Each day of the MLB season will bring us some major price differences among starting pitchers on all sites. These price discrepancies and the site's roster differences can alter the way we use pitchers on each site, as well as how the field of opponents will use them. Listed below are five of today's top pitchers, each with their salary listed as well as the cafe value that takes into account both the total salary cap on the site and points-per-dollar. We've also provided some betting info for you reference. The higher the cafe value, the better the points-per-dollar play is.
Clayton Kershaw
On a usual small Thursday slate, we are blessed with an easy choice on the hill for cash games, and even tournaments if you please. Kershaw and Chris Archer are the easy two selections, and then it starts to get dicey. The Angels get the nod for being a low-strikeout team, which is true, but it is something we don't quite worry about on the slate for cash games. You can always make the case for fading a chalky pitcher and making pivots. That is where Archer comes in as the secondary options over Kershaw, for a cheaper price tag, but not much.
The Angels rank 23rd in wOBA against southpaws this season (.298), and have a 19% strikeout rate. Their ISO is horrendous, so the long ball that has given Kershaw trouble this season shouldn't tonight. Kershaw hurled six scoreless innings against Colorado, striking out eight. He has now won his last four starts, going at least six innings in each.
Kershaw is holding right-handed hitters to a .239 wOBA this season, with a 30.8% strikeout rate. His numbers against lefties have been the issue, but Kole Calhoun is the lone lefty in this lineup that is of any concern, and by any I mean he isn't. Kershaw's pin-point control is always an added bonus, with no need to worry about him running up his pitch count early in games unlike some other pitchers. Kershaw is also inducing a ton of soft-contact. 30.8% to lefties and 23.2% to right-handers. Kershaw is the clear-cut cash game option, and the only downside to his name is always the high price tag.
FanDuel
GPP Ownership: 15-25%
Cash Game Ownership: 50-60%
Verdict: Cash/GPP Option
DraftKings
GPP Ownership: 15-25%
Cash Game Ownership: 50-60%
Verdict: Cash/GPP Option
Yahoo!
GPP Ownership: 15-25%
Cash Game Ownership: 50-60%
Verdict: Cash/GPP Option
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