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Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 08/20/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Sunday, August 20

Sunday’s schedule includes a few aces taking the mound, which could lead to some big strikeout performances. Put your favorite daily fantasy baseball stacks from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the MLB Player Lab.

**STARTING PITCHERS**

Jacob deGrom vs. Miami Marlins
Park – Citi Field

The Mets are having a disappointing season, but it’s not because of deGrom as he is 13-6 with a 3.35 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 183 strikeouts in 158.2 innings. His current 10.4 K/9 is the highest of his career. While his overall numbers are excellent, he has been even better at home as he has a 2.49 ERA and 1.15 WHIP at Citi Field this season. In his only start against the Marlins this year, he pitched seven impressive innings, allowing two runs and recording 13 strikeouts. Expect him to put up excellent numbers again Sunday.

Gio Gonzalez vs. San Diego Padres
Park – Petco Park

Gonzalez is having maybe the best season of his 10-year career as he enters Sunday 11-5 with a 2.49 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 142 strikeouts in 155.1 innings. It’s hard to believe, but he has been even better lately as he has allowed three runs in 28 innings over his last four starts. He doesn’t really have many bad starts in general as he has posted a quality start in 13 of his last 14 games. Sunday presents a favorable match up against the Padres who entered Saturday hitting .222 against left handed pitchers, the worst in all of baseball. This has the makings of another big start from Gonzalez.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Houston Astros vs. Jharel Cotton
Park – Minute Maid Park

To say Cotton is having a bad season is an understatement. He enters Sunday 5-10 with a 5.83 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 80 strikeouts in 97.1 innings. It’s been even tougher for him lately as he has allowed 19 runs in 20.2 innings over his last four starts. The Astros have scored the most runs in baseball and have hit an impressive .290 against right handed pitchers entering Saturday. This is a major mismatch, so make sure you load up your entry with Astros.

Players to consider stacking: Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Josh Reddick

Chicago Cubs vs. Marco Estrada (Toronto Blue Jays)
Park – Wrigley Field

Estrada entered the 2017 campaign having posted an ERA or 3.87 or lower in four of his last five seasons. This season has been a major struggle though as he is 5-8 with a 5.09 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 143 strikeouts in 139.2 innings. His problem has been avoiding contact as he has already allowed 144 hits this year, the most of his career. He posted a 6.8 H/9 or less in both of the last two seasons, making his struggles this year even more shocking. Stack your lineup with Cubs hitters and enjoy the ride Sunday.

Players to consider stacking: Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 08/19/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Saturday, August 19

Saturday could be a day of offensive explosions as there are only a few stud starting pitchers taking mound. Put your favorite daily fantasy baseball stacks from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the MLB Player Lab.

**STARTING PITCHERS**

Chris Sale vs. New York Yankees
Park – Fenway Park

Sale continues to dominate baseball as he enters Saturday 14-4 with a 2.51 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and a staggering 241 strikeouts in 168.1 innings. The strikeouts are already the second highest total of his career. The Yankees just can’t hit Sale as he has a 1.18 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and an 11.3 K/9 against them in his career. The Yankees struggle against left handed pitchers in general as they entered Friday hitting only .235 against them this season. Sale should put up some crazy numbers again in this contest.

Jason Vargas vs. Cleveland Indians
Park – Kauffman Stadium

Vargas has put together a surprisingly solid season for the Royals as he is 14-6 with a 3.45 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 102 strikeouts in 135.2 innings.  While he doesn’t provide a ton of strikeouts, Vargas has allowed three runs or less in four of his last five starts. The Indians have not been able to solve Vargas this year as he is 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA and 1.21 WHIP against them in three starts. Since there aren’t many seemingly sure things outside of Sale Saturday, Vargas is a cheaper option who could pay off for your lineup.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Washington Nationals vs. Travis Wood (San Diego Padres)
Park – Petco Park

Wood began the season with the Royals and spent the majority of his time there pitching out of the bullpen. He has become exclusively a starting pitcher for the Padres as he has made four starts in all four of his appearances with his new team. It has not been a successful transition though as he has a 5.57 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. Home runs have been a problem since his trade as he has allowed five over 21 innings with the Padres compared to only four in 41.2 innings with the Royals. The Nationals crush left handed pitching as they entered Friday with a .288 batting averaging against southpaws, which is the best in the majors. Take advantage of this opportunity.

Players to consider stacking: Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon and Howie Kendrick

Chicago Cubs vs. Nick Tepesch (Toronto Blue Jays)
Park – Wrigley Field

Tepesch has only made two starts for the Blue Jays, allowing five runs over 4.1 innings to the Yankees and only one run in six innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. He hasn’t provided much in the way of strikeouts as he only has four in 10.1 innings. His career stats are nothing to write home about either as he has a 5.23 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 235 innings. The Cubs have been scoring in bunches lately as they have produced at least seven runs in six of their last eight games. Make sure to pack your lineup with the defending champs.

Players to consider stacking: Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez

Fantasy Football Season Preview: Running Backs 2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

**Mike Barner**

Fantasy Football Season Preview Running Backs 2017

The long journey through the NFL season is rapidly approaching, meaning it’s one of the most exciting times of the year: drafting your fantasy football team. While you need your players to stay healthy and have a little luck go your way, having a strong draft can go a long way to determining the fate of your season.

Lineup Lab is here to help you come away a winner. In the second of our season previews, we’ll break down the running back position. Wide Receivers have been the darlings of fantasy drafts in recent years, but the running back position is making a claim to dominate the first few spots in many drafts this season. Even in leagues where PPR scoring would appear to favor the receivers, running backs who can also catch passes out of the backfield can carry tremendous value.

