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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

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 07/02/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Sunday, July 2

Sunday is loaded with elite starting pitchers, so don’t be afraid to invest big money at the position. 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**

Max Scherzer vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Park – Busch Stadium

Scherzer has been lights out this season as he enters Sunday 9-4 with a 2.06 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 151 strikeouts in 113.2 innings. His current 12.0 K/9 would be the highest mark of his career. Not only are his strikeouts impressive, but he has only issued 24 walks this season. Scherzer faced the Cardinals earlier this season and allowed one run while recording 10 strikeouts over six innings. Look for him to be dominant again in this outing.

Justin Verlander vs. Cleveland Indians
Park – Comerica Park

Verlander is not having the best of seasons as he enters Sunday 5-4 with a 4.47 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. His control has been a problem as he has already walked 44 batters in 94.2 innings. By comparison, he walked 57 batters over 227.2 innings in 2016.  He did face Cleveland earlier this season and allowed two runs to go along with five strikeouts over seven innings. The key to this game is that Verlandar is a much better pitcher at home than on the road. He has a very ugly 6.22 ERA and 1.62 WHIP on the road, but a sparkling 2.45 ERA and 1.25 WHIP at home. In a day full of stud starting pitchers, Verlander looks primed for a big performance.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Kevin Gausman (Baltimore Orioles)
Park – Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Although Gausman finished 2016 with a 9-12 record, he showed plenty of promise as he had a 3.61 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 174 strikeouts in 179.2 innings. However, he has taken a big step backwards this season as the Orioles starting staff has struggled as a group. Gausman has an unsightly 6.07 ERA and 1.84 WHIP. His strikeouts are also down as he only has 67 in 86 innings. He walked only 47 batters last season, but has already walked 41 this year. Look for the Rays to take advantage of his poor performance Sunday.

Players to consider stacking: Evan Longoria, Logan Morrison and Mallex Smith

Minnesota Twins vs. Travis Wood (Kansas City Royals)
Park – Kauffman Stadium

The move to the American League has not been kind to Wood. After posting a 2.95 ERA and 1.13 WHIP for the Chicago Cubs last year, Wood has a 6.28 ERA and 1.81 WHIP this season. This will be Wood’s first start of the season and he’s not really stretched out, so don’t expect him to pitch deep into the game. Look for the Twins to feast on him early, then continue their assault on the underbelly of the Royals’ bullpen.

Players to consider stacking: Miguel Sano, Brian Dozier and Robbie Grossman

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 07/01/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Saturday, July 1

The calendar turns to July Saturday with 17 games on the MLB schedule. 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 Sale vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Park – Rogers Centre

Sale has been dominant in his first season in Boston as he enters Saturday with a 2.77 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 155 strikeouts in 113.2 innings. He has only walked 21 batters this season and allowed just nine home runs. While the Blue Jays lineup can be productive, Sale already shut them down earlier this season when he struck out 13 batters over eight scoreless innings. Although he will be expensive, don’t hesitate to start Sale Saturday.

Gio Gonzalez vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Park – Busch Stadium

Gonzalez was a pretty average starter in 2016 as he finished the season 11-11 with a 4.57 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 171 strikeouts in 177.1 innings. This season has been a vastly different story as he is 7-2 with a 2.87 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 95 strikeouts in 100.1 innings. His consistency has been key as he has allowed three runs or less in each of his last seven starts. The Cardinals entered Friday hitting only .228 against left handed pitching, which is third worst in the majors. Gonzalez should be in for another nice outing Saturday.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Tom Koehler (Miami Marlins)
Park – Miller Park

Simply put, Koehler is having a terrible season. He has made eight starts for the Marlins and has a 7.04 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP. Although he has only pitched 38.1 innings, he has walked 19 batters and allowed 10 home runs. You can’t count on him for strikeouts either as he only has a 6.9 K/9 for his career. The Brewers hit a lot of home runs, so this could get ugly in a hurry for Koehler.

Players to consider stacking: Travis Shaw, Jonathan Villar and Keon Broxton

Cincinnati Reds vs. Eddie Butler (Chicago Cubs)
Park – Great American Ball Park

Butler’s ERA sits at a very respectable 3.71, but a further look at his numbers would indicate he has not pitched that well. Not only does he has a 1.35 WHIP, but he only has 26 strikeouts in 43.2 innings. He walks too many batters as well as he has already issued 21 free passes. His saving grace is that he has only allowed three home runs. The Reds starting rotation is horrible, but their offense is in the top half of the majors. Look to take advantage of this favorable match up against Butler Saturday.

