MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/11/18

MLB Daily Fantasy Picks

by Mike Barner on May 11, 20180 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/11/18

Earlybird special! Use Code PAMLB10 at checkout

After a fairly quiet night on Thursday, baseball is back in full swing Friday and all by one of the games on the schedule will be played at night. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

STARTING PITCHERS

Justin Verlander vs. Texas Rangers
Stadium – Minute Maid Park
FanDuel = $11,300
DraftKings = $13,000

Verlander was spectacular after being traded to the Astros last year and has been one of the best pitchers in baseball again this season with a 1.17 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 11.7 K/9. He is currently on pace to set new career highs by throwing a first-pitch strike to 65.5% of the batters that he has faced and recording a 14.5% swinging strike percentage. Opponents are likely to improve on their .205 BABIP against him, but he has excellent strikeout upside every time he takes the mound. Verlander held the Rangers in check in two previous games against them this season, allowing one run to go along with 16 strikeouts in 14 innings. Expect another productive line Friday.

Marco Gonzales vs. Detroit Tigers
Stadium – Comerica Park
FanDuel = $6,900
DraftKings = $7,000

Gonzales’ 5.19 ERA and 1.44 WHIP don’t make him an obvious play Friday. However, he has a 3.08 FIP and has been incredibly unlucky with opposing hitters recording an unsustainable .400 BABIP. He only has a 1.6 BB/9 and has shown strikeout upside with a 9.9 K/9. The Tigers lineup wasn’t great, to begin with, and is even weaker right now with Miguel Cabrera (hamstring) and Leonys Martin (knee) both on the DL. It’s usually a good idea to lean towards a pitcher with strikeout potential when you are looking for a cheap tournament play and when you combine that for Gonzales with this matchup, it only furthers the case for taking a chance on him.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/11/18

Freddie Freeman vs. Dan Straily, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $5,300

Freeman kicked off this series against the Marlins in style Thursday, going 5-for-5 with a home run. He continues to be one of the best hitters in baseball and has almost as many walks (23) this year as he does strikeouts (28). He finally has talented hitters in front of him with Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna Jr., so his career high of 109 RBI that he set in 2013 could be in danger. Get him in your lineup against the struggling Straily on Friday, especially considering Freeman’s .416 wOBA against righties this year.

Ryon Healy vs. Matthew Boyd, Detroit Tigers
Stadium – Comerica Park
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $3,700

Boyd has completely dominated left-handed hitters this year, holding them to a .153 wOBA. Righties have posted a .294 wOBA though, bringing Healy into the discussion Friday. Healy also excels against lefties with a .369 wOBA against them in his career. Boyd doesn’t have overpowering stuff either with just a 6.5 K/9 this season, so Healy is a cheap tournament play to consider.

Others to consider: Mitch Moreland (first base) and Mike Zunino (catcher)

SECOND BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/11/18

Cesar Hernandez vs. Steven Matz, New York Mets
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,000

With all the hype surrounding Scott Kingery, Hernandez continues to be one of the more underrated fantasy assets at second base. He has shown an excellent ability to get on base the last couple of years and currently has a career-high 16.4% BB% this season. He has a nice mix of power and speed as well with four homers and six steals. With a 178 wRC+ against lefties this year, look for another productive game Friday.

Gleyber Torres vs. Kendall Graveman, Oakland Athletics
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $3,900

As if the Yankees lineup wasn’t already loaded, Torres has been locked in since getting called up from the minors. Not only has he come up with some timely hits, but he’s batting .344 with two home runs. He was batting .347 in Triple-A before the Yankees called him up as well and it looks like he’ll be manning the keystone for a long time in the Bronx. Graveman is expected to be recalled from the minors to start this game after being sent down due to his struggles out of the gate, making the Yankees an excellent stacking opportunity.

Others to consider: DJ LeMahieu and Alen Hanson

THIRD BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/11/18

Jose Ramirez vs. Jason Hammel, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Progressive Field
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $5,100

Ramirez got off to a terrible start this year but is batting .333 with three home runs and three steals through eight games in May. He’s hit at least .312 in both of the last two seasons, so expect his current .283 average to continue to rise. With a 161 wRC+ against right-handers this year, Ramirez will look to keep his hot streak alive against the underwhelming Hammel, who only has a 5.0 K/9 this season.

Miguel Andujar vs. Kendall Graveman, Oakland Athletics
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,400

Andujar was getting extra-base hits in bunches earlier this season, but he hasn’t recorded one in any of his last 11 games. He has still logged at least one hit in five of his last seven games and has plenty of opportunities to provide counting stats in the Yankees dangerous lineup. Graveman had an 8.89 ERA and 1.84 WHIP earlier this season before being sent down, leaving Andujar as a cheap option with upside at third base.

