MLB

3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on 7/5/18

Jason Schandl  —  @JasonSchandl Jul 5th, 2018
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Justin Verlander, P, Houston Astros

Price: $12,200

We only have one stud pitching option on today's slate, and Justin Verlander is well worth paying up for.

Verlander's 3.02 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) ranks ninth among qualifying starters this season, as does his 31.2% strikeout rate. Those high strikeout numbers come on a career-best 12.7% swinging-strike rate, and he's forcing the second-highest soft-hit rate of his 14-year career.

His matchup today is also a great one, taking on a Chicago White Sox team that ranks 17th in wRC+ against righties. Chicago's 2.84 implied total is the lowest on the slate by a huge margin, and the Houston Astros' -294 moneyline is way better than anyone else's.

The icing on the cake is that the White Sox strike out at a top-five rate (25.0%) against right-handed pitching. Both in terms of floor and upside, Verlander sits well ahead of the crowd today.

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