MLB GPP Tournament Picks: 8-28-15

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.

Pitchers

While the Yankees got to Salazar in his last outing and tagged him up for five runs through 4.2 innings, he draws a limping offense Friday. Los Angeles has scored the fewest runs in the league in August with the worst wOBA and slugging percentage.

Salazar is one start removed from a tidy seven-game stretch with a 1.45 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 49.2 innings, where he held opponents to a .504 OPS. Hope the hiccup outing last time out helps drive his ownership down.

Those adverse to risk should feel free to skip ahead, as Volquez has allowed six runs in two of his last three starts. However, he has also scattered in a number of gems, and his recent inconsistency reflects the peaks and valleys of his entire season. It's also worth nothing Volquez has been better at home.

Still, his bumps in the road haven't been to the doormats of the leagues, so there is a little predictability for fantasy folks. Tampa Bay owns a bottom-five OPS, ISO and wOBA against righties this season, so Volquez lands in a plus-matchup.

Top Hitters

While it is only a modest five-game hit streak, three outings have been multi-hit showings and Rendon has eight runs, two home runs and six RBI during the stretch. Finally, he appears healthy and comfortable at the plate.

Enter Conley, 19.1 innings of starter experience and a 5.12 ERA, and the matchup checks out, too. And for his career, Rendon has a .309 batting average against southpaws. His daily price hasn't adjusted yet, either.

Gibson has served up a .308/.375/.462 slash line over his past seven starts, which has saddled him with a 7.22 ERA during the slump. While he has mixed in a few average outings, it projects to be a long night against Houston Friday.

So while it hasn't been a quick start for Gomez since joining Houston, he has been locked into prime spots in the lineup and has plenty of ways to grab fantasy points. Plus, he had the large showing against the Yankees Tuesday, which might kick-start a hot stretch. All said, his cap hit stands out as a ripe value.

The hit streak has survived Thursday, and Encarnacion is up to 22 games, and his on-base streak is 27 games. You'll have to pay up for the red-hot masher, and there is danger of him being heavily owned. Still, it is a slam-dunk matchup against a rookie southpaw.

Boyd has just six starts on his major league resume, and the two at the Rogers Centre didn't go well for the kid, as he allowed 11 runs and didn't register an out in one outing. Doubling up on as many Blue Jays as possible is in the cards Friday.

A true boom-or-bust play, Santana is 3-for-16 since joining Milwaukee with a double and two home runs. For the season, he has a .509 slugging percentage over 60 plate appearances. At Class AAA this season, he posted a .999 OPS with 18 home runs through 95 games, too.

It isn't a slam-dunk matchup, either, which further reaffirms the risk. Though, at Santana's price, you're opening up significant cap wiggle room, and that price relative to his upside presents contest-winning potential. Plus, Iglesias does have a 5.81 road ERA, and his active strong five-game stretch could take a turn for the worse.

Swing for the fences, Santana will be.

Value and Platoon Plays

Ian Kennedy (SP - SD) FD: $8,300 DK: $9,000

Kennedy has held the opposition to three runs or fewer in 14 of his past 15 starts and owns a 2.63 ERA with 86 punchouts through 89 innings during the stretch. The Phillies have lost 11 of their last 16 games, too.

R.A. Dickey (SP - TOR) FD: $7,600 DK: $5,800

Dickey has allowed three earned runs or less in each of his last seven home starts, so while he has had consecutive blow-up outings, home cooking has served him well this summer. Expect the run support to be there for a strong possibility to bring home the four-point win kickback. Obviously, the Detroit Tigers stands as an intimidating opponent, though.

Robinson Cano (2B - SEA) FD: $4,900 DK: $5,300

Riding an eight-game hit streak, Cano entered the game Thursday with a .335/.386/.557 slash line since July 1, and he left going 1-for-2 with a run and two walks. Without the handedness advantage, expect him to carry a low ownership percentage Friday.

Jayson Werth (OF - WAS) FD: $2,800 DK: $3,400

Similar to Rendon, Werth is finally showing signs at the plate. He went 2-for-4 with a home run Thursday, and stands out as a solid budget play who owns the handedness advantage Friday.

Jason Heyward (OF - STL) FD: $3,700 DK: $3,800

With a .318/.392/.482 slash line over his past 25 games, Heyward's cap hit look a little generous, especially at DraftKings. During the stretch he has 14 runs, eight extra-base hits, 13 RBI and five stolen bases. Plus, you'll want to check the wind later in the day because it is projecting to be blowing straight out.

Matt Wieters (C -BAL) FD: $2,200 DK: $2,900

Facing a reeling Cole Hamels can only be chalked up as a neutral matchup, but Wieters is cheap and has historically handled lefties well. He owns a .519 slugging percentage against southpaws this season with a .864 OPS, .258 ISO and .368 wOBA against them since the beginning of 2013.

Troy Tulowitzki (SS - TOR) FD: $3,800 DK: $4,300

The price is attractive. While Tulowitzki has struggled since joining the Blue Jays, he still has 23 runs through 24 games. It is a solid matchup Friday, and one where he owns the handedness advantage.