Andrew McCutchen DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen went 4-for-4 with a home run in Sunday's 9-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was his third homer of the season, and the veteran added three singles for his fourth multi-hit performance of the year. McCutchen has been hitting well in recent days, notching at least one hit in six of seven games with four extra-base hits (two doubles, two home runs) during the stretch. The 38-year-old is having a bit of a resurgent season thus far, slashing .276/.368/.447, with increased quality of contact and a palatable 17.2% strikeout rate after a career-high in that statistic a season ago (25.8%). Moreover, McCutchen is registering a hard-hit ball 49.2% of the time with an average exit velocity of 91.2 MPH. Both figures would be career-bests if they hold.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen will start on the bench for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Adam Frazier is making the start in right field and will hit eighth against Reds right-hander Brady Singer. Bryan Reynolds (triceps) continues to serve as Pittsburgh's designated hitter, leaving the 38-year-old McCutchen as the odd-man out. The former MVP has gotten off to a .267 (8-for-30) start at the plate in his 17th big-league season, and he's added a homer, two doubles, five RBI and two runs scored in his 10 games played. Cutch should start to see more regular playing time as the DH whenever Reynolds is able to return to left-field duties. Frazier will be a low-upside DFS option at the bottom of Pittsburgh's lineup. He has hit .286 with one RBI in seven career at-bats against Singer.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Tommy Pham are not in Saturday's starting lineup. Instead, Bryan Reynolds will serve as the designated hitter, which will open right field for Jack Suwinski. With Pham sitting out, Ji-Hwan Bae will cover left field. Through the first two games of the season, McCutchen has gone 1-for-7 with a double, an RBI, and a walk. Pham has also had a modest output in the batter's box, going 1-for-8 at the plate. However, Pham has swiped a bag in each of the first two games and added a double. Last season, Suwinski posted a .182/.264/.324 slash line with nine home runs and nine stolen bases. Bae struggled across his brief 29-game stint in the majors last season, holding a .189 AVG. Neither player should be targeted in DFS facing Miami right-hander Valente Bellozo.