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Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 08/05/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Saturday, August 5

Saturday’s schedule doesn’t include any elite aces taking the mound, which should leave you with extra money to spend on your offense. 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**

Gerrit Cole vs. San Diego Padres
Park – PNC Park

Cole’s numbers are not overly impressive this season as he enters Saturday 9-7 with a 3.97 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 120 strikeouts in 133.2 innings. When he is bad, he is really bad as he has allowed at least seven runs in three of 11 starts since the calendar turned to June. However, he has been much better of late as he has pitched at least six innings and allowed two runs or less in each of his last five starts. He faced the Padres in his last start and allowed one run to go along with eight strikeouts in seven innings. Look for him to pitch well against their weak lineup again Saturday.

Danny Duffy vs. Seattle Mariners
Park – Kauffman Stadium

Like Cole, Duffy doesn’t have sparkling numbers either as he is 7-6 with a 3.42 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 108 innings this season. He struck out more than a batter per inning last season, so he has seen significant regression in that department. However, he still lines up for a favorable start Saturday as he is excellent at home, posting a 2.93 ERA and 1.15 WHIP this season. Even more impressive, he has not allowed a home run at Kauffman Stadium all year. That’s not good news for the Mariners as they entered Friday with only a .392 slugging percentage against left handed pitching. Duffy could be in line for a big performance.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Colorado Rockies vs. Nick Pivetta (Philadelphia Phillies)
Park – Coors Field

Pivetta has struggled in his rookie season as he is 4-6 with a 5.42 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 83 strikeouts in 81.1 innings. He has struggled in two key areas as he has already allowed 16 home runs and issued 34 walks. That’s not a recipe for success by any means. Things aren’t going to get any easier for him pitching in Coors Field as the Rockies entered Friday hitting .304 with a .870 OPS at home. Load your lineup with Rockies bats and enjoy the ride.

Players to consider stacking: Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu

Boston Red Sox vs. James Shields (Chicago White Sox)
Park – Fenway Park

Shields just hasn’t worked out since becoming a member of the White Sox. After being hit hard last year once he was traded there, his struggles have continued this year as he has a 6.19 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in 56.2 innings. He really struggles to keep the ball in the park as he has already allowed 15 home runs in his limited innings. Over his last five starts, he allowed at least six runs three times. Look for the Red Sox to put up some crooked numbers Saturday.

Players to consider stacking: Mookie Betts, Rafael Devers and Andrew Benintendi

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 4, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 3, 2017

Welcome back for another TGIF edition of our daily fantasy baseball picks. We have a two-game afternoon slate today but I will be looking at my top pitchers and stacks for the main slate starting at 7:05 p.m. ET tonight. Let’s jump right in.

Starting Pitchers

 James Paxton - LineupLab - DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks

James Paxton
Opponent – @ KC
Park – Kauffman Stadium
Vegas Favorite (SEA -160)
Vegas Total (8.5)

There are a ton of options at the top tonight including Darvish in his start as a Dodger going up against deGrom of the Mets. I think both are nice tournament options with the Vegas line so close but for my main pitcher I will turn to James Paxton who may even come low owned due to the high price. The Royals are in the bottom third of the league when looking at runs scored and are a tick worse against left-handed pitching with a .307 wOBA and 87 wRC+. Paxton has been one of the best pitchers in the league since the All Star break with a 4-0 record, 1.04 ERA and 11.8 K/9 rate. The Royals only K about league average vs. lefties but the overall floor and win potential are enough for me to rank Paxton #1 tonight in the top tier.

Eduardo Rodriguez
Opponent – vs. CWS
Park – Fenway Park
Vegas Favorite (BOS -190)
Vegas Total (9.5)

With a sub $7K price tag on DraftKings and a moneyline of -190, Eduardo Rodriguez is my top SP2 tonight. His control issues are well documented(3.6 BB/9) but he has also shown some big upside with a 9.99 K/9 rate through 13 starts. Most of the struggles have come on the road this season where he holds an ERA over a run higher and K/9 rate that is 2.3 strikeouts per nine less. There is definitely some risk but the matchup vs. the White Sox is too much to pass up. Despite ranking much higher against left-handed pitching this season, they have struggled a ton lately with a .294 wOBA, 80 wRC+, and 25.4% K rate over the last 14 days.