Others to consider: Nolan Arenado and Maikel Franco

SHORTSTOP

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/11/18

Francisco Lindor vs. Jason Hammel, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Progressive Field
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $5,400

Lindor had a massive increase in home runs last year and although his batting average dropped to .273, that was partly because of his abnormally low .275 BABIP, not because he was sacrificing it for power. With a .315 BABIP this year that is right in line with his career mark, Lindor’s batting average sits at .292. He still has 10 home runs and 11 doubles too, leading to what would be a career-high .913 OPS. Like Ramirez, he has excellent potential against Hammel on Friday.

Jedd Gyorko vs. Eric Lauer, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $3,800

If there is a lefty on the mound, Gyorko is a cheap option to target in DFS. He finished with an impressive .402 wOBA against lefties in 2017 and has been even better this season with a .593 wOBA. This will only be Lauer’s fourth start this season and after allowing a 1.93 WHIP through the first three, Gyorko could provide significant value if he plays. Of note, Gyorko is shortstop-eligible on FanDuel but is listed at third base on DraftKings.

Others to consider: Didi Gregorius and Paul DeJong

OUTFIELD

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/11/18

Aaron Judge vs. Kendall Graveman, Oakland Athletics
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $5,200
DraftKings = $5,200

Judge has shown no signs of a sophomore slump, batting .311 with none home runs and a 1.018 OPS. His 28.6 K% is still high, but it is slightly down from last season in part because he has only swung at 22.5% of pitches outside the strike zone compared to 24.7% last season. He is batting .351 with eight of his nine home runs this season at Yankee Stadium, so he could really put up some big numbers against Graveman.

Tommy Pham vs. Eric Lauer, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,900

Pham recently dealt with a groin injury but returned to the lineup Thursday to go 2-for-4 with a home run. He has followed up his breakout 2017 campaign by batting .330 with a .444 OBP this year. After finishing with a .405 wOBA against left-handed pitchers last year, he’s another Cardinals righty who could provide problems for Lauer.

Franchy Cordero vs. Luke Weaver, St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $3,700

Cordero was one of the rising stars in the Padres organization heading into this season and injuries have opened up regular playing time for him. He’s made the most of the opportunity and is locked into an everyday role moving forward, batting .281 with six home runs and four steals. He’s been deadly when he makes contact, posting a 49.2% hard-hit rate. Weaver isn’t off to a great start and has struggled against lefties, in particular, leaving Cordero as a viable cost-effective option.

Others to consider: Justin Upton and Brett Gardner

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/18/18

MLB Daily Fantasy Picks

by Mike Barner on April 18, 20180 Comments

Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/18/18

Earlybird special! Use Code PAMLB10 at checkout

Wednesday consists of several day games in Major League Baseball, leaving a lot of options for both the early and late slates in DFS. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

STARTING PITCHERS

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/18/18

Jose Berrios vs. Cleveland Indians
Stadium – Hiram Bithorn Stadium
FanDuel = $9,800
DraftKings = $11,000

Berrios is one of the jewels of the Twins farm system and he was excellent in his first significant run in the starting rotation last year, finishing with a 3.89 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 8.6 K/9 in 145.2 innings. He held batters to just a 27.9% hard-hit rate and a 9.1% HR/FB rate. He’s off to an even better start this year, posting a 2.18 ERA, 1.68 FIP and a microscopic 0.63 WHIP through three outings. Teams continue to have a hard time squaring him up with an 18.4% hard-hit rate to go along with his 10.5 K/9. The Indians have the lowest team batting average (.208) and OBP (.284) in the majors, leaving Berrios with excellent upside.

Jake Faria vs. Texas Rangers
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $5,500
DraftKings = $6,200

Faria was hit hard in his second start of the season against the Red Sox, allowing eight earned runs in 1.2 innings. He had major control issues in that game that resulted in five walks. Outside of that, he allowed two earned runs total in 9.1 innings in his other two outings. It may not be a coincidence that he was destroyed in his only road start so far this season and that he didn’t pitch nearly as poorly at home. He finished with a 3.10 ERA at Tropicana Field last year compared to 3.72 on the road, but more importantly, he had just a 1.06 WHIP at home while posting a 1.35 WHIP on the road. Against an easier lineup in the Rangers on Wednesday, he might be worth the risk in tournament play for the early late.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/18/18

Cody Bellinger vs. Luis Perdomo, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $4,500

Bellinger has yet to display the same power that he had in 2017, slugging just two home runs so far. He hasn’t struggled though, posting a .297 average in the early going. He dominated right-handed pitching last year, resulting in a .383 wOBA against them. Perdomo also had his struggles against left-handed hitters by allowing a .349 wOBA to them last year, making Bellinger an excellent option to consider Wednesday.

