Tuesday will be a busy night in baseball with 14 games making up the main slate in DFS. Whether you like to pay up for pitchers or hitters, there are plenty of viable options to pursue either strategy.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/25/2019
Scoring might be hard to come by for Thursday’s five-game evening slate in DFS with so many top pitchers set to take the mound. There are still a couple of stacks to take advantage of, but they figure to have high ownership percentages based on the limited options.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/17/2019
If you like excellent starting pitching, you might want to avert your eyes for Wednesday’s set of evening games. With several bad starting pitchers set to take the mound, we could be in line for an offensive explosion.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/25/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
May special! Use Code PAMLB30 at checkout
With only one day game Friday, there is a bevy of options to choose from for the main evening slate 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
Max Scherzer vs. Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $12,000
DraftKings = $14,000
Scherzer has won the Cy Young Award in both of the last two seasons and three times overall in his career. With the way he’s been pitching so far, he’s making a strong case to win it once again. He does an excellent job keeping runners off base with a 0.85 WHIP, which would be his fourth-straight season with a WHIP of 0.97 or lower. He also has a staggering 17.2% swinging-strike rate that has led to a career-high 14.3 K/9. What might be just as impressive is that he has only issued 16 walks in 65.2 innings. He’s a great option regardless of who he is facing, but especially against a Marlins team that has scored the fewest runs (167) in baseball.
Sean Manaea vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $8,300
DraftKings = $8,600
Manaea began the season by allowing two runs or fewer in each of his first six starts, highlighted by a no-hitter against the Red Sox. His last four starts haven’t gone nearly as well, allowing 16 runs (15 earned) in 22.2 innings. One of the main reasons for his recent struggles has been a regression in his BABIP allowed, which was .148 in those first six starts and was .301 in the last four outings. However, this might be the matchup he needs to get back on track since the Diamondbacks have scored the second-fewest runs (180) and they sorely miss A.J. Pollock (thumb).
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Matt Adams vs. Jose Urena, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $4,000
The Nationals have been decimated by injuries this season, opening up significant playing time for Adams. He’s come through in a major way, batting .273 with 11 home runs and 28 RBI. He even has those numbers despite his .264 BABIP being 50 percentage points lower than his career mark. He has followed up his .367 wOBA against lefties last year with a .441 wOBA this year, so Urena could have difficulty getting him out Friday.
Salvador Perez vs. Mike Minor, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,000
Minor’s transition back to being a starting pitcher has not gone well, allowing a 5.59 ERA and 1.32 WHIP across nine starts. His FIP has been a little better at 4.41, but he’s already allowed eight home runs in just 48.1 innings. He still gives left-handed hitters a lot of problems, but his .384 wOBA allowed to righties brings Perez into the discussion Friday.
Others to consider: Eric Hosmer (first base) and Edwin Encarnacion (first base)
SECOND BASE
Ozzie Albies vs. Eduardo Rodriguez, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $4,600
DraftKings = $5,300
After hitting nine home runs in his first 27 games, Albies has slowed down a bit with five homers in his last 21 contests. He only hit 16 total home runs during his career in the minors, so it’s no surprise that he’s started to regress in that department. One interesting note is that 12 of his 14 home runs this year have come on the road. He is crushing lefties as well, posting a 232 wRC+ against them this season.
Whit Merrifield vs. Mike Minor, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,300
Stacking righties against Minor could be a path to success Friday. Merrifield broke out of his recent slump with two hits Thursday and is batting .286 this season. Not only has he shown a nice combination of speed and power this year, but he also has a 226 wRC+ against lefties.
Others to consider: Cesar Hernandez and Josh Harrison
THIRD BASE
Jose Ramirez vs. Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros
Stadium – Progressive Field
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $5,300
Ramirez is officially over his early-season slump, batting .338 with seven homers and five steals in May. He only had a .241 BABIP heading into the month, so you knew he was bound to improve as the season progressed. Keuchel is certainly a good pitcher, but his wOBA against righties is 50 percentage points higher than it is against lefties in his career. This might not be an obvious matchup to take advantage of, but Ramirez has upside.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa vs, Eric Skoglund, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $3,500
Skoglund is getting his first chance to be a permanent member of the Royals starting rotation and it’s not going well as he has a 6.15 ERA and 1.32 WHIP across eight starts. He doesn’t carry strikeout upside with a 6.9 K/9 and has allowed a .357 wOBA against right-handed hitters, making Kiner-Falefa a cheap option who could provide value.
