Jake Fraley DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley had a big game in his team's 11-7 extra-inning loss to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday. Fraley went 3-for-5 with a double and a grand slam in the loss. The veteran outfielder gave the Reds a temporary 7-5 lead in the eighth inning with his grand slam but the Cincinnati bullpen was unable to hold on for the win. Fraley is now hitting .234 with one homer, five runs, five RBI, and one steal over 47 at-bats this season. With a .294 average over his past seven games, Fraley is worth streaming in deep, NL-only leagues while he's seeing the ball well at the plate.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley is out of the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park with a left-hander on the mound. Blake Dunn will get the start in right field for the Reds and will bat second against Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter. Fraley is often rested against southpaws, so this shouldn't come as much of a surprise to fantasy managers in deeper leagues that have the 29-year-old lefty swinger rostered. In addition to his struggles against lefties, Fraley has gone just 6-for-32 in the early going this year with no homers, one RBI, one steal, three runs scored and five strikeouts in 10 games played. Dunn is in a nice lineup spot to make him a potential DFS sleeper on Friday, but he has just four hits (one homer) in his first 20 at-bats this year. He has never faced Falter in his career.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley (side) has been scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the San Francisco Giants. He was slated to start in right field and bat eighth, but has been pulled from the lineup due left side pain. Fraley should be considered as day-to-day, but fantasy managers shouldn't be shocked if he ends up on the injured list. In his absence, Blake Dunn will shift to right field, while Jacob Hurtubise moves into the lineup and covers left field against right hander Logan Webb. Neither player is a viable streaming option against an elite pitcher such as Webb.

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Gavin Lux and outfielder Jake Fraley are both sitting out on Thursday in Milwaukee against the division-rival Brewers with a left-hander on the mound. Matt McLain is starting at second base and batting second, and Blake Dunn gets the start in right field and is hitting sixth versus Brewers lefty Nestor Cortes. Santiago Espinal is starting in left field and is batting eighth. Lux, who has hit righties much better in his career, is off to a slow start in his first year in Cincy by going 4-for-19 with a double, RBI, two walks and four strikeouts in his first six games. Fraley has been even worse, going 2-for-18 with an RBI, no walks and three strikeouts in five games played in the early going. Espinal is the only one who has faced Cortes in his career and is hitless in just five at-bats.

Cincinnati Reds outfielders TJ Friedl and Jake Fraley are not in the starting lineup on Sunday as the Reds will face San Francisco southpaw Robbie Ray. Friedl has started in each of the first two games of the series in center field. Serving as the leadoff man, he went 2-for-9 at the plate with an RBI. As a result, Blake Dunn will cover center field, but Matt McLain will move up to the top of the order. Fraley has also started in each of the first two contests but did not tally a hit. He will be replaced by Santiago Espinal in right field, and he will bat second. Fantasy managers should expect both Fraley and Friedl to return to the starting nine on Monday when they face Texas right-hander Kumar Rocker. Espinal and Dunn are best to fade in DFS this afternoon, facing Ray.