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Reminder: Always double check the lineup card before rosters lock to make sure that a player you've chosen to roster is playing that day, and check the weather to make sure your players won't get rained out of their game.
Pitcher- Noah Syndergaard ($8,800) vs San Diego Padres
Syndergaard is exploding as an ace at the MLB level, and that is no exaggeration. Syndergaard has a 2.97 ERA, 2.81 FIP and 3.14 xFIP, and is top 5 in statcast average opp. exit velocity among recorded readings behind only Clayton Kershaw, Chris Sale, Dallas Keuchel and Jake Arrieta, which means hitters have a very difficult time hitting him well. This makes me suspect he will outperform his xFIP by a good margin because of the weak contact he induces. He has also dramatically improved his pitching repertoire since coming to the big leagues (read an article I wrote about that here).
The Padres have the 4th highest K% vs RHP at 22% and the 5th worst wRC+ vs RHP at 87. The Mets have also recently traded for offensive help and should be in better position to give Syndergaard more run support than normal. I love Thor at this price because he provides a lot of salary relief to load up on hitters with, and I don't think he represents a massive drop off from the top of the pitcher list today.
3B- Kris Bryant ($3,000) vs Yohan Flande
Bryant has hit LHP to a .256 ISO and 134 wRC+ this year (excluding yesterday's stats which have not been updated yet) and was robbed of a first inning home run off Cole Hamels during his no hitter start because of the Wrigley wind blowing in. Bryant destroyed LHP in the minors and, in my opinion, will emerge as one of the sport's elite LHP mashers. Flande has a 3.91 ERA and 4.39 FIP in 12 minor league starts this year. For me, Bryant represents one of the best value plays on the board today, allowing a fantasy owner to invest more of their budget elsewhere for upgrades.
OF- Jose Bautista ($4,400) vs Adam Morgan
Since the start of last year, Bautista is t-7th best in wRC+ vs LHP at 173 and is 11th in ISO at .246. He faces LHP Adam Morgan, who had a 4.7 ERA and FIP in the minors this year and owns a 5.77 FIP/.388 wOBA vs RHB in the big leagues so far. The matchup takes place in Rogers Centre. If a fantasy owner wants to invest more at 3B instead of Bryant, Bautista teammate Josh Donaldson is a similarly great option, but costly ($4,700).
OF- Chris Young ($2,900) vs Martin Perez
As of the time I write this, Young has hit LHP to a ridiculous 210 wRC+ and .319 ISO in just under 100 PA this year and faces LHP Martin Perez, who battles his way back from surgery. Perez is projected to be a below average pitcher the rest of the season by ZiPS. Young has also been hitting 2nd in the order vs LHP.
SS- Carlos Correa ($3,800) vs C.J. Wilson
20 year old Carlos Correa may be the next player to enter the elite tier of both real life and fantasy baseball players. He has hit LHP to a 157 wRC+/.288 ISO so far in his short MLB career and is among the best performers in exit velocity. According to Daren Willman, as of July 24 Correa has recorded 29.7% of his batted balls with exit velocities of 100+ mph, which is 6th best in baseball. He faces LHP CJ Wilson, who has been good this year vs RHB, but below average when combining his 2014 stats with his 2015 stats. Wilson also gets a park downgrade pitching in the hitter friendly Minute Maid Park.
Follow me on Twitter at @TimFinn521, I usually tweet out more good options as lineups are released.