Fantasy Baseball 2018: Pitchers to Add for Tuesday, July 24th
By Neil Ragavan
This article looks at some starting pitchers for Tuesday, July 24th that you should consider for your Fantasy Baseball lineup.
Kenta Maeda– Los Angeles Dodgers
Opponent: at Philadelphia
Kenta Maeda has been a nice surprise for the Dodgers and fantasy baseball owners in 2018. After posting a 4.22 ERA in 2017, Maeda has bounced back this season, as he is 7-5 with a 3.12 ERA through 18 appearances. Since giving up five earned runs to the Reds on May 11th, Maeda has not surrendered more than three earned, and has gone 5-2 over that stretch. In each of his last four starts, Maeda has struck out nine hitters, with two of those starts coming against the Cubs and Rockies.
The Phillies are currently in first place in the NL East, and are therefore not the easiest matchup for Maeda. However, with great starts against contenders like the Cubs and Rockies, I have confidence that he can continue his success against the young Philly lineup.
Jordan Zimmermann– Detroit Tigers
Opponent: at Kansas City
The Tigers signed Jordan Zimmermann after the 2015 season for 5 years and 110 million. He struggled mightily in first two seasons in Detroit, posting a 4.87 and 6.08 ERA in 2016 and 2017 respectively. However, in 2018, Zimmermann is having his best season in a Tigers’ uniform. He has an ERA+ of 118, which blows away what he had in 2016 and 2017 (88, 75). Since his second start of the season in which he gave up six earned, he has lowered his ERA from 8.71 to 3.71. He is coming off a start against Tampa Bay in which he gave up four earned, but before that, he had gone seven straight starts without giving up more than three earned runs.
Numbers aside, the matchup is a great one for Zimmermann. The Royals are last in the majors in runs, RBIs, and home runs; they are second to last in walks, slugging %, and OPS. The Royals should provide Zimmermann an opportunity to bounce back from his tough loss against the Rays.
Eric Lauer– San Diego Padres
Opponent: at New York Mets
Normally, I would be more inclined to avoid a Padres starter because they are ranked 24th in starters ERA. However, Eric Lauer has been pitching well lately, and therefore could be useful if you play in a deep league or if you play Daily Fantasy.
Lauer is coming off a tough start against the Cubs in which he gave up five earned runs. However, the Cubs are one of the best teams in the National League, and his numbers before that start were much more promising.
In the eight starts before the loss to the Cubs, Lauer put up a 2.33 ERA and a 4-2 record. He goes against a Mets team that can’t seem to catch any breaks. After getting Yoenis Cespedes back this past Friday, it is now possible that he may need surgery, which would put him on the shelf for the rest of the season. They are 28th in runs scored and 25th in OPS, and without Cespedes, the team doesn’t really have an offensive superstar that they can turn to. Lauer should find some success against the Mets, and hopefully will improve after struggling against the Cubs.
Best of luck this season, and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for all the latest Fantasy Baseball news and analysis!