Hitting could reign supreme considering the group of pitchers set to take the mound across baseball Monday. With that being said, there are still a few pitchers in favorable spots to provide value.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/26/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
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There aren’t a lot of great pitching options available Thursday, which could lead to some big offensive performances. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
STARTING PITCHERS
Dereck Rodriguez vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $8,300
DraftKings = $7,900
Stephen Strasburg looked to be the lone ace on the schedule Thursday, but he then found himself on the DL once again. It’s slim pickings as a result, making Rodriguez possibly one of the best options. He’s posted a 1.15 WHIP so far this season, helping lead him to a 2.72 ERA and a 3.33 FIP. He’s also allowed just three home runs in 53 innings. Don’t count on him for a lot of strikeouts based on his 7.1 K/9, but he has some upside against a Brewers team that is averaging just 3.5 runs across their last 11 games.
Wade Miley vs. San Francisco Giants
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $6,300
DraftKings = $6,600
It might be wise to load up on hitters Thursday and just take a shot on a really cheap pitcher if you are playing in a tournament. Miley has been terrible the last couple of seasons and has been limited to four starts this season due to injury. His 1.56 ERA is likely to rise considering his 3.97 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. He also has as many walks as he has strikeouts. The good news is that he’ll face a Giants team that is in the bottom third of baseball in runs scored and has just a .693 OPS against left-handed pitching. If you can stomach the risk, there is potential for value at this price.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Matt Olson vs. Bartolo Colon, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,400
The Athletics have had an excellent offensive series against the Rangers, but Olson is only 3-for-14 in the first three games. The Rangers started lefties in each of those contests, so he’ll finally get to face a righty in Colon. Olson only has a .306 wOBA against left-handers, but he has a .354 wOBA against righties.
Greg Bird vs. Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $4,200
The Yankees think highly of Bird, but he’s disappointed again this season. Not only did he spend a significant amount of time on the DL, but he’s batting only .231. He’s starting to show signs of life, though, as he is 16-for-52 (.308) with three home runs across his last 14 games. Junis has cooled off significantly after a hot start and now has a 5.03 ERA that is backed up by an even worse 5.37 FIP, so look for Bird to continue his recent run of success.
Others to consider: Jake Bauers (first base) and Elias Diaz (catcher)
SECOND BASE
Rougned Odor vs. Trevor Cahill, Oakland Athletics
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $3,900
Odor came through with another hit Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to seven games. He’s not just swinging a hot bat either as he also has four steals during that stretch. His home run total is way down year, but with nine steals and a .260 batting average, Odor has helped to offset his power deficiencies. Cahill has a sparkling 2.95 ERA this season, but his .252 opponents’ BABIP is also over 30 points lower than his career mark, so he’s been a bit lucky.
Jed Lowrie vs. Bartolo Colon, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,400
Colon continues to find himself pitching in the majors, but he’s not having a good season with a 4.85 ERA and a 5.12 FIP. He doesn’t walk many batters, but he doesn’t strike out many either with a 5.5% swinging-strike rate and a 5.2 K/9. Lowrie has excelled against righties this year with a .381 wOBA, leaving him with a great matchup to target.
Others to consider: Gleyber Torres and Daniel Murphy
THIRD BASE
Eugenio Suarez vs. Ranger Suarez, Philadelphia Phillies
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $5,100
Suarez made his first All-Star team this season and is well on his way to setting career highs across the board, batting .305 with 22 home runs and 76 RBI. Left-hander Ranger Suarez will be making his big league debut, but he wasn’t exactly overwhelming hitters in the minors with a combined 6.6 K/9 between Double-A and Triple-A this year. He’ll face a tough task in slowing down Eugenio, who has a 209 wRC+ against righties.
Miguel Andujar vs. Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $4,100
Andujar still needs to improve defensively, but he’s made an immediate impact with his bat by hitting .292 with 12 home runs in his first full season in the majors. He has 30 doubles as well, leading to a lofty .500 slugging percentage. He doesn’t have the upside that Suarez does, but he’s hot right now with at least two hits in five straight contests.
Others to consider: Mike Moustakas and Adrian Beltre
SHORTSTOP
Marcus Semien vs. Bartolo Colon, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $4,300
Semien hasn’t hit a home run in well over a month, but he is 25-for-87 (.287) in his last 22 games. He showed an improved eye at the plate during that stretch, walking 10 times compared to 14 strikeouts. He’s 5-for-16 with three doubles, four RBI and five runs scored in the first three games of this series and could have another productive stat line against the struggling Colon.