Players to consider stacking: Joey Votto, Adam Duvall and Zack Cozart

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for June 30, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for June 30, 2017

Welcome back for another huge night in daily fantasy baseball. Friday brings us a full 15-game slate tonight and while we don’t have that elite ace, there are still plenty of options to choose from not mention the bats in great spots. Let’s jump in and take a look at a couple pitching and stacking option.

Put your favorite Draftkings / Fanduel MLB Lineup Picks 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

Jacob deGrom
Opponent – vs. PHI
Park – Citi Field (Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (NYM -245)
Vegas Total (8.5)

Without a clear elite ace on the mound, we get two pitchers at the top who have reached a season high salary. Alex Wood and Jacob deGrom have both been good this season but I lean on deGrom as he gets the slightly better matchup and has more of a track record of going deep into games. Since being blown up by the Rangers in early June, deGrom has been red hot winning three straight starts, going at least eight innings in all of them while allowing just two total earned runs despite walking seven batters. The strikeout has got him out of a lot of trouble as he has racked up 19 in that time to give him an elite 10.5 K/9 for the season. He now gets a great matchup vs. the Phillies who rank near the bottom of the league in runs scored and hitting against right-handed pitching. Go ahead and roll out deGrom in all formats tonight.

 

Sonny Gray
Opponent – vs. ATL
Park – Oakland Coliseum (Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (OAK -160)
Vegas Total (8.5)

On the value end of things, I will be using Sonny Gray as my SP2 on DraftKings and as a GPP pivot on FanDuel tonight. He and the A’s are the fourth biggest favorite on the board currently and after a disaster of a 2016 season, Gray looks back near top form. He is striking out 9.1 batters per nine which is his highest K rate since his rookie season back in 2013. He has walked a few more batters than league average and had a few blips on the radar but overall has held opponents to three or less earned runs in eight of his 11 starts. He also pitches in a great pitchers environment and faces a team in the bottom third of the league in hitting vs. righties.

 

Stacks of the Night

Tampa Bay Ray vs. Chris Tillman (BAL)

Not only do the Rays sit with the highest implied run total of the day, they also get to tee off on Chris Tillman who, if the O’s had other options, would not be in the majors still. He strikes out less than 6.5 batters per nine while walking the ballpark(4.9 BB/9) and comes in with a 8.39 ERA on the season. Even the xFIP sits at 5.71 and he is giving up a career-high 36% hard contact rate and 17.9% HR/FB rate. The Rays are also a team that has more than one way to stack and allows you to get creative. Look for them to go ham tonight.

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

Value Options – Mallex Smith, Steven Souza Jr., Shane Peterson

 

Nelson Cruz - LineupLab

Seattle Mariners vs. Parker Bridwell (LAA)

The Mariners, in my opinion, make an excellent high upside stack tonight and could be low owned for a couple reasons on the main slate. First of all, the game is at 10:00 ET which usually helps wit ownership considering all the lineups aren’t always in before the 7:05 lock. Second, the Mariners sit in the middle of the pack today when looking at implied runs and the overall Vegas Total. I think these projections come from fact that the game is in a pitchers park and Parker Bridwell sits with an ERA below 3.00 for the season. Don’t fooled, however, as he has been getting extremely lucky when looking at the other metrics. He is striking out just five batters per nine and is holding runners on at a very unsustainable 95% rate and sits with a 5.32 xFIP. Best of all, he has been giving up over 35% hard contact with a 19.2% HR/FB rate. Load up on M’s.

Top Players to Stack – Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager, Jean Segura

Value Options – Mitch Haniger, Ben Gamel

 

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for June 29, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for June 29, 2017

Welcome back for another split Thursday in daily fantasy baseball. In the article below, I will be looking at some of the top pitchers and stacks for the eight games main slate tonight. Let’s jump right in.