 

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Mookie Betts - Boston Redsox

 

Boston Red Sox vs. Carlos Rodon (CWS)

Not only are the Red Sox the highest projected scoring team tonight outside of the Rockies, they have also been red hot lately. Over the last seven days they lead all teams with a .389 wOBA, 140 wRC+, and are one of four teams with an ISO over .200 in that time. Yes, it’s a small sample size but they also rank inside the Top 10 in overall runs scored this season despite seeing a down trend in the power with Big Papi retired. The hit lefties well and show great patience which is perfect facing Carlos Rodon who is borderline wild walking just under six per nine. He does have huge K upside(11.61 K/9) but also gives up the long ball with 23.3% HR/FB rate. I look for the Red Sox to stay hot tonight making them my top stack.

Top Hitters to Target: Mookie Betts, Eduardo Nunez, Hanley Ramirez, Rafael Devers
Houston Astros vs. Cesar Valdez (TOR)

The Astros have slipped a bit offensively lately with the loss of Carlos Correa and George Springer to the DL but the good news is Springer may be back tonight. Despite the fact the Astros hit in the best pitchers park in the league, they have an elite matchup vs. Cesar Valdez. The Jays moved him from the bullpen to the rotation and he looked good in his first start(6 IP, 1 ER, 4 K’s) but got beat up in his second start(2 IP, 6 ER, 2 K’s). Overall this season, he sits with a 6.59 ERA, 4.67 xFIP, and best of all, he gives up nearly 50% hard contact. If Springer is out of the lineup, the value goes up as Derek Fisher should slide back to the leadoff spot.

Top Hitters to Stack: Jose Altuve, Josh Reddick, Derek Fisher, Yulieski Gurriel, George Springer(if back in lineup)

 

 

 

 

 

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 3, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 3, 2017

Welcome to another Thursday in daily fantasy baseball. Today we have a split slate and with just three early games, I will be looking at my top pitcher and stacks from the 10-game main slate. Let’s take a look.

Starting Pitchers

 

Colin McHugh
Opponent – vs. TB
Park – Minute Maid Park (Pitcher Friendly)
Vegas Favorite (HOU -150)
Vegas Total (9.5)

My top pitcher of the night when factoring matchup, Vegas, and PTS/$ value is Colin McHugh. He made his first start of the season July 22nd after missing the first four months due to an elbow injury. He was looking good early but slipped and ended up giving up four earned runs. In his second start in Detroit, he was fantastic going six innings allowing just four hits and one earned run while striking out seven and walking just one batter. While the Rays can be a pesky team with some power upside, they do have the second-most strikeouts in the league(1052) and have seen it get worse lately striking out 26.5% of the time over the past 14 days. The best part is you can use McHugh as an SP2 on DraftKings at just $7,500 and is likely low owned on FanDuel with Rick Porcello (-250) coming at a $100 discount.

Also consider: Alex Wood (LAD)

 

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Baltimore Orioles - LineupLab

Baltimore Orioles & Detroit Tigers Game Stack

I absolutely love this game offensively from both sides tonight. The Orioles are currently -135 favorites at home in a game with the highest total and we get two pretty awful pitchers facing off. The O’s will face Matt Boyd who doesn’t necessarily give up a ton of home runs(10% HR/FB rate) but has given up three or more earned runs in 10 straight starts. The Tigers get the better power upside matchup vs. Chris Tillman who has been a punching bag all season. He saw his ERA drop to 7.65 after giving up eight earned runs in his last start and best of all, he has given up at least one home run in nine of his last 10 starts.

Orioles Players to Stack – Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Chris Davis, Jonathan Schoop, Wellington Castillo

Tigers Players to Stack – Jim Adduci, Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera, Justin Upton

 

 

Minnesota Twins vs. A.J. Griffin

This stack is likely to be low owned due to some rain concerns(40% chance) and the fact the Twins offense just hasn’t been that great this season. I like their upside tonight facing A.J. Griffin who is making his return from an intercostal sprain(chest) that caused him to sit on the DL since the end of May. Before going down, he was having a rough time of it giving up 17 earned runs over 9.2 innings(3 starts) including eight home runs. Until I see him fully regain his form, I will target him for big upside no matter who the team is. Tonight it’s the Twins.

