MLB GPP Tournament Picks: 7-2-15

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

This selection comes with a fair amount of risk, as Gallardo takes on a potent Baltimore offense on the road. However, he's also brimming with confidence following a fantastic 7-game stretch with just five total earned runs surrendered. All of the metrics line up favorably as well, including a jump in groundball rate (54%). That could help keep him out of trouble against a "sink or swim" Oriole lineup that ranks fourth overall in strikeout rate (22.3%).

Top Hitters

Hanley Ramirez is a left-masher, and Toronto's hitter-friendly environment should help his cause tonight. Even though Jays' pitcher Matt Boyd was decent in his first career start last week, he did allow three homers over six innings. If he has trouble leaving pitches over the plate, HanRam is in line to make him pay. The same thing can be said for right-handed Boston bats like Mookie Betts and Mike Napoli.

The Diamondbacks profile as one of the top projected scoring teams of the night, alongside the Toronto Blue Jays. Colorado pitcher Chris Rusin has one of the worst splits among pitchers in action, holding a .366 wOBA mark against right-handed bats. As you can see in the chart above, Pollock hits lefties at a pretty solid clip, and his home park (Chase Field) should present a nice little boost.

Napoli shares the same reasoning as Hanley Ramirez outlined earlier. Matt Boyd has displayed some homerun tendencies, and Napoli has the upside to make him pay in the event of a carry-over. Even though Napoli (and most of the Red Sox) disappointed in a solid matchup against a southpaw last night, this isn't the time to completely jump ship - especially while making multiple tournament lineups. Napoli's price tag is particularly compelling on FanDuel.

This is more of a FanDuel play than anything, as Gordon is dirt-cheap over there. He's the type of player geared for tournaments, as many people will steer away from his inconsistencies. However, he has proven his homerun upside, and that corresponds well against Kyle Gibson - who has been allowing the deep ball at a higher rate as the season goes along (5 homers in past five games). In fact, Gordon smacked a 3-run shot off Gibson the last time they squared off in Target Field. Most people will shy away from Gordon's sub-optimal lineup position, but that just creates a better low ownership opportunity with upside.

Value and Platoon Plays

Mike Moustakas (3B - KC) FD: $2700 DK: $4000

Moustakas is sitting in a similar situation to Alex Godon in terms of matchup potential; however, he has a better lineup position (2nd) to make good on it. Third base is pretty loaded tonight, and I'm guessing most people will be fixated on Josh Donaldson and Manny Machado for majority of their action. Don't get me wrong, Donaldson makes for a fantastic play tonight, but in the event that he disappoints, Moustakas could present the next best upside pick for a fraction of the cost.

Derek Norris (C - SD) FD: $3000 DK: $3400

.San Diego will face left-handed spot-starter Tim Cooney today, which is good news for their righty-heavy lineup. Norris presents the most power of that bunch (along with Justin Upton), holding two homerun upside when the matchup is right. It's a calculated risk, but the draw lines up favorably this evening - plus he's away from Petco Park's pitcher-friendly stranglehold.

Yasmany Tomas (OF - ARI) FD: $3600 DK: $4200

I'd rather look towards A.J. Pollock for a similar price when deciding one over the other. However, I believe Arizona overall makes for a great stack tonight. Majority of the attention will fall on Toronto, leaving the Diamondbacks as the next best offense at a lower ownership clip. Tomas will get left-hander Rusin tonight, holding great RBI potential from the cleanup spot.

Carlos Gonzalez (OF - COL) FD: $3300 DK: $4200

Gonzalez and the Rockies have been quiet lately (with the exception of Nolan Arenado), as they have played two straight series on the road. They aren't returning to the hitter-friendly atmosphere of Coors Field tonight, but Arizona's Chase Field is a satisfying compromise. That means Blackmon, Tulo, Arenado, and CarGo are all in play against the subpar pitching of Jeremy Hellickson ... Gonzalez has the most attainable price tag of that bunch.