Put your favorite Draftkings / Fanduel MLB Lineup Picks 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


Clayton Kershaw
Opponent – @LAA
Park – Angel Stadium of Anaheim (Neutral)
Vegas Favorite (LAD -210)
Vegas Total (8.0)

Starting right at the top, we get the best pitcher on the planet tonight. The concern all season has been the price vs. the production and while it was close to sub-optimal early on, Kershaw appears back on an elite pace. He had a hiccup vs. the Mets two starts ago but has limited opponents to a .175 average in June while striking out 12.2 batters per nine with an elite 5.6 strikeout to walk ratio. The Angels have been a scrappy team since losing Mike Trout but still rank in the bottom third of the league in hitting vs. left-handed pitching and strike out right around league average. The Dodgers are huge -210 favorites boosting Kershaw’s win potential which makes him playable in all formats tonight.

 

J.A. Happ
Opponent – vs. BAL
Park – Rogers Center (Hitters Park)
Vegas Favorite (TOR -190)
Vegas Total (10.0)

If you are looking for a viable SP2 on DraftKings or a low-owned GPP pivot on FanDuel, target J.A. Happ who appears to be back on track after spending over a month on the disabled list. He was rusty in his first start giving up five earned runs to the A’s in early June but has limited opponents to just four earned runs in 19.1 innings pitched since. The best part about Happ is that he comes with added upside this season as he is carrying a 9.9 K/9 rate into this matchup with Orioles who are striking out over 25% of the time vs. left-handed pitching and rank in the bottom half of the league in wOBA and wRC+. There is definitely risk tied to this game with a high Vegas total but Happ should be easily low owned with two elite options above him making him a great GPP pivot with upside.

 

Stacks of the Night

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Homer Bailey (CIN)

Start your stacks tonight by targeting Homer Bailey who is still making his way back to full health after he had surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow in the offseason. He wasn’t able to get in any spring training and missed the first two and half months of the season. He made his return to the Reds last Saturday and was greeted by the top offense in the league who scored eight earned runs off him in just 1.2 innings pitched. The Brewers aren’t quite at the level of the Nats this season but still rank Top 10 in overall runs scored and they also rank Top 10 in wOBA, wRC+ and ISO vs. right-handed pitching. The left-handed bats are the top target for the Brew Crew as Bailey has struggled much more vs. southpaws dating back to the 2013 season.

Top Players to Stack – Eric Sogard, Eric Thames, Travis Shaw, Ryan Braun

Value Options – Domingo Santana, Manuel Pina

 

 

 

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (BAL)

The Blue Jays are likely to be the chalkier stack tonight but also come with a bit more upside considering their implied run total is almost a full run higher than the Brewers. The Jays offense has struggled in 2017 ranking 26th in overall runs scored but the run line has much more to do with the matchup vs. Ubaldo Jimenez. When stacking offenses we want home run potential and Ubaldo gives us just that. Since returning to the rotation in mid-June, he has given up 11 earned runs in 9.1 innings pitched with back to back games with multiple home runs giving him a 22.2% HR/FB rate for the season. Look for the Jays to tee off tonight.

Top Players to Stack – Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Justin Smoak, Kendrys Morales

Value Options – Troy Tulowitzki, Russell Martin

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – June 28, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – June 28, 2017

Welcome to Lineup Lab’s Best MLB Fantasy Lineup Today, where we feature our top players for our MLB Lineup Optimizer on Fanduel and Draftkings. Put your favorite stacks from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the MLB Player Lab.

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

Starting Pitchers

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

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

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

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

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

Offensive Stacks

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

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

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

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

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

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

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – June 27, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – June 27, 2017

Welcome to Lineup Lab’s Best MLB Fantasy Lineup Today, where we feature our top players for our MLB Lineup Optimizer on Fanduel and Draftkings. Put your favorite stacks from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the MLB Player Lab.

Starting Pitchers

Max Scherzer
Opponent – Vs. CHC
Park – Nationals Park
Vegas Favorite (SEA -175)
Vegas Total (7.5)

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

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

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

Offensive Stacks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – June 26, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today – June 26, 2017

Welcome to Lineup Lab’s Best MLB Fantasy Lineup Today, where we feature our top players for our MLB Lineup Optimizer on Fanduel and Draftkings. Put your favorite stacks from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the MLB Player Lab.

