MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/24/2019

With a lot of early start times Wednesday, we don’t have the busiest of slates for the featured evening contests in DFS. Luckily, the starting pitching options are much better than we have seen the last couple of days. Let’s break down the matchups and highlight some players to consider for your lineup. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our MLB Lineup Optimizer to help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

STARTING PITCHERS

Justin Verlander vs. Minnesota Twins
Stadium – Minute Maid Park
FanDuel = $11,000
DraftKings = $10,500

Verlander is the headline starting pitcher for the night despite a matchup against a good Twins lineup. He’s already had his fair share of tough games, which included two contests against the Rangers at hitter-friendly Globe Life Park in Arlington.  He’s still managed to record a 3.62 xFIP and plenty of strikeouts with a 30.9 percent strikeout rate. While Verlander didn’t exactly struggle with a 3.54 xFIP on the road last year, he was dominant at home with a 2.62 xFIP.

Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Detroit Tigers
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $8,400
DraftKings =$9,000

If you’re looking to ride someone who is off to a hot start, you won’t find that here with Rodriguez. However, don’t look past him for this prime matchup against a Tigers team that has scored the second-fewest runs (72) and hit the fewest home runs (13) in baseball. Rodriguez’s 4.21 xFIP is much more encouraging than his 7.20 ERA would lead you to believe about his start and he carries plenty of strikeout upside, making him a great option at a cheaper price.

CATCHER

J.T. Realmuto vs. Jason Vargas, New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,400

Whenever Vargas is pitching, he’s someone to target. He’s allowed 11 runs across his first 10.1 innings and has more walks (seven) than strikeouts (six). He’s also allowed three home runs after giving up 1.8 HR/9 last year. Paying up at catcher can be tricky, but if there was ever a time to do it, it’s here with Realmuto.

Others to consider: Wilson Ramos

FIRST BASE

Chris Davis vs. Ervin Santana, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,200
DraftKings = $2,700

A couple of weeks ago, this would have been a laughable recommendation. Davis couldn’t buy a hit and looked completely overmatched at the player. Luckily for him and the Orioles, he’s finally found a way out of his slump and is actually thriving by hitting 9-for-25 with two home runs and three doubles across his last eight games. He provides tremendous savings, which could be key if you decide to deploy a Phillies stack against Vargas.

Others to consider: Rhys Hoskins and Jose Abreu

SECOND BASE

Jonathan Villar vs. Ervin Santana, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,700

Davis isn’t the only Oriole to focus on Wednesday with Santana set to take the mound for the White Sox. He couldn’t have performed much worse in his first two starts, allowing 10 runs and five home runs over 8.2 innings. He’s also shown very little command with six walks. With Villar’s combination of power and speed, he stands out as one of the top choices at second base.

Others to consider: Jose Altuve and Robinson Cano

THIRD BASE

Alex Bregman vs. Kohl Stewart, Minnesota Twins
Stadium – Minute Maid Park
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings =$4,800

While a Phillies stack against Vargas might be the highest owned, don’t forget about the Astros. Stewart will be making his first start of the year for the Twins after logging a 5.53 xFIP across his first three starts at Triple-A. He also posted a 1.42 WHIP and a 4.88 xFIP across eight appearances for the Twins last season. Bregman is 21-for-56 with an insane .486 OBP over his last 16 games, so expect him to be on base plenty in this contest.

Others to consider: Renato Nunez and Colin Moran

SHORTSTOP

Tim Anderson vs. John Means, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $5,500

At first glance, Means and his 1.72 ERA might scare some people away from the White Sox. However, he has a 4.35 xFIP, so he hasn’t been that dominant. Anderson comes in with a .432 wOBA that certainly isn’t sustainable considering his .456 BABIP. The good news is that his strikeout rate has dropped considerably down to 19 percent and he has a .341 wOBA for his career against left-handed pitching. While some regression with his batting average is coming, that doesn’t mean it’s starting Wednesday.

Others to consider: Xander Bogaerts and Gleyber Torres

OUTFIELD

Andrew McCutchen vs. Jason Vargas, New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $4,500

Continuing to pile on Vargas brings us to McCutchen, who absolutely owns left-handed pitching with a career .404 wOBA against them. He also finds himself in a favorable position in the Phillies lineup hitting leadoff with the likes of Realmuto, Hoskins and Bryce Harper hitting behind him. His price on FanDuel isn’t great, but he’s a top target based on his reasonable price on DraftKings.

Dwight Smith Jr. vs. Ervin Santana, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel =$3,800
DraftKings = $4,700

If there has been a bright spot for the struggling Orioles, it has to be the play of Smith in the early going. He’s recorded a .241 ISO to go along with a .358 wOBA and has also shown off his wheels with three stolen bases. Tack on the fact that he’s in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak in which he has launched three home runs and he’s someone to seek out when building your lineup.

Jeff McNeil vs. Vince Velasquez, Philadelphia Phillies
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $4,100

With a lot of people set to deploy the Phillies against Vargas, don’t sleep on the Mets against Velasquez. While he may have a 2.55 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP across his first four appearances, he’s been aided by a .222 BABIP and has recorded a 4.25 xFIP. He’s also allowed at least a .376 wOBA to left-handed hitters in back-to-back seasons, making McNeil an excellent cost-effective option to target.

Others to consider: George Springer and Josh Reddick

Author Bio:

Mike has been covering fantasy sports since 2007, joining Lineup Lab in 2017. An avid player of both season-long fantasy leagues and DFS, Mike’s work has appeared on numerous sites, including RotoWire, SportsLine and Sports Illustrated. He’s also been featured on DraftKings’ nightly show, The Sweat, and was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.