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MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for July 18, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Clayton Kershaw - Lineuplab

 

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Clayton Kershaw @ Chicago White Sox
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field
Vegas O/U – 8.5

Who else? When Kershaw takes the hill, you can expect him to lead this article. While Scherzer and Sale are making a solid case for that spot, Kershaw is still the best pitcher in baseball. He’s actually flown under the radar this year and it speaks to just how consistent and dominant he is. So far in 2017, Kershaw has struck out nearly 11 batters per 9 while walking just 1.5 per 9. Lefties are also having the best season of all-time against Kershaw, which obviously won’t last for long. The White Sox are a very easy team to face for a guy like Kershaw. Against lefties, they have been a bit fluky. With a team .343 BABIP, their surface numbers are sure to go down. They do K as much as any other team in the league, sitting at 23.1%. Guaranteed Rate Field is a better hitting park than Dodgers FIeld, but nothing too extreme. Kershaw is one of the best pitchers of all-time and if you can afford him, do it. If you need to pay down, let’s take a look at a guy facing one of the bottom offenses in the game.

Michael Clevinger @ San Francisco Giants
Park – AT&T Park
Vegas O/U – 8.5

I know, it’s tough to spend up for a guy we don’t know much about. With that being said, what we have seen from Clevinger has been very nice. He’s posted a .297 combined wOBA since the start of 2016 and hasn’t really had any big red flags. He strikes out over 1 batter per inning and has held opposing hitters to a very low 26% hard contact rate. While I’m not saying he’s some great pitcher, he can get it done in the right match-up. The San Francisco Giants have been one of the most disappointing teams in the league, sporting a league-low .290 team wOBA against righties. In AT&T Park, they have a very tough time putting together runs. The Giants hold the 2nd lowest implied team total on the slate and Clevinger should be a solid option in both cash games and tournaments.

 

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

New York Yankees @ Bartolo Colon (Minnesota Twins)
Park – Target Field
Vegas O/U – 10.5

Oh boy, I have no idea why the Twins are doing this to Bartolo. At 44 years old, there is no way he belongs in the majors. He shouldn’t even be in the minors. Colon has pitched 62 innings so far this year, sporting a .371 wOBA against lefties and a .423 wOBA against righties. He’s given up 11 homers and has allowed a 32.3% hard contact rate. What I’m basically saying is that he should mightily struggle. With Colon being worse against righties and a predominantly fastball pitcher, it’s pretty easy to know who we want to target. Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez are 2 of my favorite plays on the slate and I would never think about leaving either of them off a Yankees stack. After those 2, you can really go anywhere.

Main Stack – Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Brett Gardner, Matt Holliday
Sneaky Stack – Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorious, Jacoby Ellsbury

Houston Astros vs. Sam Gaviglio (Seattle Mariners)
Park – Minute Maid Park
Vegas O/U – 9.5

Sam Gaviglio is not too good of a pitcher. So far in 2017, he’s allowed a .341 wOBA combined. He now moves into Houston to face one of the more lethal offenses in the game. Minute Maid Park is a great hitters-park for righties and I see no problem targeting them in both cash games and tournaments. Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve are the 2 top options and they both hit righties god enough. Josh Reddick and George Springer will hold the 1 and 2 spot and both make very solid plays. McCann and Beltran fit better in GPPs, but I couldn’t blame you for using either in cash games. Gaviglio will only lst 4 or 5 innings and the Mariners bullpen isn’t very good. Target the Stros in both cash games and tournaments.
Main Stack – Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Beltran
Sneaky Stack – Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Brian McCann, Marwin Gonzalez

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for July 17, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Monday, July 17, 2017

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Lance McCullers - Lineup lab

PITCHERS

Lance McCullers vs. Seattle Mariners
Park – Minute Maid Park
Vegas O/U – 9

This is a slate without much to love from the pitching spot, so we’ll take what we can get. McCullers is one of the clear top 2 options and he does have a pretty solid match-up with the Mariners. While they have solid numbers against righties, they rely on the production of 2-3 bats. McCullers has been extremely dynamic this season and has put himself in the conversation with some of the elite arms in baseball. McCullers has struck out close to 11 batters per 9 innings, while walking just 2.5. He’s posted a .273 combined wOBA and has been uber effective against both sides of the plate. Minute Maid Park is tougher on lefties and McCullers has pitched very nicely there with a sub 3.00 xFIP. While McCullers will cost you, it’s not like you have a solid alternative. He’s the top option in cash games and tournaments, but it’s close.

