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DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 31, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 31, 2017

Welcome for another Thursday in daily fantasy baseball. Today we will be turning our attention to the six-game main slate starting at 7:05 p.m. ET tonight. Let’s take a look at some of the top pitchers and some stacking options.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Lineuplab.com

Kyle Hendricks
Opponent – vs. ATL
Park – Wrigley Field
Vegas Favorite (CHC -210)
Vegas Total (7.5)

Hendricks is the clear chalky cash game play on the main slate tonight. They are huge favorites with no other team even close and on top of that, Hendricks has been incredibly consistent. He does lack the upside of other options(7.88 K/9) but has held opponents to three or fewer earned runs in seven straight starts and two or less in 11 of his 18 starts for the season. Then there is the matchup vs. the Braves who rank in the bottom third of the league when looking at wOBA (.313), wRC+ (89), and Isolated Power(.149). There is a case to be made to fade him in GPP’s for ownership purposes but he is a near lock in cash games, especially on FanDuel in the mid $8K range.

Gio Gonzalez
Opponent – @ MIL
Park – Miller Park (Hitters Park)
Vegas Favorite (WSH +101)
Vegas Total (8.5)

Gio should be lower owned in tournaments as he is more expensive than Hendricks and is currently a slight underdog. While his strikeout upside(8.1 K/9) is very similar to Hendricks overall, he gets a huge boost tonight facing a Brewers team that not only has struck out 27% of the time over the last 14 days but also strikes out 26% of the time vs. left-handed pitching. Gio has also been very good at limiting hard contact(28.3%) this season and has held opponents to two or fewer earned runs in six straight starts.

 

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Lineuplab.com

There are plenty of ways to go when stacking in tournaments tonight but I start with the Blue Jays. I lead with them as I think they are outside the top 3 in ownership which can give you edge on a small slate. They have been very inconsistent this season and has lost four straight and six of their last seven games but are more than capable of putting up double digit runs with the wealth of power at the top of the lineup. They get a great matchup vs. Jeremy Hellickson who has been a roller coaster ride himself this season with a 4.88 ERA, 5.34 xFIP, and 14.4% HR/FB rate. Speaking of home runs, he has given up seven over his last three starts. My top targets for the Blue Jays are Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Steve Pearce, and Justin Smoak.

My favorite stack of the night, if we aren’t worrying about the chalk, is the Chicago Cubs. They have been in beast mode all second half with a .357 wOBA(tied for 1st), 118 wRC+(2nd), .205 ISO(2nd), and 270 runs scored(1st). On top of that, they are a Top 5 team against left-handed pitching with a .344 wOBA and 110 wRC+ and face Sean Newcomb who has some K upside(9.2 K/9) but walks way too many(5.33 BB/9) and gives up home runs(14% HR/FB) which will spell trouble vs. the Cubs. My top targets are Anthony Rizo, Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist, and Javier Baez.






MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 30, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Wednesday, August 30, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Carlos Martinez @ Milwaukee Brewers
Park – Miller Park
Opp implied total – 3.97

On this early slate, you get to choose between a few quality options. Stephen Strasburg, Carlos Martinez, and Aaron Nola are my favorite 3 options and I like all of them in cash games and tournaments. With that being said, Carlos Martinez is my favorite. This Brewers lineup is just weak against righties and they strikeout more than anyone at 25.6%. Carlos Martinez is one of the brightest young pitchers in the game and he’s been very consistent. He’s a bit like Gerrit Cole, as in being so dominant, yet struggling against lefties to a pretty high degree. Fortunately, there’s only going to be 3 or 4 of them to worry about in the order. Against righties, Martinez has posted a .254 wOBA backed up by a 26% strikeout rate and 27% hard contact. Miller Park is pretty tough on lefties and while I don’t expect a clean slate out of Martinez, he should go 7 or 8 innings and give up only a couple runs. The win should be safe and he’ll let you pay up for some bats that Strasburg won’t.

