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MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 3/30/18

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 3/30/18

Earlybird special! Use Code PAMLB10 at checkout

The thrill of Opening Day has come and gone, but there is still plenty of excitement for Friday’s slate of MLB games 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

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 3/30/18

Max Scherzer vs. Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $11,100
DraftKings = $12,700

The first game of this series was scheduled for Thursday but was pushed back a day due to rain. This leaves a unique opportunity to use one of the elite pitchers in all of baseball on the second day of the season. Scherzer was terrific on his way to winning the Cy Young Award in 2017, finishing with a 2.51 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 12 K/9. He’s one of the most dominant strikeout pitchers in all of baseball, recording a K/9 of at least 10.1 in six straight seasons. The Reds have one of the best hitters in baseball in Joey Votto, but their overall lineup is not overly impressive. Look for Scherzer to start off the season on the right foot with another excellent outing Friday.

Blake Snell vs. Red Sox
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $6,700
DraftKings = $6,800

Snell has had control problems in his brief major league career, but he showed signs of improvement over the second half of the season, walking just 25 batters in 77.1 innings. His numbers improved, as a result, recording a 3.49 ERA and 1.13 WHIP during that stretch. Snell has also been a much better pitcher at home, posting a 3.20 ERA and 9.7 K/9 at Tropicana Field in his career. The Red Sox lineup is no cake walk, but Snell has strikeout upside and might be worth taking a chance on at this cheap price in tournament play.

OFFENSIVE STACKS

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 3/30/18

Chicago Cubs vs. Caleb Smith (Miami Marlins)
Stadium – Marlins Park

The sad state of affairs for the Marlins starting rotation leads Smith to start their second game of the season. He’s pitched only 18.2 innings in the majors during his career, posting a 7.71 ERA and 1.66 WHIP. At 26 years old, Smith is not a hot rising prospect either. He’s not a big strikeout pitcher, recording an 8.5 K/9 during his minor league career. The Cubs already mashed the Marlins for eight runs on Opening Day, so don’t be surprised if they have another offensive explosion Friday.

Players to consider stacking: Kris Bryant, Wilson Contreras, Addison Russell

Houston Astros vs. Doug Fister (Texas Rangers)
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington

Fister has had a fine career, but he’s not much more than a journeyman starter at this point. He appeared in 18 games for the Red Sox last year, finishing with a 4.88 ERA and 1.38 WHIP. He had an 8.3 K/9, but don’t expect that to hold up this year as his career K/9 is only 6.2. The Astros have one of the most potent lineups in the league, which could spell disaster for Fister on Friday. Make sure to take advantage for your entry.

Players to consider stacking: Carlos Correa, George Springer, Brian McCann

SPLIT KINGS

This season we’ll dive even deeper into the matchups to provide you with some hitters that have favorable splits each day. All areas that will be considered are splits against certain teams, starting pitchers, home and road games, and success against either right-handed or left-handed pitchers. Outside of the favorable offensive stacks already discussed, these hitters could also help you create a winning lineup.

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 3/30/18

Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $4,500

Freeman wasted no time getting off to a hot start this season, going 1-for-2 with a home run, two RBI, three runs and three walks Thursday. Friday brings a matchup against right-handed starter Nick Pivetta, who had a 6.02 ERA and 1.51 WHIP last season. Freeman also mashes right-handed pitching, batting .303 with a .531 slugging percentage against them in his career.

Khris Davis, OF, Oakland Athletics
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,100

Davis also started off the 2018 season in style, going 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI Thursday. He’s an elite power bat, hitting at least 42 homers in back-to-back seasons. He’s had success against Friday’s starter Tyler Skaggs, posting four hits, one home run, three RBI and one walk in eight career plate appearances against him. Skaggs also gave up 13 home runs in just 85 innings last year, which could be troublesome against Davis.

Zack Cozart, 3B, Los Angeles Angels
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $4,000

Cozart made a good first impression with his new team Thursday, going 3-for-6 with a home run and a double. He is coming off the best season of his career in 2017 when he hit .297, but that was partly inflated by his abnormally high .312 BABIP. He crushed left-handed pitching last season, batting .337 with a .633 slugging percentage. He gets to face Athletics’ lefty Sean Manaea on Friday.

Corey Dickerson, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
FanDuel = $2,600
DraftKings = $4,000

Dickerson had an excellent season in 2017, batting .282 with 27 home runs and 62 RBI as he made his first All-Star team. The Rays moved on from several key pieces of their offense in the offseason, ultimately landing Dickerson with the Pirates. He gets to face Jordan Zimmermann on Friday, who posted an unsightly 6.08 ERA and 1.55 WHIP last season. He’s not a strikeout pitcher either with a career 5.8 K/9. Dickerson hits right-handed pitchers particularly well, with 24 of his 27 home runs coming against them last year.

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 3/29/18

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 3/29/18

The long wait is finally over. Opening Day has arrived! There’s nothing quite like the excitement of the first day of the baseball season. Let’s kick this season off in style with a successful daily fantasy baseball lineup. 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.

Seasonal Only

Open day special! Use Code PAMLB10 at checkout.