Jon Lester @ Atlanta Braves
Park – SunTrust Park
Vegas O/U – 9

Jon Lester is always a bit weird to roster. It’s usually because it’s tough to roster a pitcher who can’t throw to first base. Especially an elite one. While Lester has tightened down on the running game lately, he’s still far below average. With that being said, you can’t steal 1st base. Lester has dominated lefties to a .218 wOBA and the Braves only real speed threat, Ender Inciarte, happens to be a lefty. Lester is always going to be a bit risky, but he’s also very, very talented and can put up a big game anytime he takes the mound. If you want to pivot off of McCullers for whatever reason, Lester is perfect.

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Adrian Beltren - Lineup lab

OFFENSIVE STACKS

Texas Rangers @ Chris Tillman (Baltimore Orioles)
Park – Camden Yards
Vegas O/U – 10.5

You have to love the Texas Rangers tonight in both cash games and tournaments. Why? Chris Tillman. Once a guy who was looked at as a big prospect, Tillman has gone down the drain. He’s currently allowed a .410 wOBA to righties and a .440 to lefties, struggling to get anyone out. He welcomes the Rangers into Camden Yards, one of the best stadiums in all of the league for hitting. Masses and Choo are 2 lefty OF’ers who take righties and are elite options. Beltre and Lucroy are my 2 favorite righties and round out my cash game stack. After that, you can go anywhere. Joey Gall is an interesting bat as he can send 2 out on any given night without blinking.

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

Kansas City Royals vs. Jordan Zimmerman (Minnesota Twins)
Park – Kauffman Stadium

When the Kansas City Royals are projected to put up nearly 5.5 runs in Kauffman Stadium, you know the pitcher is bad. Jordan Zimmerman was actually an established ace just a few years ago and boy has he fallen off a steep, jagged cliff. Zimmerman has sported a .375 wOBA against both righties and lefties, giving no preferential treatment. He’s just bad against everyone. While the Royals aren’t typically an explosive offense, they do have a lot of ways to go. Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas are my 2 favorites and I wouldn’t leave them off any stack. You can then go basically anywhere. Eric Hosmer and Sal Perez make for great tournament options, while Whit Merrifield and Jorge Bonifacio make a bit more sense in cash games.

Main Stack – Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Whit Merrified
Sneaky Stack – Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez, Brandon Moss

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 07/16/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Sunday, July 16

While Saturday was filled with great starting pitchers, Sunday looks to be a day that favors hitters based on some of the pitching match ups. 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**

Carlos Martinez vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Park – PNC Park

Although Martinez is only 6-8, he’s had an excellent season as he has a 3.40 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 128 strikeouts in 116.1 innings. He’s still only 25 and made his second career All-Star team this year. Martinez is only allowing seven hits per nine innings this season, which would be the lowest average of his career. He gets a favorable match up Sunday against a Pirates team that struggles to score runs. Expect Martinez to have another excellent outing.

Sean Manaea vs. Cleveland Indians
Park – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Manaea had an excellent first half for the Athletics as he went 7-5 with a 3.76 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 93 strikeouts in 93.1 innings. He did not allow more than 3 runs in any of his last four starts before the All-Star break. Sunday brings a match up against the Cleveland Indians, who he already faced earlier this season and allowed only one run to go along with nine strikeouts over seven innings. Manaea presents an opportunity to save some money at starting pitcher while still having the potential for big production.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Chicago Cubs vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (Baltimore Orioles)
Park – Oriole Park at Camden Yards

The Cubs crushed Wade Miley and the Orioles Saturday as they scored 10 runs on their way to a victory. Sunday they get to face Jimenez who enters the day with a 6.67 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 72 strikeouts in 83.2 innings. Jimenez allows a lot of home runs as he has already given up 19 this season after only allowing 16 over 142.1 innings last season. This is another great opportunity to fill your lineup with Cubs.

Players to consider stacking: Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Ian Happ

Houston Astros vs. Kyle Gibson (Minnesota Twins)
Park – Minute Maid Park

The Twins are right in the hunt for a playoff spot, but it has been in spite of Gibson’s performance so far. He enters Sunday with an ugly 6.31 ERA and 1.77 WHIP. Not only is he allowing a lot of base runners, but he has only recorded 51 strikeouts in 81.1 innings. This ins’t really a fluke either as he had a 5.07 ERA and 1.56 WHIP last season. The Astros can clobber even the best starting pitchers, so expect them to do a lot of damage against Gibson in this contest.

