MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/30/2019

Baseball closes out the month of April with a busy 15-game slate Tuesday. With all of the games having evening start times, we have a ton of options to wade through in DFS. Let’s get right down to business and highlight some players to target for your entry. 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

Trevor Bauer vs. Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $11,400
DraftKings = $10,900

While he’s extremely pricey, it’s going to be hard to resist adding Bauer to your entry based on this matchup. He’s emerged as one of the most dominant strikeout pitchers in the league, following up his 30.8 percent strikeout rate last season with a 28.3 percent mark in that category this year. The Marlins lineup is atrocious, leaving them with the fewest runs scored (78) and the lowest OPS (.619) in the league.

Julio Teheran vs. San Diego Padres
Stadium – SunTrust Park
FanDuel = $8,400
DraftKings = $8,000

If you’re looking for a cheaper option, Teheran stands out as someone to target. The Padres have scored the sixth-fewest runs (103) and could be without the services of one of their best hitters in Fernando Tatis Jr. (hamstring) for the second straight game. Teheran has also found a way to miss more bats this season, leaving him with a what would be a career-high 25.4 percent strikeout rate.

CATCHER

James McCann vs. Andrew Cashner, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Guaranteed Rate Field
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings =$3,900

McCann and Welington Castillo have split the catching duties for the White Sox this season, but it might be hard for them to sit McCann on Tuesday based on how well he’s hitting right now. After recording three more hits Monday, he’s now 11-for-23 with a home run and two doubles across his last five games. This is certainly a favorable matchup against Cashner, who has a 5.12 xFIP across his first six starts.

Others to consider: J.T. Realmuto

FIRST BASE

Nate Lowe vs. Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $2,300
DraftKings = $3,100

The Rays decided to call up their prized prospect Monday after Lowe recorded a .243 ISO and a .429 wOBA at Triple-A. He had success at that level last season, as well, with a .200 ISO and a .347 wOBA. He looks locked into a starting role at first base, especially since Ji-Man Choi is also left-handed. Lowe came away with a double and a walk Monday and makes for an excellent cost-effective option if you decide to roll with Bauer at starting pitcher. There is some rain in the forecast, so be sure to look out for updates leading up to first pitch.

Others to consider: Jose Abreu and Chris Davis

SECOND BASE

Jose Peraza vs. Jason Vargas, New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $2,500
DraftKings =$3,300

As we continue to look for cheaper hitters to deploy in a lineup including Bauer, Peraza checks in as a viable option at second base. It’s alarming that his strikeout rate has skyrocketed to 20.7 percent, but he’s also been a bit unlucky this year with a .231 BABIP. He’s 6-for-15 during his current four-game hitting streak and was moved to the leadoff spot Monday, so this could be a chance to cash in with him having a favorable matchup against the underwhelming Vargas.

Others to consider: Michael Chavis and Ryan McMahon

THIRD BASE

Colin Moran vs. Adrian Sampson, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $2,400
DraftKings = $4,100

Moran isn’t all that cheap on DraftKings, but his price is really appealing on FanDuel. Expect him to be in the starting lineup with the Pirates benefiting from the use of the DH playing in an AL park. Even though left-handed pitchers held him to a .231 wOBA last year, he had far more success with a .338 wOBA versus righties. He’ll be facing a righty in Sampson who recorded a 4.74 xFIP at Triple-A last year, so this isn’t exactly a tough matchup.

Others to consider: Eduardo Escobar and Matt Carpenter

SHORTSTOP

Francisco Lindor vs. Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings =$4,600

It’s not often that Lindor is priced this cheap. Don’t be overly concerned about him hitting .219 across eight games since being activated from the IL. He hasn’t had the easiest of schedules with four of those games coming against the vaunted Astros’ pitching staff. He’ll face a much easier foe in Alcantara who posted just a 4.65 xFIP and an 18.2 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A last year.

Others to consider: Javier Baez and Cole Tucker

OUTFIELD

Nomar Mazara vs. Jordan Lyles, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,600

Are we finally seeing the breakout power campaign that we’ve been waiting for with Mazara? While Khris Davis gets a lot of headlines for hitting exactly .247 for four straight seasons, Mazara has hit exactly 20 home runs in all three years of his career. He’s already hit five long balls so far and has cut his groundball rate by over eight percentage points from last season. With his career .345 wOBA at home, he makes for an excellent option.

Ketel Marte vs. CC Sabathia, New York Yankees
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,800

Speaking of power breakouts, Marte already has six home runs after hitting 14 all of last season. His fly ball rate has increased by nearly 10 percentage points, so he could be well on his way to setting a new career high in the homer department. He stands out for this matchup with Sabathia since Marte recorded a 157 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers last year.

Gregory Polanco vs. Adrian Sampson, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $4,500

With Sampson on the mound for the Rangers, the Pirates could be a sneaky stack with upside. Polanco checks in with a great price on FanDuel, while his price on DraftKings is a little less appealing. He’s 6-for-21 with a couple of walks since being activated from the IL and thrived with a .360 wOBA versus righties last year.

Others to consider: Mookie Betts and David Dahl

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.