High Salary SP
Justin Verlander-Detroit Tigers (11,600): Verlander has at least five strikeouts in each of his last 14 starts including three games with double-digit strikeout numbers. He has allowed only one or two earned runs in five straight starts this month and has turned things back around after a rough few years. His recent return to form actually makes him a nice value at under 10K as he takes on the Astros tonight in Detroit.
Verander is 1-0 this season against Houston picking up a win against them when he allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings while striking out eight. He will look to finish the month strong coming into tonight 3-0 with a 1.60 ERA in Julyy and 37 K’s in just 33.2 innings. The Astros have some pop, but Verlander is a nice option at this price with lots of upside as he takes on Mike Fiers. ∗∗∗∗
Drew Pomeranz-Boston Red Sox (10,300): After a rough Red Sox debut, Drew Pomeranz pitched well his last time out allowing just two runs on four hits in six innings against the Tigers but taking a hard-luck loss. He struck out seven in those six innings giving him 126 K’s in 111 innings split between the Sox and Padres this season.
Tonight, he’ll take the mound against the Angels for the first time this season, but some of the LA hitters will now him from his time in Oakland in 2014 and 2015. Pomeranz is still looking for his first win in a Boston uniform, but he has been impressive throughout the season and makes a solid option tonight if you have the money to spend.∗∗
Julio Teheran-Atlanta Braves (9,500): The other pitcher to take a look at with a salary over 8K is Julio Teheran who is expected to return tonight after having his start pushed back a couple of days to make sure he’s over his back issue. According to reports, he’s felt good leading up to tonight’s start and should be all systems go as he takes on the Phillies tonight.
Teheran has allowed exactly zero runs in four of his last six starts dating back to a one-hit, complete-game shutout against the Mets. He has gone 11 total scoreless innings in his last two starts allowing just six hits and three walks while striking out eight. He has yet to take on the Phillies this season, but over the last three years he is 6-2 in ten starts against his division rivals with a 2.03 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 71 innings. His injury and iffy run support make him risky tonight, but he’s a nice value at only 9,500.∗∗∗
Anthony DeSclafani-Cincinnati Reds (9,400): DeSclafani is a nice option at just over 8K if you need to go cheaper on your pitching tonight. Last night, the Reds shut out the Padres winning 6-0, and DeSclafani will look to continue that dominance tonight.
He comes into tonight’s start with a sparking 6-0 record having picked up a win in four straight starts. His last appearance wasn’t his best allowing five runs in five innings to the Giants, but he still managed to get the W. Prior to that outing, he had turned in six quality starts in a row including eight shutout innings against the Padres while allowing five hits and striking out five. His fantasy owners will look for a similar line tonight, and he’s a nice option even though his strikeout rate has dropped a little this season (46 in 55.1 innings). ∗∗
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