Top Players to Stack – Brian Dozier, Robbie Grossman, Miguel Sano, Eduardo Escobar

 

 

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 2, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, August 2, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Dallas Keuchel Vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Park – Minute Maid Park
Vegas O/U – 9

An elite lefty against the Tampa Bay Rays is never too tough to decipher. When looking at what the Rays do against lefties, it’s quite clear why. They’ve ranked 23rd in the league with a. .307 wOBA against righties, while coming in 2nd in K% at 25. The team is good against lefties. Outside of Evan Longoria, everyone on the team either K’s a ton or is ineffective against righties. Keuchel has dominated both lefties as righties this year though his numbers against righties should actually keep going down. He’s striking out batters at an 8 per 9 clip and walking just 2. He does K nearly 13 lefties per 9, so those guys can basically just stay in the dugout. All in all, this is a slate you want to pay up for pitcher on and Keuchel looks to be the somewhat clear option. At least for me.

Jake Arrieta Vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Park – Wrigley Field
Vegas O/U – N/A

If you want to pivot off of Keuchel or simply want a lower owned option, Jake Arrieta is a phenomenal way to go. He’ll welcome the Diamondbacks to Wrigley Field and hopefully shut them down with the same ease. We all know where the Diamondbacks are dangerous. Against righties, they especially rely on David Peralta and Jake Lamb. While those 2 guys are absolute animals, I expect Arrieta to pitch around them. The rest of the order is pretty weak against righties and strikeout nearly 23% of the time. Arrieta has definitely been worse against lefties this year and it’ll be interesting to see how he approaches the game this late into the season. Arrieta has also seen his K/9 dip to around 8, though it’s allowed his BB/9 and LOB% to drop. The Diamondbacks are nowhere near the offense outside of Chase Field and should have some trouble with Arrieta in Wrigley. Let’s hope.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

Pittsburgh Pirates Vs. Robert Stephenson (Reds)
Park – PNC Park
Implied Total – 5.25

It doesn’t take too long to figure out why Vegas has the Pirates projected for over 6 runs. Good ol’ Robert Stephenson. I have no idea why this guy isn’t pitching in A working on his game, but he’s not. He’s in the majors and simply shouldn’t be. He’s posted a .400 wOBA against both sides of the plate in consecutive years. Come on. Even if he improves greatly, he will be considered bad. As for the Pirates and who I like most, Marte and Frazier hit that spot. McCutchen and Bell would be the next 2 with Cervelli following closely behind. He hits righties better and will go ignored at a very weak position. This is a team who is going to put up runs and I don’t think the general public will be all too interested.

Main Stack – Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, Josh Bell, Adam Frazier
Sneaky Stack – Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, Josh Bell, Francisco Cervelli

Park – Marlins Park
Implied Total – 4.83

Ah, Vance Worley. I’m not exactly sure what the Marlins were looking for, but unless that’s an atrocity of a pitcher, they didn’t get it. He’s posted a .375+ wOBA against both lefties and righties and has had serious issues with the HR ball. There is no team to better capitalize than the Nationals. The Nats are obviously one of the 3 best orders in the league and can be targeted many different ways. Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper are the only 2 musts. After that, you can go anywhere from Wilmer Difo in the leadoff spot to Anthony Rendon in the 6 hole. All in all, this slate is pretty big and I don’t think the Nats come in over 20% owned outside of Harper.

Main Stack – Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Wilmer Difo, Ryan Zimmerman
Sneaky Stack – Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Anthony Rendon, Adam Lind

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 1, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, July 1, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Max Scherzer - Lineup Lab

Max Scherzer @ Miami Marlins
Park – Marlins Park
Vegas O/U – 8

If you’re making me choose between Chris Sale and Max Scherzer on this slate, I have to lean Scherzer. Chris Sale, who can easily still dominate, faces off with the lethal Indians offense inside Fenway Park. Scherzer on the other hand, is facing the Miami Marlins in pitcher-friendly Marlins Park. Statistically, the Marlins are league average against righties with a team .323 wOBA. They strike out 21% of the time and struggle to put together big innings. Max Scherzer has dominated these bats in the past and I expect it once again. Scherzer is once again having an amazing year, sporting a 12.45 K/9 and 2.35 BB/9. The guys is a top 3 pitcher in baseball and see a matchup he dominates. Scherzer has also held a .combined .236 wOBA this season, so you have nothing to worry about. WHile I wouldn’t be surprised if the Marlins scored 1 or 2, I do think they strikeout over 10 times and give Scherzer a very nice outing.

