It won’t be the busiest of nights in the majors Wednesday, but the slate is still packed with quality starting pitching options. While that might make generating runs difficult for many teams, there are still some lineups in a position to thrive.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 6/17/2019
Monday brings plenty of action across the majors with 12 games on the schedule. There are some excellent matchups to take advantage of in DFS, including both Los Angeles teams being in prime positions for an offensive explosion.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/8/2019
Monday brings 10 games in the majors, eight of which will make up the main evening slate in DFS. Whether you want to roll with an ace pitcher or load up on bats, there are plenty of options for either strategy.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/10/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/10/18
Earlybird special! Use Code PAMLB10 at checkout
Thursday brings a limited slate of games, but there are still plenty of great options both on the mound and in the batter’s box to take advantage of in DFS. 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
Walker Buehler vs. Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Dodger Stadium
FanDuel = $8,600
DraftKings = $10,500
With the Dodgers dealing with injuries to their starting rotation, Buehler is here to stay. He’s made an immediate impact in his first three starts, posting a 1.13 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 10.7 K/9. He dominated with a 12.4 K/9 during his career in the minors, so his strikeout upside is legitimate. The only real negative you can say about his first three starts is that they came against the Marlins, Giants, and Padres, who are three of the worst offensive teams in baseball. The Reds haven’t been much better though and have the fifth-worst OPS against right-handed pitchers (.671) in baseball, so Buehler may be able to keep his hot streak alive for at least one more start.
Miles Mikolas vs. San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $8,500
DraftKings = $10,200
Mikolas has been impressive in his first action in the majors since 2014 and clearly made significant improvements during his time in Japan. Through six starts this season, he has a 2.70 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. His 7.0 K/9 isn’t great, but he’s shown impeccable control with 0.5 BB/9. He’s pitching deep into games as well, logging at least 6.1 innings in all but one of his outings. The Padres have the third-lowest OPS against righties (.648) and have had trouble scoring runs in general, leaving Mikolas with the potential to provide value again Thursday.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Cody Bellinger vs. Tyler Mahle, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Dodger Stadium
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,200
After bursting onto the scene last year with a .933 OPS, Bellinger hasn’t hit for much power yet this season, resulting in a .794 OPS. He’s still hitting for a high average and has a 39% hard-hit rate, so he should start slugging more long balls sooner rather than later. He finished with a 140 wRC+ against righties last and has a 142 mark against them so far this season, so facing Mahle could lead to a breakout game.
Justin Bour vs. Mike Foltynewicz, Atlanta Braves
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $3,400
Foltynewicz has made improvements this season, but his 1.35 WHIP is still too high. Left-handed hitters have given him troubles in his career, including Bour, who is 8-for-14 with two home runs against him. Bour is off to a slow start this season, but he still has a .367 wOBA against righties, making him a cost-effective option to consider.
Others to consider: Gary Sanchez (catcher) and Lucas Duda (first base)
SECOND BASE
Whit Merrifield vs. Chris Tillman, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,300
Merrifield is batting only .261 this season, but that won’t last for long if he keeps up his 42.6% hard-hit rate. His K% is right in line with his career mark and he’s drawing more walks as well. With Tillman taking the mound, this is going to be a great opportunity to stack Royals in DFS since he has allowed at least four earned runs in all but one of his starts this season.
Jonathan Schoop vs. Ian Kennedy, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKinfs = $3,500
In two games since coming off the DL, Schoop is 3-for-9 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored. His slow start and stint on the DL have helped lower his price after a breakout campaign helped plenty of people win money in DFS last year. He doesn’t have the righty/lefty advantage in this matchup, but he’s still priced low enough to potentially use in tournament play.
Others to consider: Gleyber Torres and Eduardo Nunez
THIRD BASE
Mike Moustakas vs. Chris Tillman, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $4,500
Moustakas had the best power season of his career in 2017 with 38 home runs and he hasn’t slowed down this year, slugging 10 homers in 36 games. He’s batting .292 as well and while that seems unsustainable, his .278 BABIP is actually not high. This is a prime opportunity to play him against Tillman, who allowed a .429 wOBA to lefties last year.
