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MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for July 26, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, July 26, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

M.a<MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Chris Sale - Lineup Lab

Chris Sale @ Seattle Mariners
Park – Safeco Field
Vegas O/U – 8

How can you really roster anyone else? On this 4 game early slate, we certainly have limited options. The only 3 guys who deserve any consideration are Sale, Severino, and Samardzija. Sale stands out way above the rest and makes for the best option in all formats. If you’ve been playing MLB DFS up to this point, you know how amazing Sale has been. He’s held lefties and righties to a combined .245 wOBA and has done a fantastic job of leaving runners on base. He’s striking out a league high 12.74 and walking just 1.66 per 9 innings. This match-up with the Mariners is fine. With Cano, Seager, and Segura al better against righties, they rely on Nelson Cruz. While it usually works out, I suspect Sale will take care of business. All in all, his price is high but necessary. I don’t recommend fading him in any format on the early slate.

Alex Wood Vs. Minnesota Twins
Park – Dodger Stadium
Vegas O/U – 7.5

The main slate has 2 guys worthy of consideration here in Alex Wood and Carlos Martinez. We ended up on Alex Wood, who hosts the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium. The Twins hold the lowest implied team total of the day at just 2.56. They’ve ranked 20th in the league against lefties at a .310 wOBA clip and strike out 21% of the time. Alex Wood has been one of the top pitchers of this season and his numbers are very close to the likes of Sale, Kershaw, and Scherzer. Through over 100 innings, Wood has maintained a .241 wOBA, while striking out 10.3 per 9. Dodger Stadium is a definite pitchers park at night and Wood has been magnificent there. He’s the top option of the slate and he should bounce back from a rough start last week.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - LineupLab - Aaron Judge

New York Yankees Vs. Homer Bailey (Reds)
Park – Yankee Stadium
Implied Total – 5.50

The Yankees and Diamondbacks are the 2 best offenses on this early slate. Both are firmly in play and I trust don’t have a preference. Let’s touch on the Yankees here, who welcome Homer Bailey and the Reds to Yankee Stadium. Homer Bailey hasn’t pitched much over the last few years, but what we’ve seen has been more than enough. He’s getting plunged by righties (.418 wOBA) and giving up homers like nobodies business. The Yankees are a team that is ready to take advantage. Both Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez hit righties better and are 2 of the top plays on the early slate. After them, you can go anywhere. This offense is very spread out and a tournament contrarian play could very well pay off.

Main Stack – Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Clint Frazier, Matt Holliday
Sneaky Stack – Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorious, Brett Gardner

Chicago Cubs @ James Shields (White Sox)
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field
Implied Total – 5.82

You have to love the Cubs in this spot. You have to love any team facing off with James Shields. Especially when the game is being played in a hitters ballpark like Guaranteed Rate Field. The Cubs are implied to score 5.62 runs and come tied with the D-Backs for the highest of the day. James Shields has been astonishingly bad for 2 years now, allowing a combined .378 wOBA. He’s been worse against lefties and remains one of the absolute worst arms in baseball. Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant are the 2 top options and you can’t make a stack without them. After that, it’s between Zobrist, Contreras, and Schwarber. All 3 are in play for cash and I can’t blame you either way. In tournaments, the bottom of this order can be dangerous. Don’t be afraid to take a shot.

Main Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist, Kyle Schwarber
Sneaky Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 21, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 21, 2017

Welcome back for another night of DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks. It’s Friday and we are gifted with a 15-game slate that is chalk full of elite pitching options and some other options we may want to stack against. Let’s take a look at a few of my favorites.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Chris Sale - Boston Redsox - Lineup lab

Chris Sale
Opponent – @ LAA
Park – Angel Stadium of Anaheim(Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (BOS -205)
Vegas Total (7.5)

With their ace on the mound, the Red Sox enter the Friday night slate as the second biggest favorite and are one of three matchups with a very low 7.5 Vegas total. After putting together a CY Young like first half, Sale picked up where he left off dominating the Yankees last Saturday with a season-high 13 strikeouts while limiting them to just three hits over 7.2 innings pitched. Of the four top tier pitchers tonight(Sale, Scherzer, Wood, Darvish), Sale also has the highest projection when looking at the lineup tool by a nice margin which only helps justify his high salary. The Angels don’t strike out a whole lot and did get back their star outfielder Mike Trout but still rank 27th in wOBA and dead last in wRC+ vs. left-handed pitching. Sale is the top pitcher of the night.

 

Jeff Samardzija
Opponent – vs. SD
Park – AT&T Park (Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (SF -155)
Vegas Total (7.5)

When it comes to GPP pitchers, I love taking risks to gain an edge in ownership. You can’t just throw a dart and hope for the best as you still need upside. Enter Jeff “Shark” Samardzija who has the upside with a 9.8 K/9 rate and terrific matchup in one of the best pitchers park vs. a team that ranks 29th in hitting vs. righties. However, he was blown up by these very Padres in his last start despite striking out eight batters. I know there will be a ton of people avoiding this play tonight and that flips the switch for me to go overweight tonight in tournaments. If you aren’t about the risk, I would consider Aaron Nola instead.