Jose Berrios @ San Diego Padres
Park – PetCo Park
Vegas O/U – 8

Sure, Chris Sale and the other uber-elite arms make more sense in cash games. I don’t need to tell you that. Instead, let’s take a look at Jose Berrios, who could fly way under the radar tonight. He faces off with the San Diego Padres in PetCo Park, which as we know, is a dream match-up. The Padres are one of the leagues absolute worst offenses and it’s backed up by each and every number. Against righties, the Padres have ranked 27th in the MLB with a .307 wOBA and astronomical 25.5% K rate. When you combined that with a huge ballpark, these guys struggle to put up runs. Berrios on the other hand, has looked phenomenal. He’s sported a .291 combined wOBA and is striking out about 8.5 batters per 9. He should see a few extra in this match-up and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Berrios have a huge game. We do have a lot of arms on the slate and I could see Berrios ending at just 1% or so owned. In tournaments, I can’t think of anything better.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Gary Sanchez - Lineup Lab

New York Yankees @ Anibal Sanchez (Tigers)
Park – Yankee Stadium
Implied Total – 5.46

Anytime Anibal Sanchez takes the mound, we will be targeting opposing hitters. He’s a horrible pitcher and he struggles against hitters from both sides of the plate. The Yankees lineup is full of righties, for the most part, so let’s look there. In just 30 innings against righties, Sanchez has allowed a .384 wOBA and 8 home runs. He now moves into hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium to face off with one of the best offenses in baseball. Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge are both elite plays and when facing a reverse-splits righty, they become very difficult to fade. After those 2, you can go anywhere. Matt Holliday and Clint Frazier will be towards the top of the order and are my 2 favorites for cash. Todd Frazier and Didi Gregorious are another 2 options who have plenty of upside and could go low-owned. The Yankees are projected to put up nearly 5.5 runs, so Vegas is certainly expecting some fireworks. Get some exposure in both cash games and tournaments.

Main Stack – Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Clint Frazier, Matt Holliday
Sneaky Stack – Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Brett Gardner, Todd Frazier

Toronto Blue Jays @ Mike Pelfrey (White Sox)
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field
Implied Total – 5.82

The Blue Jays were right here yesterday and they won’t be going anywhere. Moving from James Shields to Mike Pelfrey, I’m not sure what can be better. While Pelfrey may actually be slightly better than Shields, that’s not saying much at all. He has also been better against righties, which does make some things interesting. Against left-handers, Pelfrey has posted a .376 wOBA and has allowed 10 homers. I’m going to shift my attention towards some of the lefties and hope the general public just hops on the popular bats. I’m not saying I’ll fade the righties. In most cases, I’ll go Bautista, Donaldson, and then find 2 lefties. Smoak and Morales are the top 2 with Carrera and Goins following behind. They will both be very low-owned and do have some power upside in Guaranteed Rate Field. Vegas has the Jays putting up nearly 6 runs, so you can’t ignore them by any means. They are more of a touramnt stack for me, but I love Smoak and Morales in cash games.

Main Stack – Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Justin Smoak, Russell Martin
Sneaky Stack – Jose Bautista, Kendrys Morales, Steve Pearce, Josh Donaldson

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for July 31, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, July 31, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Luis Severino Vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Park – Yankee Stadium
Vegas O/U – 8.5

We don’t have much pitching at all on this slate and Severino is the one guy who’s basically a lock. He’s easily the top option in both formats and will end up being very popular. I’m fine with it and in tournaments, this is a slate where you can get contrarian with your bats. Severino and the Yankees host the Rays, who are not very good. While they can hit homers against righties, the strikeout the 2nd most in the league at 25%. Severino has proven himself as a dominant and close to elite starter this season. He’s held both lefties and righties to a sub .281 wOBA, while striking out 10+ and walking 2 per 9 innings. He’s been better at home and all in all, doesn’t have much working against him tonight. He still has risk because of his age and these Rays can get streaky. However, nobody is at all safer. In any way.