Dallas Keuchel Vs Texas Rangers
Park – Minute Maid Park
Vegas O/U – 3.50

The later slate is a tough one in terms of pitching. There isn’t any one pitcher that stands out as an uber-safe cash game option. Even Dallas Keuchel, who we’ll touch on here, has some risk. The Rangers are a talented offense and they showed their upside just last night. With that being said, they can strikeout a lot and they are much worse against lefties. Choo, Gallo, and Odor are horrible against lefties and strikeout over 30% of the time. The rest of the order is decent against lefties, but are also better at home. They are implied to score just 3.50 runs and while there’s some risk, I don’t think there’s anymore here than there is with Robbie Ray or Jose Quintana.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

Washington Nationals Vs Adam Conley (Marlins)
Park – Nationals Park
Implied Total – 5.11

This early slate does have a few offenses to consider stacking, but the Nationals stand out to me. They face off with Adam Conley, who is a very average left-handed pitcher. He’s struggled against righties with a .335 wOBA and we know the Nationals can hit lefties as good as anyone. Both Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman are top 15 hitters against lefties and both have sports +.375 wOBA’s against them so far. You then run into the rest of the lineup that is just extremely solid. Guys like Howie Kendrick, Trea Turner, and Jayson Werth all do damage against lefties. It may seem like a weird stat, but the Nats have worked lefties for the most pitches/AB in the entire league. Conley shouldn’t last long and the Marlins bullpen isn’t very good. The Nats can be stacked in a lot of different ways, but I’d make sure to have Rendon and Zimmerman. They are lefty-mashers and I don’t see the Nats having a good day and them not.

Main Stack – Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman, Howie Kendrick, Trea Turner
Sneaky Stack – Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman, Daniel Murphy, Jayson Werth

Minnesota Twins Vs Derek Holland (White Sox)
Park – Progressive Field
Implied Total – 5.75

I’m definitely not going anywhere else with my top stack on this main slate. Derek Holland is absolutely atrocious against righties and when I say atrocious, I mean possibly the number 1 worst. He’s allowed a .404 wOBA to them and 26 home runs in just 88 innings of work. It doesn’t get any worse than that. Byron Buxton and Brian Dozier are the top 2 options and you really can’t stack the Twins without them. After that, you have a ton of options to consider. Polanco, Escobar, Garver, and Gimenez all hit lefties well and have HR upside in Progressive Field. They have an implied 5.75 implied total and you have to think they’ll be one of the higher owned offenses on the slate. I’ll definitely have my fair share of it.

Main Stack – Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton, Jorge Polanco, Eduardo Escobar
Sneaky Stack – Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton, Mitch Garver, Jorge Polanco

 

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 29, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, August 29, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Boston RedSox - Chris Sale

Chris Sale @ Toronto Blue Jays
Park – Rogers Centre
Opp implied total – 3.29

On the high-end, you have Chris Sale and Jake Arrieta. While Arrieta is great and he can throw a CGSO at any point, he’s no Chris Sale. Sale is one of the 3 best pitchers in baseball and should have no problem bouncing back after struggling last week against the Indians. They’ve owned him in his career and he didn’t show any signs of injury or fatigue. They were just hitting balls that most teams whiff on. When looking at the numbers, you’d think Sale is one of the best arms to walk this planet. He’s allowed just a .247 combined wOBA while striking out 12.77 batters per 9 innings. Sale and the Sox now move into The Rogers Centre to face off with the lowly Blue Jays. While they are better against lefties, a .321 wOBA and 22$ strikeout rate is nothing to be afraid of. Expect Sale to have another one of his typical starts where he goes 7+ innings, strikes out 9+, and gets the W. There is no pitcher on the slate that compares to Sale in safety, at least in my opinion.

