GPP Tournament Picks: 8-10-15

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.

Pitchers

Not only has Niese allowed one earned run or less in five of his last seven starts, he now draws a Colorado team that is abysmal both against lefties (.283 wOBA, 61 wRC+) and on the road (.297 wOBA, 87 wRC+). He is one of the biggest favorites on the board, and his pedestrian strikeout rate should see a decent bump against a Rockies team that is punching out at a 24.3% clip against southpaws.

After an abysmal start to the season, Shoemaker has turned things around in a big way. Over his last three starts, he has allowed just 10 hits and six walks over 19 scoreless innings with 27 strikeouts. He is flashing the upside we saw last season, and despite their recent hot streak, the White Sox offense still ranks just 21st in baseball against righties. Outside of Jose Abreu, there isn't one specific bat that strikes fear into the heart of an opposing starting pitcher.

Top Hitters

Cain has mashed left-handed pitching throughout his career, and even more so this season (.246 ISO, .436 wOBA). Opposing pitcher Matt Boyd has allowed five home runs already in just 13.2 innings pitched this season, and the Royals bats continue to fly under the radar. Cain is the best of the bunch, and he is in a phenomenal spot tonight as a contrarian option to the popular top plays.

One of the top hitters in all of baseball squares off against Aaron Harang and his 44% fly-ball rate. The D-Backs have the highest team total on the evening, and Goldy's price at FanDuel screams must-play in cash games. However, his increased price tag on DraftKings makes him a potentially low-owned target against a subpar pitcher at hitter-friendly Chase Field. Get yourself some exposure to Goldy tonight.

Frazier is another player whose price has dropped to elite play territory. While he has struggled since the All-Star break, tonight's matchup with Ian Kennedy may just be what he needs to get back on track. Kennedy is allowing a .367 wOBA to same-handed hitters this season, along with 11 homers. Frazier owns elite power, as evidenced by his 27 home runs on the season and his .226 ISO versus righties. He has huge upside against a pitcher allowing an insane 1.96 HR/9 in 2015.

The much-maligned outfielder has turned a corner in the second half, batting .303 with four homers, one double, one triple, and 15 RBI over his last 19 games. Opposing pitcher Rubby De La Rosa is among the worst in all of baseball with a .399 wOBA and 17 HR allowed to left-handed batters this season. Chase Field suits Brown's strengths well.

Value and Platoon Plays

David Holmberg (SP - CIN) FD: $5,300 DK: $4,700

While Holmberg himself is a less than appealing option, targeting an offense that has a .299 wOBA and a strikeout rate of 21.6% over the last 30 days is. Holmberg is very cheap, and won't need much to pay off his tag tonight against a struggling offense.

David Peralta (OF - ARI) FD: $3,500 DK: $4,100

Peralta owns the platoon advantage tonight against Aaron Harang and his monstrous 44% fly-ball rate. Peralta is sporting a .230 ISO and .381 wOBA against right-handed pitchers this season, and will hit in the heart of the order for the team with the highest total on the slate.

Chase Utley (2B - PHI) FD: $2,300 DK: $3,000

Utley has the platoon advantage over Rubby De La Rosa, which is one of the best spots for any left-handed hitter. Utley has been tremendous since his return from injury, hitting 4-for-10 with three doubles. He should bat atop the Philly order tonight at an insane discount.

Kendrys Morales (1B - KAN) FD: $3,200 DK: $4,300

The switch-hitting Morales has been heating up, hitting .322 with 10 extra base hits and 19 RBI over his last 24 games. Tonight he draws the hittable Matt Boyd. The Royals are a great cheap source of upside at low ownership tonight.

Nolan Arenado (3B - COL) FD: $4,200 DK: $4,300

Although his numbers against lefties have tailed off this season, Arenado has mashed lefties throughout his career. He possesses a lot of upside at a position that few gamers will be looking to spend at tonight.