Yangervis Solarte vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $3,900
Solarte has cashed in everyday playing time to bat .271 with nine homers this year. Solarte does a great job limiting his strikeouts, posting an 11.8 K% for his career. He has a .374 wOBA against right-handers this year and Leake has allowed a .366 wOBA to lefties, so Solarte could be an option if you need to save money at third base.
Others to consider: Travis Shaw and Matt Carpenter
SHORTSTOP
Paul DeJong vs. Jordan Lyles, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,000
Lyles has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen this season, logging 19.2 innings across 13 appearances. He did pitch three innings in one appearance earlier this year, but it doesn’t seem like he’ll have built up enough arm strength to pitch deep into this game. He struggled in five starts for the Padres last year, recording a 9.39 ERA and 1.96 WHIP. This could end up being a bullpen day for the Padres, so with several of the top shortstops dealing with difficult matchups Thursday, DeJong becomes a viable option with homer upside.
Chris Taylor vs. Tyler Mahle, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Dodger Stadium
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $3,800
Taylor seemed like a regression candidate heading into this season as his .288 average in 2017 was largely aided by a .361 BABIP. He’s had a bigger drop off than expected this year though, batting .235 with a .284 BABIP. He’ll probably end the season somewhere in the middle and is an important player on a Dodgers team that is now missing their star shortstop in Corey Seager (elbow). Mahle has a 4.92 FIP through seven starts and has been prone to giving up the long ball, leaving Taylor as another shortstop worth considering.
Others to consider: Eduardo Escobar and Jean Segura
OUTFIELD
Giancarlo Stanton vs. Eduardo Rodriguez, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $4,900
DraftKings = $5,100
Stanton normally hits lefties well, posting a .430 wOBA against them for his career. This year has been no different with an incredible .621 wOBA against them so far. He already has six home runs in only 34 plate appearance against lefties as well. He’s stepped up in the first two games of this series against the Red Sox and will look for another big performance against Rodriguez as the Yankees go for the sweep.
Jorge Soler vs. Chris Tillman, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,200
Continuing our stack of Royals’ hitters against Tillman, Soler is another great option. He’s on fire right now, recording at least two hits in five of his last 10 games while also hitting three home runs in that same stretch. Even though Soler has much better numbers this season against lefties than righties, he’s not exactly struggling against righties with a .362 wOBA.
Alex Gordon vs. Chris Tillman, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $3,800
Let’s go to the well against Tillman one more time with Gordon, who is batting .313 in the early going. He is still having troubles against left-handed pitching, but righties have not proven to be nearly as difficult, resulting in a .412 wOBA. Since he will help with your budget as well, it makes a lot of sense to try riding Gordon’s hot streak in this game.
Others to consider: Charlie Blackmon and Christian Yelich
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/25/18
Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/25/18
Earlybird special! Use Code PAMLB10 at checkout
Games will be spread throughout the day Wednesday, leaving fewer options than normal if you are playing the evening slate in DFS. 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
Clayton Kershaw vs. Miami Marlins
Stadium – Dodger Stadium
FanDuel = $11,400
DraftKings = 14,000
Kershaw is well on his way to another dominant season. Although he is only 1-3 through five starts, he has a sparkling 2.45 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. His strikeouts are slightly down at 9.5 K/9, but with a K/9 of at least 10.4 in four straight seasons, don’t expect that to be a trend that continues much longer. He has also shown impeccable control with a 0.8 BB/9 and throwing a first-pitch strike to 70% of the batters that he has faced. He’s an excellent option regardless of opponent, but he gets an extremely favorable matchup against a Marlins offense that has hit the fewest home runs (14) and has the third-lowest batting average (.223) in baseball.