Sonny Gray Vs. San Francisco Giants
Park – Oakland Coliseum
Vegas O/U – 9.5

It looks like Sonny Gray is going to get traded. Definitely watch out for news, but I expect his to be his last showcase game. They will let him wear his arm out of pitching well and they will tank him quickly if he’s not. Against the Giants, there’s a good shot of Gray dominating. The Giants have ranked dead last in baseball against righties with a .280 wOBA, showing no hope or signs for the future. Gray has been phenomenal against both sides of the plate (.271 wOBA) and is striking out 8.5 per 9 innings. The Oakland Coliseum is huge and I expect the Giants to have similar issues as they do at home. Gray is always going to be a bit risky and this 9.5 over/under is slightly worrisome. We don’t have much to choose from on the slate and Gray is a quality arm in a quality match-up. Once again, make sure he doesn’t get traded before the start.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

Cleveland Indians @ Doug Fister (Red Sox)
Park – Fenway Park
Implied Total – 5.56

I tried to go a little bit under the radar here. We do have some super popular offenses on the slate and you don’t need me to tell you to play those guys. However, we’ll look at a team who should be popular, but I’m not expecting it. The Indians will head to Boston and face off with the Red Sox in Fenway Park. The Sox will be tossing Doug Foster, who is AWFUL. In over 80 innings last season, he gave up a .400 wOBA. This year? It’s up to .470. I don’t know what in the world happened to this guy, but he can’t get his sinker to work against lefties. They’re implied to score over 5.5 runs and I think they should end up over 6. Jose Ramirez and Michael Brantley are my 2 favorites, but you can really go anywhere. This team is full of hitters and not at all a concentrated offense. Choosing between the 2 1B, I’ll go Santana due to the splits.

Main Stack – Jose Ramirez, Michael Brantley, Francisco Lindor, Carlos Santana
Sneaky Stack – Jose Ramirez, Michael Brantley, Edwin Encarnacion, Bradley Zimmer

Toronto Blue Jays @ James Shields (White Sox)
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field
Implied Total – 5.89

Now here’s one of the far more obvious stacks. When James Shields is on the mound, look to stack the other team. He’s one of the absolute worst pitchers in baseball and I will target hitters against him every single time. The Blue Jays have an implied team total of 5.69 and it’s only gone up from opening. Shields has been better against righties this year, but looks to just be getting lucky. He allowed a .385 wOBA against righties in 2016 and all of the peripherals still match. Against lefties, he’s held a .370+ wOBA for multiple seasons. Guaranteed Rate Field a great park for hitting and I fully expect the Jays to give off some fireworks. Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson are my 2 favorites, with the 2 1B following. This is a concentrated offense and I would keep your exposure towards the top of the order. If you want to get cute, find a guy with substantial power and hope for a low-owned dinger.

Main Stack – Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Justin Smoak, Russell Martin
Sneaky Stack – Jose Bautista, Kendrys Morales, Steve Pearce, Josh Donaldson

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 07/30/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Sunday, July 30

Sunday marks the last day of action before Monday’s trade deadline, so make sure to watch out for players who could be pulled just before game time because of a deal. 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**

James Paxton vs. New York Mets
Park – Safeco Field

Paxton is in the midst of a breakout season as he enters Sunday 10-3 with a 2.84 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 117 strikeouts in 101.1 innings. He has been even better over his last four starts as he only allowed five runs to go along with 35 strikeouts in 27 innings. His numbers at home this season are excellent as he has a 2.36 ERA over 10 starts at Safeco Field. There aren’t many aces taking the mound Sunday, making Paxton one of the more promising options for the day.

Lance Lynn vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Park – Busch Stadium

Lynn is one of those players you want to keep an eye on leading up to his game as he has been rumored to possibly be on the move before the deadline. As long as he starts, he presents a strong option Sunday. He enters the contest 8-6 with a 3.21 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 107 strikeouts in 120.2 innings. Lynn has been excellent at home this season as he has a 2.53 ERA and 1.01 WHIP at Busch Stadium. He has also been hot of late as he has a microscopic 1.17 ERA in July. To add one final stat that favors Lynn, the Diamondbacks entered Saturday hitting only .238 on the road.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Matt Cain (San Francisco Giants)
Park – Dodger Stadium

Sit back and get ready for some ugly numbers. Cain has been terrible on the season overall as he is 3-9 with a 5.45 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and only 59 strikeouts in 100.2 innings. He has been hit hard during day games as he has a 6.63 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in such contests this season. His road struggles are staggering as well as he has an 8.14 ERA and 1.99 WHIP on the road. All signs point to a big performance from the Dodgers Sunday.