Whether you want to draft elite running backs early or select a sleeper or two in the later rounds, we’ll examine some players to target and avoid as you navigate your way through your draft.

Adrian Peterson - Fantasy Football Season Preview Running Backs 2017 - New Orleans Saints - Lineup Lab

Old Faces In New Places

Adrian Peterson – New Orleans Saints

Peterson joins the Saints after spending a decade with the Minnesota Vikings. To say he posted some impressive stats with the Vikings is an understatement. He rushed for at least 1,266 yards and scored at least ten rushing touchdowns in each season where he played in at least 14 games. His best season was in 2012 when he had 2,097 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 217 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.

Peterson has seen his career take a turn for the worse due to injury as he has played three games or less in two of the last three seasons. He only played three games in 2016, rushing a meager 37 times for 72 yards total while failing to reach the end zone.

While he was the undisputed number one back in Minnesota, he doesn’t have a clear path for a significant workload with the Saints. He joins a backfield that already has talented hold over Mark Ingram. Ingram had the best season of his career last year as he had 1,043 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 319 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. The Saints also drafted Alvin Kamara in the third round, adding further talent to their squad.

It’s highly unlikely that Peterson is going to match his significant production years because not only will he be sharing the workload, but he’s not the same physically that he once was. That being said, he could still provide touchdowns as their power back when they get towards the goal line. Best case scenario for him from a fantasy perspective though is probably to finish as a low-end RB2.

Marshawn Lynch – Oakland Raiders

Lynch returns to the NFL after a brief one-year retirement. He had an excellent stretch from 2011 through 2014 with the Seattle Seahawks where he rushed for at least 1,200 yards and scored at least 11 rushing touchdowns in each season. Known for being a power runner, he’s no slouch in the passing game either as he has recorded at least 300 receiving yards three times in his career.

The 2015 season was a struggle for Lynch as he was limited to only seven games due to injury. He only averaged 3.8 yards per carry, his lowest average since 2010. While he decided to retire after that season, he couldn’t resist coming back to play in his hometown for the Raiders this season.

Due to his style of play, the year off may actually benefit Lynch. He also has the benefit of playing behind a very good offensive line. The Raiders finished sixth in the NFL last season with 1,922 rushing yards as a team and tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns with 17. Throw in talented offensive players like quarterback Derek Carr and wide receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree and you get a potentially potent offense.

Lynch will have to share some of the workload with DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard, but he is still going to get the majority of the carries. It would not be surprising if he finishes the season with close to 1,000 rushing yards and double-digit touchdowns.

Fantasy Football Season Preview Running Backs 2017 - Spencer Ware - Kansas City Chiefs - Lineup Lab

Overrated Players

Spencer Ware – Kansas City Chiefs

Ware showed plenty of promise in 2015 in limited action as he averaged 5.6 yards per carry and scored six rushing touchdowns on only 72 rushing attempts. Jamaal Charles was limited to only three games and 12 carries in 2016, opening the door for Ware to become the feature back in Kansas City.

Ware’s overall 2016 stats are impressive as he recorded 921 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, 447 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. He finished with averages of 4.3 yards per carry and 13.5 yards per reception.

A closer look at his numbers though show that he did most of his damage in the beginning of the season, then tailed off dramatically. In the first five games of the season, he averaged at least 5.5 yards per carry in four games and had two of his three rushing touchdowns for the season. Over the last eight games he played for the season, he failed to rush for more than 69 yards in any game and finished with an average of 3.8 yards per carry or less in five of the final six games.

While he enters this season as the starting running back, his work load is expected to be threatened by rookie Kareem Hunt, who should at least take away some opportunities in the passing game. Hunt rushed for 1,475 yards and had 403 receiving yards in college last season, showing he can be a dual-threat in the backfield. Ware can still provide valuable fantasy contributions, but don’t expect him to be anything more than a low-end RB2. If you are playing in a PPR format, Hunt’s presence creates an even bigger threat to Ware’s value.

Paul Perkins – New York Giants

Perkins had a solid rookie campaign for the Giants as he rushed for 456 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. He also contributed to the passing attack with 15 receptions and 162 receiving yards. He is expected to be the starting running back this season after the Giants moved on from Rashad Jennings.

Perkins is a trendy pick to have a breakout campaign this season, but I’m not buying it. He had 127 total touches last season, but failed to reach the end zone even once. The Giants offensive line was terrible last season as the team only averaged 3.5 yards per carry, good for third worst in the NFL. They did nothing to improve the line heading into this season either, so there isn’t much reason to believe they will be any better.

The Giants are a pass heavy team as they will likely throw the ball as much (if not more) this season since they brought in both Brandon Marshall and Evan Engram during the off season. It’s also important to remember that Shane Vereen missed most of last season due to injury. He’s going to play a lot when the Giants are looking to throw the ball and he had 59 receptions on 81 targets when he was last healthy for them in 2015.

While it’s going to be hard for Perkins to not at least record a few touchdowns this season, don’t believe the hype. I would not want him to be one of the starting running backs on my fantasy squad.

Fantasy Football Season Preview Running Backs 2017 - LaGarrette Blount - Lineuplab - Philadelphia Eagles

Undervalued Players

LeGarrette Blount – Philadelphia Eagles

Blount is coming off of the best season of his career as he had 1,161 rushing yards and a whopping 18 rushing touchdowns for the New England Patriots last year. To put that into perspective, he had a total of 18 rushing touchdowns in his previous three seasons combined.

