Squad Up Daily MLB Fantasy Dose: Brewers need Ray to make one mistake

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily MLB fantasy picture for the five-game slate beginning at 7:10 p.m. on Thursday, May 25:

Hitter Stacks

• Milwaukee Brewers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (LHP Robbie Ray): The Brewers rank second in team wOBA vs. left-handed pitching at a clip of .353. Their 25.2 percent strikeout rate also ranks second in the league, putting them in a dangerous spot against Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray, who possesses a 11.04 K/9. Ray also walks 4.92 batters per nine innings, so any power the Brewers can muster should drive in a few.

• Houston Astros vs. Detroit Tigers (RHP Justin Verlander): Verlander allowed three home runs over his past two starts, giving up a total of seven earned runs over 13 innings. He walked six and struck out 12, as his BB/9 continues to hover well above 4.00. He is stranding just 69.5 percent of base runners, after posting a 79.9 percent rate last season.

2-player stack: OF Josh Reddick (57K), 2B Jose Altuve (61K)

• St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers (RHP Kenta Maeda): Maeda's rate of 1.83 home runs allowed per nine innings doesn't bode well against a Cardinals team ranked 10th in wOBA and 13th in slugging percentage against right-handed pitching. Maeda's most recent start was his first of the year in which he didn't allow a single walk, as he went 8 1/3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He struck out just five.

Pitcher Breakdown

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• TARGET - RHP Michael Wacha (71K), Cardinals (at Dodgers): The Dodgers rank sixth in team wOBA vs. right-handed pitching, but Wacha owns a 2.74 ERA and 3.65 xFIP with just 0.84 home runs allowed per nine innings. He is striking out 8.23 batters per nine innings and walking just 2.53.

• FADE - RHP Mike Fiers (61K), Astros (vs. Tigers): The Tigers lead the league in hard-hit percentage both against right-handed pitching and overall. Fiers is allowing 3.64 home runs per nine innings, and he allowed multiple homers in six of his eight starts this season.

• CONTRARIAN - LHP Drew Pomeranz (77K), Red Sox (vs. Rangers): Pomeranz has allowed 21 earned runs through his first 38 innings of the season, but he has struck out 45. The Rangers rank just 25th in team wOBA against lefties, and they strike out in 24.3 percent of plate appearances.

Bargain Plays

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• 3B Greg Garcia (42K), Cardinals (at Dodgers): Garcia has played almost exclusively in a platoon role for the Cardinals this season. He has performed very well against right-handed pitching, posting a .340/.436/.426 slash line. He routinely hits ninth in the order, but he has seen time from the two hole against righties.

• SS Jose Iglesias (37K), Tigers (at Astros): Iglesias is hitting for a .198 average against right-handed pitchers, but he is posting a .323 slugging percentage with one homer and eight doubles in the split. His 31.1 percent hard-hit rate for the season is a career best, and aligns well with the 31.5 percent rate allowed by Fiers.

• OF Ryan Rua (39K), Rangers (at Red Sox): Rua warrants consideration anytime he is in the strong side of his split. His 30 percent strikeout rate against lefties is concerning in a matchup with Pomeranz, but he is slashing .263/.300/.721 against lefties. He has three multi-hit games in his past four starts.

Top Fades

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• 1B Adrian Gonzalez (49K), Dodgers (vs. Cardinals): Gonzalez has three doubles in his past three games, but he remains without a home run on the season. He hasn't drawn a walk since April 27, and he has struck out 10 times in the time since he has last free pass.

• 2B Rougned Odor (48K), Rangers (at Red Sox): Odor has nine in 50 at-bats against left-handed pitchers and all nine have been singles. He has struck out a reasonable eight times, but he has drawn just a single walk. His .180/.226/.180 slash line in the split offers zero appeal.

Contrarian Plays

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• 3B Ryan Schimpf (49K), Padres (at Mets): Schimpf's free-swinging style could easily set up for an ineffective day against Mets RHP Jacob deGrom and his 12.29 K/9. deGrom is allowing a career-worst 1.13 HR/9, however, allowing 15.9 percent of fly balls to leave the park. Schimpf's 63.9 percent fly-ball rate could provide at least one serviceable swing.

• 2B Dustin Pedroia (55K), Red Sox (vs. Rangers): Pedroia has a higher on-base percentage vs. left-handed pitching, but his slugging percentage of .361 against righties is nearly 130 points higher than his lefty-induced rate. Rangers RHP Nick Martinez allows righty hitters to hit for a .470 slugging percentage.

• C Jonathan Lucroy (48K), Rangers (at Red Sox): Lucroy had gone 3-for-9 before Wednesday's 0-for-4 performance against the Red Sox and LHP Chris Sale. He still had quality at-bats, and he didn't strike out for the third consecutive game. He faces a more favorable lefty in Pomeranz.

For up-to-the-minute starting lineups, check out Baseball Press.