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today - Chris Sale - Lineup Lab

Starting Pitchers

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

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

 

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

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

MLB Fantasy Lineup Today - Cody Bellinger - Lineup Lab

Offensive Stacks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 06/25/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Sunday, June 25

There are a lot of bad pitchers taking the mound Sunday, meaning there should be a lot of offensive production to cash in on. 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**

Sonny Gray vs. Chicago White Sox
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field

Gray gave up five runs in his last start against the Houston Astros, but had allowed three runs or less in three straight starts entering that outing. His overall numbers don’t stand out as he has a 4.84 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, but he does have 58 strikeouts in 57.2 innings. The White Sox have struggled against right handed pitchers this season as they are batting only .248 against them with a .399 slugging percentage. With such a weak group of starters going Sunday, Gray is one of the best available options.

Jordan Zimmermann vs. San Diego Padres
Park – Petco Park

Zimmermann has pitched very well of late, allowing eight total runs over his last four starts. He faced some tough offenses over that stretch too, squaring off against both the Seattle Mariners and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Some very poor outings earlier this season have left him with bloated numbers overall though as he has a 5.25 ERA and 1.46 WHIP for the season. The Padres offense is bad, so going with Zimmermann makes a lot of sense Sunday given the other available options.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Oakland Athletics vs. Derek Holland (Chicago White Sox)
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field

Holland has been terrible lately as he has allowed at least six runs in three of his last four starts. His excellent start to the season has been all but washed away with his recent struggles as he now has a 4.48 ERA and 1.52 WHIP overall. Home runs have been a problem for him as he has already allowed 16 in only 76.1 innings. While the Athletics may not hit for a high average, they do hit plenty of homers. This has the makings over another bad outing for Holland.

Players to consider stacking: Khris Davis, Ryon Healy and Rajai Davis

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chris Tillman (Baltimore Orioles)
Park – Tropicana Field

The Baltimore Orioles have one of the worst starting staffs in all of baseball and Tillman has been right in the middle of their struggles. He enters Sunday with a gruesome 8.39 ERA and 2.17 WHIP. He only has 26 strikeouts compared to 22 walks and has given up nine home runs in only 39.2 innings. Over his last three starts, he has allowed a staggering 19 runs in only 10.2 innings. Look for the Rays to put up some big numbers Sunday.

Players to consider stacking: Corey Dickerson, Logan Morrison and Mallex Smith

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 06/24/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Saturday, June 24

There are several aces taking the mound Saturday, so look for some big strikeout totals. 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**

Robbie Ray vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Park – Chase Field

Ray had a sub par outing against the Phillies in his last start as he allowed four runs in 5.1 innings. However, he still provided value as he recorded seven strikeouts. Ray continues to be a strikeout machine as he has 114 in only 87.2 innings this season. His current 2.87 ERA and 1.14 WHIP are the best of his career and he already has seven wins, one shy of his career high. The Phillies offense is among the worst in baseball, so look for Ray to have a better outing against them at home this time around.

Lance Lynn vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Park – Busch Stadium

Lynn missed the entire 2016 season due to injury, but has returned to provide solid production this season as he has a 3.33 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 76 strikeouts in 78.1 innings. Lynn has been excellent at home this season, posting a 1.53 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over five starts. He has already faced the Pirates once this season and pitched seven scoreless innings while recording five strikeouts. The price is right to go with Lynn Saturday if you want to save some money at starting pitcher.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

New York Yankees vs. Austin Bibens-Dirkx (Texas Rangers)
Park – Yankee Stadium

Bibens-Dirkx has pitched in eight games this season, three of which were starts. On the surface, his 4.25 ERA and 1.05 WHIP would indicate he has at least had moderate success. The area of concern though is that he only has 18 strikeouts in 29.2 innings. He has also allowed six home runs already. Saturday presents a very difficult opponent in the Yankees who hit a ton of home runs. They can strike out a lot, but with Bibens-Dirkx not having that type of stuff, this could get ugly.

Players to consider stacking: Aaron Judge, Matt Holliday and Didi Gregorius

Texas Rangers vs. Luis Cessa (New York Yankees)
Park – Yankee Stadium

Cessa continues to fill in for the injured C.C. Sabathia, but he struggled in his last start against the Oakland Athletics as he allowed four runs over four innings. Cessa has only thrown 7.1 innings in the big leagues this season, but has already allowed two home runs. The long ball has been a problem throughout his short time in the majors as he has allowed 18 home runs in 77.2 career innings. The Rangers may not hit for average, but their lineup is loaded with power hitters. This game between the Rangers and Yankees has the potential to be a fireworks show.

Players to consider stacking: Adrian Beltre, Nomar Mazara and Joey Gallo