Didi Gregorius vs. Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $5,000
Gregorius doesn’t provide much production on the road, hitting just .240 with five home runs. He loves hitting in Yankee Stadium, though, with a .286 average and 12 homers. He’s also been much better against right-handed pitchers with a .347 wOBA. His price isn’t great on DraftKings, but he could provide plenty of value based on his price on FanDuel.
Others to consider: Elvis Andrus and Adalberto Mondesi
OUTFIELD
Khris Davis vs. Bartolo Colon, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $4,500
DraftKings = $5,400
Davis is going to be sad to see this series end. He’s hit game-winning homers both of the last two nights and is 6-for-17 with four home runs and 10 RBI overall. He now has an insane six long balls over his last four games, which is bad news for Colon since he has allowed 1.8 HR/9.
Juan Soto vs. Dan Straily, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,400
Soto is starting to strike out more, logging a 25.6% strikeout rate across his last 10 games. His batting average was only .264 during that stretch, but he still hit two home runs and two doubles. Straily has allowed a .349 wOBA against left-handed hitters and isn’t a strikeout pitcher with a career 7.7 K/9, leaving Soto as a viable mid-tier priced option.
Adam Eaton vs. Dan Straily, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $4,600
Eaton has never been much of a power hitter, but he has just three home runs in 147 at-bats this year. However, he has logged at least two hits in 9 of the 17 games he has played in July and is batting .320 for the season overall. He’s drawing plenty of walks, as well, leading to a what would be a career-high .401 OBP. He’s been awful against lefties, but he has a .396 wOBA against righties.
Others to consider: Aaron Judge and Joey Gallo
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/3/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/3/18
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As long as the weather cooperates, there are plenty of MLB games on the schedule today with 28 teams in action. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
STARTING PITCHERS
Chris Sale vs. Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $11,400
DraftKings = $12,900
Sale picked up where he left off last year with his first start of 2018, pitching six shutout innings and recording nine strikeouts against the Rays. Sale is one of the most dominant strikeout pitchers in all of baseball, posting a K/9 of at least 10.8 in three of the last four seasons. The Marlins tore down their team over the winter and while they have had a couple of nice offensive showings already this season, facing Sale is a whole different story. Don’t hesitate to pay up to get Sale into your lineup.
Chase Anderson vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – Miller Park
FanDuel = $7,800
DraftKings = $10,100
Anderson had a breakout campaign for the Brewers last year, posting a 2.74 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 8.5 K/9. His FIP was 3.58 and opponents did have just a .268 BABIP, so he could be in line for some regression this season, but likely not one that significant. He had control issues by allowing three walks in his first start of the season against the Padres, but by allowing just one hit and striking out eight batters, he did not allow an earned run. He’ll get a tougher opponent in the Cardinals on Tuesday, but he can still provide value at this reasonable price.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Freddie Freeman vs. A.J. Cole (Washington Nationals)
Stadium – SunTrust Park
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $4,600
Freeman continues to be an on-base machine for the Braves as he already has eight walks in four games this season. He’s done damage as well, recording a home run and five RBI so far. He’ll face a right-hander in Cole on Tuesday, which is good news considering Freeman dominated righties last year with a .422 wOBA. Cole also allowed a .414 wOBA to lefties last year, so this could be the perfect storm for Freeman.
Willson Contreras vs. Cody Reed (Cincinnati Reds)
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $4,600
Contreras is off to a slow start this year, hitting 4-for-21 (.190) with just one RBI. Tuesday brings a favorable matchup though against Reed, who had a 5.09 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 17.2 innings for the Reds last year. He did make 10 starts for the Reds in 2016, but he was even worse with a 7.36 ERA and 1.80 WHIP. Contreras had a .386 wOBA against lefties last year, so it might be worth taking a chance that Tuesday is his first breakout game of the season.
Others to consider: Joey Gallo (first base) and Brian McCann (catcher)
SECOND BASE
Ozzie Albies vs. A.J. Cole (Washington Nationals)
Stadium – SunTrust Park
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $3,600
Albies is not off to a great start this season either, recording only two hits in his first four games. He does have a home run, two RBI and three runs scored, helping to salvage some of his lines. The Nationals have a great starting rotation, but he’ll get to face one of their weaker links in Cole on Tuesday. Cole had a 3.81 ERA last year, but his 5.20 FIP suggests that should have been much higher. He also has problems keeping runners off base with a career 1.45 WHIP.