Players to consider stacking: George Springer, Carlos Correa and Marwin Gonzalez

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 07/15/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Saturday, July 15

Saturday’s schedule is loaded with great starting pitcher options, which could lead to some difficult decisions when trying to select your hitters. 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. Oakland Athletics
Park – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Kluber has been nothing short of dominant for the Indians this season as he is 7-3 with a 2.80 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 123 strikeouts in 93.1 innings. His current 11.9 K/9 would be the highest mark of his career. While his overall numbers are great, he has been even better lately as he has only allowed three runs total over his last five starts. Saturday he gets to face an Oakland squad that he already mastered earlier this season when he struck out 10 batters over six shutout innings. Look for another great outing from Kluber in this one.

Jimmy Nelson vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Park – Miller Park

Nelson is having the best season of his career by far as he is 8-4 with a 3.30 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 109 innings. The biggest improvement has been his strikeout rate which currently sits at 9.7 per nine innings. He has never had a K/9 over 7.5 in any of the previous four seasons of his career. Not only have his strikeouts increased, but his BB/9 is down to 2.2 after it was 4.3 last season. Nelson has two big factors working in his favor Saturday. First, he has been excellent at home as he has a 2.35 ERA and 1.23 WHIP at Miller Park this season. Second, he gets to face off against a very poor Philadelphia offense. If you don’t want to pay the price for Kluber, Nelson should be your man Saturday.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Detroit Tigers vs. Francisco Liriano (Toronto Blue Jays)
Park – Comerica Park

To say Francisco Liriano has struggled this season is an understatement. He enters Saturday with a staggering 5.56 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. His biggest problem is his control as he has already issued 35 walks in only 68 innings. It’s hard to imagine, but Liriano has been even worse on the road this season as he has a 7.20 ERA and 1.96 WHIP away from the Rogers Centre. This has the makings of an offensive explosion for the Tigers.

Players to consider stacking: Miguel Cabrera, JD Martinez and Nicholas Castellanos

Chicago Cubs vs. Wade Miley (Baltimore Orioles)
Park – Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Miley is not having a good season with the Orioles as he is 4-7 with a 4.97 ERA and a bloated 1.75 WHIP. He walks a ton of batters as he already has issued 51 walks in only 88.2 innings. That eliminates his ability to pitch deep into games as well as he is averaging only 5 innings per start. The Cubs entered Friday with a .358 OBP against left handed pitchers this season, so Miley could be in for a lot of trouble Saturday. Make sure you have some of the defending champs in your lineup.

Players to consider stacking: Kris Bryant, Ian Happ and Ben Zobrist

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 14, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 14, 2017

The All-Star break exhibition is now over and it’s time to get back to baseball. The second half starts tonight with a full 15-game slate that is not short of risk. With an early look at the weather, there are some concerns in New York(COL vs NYM), Baltimore(CHC vs. BAL) and Pittsburgh(STL vs. PIT). I am writing this early Thursday afternoon so be sure to check the LineupLab Weather Page closer to lineup lock. Let’s jump into the picks.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup - Carlos Carrasco - Lineuplab

Carlos Carrasco
Opponent – @ OAK
Park – Oakland Coliseum(Pitcher Park)
Vegas Favorite (CLE -135)
Vegas Total (8.0)

Ranking pitching staffs by WAR, we find the Indians sitting second(14.2) as a group and it’s in large part to the top two in the rotation(Kluber & Carrasco). Both sit inside the Top 10 in CY Young voting going into the second half. Carassco hasn’t shown the elite upside of Kluber’s 11.9 K/9 rate but has still been dominant with a 9.8 K/9 rate and 12.8% swinging strike rate and has struck out 7+ batters in 11 of his 14 starts. There have been a few blips on the radar this season but overall he has been very consistent averaging 37.7 FanDuel and 20.9 DraftKings points per start. He is safe in all on FanDuel under $10K but should be reserved to GPP only on DraftKings as he has reached a season-high $12,100.

Jacob Faria
Opponent – @ LAA
Park – Angel Stadium of Anaheim(Pitcher Park)
Vegas Favorite (TB +105)
Vegas Total (8.5)

Targeting the Angels lately has been a profitable venture as they rank right at the bottom of the league in almost every category over the past 14 days. While they do get Mike Trout back tonight, I personally think it will take the team a game or two to get back in the groove. I also think Jacob Faria is far too under priced considering how impressive he has been early in his career. He has gone at least six innings in all six starts and has held opponents to two or less earned runs in five of them and is striking out just under a batter per inning. From a fantasy standpoint, he is averaging 41.2 FanDuel and 22.4 DraftKings points per start. He is safe in all formats. The Rays are early dogs on the road making this a contrarian GPP play.

