GPP Tournament Picks: 9-15-15

Pitchers

Over his past 11 starts, there has been a pair of solid outings mixed into a pile of garbage starts. The veteran has a 6.46 ERA during the disastrous stretch, and there is little reason to have faith in Samardzija.

Except, the Athletics enter with a 20.6% strikeout rate in September to go along with an underwhelming .401 slugging percentage and .304 wOBA during the month. Samardzija is a true flier, but he is capable of sprinkling in a solid outing against a reeling lineup.

The National League has treated Happ nicely, and Tuesday, he lands in a nice matchup against the Cubs who struggle with southpaws. Chicago paces the league with 26.0% strikeout rate against lefties, and their lineup will include two nearly automatic outs in Jon Lester and David Ross.

Happ owns a 1.79 ERA, a 2.23 FIP, a 0.99 WHIP and a 9.4 K/9 through 40.1 innings over seven starts with the Pirates, and he could be a lightly owned hurler. Best of all, he won't break the bank.

Top Hitters

The sophomore owns a .978 OPS in September with 10 runs, four home runs and 10 RBI over 13 games, and he draws a juicy matchup Tuesday. Brooks has allowed 11 runs through 6.1 innings over his past two starts while serving up a .719 slugging percentage.

With first base being such a deep position you don't need to chase low ownerships, as they'll usually come to you by default. So hone in on Abreu with all the dots connecting Tuesday.

With an active 8-for-19 stretch at the dish, Heyward is locked in. Pena is a bit of an unknown with just a single start in the majors, but his ratios -- 4.14 ERA and 1.32 WHIP -- with Triple-A Colorado Springs are nothing to write home about.

Heyward stands as a solid value play who boasts the upside to compile fantasy points in a number of ways. He is also a far better hitter against righties with a .301/.355/.471 slash line for the season.

Spending up for a catcher can be an ill-advised daily approach, but Posey against a lefty is always worth a long look. Lamb stymied the Cardinals in his last outing, but a road game at AT&T Park could make for a long night, especially against Posey.

The backstop owns a career .315/.369/.520 slash line at home against southpaws with a .205 ISO and a .378 wOBA. He is also 15-for-37 over his past 12 games.

Exposure to the Twins is a strong strategy against Simon Tuesday. He owns a 7.10 ERA over his past 15 starts while allowing 16 home runs and a .907 OPS. Rosario sat out Monday, so expect him to have a solid showing in his return to the lineup. He usually lands in a few RBI opportunities nightly.

Just note, the rookie has slowed down with a .612 OPS over his past 22 games. However, his recent struggles have brought his salary down, so he checks out as an upside source of cap relief Tuesday.

Wright has posted a respectable .275/.359/.406 slash line with 14 runs through 16 games since returning from a nearly season-long back injury. He is a fixture in the heart of the order, and the Mets have won eight consecutive games with 53 total runs during the streak.

Koehler has been hit or miss since the All-Star break with a 4.86 ERA over 11 trips to the bump. There is nothing scary about the matchup, and Wright's mid-range salary has plenty of room for profit.

Value and Platoon Plays

Adam Warren (SP - NYY) FD: $6,000 DK: $5,000

The Rays has scored the fewest runs in baseball against right-handed pitchers and sport a target-worthy .694 OPS, .142 ISO and .303 wOBA for the year. Warren doesn't boast huge strikeout upside (5.9 K/9 as a starter), but he should have a good shot at the four-point win bonus while allowing minimal damage.

Greg Garcia (2B - STL) FD: $2,200 DK: $2,000

He is a rest risk, but Garcia has started each of the past three games, and he owns a .283/.377/.472 slash line for the season over 61 plate appearances. He carries a minimum price at both sites, and it isn't a daunting matchup.

Clint Robinson (1B/OF - WAS) FD: $2,500 DK: $2,200

Robinson reached base three times Monday without registering a run or an RBI. The Nationals draw David Buchanan Tuesday, and the righty hurler has allowed 22 runs on 31 hits and five home runs through nine innings over his past three starts. It isn't a bad spot to take a flier on Robinson, or pivot to Tyler Moore, if Robinson is out.

Nick Castellanos (3B - DET) FD: $2,800 DK: $3,100

With fly-ball-prone Phil Hughes making his first start since Aug. 9, there is upside for Castellanos who is having a strong second half with a .495 slugging percentage since the break.

Curtis Granderon (OF - NYM) FD: $3,600 DK: $4,300

The outfielder boasts a .920 OPS with 10 long flies since the All-Star break, and he boasts a .515 slugging percentage, a .229 ISO and a .391 wOBA against right-handed pitchers for the season.

Carlos Santana (1B - CLE) FD: $3,000 DK: $3,800

Santana hasn't registered an extra-base hit in September, yet he has 10 hits and 12 walks through his 10 games this month. Kris Medlen has allowed a home run in each of his last four outings, which has helped his ERA up itself to 5.87 during the stretch.

Ian Desmond (SS - WAS) FD: $3,200 DK: $3,500

The three-time Silver Slugger has been reduced to a matchup play this season, and after a strong August, Desmond has started this month with a .582 OPS. Still, it is a high-end matchup Tuesday, as noted, and the shortstop presents value.