MLB GPP Tournament Picks: 6-17-15

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 Pitchers

The aces of MLB are on display tonight, and they all will be used in both GPP's and cash games. I am going down a tier and looking for strikeouts at a discount price. Carlos Martinez has the second highest strikeout rate among starters tonight, and he takes on the Twins, who have the seventh highest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching. Minnesota also has a poor walk rate, and just an 83 wRC+. Martinez has a 10.3% swinging strike rate, and Vegas has set his strikeout prop at six. He has been dialed in since his two blowups, allowing five earned in the last six starts, including a quality start at Coors. In 50% of his starts this season he has recorded eight or more strikeouts.

Top Hitters

The price tag of Paul Goldschmidt will make him a GPP play tonight. He has tremendous upside and really could be titled the best hitter in baseball. He is back at home, and Chase Field has had a 104 park factor for right-handed homers in the last three seasons. He will face Hector Santiago, who has a 4.82 FIP against right-handed pitching, and a poor ground-ball rate. Goldy is hitting .388 this month and has a 48.7% hard hit ball rate against lefties this season. His floor is ridiculously high, which is why his price tag has been tops of first basemen this season.

Josh Donaldson will be a popular play tonight, among the other Jays, but he is one of the top hitters on the board. Dillon Gee was optioned this week, although Jon Niese is lucky Gee has been slightly worse than him this season. Niese is allowing a .363 wOBA to right-handed bats this season with a 36.7% hard hit ball rate. Donaldson is one of the best lefty mashers in the game, with a .499 wOBA. He is thriving in the Rogers Centre, hitting .372, with a .357 ISO. Regardless of him being a popular play, he is a bat for all contests.

With so many options tonight, and a game in Coors, it is possible the Pirates get slightly overlooked. They will travel to U.S. Cellular tonight, which has had a 117 park factor for right-handed homers in the last three seasons. John Danks is one of the few terrible lefties on the mound tonight, allowing a .404 wOBA to right-handed bats. He also has a 1.61 HR/9. Andrew McCutchen and company get a big boost moving from PNC, and now they'll will face the lesser lefty of the Chicago staff.

A.J. Pollock is a guy I want to pair up with Goldy tonight. He is a cheaper bat among the outfielders, but can still deliver the upside of the top plays. He has a .431 wOBA against lefties this season, and a 24% line drive rate. He has 14 stolen bases on the season, which is another aspect of his fantasy value. Guys like Yasmany Tomas and Aaron Hill can round out a solid Arizona stack tonight.

Value and Platoon Plays

Yan Gomes (C - CLE) FD: $2,200 DK: $3,400

You can't go any cheaper on Fanduel tonight, making Yan Gomes an excellent play there. At DraftKings, he still is terrific value. Gomes has a .359 wOBA against lefties since coming into the league, and will face Tsuyoshi Wada, one of those other bad lefties throwing tonight. Through 314 batters faced, he has allowed a .340 wOBA to right-handed bats, and has allowed a 23% line drive rate. A great cheap catcher to go in GPPs as well as cash games with those high priced stud pitchers.

Chris Colabello (OF - TOR) FD: $2,900 DK: $3,400

If you are looking to get some exposure to the Jon Niese slaughtering that will take place tonight, Chris Colabello will hit fifth against the lefty, and has been mashing all season. He has a .513 wOBA and a whopping 33% line drive rate. A great lineup spot and matchup make him an excellent value and GPP play.

Wilin Rosario (1B - COL) FD: $3,400 DK: $4,000

Because of his first base only eligibility on FanDuel, and the abundance of other options, he will be a true GPP play there. He is still eligible at catcher on DraftKings, which may drive his ownership up some. Rosario also could be pinch-hit for in the later innings for Ben Paulsen, which makes him an even riskier play. He is hitting .324 off lefties this season, which is his main forte, he has a career .422 wOBA. He will get the Coors factor tonight in what should be a high scoring affair.

Xander Bogaerts (SS - BOS) FD: $2,600 DK: $3,200

The price for Xander Bogaerts on DraftKings is dirt cheap, and he is now the Sox cleanup man for the meantime, or until Ferrell shuffles the lineup around. I don't see him dropping lower than fifth, which keeps his lineup spot value in tact. Bogaerts is one of the few Sox bats who has been consistently hitting for average this season (he is close to breaking over .300 as of now). He has a .381 wOBA this season against left-handed pitching, which has been a theme for his short career. His growth this season can be measured by him dropping his strikeout rate by about 10%. Alex Wood is allowing a .342 wOBA to right-handed bats this year, and he is nothing more than an average lefty.