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - George Springer - Houston Astros - Lineuplab

Houston Astros vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (BAL)

It is a terrific night for targeting bad pitchers and combine that with another series starting at Coors and you should see some spread out ownership. My favorite stack at the top is by far the Houston Astros who lead the league in runs scored and are one of the few teams that can handle losing a stud like Carlos Correa. They get one of the top matchups of the night vs. Ubaldo Jimenez who has given up four or more earned runs in three straight and four of his last five starts with six home runs against. The other good news is that the Astros head out on the road, where they get a nice park boost away from Minute Maid Park.

Top Players to Stack – Jose Altuve, George Springer, Josh Reddick, Brian McCann

Miami Marlins vs. Homer Bailey (CIN)

Another team that gets a nice park boost as the Marlis travel to the Great American Smallpark to start a series with Reds. Not only that, they get a matchup vs. Homer Bailey who has shown some huge blowup potential since returning from offseason surgery. He has made five starts since mid-June and while two of them were positive on the road(one in Coors), he has given up six, eight, and eight earned runs in his other three starts. With so many great spots tonight combined with the fact the Marlins rank in the bottom third of runs scored, I think they are going to be bargain when looking at ownership.

Top Players to Stack – Dee Gordon, Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Justin Bour

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 06, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 06, 2017

Thursday brings us a split slate and with four games early it leaves us with a nice sized seven-game main slate. This is where we will turn our attention in the following article as I cover my favorite pitchers and top stack of the night.


DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Lineup Lab - Chris Sale - Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks

Starting Pitchers

Chris Sale
Opponent – @TB
Park – Tropicana Field
Vegas Favorite (BOS -160)
Vegas Total (7.0)

He comes at a heavy cost once again but is the clear choice for CY Young in the American League if the award were given out at the All-Star Break. He has completely dominated in his first season with the Rex Sox with a 2.61 ERA that is backed by a 2.70 xFIP but for fantasy, the biggest factor has been the elite 12.4 K/9 rate and 16% swinging strike rate. To put that into perspective for those who aren’t familiar with the swinging strike rate stat, there are only 32 qualified pitchers with over a 10% rate and only three(Sale, Scherzer, Kluber) over 15% in all of baseball. Tonight he faces a Rays team that has been much worse vs. left-handed pitching with a wOBA 36 points lower and a 26.5% strikeout rate that trails only the Texas Rangers vs. southpaws. Pay the steep price and find value to surround him with.

Gio Gonzalez
Opponent –  vs. ATL
Park – Nationals Park
Vegas Favorite (-160)
Vegas Total (9.0)

If you are looking to save some salary and upgrade some bats, there is a case to be made for Gio in all formats tonight. The Nationals are at home and the same -160 favorite as the Red Sox and while Gio doesn’t provide near the upside as Sale, he comes at a $2K+ discount which goes a long way if there is a lack of value popping up when lineups are released. Gio has also been having a terrific season despite losing two straight starts. First of all, in those two losses he allowed just one earned run in each and over the course of the season has only allowed over three earned runs twice in 17 starts. He does provide strikeout upside with 8+ in four of his last five and carries an 8.7 K/9 rate into tonight’s matchup with the Braves.


DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Miguel Sano - Lineup Lab - Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks

Stack of the Night

Minnesota Twins vs. Dylan Bundy (BAL)

The Twins currently sit with the second highest implied runs of all 14 teams tonight. It starts with the splits as they have been much better against right-handed pitching with a wOBA 24 points higher and wRC+ 16 points higher. What really tips the scales in their favor is the matchup as they face Dylan Bundy who has been downright terrible lately after a strong start to the season in April. He has given up five home runs in his last two starts and has now given up at least one home run in 11 straight and 12 of his last 13 starts. For fantasy, this is exactly we are looking for as home runs pay the bills. Load up on Twins tonight.

Top Players to Stack – Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, Robbie Grossman, Eddie Rosario

Also Consider – Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros

 

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – July 3, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – July 3, 2017

Welcome to Lineup Lab’s Best MLB Fantasy Lineup Today, where we feature our top players for our MLB Lineup Optimizer on Fanduel and Draftkings. Put your favorite 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.

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today - Aaron Nola - Lineuplab

Starting Pitchers

Aaron Nola
Opponent – Vs. PIT
Park – Citizens Bank Park
Vegas Favorite (PHI -115)
Vegas Total (8.5)

Boy oh boy, pitching is absolutely terrible tonight. The Nationals play earlier in the day and you can just chalk Strasburg in if you’re playing that slate. On the main slate, the 3 most expensive options are Tanaka, Stroman, and Nola. Stroman and Tanaka face off with each other and I don’t like them against either offense. That leaves us with Aaron Nola on the “high-end”. He’s not that expensive, but relative to the slate, I guess he is. Nola is a huge prospect for the Phillies and a guy they can rely on as a solid pitcher for a long time. He started out 2017 a bit cold, but it was expected after an injury. He’s now back to the old Aaron Nola we know and he’s hit 50 FanDuel points in each of his last 2 starts. He’ll face off against the Pirates, a team that doesn’t offer too much against righties. They’ve ranked 22nd in the league with a .311 wOBA and 20% strikeout rate. They move into Citizens Bank Park, which is a pretty neutral park with all things considered. Nola is striking out nearly 10 batters per 9 innings and the Pirates offer plenty of K’s. I will say nobody on this slate is safe and I personally think cash games are a bit tough on this slate. Let’s take a look at a cheaper, though riskier option.