Blount is now a member of the Eagles and could thrive yet again. Don’t worry about him not being involved in the passing game because of Darren Sproles as Blount has never caught more than 15 passes in a season anyways. Ryan Mathews played the same role last season that Blount will this year. He came away with 8 touchdowns and 661 yards in only 13 games last year.

The Eagles are going to be much improved offensively this season with quarterback Carson Wentz entering his second season and adding receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, meaning Blount could have plenty of red zone opportunities. He’s not going to score 18 touchdowns again, but I don’t think 10 touchdowns and 750 yards is out of the question. That’s a valuable contributor that can be had in the middle rounds of many drafts.

Samaje Perine – Washington Redskins

Perine had an excellent college career with Oklahoma as he rushed for at least 1,060 yards and had at least 12 rushing touchdowns in all three seasons. While those numbers are great, his 6.0 yards per carry average over those three seasons is exceptional.

He joins a Redskins offense that was known as more of a passing unit last season as only five other teams had fewer rushing attempts. Rob Kelley was their most prominent running back, finishing with 704 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. Although the Redskins didn’t run much, their average of 4.5 yards per carry was good for ninth best in the NFL.

While Kelley is the projected starter this season, don’t be surprised if Perine passes him at some point. Kelley showed flashes last season, but had 37 rushing yards or less in three of his last six games. You have to take some chances and hit on some late-round picks to have a real shot at winning your league. I think Perine is one of those late-round players who could provide a nice return on investment.

Fantasy Football Season Preview Running Backs 2017 - Jordan Howard - Chicago Bears - Lineuplab

A Look At The Fantasy Playoff Schedule

Another key part of your research is to know who has favorable match ups during the fantasy football playoffs, generally weeks 15 and 16 in most leagues. Let’s dive in and see where you can gain that edge.

Favorable Schedules

Jordan Howard – Chicago Bears

Howard has one of the best fantasy playoff schedules as he gets to face the Detroit Lions on the road in Week 15 and the Cleveland Browns at home in Week 16. Although the Lions only allowed eight rushing touchdowns last season, they did allow an average of 4.4 yards per carry. Howard played well against them last year, rushing for 197 yards total in two games. The Browns were terrible against the run last season as only three times had a higher average than their 4.6 yards per carry allowed. They also allowed 18 rushing touchdowns, a total surpassed by only five other teams. Howard is a great fantasy option on the season overall, but he could really cash in during the playoffs.

Jay Ajayi – Miami Dolphins

Ajayi had a breakout season in 2016 and could be in for an even bigger role in the offense this season with Ryan Tannehill out for the year. He gets to face the Buffalo Bills in Week 15, a team that allowed the fourth most rushing yards and second most rushing touchdowns last season. Week 16 brings a match up with the Chiefs who allowed 121.1 rushing yards per game last season, good for seventh most in the NFL.  Expect big things from Ajayi when it matters the most.

Difficult Schedules

Todd Gurley – Los Angeles Rams

Gurley faces an extremely difficult task in Week 15 as he squares off against the Seattle Seahawks on the road. The Seahawks allowed only 3.4 yards per carry last season, which was the best in the NFL. Gurley did not perform well against them last year either as he rushed for only 89 yards against them in two games combined. Week 16 is no cake walk either as he will take on the Tennessee Titans, a team who actually allowed less rushing yards than the Seahawks did.

Carlos Hyde – San Francisco 49ers

Hyde also has the dubious task of facing the Titans as they take on the 49ers in Week 15. Not only did the Titans not allow many rushing yards, but their 10 rushing touchdowns allowed was tied for fifth best in the league. It doesn’t get much easier for Hyde and the 49ers in Week 16 as they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who only allowed an average of 3.8 yards per carry last season. Taking into consideration Hyde’s injury history, this fantasy playoff schedule doesn’t do his fantasy value any favors either.

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 18, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 18, 2017

Welcome for another big Friday in daily fantasy baseball. With one afternoon matchup(TOR @ CHC) it leaves us with a big 14-game slate starting at 7:05 p.m. ET tonight. Let’s take a look at a couple of the top pitching and stacking options.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Max Scherzer - Washington Nationals - Lineup Lab

Max Scherzer
Opponent – @SD
Park – Petco Park(Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (WSH – 198)
Vegas Total (7.0)

The price is steep, especially on DraftKings where he has reached the $14K mark once again but Max clearly has the best matchup and most upside of any pitcher tonight. He and the Nats will travel to Petco Park to take on the Padres who have scored a league low 466 runs this season and also rank 27th in wOBA and 26th in wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching with a 25% strikeout rate. Scherzer is currently the leading CY Young candidate in the National League and is running a career-high 12.35 K/9 rate and is second to only Kershaw with a 2.25 ERA on the season. On a full slate, there will be more than enough value plays to fit Scherzer in your lineups in all formats.

Matt Moore
Opponent – vs. PHI
Park – AT&T Park(Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (SF -150)
Vegas Total (8.0)

I won’t be considering Moore on FanDuel in the mid $7K range but on DraftKings he makes an excellent SP2 at $5K if you are planning on using a lot of Scherzer and still want some bats in your lineup. The combination keeps you under $20K for your pitching staff and allows you an average of $3,862 for the remaining eight spots in your lineup. I am definitely not suggesting he is a safe play with a 5.71 ERA and 4.92 but with has shown more K upside lately(16 K’s last two starts) and has picked up double-digit DK points in seven of his last 10 starts, scoring 20+ in two of them. Not bad for just $5K.