Luke Weaver @ Milwaukee Brewers
Park – Miller Park
Vegas O/U – X

Even though we have a lot of games on this slate, pitching isn’t pretty in the slightest. Fortunately, we do have a couple options that stand out. On the lower end, it’s Luke Weaver. Weaver is a 1st round pick just a couple years back out of FSU. He hasn’t stopped dominating since and it looks like he doesn’t have any plans of slowing down. Albeit a very small sample size, Weaver has dominated at the pro level so far. He’s striking guys out at a 27% clip while holding both lefties and righties to a sub .310 wOBA. He’ll likely run into a few road blocks like most young arms do, but I don’t think it comes in the form of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers aren’t a “bad” offense, but they have a lot of holes. They strikeout 25.6% of the time and have trouble putting together big innings. I don’t think Weaver leaves with a clean slate here, but he should get 6 or 7 solid innings. At his price, you can’t ask for more.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

Brian Dozier - MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Lineuplab

Minnesota Twins Vs James Shields (White Sox)
Park – Progressive Field
Implied Total – 5.82

The Twins and James Shields just faced off in Shields’ last start, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Twins respond to a walking pitching machine they saw under a week ago. Typically, hitters gain the edge in this spot. With that being said, there’s no real merit in that. The real merit comes in James Shields being horrible. He’s a bottom 5 pitcher in the entire league and I’m not sure he’s mentally or physically capable of having a good start. At 35 years old, Shields has given up a .422 wOBA to lefties and a .300 to righties. You can definitely target the filler righties like Dozier or Buxton, but the real value comes in the left-handers. You then get to the White Sox bullpen, which is undoubtedly one of the worst. The Twins are an extremely safe offense and you can pencil in at least 4 or 5 runs here. The prices are solid and you should be able to fit 4 of them while also fitting Sale as an SP1.

Main Stack – Jorge Polanco, Max Kepler, Brian Dozier, Eddie Rosario
Sneaky Stack – Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Eduardo Escobar

Houston Astros @ Martin Perez (Rangers)
Park – Minute Maid Park
Implied Total – X

There are some very nice offenses on this slate, but not many that you want to stack fully. The Astros are a team that can put up 10+ runs on any given night and the HR upside they possess in this match-up is hard to find. They will host the Rangers and Martin Perez, who is bad against righties. He has a huge HR problem and has had it for about 10 years. It’s going nowhere. Through 114 innings, Perez has allowed a .364 wOBA and 17 home runs. He is great against lefties, so I don’t see a reason to target those guys. With that being said, the combo of Altuve+Springer+Bregman is extremely dangerous and can bring you to the top of a tournament. I also don’t think the ‘Stros will be too highly owned. There are a lot of different options and I would think these guys come in around 15-20% owned.

Main Stack – Jose Altuve, George Springer, Alex Bregman, Yuli Gurriel
Sneaky Stack – Jose Altuve, George Springer, Alex Bregman, Marwin Gonzalez

 

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 28, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Monday, August 28, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

 

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Corey Kluber - Cleveland Indians
Corey Kluber @ New York Yankees
Park – Yankee Stadium
Opp implied total – 3.70

You have 2 high-end options facing off on this slate with Luis Severino and Corey Kluber. I’ll take Kluber, who’s the more consistent and just better pitcher at this point. He has been one of the best pitchers in the entire league and could possibly end up in the Cy Young discussion if he keeps it up. Through 152 innings, he’s given up a .251 combined wOBA and has struck out over 12 batters per 9 innings. The Yankees are a lineup prone to strikeouts and while they can put up some runs, the K’s should outweigh the 2 or 3 they may put up. Kluber is easily the safest pitcher on the slate and I wouldn’t recommend going elsewhere in cash games. The Yanks are projected to put up 3.70 runs and I don’t think they get there.

Aaron Nola Vs Atlanta Braves
Park – Citizens Bank Park
Vegas O/U – 3.86

While Luis Severino is a fine option and you can definitely go there, he is nearly as expensive as Corey Kluber and I don’t know if he’s worth it. Instead, we will go way down and take a look at Aaron Nola. He’s facing off with one of the worst offenses in the league and is a very solid pitcher at an affordable price. He’s given up a .292 combined wOBA and strikes out just under 10 batters per 9 innings. The Braves are projected to put up just 3.86 runs as they always struggle on the road. Freddie Freeman can always hit 3 HR’s off of Nola, but I’m definitely willing to bet on Nola being smart and pitching around him. The rest of the order is extremely weak and they have been striking out a lot more over the past couple months. He’s not nearly as safe as Kluber, but he’s also not nearly as expensive.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Nolan Arenado - Colorado Rockies