 

STARTING PITCHERS

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 3/29/18

Chris Sale vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $11,200
DraftKings = $12,200

Sale (hip) started off his Red Sox career in style, posting a 17-8 record and finishing second in the voting for the Cy Young Award last year. He dominated the league, recording a 2.90 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and a career-high 12.9 K/9. His ERA was no fluke either as his FIP was a sparkling 2.45. Sale was hit by a comebacker in his final start this spring, but he should be fine for Opening Day. He gets a great matchup against a rebuilding Rays squad that lost Evan Longoria, Steven Souza Jr. and Corey Dickerson over the winter. Their lineup is lacking power as a result, setting up Sale to have a strong start to the 2018 campaign.

Garrett Richards vs. Oakland Athletics
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $8,000
DraftKings = $6,800

Richards showed promise in his first two full seasons as a starting pitcher in 2015 and 2016, going a combined 28-16 in 376 innings. His ERA was 3.65 or lower in both seasons and he had 340 total strikeouts. However, injuries have taken a toll on him the last two seasons, resulting in him throwing only 62.1 innings combined. He pitched well when he was on the mound, allowing only 16 total earned runs during that stretch. He’s healthy now and had a strong spring, recording a 2.84 ERA and 9.9 K/9. Thursday’s opponent in the Athletics has a lot of power, but they also have several players who strike out a lot. If you don’t want to pay up for Sale, Richards could provide value at a much more budget-friendly price.

OFFENSIVE STACKS

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 3/29/18

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Ty Blach (San Francisco Giants)
Stadium – Dodger Stadium

The Giants were hit hard by injuries to their starting rotation before the season even started, losing both Madison Bumgarner (hand) and Jeff Samardzija (pectoral). Because the injury to Bumgarner happened so late in spring training, the Giants did not have enough time to adjust their rotation. That left Blach lined up to start the opener. He did not have a strong season in 2017, finishing 8-12 with a 4.78 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. He struggled to get right-handed batters out as they hit .295 against him last year compared to lefties batting only .250. Most teams are throwing out their best starter in the first game of the season, which could lead to some low-scoring games. Take advantage of Blach taking the mound by stacking Dodgers hitters.

Players to consider stacking: Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor, Matt Kemp

Chicago Cubs vs. Jose Urena (Miami Marlins)
Stadium – Marlins Park

The Marlins traded away the vast majority of their good players and are lined up to be one of the worst teams in baseball this season, Their starting rotation is particularly bad, likely leaving them as a good team to stack against most nights. At first glance, Urena’s numbers from 2017 don’t look bad. He finished 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. However, his ERA could have been much worse as his FIP was 5.20. He also only struck out six batters per nine innings. Not having overpowering stuff immediately puts him behind the eight ball pitching against the potent Cubs lineup. On a day full of star pitchers, Urena is another defacto ace you can take advantage of.

Players to consider stacking: Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, Ian Happ

SPLIT KINGS

This season we’ll dive even deeper into the matchups to provide you with some hitters that have favorable splits each day. All areas that will be considered are splits against certain teams, starting pitchers, home and road games, and success against either right-handed or left-handed pitchers. Outside of the favorable offensive stacks already discussed, these hitters could also help you create a winning lineup.

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 3/29/18

Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $5,400

It’s not hard to find great numbers for Trout. Although he was limited to only 114 games last year due to injury, he still hit .306 with 33 home runs, 72 RBI, 92 runs scored and 22 steals. Trout has owned Athletics starting pitcher Kendall Graveman, hitting .370 with two home runs and four RBI against him in 30 career plate appearances.

Mookie Betts, OF, Boston Red Sox
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $5,000

This might not seem like an obvious advantage for Betts against a tough starting pitcher in Chris Archer on Thursday. Archer is a big-time strikeout pitcher, posting a K/9 of at least 10.4 in three straight seasons. However, Betts has excelled against him during his career, batting .387 with four home runs, 10 RBI and eight walks in 39 career plate appearances.

Evan Gattis, C, Houston Astros
FanDuel = $2,500
DraftKings = $3,300

Gattis is eligible at catcher, but he figures to see most of his time at designated hitter for the Astros this season. Injuries have limited him to only 212 games in the last two seasons combined, but he still managed to hit 44 home runs during that stretch. He gets to face Cole Hamels on Thursday, who he has hit .360 with three home runs against in 25 career plate appearances.

Albert Pujols, 1B, Los Angeles Angels
FanDuel = $2,500
DraftKings = $3,700

Pujols is a shell of his former self, hitting just .241 last season. He still showed he can hit for power though, slugging 23 home runs and recording 101 RBI. He has hit even better against Graveman than Trout has during his career, batting a loft .433 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 33 plate appearances.

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Playoffs – Tuesday, October 17, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Playoffs – Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Put your favorite MLB daily fantasy baseball lineup stacks from the article below in our MLB 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.

Lineuplab.com - NFL Daily Fantasy Sports - We have the tools to help you win DRAFTKINGS & FANDUEL

Houston Astros @ New York Yankees
Match-Up – Brad Peacock Vs Sonny Gray
Park – Yankee Stadium
Vegas – N/A

Pitchers

Lance McCullers Jr.

