Detroit Tigers DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter and shortstop Trey Sweeney will take a seat on the bench for Monday's series opener at Comerica Park against the visiting New York Yankees with left-hander Carlos Rodon on the bump. Manuel Margot will start in right field and bat fifth, while Javier Baez will get the start at short and bat sixth. Left-handed-hitting infielder Zach McKinstry is also out of the starting lineup. Carpenter won't also sit against southpaws, but he'll take a seat in this one to begin the week. He's gone just 7-for-32 (.219) in the first nine games of the season, but he's also added three home runs, a double and eight RBI for fantasy managers. Margot is much better against lefties but lacks pop for DFS upside. He's hitting .375 with an RBI in eight career at-bats against Rodon, while Baez is hitting just .133 against Rodon in 15 career at-bats.

Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson was struggling at the plate, but he came up clutch for his team during this game. Torkelson was hitless with one strikeout until he came up in the ninth inning. He smacked a two-RBI double to help give his team the lead in the final frame. It seemed like coming into this season that the Tigers were nearly ready to give up on the former first-overall pick. So far, Torkelson is slashing .324/.439/.618 with two homers and six RBI in the first nine games. He'll likely continue to pick up steam on the waiver wire, assuming his hot streak at the plate continues.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jackson Jobe looked better on the mound than he did for his season debut. Jobe tossed five innings, allowing two earned runs, three walks, and striking out four batters in the no-decision. The 22-year-old still struggled with his command, but luckily he was facing a subpar White Sox lineup. Jobe would've been handed the loss if his team didn't come back in the ninth inning. Jobe has a ton of potential and appears to be heading in the right direction. However, he's far from a must-start during his next start against the Minnesota Twins.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene is not in the starting nine on Sunday afternoon when the Tigers conclude a series with the Chicago White Sox. Greene has started in each of the first eight contests of the regular season. Through this start, Greene has been swinging a hot bat, posting a .361/.361/.722 slash line with four doubles and three home runs. Instead, the Tigers will give Kerry Carpenter the starting nod in left field. Fantasy managers should expect Greene to return to the starting nine on Monday afternoon when the team kicks off a series against the New York Yankees. Carpenter and the Detroit offense are worth targeting in DFS facing Chicago southpaw Martin Perez, who posted a high 4.53 ERA last season.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter went 1-for-5 with a two-run shot during Saturday's victory over the Chicago White Sox. Carpenter went deep in the second inning off Chicago right-hander Chris Martin. His home run also scored Justyn-Henry Malloy. This was Carpenter's third home run over the past two contests as he went deep twice in Friday's victory over the White Sox. Through the first eight games of the campaign, Carpenter has posted a .250/.241/.607 slash line with one double and three round-trippers. He has tallied eight RBI and scored four runs. Through the early part of the campaign, Carpenter has seen time in both left and right fields. Last season, the 27-year-old posted a .284/.345/.587 slash line with 18 round-trippers. He remains a must-start option as he continues this power surge.