Jake Faria vs. Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $5,900
DraftKings = $6,300
The Rays and Orioles were rained out Tuesday, pushing Faria’s start to Wednesday. His 5.82 ERA and 1.59 WHIP this season don’t exactly look appealing, but a lot of that was due to him giving up eight earned runs in 1.2 innings against the Red Sox during his second start of the season. He’s been much better outside of that outing, allowing three earned runs across 15.1 innings in his other starts. He has also shown some strikeout upside, registering at least six of them in back-to-back starts. The Orioles have the lowest batting average (.215) in baseball, so Faria might be worth the risk in tournament play.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Cody Bellinger vs. Trevor Richards, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Dodger Stadium
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $4,500
Bellinger isn’t exactly on fire right now, hitting 2-for-16 in his last five games. However, his two hits were a double and a home run and he also drew three walks during that stretch. He only has three home runs this season overall, but he’s batted a respectable .271. Bellinger had a .383 wOBA against right-handers last year, so facing Richards and his 1.68 WHIP might be just what he needs to start a hot streak.
Matt Olson vs. Doug Fister, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $4,300
Olson hit for a ton of power in 59 games last year, finishing with a .651 slugging percentage. His 40.3% hard-hit rate was excellent and has been even better this season at 50%. He only has three home runs to show for it, but that shouldn’t last for long if he keeps hitting the ball with this kind of authority. He had a 181 wRC+ against righties last year, leaving him with excellent upside against Fister, who doesn’t have an overpowering pitch arsenal.
Others to consider: Joey Gallo (first base) and Yasmani Grandal (catcher)
SECOND BASE
Jed Lowrie vs. Doug Fister, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,600
At this point, the only reason not to play Lowrie in DFS is if you can’t fit his price tag into your entry. He already has 12 multi-hit games this season and is batting .363 with six home runs and eight doubles. The Athletics have had one of the most potent offenses in baseball in the early going and Lowrie’s success in a big reason why. He also has a .344 average in 33 career plate appearances against Fister, so he makes a lot of sense again Wednesday.
Joey Wendle vs. Alex Cobb, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $3,200
Wendle is not a big home run hitter, but he did have a career .288 batting average in 641 games in the minors. He’s getting a chance to play every day for the rebuilding Rays and is off to a hot start, hitting .304 with a .385 OBP. His 40.5% hard-hit rate is probably unsustainable, so he may experience some regression as the league gets more familiar with how to pitch to him. Cobb has a horrible 15.43 ERA and 3.14 WHIP through his first two starts, so Wendle might be able to provide value.
Others to consider: Brock Holt and Chase Utley
THIRD BASE
Mike Moustakas vs. Jhoulys Chacin, Milwaukee Brewers
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,300
The Royals have one of the worst lineups in baseball despite bringing back Moustakas, who hit a career-high 38 home runs last year. He certainly hasn’t been the problem, batting .307 with six home runs and five doubles so far. He had a .353 wOBA against right-handers last year and is at .470 against them so far in 2018, leaving him as a great option to consider for your entry.
Jeimer Candelario vs. Chad Kuhl, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – PNC Park
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = NA
Candelario has been one of the better hitters this season for the rebuilding Tigers, hitting .277 with three home runs, 10 RBI, and a .355 OBP. Kuhl’s 4.57 ERA this year is not terrible, but he’s allowed way too many baserunners with a 1.62 WHIP. That’s been a trend for him throughout his career with a WHIP of 1.44 in 249.2 innings. He also allowed a .376 wOBA to left-handed hitters last year, which is good news for the switch-hitting Candelario on Wednesday.
Others to consider: Travis Shaw and Rafael Devers
SHORTSTOP
Manny Machado vs. Jake Faria, Tampa Bay Rays
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $4,600
DraftKings = $4,800
Machado is looking to put his .259 batting average from last year firmly in the rearview mirror, hitting .360 out of the gates this season. His power numbers haven’t suffered either with eight home runs and seven doubles through 23 games. Most of his struggles came on the road last season, hitting .229 compared to .288 at home. Although I think using Faria in tournament play is a viable option based on the Orioles lineup as a whole, Machado could give him problems.