Brad Peacock was the projected starter here for a few days, but it looks like the Astros will make a last-second pivot to Lance McCullers. While McCullers is a much better pitcher at the peak of his game, we have no idea if he will be there. He’s been injured and up and down all year long, but did hold a 2.67 xFIP and 11+ K/9 when he was on the mound. The Yankees took a game back last night and will look to even it up. They have the bombers in Judge/Sanchez, but the strikeouts make them well worth it. All in all, these 4 pitchers are in a somewhat comparable spot. None are safe and you have to look more at which offense you dislike. The Yankees are explosive as anyone, but their statistically the worst offense by a good margin on this slate. McCullers is a fine play in all formats that comes with the inherent playoff risk.

Sonny Gray

I would like to think I can admit when wrong, but maybe not. I made it a point a couple years back to bask Sonny Gray. It had more to do with an average pitcher like himself getting lucky in Oakland and being looked at as an ace. He then fell back to Earth for 2 years, so everything in the world was right. This year, however, he’s returned with some fire. He’s been effective against both sides of the plate with a .281 wOBA. He’s striking out nearly 9 batters per 9 innings and walking just over 2. He’s a good pitcher by all means and that young guy from Oakland striking out 6 and BABIP’ing teams to death is gone. The big problem comes in the form of the Astros offense. They are swinging a hot stick right now and have one of the more overall lethal lineups in the game. Gray is a stay away for me, but I get the K appeal and low ownership.

Hitters

Lance McCullers and Sonny Gray are 2 excellent pitchers. There’s no getting around that. The problem is these offenses are nearly as good. On the Yankees side, I don’t have much interest. As we’ve already touched on, Sanchez and Judge have immense upside and can put 2 in the seats on any given night. THe rest of the order is pretty volatile with a lot of strikeouts, but I could see getting into Didi Gregorious. He has hit righties to a .372 wOBA on the season and has transferred that to the playoffs quite well. Guys like Brett Gardner, Todd Frazier, and Greg Bird are fine, but they aren’t guys you should be seeking out. I have a bit more interest in the Astros side. While Sony Gray is fine, this lineup is disgusting. Altuve and Correa are looking like the best duo in the league and both ae excellent cash game options with just 2 games. Josh Reddick and George Springer nail righties as well, so don’t leave them off. I will likely be stacking the Astros tonight, so here’s to hoping they get Sonny Gray.

Los Angeles Dodgers @ Chicago Cubs
Match-up – Yu Darvish Vs Kyle Hendricks
Park – Wrigley Field
Vegas – N/A

Pitchers

Yu Darvish

In my opinion, all 4 of these pitchers are very close together. On a set of games like this, any team can go off for no rhyme or reason. One bad pitch. One bad call. All it takes is 1 very volatile event to change the direction of the entire slate. It’s the reason I haven’t played cash games in the playoffs. It will often come down to a 1v1 or 2v2 matchup, which lowers any edge you may have had. On to Yu Darvish, I don’t like him. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a top 10 pitcher in baseball. I just don’t think the Cubs lie on their side and go down 3-0 at home. The lineup is obviously very capable and at home, ranked 3rd with a .332 wOBA against righties. Darvish is an excellent pitcher and if your stance is anti-Cubs, play him. He’s in no more of a drastic spot than any of the other guys. He may end up being the most highly owned, too.

Kyle Hendricks

Kyle Hendricks is quietly one of the best pitchers in baseball. He doesn’t strike many guys out and he doesn’t get past 92, so nobody really pays attention. What he does do, however, is consistently shut down batters from both sides of the plate. He also has one of the best pickoff moves in baseball, which hinders the run a lot better than the other Cubs arms. Hendricks has allowed a .291 wOBA over the year while giving up just a putrid 24% hard contact rate. Now with that being said, this Dodgers lineup is just as lethal as the Cubs. They’re swinging the bat well and I do like them h2h against Hendricks. Personally, McCullers and Hendricks are the 2 guys I will have exposure to. It’s the 2 teams I think to get a W, so it wasn’t tough to pull apart. All in all, every pitcher on this slate is very risky and every offense on this slate is very risky. Welcome, once again, to playoff baseball.

Hitters

At first glance, I think the Dodgers get a lot of attention in Wrigley tonight. Kyle Hendricks has a somewhat bad perception and the Dodgers are killing the baseball. As someone who will own a lot of Kyle Hendricks, I can’t necessarily jump on board. However, I get it. Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger are no fun for righties and I assume Hendricks will have some trouble with both. The rest of the order is filled with guys who can do damage but will more often just piss off the pitcher with 8 pitch at-bats. Hendricks will be on a short leash and the Cubs bullpen is average, so take that into consideration as well. On the Cubs side, I like the usual suspects. Rizzo and Bryant are excessive but have the upside to take you to the promise land. I do think the Cubs get the victory here, so I’ll be waiting for that lineup to come out and picking my spots. Good luck tonight and good luck in opening night NBA!






MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Playoffs – Saturday, October 7, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Playoffs – Saturday, October 7, 2017

Put your favorite MLB daily fantasy baseball lineup stacks from the article below in our MLB 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.

Lineuplab.com - NFL Daily Fantasy Sports - We have the tools to help you win DRAFTKINGS & FANDUEL

Chicago Cubs @ Washington Nationals
Match-Up – Jon Lester Vs Gio Gonzalez
Park – Nationals Park
Vegas – 8, Even

Pitchers

With just 2 games on this slate, we have to thoroughly consider each option. Starting us off in D.C., we have Jon Lester and Gio Gonzalez. The Nats opened as a slight -115 favorite, but it’s moved to even since. Looking at Gio, he’s had a very strong season. Through 190 innings, he’s allowed a .265 combined wOBA, while striking out nearly 8.5 batters per 9. He’s been one of the more consistent pieces in an inconsistent Nationals season. With that being said, I don’t love him against the Cubs. They are hitting the ball well and have some guys that are truly insane against lefties. However, these are 4 good offenses, so what can you do. Gio is a fine play in all formats, but you have to fully understand what the risk is. As for Lester, it’s nearly the same situation. Ryan Zimmerman and Anthony Rendon scare the hell out of me against lefties, sporting a .432 and .417 respective wOBA’s. The rest of the order does have a lot of lefties and Lester has held a .214 wOBA against them. I prefer Lester just slightly to Gio in all formats. He should have a bit of a longer leash as the Cubs are up in the series 1-0. I do expect all of the offenses to pay off today, so I’m not sure how successful you can possibly be. All in all, both of these guys are extremely talented and so are the offenses.

Hitters

The hitters are basically in the same spot as both of the pitchers. You’re obviously not excited to bat against either of these guys, but it’s necessary. With me liking Lester just a bit more, I’ll be forced into plenty of Cubs. Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras are 2 guys who specialize against lefties and are some of the best hitters on the slate. Rizzo and Baez are the next 2, sporting .386 and .355 wOBA’s. Nationals Park is a bit better for pitching, but these Cubs can hit it out anywhere. After the core 4, wait for the lineup to come out and take advantage of anyone in a friendly spot. On the Nationals side of the diamond, Rendon and Zimmerman are great cash game options if you’re not playing Lester. You can also take a shot on one of the elite lefties in hopes that righties from the bullpen come in sooner rather than later. Trea Turner is another guys that’s always in play, as he has a combo of speed and power that nobody else does. Putting it together, these are 2 elite offenses facing great pitchers. We will see who avails.

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Match-up – Robbie Ray Vs Rich Hill
Park – Dodger Stadium
Vegas – N/A

Paul Goldschmidt Daily Fantasy Baseball Stack Lineuplab

Pitchers

Robbie Ray and Rich Hill will take the mound tonight in Dodger Stadium. The O/U hasn’t been dropped yet, but I do expect it to be lower than the Cubs and Nats. These are 2 solid pitchers facing off in a very pitcher-friendly ballpark. The Dodgers won last night, but ended up having to use some of the bullpen in a 9-5 affair. Rich Hill is a guy that you have to consider a few things with. First, this isn’t the same as regular season Rich Hill. The guy has been battling blisters for 2 years now and I’m sure the Dodgers have been letting him heal for the postseason. When healthy, Hill has allowed a .311 wOBA against both righties and lefties. He is a guy that I’m willing to play in cash games in hopes that he has a solid 5 or 6 innings. I don’t like him as much as I like Robbie Ray, however. I know the Dodgers are great, but they’re worse against lefties and Ray is nothing short of elite. On the season, he’s struck out over 12 batters per 9 innings, while giving up just a .272 combined wOBA. Oh ya, that’s with most of his games in Chase Field. Ray should have a solid game against the Dodgers and he has a strikeout floor higher than anyone else. It goes without being said, but there is obviously risk. We’re talking about the Dodgers here.

Hitters

Even though we like both pitchers, we have to see what bats we want to take advantage of. Against lefties, the Diamondbacks are VERY good. Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez have both held .400+ wOBA’ against lefties since the start of the year. A.J. Pollock is also extremely lethal with speed and power that can make a huge difference. I don’t have any interest in the lefties, as the Dodgers bullpen is elite against them and so is Hill. On the Dodgers side, it’s more of the same. Justin Turner is one of the best hitters in the league against lefties and you can play him if you’re not on Robbie Ray. Austin Barnes is another lefty-specialist that will likely garner a solid spot in the order and be under 10% owned. Like I keep saying, this is the playoffs and any of these teams can get it going. For me, it’ll be Ray, the Cubs, and a solid mix of everyone else. Good luck!!!

 

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Playoffs – Tuesday, October 5, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Playoffs – Tuesday, October 5, 2017

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, October 4, 2017

Put your favorite MLB daily fantasy baseball lineup stacks from the article below in our MLB 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.

