Richard (3-6) gave up four runs on four hits in Friday's loss to the Dodgers, striking out four and walking three in six innings.

EDGE Analysis

Richard got beat by the long ball Friday, giving up a three-run homer to Matt Kemp in the first inning, followed by a solo shot from Enrique Hernandez in the third. Richard had thrown three consecutive quality starts prior to this outing, striking out 20 against just one walk across 23.1 innings. While his 4.97 ERA is rather high, the lefty is holding opponents to a decent .266 batting average while sporting a career-best 7.5 K/9. His next start will be against the Marlins at home.

Richard struck out 10 in eight innings Sunday against the Cardinals en route to picking up his second win of the season. He allowed two runs on five hits and a walk.

EDGE Analysis

This was his best start of the season, tying a season high with eight innings and topping his previous season high of eight strikeouts. His ERA still sits at an unsightly 5.20, but his fielding-independent numbers (3.97 FIP, 3.55 xFIP) are a bit more encouraging. Richard could provide value in deeper formats, but this will probably go down as his best start of the season. His next start will be Saturday in Pittsburgh.

Richard (1-5) struck out eight and walked zero in Tuesday's loss to the Nationals, allowing three runs on seven hits in eight innings.

EDGE Analysis

Richard had one his best starts of the season, throwing 72 of 102 pitches for strikes and inducing 11 groundouts in the contest. It was Richard's third quality start of the year, and he now sports a 40:20 K:BB through 45.2 innings. The lefty still carries a high .289 batting average against, but his 7.7 K/9 is the best of his career. Richard will next see the Cardinals in a start at home.

Richard (1-4) took the loss against the Giants on Wednesday, surrendering seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and four walks over four innings while striking out six.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran left-hander was scored upon in three of his four frames, throwing 56 of 101 pitches for strikes and starting only 11 of 26 batters with first-pitch strikes. Richard will take an ugly 6.21 ERA into his next outing Tuesday at home against the Nationals.

Richard (1-2) allowed three earned runs on five hits while walking three and striking out six across five innings to take the loss Saturday against the Diamondbacks.

EDGE Analysis

Richard tied a season best with six strikeouts in his start Saturday, though that was the only positive part of his stat-line as he allowed eight baserunners in five innings. He now has four consecutive starts in which he has pitched exactly five innings and allowed four or more earned runs. The rest of his numbers are equally uninspiring, making him of little consequence for most fantasy leagues.

Richard allowed four earned runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out three across five innings Saturday. He did not factor in the decision.

EDGE Analysis

Richard struggled to find the strike zone Saturday, starting only 10 of the 24 batters he faced with a strike and finding the strike zone with only 48 of his 89 pitches. Command has been an issue for him all season, as he now has three consecutive starts with three walks. His 5.73 ERA reflects that his results have been uninspiring, and with no area of standout skill or fantasy value he can largely be ignored.

Richard (1-1) allowed four runs on five hits and three walks across five innings while earning the win Monday against the Rockies. He struck out three.

EDGE Analysis

The major damage against Richard came via the long ball in this one, including a sole home run by Ian Desmond in the second inning and a three-run blast by Chris Ianetta in the fourth. He broke the game open with a three-run shot of his own in the fourth and ultimately earned a win, though he wasn't particularly sharp on the night. It was a gutty performance by the veteran, but he still owns a 5.29 ERA in the early going -- a figure he will look to improve during Sunday's outing against the Giants.

Richard (0-1) was tagged for five runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out six over five innings and taking the loss to Colorado on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Richard crashed back down to earth against a tough Rockies lineup following his impressive Opening Day start last week. The saving grace for the veteran's owners were his six strikeouts in five frames. This was an early reminder that the soft-tossing lefty is no more than a streaming option in favorable home matchups. Richard's next outing is neither, as it comes against these very same Rockies next Monday on the road in one of the toughest pitching environments for any hurler.

Richard completed seven innings Thursday against the Brewers, allowing one earned run on six hits while walking one and striking out four.

EDGE Analysis

Richard got off to a strong start to the 2018 campaign against the Brewers, a team that figures to have a strong offense this season. He has shown the ability to limit runs in the past in a swingman role, but his inability to strike out batters, he has a 5.78 career K/9, has caused him to to have largely poor results as a starter. As a result, he is best left as an NL-only option even when considering his strong start Thursday.

Richard was named the Padres' Opening Day starter Friday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Richard wouldn't be the ace of many staffs, though he appears to be the best the Padres have to offer. His 4.79 ERA in 2017 obscured what was actually a fine season for the 34-year-old lefty, as he posted a quite respectable 3.76 xFIP. His career 14.9 percent strikeout rate caps his fantasy value in most leagues, but he avoids walks (6.9 percent walk rate in 2017) and generates a high number of ground balls (59.2 percent groundball rate last year). His pitch-to-contact approach should work in a pitcher-friendly park like Petco, and if his BABIP bounces back from the .351 mark he posted last year, he could be a decent late-round pickup in deep leagues.