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Corey Dickerson - Tampa Bay Rays - Lineuplab

There are a lot of different ways to go tonight and I really think that helps spread the ownership out quite a bit. The Coors Field ownership is definitely helped by the fact there are two CY Young candidates on the mound (Scherzer & Kluber) in great matchups and are priced as such. I prefer the Rockies who are currently projected to score almost seven runs as they face-off with Matt Garza who doesn’t miss bats(6.05 K/9) and has struggled this year with a 4.38 ERA and even worse 4.97 xFIP. The Brewers are also on my radar despite the second half struggles as they come at a discount and very well could fall outside the Top 3 in ownership. The team I project to push the Rockies for the top owned team tonight is the Texas Rangers who have been on fire this week winning four straight games while scoring 37 runs (9.3 per game) with 10 long balls. They are also a team I will run multiple variations as they are loaded with power throughout the lineup. For value tonight, I love the Tampa Bay Rays left-handed bats (Corey Dickerson, Logan Morrison, Lucas Duda, Brad Miller) going up against their old teammate, Erasmo Ramirez who has been much worse vs. lefties(.357 wOBA vs .281 wOBA vs RH).

 

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 17, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 17, 2017

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Luis Severino - New York Yankees - Lineup Lab

Luis Severino
Opponent – @NYM
Park – Citi Field(Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (NYY -180)
Vegas Total (7.0)

Almost everything is in Severino’s favor tonight. I say almost as the price has elevated to $12.5K on DraftKings tonight. I think that combined with the fact he is coming off a blow up start vs. the Red Sox(8 ER with 2 HR) will keep his ownership down tonight making him my top target. The Yankees are big -180 favorites and get a huge park upgrade going to Citi Field and we shouldn’t worry too much about Severino. He has been very consistent this season with a 3.32 ERA, 3.13 xFIP and also comes with a ton of upside with a 10.4 K/9 and 12.1% swinging strike rate.

Jeff Samardzija
Opponent – vs. PHI
Park – AT&T Park (Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (SF -120)
Vegas Total (7.0)

Severino is likely the chalk tonight on FanDuel for just $500 more so for tournaments I think the Shark makes a great pivot for ownership. He comes with much less win potential as not only is the moneyline lower for the Giants but they have one of the weakest offenses in the league. He still has upside with a 9.25 K/9 rate and the xFIP(3.36) is much better than the ERA(4.74). Shark also gets an elite matchup vs. a team that has actually scored less runs this season than the Giants. The Phillies also strikeout over 23% of the time vs. right-handed pitching and have a 77 wRC+ over the last seven days.

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Andre Beltre - Texas Rangers - Lineuplab

With a five game slate and a pair of expensive pitchers, it really limits the options available for stacking. Only two games have a total of 9.0 or higher and the Cardinals/Pirates game has some risk of rain at this point. The chalk will most definitely fall on the Texas Rangers tonight who currently sit with a slate-high six implied runs. The wind is blowing out in the Texas heat so get ready for some bombs. Reynaldo Lopez is a nice prospect but gave up two home runs in his first start and now faces a Top 10 offense. I will be looking at not only stacking the top four hitters(Choo, Mazara, Andrus, Beltre) but I also want a piece of the bottom of the order with Gallo and Chirinos if they are in the lineup. For DraftKings where I will be playing Severino in hopes of lower ownership(due to price), I will be looking at the White Sox. They are another one of those teams that has struggled this year and have been much better vs. lefties but the matchup should not be ignored. Tyson Ross is walking nearly six batters per nine with a below average strikeout rate and enters tonight with a 7.11 ERA and xFIP of 6.03 that doesn’t provide much hope things will get any better.

 

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 16, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Wednesday, August 16, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Lineuplab - Yu Darvish - Los Angeles Dodgers

Yu Darvish Vs Chicago White Sox
Park – Dodger Stadium
Opp implied total – 2.70

When first glancing at this slate, it became clear how much of a premium a good starter will hold. Out of the 18 teams on this slate, 15 are projected for over 4 runs and 8 teams with run totals over 5. Fortunately, we do have a couple very solid options to look at. I do think the first one is pretty clear with Yu Darvish. Darvish and the Dodgers will welcome the lowly White Sox into Dodger Stadium tonight with full anticipation of destroying them. With an 8 over/under, the Sox are expected to put up 2.70 to the Dodgers’ 5.30. Darvish is the biggest favorite on the board and has a price across the industry that provides a ton of safety. He’s been excellent all season and his numbers figure to only go up with the pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium his new home. He’s posted a .296 wOBA on the year and has backed it up with a 10.15 K/9. This is as safe as it gets for Darvish and he will be plugged into 100% of my lineups. I’m not sure you can afford fading him on a slate with so many explosive offenses in the minefield.