Lineuplab.com - NFL Daily Fantasy Sports - We have the tools to help you win DRAFTKINGS & FANDUEL

*Tuesday Night*

Boston Red Sox @ Houston Astros
Match-Up – Chris Sale Vs Justin Verlander
Park – Minute Maid Park
Vegas – 7, HOU -119
Pitchers

First things first, we have to realize that this is playoff time. It’s not all flowers and rainbows. We have to play pitchers against good offenses and bats against good pitchers. We have an example of that here with Justin Verlander and Chris Sale. Facing off against each other, you have to expect a dual for the ages. Talk about a way to start off the Divisional Round. I slightly prefer Sale, but so do the pricing algorithms, so they’re both in play. Sale has been one of the 2 best pitchers in baseball this season, sporting a .252 combined wOBA and nearly a 13 K/9. The Astros offense has ranked in the top 3 for most categories, so it’ll be quite the task. Verlander doesn’t have the same explosiveness, but you may argue he’s a lot safer. I would disagree just because it’s playoff time and everyone can go off, but I get it. He’s been a different pitcher since coming from the Tigers and you have to like the fact that he’s favored. Both of these guys deserve consideration and I couldn’t fault you for either. My cash game pitcher will absolutely come from this game. As of now, it’s looking to be Chris Sale.

Hitters

Like I said, you’re going to have to get exposure in spots you don’t really like. While the bats in the next game are surely more exciting, someone is going to produce here and you can get a huge upper-hand if you pick right. On the Astros side, we know the dominance against lefties that Altuve and Correa possess. We also know they prefer sitting at home, where they have held respective .419 and .398 wOBAs. George Springer and Evan Gattis are 2 more guys who can hit 2 homers and nobody would blink an eye. They can also strikeout 4 times and people would be far less surprised. Go ahead an take a shot on any of the other guys, but just know you’re playing the lottery. On the Red Sox side of the diamond, Betts and Benintendi are obviously the top 2 targets. There the best hitters on the team and will have to produce if the Sox want a W. I like Pedroia and Moreland next, as they should be about 5% owned and have the upside in this ballpark. Yes, even Pedroia doesn’t have a hard time hitting one out in the Crawford boxes. All in all, this is a spot where you should rather avoid hitters. The problem is you can’t on a 2-game slate. Choose wisely.

*Wednesday Night*

New York Yankees @ Minnesota Twins
Match-up – Sonny Gray Vs Trevor Bauer
Park – Progressive Field
Vegas – 8.5, CLE -141
Pitchers

Yankees fans seem to be up in arms about Sonny Gray and how he’s going to get a W against the cocky Indians, tossing out Trevor Bauer in game 1.They fail to realize that Kluber will be able to get full rest for game 2 and 5, so it’s just the logical move. Anyways, I’m not nearly as high on Sonny Gray. Gray is a good pitcher, but the Indians are one of the most lethal lineups in baseball and will hold no bars in the playoffs. I actually have a ta bit more interest in Trevor Bauer as the cheaper alternative. The Indians are the biggest favorites (-141 LOL) on the slate and the Yankees have the ability to lie down. Bauer has been excellent in his last 10 starts, though a .363 season wOBA against lefties is worrisome. Neither of these arms are on the same level as last game, but it’s a 2-game slate, so everybody is squarely in play.

Hitters

The Bats are where things get a little more exciting. We know the Indians are insane on offense and they have a lineup that just never stops. You can play Lindor, Ramirez, Santana, Encarnacion and whoever else finds their way into the top 6 in cash games. Sonny Gray is definitely a quality pitcher, but he’s allowed a 33% hard contact rate to both sides of the plate, so there’s upside. I don’t really like any 1 Indian more than another, but they’re all viable options in cash games. As for the Yankees side, Bauer has definitely struggled against lefties. With that being said, I’m not optimistic. Baier has looked like a different pitcher in the last few months and we know the Indians will go right to the bullpen with Kluber starting game 2. Sanchez and Judge are always going to be at the top of the list for an HR and tonight is no different. All in all, the Indians are probably the safest offense out of the 4 and the Yankees may have the most upside. With just 4 offenses on the slate and 4 good pitchers, I can’t give you anyone easy. This is where it gets fun!






MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Playoffs – Tuesday, October 3, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Put your favorite MLB daily fantasy baseball lineup stacks from the article below in our MLB 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.

Lineuplab.com - NFL Daily Fantasy Sports - We have the tools to help you win DRAFTKINGS & FANDUEL

*Tuesday Night*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Playoffs - Luis Severino - New York Yankees - Lineuplab.com

Minnesota Twins @ New York Yankees
Match-Up – Ervin Santana Vs Luis Severino
Park – Yankee Stadium
Vegas – 7.5, NYY -235
Pitchers

Luis Severino is going to be the pitcher to own on this slate. The Yankees are a huge -235 favorite and Severino faces the weakest lineup of the 4. The other game is also at Chase Field, so that’s not a spot you love to target pitchers in anyways. Severino is at home, in Yankee Stadium, facing a Twins lineup that can be taken advantage of by righties. Don’t get me wrong, the Twins are a string lineup and they aren’t one to be taken likely. However, this is the playoffs now, so the relativity scale is a bit different. The Twins K 22% of the time against righties and have posted an adequate .318 team wOBA. They’re worse on the road and Vegas has them with an implied team total under 3. As for Ervin Santana, I have no interest. I guess he could go out and dominate, but I’m willing to take the L if that happens. The Yankees are the top offense around and we’ll get to that in a second. Wrapping it up, Severino is the top option in all formats and Santana is probably the worst of the 4.

