MLB GPP Tournament Picks: 9-11-15

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

With the rain out Thursday, there is always a touch of risk Price's routine was thrown off, and his two lowest strikeout totals came in his back-to-back starts against the Yankees in mid-August. This will also be the fourth time the southpaw has faced the Yanks this season, and the stakes are highest Friday.

Still, Price owns a 2.15 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 10.4 K/9 through seven starts with Toronto and warrants attention with few high-end hurlers taking the mound.

Over the blister issue that caused an early exit from his last outing, Matz could fly slightly under the radar. It is an A+ matchup against the league's lowest-scoring team since the All-Star break. Atlanta also hangs with the basement dwellers in OPS (.644), ISO (.107) and wOBA (.284) against southpaws this season.

Matz has proved to be a capable strikeout artist (9.5 K/9), and he projects to receive ample run support to grab the four-point win bonus Friday.

Top Hitters

A massive slump -- .731 OPS since Aug. 1 -- has plummeted Goldschmidt's salary into profit territory, and he draws a lefty Friday. He owns a .365/.451/.615 slash line against southpaws this season, and he boasts a career 1.077 OPS, .302 ISO and .449 wOBA against lefties at Chase Field.

While Wood isn't a pitching machine by any means, Goldschmidt's upside far outweighs the risk of his current cap hit.

Longoria has consistently hit lefties all season with a .361/.424/.580 slash line, and his 1.004 OPS is sixth best against southpaws among all qualified hitters. Add his career .929 OPS, .249 ISO and .388 wOBA marks against left-handed hurlers, and his price tag is all the more attractive.

Miley enters with a 4.66 road ERA while allowing a .367 wOBA to right-handed bats on the road. While not a slam-dunk matchup, it isn't anywhere near fade worthy, either.

Springer is just 3-for-21 through his first five games back from a lengthy injury absence, but he has five runs, and the Astros exploded for an 11-run outburst Wednesday. Friday, they draw inconsistent-finesse-artist Weaver. Springer presents nice value atop the order setting the table for a deep lineup.

Weaver has been stringy at home with a 2.86 ERA over nine starts this season, but he also has historically been a better first-half pitcher. He is also just a start removed from a horrendous two-outing stretch where he allowed 14 runs over 11 2/3 innings.

Similar to Goldschmidt, Trout has been enduring a tough stretch. And with Keuchel on the hill Friday, Trout has the potential to carry a very low ownership percentage. The Astro ace has hasn't been quiet as sharp on the road, and the setting is there for Trout to post a contest-winning showing.

Plus, it isn't like Trout's going through an offensive epidemic. He has a .909 OPS with five extra-base hits and seven runs over his past 11 games.

Value and Platoon Plays

Ervin Santana (SP - MIN) FD: $6,900 DK: $6,500

Has Santana finally turned the page? Back-to-back wins over the Houston Astros with 21 strikeouts through 15 innings and just a single run allowed suggest he has. The price is juicy, but it isn't without risk.

Erik Johnson (SP - CHW) FD: $5,000 DK: $4,700

With Class Triple-A Charlotte, Johnson rattled off a 2.37 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP and a 9.2 K/9 over 132.2 innings. While he has never been a top-notch prospect, the 25-year-old righty is enjoying his third cup of coffee with the Pale Hose following his best minor league campaign. The bottom line is Johnson is extremely cheap, and he has a lot on the line.

J.P. Arencibia (C - TB) FD: $3,000 DK: $2,700

The fact Arencibia has the same amount of RBI as strikeouts is a touch of shocking with a dash of impressive. He does have two 20-homer seasons on his resume, though, and he has flashed high-end power bursts in the past. The price is right for a dice roll, especially with the handedness advantage against a mediocre lefty.

Lucas Duda (1B - NYM) FD: $3,400 DK: $3,400

Two games removed from a lengthy absence due to a back injury, Duda draws a reeling right-handed hurler who has allowed a .626 slugging percentage to lefties this season.

Addison Russell (SS - CHC) FD: $2,800 DK: $3,500

The rookie has come into his own since taking over everyday duty at shortstop with a .271/.314/.542 slash line over 29 games. Expect his ownership to be low, too. Just be careful with the Cubs lineup because it'll be Game 2 of the doubleheader.

Todd Frazier (1B/3B - CIN) FD: $2,400 DK: $4,200

With home runs in consecutive games, and an offensive explosion Thursday, Frazier's discounted salary might not last much longer. He is worth a long lock at FanDuel based on price alone, but just note Lackey has been stingy and owns a 2.34 ERA over his past 16 starts.