Colorado Rockies Vs Jordan Zimmerman (Tigers)
Park – Coors Field
Implied Total – 7.12

I know the Rockies are always going to be obvious in Coors Field, but they stand out even more tonight. Jordan Zimmerman is one of the absolute worst pitchers in all of baseball and he’s struggled against both righties and lefties. He’s pitched most of his innings in Comerica Park and now moves to Coors Field, where the ball obviously flies like nowhere else. The Rockies are projected to put up 7.12 runs, so you almost have to get exposure in both cash games and tournaments. Zimmerman has allowed a .441 combined wOBA, so you can really target everyone. Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado are the top 2 options and you have to have them both in a Rockies stack. The rest of the order is very spread out and you can target any of the bats 1-7. CarGo is sitting lower in the order, but he still has the 2 HR upside in tournaments. The Rockies are known to be the top offense of the night, but prices will keep some of the crowd off of these guys.

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

Seattle Mariners @ Chris Tillman (Orioles)
Park – Camden Yards
Implied Total – 5.35

Jordan Zimmerman and Chris Tillman are pretty similar in terms of production. What do I mean? Absolutely terrible. Both of them used to be pretty good, but have fallen off a cliff that may be steeper than any other. So far in 2017, Tillman has allowed a .427 combined wOBA while giving up tons of home runs. A 7.09 xFIP is where he’s at now, so the stats are saying he’s actually getting lucky. He now welcomes the Mariners into Camden Yards. The Mariners are dangerous against righties and with the addition of Yonder Alonso, they are a great team to stack. Robinson Cano and Alonso are y 2 favorites and I’ll make sure to have them in there. The rest of the order is pretty spread and in cash, you should look for a mix of Segura, Seager, and Cruz. The Mariners are my favorite stack outside of Coors Field.

Main Stack – Robinson Cano, Yonder Alonso, Jean Segura, Kyle Seager
Sneaky Stack – Robinson Cano, Yonder Alonso, Nelson Cruz, Mike Zunino






Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 08/27/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Sunday, August 27

Sunday has the makings of a big day for starting pitchers in DFS as there are several high-strikeout hurlers taking the mound. 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**

Chris Archer vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Park – Busch Stadium

Archer is in the midst of another solid season for the Rays as he is 9-7 with a 3.76 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. He provides a ton of value in the strikeout department as he already has 217 in 172.1 innings this season. This marks his third consecutive season with at least 200 strikeouts and his current 11.3 K/9 is the highest of his career. With such high strikeout totals, he can afford to give up a few runs in a start and still give you tremendous value. He gets the benefit of facing the pitcher in an NL park Sunday, which will only help his cause. He should provide plenty of points in this contest.

Lance Lynn vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Park – Busch Stadium

After missing all of last season due to injury, Lynn has not wasted any time returning to form as he enters Sunday 10-6 with a 3.17 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and has 124 strikeouts in 150.2 innings. His recent production has been excellent as he has allowed two earned runs or less in nine of his last 10 starts. Although he’s not a big strikeout pitcher, he still has a lot of value due to giving up so few runs on a consistent basis. He has been excellent at home this season, posting a 2.90 ERA and 1.14 WHIP at Busch Stadium. I really like both starters in this game, so go with Lynn if you want to save money at starting pitcher.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Washington Nationals vs. Tommy Milone (New York Mets)
Park – Nationals Park

The Mets starting pitching is a mess this season due to injuries, leaving Milone an opportunity to start. He has pitched for both the Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers this season, posting an atrocious 8.12 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. He’s been even worse for the Mets as he has a 10.26 ERA and 1.92 WHIP over four starts. You can’t count on him for strikeouts either as he has a career 6.5 K/9. This has the makings of another ugly outing against a potent Nationals offense.

