*Austyn Varney*
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, August 15, 2017
*STARTING PITCHERS*
Madison Bumgarner @ Miami Marlins
Park – Marlins Park
Opp implied total – 3.70
After all the good pitchers decided to take yesterday off, we’re back on the grind with some aces. We’ve got about 3-4 to choose from and they all have some appeal. Madison Bumgarner is my favorite, facing the Miami Marlins on the road in spacious Marlins Park. Marlins Park and AT&T both rank inside the bottom 5 for hitting, so it doesn’t really matter where this one is played. Bumgarner has pitched well since coming off the DL and has certainly turned up the gas over the last few starts. Facing the Cubs, D-Backs, and Dodgers, 3 of the 10 best teams against lefties, he’s went out and pitched a combined 21 innings with 21 K’s. We’re seeing the Bumgarner of old and as we know, he can throw a CGSO with ease when rolling. This Marlins match-up is pretty good (14th wOBA vs L), but they still have Giancarlo Stanton in the order. He’s deadly against lefties but can also strikeout rather easily. Bumgarner is the top option on this slate and while it is close, he stands as my favorite cash game play.
Alex Wood Vs Chicago White Sox
Park – Dodger Stadium
Vegas O/U – 2.55(!!!)
I was tempted to throw Alex Wood in there as my top arm, but felt the need to highlight Bumgarner and how he has been pitching recently. With Alex Wood, I’ll be interested to see how things fold out. He’s struggled recently, which I couldn’t care less about. He’s a streaky arm and going a few games without the high K’s is nothing to worry about. He will get back around the 10 mark on average and is still striking out nearly 12 batters per 9. The Dodgers will host the White Sox, who already can’t hit in hitter-friendly Guaranteed Rate Field. Moving to Dodger Stadium, I expect some serious trouble with run production. The Sox have ranked 24th against lefties in baseball and when you consider the park change, they truly are in a horrible spot against Wood. He may not be as safe as Bumgarner, but the upside is just as high and the ownership will be substantially lower. Make sure you get exposure to 1 of these 2 arms, who should both have solid outings.
*OFFENSIVE STACKS*
Cleveland Indians @ Bartolo Colon (Twins)
Park – Target Field
Implied Total – 5.10
With Bartolo Colon being decent over the last couple starts, it makes me want to stack against him even more. I the Indians aren’t extremely highly owned, they should be. Colon is absolutely atrocious against both sides of the plate and matches up horribly with an Indians offense that murders the fastball. Target Field is a very average hitting park and it is an upgrade from Progressive. Looking at the numbers from Colon, you can target anyone. He’s allowed a .367 wOBA ago righties and a .390 to lefties, which is purely pitiful. Edwin Encarnacion is my favorite of the bunch, but not far ahead any of these other top bats. Lindor, Kipnis, and Ramirez are next to and will round out the cash game stack. In tourneys, don’t be afraid to get weird. This lineup is rather concentrated, but it has some RBI promise towards the bottom.
Main Stack – Edwin Encarnacion, Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Jason Kipnis
Sneaky Stack – Carlos Santana, Jose Ramirez, Jason Kipnis, Jay Bruce
Colorado Rockies Vs Sean Newcomb (Braves)
Park – Coors Field
Implied Total – 6.22
I know, a Coors Field stack is never the sneakiness thing. On today’s slate, it might be, however, while I think the likes of Arenado and LeMahieu will be rather highly owned, I don’t see anyone else getting attention. Sean Newcomb, a young lefty, is simply going to struggle in a Coors Field. He hasn’t been good yet and while he might get there down the road, it won’t be in this match-up. Nolan Arenado is the top option on the board and a .411 ISO tells you all you really need to know. LeMahieu and Story are my next 2 favorites and I love Story for an HR tonight. After those 3, take a pick. This lineup is spread out in Coors and the production can come from anywhere.
Main Stack – Nolan Arenado, D.J. LeMahieu, Charlie Blackmon, Trevor Story
Sneaky Stack – Nolan Arenado, Mark Reynolds, Trevor Story, Jonathan Lucroy