Marcus Stroman Vs Toronto Blue Jays
Park – Tropicana Field
Vegas O/U – 3.94

If you’re unwilling to pay the hefty price for Darvish or need a high-end SP2, Stroman is your guy. While some may go after Carrasco, who is perfectly fine, I slightly prefer Stroman. He will be lower owned and has a similar floor and ceiling. The Rays are projected to put up 3.94 runs and the Jays come in at -148 favorites. We know how bad the Rays are against righties and we should always be looking to take advantage. While the Rays hold up their wOBA against righties with guys like Corey Dickerson and Logan Morrison, but the rest of the order surely weighs it down. What those 2 guys don’t do is bolster the K rate. Against right-handers, the Rays have struck out the 2nd most at 25.2%. The upside is undeniable here for Stroman and with him pitching so much better at home, I’m fine with him in all formats.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Texas Rangers - Joey Gallo - Lineup Lab

Texas Rangers Vs Anibal Sanchez (Tigers)
Park – Globe Life Park
Implied Total – 6.03

There are definitely a lot of offenses to choose from here, which is a ton of fun. When you can go in knowing that your stack is going to be less than 20% owned, you don’t have to worry about going contrarian at all. You can grab whoever you want from these teams tonight and you won’t see any ridiculous ownership. My favorite of the bunch is the Texas Rangers. The Rangers are hosting the Detroit Tigers, who bolster an atrocious rotation and bullpen. Anibal Sanchez will take the mound as one of the absolute worst pitchers in the entire league, undoubtedly. Against righties, he’s posted a .409 wOBA and 12 homers in less than 40 innings. Yes, you read that correctly. He now moves into one of the best hitting parks in the league and figures to get knocked around. I don’t mind any of these Rangers bats, but definitely prefer a few. Rougned Odor and Joey Gallo are 2 of my favorite HR candidates on the slate and I’ll have a ton of both all over my teams. Beltre, Mazara, and Choo are all very similar and I can understand going either way. Furthermore, the bottom of the order is full of guys with upside. You can pick 1 if you want, but will have to sacrifice a bigger bat.

Main Stack – Rougned Odor, Joey Gallo, Adrian Beltre, Shin-Soo Choo
Sneaky Stack – Rougned Odor, Joey Gallo, Nomar Mazara, Delino DeShields

Chicago Cubs Vs Homer Bailey (Reds)
Park – Wrigley Field
Implied Total – N/A

The Cubs are always a team you can target in Wrigley Field, but especially tonight. They face off with Homer Bailey, who like Anibal Sanchez, has been absolutely atrocious against both lefties and righties. With a combined wOBA of .417, it’s quite clear where Bailey does or doesn’t belong. He won’t be in the majors for too much longer and we should be targeting him as much as possible. He has a huge HR and when you combine that with Wrigley Field and this lineup, good things (for us) happen. Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant are obviously amazing and always the top 2 hitters in this order. After that, you can really go anywhere. Avila/Contreras and Schwarber are my next 2 favorite and I think they have a ton of HR potential. The Cubs do have a somewhat-concentrated offense, but production can still come from guys like Javier Baez and Jason Heyward. The Cubs are expected to have a huge night and you have to love where they come in pricewise.

Main Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Alex Avila/Willson Contreras
Sneaky Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Alex Avila/Willson Contreras, Ben Zobrist

Fantasy Football Season Preview: Quarterbacks

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

**Mike Barner**

The long journey through the NFL season is rapidly approaching, meaning it’s one of the most exciting times of the year: drafting your fantasy football team. While you need your players to stay healthy and have a little luck go your way, having a strong draft can go a long way to determining the fate of your season.

Lineup Lab is here to help you come away a winner. In the first of our season previews, we’ll break down the quarterback position. While it’s the most important position in the NFL, it’s not necessarily the most important position in fantasy football. If you don’t get one of the elite signal callers, a sound strategy is to wait until later in the draft as there is plenty of depth at the position.

Whether you want to swing for the fences and take your quarterback early or wait for a sleeper in the later rounds, we’ll examine some players to target and avoid as you navigate your way through your draft.

Fantasy Football Season Preview - Mike Glennon - Chicago Bears - Lineup Lab

Old Faces In New Places

Mike Glennon – Chicago Bears

Glennon joins the Bears after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Jameis Winston at the helm, it was an easy decision for the Bucs to let Glennon leave in free agency. Glennon started 13 games during his rookie season in 2013 and posted a 59.4% completion percentage to go with 2,608 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He started five games in 2014, but has only appeared in two games the last two seasons.

Although Glennon signed a three-year deal with the Bears, they could get out of the deal after this season. It appears that could be a likely scenario as they just drafted Mitchell Trubisky with the second overall pick.

Glennon doesn’t have the best weapons around him to succeed this season. While Jordan Howard is an excellent running back, his receiving core leaves a lot to be desired. The Bears lost Alshon Jeffery to the Philadephia Eagles, which is a significant blow to the team. Although they brought in a big name in Victor Cruz, he is a much different player than Jeffery and his best days appear to be behind him.

That leaves Glennon’s top wideouts as the combination of Kevin White and Cameron Meredith. White was limited to four games last season and only averaged 46.8 yards in those games. Meredith had a breakout campaign in 2016 as he had 66 receptions, 888 yards and four touchdowns. Glennon has a solid tight end in Zach Miller to pair with White and Meredith, but none of the three players are elite targets.

Stay away from Glennon as not only does he have limited weapons, but there is a chance he could end up on the bench in favor of Trubisky at some point during the season.

Jay Cutler – Miami Dolphins

Cutler was ready to begin his career as a broadcaster until the Dolphins lost Ryan Tannehill for the season with a knee injury. Cutler was limited to only five games due to injury himself last season, but was struggling even when healthy as he had four touchdowns, five interceptions and a 33.2 QBR for the season. He had some strong campaigns early in his career, but has thrown for less than 20 touchdowns in four of his last six seasons.

Unlike Glennon, Cutler actually has some weapons in wide receivers Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker. Although Landry only has eight total touchdowns in the last two seasons, he did record at least 94 receptions and 1,136 yards in both years. The Dolphins also brought in Julius Thomas at tight end, hoping to revive his career after two terrible seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even with his struggles though, he did have nine total touchdowns in Jacksonville.