Players to consider stacking: Anthony Rendon, Michael Taylor and Howie Kendrick

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Kyle Gibson (Minnesota Twins)
Park – Rogers Centre

I recommended the Blue Jays offense Saturday against Dillon Gee and they came through with 10 runs. I certainly didn’t go out on a limb with the prediction as Gee has been terrible this season. The same can be said for Sunday’s starter Kyle Gibson who is 7-10 with a 5.76 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and only has 83 strikeouts in 115.2 innings. While he’s given up three runs or less in each of his last five starts, it’s not saying much as he only last 5.1 innings or less in three of those outings. Expect Toronto to tee off against Gibson as well.

Players to consider stacking: Josh Donaldson, Justin Smoak and Kevin Pillar

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 08/26/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Saturday, August 26

There are going to be some great offensive opportunities to take advantage of for to your lineup Saturday as there are few elite starters taking the mound. 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**

Gio Gonzalez vs. New York Mets
Park – Nationals Park

Gonzalez has been excellent this season as he enters Saturday 12-5 with a 2.39 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 150 strikeouts in 162 innings. As crazy as it sounds considering his minuscule ERA for the season, he has been even better lately as he has allowed one earned in his last four starts combined. He is a quality start machine as well as he has recorded one in 14 of his last 15 outings. There are a couple of advantages working in Gonzalez’s favor Saturday. First, he has had success against the Mets already this season by posting a 2.03 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in two starts against the division rivals. Second, he is excellent at home as he has a sparkling 1.79 ERA this season at Nationals Park. Start Gonzalez with confidence Saturday.

Sonny Gray vs. Seattle Mariners
Park – Yankee Stadium

Gray has had mixed results since being traded to the Yankees. While he has a solid 3.13 ERA with his new club, he only has a 1-3 record to show for it and has an unimpressive 1.35 WHIP. His strikeouts are down in pinstripes as well as he only has 17 in 23 innings. Saturday brings a familiar foe in the Mariners, who Gary has faced off against many times as a member of the Oakland Athletics. He has handled the Mariners well over his career, posting a 2.86 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 66 innings. This match up has the makings of promising results for Gray.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Dillon Gee (Minnesota Twins)
Park – Rogers Centre

Gee has been used primarily as a reliever this season as he has made nine appearances in total for the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins, but only two of them were starts. His numbers are very good as he has a 2.84 ERA and 1.20 WHIP overall. Gee struggled as a starter for the Kansas City Royals last year though as he posted a 5.55 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in 14 starts. He’s a better bullpen option at this point in his career, but the Twins need him in their rotation. Look for the Blue Jays lineup to put up some big numbers against Gee Saturday.

Players to consider stacking: Josh Donaldson, Justin Smoak and Kevin Pillar

New York Yankees vs. Yovani Gallardo (Seattle Mariners)
Park – Yankee Stadium

Gallardo’s first season in Seattle has not been a success as he is 5-9 with a 5.75 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 86 strikeouts in 117.1 innings. He doesn’t give them much length either as he has pitched five innings or less in three of his last four starts. Gallardo has allowed 21 home runs this season, which could be a recipe for disaster against the Yankees as they entered Friday with 101 home runs at home this season. Don’t expect Gallardo to have much success against the Bronx Bombers Saturday.

Players to consider stacking: Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius and Brett Gardner

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 25, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 25, 2017

Welcome for another big Friday in daily fantasy baseball.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Zack Greinke - Arizona Diamondbacks

Zack Greinke
Opponent – vs. SF
Park – Chase Field (Hitters Park)
Vegas Favorite (ARI -220)
Vegas Total (9.5)

Don’t be scared off by hitters environment in Arizona as Greinke has been downright dominant at home. So far in 2017, 14 of his 25 start have come at home and he has recorded a very impressive 2.34 ERA, 10.9 K/9 rate, and has limited opponents to a low .250 wOBA. Despite the Giants striking out less than league average, they rank 3rd last in runs scored overall and rank dead last in wOBA and wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching. Greinke is safe in all formats.