Jharel Cotton
Opponent – Vs. CWS
Park – Oakland Coliseum
Vegas Favorite (OAK -125)
Vegas Total (9)

I know, yikes. If you have someone better, let me know when they were added to the slate. The said reality of tonight is we have no pitching. It’s something we have to work with and we can take comfort in knowing everyone is going through the same struggle. We’re going to look at Jharel Cotton, who faces the White Sox at home in the Oakland Coliseum. The Coliseum is a bottom 3 park for hitting and the A’s entire pitching staff is terrific at taking advantage. As for Cotton, in particular, he’s not a great pitcher. His true peripherals suggest a wOBA around .332 and a very average K rate. He does, however, face the White Sox. The Sox have ranked 27th in baseball against righties and have trouble getting the ball out in their own hitter-friendly park. Cotton is super cheap on both sites and he won’t have to do much to come through. Even if he allows 2 or 3 runs, the White Sox strikeout nearly 25% of the time, so I assume he’ll pick up a healthy share of those. All in all, this slate is very ugly from a pitching point of view and I don’t think Cotton is any riskier than anyone else.

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today - Mookie Bets - Lineuplab

Offensive Stacks

Boston Red Sox @ Texas Rangers (Martin Perez)
Park – Globe Life Park

The Red Sox have been in a lot of good spots lately, coming through in some and mightily disappointing in other. It’s also known as the nature of baseball. You never really know what can happen and at the end of the day, it can come down to the smallest factors. However, the Red Sox are once again in a great spot and we’ll go right back to the well. They move into Arlington and will hit in Globe Life Park, where fly balls go a far way. In summer, Globe Life has consistently ranked in the top 5 for hitting ballparks. They also face off with a classic DFS MLB pitcher, Martin Perez. Perez has sported a .356 wOBA against righties this year, but is actually getting a bit lucky. We can expect a wOBA around .380 at the end of the year and he’s also always struggled with the long ball (1.86 HR/9. righties seem to hit the ball out at a crazy rate and while the reason is a bit unknown, the proof is there in the numbers. Perez is a very boring lefty and he won’t intimidate a single batter from the get go. As for who to play on the Sox, they have a very strong 4 in Betts, Pedroia, Young, and Ramirez. That is easily my favorite stack, though I think Bogaerts is basically even with Pedroia. You can then go for a Jackie Bradley or Sam Travis, who hit lefties well and will see sub 10% ownership. The Red Sox aren’t implied to score as much as the team we’ll talk about next, but the upside is there and the ownership may not be. Fire away.

Main Stack – Chris Young, Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia
Sneaky Stack – Chris Young, Hanley Ramirez, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr.

Colorado Rockies Vs. Cincinnati Reds (Luis Castillo)
Park – Coors Field

I know, sneaky. I just couldn’t ignore the 6.88 implied run total coming out of Colorado. If you’re somehow unfamiliar and have been living under a rock for 20 years, Coors Field is a crazy boost for the offense(s). You will rarely see an over/under below 11 and tonight is included at 12. The ball flies in the air and also doesn;t break much from the hand, which leaves guys with a fastball and slider. When you’re leaning on 2 pitches in Coors Field, good luck. Luis Castillo is not ready for the majors and lets alone Coors Field. He’s struggled against both sides of the plate and didn’t show any extreme splits in the minor leagues. We do have some interesting injury news with the Rockies, so watch out. Both CarGo and Ian Desmond are questionable, so keep an eye out on Twitter and prepare accordingly. Charlie Blackmon is the easy choice and a guy you have to include in a Rockies stack. after that, go anywhere. LeMahieu, Arenado, and Reynolds are all in the top of the order and make a lot of sense in cash games. Whoever plays out of Cargo/Desmond is in play in both formats as well, as I doubt either return under 100%. Trevor Story has a ridiculous amount of upside and I’ll definitely have him in my tournament stacks. All in all, the Rockies are projected to put up 7 runs and if it happens, you can’t go wrong.

Main Stack – Charlie Blackmon, D.J. LeMahieu, Ian Desmond / Carlos Gonzalez, Nolan Arenado
Sneaky Stack – Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Arenado, Raimel Tapia, Mark Reynolds

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – June 28, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – June 28, 2017

Welcome to Lineup Lab’s Best MLB Fantasy Lineup Today, where we feature our top players for our MLB Lineup Optimizer on Fanduel and Draftkings. Put your favorite 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.

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today - Daily Fantasy Baseball - Stephen Strasburg - Lineuplab

Starting Pitchers

Stephen Strasburg
Opponent – Vs. CHC
Park – Nationals Park
Vegas Favorite (WAS -167)
Vegas Total (8.5)

We had Max Scherzer in this spot yesterday, facing off with the same Cubs team in the same park. He ended up going 6 quality innings and striking out six, but was pulled after just 93 pitches. Dusty Baker and crew will now send Strasburg out there in hopes of keeping this Cubs lineup under control. Strasburg has slipped up a bit as of late, but is having his best season to date as a whole. He’s sporting a .280 wOBA to both sides of the plate and is striking out nearly 11 batters per 9 innings. Strasburg has moved up into that elite category and row that he’s pitching well against lefties, doesn’t have the main spot to attack. Let’s not ignore the obvious, however. This Cubs team is very good and they can score 10 runs against anyone. With that being said, there very cold and I highly doubt Stephen Strasburg is the arm to wake them up. With that being said, Strasburg does hold more risk than most number 1 pitchers on a slate. The problem with that is there is nobody safe pitching tonight. Stras is as safe as you can get and that’s really not saying much against the Cubbies.

