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MLB DFS Pitching Primer: Friday, July 19 – Aces Abound

By Dan Palyo

CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 12: An Indians fan holds a sign saluting All Star Game MVP Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) during the fourth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians on July 12, 2019, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 12: An Indians fan holds a sign saluting All Star Game MVP Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) during the fourth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians on July 12, 2019, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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ST. PETERSBURG, FL – JUNE 29: Brendan McKay #49 of the Tampa Bay Rays follows through on a pitch as he makes his first career start in the first inning of the game against the Texas Rangers at Tropicana Field on June 29, 2019 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Joseph Garnett Jr. /Getty Images)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – JUNE 29: Brendan McKay #49 of the Tampa Bay Rays follows through on a pitch as he makes his first career start in the first inning of the game against the Texas Rangers at Tropicana Field on June 29, 2019 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Joseph Garnett Jr. /Getty Images) /

MLB DFS Pitching Primer: Second-Tier GPP Plays

Brendan McKay (8k FD, 8.7k DK) vs. Chicago White Sox

McKay is starting to get priced up by the sites but is still probably too cheap here for this matchup with the slumping White Sox. All he’s done in his first three career starts is post a 1.69 ERA and 0.69 WHIP while walking one batter and striking out 13. This youngster is showing a polished repertoire that is rare for pitchers with his lack of experience.

I predicted we would see a bump in his strikeouts in his last outing and sure enough, he whiffed 7 Orioles over 5 scoreless innings. Today he gets to feast on the White Sox in his home park. He’s been between 81-86 pitches in each of his three starts so the only red flag I see here is that he’s not likely going to be allowed to pitch deep into games. I still think he can do some damage with that many pitches in this matchup.

David Price (9.5k FD, 9.3k DK) @ Baltimore

David Price is likely to get overlooked today as he is priced right below the other 5 aces on this slate. He continues to pitch well for the Red Sox this season and has been a model of consistency. He’s allowed two runs or fewer in five consecutive starts and is currently up to a 28% strikeout rate this season which represents a career-best.

Since joining the Red Sox, Price has absolutely owned the Orioles. I don’t usually lean on career stats vs. specific teams, but in this case, it’s a divisional foe that Price has seen 10 times in the last four seasons. In those 10 starts, Price is 8-1 with an ERA of 2.65 and 75 strikeouts in 68 innings. Based on those numbers, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he goes 7 innings tonight while striking out 8-9 Orioles and picks up a quality start and a win.