Hitters

With just 4 lineups on the slate, we can’t be picky. If you’re targeting Luis Severino, you might as well ignore the Twins. If you’re going off the board with a different pitcher, you should certainly have some correlation plays from Minnesota. Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario are the 2 best hitters against righties and an HR out of either of them wouldn’t be surprising in Yankee Stadium. The rest of the order is in play if you dislike Severino, but it’s not necessary. As for the Yankees side of the diamond, they’re my favorite offense on this mini-slate. Ervin Santana is not that good of a pitcher and he’s a guy that can be taken advantage of by both sides of the plate. He’s allowed a .301 wOBA on the year, which is good. However, a .246 BABIP suggests we have a lot more to the situation than that. He’s allowing a 37% hard contact rate and a 24% LD. Gary Sanchez is the top catcher on the slate and he should be close to 100% with the other options to choose from. Judge is another top play on the slate and it’ll just come down to whether or not you can afford him. Didi Gregorius and Brett Gardner are also right in that mix, so I like them in cash games as one of the last guys you fill-in. The bottom of the order should be RBI opportunities and you can take any of them in tournaments. To reiterate, we only have 4 teams to pick from, facing 4 decent or better pitchers, so you’re not going to be able to be very picky.

*Wednesday Night*

Paul Goldschmidt - MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Playoffs - Arizona Diamondbacks - Lineup lab

Colorado Rockies @ Arizona Diamondbacks
Match-up – Jon Gray Vs Zack Greinke
Park – Chase Field
Vegas – 8.5, ARI -167
Pitchers

If this game was in a neutral or pitcher-friendly ballpark, both of these pitchers would be a lot more interesting. Chase Field is the 2nd best park in baseball for hitting and these offenses can be lethal. With that being said, these guys are very talented and we can’t just ignore them because of the ballpark. For once, they’re both used to these conditions. Greinke has been dominant in Chase Field this year and Gray has been pretty impressive in Coors. Greinke is my 2nd favorite arm on this slate, though it’s by a healthy margin. He has been one of the better pitchers in baseball and it’s evident by his home numbers. He’s posted a .282 wOBA against both lefties and righties while striking out close to 10 batters per 9 innings. He’s an elite pitcher and you have to consider him for that sole fact. The argument against him is the Rockies lineup and their potency against righties. We’ll get to it. As for Jon Gray, I don’t have much interest. He is a very good pitcher, but he’s still young and I don’t think he has a leash longer than 1 run here. The Rockies have a decent bullpen and they will not want to fall behind against Greinke. This D-Backs lineup is too strong at home and I just see no reason to target Gray. However, I do like him more than Santana.

Hitters

There isn’t a single hitter in this game that isn’t at least a decent play. LIke I’ve said over and over, we don’t get to be picky on this one. We have 4 good pitchers and 4 good lineups to look at. In Chase Field, there’s nothing wrong with staking either or both of these teams. I definitely like the D-Backs a bit more and their insane 1-5. They are all cash game viable and will be a staple in cash games. The bottom of the D-Backs order (Iannetta, Drury) has a lot of boom/bust. Don’t hesitate on any of those guys if you think they will fall under 10 or 15% owned. As for the Rockies, they’re fine, but I won’t go searching them out. Gerardo Parra is probably my favorite as a decently priced OF’er with some upside. Guys like Arenado and Blackmon are phenomenal GPP plays, nut I’d certainly rather have some combo of Sanchez/Judge/Goldy/J.D. They are my priorities on this slate and targeting Greinke isn’t. All in all, this slate is tough. You never know what can happen in baseball and that’s only magnified in a 1-game playoff series. Good Luck!!






Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 10/01/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Sunday, October 1

The long grind of the MLB regular season comes to an end Sunday. We’d like to thank you for reading all of our articles over the course of the season. Hopefully you have come away a winner more often than not. Let’s try bring home one last payday Sunday as well! Put your favorite daily fantasy baseball stacks from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the MLB Player Lab.

**STARTING PITCHERS**

Collin McHugh vs. Boston Red Sox
Park – Fenway Park

McHugh has been limited to only 11 starts due to injury this season, but he has pitched well when healthy as he is 4-2 with a 3.45 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 54 strikeouts in 57.1 innings. He has really turned it on down the stretch as he has allowed two runs or less in six of his last seven starts. The Red Sox finally clinched the American League East title Saturday in what was becoming a tough battle to stay ahead of the New York Yankees. With their playoff fate already sealed, expect several starters to be rested, making for a great match up for McHugh.