Stack of the Night

 DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup - Lineuplab.com

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Ricky Nolasco (LAA)

The Rays strike out a ton vs. right-handed pitching(24.6%) making them a tough play in cash games but they are a perfect team to stack in GPP’s. The upside is most definitely there as they rank inside the Top 5 in wOBA(.339), wRC+(114), and ISO(.204) vs. righties and get somewhat of a batting practice session tonight vs. Ricky Nolasco has been downright awful in the first half. He sports a 5.06 ERA, 4.64 xFIP and most notably a 19.8% HR/FB rate so look for the Rays to tee off.

Top Players to Stack – Corey Dickerson, Logan Morrison, Steven Souza Jr, Evan Longoria

 

 

Also Consider: Seattle Mariners vs. James Shields (CWS)

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 07/09/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Sunday, July 9

Make sure you get your DFS fix Sunday as the All-Star break begins Monday. 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.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Sunday, June 26, 2016. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

**STARTING PITCHERS**

Clayton Kershaw vs. Kansas City Royals
Park – Dodger Stadium

Kershaw looks to wrap up another stellar first half on a high note Sunday against the Royals. He enters the game 13-2 with a 2.19 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 146 strikeouts in 123.1 innings. While it’s hard to imagine he could pitch any better, he has not allowed a run over his last three starts, striking out 31 batters in the process. The Royals don’t score a ton of runs in the first place as they are towards the bottom of the league, so expect Kershaw to put together a great performance.

Trevor Cahill vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Park – Citizens Bank Park

Cahill has quietly been a reliable starter for the Padres as he is 3-2 with a 2.96 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 55 strikeouts in 45.2 innings. He has done an excellent job keeping the ball in the park as he has only allowed three home runs all season. While Cahill doesn’t jump out as a DFS option on most nights, he has value Sunday against the Phillies as they have one of the least potent offenses in all of baseball. If you want a cheap starting pitcher, Cahill has a chance to pitch well in this contest.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Colorado Rockies vs. Carlos Rodon (Chicago White Sox)
Parks – Coors Field

Rodon has missed most of this season due to injury and has only made two starts as a result. While he only allowed two runs, he did walk nine batters in 11.1 innings over those two contests. He struggles to keep runners off base in general as he has a 1.41 WHIP for his career. The Rockies hit left handed pitchers well as they entered Saturday batting .273 against southpaws. This has the makings of the first really poor outing of the season for Rodon.

Players to consider stacking: Nolan Arenado, Mark Reynolds and DJ LeMahieu

Seattle Mariners vs. Daniel Gossett (Oakland Athletics)
Park – Safeco Field

Gossett has made five starts for Oakland this season, but he allowed at least five runs in three of them. While his 6.23 ERA and 1.39 WHIP are ugly, maybe his most concerning stat is that he has allowed seven home runs in only 26 innings. He had only given up 29 home runs in 383 career innings in the minors, so he appears to be having issues adjusting to hitters in the big leagues. Make sure you get some Mariners in your lineup.

Players to consider stacking: Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Jean Segura

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 July 5, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Fantasy Lineup – July 5, 2017

Welcome to Lineup Lab’s Best MLB Fantasy Lineup for July 5th, 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 July 5 2017 - Alex Wood - Lineuplab

Starting Pitchers

Alex Wood
Opponent – Vs. ARI
Park – Dodger Stadium
Vegas Favorite (LAD -220)
Vegas Total (8.5)

We saw Clayton Kershaw dominate these D-backs last night, going 7 innings, striking out 12 and grabbing the W. I’m by no means comparing the bottom-line talent of these 2, but Wood and Kershaw have a lot in common. They are both funky lefties with weird deliveries and dominant 5-pitch arsenals. Wood has picked up a lot from Kershaw and I’m sure the NL West foes are very appreciative. Wood is 26 years old and has been in the majors for 3 years, though never showing this type of consistency and production. He’s striking out over 10 batters per 9 innings and walking barely over 2. He’s been able to pinpoint his fastball and hold better command of his offspeed, which is his 2-strike out pitch. He’s holding a .220 wOBA against righties and a .217 against lefties. There is no reason to dislike this kid as a pitcher and I will argue that he is top 10 right now in the league. The match-up tonight with the Diamondbacks tonight is good, but not great. The D-backs hit lefties better as a team, but also lose Peralta and Lamb, who are big reasons for their overall success.The D-Backs also see a ballpark downgrade from Chase to Dodger Stadium, where the ball dies in the outfield. Wood is inherently risky to a degree, but still the safest on this slate and at his price, don’t be scared in any format.