Corey Seager vs. Trevor Richards, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Dodger Stadium
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $4,400
Seager is not off to a good start this season with a .241 average and just one home run. He has a .275 BABIP and his 35.7% hard-hit rate is well below his career mark, which has been a big reason for his struggles. Richards isn’t a strikeout pitcher though and Seager did have a .353 wOBA against righties last year, so don’t be surprised if he busts out of his funk Wednesday.
Others to consider: Paul DeJong and Adeiny Hechavarria
OUTFIELD
Christian Yelich vs. Jason Hammel, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $4,600
Yelich has been limited to only 12 games this season due to injury, but he’s performed well in limited action with a .319 average and two home runs. He continues to show an excellent eye at the plate with a .407 OBP after posting an OBP of at least .362 in every season of his career. He finished with a 123 wRC+ last year against righties compared to just 94 against lefties, so he could be in line for a valuable performance against Hammel.
Denard Span vs. Alex Cobb, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $3,500
Span is off to a very unlikely start, driving in 17 runs in 18 games. Last year he had only 43 RBI in 129 games for the Giants. He has mostly batted leadoff this season, with the extra at-bats giving him a boost in DFS. He’s not going to keep up with this RBI pace, but he’s a viable option to consider Tuesday against the struggling Cobb.
Matt Joyce vs. Doug Fister, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $3,500
Joyce is one of those cheap options you want to target when he’s facing a right-handed pitcher. He has just a 62 wRC+ against lefties in his career, but a 123 wRC+ against righties. Fister allowed a .365 wOBA to lefties last year, so make sure to take advantage of the budget savings that Joyce can provide.
Others to consider: Tommy Pham and Shin-Soo Choo
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/18/18
Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/18/18
Earlybird special! Use Code PAMLB10 at checkout
Wednesday consists of several day games in Major League Baseball, leaving a lot of options for both the early and late slates in DFS. 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
Jose Berrios vs. Cleveland Indians
Stadium – Hiram Bithorn Stadium
FanDuel = $9,800
DraftKings = $11,000
Berrios is one of the jewels of the Twins farm system and he was excellent in his first significant run in the starting rotation last year, finishing with a 3.89 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 8.6 K/9 in 145.2 innings. He held batters to just a 27.9% hard-hit rate and a 9.1% HR/FB rate. He’s off to an even better start this year, posting a 2.18 ERA, 1.68 FIP and a microscopic 0.63 WHIP through three outings. Teams continue to have a hard time squaring him up with an 18.4% hard-hit rate to go along with his 10.5 K/9. The Indians have the lowest team batting average (.208) and OBP (.284) in the majors, leaving Berrios with excellent upside.
Jake Faria vs. Texas Rangers
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $5,500
DraftKings = $6,200
Faria was hit hard in his second start of the season against the Red Sox, allowing eight earned runs in 1.2 innings. He had major control issues in that game that resulted in five walks. Outside of that, he allowed two earned runs total in 9.1 innings in his other two outings. It may not be a coincidence that he was destroyed in his only road start so far this season and that he didn’t pitch nearly as poorly at home. He finished with a 3.10 ERA at Tropicana Field last year compared to 3.72 on the road, but more importantly, he had just a 1.06 WHIP at home while posting a 1.35 WHIP on the road. Against an easier lineup in the Rangers on Wednesday, he might be worth the risk in tournament play for the early late.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Cody Bellinger vs. Luis Perdomo, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $4,500
Bellinger has yet to display the same power that he had in 2017, slugging just two home runs so far. He hasn’t struggled though, posting a .297 average in the early going. He dominated right-handed pitching last year, resulting in a .383 wOBA against them. Perdomo also had his struggles against left-handed hitters by allowing a .349 wOBA to them last year, making Bellinger an excellent option to consider Wednesday.
Yasmani Grandal vs. Luis Perdomo, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $3,800
Grandal is swinging a hot bat right now, hitting 10-for-29 with two home runs and nine RBI in his last seven games. A switch-hitter, Grandal has been better against righties in his career with a .343 wOBA. Not only does Perdomo struggle against lefties, but he has a hard time keeping runners off base in general with a career 1.57 WHIP, which includes his staggering 2.09 WHIP through three starts this season.