Others to consider: Nolan Arenado and Miguel Andujar
SHORTSTOP
Jurickson Profar vs. Eric Skoglund, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $3,700
With Skoglund and all of his struggles, the Rangers are another team to consider stacking. Profar is finally getting consistent playing time with all of the Rangers injury woes and although he is batting just .237, he is hitting 7-for-22 with a home run, three doubles and 11 RBI in his last six games. He received the day off Thursday and missed out on a prime matchup against Danny Duffy, but facing Skoglund is just as favorable.
Dansby Swanson vs. Eduardo Rodriguez, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,200
Swanson couldn’t capitalize on his first opportunity to be an everyday player in the majors last year, batting only .232 with six home runs. He’s still not hitting for much power this year, but his .273 batting average is much improved. His .374 BABIP is high, so his average could decline as the season progresses. However, that might not start against Rodriguez since Swanson has traditionally had much more success against lefties.
Others to consider: Manny Machado and Trevor Story
OUTFIELD
Austin Meadows vs. John Gant, St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – PNC Park
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $3,800
Meadows has wasted no time making his mark in six games with the Pirates, batting .440 with three home runs and two doubles. He already has four multi-hit games and is creating a hard decision for the Pirates to make when Starling Marte (oblique) returns. Until then, continue to ride his hot streak.
Juan Soto vs. Jose Urena, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $3,400
Another one of the hot young prospects in baseball, Soto is 3-for-10 with a home run since being called up by the Nationals. Down some key outfielders, Soto should at least stay in the majors for the foreseeable future. Urena’s wOBA against lefties is 64 percentage points higher than it is against righties, making Soto another Nationals hitter to target.
Brandon Nimmo vs. Junior Guerra, Milwaukee Brewers
Stadium – Miller Park
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $3,600
With Yoenis Cespedes (hip) and Juan Lagares (toe) on the DL, regular playing time has opened up for Nimmo. He hasn’t let the opportunity go to waste, batting .294 with a .450 OBP. His .394 BABIP screams regression, but he did hit .280 with a .388 OBP in his career in the minors. He also has a .476 wOBA against righties this year, so he might be worth taking a chance on against Guerra.
Others to consider: Bryce Harper and Charlie Blackmon
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/24/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
May special! Use Code PAMLB30 at checkout
There aren’t a lot of options in DFS with only eight games in the majors Thursday. 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
Charlie Morton vs. Cleveland Indians
Stadium – Progressive Field
FanDuel = $10,200
DraftKings = $11,400
Morton has done a tremendous job keeping runners off base this year, posting a 0.93 WHIP. His 3.35 FIP indicates his 1.94 ERA won’t hold, but he’s going to continue to have plenty of success by allowing so few base runners. His 97.2 mph average fastball velocity is the highest of his career and he has a 13.3% swinging-strike rate, which has led to a lofty 11.3 K/9. He had success against the Indians in his last start, allowing one run to go along with eight strikeouts in seven innings. He’s the one elite strikeout pitcher taking the mound Thursday, so it makes a lot of sense to pay up for him.
Luis Castillo vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $7,300
DraftKings = $7,800
Castillo looked primed for an excellent season after excelling in 15 starts last year, but he has a 5.61 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP so far. A lot of that damage came early on as he allowed at least four runs in four of his first six starts. He’s been much better in his last four outings, allowing eight runs (seven earned) to go along with 26 strikeouts in 22.2 innings. His swinging-strike rate is actually higher this year at 15.2%, so expect his ERA to continue to decrease as the season wears on. His price still hasn’t jumped up yet, leaving him with significant upside.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Matt Olson vs. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $3,800
Despite being only 32 years old, Hernandez has already thrown over 2,500 innings during his career. He’s clearly not the same pitcher that he was in his prime and his 90.5 mph average fastball velocity this season that is the lowest he has ever posted. He’s not fooling many hitters with an 8.0% swinging-strike rate, which has been a major factor in his bloated 5.53 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. Olson has a career .393 wOBA against right-handed pitchers and could give Hernandez plenty of trouble.