 

A.J. Cole
Opponent – vs. NYM
Park – Nationals Park (Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (WSH +120)
Vegas Total (8.0)

Before I get into Cole who is a currently a +120 dog i want to clarify that I also like Michael Wacha and Adam Conley as viable SP2 options on DraftKings. Both of those I will be using in cash games but for GPP’s I prefer to save even more salary and roll with Cole. He was recalled this morning to make a spot start for Scherzer and gets a plus matchup vs. a watered down Mets lineup. Cole has gone at least five innings in all four starts this season and if he can control the walks tonight has a chance to crush his value in the $6K range. He also helps pay right up for Greinke and not limit the bats you can get in your lineup.

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Paul Goldschmidt - Arizona Diamondbacks

For my stacks tonight, i will be paying up for the Diamondbacks who get a terrific home matchup vs. Ty Blach who has struggled mightily on the road with 5.50 ERA. On top of that, he has allowed a .369 wOAB to opponents away from AT&T Park and comes in having allowed 12 earned runs over his last two starts to the Marlins and Phillies(both bottom third offenses). I will be targeting Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock for the most part but also liek teh value in Gregor Blanco if back in the leadoff spot and Chris Iannetta who crushes lefties.

For my value stack I will be turning to the Oakland Athletics tonight. They are going to be low owned due to the perception of the park but looking at the 2017 numbers, Oakland Coliseum has been a Top 5 hitters park this season. Everything is lining up for it to produce some runs tonight as well as the forecast is currently showing 10-15 mph winds blowing out to right center. The A’s also get a nice matchup vs. A.J. Griffin who produces a slate low 28.9% ground balls, a slate high 58.3% fly balls with a 37% hard contact rate. He is also prone to a blow up as he has given up three or more home runs in three of his last seven starts and sits with a 14.3% HR/FB rate.

 

 

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 24, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 24, 2017

Today we have 12 games split right down the middle and for the purpose of this article, we will be concentrating on the six-game main slate only. Let’s jump in and take a look at a few of the top pitchers and some stacking options.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Carlos Martinez

Carlos Martinez
Opponent – vs. SD
Park – Busch Stadium (Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (STL -220)
Vegas Total (8.0)

Chris Sale is clearly the better pitcher on the main slate but has the tougher matchup and is quite a bit more expensive. From a PTS/$ perspective, I lean Carlos Martinez tonight who hasn’t been a slouch with a 9.4 K/9 rate and 3.62 xFIP on the season. He also gets the way better matchup vs. the Padres who rank second to last in wOBA and wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching and strike out 25% of the time. It makes sense to go with CarMart in all formats and get better bats throughout your lineup.

Jose Berrios
Opponent – @CWS
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field (Neutral)
Vegas Favorite (MIN -165)
Vegas Total (10.0)

The value range is full of risk all over the place so I always lean matchup and upside. Enter Berrios who has been better at home(road tonight) but consider he gets a plus matchup vs. a White Sox team that ranks 28th in wOBA and wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching with a 22.5% K rate. He is also coming off one of his best starts of the season where he shut out the D-Backs over seven innings allowing just two hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. The upside and price is enough to overcome the risk factor.

 

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Anthony Rizzo

There are a couple ways I am going to go with stacks tonight and it starts with the Cubs who have the highest implied run total(5.4). I am not all concerned that Sal Romano shut down the Braves in his last considering Atlanta is not that strong of an offense to begin with. In his three starts before that, Romano was downright awful giving up 15 earned runs in 17 innings with just 11 strikeouts and nearly 40% hard contact against. I will be turning to Kyle Schwarber, Kris Bryant(if back in LU), Anthony Rizzo, and Alex Avila as my main targets.

After the Cubs, I will be heavily targeting the Twins who face Derek Holland tonight. He has given 17 earned runs over his last three starts and sits with a 18% HR/FB rate for the season. The stack could also be somewhat low owned as the Twins, as a team, are mid-pack against left-handed pitching but are lead by Brian Dozier and Eduardo Escobar who rake vs. southpaws.