Others to consider: Paul Goldschmidt (first base) and C.J. Cron (first base)
SECOND BASE
Jose Altuve vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Safeco Field
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $5,000
Altuve is hitting for a high average again at .314, but he has shown very little power with just two doubles and no home runs. He has hit at least 39 doubles in four straight seasons and hit exactly 24 home runs in each of the late two years, so expect him to turn things around sooner rather than later. He could be in line for a big performance Wednesday against Leake, who doesn’t have an overpowering pitch arsenal with a career 6.1 K/9.
Howie Kendrick vs. Steven Matz, New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $3,500
Kendrick continues to fly under the radar as an important part of the Nationals lineup, hitting .300 with two home runs and seven RBI this season. His .348 BABIP is almost right on par with his career mark of .340, so it’s not unreasonable to think that he can continue to hit for a high average. He finished with a 137 wRC+ against lefties last year, making him a cost-effective option to consider against Matz on Wednesday.
Others to consider: Jed Lowrie and Cesar Hernandez
THIRD BASE
Travis Shaw vs. Tyler Mahle, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Miller Park
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $3,600
Mahle threw six shutout innings in his first start of the season against the Cubs but has come crashing back down to Earth by allowing 10 total runs in his last two starts. Hitters have been squaring him up well with a 40% hard-hit rate overall. Shaw posted a 127 wRC+ against righties last year, so don’t be surprised if he has a big game against Mahle.
Jeimer Candelario vs. Kevin Gausman, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Comerica Park
FanDuel = $2,600
DraftKings = $3,400
Candelario showed promise in his brief stint with the Tigers last year, batting .330 with a .406 OBP in 27 games. He had a .270 average and .350 OBP during his career in the minors, so regression was likely in the cards heading into this season. He has only hit .220 out of the gates, but he does have four doubles, two triples and one home run so far. Gausman is struggling yet again with a 1.60 WHIP through three starts, so it might be worth taking a chance on Candelario at this cheap price.
Others to consider: Yangervis Solarte and David Freese
SHORTSTOP
Trea Turner vs. Steven Matz, New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $4,600
Turner has shown signs of coming out of his slump in the first two games of this series, hitting a combined 5-for-9 with three runs scored and two stolen bases. He’ll continue to bat leadoff with Adam Eaton (ankle) sidelined, giving him added value in DFS. It also gives him a chance to swipe more bases as well.
Corey Seager vs. Luis Perdomo, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,400
Seager recorded just his third multi-hit game of the season Tuesday and is only batting .212 so far. He’s been very unlucky with a .236 BABIP, so don’t expect him to continue to hit this poorly for much longer. He finished with a .353 wOBA against right-handed pitching last year, which should make him a candidate for your entry against the struggling Perdomo on Wednesday.
Others to consider: Manny Machado and Trevor Story
OUTFIELD
J.D. Martinez vs. Tyler Skaggs, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $4,900
Martinez hasn’t carried over his torrid pace from the end of last year to his new team, but he certainly hasn’t struggled by hitting .271 with three home runs and 13 RBI. He absolutely destroyed left-handed pitching last year, finishing with a 235 wRC+ against them that ranked second in baseball. Skaggs is off to a great start, but he could be in for trouble against Martinez.
Josh Reddick vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Safeco Field
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $4,100
The Astros lineup is loaded with excellent right-handed hitters, making Reddick an extremely important left-handed compliment. He does his job well, posting a .363 wOBA against righties in 2017. He’s off to another great start against them this year with a .443 wOBA, so don’t hesitate to add him to your lineup Wednesday.
