Top FanDuel Pitchers 8/4

devanrjackson
Aug 4, 2021
3 min read

What's up, guys? My name's Devan (@DevanRJJ), and I'm excited to be bringing you my first article here on SportsVerse. We got ourselves a big 11 game slate meaning there's 22 potential starters to be looking at tonight, and I've narrowed it down to 5 (6 if we're being technical) for you guys!

#5 Kevin Gausman $10000 - Over the last 30 days, Gausman has been dreadful going 1-3 with a 5.11 ERA, 24.2 IP, & 33 Ks. But man, with a 30.2% K rate over that stretch, it’s hard not to hope he starts to limit his runs allowed. For the whole season, Gausman has a great 2.35 ERA indicating that his recent slump could just be that; a slump. But it could also be regression due to the regulation of sticky stuff. Nevertheless, I’m going on the ledge and saying Gausman is just slumping. So, if that’s the case, a 30.2% K rate against the Diamondbacks is a perfect spot for Gausman to turn things around.

#4 Jon Gray $8400 - Jon Gray is 2-0 with a 2.97 ERA, 30.1 IP, & 30 Ks over the last 30 days. While these numbers are admittedly average, there’s one huge factor that makes Gray a play to consider today: the Chicago Cubs have been nuked beyond recognition. All of the star bats for the Cubs have been traded elsewhere making their starting lineup a great place to target on every slate going forward, especially with an above average pitcher on the mound. What makes him appealing on this slate is that Gray has such a favorable matchup at what should be very low ownership with the amount of star pitchers in the mix.

#3 Jameson Taillon $8000 - Jameson Taillon has sneakily been the best pitcher in baseball over the last month. Not joking. He is 4-0 with a 1.16 ERA, 31 IP, & 25 Ks. He’s playing at an elite level right now, making his $8000 price tag an absolute steal. Let’s be clear, he isn’t a shoe in for an elite performance. However, with his performances over the last month mixed with a matchup against the Orioles and a rejuvenated Yankees lineup, Taillon may very well continue to play at an elite level.

#2 Shohei Ohtani $10700 - Over the last 30 days, Ohtani is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA, 20 IP, & 17Ks. There’s not much that needs to be said about this play. One of the best pitchers in baseball against one of the worst teams in baseball in a pitcher friendly ballpark. The only knock is the steep $10700 price tag. I’ll put it this way: if you’re playing cheap hitters, play Ohtani.

#1 Lucas Giolito $9200 - Giolito has been playing extremely well despite the sticky stuck crack down. Over the last month, Giolito is 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA, 26.1 IP, and 27 Ks. To sweeten the deal ever more, the Royals spark plug for their recent uptick in scoring, Jorge Soler, was traded to the Braves. With Giolito in the middle of a heater, the Royals bats won’t be much of a match for Giolito. I wouldn’t see surprised if Giolito had a massive night.

Sleeper Pick:

Zac Gallen $7800 - Normally I’d advise against playing a below average pitcher against one of the best teams in baseball. It seems pretty obvious. However, Gallen is in a unique spot. He has a 29.4% K rate over the last 30 days while the Giants are 6th in team strikeouts over the last 30 days and 1st over the last 14 days. I wouldn’t play much of Gallen, but if you’re looking for a mid-price high risk, high reward contrarian pitcher, Zac Gallen at $7800 is the way to go.