 

 

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 23, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Wednesday, August 23, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Corey Kluber - MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks

Corey Kluber Vs Boston Red Sox
Park – Progressive Field
Opp implied total – 3.14

We do have a few guys to pay up for, and they all make some sense. Corey Kluber comes in at number 1, even though his price is steep. Kluber has been one of the best pitchers in the league so far and would be in the Cy Young discussion if he didn’t miss a month. Kluber has posted a .250 combined wOBA while striking out over 12 batters per 9 innings. In other words, he is elite. Super elite. He now hosts the Boston Red Sox, who are an admittedly intimidating offense. However, when you dig in, you get a lineup that Corey Kluber can do real damage against. The 1,2, 5,7,8, and 9 hitters all hold 20%+ K rates, so go ahead and throw out the notion that the Red Sox don’t K. They absolutely do K and if there’s gonna be a guy to get them swinging, it’s Klubot. He’s easily the safest option on the board and will be in all of my cash games. With that being said, I completely understand pivoting down to Marcus Stroman or Luis Severino.

Luke Weaver Vs San Diego Padres
Park – Busch Stadium
Vegas O/U – 3.70

In cash games, stick to the 3 top-end arms. They are far above the rest in terms of safety. In tournaments, however, you can get a bit wild. We do have some offenses to pay up for, so there is merit to fading the high-end arm. You also see a 3.70 implied total from Vegas, which intrigued me a ton. That’s a number you see on a team that’s facing an ace. The Padres had a big night last night and I’d like to think the public will stay away from Weaver. He’s a first-round pick out of FSU and a guy that can throw the baseball. That might sound weird, but watch him pitch and you’ll know what I mean. This Padres order is absolutely atrocious and will only be able to fit 2 or 3 lefties. Weaver has dominated righties since entering the minors and profiles as a guy that K’s around 8-9 per 9 innings. He pitches better in Busch Stadium and should be able to have a solid outing against one of the worst teams around. I like him a hint more than Lance Lynn.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Brian Dozier

Minnesota Twins @ James Shields (White Sox)
Park – Great American Ballpark
Implied Total – 5.62

You know the drill. If James Shields is pitching, expect the opposing lineup to be here. Shields has allowed a .409 wOBA to righties and .308 to righties. That doesn’t mean fade the righties, however. He still gives up the long ball to them and you can also expect some varied bullpen arms. There isn’t much else to say about James Shields, besides the fact that he’s a pitching machine with legs. Lefties absolutely obliterate everything he tries and it’ll be fun to see him face off with some of these guys. Eddie Rosario is actually my favorite of the bunch and one of my top overall plays on the slate. The rest of the order is pretty spread out, so go wherever you would like. Eduardo Escobar and Max Kepler are interesting and way too cheap for the spot they are in. Don’t ignore the Twins offense when they’re expected to put up nearly 6 runs.

Main Stack – Brian Dozier, Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler, Eduardo Escobar
Sneaky Stack – Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler, Kennys Vargas, Jorge Polanco

Houston Astros Vs Edwin Jackson (Nationals)
Park – Minute Maid Park
Implied Total – 5.20

Edwin Jackson hasn’t been horrible, so people may forget how horrible he is. He will return to his old ways very soon and there is no better match-up than the Houston Astros. If there is 1 team to demoralize a pitcher, it’s these guys. While they may not be the most talented offense in the league, they just don’t stop. You don’t get a break from 1-9 and as a bad pitcher, that’s tough You will often rely on 2 or 3 batters towards the bottom of the order to pick up your pitch count and confidence. Against the Astros, you don’t get that. In return, you see pitchers sweating bullets by the 3rd and facing Altuve with runners on the corners. Jackson has also given up a .370 wOBA since 2015, so he just stinks. The ‘Stros can go absolutely bonkers and we don’t really know where the HR’s will come from, so take an educated guess.