Yasmani Grandal vs. Luis Perdomo, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $3,800

Grandal is swinging a hot bat right now, hitting 10-for-29 with two home runs and nine RBI in his last seven games. A switch-hitter, Grandal has been better against righties in his career with a .343 wOBA. Not only does Perdomo struggle against lefties, but he has a hard time keeping runners off base in general with a career 1.57 WHIP, which includes his staggering 2.09 WHIP through three starts this season.

Others to consider: Paul Goldschmidt (first base) and C.J. Cron (first base)

SECOND BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/18/18

Jose Altuve vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Safeco Field
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $5,000

Altuve is hitting for a high average again at .314, but he has shown very little power with just two doubles and no home runs. He has hit at least 39 doubles in four straight seasons and hit exactly 24 home runs in each of the late two years, so expect him to turn things around sooner rather than later. He could be in line for a big performance Wednesday against Leake, who doesn’t have an overpowering pitch arsenal with a career 6.1 K/9.

Howie Kendrick vs. Steven Matz, New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $3,500

Kendrick continues to fly under the radar as an important part of the Nationals lineup, hitting .300 with two home runs and seven RBI this season. His .348 BABIP is almost right on par with his career mark of .340, so it’s not unreasonable to think that he can continue to hit for a high average. He finished with a 137 wRC+ against lefties last year, making him a cost-effective option to consider against Matz on Wednesday.

Others to consider: Jed Lowrie and Cesar Hernandez

THIRD BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/18/18

Travis Shaw vs. Tyler Mahle, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Miller Park
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $3,600

Mahle threw six shutout innings in his first start of the season against the Cubs but has come crashing back down to Earth by allowing 10 total runs in his last two starts. Hitters have been squaring him up well with a 40% hard-hit rate overall. Shaw posted a 127 wRC+ against righties last year, so don’t be surprised if he has a big game against Mahle.

Jeimer Candelario vs. Kevin Gausman, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Comerica Park
FanDuel = $2,600
DraftKings = $3,400

Candelario showed promise in his brief stint with the Tigers last year, batting .330 with a .406 OBP in 27 games. He had a .270 average and .350 OBP during his career in the minors, so regression was likely in the cards heading into this season. He has only hit .220 out of the gates, but he does have four doubles, two triples and one home run so far. Gausman is struggling yet again with a 1.60 WHIP through three starts, so it might be worth taking a chance on Candelario at this cheap price.

Others to consider: Yangervis Solarte and David Freese

SHORTSTOP

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/18/18

Trea Turner vs. Steven Matz, New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $4,600

Turner has shown signs of coming out of his slump in the first two games of this series, hitting a combined 5-for-9 with three runs scored and two stolen bases. He’ll continue to bat leadoff with Adam Eaton (ankle) sidelined, giving him added value in DFS. It also gives him a chance to swipe more bases as well.

Corey Seager vs. Luis Perdomo, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,400

Seager recorded just his third multi-hit game of the season Tuesday and is only batting .212 so far. He’s been very unlucky with a .236 BABIP, so don’t expect him to continue to hit this poorly for much longer. He finished with a .353 wOBA against right-handed pitching last year, which should make him a candidate for your entry against the struggling Perdomo on Wednesday.

Others to consider: Manny Machado and Trevor Story

OUTFIELD

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/18/18

J.D. Martinez vs. Tyler Skaggs, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $4,900

Martinez hasn’t carried over his torrid pace from the end of last year to his new team, but he certainly hasn’t struggled by hitting .271 with three home runs and 13 RBI. He absolutely destroyed left-handed pitching last year, finishing with a 235 wRC+ against them that ranked second in baseball. Skaggs is off to a great start, but he could be in for trouble against Martinez.

Josh Reddick vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Safeco Field
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $4,100

The Astros lineup is loaded with excellent right-handed hitters, making Reddick an extremely important left-handed compliment. He does his job well, posting a .363 wOBA against righties in 2017. He’s off to another great start against them this year with a .443 wOBA, so don’t hesitate to add him to your lineup Wednesday.

Franchy Cordero vs. Kenta Maeda, Los Angeles Dodgers
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $3,500

One of the up-and-coming young players in the Padres system, Cordero is getting a chance to show his stuff with Wil Myers (arm) and Manuel Margot (ribs) on the DL. He’s only hit .231 through seven games, but he has already slugged two home runs. He was a career .282 hitter in the minors, so he should show improvement in his batting average as he continues to get accustomed to the league. Maeda has a 2.08 ERA so far this season, but it could have been worse due to his 1.73 WHIP. If you want to take a chance on a cheap outfielder with upside, Cordero might be your man.

Others to consider: Mookie Betts and Christian Yelich

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