Jesus Aguilar vs. Steven Matz, New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,100
Eric Thames (thumb) is still on the DL, but Ryan Braun was activated Wednesday. That could cut into Aguilar’s playing time, but the Brewers might be wise to keep him in their lineup Thursday. He’s been swinging the bat well, going 8-for-20 with four home runs and nine RBI in his last five games. He also excels against left-handed pitching with a .355 wOBA against them for his career.
Others to consider: Justin Smoak (first base) and Salvador Perez (catcher)
SECOND BASE
Whit Merrifield vs. Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,500
Merrifield is in a mini-slump, failing to a record a hit in four straight games. He’s batting .281 this year and is a .285 hitter for his career, so don’t expect this to last too long. Bibens-Dirkx will be making his first start in the majors this season and hasn’t exactly been dominating Triple-A, posting a 3.72 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 7.4 K/9. He struggled with a 4.67 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 4.9 K/9 in 69.1 innings with the Rangers last year as well, leaving this as a great opportunity for Merrifield to get back into the hit column.
Yangervis Solarte vs. Nick Tropeano, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $3,500
Solarte might be one of the more underrated players in the league. He’s batting a respectable .265 this season and has hit for plenty of power with 11 home runs and nine doubles. He doesn’t strikeout out much with a career 11.8% strikeout rate and can play multiple positions. His splits are fairly even from both sides of the plate, so there is no need to platoon him either. He has at least two hits in each of his last four games and has hit homers in back-to-back contests as well.
Others to consider: Jed Lowrie and Jonathan Schoop
THIRD BASE
Mike Moustakas vs. Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,400
Moustakas is in a bit of a power drought, failing to go deep in 14 straight games. He still has 10 home runs on the season overall though after hitting a career-high 38 dingers last year. Bibens-Dirkx allowed 1.8 HR/9 last year and Moustakas has been much better against righties, so this could be the day he breaks his streak.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa vs. Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,300
Duffy has been getting shelled this year, posting a 6.88 ERA and 6.44 FIP. He has a 1.73 WHIP and it’s concerning that his .314 BABIP allowed isn’t that high either. Righties have hit him particularly hard with a .426 wOBA. Kiner-Falefa doesn’t have a lot of power, but he’s hitting .260 and has done a nice job overall filling in for Adrian Beltre (hamstring). He’s priced low enough to be a viable option in tournament play.
Others to consider: Eugenio Suarez and Kyle Seager
SHORTSTOP
Jurickson Profar vs. Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $3,500
Profar has been a highly thought of prospect coming up through the Rangers system, but he’s yet to have consistent success in the majors. He’s never played more than 90 games in a season and is batting just .231 for his career. Injuries to several players on the Rangers have forced him into regular playing time this year, already appearing in 45 games. He continues to struggle with a .237 average, but he is hitting 7-for-22 with a home run, three doubles and 11 RBI in his last six games. With Duffy on the mound, look for him to continue his hot hitting.
Marcus Semien vs. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $3,900
With Hernandez taking the mound, the Athletics present a viable stacking opportunity. Semien has hit Fernandez well in his career, going 11-for-33 (.333) with four home runs. His overall numbers this season aren’t flashy, but this is the kind of matchup that is hard to pass up.
Others to consider: Manny Machado and Andrelton Simmons
OUTFIELD
Mike Trout vs. Marco Estrada, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $5,400
The combination of power and speed that Trout has is certainly impressive, but what stands out to me is that he has 45 walks compared to 41 strikeouts this season. He also has a staggering .444 OBP, which would be his third-straight season with an OBP of at least .441. Estrada is prone to giving up home runs and isn’t a big strikeout pitcher, leaving Trout with a high ceiling one again.
Shohei Ohtani vs. Marco Estrada, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,600
In one of the crazier stats of the season, Ohtani has more RBI this season as a hitter (19) than runs he has allowed as a pitcher (15). He is destroying right-handed pitching with a .445 wOBA and all six of his home runs have come against them. Estrada has allowed a .363 wOBA to lefties this year, so stacking both Trout and Ohtani in your outfield could provide a big return.
Scott Schebler vs. Ivan Nova, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,800
When Nova is taking the mound, you want to target left-handed hitters on the opposing team. Not only does Nova have a hard time striking hitters out in general, but he has allowed a wOBA of at least .361 in each of the last three seasons against lefties heading into 2018. This season has been no different with a .376 wOBA allowed to lefties. Schebler has also hit him well in his career, batting .368 (7-for-19) with a home run.
Others to consider: Justin Upton and Adam Jones