Each week there are more and more new faces popping up across MLB and each week those new faces bring more options to you for daily fantasy baseball salary cap games. Obviously not all of them are worth picking up, but every now and then you find a player or two that doesn’t cost much with respect to the daily fantasy baseball games and can provide you with some quality play. We’ll continue to follow the new format and take a look at some of those new faces along with a few selections you might like to think about and some you might want to avoid.
New Faces
Pitchers
Jhoulys Chacin, SP COL (8/21 @ NYM) — While he’s not technically a new face, Chacin is relatively new for this year as he hasn’t pitched since May 1, when he was dealing with a nerve problem in his shoulder. Apparently feeling better and ready for action again, Chacin will take on the Mets for his first go-around in over three months. Data from this season can almost be ignored, so you have to go back and combine a few of the seasons before to find that he’s tougher on right-handed hitters and, obviously, pitches better on the road than at home.
Roberto Hernandez, SP CLE (8/21 @ SEA) — So a new name for an old face here as the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona makes his return to the game under his real name. Well, supposedly his real name. He’s made one start already, peppered by the Angels, but now heads to pitcher-friendly Seattle. Left-handed hitters tend to get the better of him overall, but righties do hit for some decent power against him as well.
Tyler Skaggs, SP ARI (8/22 vs MIA) — Though technically, the move hasn’t been officially made yet, the Diamondbacks are expected to bring up Skaggs to pitch one end of the doubleheader on Wednesday. He began the season in Double-A, posted a 2.84 ERA with 71 strikeouts in just 69.2 innings, and was promptly promoted to Triple-A Reno of the Pacific Coast League where he had a 2.91 ERA over nine starts with 45 strikeouts in 52.2 innings. He’s been much tougher on right-handed hitting, holding them to a .228 average in a very hitter-friendly league.
Hitters
Johnny Giavotella, 2B KC — After almost a full season’s banishment to the minors, Giavotella returns to Kansas City. It’s not likely that he’ll play every day just yet with Tony Abreu still up with the big club, but he should at least garner all the starts against right-handers with Chris Getz done for the season.
Charlie Blackmon, OF COL — With Michael Cuddyer likely lost for the remainder of the year, the Rockies are going with a platoon in right field with Blackmon getting the work against right-handers. He was hitting .336 against them down in Triple-A Colorado Springs with a .408 OBO and all of his home runs (5) against them.
Jacob Elmore, 2B/SS ARI — The Diamondbacks prospect hits for a great average and has solid speed, but very little power. He should see a decent amount of work though as Willie Bloomquist hits the DL and Stephen Drew gets shipped off to Oakland.
Five to Consider
Jayson Werth, OF WAS (8/21 vs ATL) — He’s batting .372 with six doubles and a triple over his last 43 at-bats and is a career .375 hitter with one home runs and three doubles in 23 at-bats against Paul Maholm.
Clay Buchholz, SP BOS (8/22 vs LAA) — In seven starts since the All Star break, he’s 3-1 with a 2.08 average and is holding all hitters to a .190 batting average against. Granted, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout weren’t on the Angels at the time, but Buchholz is 4-0 in four starts against them with a 2.39 ERA.
Starlin Castro, SS CHC (8/22 @ MIL) — He’s batting .296 with a home run, four doubles and a triple in his last 54 at-bats and is hitting .391 off Yovani Gallardo through 23 career at-bats.
Juan Pierre, OF PHI (8/22 vs CIN) — Pierre, 303 in his last 33 at-bats, has seen his playing time decline recently, but should get the start in this one against Bronson Arroyo as he is batting .353 against him with a double and a triple over 34 at-bats.
Carlos Pena, 1B TB (8/23 vs OAK) — Pena always struggles with his batting average, so the fact that he’s hitting .300 with three home runs against Bartolo Colon should mean something, right?
Four to Ignore
Curtis Granderson, OF NYY (8/21 @ CHW) — He’s only hitting .231 against lefties this year and this match-up pits him against Francisco Liriano, against whom he is only batting .192 over 26 career at-bats.
Alex Gordon, OF KC (8/22 @ TB) — Gordon is just 5-for-20 (.250) since being moved from the leadoff spot to the three-hole and is batting just .158 in his career against James Shields.
Alfonso Soriano, OF CHC (8/22 @ MIL) — He’s just 3-for-17 over his last five games and is batting just .174 in 23 at-bats against Yovani Gallardo.
Brandon Phillips, 2B CIN (8/23 @ PHI) — Phillips is just 4-for-21 (.190) over his last five games and owns just a .143 average against Cole Hamels over career 28 at-bats.
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Howard Bender has been covering fantasy sports for over ten years on a variety of web sites, including his own, The Fantasy Baseball Buzz. You can follow him on Twitter at @rotobuzzguy or for direct questions or comments you can email him at rotobuzzguy@gmail.com.
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