Players to consider stacking: Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager and Chris Taylor

Cleveland Indians vs. Carlos Rodon (Chicago White Sox)
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field

Rodon has really struggled after missing the start of the season due to injury as he is only 1-4 with a 6.29 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP. While he does have 31 strikeouts in 24.1 innings, that is largely negated by the fact that he has already allowed six home runs and issued 18 walks. His last three starts have been particularly poor as he allowed 15 runs over 13 innings total. The Indians entered Saturday hitting .266 against left handing pitching, which is in the top 10 in all of baseball. Look for them to put up big numbers Sunday.

Players to consider stacking: Jose Ramirez, Edwin Encarnacion and Michael Brantley

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 07/29/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Saturday, July 29

There is a lack of quality starting pitchers taking the mound Saturday, leaving only a few players to consider for your lineup. Put your favorite daily fantasy baseball stacks from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the MLB Player Lab.

**STARTING PITCHERS**

Corey Kluber vs. Chicago White Sox
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field

Kluber had his last start pushed back a couple of days because of neck stiffness, but that sure didn’t slow him down as he struck out 14 batters and only gave up one run in 7.2 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. He is putting up elite numbers this season as he is 8-3 with a 2.74 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 149 strikeouts in 108.1 innings. Saturday brings a match up against the White Sox, marking the third time he will face them this season. He was excellent in his first two starts as he allowed three runs to go along with 17 strikeouts in 15 innings. For a slate weak on starting pitching, Kluber is one of the safest options out there.

Ivan Nova vs. San Diego Padres
Park – Petco Park

Nova allowed seven runs in his last start, but it was not a surprise as he faced the Colorado Rockies in Coors Field. Even with that blowup, his numbers for the season are still solid as he has a 3.62 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. He doesn’t miss many bats though as he only has 78 strikeouts in 131.2 innings. That’s not as big of a concern against the Padres though as they have scored the fewest runs in baseball. If you can’t afford to put Kluber in your lineup, Nova is a viable cheaper option.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Chicago Cubs vs. Junior Guerra (Milwaukee Brewers)
Park – Miller Park

The Cubs are back to their winning ways from last season and have reclaimed first place in their division. Their offense has been a big reason for their recent success as they entered Friday hitting .289 as a team after the All-Star break. Saturday they get to face Guerra who is only 1-4 with a 5.22 ERA and 1.53 WHIP this season. He’s not a strikeout pitcher either as he only has 46 in 58.2 innings. Guerra has failed to pitch more than 5.2 innings in any of his last five starts due to his struggles. Look for the Cubs to put up some crooked numbers in this contest.

Players to consider stacking: Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist

Miami Marlins vs. Tim Adleman (Cincinnati Reds)
Park – Marlins Park

The Reds have had issues with their starting pitching all season and Adleman is no exception. He enters Saturday 5-8 with a 5.11 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 92 strikeouts in 100.1 innings pitched. He struggles to keep batters in the park as he has already allowed 23 home runs this season. Making matters worse, he’s been terrible of late as he has a 6.49 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in the month of July. The Marlins should be able to provide plenty of offensive production Saturday.

Players to consider stacking: Giancarlo Stanton, Dee Gordon and Derek Dietrich

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 28

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 28, 2017

Welcome back to another TGIF edition of our daily fantasy baseball picks. Friday gives us another full 15-game slate to sort through and there will bea wrinkle with some weather issues thrown in the mix. Be sure to monitor the situations in Washington and Philadelphia as we get closer to lock. You can also follow me on Twitter(@Jager_Bombs9) as I will be updating the situations there as well. Let’s take a look at some of the top pitchers and stacks for tonight.

Starting Pitchers

Masahiro Tanaka
Opponent – vs. TB
Park – Yankee Stadium(Hitter Park)
Vegas Favorite (-175)
Vegas Total (9.0)

The Yankees are the third biggest favorite(-175) on the slate and Tanaka comes at a value price on both sites which give him huge PTS/$ value on this full slate. I will, however, only be using him in tournaments due to the inconsistency he has shown all season. He has given up 4+ earned runs seven times this season and sits with a 5.37 ERA but there are signs of positive regression working in his favor. First of all, the xFIP(3.74) sits over a run and a half better thanks to a below average walk rate(2.1 BB/9) and elite strikeout potential with a 9.18 K/9 and 14.6% swinging strike rate. While the Rays do rank inside the Top 10 vs. right-handed pitchers, they also K over 24% of the time and have been one of the coldest teams over the last 14 days(.290 wOBA, 81 wRC+).

