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Fantasy Baseball: FanDuel Pitcher Picks For June 2

By Mike Marteny

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May 22, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws to the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. The Nationals won 2 – 1. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

All 30 starting pitchers are in the big tournaments today, which means we likely have some tough decisions to make. Let’s see who history and the statistics have on their side at each price level tonight!

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NOTE: these picks are based solely on statistics. Some pitchers going today have never faced their opponents, or have very little experience against them. I am not saying that none of those are good picks. This is based on statistical analysis only. If you have a gut feeling, then by all means, follow that. This is not an exact science. I just provide the facts.

High Priced ($8,800 and up):

Best Bet:

Carlos Carrasco, Indians ($8,900): Carrasco easily has the best numbers of the top tier of starters against his opponent tonight. Carrasco has held the Royals to just a .203 average in 118 at bats and racked up 27 strikeouts. The only glitch here is that he has given up three long balls to Kansas City, but they wont do much damage if the Royals can’t get on base.

Honorable Mention:

Max Scherzer, Nationals ($12,000): Scherzer just barely gets the nod over the Braves’ Shelby Miller because the current Diamondbacks squad has just 14 at bats off of Miller. They have only mustered one hit though if you don’t want to spend on Scherzer. The Blue Jays have been able to get on base some against Scherzer. They hold a .240 average in 125 at bats, but they have struck out 30 times. After seeing how Scherzer dominated the Cubs last week, you have to consider him a strong bet against anyone right now.

Stay Away:

Lance Lynn, Cardinals ($8,800): Lynn is no stranger to facing the Brewers, but he has not fared well against him. They have 60 hits in 209 at bats (.287 average) off of the Cardinals right hander with 13 doubles, four triples, four homers, and 18 runs scored. Lynn is striking out nearly a batter an inning, but I don’t want to chance them hitting him hard again to chase those strikeouts.

Next: Are There Any Mid Level Bargains?

May 28, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher C.J. Wilson (33) pitches in the first inning of the game against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Mid Level ($6,800-$8,500):

Best Bet:

C.J. Wilson, Angels ($8,200): Wilson has done well against the Rays over the course of his career. He has held them to a paltry .194 batting aveage in 129 at bats and struck out 31. The only one who has hit him remotely well is Brandon Guyer. Evan Longoria does have two home runs off of Wilson, but still owns a poor .208 average (5 for 24). Wilson rounds out the “best of the rest”, though I would probably still take Noah Syndergaard over Wilson except there are no stats to support it.

Honorable Mention:

C.C. Sabathia, Yankees ($6,900): C.C. has struggled some this year, but you simply can’t ignore how well he has pitched against the Mariners in his career. The current incarnation of the Mariners is hitting just .228 off of him with eight runs scored in 123 at bats. Oh, and they have struck out 43 times. If you are the gambling type, C.C. could pay off big time tonight!

Stay Away:

Ian Kennedy, Padres ($7,000): Forget for a minute that he has given up 15 runs in his last three starts. I know the Mets look like a good matchup, but the current Mets roster is hitting .310 off of Kenndy with six homers and more runs scored (18) than strikeouts (17) in 100 at bats. David Wright owns two of those long balls and is still on the DL, but Curtis Granderson, John Mayberry, and Michael Cuddyer have hit Kennedy well also. I want no part of this, especially with Syndergaard as his mound opponent.

Next: Who Is The Best Bargain Of The Day?

May 22, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marco Estrada (25) pitches against the Seattle Mariners in the second inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Low Priced ($6,700 and under):

Best Bet:

Marco Estrada, Blue Jays ($6,600): The fact that he is facing Scherzer diminishes his chances for a win, but Estrada has put together a couple of decent outings in a row. The Nationals, aside from Ryan Zimmerman, have not hit him very hard. If you need to go really cheap, Estrada is your best bet.

Honorable Mention:

NONE.  You would be better off gambling with the Rockies’ David Hale in the doubleheader with the Dodgers or taking a chance with Tyler Cravy in his major league debut for the Brewers than following stats.

Stay Away:

Jeremy Guthrie, Royals ($5,700): Guthrie gave up 11 runs to the Yankees in his last start. Judging by the numbers, he likely won’t fare much better against Cleveland today. The Indians are hitting a robust .355 off of him in 251 at bats with 22 doubles, a triple, 12 home runs, and 50 runs scored to only 44 strikeouts. I wouldn’t even play Guthrie in a free tournament!

That is what the numbers say for tonight. Good luck!

Next: Is Clay Buchholz Worth Picking Up?

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