Ivan Nova
Opponent – Vs. TAM
Park – PNC Park
Vegas Favorite (PIT -133)
Vegas Total (8.5)

I don;t know if Ivan Nova is looked at as a good pitcher or not, but he is. Nova is a really good pitcher and he has been since going to the Pirates. HE’s been very consistent this season and is definitely one of the safer options in terms of point per dollar. Nova does still struggle against lefties but gets a great match-up for that. The Rays will have a max of 2 or 3 lefties in the lineup and Nova should be able to work around them. He strikes out about 7 righties per 9 innings and has held them to a .265 wOBA. Nova has also been dominant in PNC Park, posting a .253 wOBA in nearly 50 innings of work. The Tampa Bay Rays are one of my favorite teams to target, as they hold a league-high K rate of 25.5%. They give up strikeouts to the worst of them and have been known to show upside to pitchers that once didn’t have any. Nova is pretty cheap across the industry and a guy I love for his price in all formats. PNC Park is very friendly for pitchers and is basically death to right-handed hitting.

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today - Daily Fantasy Baseball - Hanley Ramirez - Lineuplab

Offensive Stacks

Boston Red Sox Vs. Minnesota Twins (Adalberto Mejia)
Park – Fenway Park

The Red Sox are a team we loved last night and it certainly paid off. They beat up Hector Santiago and ended up putting up a ton of runs. They now run into Adalberto Mejia, who is probably worse than Santiago. Mejia has allowed a .351 wOBA to lefties a .364 to righties. He’s been absolutely horrible in every start and hasn’t shown any signs of getting better. He has similar HR problem as Santiago as well, allowing 7 homers in just over 30 innings. Mejia is simply below average and is no match for a Red Sox squad that is hitting the way they are. When looking at who to target, it will all depend on Hanley. If he’s back in the order, he’s a must in a stack. He murders lefties and along with Chris Young, have to be in your Sox stack. You then get into Bogaerts, Pedroia, and Betts. hey are all tremendous options and can be interchanged at any point. After those 5 (Hanley, Young, Betts, Pedroia, Bogaerts), there is a steep downfall.You can target the bottom of the order, but just know you’re truly winging it. The top of the order is elite and you should certainly look to gain exposure in both cash and tournaments.

Main Stack – Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia, Chris Young
Sneaky Stack – Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez, Chris Young, Xander Bogaerts

Toronto Blue Jays @ Baltimore Orioles (Wade Miley)
Park – Rogers Centre

The Blue Jays heavily disappointed a lot of people last night, which will hopefully work in our favor tonight with dropped ownerships. The Jays did have a great match-up yesterday, but it was against a righty, who they’re worse against. Tonight comes a lefty in the form of Wade Miley. Miley isn’t tough to figure out. He has posted a .350 wOBA against righties in back to back years and at 30 years old, he isn’t changing. Miley also gave up 22 home runs against righties in 2016, which is pretty nuts. He does play his home games at Camden Yards, though the Rogers Centre is still a hitter park in its own right. On to this Jays order, it’s pretty simple. Against a lefty, Donaldson is in 150% of my Jays stacks. You then get Jose Bautista, who I can’t see leaving out, though I get it in tournaments. Tulowitzki and Martin are also great and fill positions that aren’t too great. All in all, the Jays have a lot of upside against lefties and I’ll make sure I have a few stacks put together.

Main Stack – Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin, Jose Bautista, Justin Smoak
Sneaky Stack – Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Kendrys Morales, Troy Tulowitzki

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – June 27, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – June 27, 2017

Welcome to Lineup Lab’s Best MLB Fantasy Lineup Today, where we feature our top players for our MLB Lineup Optimizer on Fanduel and Draftkings. Put your favorite 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
Opponent – Vs. CHC
Park – Nationals Park
Vegas Favorite (SEA -175)
Vegas Total (7.5)

Hey, I’m all for giving Clayton Kershaw the title of the best pitcher in baseball. We just might need to re-open the application process because Max Scherzer has something to say. He’s been absolutely fantastic this season, sporting a .289 wOBA against lefties and a crazy .168 against righties. He’s striking out over 12 batters per 9 innings, which is more than enough upside, even at his elevated price tag. Scherzer is match-up proof and when at home, I’m willing to almost ignore the match-up. The Cubs aren’t a good match-up, no matter the numbers people will throw at you. This is the Cubs and they’ll be battling with the Nats for the NL Championship. Expect Scherzer to take this game very seriously and for him to be stretched out to around 110 pitches if all is going well. Nationals Park is slighted towards pitching and Scherzer has held a .254 combined wOBA there. In cash games, Scherzer is always going to be the king. With that being said, you can also fade him on a slate with some other top options that have contending upside.