Franchy Cordero vs. Kenta Maeda, Los Angeles Dodgers
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $3,500
One of the up-and-coming young players in the Padres system, Cordero is getting a chance to show his stuff with Wil Myers (arm) and Manuel Margot (ribs) on the DL. He’s only hit .231 through seven games, but he has already slugged two home runs. He was a career .282 hitter in the minors, so he should show improvement in his batting average as he continues to get accustomed to the league. Maeda has a 2.08 ERA so far this season, but it could have been worse due to his 1.73 WHIP. If you want to take a chance on a cheap outfielder with upside, Cordero might be your man.
Others to consider: Mookie Betts and Christian Yelich
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for July 24, 2017
*Austyn Varney*
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Monday, July 24, 2017
*STARTING PITCHERS*
Jacob deGrom @ San Diego Padres
Park – Petco Park
Vegas O/U – 7.5
Jacob deGrom gets to face off with the San Diego Padres tonight. It should be easy work, especially in Petco Park. Petco Park is one of the 3 best pitcher ballparks in the game and deGrom is a guy that really benefits. He gives up a lot of flyouts, so extra space in the OF is going to help a ton. You then look at the match-up, which is perfect. The Padres are one of the worst teams in the league against righties (.299 wOBA) and don’t offer much in terms of upside. Wil Myers obviously solid, but everyone else is very up and down. deGrom has controlled games this year, which has always been one of his problems. He’s been solid against both sides of the plate with a .291 wOBA and also strikes out over 10 batters per 9 innings. The Padres hold an implied team total of just 3.30 and Vegas fully expect deGrom to handle these guys. deGrom is an extremely strong option in both cash games and tournaments.
Gerrit Cole @ San Francisco Giants
Park – AT&T Park
Vegas O/U – 8
Without having many solid options at pitcher tonight, Gerrit Cole is a great way to go. As we all know at this point, the Giants don’t have much of an offense. Against righties, they have no offense. They hold the leagues lowest wOBA at .290 and are on the way down. While the Giants used to be a team we avoided, the bottom of the order is now very bad. They strikeout a ton and don’t offer much power at AT&T Park. You then look at Gerrit Cole, who has been a solid pitcher his entire career. He’s always going to struggle a bit against lefties, but he makes it up with his effectiveness against right-handers. He strikes out 8 batters per 9 innings and walks just under 2. He’s priced down on both sites and makes for a very solid option in all formats.
*OFFENSIVE STACKS*
Los Angeles Dodgers Vs. Bartolo Colon (Minnesota Twins)
Park – Dodger Stadium
Implied Total – 5.67
The Dodgers are one of my favorite offenses of the entire season tonight. Yes, all year long. Sure, Bartolo Colon isn’t the worst. He’ll probably last 3-5 innings and give up 4 or 5 runs. He is horrible against both righties and lefties and has given up a .352 wOBA. The Dodgers are one of the best offenses in the entire league and I think they end up bolstering Colon and the average Twins bullpen. The Dodgers have some real obvious bats to target in Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger, who I would never leave off of a stack. You then get to the likes of Grandal and Utley, who are great values at the weaker 2 positions of the slate. If you’re looking to go contrarian, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig have a ton of upside.
Main Stack – Corey Seager, Chase Utley, Cody Bellinger, Yasmani Grandal
Sneaky Stack – Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig
Miami Marlins @ Martin Perez (Texas Rangers)
Park – Globe Life Park in Arlington
Implied Total – 5.03
I absolutely love this stack if you’re paying up for pitcher. You can get your 2 expensive bats in Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna. They are 2 of the best options on the slate and are my 2 top choices for an HR. You can then also get Martin Prado and Tyler Moore, who are cost-effective righties that hit lefties extremely well. The Marlins will be moving into GLobe Life Park, which is a top 4 ballpark for power in the summer months. You can expect some HR’s to be hit here and the value options on the Marlins are solid. Martin Perez is a very average pitcher, but he struggles a ton with righties. So far in 2017, he’s allowed a .364 wOBA and 10 homers in just 80 innings of work. The Marlins may be a bit sneaky and they have as much upside as anyone on the slate.
Main Stack – Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, Martin Prado, Tyler Moore
Sneaky Stack – Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich, Martin Prado
MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – June 26, 2017
*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.
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.
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