Javier Baez vs. Cody Reed (Cincinnati Reds)
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $4,000
Baez only has two hits through the first five games of the season and has struck out five times while drawing just one walk. He struck out 144 times in 145 games last year and had just a .317 OBP, so his starts in those departments aren’t all that surprising. He batted .315 with nine home runs against lefties last year though, making him possibly worth the risk for your lineup Tuesday at this price.
Others to consider: Whit Merrifield and Rougned Odor
THIRD BASE
Anthony Rendon vs. Julio Teheran (Atlanta Braves)
Stadium – SunTrust Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,300
The Nationals have a potent lineup and Rendon gets the benefit of hitting between Adam Eaton and Bryce Harper on most nights. Teheran will have a tough task ahead of him, especially considering he had a 5.86 ERA and 1.50 WHIP at home last season. He wasn’t any better in his first start at home in 2018 against the Phillies, allowing four runs in 5.2 innings on Opening Day. The Nationals could put up a crooked number Tuesday with Rendon right in the middle of the action.
Jeimer Candelario vs. Jakob Junis (Kansas City Royals)
Stadium – Comerica Park
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = NA
The Tigers are rebuilding and Candelario is considered one of the important parts of their future. He played well in 27 games with the Tigers last year, hitting .330 with a .406 OBP. While he likely can’t keep that up in 2018, he did post a .270 average and .350 OBP during his career in the minors. He’ll bat second and from the left side of the plate against Junis on Tuesday, who allowed lefties to bat .274 against him in 2017 compared to righties batting just .246. He’s only available on FanDuel as DraftKings is not including this game in their early slate.
Others to consider: Kris Bryant and Alex Bregman
SHORTSTOP
Xander Bogaerts vs. Jose Urena (Miami Marlins)
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,400
Bogaerts is red hot to start the season, recording at least two hits in four of his first five games. He’s hit for power as well with one home run and five doubles. He’ll face the default ace for the Marlins in Urena on Tuesday, who allowed five runs in four innings against the Cubs on Opening Day. Urena has a career FIP of 5.07, so Bogaerts could play a big role in a potential offensive explosion for the Red Sox in this game.
Alcides Escobar vs. Matthew Boyd (Detroit Tigers)
Stadium – Comerica Park
FanDuel = $2,200
DraftKings = NA
Escobar recorded his first hits of the season Monday against the Tigers, going 2-for-3 with a double, triple and a run scored. He only hits eighth in the Royals lineup, which hurts his value in DFS based on the limited amount of at-bats he gets batting that low in the order. However, he gets a favorable matchup against Boyd, who allowed a .357 wOBA against righties last year compared to just .313 against lefties. Escobar is very cheap and could allow you to add a couple of big sluggers to your entry with the savings he will provide. He’s only available on FanDuel as DraftKings is not including this game in their early slate.
Others to consider: Trea Turner and Elvis Andrus
OUTFIELD
Bryce Harper vs. Atlanta Braves (Julio Teheran)
Stadium – SunTrust Park
FanDuel = $4,600
DraftKings = $5,300
Harper is off to a torrid start this season, batting .417 with a .550 OBP, three home runs and seven RBI. Talent has never been the question with Harper as he usually produces when he’s healthy. He has also owned Teheran during his career, batting .459 with seven home runs and 17 RBI in 45 career plate appearances against him. Harper is expensive, but he also has tremendous upside Tuesday.
Adam Eaton vs. Atlanta Braves (Julio Teheran)
Stadium – SunTrust Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,700
Speaking of hot starts, Eaton is 8-for-13 with two home runs, five RBI and seven runs scored through just three games. He’s hitting leadoff for one of the best lineups in baseball, so he is going to have plenty of opportunities to provide value. The Nationals may be cautious with him to start the season after he was limited to just 23 games last year, but he didn’t play Monday, so expect him to be back in the lineup and providing value Tuesday.
Mitch Haniger vs. Ty Blach (San Francisco Giants)
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $3,400
Haniger completes today’s trio of outfielders who have started off the season well as he is 5-for-8 with two home runs and a double so far this season. He’ll face a lefty in Blach who struggled to get out righties last year, allowing a .350 wOBA to them compared to just .261 against lefties. If you want to pay up to get Harper in your lineup, Haniger is a viable budget-friendly option to consider pairing him with.
Others to consider: Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gomez