James Paxton
Opponent – Vs. PHI
Park – Safeco Field
Vegas Favorite (SF -120)
Vegas Total (8.5)

James Paxton is making his 4th start after returning from the DL, which did put him in a little bit of a rut. He struggled for 2 starts, but got on his right foot last week and struck out 9 batters. Paxton has an insane amount of upside, as shown by almost all of his starts at the beginning of the season. He’s held crazy numbers against both righties and lefties, combined with a 10.33 K/9. I’m not sure what the general perception of Paxton is, but he’s elite. He’s going to be one of the top SP’s in the game and in Safeco Field, he’s basically unhittable. Sure, he might get a little wild for an innings and let Franco or Joseph square one up. I don’t think, however, that the Phillies will be able to string together consistent runs. The Phillies are obviously one of the worst teams in baseball and get even worse with the move to Safeco Field. They hold a 22% K rate and Paxton will probably get them closer to 25 or 26%. Don’t shy away in either cash games or tournaments.

Offensive Stacks

Boston Red Sox Vs. Minnesota Twins (Hector Santiago L)
Park – Fenway Park

Hector Santiago is making his first start since coming off of the DL. For whatever reason, the Twins are throwing him in the fire of Fenway Park. Vegas currently has the Red Sox over 6 runs and are fully expecting a Hector Santiago meltdown. I don’t know why you wouldn’t. Santiago has been bad for 2 seasons, but not in a conventional way. He won’t typically get hit up for 7 runs and 12 hits. His struggles come in the form of the long ball. Santiago allowed 26 homers to righties in each of the last 2 season, which is simply insane. This Red Sox team is very lethal and the thought of Hanley facing this guy is great. You then work into Mookie Betts and Chris Young, who stand out as elite bats in the OF. Bogaerts and Pedroia are another 2 who will find themselves at the top of the order and make sense for both and tourneys. As a whole, this Red Sox team should be one that’s pretty easy to stack. You have 6 or 7 guys with talent and you should be able to find a combo that works if you’re putting forth the effort. The Red Sox are in one of their best spots all season.

Main Stack – Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia, Chris Young

Sneaky Stack – Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez, Chris Young, Xander Bogaerts

Toronto Blue Jays @ Baltimore Orioles (Kevin Gausman R)
Park – Rogers Centre

There has been a step fall for Kevin Gausman. Once a guy who was known for his upside and potential, he’s now trying to get his way out of the 4th innings. Gausman has been atrocious against everyone, but a .418 wOBA against righties is something that stands way out. He’s always been worse against righties, but it looks like he’s gotten even worse. The Blue Jays lineup is full of righties and at home, they rake. Gausman has also given up 14 home runs in just 70 innings of work. Plain and simple, horrible. Looking towards the Jays lineup, it’s pretty concentrated. Donaldson and Bautista are my 2 musts if you’re stacking the Jays, with Russell Martin a close 3rd. Smoak, Morales, and Tulowitzki all have a ton of upside, but by no means are on the same level as Donaldson or Joey Bats.

Main Stack – Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin, Jose Bautista, Justin Smoak

Sneaky Stack – Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Kendrys Morales, Troy Tuowitzki

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – June 26, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – June 26, 2017

Welcome to Lineup Lab’s Best MLB Fantasy Lineup Today, where we feature our top players for our MLB Lineup Optimizer on Fanduel and Draftkings. Put your favorite 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.

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today - Chris Sale - Lineup Lab

Starting Pitchers

Chris Sale
Opponent – Vs. MIN
Park – Fenway Park
Vegas Favorite (BOS -193)
Vegas Total (8.5)

When Chris Sale is pitching you can certainly expect to find him in this spot. He is always going to be the top pitcher on the slate and I actually thought he would be more expensive tonight. That’s not to say he’s cheap, still forcing you to pay down in numerous spots to afford him. The problem is you don’t really have a strong alternative. Sure, there are some talented guys on the slate. There is nobody who compares to Chris Sale in Fenway Park. Sale has been absolutely dominant to start this ’17 campaign, posting a combined wOBA of .242. He’s also striking out 12.2 batters per 9 innings, which is very telling in itself. His peripherals suggest, if anything, he’s actually just getting a bit unlucky. The point is Chris Sale is amazing and he’s going to have some insane games on the season. This could certainly be one, facing off with the Twins at home in Fenway. The Twins offense is slightly scary, but hot too bad. Miguel Sano and Brian Dozier are the only 2 real worry spots, albeit very real ones On a side note, I actually don’t hate rostering either one of the guys in large-field tournaments. Getting back to this match-up, the Twins leave a lot to be desired. They strikeout 22% of the time against lefties and have a few guys who have simply no shot against Sale. Kepler, Polanco, Grossman, and Castro have all struck out over 25% of the time against lefties and have absolutely no chance against Sale. If you want to play cash games on this slate, I would advise finding a way to fit Sale. He’s the clear top options and makes for the top player in both formats.

 

Jeff Samardzija
Opponent – Vs. COL
Park – AT&T Park
Vegas Favorite (SF -120)
Vegas Total (8.5)

After Sale, we see a pretty steep fall to the number 2. There are definitely a lot of ways you can go here, but I ended up on Jeff Samardzija. Jeff “Shark” Samardzija is a guy who will consistently put up solid games, though he’ll rarely step out of that comfort zone and wow. He has a very safe match-up tonight, facing the Rockies porous offense in AT&T Park. A lot of people have the perception that the Rockies are an elite offense. If you put 25 of these MLB offenses in Coors Field for half of their games, they would be better. The Rockies ranked 26th in terms of wOBA in 2016 on the road and can’t get away from it at AT&T Park. It has ben in the bottom 3 for hitting for many years in a row now and against righties, good luck. Samardzija has held a .302 wOBA against righties, so the likes of Arenado, Reynolds, and LeMahieu should be held down at the top of the order. CarGo and Blackmon are the 2 obvious trouble pieces and it may come down to whether or not he can avoid them. When looking at the other options you have to choose from, I’ll take Samardzija in AT&T Park. Some may also make an argument for his counterpart in German Marquez, which I don’t hate, but only in tournaments.