Trevor Bauer
Opponent – Vs. SDP
Park – Progressive Field
Vegas Favorite (CLE -215)
Vegas Total (9.5)

Trevor Bauer is not a highly-valued DFS pitcher. He’s not going to dominate a good team and he’s never going to burst out as one of the league’s top pitchers. He is Trevor Bauer and you know the risk you get with that name. He will still walk his batters and go 3-2 a bunch of times. Giving up big innings after that is really the only way he gets lit up. He’s been pretty average against both lefties and righties, though a 2.96 xFIP against righties suggests positive regression going forward. He’s also striking out nearly 10 batters per 9 innings and holding batters to a dub 32% hard contact rate. He faces the Padres, who got absolutely obliterated by Corey Kluber last night. As a team, they hold a .301 wOBA against righties and strikeout at an astronomical 25.6% rate. Vegas only projects 2 teams to score under 4 tonight and that’s the Padres and Diamondbacks. If that turns out to be true, we’re certainly in a perfect position. Speaking of pricing, Bauer is pretty cheap. You can use that to your advantage on a slate that has some very nice and expensive offenses to choose from.

 

MLB Fantasy Lineup July 5 2017 - Carlos Santana - Lineuplab

Offensive Stacks

Cleveland Indians Vs. San Diego Padres (Luis Perdomo)
Park – Progressive Field

Luis Perdomo is used to pitching in pitcher-friendly Petco Park, so this move into Progressive Field is something he surely isn’t looking forward to. He’ll face off with the Indians, who are one of the more lethal offenses in the game. The Indians are currently projected to put up 5.75 runs and trail just the Rockies in terms of implied team totals. Perdomo has struggled against lefties more so in 2017 (.380 wOBA), but flipped that in 2016 with a .355 wOBA against righties. His BABIP is slightly lower however, so we should start to see righties put up some numbers. The problem with the Indians is that they almost have too much to choose. Starting at 1B, you’ll have to pick between a and Edwin Encarnacion. It will come down to batting order on that one. Next, you move into Kipnis and Brantley, who are the safest of the bunch. They hit righties well and should be right at the top of that order. Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez seems like they should be mainstays of the stack, but it’s just not a reality. Both FD and DK will cap you, forcing you to roster a max of 4 or 5 of these guys. All in all, the offense is not at all concentrated and you can;t be surprised to see production come from anywhere.

Main Stack – Jason Kipnis, Carlos Santana, Michael Brantley, Jose Ramirez
Sneaky Stack – Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Ramirez

Colorado Rockies Vs. Cincinnati Reds (Scott Feldman)
Park – Coors Field

I know, I’m getting a little too sneaky with this one. All jokes aside, the Rockies are projected to put up 6.33 runs and that’s not something you can ignore. They face off with Scott Feldman, who has gone through some weird times as a major leaguer. He’s bounced from to bad and back about 4 times, while sitting right in the middle right now. He’s allowed a .320 combined wOBA and hasn’t gotten blown up very often. However, I don’t think it’s going to last much longer. He has actually seen a severe dip in velocity and that may be why hitters are struggling. He held a .380 wOBA against leftie sin 2016 and I expect that number to return there by the time it’s said and done. As for the Rockies offense, they aren’t nearly as deep as the Indians, and especially with the injury to Desmond. Blackmon and CarGo are the 2 obvious ones and I don’t see stacking the Rockies without both. After that, Arenado and Reynolds are next. They are both safe and the 2 guys I would stick in my cash game stack with Blackmon and CarGo. Moving a bit lower in the order, keep an eye out for Raimel Tapia and Trevor Story. They both hold some very solid upside in this match-up and very well deserve a spot on some GPP’s. In terms of ownership, I think it will be relatively low for Coors Field. Take advantage.

Main Stack – Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez, Nolan Arenado, Mark Reynolds
Sneaky Stack – Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez, Mark Reynolds, Trevor Story

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – July 4, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – July 4, 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.

