MLB GPP Tournament Picks: 6-28-15

The purpose of this column is to highlight some players with upside and well-suited for tournaments. While the majority of the hitter picks will likely have power upside, that's not necessarily the case for all the listed options. Other contextual factors such as batting order, ballpark, opposing pitcher, price, speed, etc also come into play, and you'll see these items sprinkled into the write-ups below. Along with that, we'll be gauging the ownership levels, giving you some plausible pivots from the popular choices in a given game slate.

Top Pitcher

His strikeout rate has actually bumped to 26% this season, which ranks among the top five of qualified pitchers. Looking at it that way, you are getting an elite strikeout-style hurler for a fraction the cost of guys like Greinke, Price, etc. Also, the Cubbies are a free-swinging bunch, ranking second overall in strikeout percentage. Martinez has historically pitched better at home throughout his young career. NOTE: You'll want to double check the weather before taking a chance on C-Mart in this Sunday Night game.

Top Hitters

Moss has been somewhat cold as of late, but that has brought his price point down significantly - especially on FanDuel. He has a fine matchup against Ubaldo Jimenez, who owns a .325 wOBA split against left-handed bats. Moss has been holding a less-than-ideal lineup spot as of late, sometimes batting as low as seventh. Don't let that scare you away, as it takes just one swing of the bat for Moss to achieve his goal. Baltimore's Camden Yards is friendly to left-handed power, a situation Moss took advantage of in the first game of this series.

Chris Davis holds the same upside in the same ballpark as Brandon Moss. Cleveland pitcher Trevor Bauer has struggled as of late, particularly with the deep ball. Bauer has always profiled as a fly-ball pitcher, and that has especially been the case over the last month. Look for Crush Davis to cash in on the matchup.

Nelson Cruz is ice cold right now. However, that means a depressed price point on FanDuel - making him an interesting tournament option against left-hander Hector Santiago. Over the past three seasons, Santiago has allowed a .332 wOBA (51% fly-ball) split against right-handed hitters, having trouble with homeruns over that span. This could be the matchup that brings Cruz out of his rut.

You know what you are getting with Joey Gallo now: either a strikeout or an extra-base hit (usually of the homerun variety). He has a fine matchup to express the latter, taking on Andrew Hutchinson (.335 wOBA, 45% fly-ball rate) in the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre. He's especially cheap on DraftKings.

Value and Platoon Plays

David DeJesus/Kevin Kiermaier (OF - TB) FD: $2,200/2,800 DK: $3100/3800

Justin Masterson is pitching for the Red Sox again, following a month-and-a-half absence from the rotation. Let's just say there was a reason he lost his starting gig. Masterson has a susceptibility to left-handed bats, owning a .353 wOBA mark over the past three seasons. That's good news for Kiermaier (leadoff) and DeJesus (cleanup) to inflict some fantasy damage for their respectively cheap salaries.

Ike Davis (1B - OAK) FD: $2,200 DK: $3400

Rolling out an Oakland stack against Jeremy Guthrie isn't a bad tournament strategy at all. Guthrie owns a monstrous .429 wOBA split vs left-handed bats on the season, which ranks second worst in the league. Ike Davis has the necessary power to cash in on this matchup, checking in at minimum salary on FanDuel. Also look towards his teammates Reddick, Zobrist, and Vogt for some power upside.

Rogned Odor (2B - TEX) FD: $2300 DK: $3600

I'm expecting Odor to return to the top half of the order (either leadoff or second against a right-handed pitcher). He has shown solid upside as of late, hitting homers and swiping bags over the past five games. He has the same nice matchup outlined in the Joey Gallo write-up, and there aren't many well-priced, inspiring second base options to steer away from Odor.

Aramis Ramirez (3B - MIL) FD: $3200 DK: $3600

Minnesota pitcher Tommy Milone has actually been pretty decent since getting recalled from Triple-A, but this will be his most difficult test over the past month. Milone struggles against right-handers, particularly in the power department, and now he'll face Gomez, Braun, Lucroy, and Ramirez in Milwaukee's hitter friendly atmosphere. Ramirez holds a superb .390 wOBA .276 ISO against lefties over the past three seasons.