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today - Cody Bellinger - Lineup Lab

Offensive Stacks

Los Angeles Dodgers Vs. Los Angeles Angels (Ricky Nolasco R)
Park – Dodger Stadium

The Dodgers are a pretty easy offense to love tonight. For god’s sake, they face Ricky Nolasco. Ricky Nolasco was a pitcher who used to stifle offenses, but that was about 50 years ago. He’s now posting a .390 wOBA against righties and a .360 against lefties. He moves into Dodger Stadium, which is actually a slight upgrade from Angels Stadium. The Dodgers are obviously one of the more lethal offenses in all of the league, possessing bats from both side of the plate that rakes righties. We start off with Babe Ruth. I mean Cody Bellinger. Bellinger and Corey Seager have been ridiculous against righties this season and look to be the future of this franchise. They will both remain in every Dodgers stack I create. You then work into Justin Turner, who is very safe as well. As a righty, he swings it better against opposing righties, which plays into Nolasco and his reverse splits. Once you get past Turner, you can go a ton of different ways, wait for the lineup to come out and take your pick.

Main Stack – Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, Logan Forsythe/Chase Utley (leadoff)

Sneaky Stack – Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig

New York Yankees @ Chicago White Sox (Dylan Holmberg L)
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field

The Yankees offense is another pretty obvious one on this slate. This slate is a bit odd, with only a few games and a few offenses that stand far above the rest. Even if the Yankees do end up being popular, I see the merit in going here. They are raking what seems like every night and I certainly don’t see Dylan Holmberg slowing that down. Holmberg has been decent in hos own right, but not really. A .220 BABIP throws absolutely every number out of the window. The regression monster is going to come and it’s probably going to come tonight. Gary Sanchez may seem like the obvious choice, but he’s actually better against lefties. That’s not to say I’ll be avoiding him. I just think he sees an inflated ownership tag. Aaron Judge is my favorite of the bunch with Aaron Hicks emerging next, both holding a .400+ wOBA against lefties. You then get into Starlin Castro and Matt Holliday, who are very safe and have HR upside as well. After that, you don’t have a lot with this team. You know where to look and who to target. Guaranteed Rate Field is a + park for hitting and the righties should have a better time here than they do at home in Yankee Stadium. All in all, the Yankees are one of the top offenses on the day and you will want to make sure you get exposure one way or another.

Main Stack – Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Starlin Castro, Matt Holliday

Sneaky Stack – Aaron Judge, Matt Holliday, Gary Sanchez, Aaron Hicks

MLB Draftkings Picks – June 20, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

MLB Draftkings Picks – June 20, 2017

Welcome to Lineup Lab’s Best MLB Draftkings Picks, where we feature our top players for our MLB Lineup Optimizer on Fanduel and Draftkings. Put your favorite 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.

Chris Sale - Boston RedSox - MLB Draftkings Picks - Lineuplab

Starting Pitcher

Chris Sale @ Kansas City Royals
Opposing Pitcher – Matthew Strahm
Park – Kauffman Stadium

Chris Sale is on the slate and he’s in the biggest ballpark in baseball. Kauffman Stadium is death to fly balls and will often throw 2-1 or 3-0 type of games out there. When you move a top 3 pitcher into it against a bad offense, things could get interesting. The Royals rank 23rd in the MLB with a .300 wOBA against lefties and the 2nd lowest ISO in the league.Sale, on the other hand, is the definition of elite. He’s holding a .240 wOBA against both lefties and righties and is striking out over 11 batters per 9 innings. Kershaw is right up there with Kershaw in DFS and you have to love his chances of a big game here. Sale doesn’t really have anyone to be scared of here and he should be able to dice through the lineup relatively easily. With that being said, the Royals do a good job of figuring out ways to put up a couple hits and runs. Sale might not leave with a clean slate, but he’s going to have at least 9 K’s and I doubt he goes less than 7 innings.

Michael Pineda Vs Los Angeles Angels
Opposing Pitcher – Parker Bridwell
Park – Yankee Stadium

We saw Pineda struggle against this same team in just his last start, which will hopefully keep some people off of him. He was on the road and ended up getting extremely unlucky in a few different spots. He heads back home tonight, where he holds a .237 wOBA and an elite 10 K/9. Pineda is close to an elite pitcher at this point and his numbers in Yankee Stadium are undeniable. This LA Angels team is nothing to be scared of in the slightest. They strikeout the 10th most in the majors against righties and don’t have anyone that gives too much fear to opposing pitchers. Pineda will get plenty of run support tonight, with the Yankees projected for almost 6 runs against Parker Bridwell. Pineda is a good savings option from Sale in both cash games and tournaments, though I clearly have Sale as my top option.