The Dolphins should be a run heavy offense behind Jay Ajayi, but Cutler has never been known to be a game manager. Even with several talented offensive players around him, Cutler is no longer a valuable fantasy option outside of two quarterback leagues.

Fantasy Football Season Preview - Russell Wilson - Seattle Seahawks - Lineuplab

Overrated Players

Russell Wilson – Seattle Seahawks

Don’t get me wrong, Wilson has put up some big numbers in his career. He finished 2016 with a career-high 4,219 passing yards to go along with 21 passing touchdowns, 259 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Durability is a big part of his value as he has yet to miss a game in his career. He has also thrown nine interceptions or less in three of his five seasons in the league.

With that being said, he’s going too high in drafts. Last season, he finished 10th in the NFL in passing yards, 12th in passing yards per game and 17th in passing touchdowns. While he can add value in the running game, he only finished ninth in total rushing yards for a quarterback. To put that into perspective, he only had 52 more rushing yards and actually one less rushing touchdown than Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Wilson is likely to be picked among the top five quarterbacks in many leagues, but his production doesn’t match that price. You’d be better off waiting a few rounds and picking up someone like Marcus Mariota of the Tennessee Titans or Jameis Winston of the Bucs as they could approach (if not exceed) Wilson’s production.

Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers

Roethlisberger has put up some monster numbers in his career. He went through a stretch from 2009 through 2014 where he threw for at least 4,000 yards four times and averaged 25 passing touchdowns per season. The best season of his career was in 2014 when he threw for 4,952 yards to go along with 32 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. That’s elite production.

Big Ben also has elite weapons around him, led by Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. Brown has at least 106 receptions and 1,284 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons while Bell is one of the premier pass catching running backs in the league.

However, Roethlisberger has regressed the last two seasons, mainly because of injuries. He appeared in 12 games in 2015 and 14 games in 2016. Even in games when he does take the field, he seems to be dealing with nagging injuries more often than not.

Another area of concern is his crazy home and road splits. In home games last season, Roethlisberger averaged 319 passing yards per game and posted 20 touchdowns to only five interceptions. On the road, he only averaged 238 passing yards per game while recording nine passing touchdowns and eight interceptions. When you look at his touchdowns and interceptions, it’s even more staggering when you consider he played eight road games last year and only six home games.

Is this a one-year fluke you ask? No, it’s certainly not. Although his passing yards per game were much closer (348 at home compared to 308 on the road) in 2015, his totals were still way off as he had 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions at home compared to only five touchdowns and nine interceptions on the road.

There is limited value in a quarterback who you can only start with confidence in half of his games. Let someone else take the risk.

Fantasy Football Season Preview - Jameis Winston - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Lineuplab

Undervalued Players

Jameis Winston – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Winston has had success in his young career as he has surpassed at least 4,000 passing yards in both seasons in the NFL. He has 50 touchdowns and 33 interceptions total while not missing a game so far.

Last season he threw for 4,090 yards, 28 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. His passing stats are impressive when you consider outside of star receiver Mike Evans, the offense was lacking talent. Evans had 96 receptions for 1,321 yards. The next highest totals were both posted by tight end Cameron Brate, who logged 57 receptions for 660 yards.

The Bucs have added some serious talent to their offense this season by bringing in wide receiver DeSean Jackson and drafting tight end O.J Howard. Jackson adds much-needed speed and has averaged at least 17.6 yards per catch in each of the last three seasons. Howard can help create some difficult match ups when paired with Brate on the field while also providing solid blocking.

This season is shaping up to be another big campaign for Winston. If you prefer to wait on a quarterback, Winston can be drafted long after the elite options are off the board, but could still post a top-10 season.

Carson Wentz – Philadelphia Eagles

Wentz had a respectable rookie season, throwing for 3,782 yards to go along with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also added 150 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. While none of these numbers are eye-popping, take into consideration the talent he had around him. The team leader in both receptions (78) and receiving yards (816) was tight end Zach Ertz. Of their top four leaders in receptions, two were tight ends, one was a running back and only one was a wide receiver.

Although the Eagles traded away Jordan Matthews, they made significant upgrades at wide receiver by bringing in both Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith. Despite playing only 12 games last season, Jeffery still had more receiving yards (821) than anyone on the Eagles last year. Smith may not haul in a ton of catches, but he has averaged at least 16.8 yards per catch in four of his six seasons in the NFL.

With Ertz returning as well, Wentz has three legitimate options to throw to this season. The schedule also appears to be in Wentz’s favor this season as six of the Eagles 16 games come against teams who finished in the bottom nine of the NFL with regards to passing yards allowed last season. They also face only two teams who finished in the top five in passing yards allowed last season.

While he can be had in the later rounds of most drafts, Wentz has the potential to put up top-15 numbers at quarterback this season.

Fantasy Football Season Preview - Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons - Lineuplab

A Look At The Fantasy Playoff Schedule

Another key part of your research is to know who has favorable match ups during the fantasy football playoffs, generally weeks 15 and 16 in most leagues. Let’s dive in and see where you can gain that edge.

Favorable Schedules

Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons

Ryan has two road match ups in weeks 15 and 16, but they come against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 15) and the New Orleans Saints (Week 16). The Saints allowed the most passing yards in the NFL last season while the Bucs were one of 11 teams in the league to allow at least 4,000 passing yards. If you can make it to the playoffs, Ryan could help push you to a title.