Tyler Anderson vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Park – Coors Field

Anderson showed promise last season, finishing with a 3.54 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 99 strikeouts over 114.1 innings. However, he took a step backwards this season as he enters Sunday with a 4.81 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 81 strikeouts in 86 innings. He’s trying to finish this season on a high note as he has only allowed three earned runs in 22.2 innings over his last four starts. The Dodgers are another team locked into their playoff position, so it’s possible they rest some of their key regulars as well. On a day filled with uncertainly, Anderson has a chance to produce a valuable stat line.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Miami Marlins vs. Max Fried (Atlanta Braves)
Park – Marlins Park

The Braves continue to trot out rookie starters down the stretch, including Fried who has a 3.74 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 15 strikeouts in 21.2 innings this season. Not only has he allowed more than a hit per inning, but he also has a 4.6 BB/9. He’s been lucky to only have a 3.74 ERA as his FIP is 5.51. With the Marlins trying to help Giancarlo Stanton reach 60 home runs, they should put close to their regular lineup on the field Sunday. Look for them to take advantage of Fried.

Players to consider stacking: Giancarlo Stanton, Dee Gordon and Marcell Ozuna

Detroit Tigers vs. Bartolo Colon (Minnesota Twins)
Park – Target Field

Colon was awful with the Braves earlier this season as he had a 8.14 ERA and 1.78 WHIP. While he’s been better in Minnesota, he still hasn’t been great as he has a 5.50 ERA and 1.51 WHIP with his new squad. He’s not overpowering at this stage of his career as he only has 85 strikeouts in 136.2 total innings this season. With so many of the elite offenses possibly resting players heading into the playoffs, there aren’t a ton of great stacking options. I’ll go with the Tigers offense to do damage against Colon.

Players to consider stacking: Nicholas Castellanos, Jeimer Candelario and James McCann

 

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 09/30/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Saturday, September 30

With only two days left in the regular season, it makes for volatile times in DFS with teams either resting players for the playoffs or giving their young players a chance to finish out the season. Put your favorite daily fantasy baseball stacks from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the MLB Player Lab.

**STARTING PITCHERS**

Corey Kluber vs. Chicago White Sox
Park – Progressive Field

Kluber is having a season for the ages as he enters Saturday 18-4 with a 2.27 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 262 strikeouts in 198.2 innings. While he’s always been a good source of strikeouts, his 11.9 K/9 this season is far and away the best of his career. He’s finishing the season strong as he has not allowed a run while posting 27 strikeouts over his last three starts. Get him in your lineup Saturday and enjoy your last opportunity for him to help you bring home some cash.

Jhoulys Chacin vs. San Francisco Giants
Park – AT&T Park

Chacin has had a fine season on a bad team as he enters Saturday 13-10 with a 3.98 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 147 strikeouts in 174.1 innings. The main reason I like him Saturday is because of his match up against the Giants. Chacin has already faced the Giants five times this season, going 3-1 with a 2.83 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. His success against them shouldn’t be a surprise as the Giants have scored the second fewest runs in all of baseball. If you want to go with a cheap starter, Chacin is your man.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Minnesota Twins vs. Buck Farmer (Detroit Tigers)
Park – Target Field

Farmer struggled yet again this season as he is 4-5 with a 7.33 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 46 strikeouts in 43 innings. It hasn’t been any better for him down the stretch as he has allowed at least four runs in four of his last five starts. The Twins have nothing to play for as they are already in the playoffs, but they still should have at least a few threatening bats in their lineup. In his only other start against them this season, Farmer allowed five runs over five innings. Make sure you take advantage Saturday by packing your lineup with Twins.

Players to consider stacking: Brian Dozier, Eduardo Escobar and Eddie Rosario

Texas Rangers vs. Daniel Gossett (Oakland Athletics)
Park – Globe Life Park in Arlington

Gossett’s rookie campaign has been a struggle as he is 4-10 with a 5.82 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 72 strikeouts in 89.2 innings. He has been hammered of late, giving up 13 runs over his last two starts. Home runs have been a problem for him this season as he has already allowed 20. That’s not a good sign considering the Rangers entered Friday with the third most home runs in all of baseball. This has the makings of an offensive explosion for the Rangers.

Players to consider stacking: Elvis Andrus, Joey Gallo and Nomar Mazara

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for September 29, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

Lineuplab.com - DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for September 29, 2017

The final weekend of the regular season is upon us and there are still some teams with tons of motivation as they fight for their playoff lives. For fantasy, we will want to focus on these situations for the most part, but don’t forget about the young players looking to make an impact as they play for a spot next season. Let’s jump right in and take a look at a few top pitchers and stacks for tonight.

Starting Pitchers

Zack Greinke
Opponent – @ KC
DraftKings – $11,300
FanDuel – $9,500

The last week of the season is a real challenge when selecting pitchers and there is no such thing as a “safe” play. I lean Greinke at the top as Strasburg was held to just 83 pitches in his last start. Greinke also comes with some risk as the Diamondbacks have locked up the top wildcard spot in the NL but at least you get a bit of a discount on both sites. Greinke is also coming off his worst start of the season but overall, is having a fantastic season all while pitching in a top 3 hitters park. He has given us a ton of upside with his highest K rate(9.57 K/9) since the 2011 season with an impressive 3.18 ERA and 3.34 xFIP. Although he has been better at home, you can’t ignore the park upgrade for him tonight in Kansas City facing a Royals team that ranks 24th in wOBA and 21st in wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching.