Catcher

Gary Sanchez Vs Los Angeles Angels
Opposing Pitcher – Parker Bridwell (R)
Park – Yankee Stadium

Gary Sanchez is usually going to stand far above the rest at the catcher position. You can definitely say that tonight, facing off with a righty in Parker Bridwell that has struggled against righties since being drafted. He’s limped through the minors and has sported a xFIP over 4.00 in 2 straight seasons. There is no reason to think this guy sis going to have nay success in the majors and he’s been worse against righties. We all know by now that Gary Sanchez is also a guy with reverse splits. He’s sported a .417 wOBA over the last 2 seasons against righties and has shown no signs of showing down. If you have the salary and want a legitimate shot at an HR, take a look at Gary Sanchez.

Russell Martin @ Texas Rangers
Opposing Pitcher – Nick Martinez (R)
Park – Globe Life Park

We do have Chris Sale on this slate, so chances are you can’t afford Gary Sanchez at catcher. If you need to pay down a bit and want to get some upside in both cash games and tournaments, Russell Martin has some appeal. He, like Gary Sanchez, has actually been better against righties recently. This hasn’t always been the case with Martin but his change in approach has switched things up for him. The Blue Jays face off with a real gas can in Nick Martinez. He has never been good and I doubt he ever will be. He’s sported a near .400 wOBA against both sides of the plate for years now and I’m truly clueless why he keeps getting starting opportunities. The Blue Jays will put some runs on the board and I could see Martin getting in on the party for cheap on both sites.

Anthony Rizzo - Chicago Cubs - MLB Draftkings Picks - Lineuplab

First Base

Anthony Rizzo Vs San Diego Padres
Opposing Pitcher – Jhoulys Chacin (R)
Park – Wrigley Field

Rizzo has taken over as the leadoff hitter as of late, where we can expect him to be tonight. He’s been very good at getting on base and has been driving the ball to all fields. Rizzo has been great against righties since coming up with the Padres nearly 8 years ago. Over the last 3, he’s sported a .384 wOBA with some of the best peripherals in the game. He stays home in Wrigley Field tonight and faces off with a below average righty in Jhoulys Chacin. He’s allowed a .393 wOBA to lefties so far this season and Wrigley Field is a big downgrade from his home in San Diego, Petco Park. Rizzo is an elite option in all formats and the Cubs are a great team to stack that may go overlooked.

Brandon Belt @ Atlanta Braves
Opposing Pitcher – Julio Teheran (R)
Park – SunTrust Park

The San Francisco Giants certainly disappointed yesterday, getting shut down by R.A. Dickey for 7 innings. They ended up going scoreless and have surely left a sour taste in a lot of people’s mouth. I’m going to jump right back on board and grab Brandon Belt. Belt, who has sported a .371 wOBA against righties, faces off with a righty who struggles mightily against left-handers. Julio Teheran still has a lot working for him, but he has never been able to figure it out against lefties. He’s right back to allowing a .385 wOBA this year and it just looks like its who Teheran is as a pitcher. SunTrust Park has played well for lefties so far this year and I’m going to jump right back on the train tonight. Belt has a great shot at an HR and should be less than 8-10% owned. First base is always very fruitful and the Giants screwed over plenty of pockets last night, including mine. Short term memory is very important in winning with DFS.

Second Base

Robinson Cano Vs Detroit Tigers
Opposing Pitcher – Jordan Zimmerman (R)
Park – Safeco Field

In 2013, Jordan Zimmerman was one of the best pitchers in all of the league. He sported a 3.25 xFIP, walked less than 2 batters per 9 and allowed just 0.80 HR/9. Those numbers? Looooooong gone. For example, 2.02 HR/9 this season. Zimmerman is a completely different pitcher than he was just 3 years ago and this may be his last chance in the league. He’s been horrid against both sides of the plate, holding down a combined .367 wOBA. Robbie Cano is back to the MVP contending elite hitter he used to be. He’ll end up close to a .400 wOBA against righties this year and he’s been terrific in Safeco Field since signing with the Mariners. He’s safe in cash games and I have no reservations to fade in tournaments. The price isn’t crazy and you can make it work with Chris Sale.

Brian Dozier Vs Chicago White Sox
Opposing Pitcher – Derek Holland (L)
Park – Progressive Field

If you want to avoid the gas can in Jordan Zimmerman for some reason, you have a few Moreno options to consider at second. We’ll take a closer look at Brian Dozier, facing off with Derek Holland. Holland, a lefty, has allowed a .378 wOBA to righties so far in 2017. He’s given up a laughable 14 home runs to them in just 61.2 innings. Derek Holland is officially horrible. Brian Dozier on the other hand. Has always been great against lefties. He has posted a .353 combined wOBA since 2014 and hasn’t had a bad year once. He smacked 30 homers in 2016 and always has as much upside as anyone else at the position. Feel free to target Dozier in any format.

Francisco Lindor - Cleveland Indians - MLB Draftkings Picks - Lineuplab

Shortstop

Francisco Lindor @ Baltimore Orioles
Opposing Pitcher – Chris Tillman (R)
Park – Camden Yards

Shortstop isn’t the prettiest position on this slate, so you can definitely get creative and take an off the board player. To start us off, we’re going to take a look at Francisco Lindor. Lindor may end up being the chalk at SS, but it makes sense as to why. The Indians are implied for close to 6 runs tonight and Lindor will be in the middle of it all. As a switch-hitter, Lindor is always able to control the platoon advantage. Lindor has held a .343 wOBA against righties since entering the league and will only get better at 23 years old. The same can’t be said for Chris Tillman. He has been absolutely atrocious this season and that word is no stretch. Against lefties, Tillman has posted a .451 wOBA. While that may not be fully sustainable (at least I hope not), it’s quite clear how bad Tillman is at this point. The Indians come in as one of the top offenses of the night and Lindor is the play at a weaker SS position.