Joe Flacco – Baltimore Ravens

Flacco also has an advantage in the fantasy playoffs as he faces the Cleveland Browns on the road in Week 15 and the Indianapolis Colts at home in Week 16. The Browns allowed 36 passing touchdowns last season, the most in the NFL. The Colts allowed 27 passing touchdowns of their own while also giving up 4,200 passing yards, which was good for sixth most in the league. You don’t want Flacco to be your starting QB for the entire season, but keep an eye on him when injuries mount at the end of the season and he gets this favorable schedule.

Difficult Schedules

Andrew Luck – Indianapolis Colts

Luck faces tough opponents as he gets the Denver Broncos at home in Week 15 and the Baltimore Ravens on the road in Week 16. The Broncos had the best pass defense in the NFL last season. They allowed a league-low 2,972 passing yards and had more interceptions (14) than passing touchdowns allowed (13). The Ravens were no slouch either as they tied for the league lead in interceptions (18) and finished in the top-nine in passing yards allowed. Luck could be in for some disappointing performances when it matters the most.

Kirk Cousins – Washington Redskins

Cousins is a trendy pick this season to outproduce his draft spot. While he might have a good season overall, the fantasy playoffs will be no picnic. Both games are at home, but he has to play the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15 and the Broncos in Week 16. I already detailed how deadly the Broncos’ defense is, but the Cardinals are very tough as well. They limited the opposition to only 210 passing yards per game and 21 touchdowns last season, both in the top-10 in the league. Of all the tough fantasy playoff schedules, Cousins may have the toughest.

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 15, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, August 15, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Madison Bumgarner - San Francisco Giants - Lineup Lab

Madison Bumgarner @ Miami Marlins
Park – Marlins Park
Opp implied total – 3.70

After all the good pitchers decided to take yesterday off, we’re back on the grind with some aces. We’ve got about 3-4 to choose from and they all have some appeal. Madison Bumgarner is my favorite, facing the Miami Marlins on the road in spacious Marlins Park. Marlins Park and AT&T both rank inside the bottom 5 for hitting, so it doesn’t really matter where this one is played. Bumgarner has pitched well since coming off the DL and has certainly turned up the gas over the last few starts. Facing the Cubs, D-Backs, and Dodgers, 3 of the 10 best teams against lefties, he’s went out and pitched a combined 21 innings with 21 K’s. We’re seeing the Bumgarner of old and as we know, he can throw a CGSO with ease when rolling. This Marlins match-up is pretty good (14th wOBA vs L), but they still have Giancarlo Stanton in the order. He’s deadly against lefties but can also strikeout rather easily. Bumgarner is the top option on this slate and while it is close, he stands as my favorite cash game play.

Alex Wood Vs Chicago White Sox
Park – Dodger Stadium
Vegas O/U – 2.55(!!!)

I was tempted to throw Alex Wood in there as my top arm, but felt the need to highlight Bumgarner and how he has been pitching recently. With Alex Wood, I’ll be interested to see how things fold out. He’s struggled recently, which I couldn’t care less about. He’s a streaky arm and going a few games without the high K’s is nothing to worry about. He will get back around the 10 mark on average and is still striking out nearly 12 batters per 9. The Dodgers will host the White Sox, who already can’t hit in hitter-friendly Guaranteed Rate Field. Moving to Dodger Stadium, I expect some serious trouble with run production. The Sox have ranked 24th against lefties in baseball and when you consider the park change, they truly are in a horrible spot against Wood. He may not be as safe as Bumgarner, but the upside is just as high and the ownership will be substantially lower. Make sure you get exposure to 1 of these 2 arms, who should both have solid outings.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Cleveland Indians - Lineuplab

Cleveland Indians @ Bartolo Colon (Twins)
Park – Target Field
Implied Total – 5.10

With Bartolo Colon being decent over the last couple starts, it makes me want to stack against him even more. I the Indians aren’t extremely highly owned, they should be. Colon is absolutely atrocious against both sides of the plate and matches up horribly with an Indians offense that murders the fastball. Target Field is a very average hitting park and it is an upgrade from Progressive. Looking at the numbers from Colon, you can target anyone. He’s allowed a .367 wOBA ago righties and a .390 to lefties, which is purely pitiful. Edwin Encarnacion is my favorite of the bunch, but not far ahead any of these other top bats. Lindor, Kipnis, and Ramirez are next to and will round out the cash game stack. In tourneys, don’t be afraid to get weird. This lineup is rather concentrated, but it has some RBI promise towards the bottom.

Main Stack – Edwin Encarnacion, Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Jason Kipnis
Sneaky Stack – Carlos Santana, Jose Ramirez, Jason Kipnis, Jay Bruce

Colorado Rockies Vs Sean Newcomb (Braves)
Park – Coors Field
Implied Total – 6.22

I know, a Coors Field stack is never the sneakiness thing. On today’s slate, it might be, however, while I think the likes of Arenado and LeMahieu will be rather highly owned, I don’t see anyone else getting attention. Sean Newcomb, a young lefty, is simply going to struggle in a Coors Field. He hasn’t been good yet and while he might get there down the road, it won’t be in this match-up. Nolan Arenado is the top option on the board and a .411 ISO tells you all you really need to know. LeMahieu and Story are my next 2 favorites and I love Story for an HR tonight. After those 3, take a pick. This lineup is spread out in Coors and the production can come from anywhere.