Danny Salazar
Opponent – @ CWS
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field(Neutral)
Vegas Favorite (-215)
Vegas Total (9.5)

My top option tonight is the electric but wild Danny Salazar. Before a shoulder injury placed him on the disabled list for over a month, Salazar had a ton of issues walking batters(4.58 BB/9) and was punished for it with a 5.40 ERA and 22.4% HR/FB rate. He made his return to the rotation last Saturday and was very impressive giving up just one hit to the Jays over 7.1 innings while striking out eight and walking ZERO. He gets an even better matchup tonight facing a White Sox team that has lost 12 of their last 13 games and rank right near the bottom of the league vs. right-handed pitching with a .304 wOBA, 87 wRC+, and 22.3% strikeout rate.

Top Stack

Texas Rangers vs. Chris Tillman (BAL)

I absolutely love targeting against the Orioles pitching staff. Their bullpen sits in the middle of the pack with a 4.01 ERA but the starters hold the second worst ERA(5.90) and third worst HR/FB rate(16.5%) in the entire league. Tonight it’s the Texas Rangers who, despite getting shelled 22-10 yesterday, have scored 10+ runs in back to back games and face Chris Tillman who has been the worst of the O’s staff this season. He has walked a to of batters(4.48 BB/9) this season and has been punished with the long ball(17% HR/FB rate) resulting in a 7.01 ERA and equally bad 5.51 xFIP.

Top Players to Stack – Shin-Soo Choo, Adrian Beltre, Nomar Mazara, Roughned Odor

 

 

 

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Matt Moore(SF)

I guess we can call this a sneaky snack? I mean the Dodgers, at this point, rank 9th in implied runs tonight and on the main slate the late games can sometimes be overlooked. This is good news as they rank third overall in wOBA and wRC+ vs. left-handed pitching this season and have been the league’s hottest team since the break. They have won They have won five straight and 10 of 12 games scoring an average of over five runs per game. Matt Moore is not a good pitcher with a 5.82 ERA and 5.15 xFIP and has given up at least one home run in three straight and four of his last five games. I think you can further separate yourself from the pack by leaving out the popular and expensive Bellinger and Seager. I will definitely have exposure to both but like the idea of fading them in a few spots to be contrarian.

Top Players to Stack – Justin Turner, Chris Taylor, Logan Forsythe, Enrique Hernandez

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 27, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 27, 2017

Welcome back for another Thursday in daily fantasy baseball. Today is a bit of weird one with just eight games in total with three of them running in the afternoon. For the article below, I am going to give you my top pitcher and stack for tonight and we will get back to full-slate baseball on Friday. Let’s dig in.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Jon Lester - Lineuplab

Jon Lester
Opponent – @ CWS
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field (Neutral)
Vegas Favorite (CHC -225)
Vegas Total (10.5)

The vegas total is the highest of the entire day but don’t let that scare you off as the Cubs side of things makes up for over 61% of that. Lester takes the mound for the North siders tonight and has been brilliant lately. Over his last two starts, he has gone 15 innings, limiting the Braves and Cards to three hits each and three combined earned runs while striking out 16 batters and walking just one. Tonight he faces a White Sox team that started out the year destroying lefties but has fallen off lately since the trade of Todd Frazier. They currently rank 8th in wOBA and more telling is the 18th rank in Isolated Power. Trust Lester in all formats tonight.

Also Consider: C.C. Sabathia

 

Top Stack

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Matt Carpenter - Lineuplab

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Zack Godley (ARI)

The Cubs are clearly the top play tonight with their 6+ implied run total but I wanted to give you a secondary option to get away from the chalk. I am leaning in the Cardinals tonight who just finished off a three-game sweep of the Rockies outscoring them 21-9. Tonight they welcome another NL West team in the Diamondbacks who will be throwing Zack Godley to the mound. He had an excellent start to the season holding opponents to three earned runs or less in his first 11 starts but has been stumbling a bit lately. He has given up 10 earned runs over his last two starts despite showing some big K upside. The BABIP suggests he will regress back to normal but on a small slate, I will take a shot with a hot team and cold pitcher.

Top Players to Stack – Matt Carpenter, Paul DeJong, Jedd Gyorko, Tommy Pham