Main Stack – Jose Altuve, George Springer, Josh Reddick, Marwin Gonalez
Sneaky Stack – Jose Altuve, George Springer, Yuli Gurriel, Alex Bregman

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 22, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, August 22, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Chris Archer - Tampa Bay Rays - MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks

Chris Archer Vs Toronto Blue Jays
Park – Tropicana Field
Opp implied total – 3.51

We finally have a nice slate with some strong pitching options. While we don’t have a bunch of aces in good match-ups, we have a pretty healthy spread of options at different price points. Chris Archer is the highest of all and comes in as the top option. He’s at home, facing off with the lowly Blue Jays. On the road, the Blue Jays have ranked 19th with a .311 wOBA and 22% strikeout rate. The upside is there with K’s and this lineup is nowhere near as lethal as it was in previous years. Once you get past the gauntlet (Donaldson, Smoak, Bautista), it’s smooth sailing. The lineup turns into a pile of garbage that can K as much as anyone. Chris Archer is also one of the best pitchers in the game, if that matters. He strikes out over 10 batters per 9 and has posted a .291 combined wOBA on the season. He can easily hit double-digit K’s tonight and have one of his best outings. This is Chris Archer, however, so he can also walk 2 guys and give up a bomb. While there will always be an inherent risk with Archer, I’m willing to play him in both cash games and tournaments.

Lance Lynn Vs San Diego Padres
Park – Busch Stadium
Vegas O/U – 3.51

I’m not one to target Lance Lynn very often. In fact, I don’t think I’ve played him since 2016. That’s also a mistake on my part, as I’ve missed some very solid games in situations similar to this one. Lynn isn’t too tough to figure out. He dominates righties and gets dominated by lefties. When looking to target Lynn, you want to see how many righties are in the opposing lineup. ThePadres have one of the heaviest righty lineups in the game and may end up being forced with 5 of them. Oh yea, the righties they have also stink. Lynn has held a .256 wOBA against righties and strikes out nearly 8 batters per 9. Lynn is very safe here and his price is fair. He makes sense in all formats and will help you pay up for a few bats, which is something that definitely matters on a slate like this. Lynn is also an excellent SP2 with Archer on DK.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

Anthony Rizzo - MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Chicago Cubs - Lineuplab

Chicago Cubs @ Homer Bailey (Reds)
Park – Great American Ballpark
Implied Total – 5.58

The Cubs are facing Homer Bailey. We know the drill. This same game happened about a week ago and we saw one of the highest scoring games of the year so far with 23 combined runs. While that is very unlikely to happen again, it was very clear that Homer Bailey doesn’t have much left. He’s getting the ball plastered almost every at-bat and will soon be yanked from the rotation. If the Reds don’t do it, one of these rocket ships is going to end up hitting him and doing the deed for them. He’s allowed a .421 wOBA and 5.44 xFIP, all the while striking out just 6 batters per 9. Homer Bailey isn’t as bad as some of the White Sox pitchers, but he isn’t good either. He’s going to get walloped by the Cubbies and I want to be all over it. Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant are musts if you’re stacking the Cubs. DOn’t get cute. Further along, you can look any which way. In cash games, wait for the lineup to come out and make some fiscally responsible decisions. In tournaments, take a shot on a guy in the 6 or 7 hole who may not garner much ownership.
Main Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Ben Zobrist
Sneaky Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Willson Contreras/Alex Avila

Baltimore Orioles Vs Paul Blackburn (Athletics)
Park – Camden Yards
Implied Total – 5.85

If you were on the Orioles yesterday, I see no reason to get off of them now. They are facing an even worse pitcher in the same ballpark, with lower implied ownership. They hold and 5.85 implied run total and do come in as one of the highest projecting offenses. Looking a bit deeper at Paul Blackburn, he is far from a standout. He allowed a 4.36 xFIP in AAA and hasn’t shown anything more yet. He’s been better against lefties, but don’t let the .260 BABIP fool you. Camden Yards is going to be rough for this guy and the Orioles will do damage. Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop will always be the top 2 options, with Adam Jones and Chris Davis to follow. You also have guys like Trey Mancini, Mark Trumbo, and Welington Castillo, so have fun in tournaments.

Main Stack – Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, Adam Jones, Chris Davis
Sneaky Stack – Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, Trey Mancini, Welington Castillo