Tim Beckham Vs Cincinnati Reds
Opposing Pitcher – Amir Garrett (L)
Park – Tropicana Field

Tim Beckham has flown under the radar for a couple years but is a guy I always look at against lefties He posted a .342 wOBA against them in 2016 and came through the minors as a lefty specialist. Beckham has been trusted by the Rays and he has been seeing the top of the order against left-handed pitching. The Rays face off with some very interesting competition in Amir Garrett. Garret is going to be a great pitcher one day and he is a pretty good K pitcher even right now. However, he’s been knocked around against righties and can’t seem to keep the ball in the zone. He’s been sent down to the minors, but is back up and getting another chance. The Rays swing it well against lefties and Beckham plays his role. Righties have held a .386 wOBA against Garrett and an astonishing 4.84 BB/9, which should tell you just how troublesome he has been. Beckham is a great savings option at a position without much of an opportunity cost.

Third Base

Miguel Sano Vs Chicago White Sox
Opposing Pitcher – Derek Holland (L)
Park – Progressive Field

Boy, this is close to a dream match-up for Miguel Sano. We touched on Derek Holland when looking at Dozier, but let’s look again at those numbers. He has somehow allowed 14 home runs to right-handers in just 61 innings. He backs it up with a .378 wOBA and 2.04 HR/9. Miguel Sano is one of the most dangerous bats in the sport and against lefties, is an HR waiting to happen. He’s held a 52% hard contact rate this year and is hitting it to all parts of the field. The Twins offense has a ton of upside and Miguel Sano is my top pick for an HR on the slate. Against lefties, Sano has posted a .391 wOBA dating back 2 seasons. Progressive Field is neutral for righties and Sano has been great there for his entire career.

Jake Lamb @ Colorado Rockies
Opposing Pitcher – German Marquez (R)
Park – Coors Field
We are often looking to target Jake Lamb when he is at home and facing a righty. Chase Field is extremely friendly for hitting and he thrives there. Tonight, we’re spoiled. Lamb and the D-Backs find themselves in Coors Field to take on the Rockies and German Marquez. Marquez is a decent young pitcher, but has predictably struggled at home against lefties with a .351 wOBA. Lamb is an elite hitter against righties and I expect him to finish this season with a wOBA well over .400 against them. As for tonight, he is right up there with Miguel Sano as a top play. It all comes down to price.
 

Aaron Judge - New York Yankees - MLB Draftkings Picks - Lineuplab

Outfield

Aaron Judge Vs Los Angeles Angels
Opposing Pitcher – Parker Bridwell (R)
Park – Yankee Stadium

The Yankees as a whole may have lost a few steps on the road, but not Mr. Judge. He belted another 2 homers on the 2-series road trip and came through with 7 base knocks in total. This kid is making a legitimate case for MVP and if things keep up, he’ll have it in his back pocket. I’m not a fan of “on pace for” hypotheticals, but Judge is putting something quite special together for a rookie. He’s already belted a total of 23 homers and 18 of the have come against right-handers. He faces a poor one tonight, in a minor-league caliber arm Parker Bridwell. Bridwell isn’t developed enough for the majors and while he may get around the order once with minimal damage, the Yankees will score some runs tonight. They are my favorite offense of the night and have the ability to put up double digit runs without blinking.

Giancarlo Stanton & Marcell Ozuna Vs Washington Nationals
Opposing Pitcher – Gio Gonzalez (L)
Park – Marlins Park

We have a nice little duo here with Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna, who are both much stronger against left-handed pitching. A lot of people know how great Stanton is against lefties, but they don’t know how close Ozuna is to him. Ozuna held a .384 wOBA against lefties in 2016 and it looks like that may be going up by the time this season is over. They face off with Gio Gonzalez, who is far from a bad pitcher. He does, however, have some issues with righties. He’s allowed 11 homers in 66 innings and holds a moderate .321 wOBA. Ozuna and Stanton are never really safe, but both hold elevated chances of hitting one out of the park and will be relatively low owned. Take a shot on either or both of these guys in a tournament.

Chris Young @ Kansas City Royals
Opposing Pitcher – Matthew Strahm (L)
Park – Kauffman Stadium

There were a lot of more expensive guys I could of went with here, but wanted to fit in some price savings. Chris Young is a known lefty masher and faces one with a whole lot of uncertainty. When any team is projected to score 5 runs in Kauffman Stadium, they’re facing a BAD pitcher. Matthew Strahm has allowed 3 homers in just 19 innings against righties in Kauffman Stadium. While a small sample size, it’s not easy to do. Young posted a .422 wOBA against lefties in 2016, which isn’t all that crazy for him. He is an elite hitter against southpaws and will draw a spot in the top 6 because of it. With his teammate Chris Sale drawing so much of the salary at pitcher, Young will help you save and give you as much upside as most at the position.