Michael Fulmer - MLB Lineup Picks - Lineuplab

Starting Pitchers

Michael Fulmer
Opponent – Vs. SFG
Park – Comerica Park
Vegas Favorite (DET -205)
Vegas Total (10)

On the early slate, the pitching options aren’t nearly as strong. We’ll touch on the late slate later, but we have a bunch of aces to choose from. The early slate is less fruitful, but we definitely have stronger options than last night. We’ll start with Michael Fulmer, who is facing the Giants at home in Comerica Park. Fulmer, at 24 years old, has been very impressive. He did come up as a big prospect, but nobody thought he would develop as fast as he has. He’s posted a .257 combined wOBA and his peripherals back it up. He’s striking out nearly 8 batters per 9 innings and walking just under 2. He’ll face off with the Giants today, who hold the lowest wOBA against righties in all of the league at just .280. Comerica Park is a very spacious one and while it’s not as big as AT&T Park, it still holds its own. The Tigers are a -205 favorite and face Matt Cain, so the win should be there as long as Fulmer is decent. All in all, pitching is pretty ugly on this early slate and Fulmer gives you some solid security.

Corey Kluber
Opponent – Vs. SDP
Park – Progressive Field
Vegas Favorite (CLE -305)
Vegas Total (8.5)

It basically comes down to Clayton Kershaw vs Corey Kluber in cash games on this main slate. They both have pretty solid match-ups and you obviously can’t go wrong either way. We’ll look at Kluber here, who is cheaper and has been exceptionally great this season. He’s sported a .227 wOBA against righties and a .293 against lefties, while striking out over 11 batters per 9 innings. Kluber looks to be back to the pitcher he was in 2014, when he was a top 3 pitcher. His hard contact rate, line drive rate, and pull % are all way down from last season, when he struggled a bit. The Indians are a crazy -305 favorite and the win is already almost in the bag. He faces the Padres, who we know all too well. They’ve ranked 3rd worst in the majors with a .301 wOBA and strikeout a ton at 25.6% hard contact rate. Progressive Field is rather average for hitting and Kluber has posted a wOBA under .250 there for many years. All in all, Kluber is going to have a good game and it just comes down to what the others do. Kershaw, Darvish, Price, and Hernandez are also on the slate and have as much upside as anyone. Kluber is coming in as the top option in terms of point per dollar, but don’t be afraid to go elsewhere.

 

Offensive Stacks

Detroit Tigers Vs. San Francisco Giants (Matt Cain)
Park – Comerica Park

I’m going with 1 offense on the early slate and 1 on the main slate, starting with the Tigers. The Tigers will face off with the Giants, at home in Comerica Park. It is the middle of summer and if you’re wondering why it seems like every day-time game has a high O/U, that’s why. The country is hot and we’re no longer seeing 50-degree weather up north. This Tigers game is sitting at 10, though the Tigers are implied to score over 6 of those. They face off with Matt Cain, who is absolutely horrible. He may actually be one of the 3 worst pitchers in the entire league at this point. Cain has allowed a .358 wOBA to righties and a .368 to lefties. He’s barely striking out 5 batters per 9 innings and giving up an LD rate of nearly 26%. Cain is simply horrible right now and coming from AT&T Park, Comerica is a downgrade for him. The Tigers are the top offense on this early slate and I’ll make sure to have a ton of exposure. J.D. Martinez and Miguel Cabrera both hit righties phenomenally and they are my 2 favorites. Ian Kinsler and Alex Avila are also pretty safe and should see 1/2 in the order. After those 4, you can go anywhere. V-Mart, Castellanos, and Upton are all in play and can be argued over Kinsler or Avila.

Main Stack – J.D. Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler, Alex Avila
Sneaky Stack – J.D. Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Nick Castellanos, Victor Martinez

Colorado Rockies Vs. Cincinnati Reds (Homer Bailey)
Park – Coors Field

Wow, the Rockies are currently holding an implied run total of 7.10. It’s the highest I remember seeing this year and I don’t think Vegas is wrong. Homer Bailey is coming into Coors Field. Yes, the Homer Bailey who gives up home runs for fun. The Homer Bailey who hasn’t pitched since 2014 and struggled for about 2 years before that. He’s only pitched a few innings over the last few years, but has looked all but good. The Reds management has now decided it would be wise to start him in Coors Field against the Rockies. With a 7 implied run total, there isn’t a player on this roster I would talk you off of. CarGo, Arenado, and Blackmon are obviously elite and in a class of their own within the lineup. LeMahieu and Reynolds come in next and both can be played in cash games. Tapia and Story are both great tournament plays and in cash games, I can’t blame you. The game is sitting at a 13 over/under and it looks to be getting bet up as of now. All in all, the Rockies are easily the top offense on the slate and while they may be popular, I have no reservations to go contrarian.

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

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