MLB GPP Tournament Picks: 8-21-15

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

Los Angeles is mired in a sluggish funk at the dish with a team .216/.278/.341 slash line and just 55 runs through 19 games this month. Price has seven wins, a 2.01 ERA and 99 strikeouts through 94 innings over his past 13 starts and a 1.61 ERA over his last three outings as a Blue Jay

The Los Angeles lineup doesn't pass the eye test, either, as ensuring Mike Trout doesn't beat you, and to a lesser degree Albert Pujols, is the only real concern. With many other aces facing off against each other, look to Price, and start him with confidence.

The veteran has been a little more leaky of late, but he has held opponents to three runs or fewer and pitched at least six innings in each of his last 12 outings. He has a 2.12 ERA and 59 punchouts through 85 innings during the stretch. Extremely reliable form at a third-tier cap hit.

At this point, the San Diego struggles against righties are pretty safe to count on, too. The Friars own an underwhelming .684 OPS, .141 ISO and .298 wOBA against right-handed pitchers. Plus, they've had the luxury of boosting their stats against Cincinnati, Colorado and Atlanta over of late, including a series at Coors Field. Lackey will sound an alarming wake-up call.

Top Hitters

Wieters has padded the counting stats of late, but he does own a .409/.435/.455 slash line over his past 16 games. He also is 15-for-48 with a .542 slugging percentage against southpaws this season. He settles into the heart of the lineup against Tommy Milone who boasts a target-worthy 6.41 ERA over his past four starts.

While Milone's latest outing was stingy, the soft-tossing lefty is serving up a .371 wOBA to right-handed bats this season, and Wieters has a .261 ISO over 249 plate appearances against southpaws since 2013. It is a great price, too.

Gonzalez's cap hit has been falling, and while he hasn't been at his best of late, he still owns a beastly .296/.374/.513 slash line over his past 30 games. Gonzalez stands as a solid bargain Friday with the handedness advantage against a mediocre opposing hurler.

Fiers has strikeout potential, but he is also prone to blowing up, which he did against the Dodgers earlier this season. After all, Fiers has surrendered the highest percentage of hard-hit balls among qualified starting pitchers.

The Los Angeles southpaw has hit a bump in the road and sports a 5.08 ERA while allowing a .777 OPS over his past five starts. Donaldson is the renowned lefty killer, as his .325 ISO against southpaws since the start of 2013 leads all major league hitters.

For the season, Santiago has served up a 33.9 hard-hit percentage to right-handed hitters and owns a 4.40 FIP against them. Donaldson isn't cheap, but he also owns a 1.172 OPS over his past 20 games, including a .750 slugging percentage.

During his active 21-game extra-base hit drought, Wong owns an uninspiring .185/.250/.185 slash line. His salary has plummeting right along with his production, though, and a slump-busting matchup presents itself Friday.

Cashner has allowed a 1.79 HR/9, a .540 slugging percentage and a .387 wOBA to left-handed hitters this season, and he owns a 5.60 FIP against them. And even with all his recent struggles, Wong still boasts a respectable .277/.340/.439 slash line against righties. There is ample profit potential in his cap hit.

Value and Platoon Plays

Jay Bruce (OF - CIN) FD: $2,900 DK: $3,600

Notoriously streaky, Bruce is riding a 4-for-33 stretch with a .348 OPS over his past nine games. Enter Rubby De La Rosa who has allowed a .306/.366/.563 slash line to lefties, and there is more to like. So, despite his ugly current form, there is a nice case for Bruce in tournaments Friday.

Paul Goldschmidt (1B - ARI) FD: $4,400 DK: $5,600

David Holmberg has allowed a 2.51 HR/9 to right-handed bats this season, and Goldschmidt has the second-ranked OPS (1.048) and wOBA (.440) against left-handed starters since the beginning of 2013. Goldy is in a 21-game home run drought, though, and while his price has dipped, he might also be highly owned Friday. Still, he is very much an option in all contests because of his upside and cushy matchup.

Yoenis Cespedes (OF - NYM) FD: $4,900 DK: $5,300

While Jon Gray has acquitted himself nicely through his first three starts, it is too early to avoid him matchup wise, especially at Coors Field. Cespedes owns a .497 slugging percentage, a .201 ISO and a .352 wOBA against righties dating back to the beginning of last season. He isn't cheap and might garner plenty of attention, but Cespedes remains a bat to consider.

Stephen Piscotty (OF - STL) FD: $2,800 DK: $3,400

All the rookie has done is hit since joining the Red Birds. Andrew Cashner has been much better against right-handed hitters than lefties, but Piscotty has settled into a prime spot in the lineup, and he is surging. The outfielder has five extra-base hits during his five-game hitting streak.

Nick Ahmed (SS - ARI) FD: $2,200 DK: $2,700

Strictly a cap-relief play, Ahmed often slides into the two-hole against southpaws, which means hitting in front of the two best hitters for the Diamondbacks. Ahmed also owns a respectable .291/.361/.407 slash line against lefties. David Holmberg has allowed a .916 OPS and a .390 wOBA to right-handed bats, too.