Dan Straily
Opponent – vs. ATL
DraftKings – $7,100
FanDuel – $7,400

The value play of the day is Dan Straily who will be at home Friday night facing a Braves team that has really stumbled down the stretch. They sit second to last in wOBA and wRC+ over the last 14 days and also sit in the bottom third of the league vs. right-handed pitching. For Straily, it has been a huge rebound after getting blown up for eight earned runs vs. the Phillies a couple weeks back. Since then, he has allowed just two earned runs over his last 11 innings pitched and flashed a ton of upside with 17 strikeouts. The only knock is that in those two starts he has allowed seven free passes but I am not too worried as he has been much better than that all season with 2.82 BB/9 rate. All things considered, he is in play in all formats with a low to mid $7K price tag on both sites.

 

Top Stack

Colorado Rockies vs. Hyun-Jin Ryu(LAD)

The Rockies are one of the teams fighting for their playoff lives as they try to hold off the Brewers for the second wildcard in the National League. Lucky for them they open the final regular season series at home in Coors which, once again, ranks as the top hitters park in the league. They will face Hyun-Jin Ryu who was removed from his last start after getting hit in the arm and with the Dodgers already locked into the playoffs, I don’t expect them to run him out there for a full start. In one sense, that is a good thing as he has been fairly consistent in the second half allowing more than two earned runs just twice. On the other hand, he has been prone to giving up home runs(16.8% HR/FB rate) and got destroyed in his last start in Coors in mid-May. Look for the Rockies to put forward their best effort with everything on the line in the final days of the season.

Top Hitters to Stack: Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu, Trevor Story

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Matt Harvey(NYM)

Going a little off the board here with my second stack but it has more to do with the pitcher than the team he is facing. The Phillies have struggled to score runs all season but should be able to kick off their final series in style facing Matt Harvey. He returned to the Mets rotation at the start of September and has picked up right where he left off, pitching bad! In those four starts and one relief appearance, he has allowed a total of 24 earned runs in 18.1 innings(11.78 ERA) and has given up four home runs(18% HR/FB rate) while striking out just 10 and walking nine batters. If ever a time to jump on the Phillies, it would be tonight.

Top Hitters to Stack: Cesar Hernandez, Rhys Hoskins, Nick Williams

 

Thank you for reading and if you have any questions as lineup lock approaches please contact me via Twitter (@Jager_Bombs9)






DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for September 28, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

Lineuplab.com - DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for September 28, 2017

 

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Lineuplab.com

Sonny Gray
Opponent – vs. TB
DraftKings – $11,700
FanDuel – $9,200

With the Nationals likely to limit and not push Strasburg again tonight(85 pitches last outing), I turn to Sonny Gray as my top pitcher. The Yankees have clinched a birth in the playoffs but still have an outside shot at capturing the AL East with four games remaining. Sure, they will need some help from Red Sox opponents but all they can do is go out there and win. Gray has been very consistent for the pinstripers since joining them in August, recording a 3.12 ERA as he has held opponents to two or fewer earned runs in eight of his 10 starts. Gray has also posted his highest K/9 rate(8.46) since his rookie season and it gets a boost tonight vs. the Rays who strikeout nearly 25% of the time vs. right-handed pitching. He is safe in all formats.

Sean Manaea
Opponent – @ TEX
DraftKings – $6,200
FanDuel – $6,500

Consistency is not a word we will use with Manaea who enters tonight with a 4.56 ERA but considering the price and smaller slate, he is in play as a SP2 on DraftKings. His splits are pretty glaring as right-handed bats have had their way with him(.351 wOBA) while he has shut down lefties(.262 wOBA). That is good news for tonight as the Rangers are likely to have three or four lefties in the lineup(Odor, Choo, Mazara, Gallo). The Rangers have also been terrible down the stretch ranking dead last in wOBA(.244) and wRC+(42) over the last 14 days with a crazy 31% K rate. There is definitely some risk here but the price is in a great spot that allows you to pair him with Gray and load up on bats tonight.

Top Stack

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Lineuplab.com

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Edwin Jackson(WSH)

The top stack of the night comes from a team that has been out of the playoff picture for some time now. That hasn’t stopped them from closing out the season strong as they sit with a .351 wOBA and 114 wRC+ over the last seven days. It should be no problem for them to add to those numbers tonight as they get the best matchup on the board facing Edwin Jackson who has been a complete dumpster fire, for lack of a better term. He has made four starts since the calendar turned to September, giving up 22 earned runs in 16 innings including multiple home runs in each game. The best part is that the Pirates do not come with premium prices in a premium matchup.

Top Hitters to Stack: Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, David Freese, Adam Frazier

Also Consider: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kyle Hendricks(CHC), New York Yankees vs. Jacob Faria(TB)

Thank you for reading and if you have any questions as lineup lock approaches please contact me via Twitter (@Jager_Bombs9)