-4 with two home runs and two RBI. He also scored three runs and struck out once. That added up to 30 fantasy points for the White Sox outfielder. Jimenez has struggled to start the year and has a batting average of only .233 and an OPS of .703. He now has five home runs and 10 RBI on the year. He has also struck out 30 times in his 24 games played.

Jimenez’s Outlook

Jimenez and the White Sox have one more game against the Astros before heading to Minnesota for a three game series with the Twins. Corbin Martin will pitch for the Astros on Thursday and will be making his third career MLB start. He has an ERA of 3.86 and has nine strikeouts over 9.1 innings. . He then will face a good pitching staff in Minnesota. The Twins have a team ERA of 3.82, which ranks them eighth in the league. I will be fading Jimenez, as he has struggled for most of the year. Going into Wednesday’s game, Jimenez only had four hits in his last 11 games.

Eric Lauer ($6,400)

Lauer and the San Diego Padres hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Lauer pitched really well in this one and gave up only one earned run on four hits, over seven innings. He also struck out seven and did not walk a batter on the day. This gave Lauer 28.75 fantasy points. Lauer has been decent so far this year and has an ERA of 4.73 and a WHIP of 1.31. His K/9 is now at 7.60. This is now back to back good starts for Lauer, as he has only allowed one earned run in each of his last two outings.

Lauer’s Outlook

Lauer’s next probable start will come in New York against the Yankees. The Yankees have scored the seventh most runs in the league this year and average 5.26 runs per game. They have a team batting average of .255 and have hit 73 home runs, also ranking seventh in the league. Although Lauer has pitched well lately, it has not come against teams with the firepower that that Yankees have. The Yankees have also been hot lately and have averaged over 10 runs per game in their last four. I will not be moved to roster Lauer in his next start.

Losers

Zach Davies ($8,600)

Zach Davies of the Brewers was only able to get through three innings on Wednesday. He gave up six earned runs on six hits and one walk. Two of those hits were home runs. He was only able to strike out two and only threw 53 pitches. Davies netted his fantasy owners -5.25 fantasy points in this one. He has been rock solid most of the year and surprisingly kept his perfect 5-0 record as the Brewers came back to win. Davies’ ERA is now at 2.43 and his WHIP is at 1.24. He is not a hard thrower and only averages 6.15 Ks per nine innings. Going into Wednesday, Davies had three straight games with five strikeouts and had only given up four earned runs in his last four starts.

Davies’ Outlook

Davies’ next start will come in Minnesota against the Twins. The Twins surprisingly have the most runs scored in the league with 273 and average 5.69 runs per game. They have a team batting average of .269, which puts them at number two in the league. They also have the third least strikeouts in the league. This all adds up to a fade situation for Davies. He has been really good but the low strikeout numbers, along with the Twins strikeout avoidance, makes him a low upside play.

Luis Castillo ($11,100)

Davies was not the only pitcher to get roughed up in the Reds-Brewers game. Luis Castillo, who was the second highest priced player on the day, also did not pitch well. He was only able to get through 2.2 innings and gave up four earned runs on five hits and three walks. Castillo gave up two home runs in this short start. He only struck out two batters over 75 pitches. Before Wednesday, Castillo had been tremendous and now has an ERA of 2.38 with a WHIP of 1.04. He also has big strikeout numbers and his K/9 sits at 10.92. This was only Castillo’s second start of the year in which he gave up more than two earned runs.

Castillo’s Outlook

Castillo’s next projected start will come at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This should be a great spot for Castillo to bounce back. The Pirates have only averaged 3.76 runs per game, to go with their team batting average of .241. Pittsburgh has avoided strikeouts pretty well this year and have the fifth fewest in the league. I will take Castillo’s strikeout numbers to overpower the Pirates. I will be trying to get Castillo back in my lineup as he looks to bounce back after his worst game of the year.

Injury Report

CC Sabathia is expected to miss his next start and could find his way to the IL. He has had a sore knee and will be evaluated.

Robinson Cano left Wednesday’s game with left quad tightness. This shouldn’t be too major but is something to keep an eye on.