Main Stack – Nolan Arenado, D.J. LeMahieu, Charlie Blackmon, Trevor Story
Sneaky Stack – Nolan Arenado, Mark Reynolds, Trevor Story, Jonathan Lucroy

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 14, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Monday, August 14, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Jose Quintana - Chicago Cubs - MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Lineuplab

Jose Quintana Vs. Cincinatti Reds
Park – Wrigley Field
Vegas O/U – N/A

Yesterday, we were blessed with an amazing core of pitchers. They pitched very well and the chalk guys didn’t hurt too much. Today is a whole different story. Pitching is extremely limited and the only ace we do have in Greinke is facing the Diamondbacks in Chase Field. Instead, we’all move a few spots down and take a look at Jose Quintana against the Reds. While Quintana isn’t a high upside, strikeout pitcher, he’s very consistent and can nearly be locked in for 6 innings. Quintana has been good against both sidedness of the plate with a .293 wOBA and 9.58 K/9. He’s as safe as you’ll find on the slate and his price is very fair. He will be popular, but that’s fine in cash games where the alternatives aren’t great.

Jerad Eickhoff @ San Diego Padres
Park – Petco Park
Vegas O/U – 8.5

Listen, pitcher is bad. We can’t be picky tonight and after Quintana, I’m not willing to trust anyone. Jerad Eickhoff is a very talented young arm with a ton of potential and upside. He’s sported a .293 wOBA and strikes out nearly a full batter per inning. The K’s haven’t been huge for Eickhoff his entire career, but they’ll likely come with age and experience. The Padres, as we know, stink against righties. They have held just a .308 wOBA and have struck out nearly 26% of the time, which leads the league. Eickhoff may not be “safe”, but he’s definitely “safer” than a lot of these arms on the slate. He should get you at least 5 or 6 innings and come through with the win when it matters.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Ian Kinsler - Detroit Tigers - LineupLab

Detroit Tigers @ Martin Perez (Rangers)
Park – Globe Life Park
Implied Total – 5.19

While the Rockies are the obvious stack here, you didn’t need me to tell you that. If you are interested in a Rockies stack, they’ll be popular and have as much upside as anyone. We’re going to take a look in Arlington and peer down at this often troubled Tigers lineup. They face off with Martin Perez, who is a southpaw (lefty) with some major issues. In 97 innings of work, Perez has posted a .373 wOBA and 16 homers. Wow. He now faces a team with as many righties as you could hope for. Ian Kinsler and James McCann are my 2 favorites, with Castellanos and Miggy a close 3/4. This lineup isn’t too concentrated and you can definitely get exposure to some of them for cheap.

Main Stack – Ian Kinsler, James McCann, Miguel Cabrera, Justin Upton
Sneaky Stack – Justin Upton, James McCann, Victor Martinez, Nick Castellanos

Chicago Cubs Vs Asher Wojciechowski (Reds)
Park – Wrigley Field
Implied Total – N/A

Main Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist, Alex Avila
Sneaky Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Jason Heyward

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 08/13/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Sunday, August 13

Three of the best pitchers in baseball take the mound Sunday as Corey Kluber, Max Scherzer and Chris Sale are all scheduled to start. Put your favorite daily fantasy baseball stacks from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the MLB Player Lab.

**STARTING PITCHERS**

Max Scherzer vs. San Francisco Giants
Park – Nationals Park

Scherzer is putting up elite numbers yet again as he enters Sunday 12-5 with a 2.23 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 210 strikeouts in 153.1 innings. He is well on his way to his fourth straight season with at least 250 strikeouts.  Sunday brings a favorable match up against the Giants as they are one of the worst offensive teams in baseball. They don’t fare well against right handed pitchers either as they entered Saturday with a .244 batting average and a league-worst .682 OPS against them. Scherzer already faced them once this season, allowing only one run to go along with 11 strikeouts in a complete game. Look for a big performance again Sunday.

Michael Wacha vs. Atlanta Braves
Park – Busch Stadium

Wacha has rebounded from a tough 2016 season to go 9-4 with a 3.70 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 115 strikeouts in 116.2 innings this year. He enters Sunday pitching well as he has allowed two runs or less in seven of his last nine starts. While his overall numbers are good, he has been even better at home as he has a 2.67 ERA and 1.17 WHIP at Busch Stadium this season. Scherzer is certainly the safer bet to have a good outing Sunday, but Wacha also has a great chance to be successful at a much cheaper price.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Sal Romano (Cincinnati Reds)
Park – Miller Park

The Reds starting pitching has really struggled this season and Romano is no exception. He is only 2-4 with a 5.35 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 33.2 innings this season. He has allowed nine runs while recording only five strikeouts over his last two starts. Walks are one of his biggest problems as he has a 5.1 BB/9 overall. This has the makings of another offensive explosion for the Brewers Sunday.

Players to consider stacking: Travis Shaw, Eric Thames and Orlando Arcia

Houston Astros vs. Andrew Cashner (Texas Rangers)
Park – Globe Life Park in Arlington

Cashner is having a respectable first season with the Rangers as he is 7-8 with a 3.36 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He doesn’t record many strikeouts though as he only has 55 in 107 innings. Not only is he not striking out many hitters, but he has already issued 43 walks this season. Sunday brings a tough match up against the Astros who are excellent on the road. They have also hit Cashner hard this season as he is 0-3 with a 6.19 ERA and 1.81 WHIP against them. Expect the Astros offense to score plenty of runs  again in this contest.

Players to consider stacking: Jose Altuve, Marwin Gonzalez and Alex Bregman