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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

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for July 26, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, July 26, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

M.a<MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Chris Sale - Lineup Lab

Chris Sale @ Seattle Mariners
Park – Safeco Field
Vegas O/U – 8

How can you really roster anyone else? On this 4 game early slate, we certainly have limited options. The only 3 guys who deserve any consideration are Sale, Severino, and Samardzija. Sale stands out way above the rest and makes for the best option in all formats. If you’ve been playing MLB DFS up to this point, you know how amazing Sale has been. He’s held lefties and righties to a combined .245 wOBA and has done a fantastic job of leaving runners on base. He’s striking out a league high 12.74 and walking just 1.66 per 9 innings. This match-up with the Mariners is fine. With Cano, Seager, and Segura al better against righties, they rely on Nelson Cruz. While it usually works out, I suspect Sale will take care of business. All in all, his price is high but necessary. I don’t recommend fading him in any format on the early slate.

Alex Wood Vs. Minnesota Twins
Park – Dodger Stadium
Vegas O/U – 7.5

The main slate has 2 guys worthy of consideration here in Alex Wood and Carlos Martinez. We ended up on Alex Wood, who hosts the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium. The Twins hold the lowest implied team total of the day at just 2.56. They’ve ranked 20th in the league against lefties at a .310 wOBA clip and strike out 21% of the time. Alex Wood has been one of the top pitchers of this season and his numbers are very close to the likes of Sale, Kershaw, and Scherzer. Through over 100 innings, Wood has maintained a .241 wOBA, while striking out 10.3 per 9. Dodger Stadium is a definite pitchers park at night and Wood has been magnificent there. He’s the top option of the slate and he should bounce back from a rough start last week.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - LineupLab - Aaron Judge

New York Yankees Vs. Homer Bailey (Reds)
Park – Yankee Stadium
Implied Total – 5.50

The Yankees and Diamondbacks are the 2 best offenses on this early slate. Both are firmly in play and I trust don’t have a preference. Let’s touch on the Yankees here, who welcome Homer Bailey and the Reds to Yankee Stadium. Homer Bailey hasn’t pitched much over the last few years, but what we’ve seen has been more than enough. He’s getting plunged by righties (.418 wOBA) and giving up homers like nobodies business. The Yankees are a team that is ready to take advantage. Both Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez hit righties better and are 2 of the top plays on the early slate. After them, you can go anywhere. This offense is very spread out and a tournament contrarian play could very well pay off.

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

Chicago Cubs @ James Shields (White Sox)
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field
Implied Total – 5.82

You have to love the Cubs in this spot. You have to love any team facing off with James Shields. Especially when the game is being played in a hitters ballpark like Guaranteed Rate Field. The Cubs are implied to score 5.62 runs and come tied with the D-Backs for the highest of the day. James Shields has been astonishingly bad for 2 years now, allowing a combined .378 wOBA. He’s been worse against lefties and remains one of the absolute worst arms in baseball. Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant are the 2 top options and you can’t make a stack without them. After that, it’s between Zobrist, Contreras, and Schwarber. All 3 are in play for cash and I can’t blame you either way. In tournaments, the bottom of this order can be dangerous. Don’t be afraid to take a shot.

Main Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist, Kyle Schwarber
Sneaky Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for July 25, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, July 25, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Madison Bumgarner Vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Park – AT&T Park
Vegas O/U – 7.5

Since Bumgarner has returned from injury, he hasn’t been great. While he isn’t getting blown up or absolutely stinking, he’s simply been meh. He’s getting a bit unlucky and has also allowed 2 HR’s that were barely over the fence down the line. This is still by far the best pitcher on the slate and you have to like him in both cash games and tournaments. The Pirates have ranked 17th in the league against righties with a .311 wOBA and don’t offer much upside outside of McCutchen and Marte. They have plenty of strikeouts up for grabs and Bumgarner should have a floor around 7 K’s. He also gets the honor of playing at home in AT&T Park, where the ball absolutely dies. Bumgarner is still the best option on the slate and a guy whom deserves consideration in both cash games and tournaments.

Mike Clevinger @ Los Angeles Angels
Park – Angels Stadium
Vegas O/U – 8

Mike Clevinger is pretty good. He has a wacky reputation and for whatever reason, isn’t looked at like a good pitcher. Clevinger has been solid against both sides of the plate this season, posting a .289 wOBA against lefties and a .257 against righties. He’s struck out 10 batters per 9 innings, but also walks nearly 4. You’ll get a few walks here and there, but Clevinger typically works out of jams very well. This matchup with the Angels is a very interesting one with Mike Trout back. Against a righty, Trout and Calhoun are the only 2 guys that scare me. The rest of the order is full of strikeouts and/or weak grounders. Clevinger should be able to have another quality start here and at his price, that’s all you need. If you’re hesitant to pay all the way up for Bumgarner, Clevinger gives you a cost effective option with some safety and upside.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

Houston Astros vs Nick Pivetta (Philadelphia Phillies)
Park – Minute Maid Park
Implied Total – 5.41

We don’t have a whole bunch of offenses in great spots tonight. While there are plenty of them in “good spots”, few stand out. One of those few is the Houston Astros. The Astros face off with Nick Pivetta, who is not very good. While good against lefties, he’s posted a crazy .429 wOBA against righties in somewhat substantial innings. This gives guys like Altuve and Springer a ton of upsides Evan Gattis also gets some HR upside. To fill out your stack, I wouldn’t hesistate with a lefty. While he has been better against them, we’re expecting to see the bullpen a lot and most of them are right-handed. Josh Reddick and Carlos Beltran always go underowned and have a ton to offer in this one. All in all, the Astros are easily the most explosive offense in a big spot. You’ll likely need some exposure in both cash and tourneys.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Mike Foltynewixs (Atlanta Braves)
Park – Chase Field
Implied Total – 5.03

Like I said, there isn’t a ton to choose from in therms of stacks on this slate. The Astros are pretty obvious and should definitely be somewhat popular. Next, we’ll look at the D-Backs. It’s actually just a few of them that are standing off the page. They face off with Mike Foltynewicz, who is a cut and dry pitcher. He sucks against lefties and obliterates righties. Really that simple. With a .373 wOBA so far in 2017, you have to love the lefties in this order. Jake Lamb and Peralta are 2 of the top options on the slate and I wouldn’t leave them off any stack. Paul Goldscmidt and J.D. Martinez are also interesting, but I may go value with some other lefties (Blanco,Descalso, Hermmann).

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for July 24, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Monday, July 24, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Jacob deGrom @ San Diego Padres
Park – Petco Park
Vegas O/U – 7.5

Jacob deGrom gets to face off with the San Diego Padres tonight. It should be easy work, especially in Petco Park. Petco Park is one of the 3 best pitcher ballparks in the game and deGrom is a guy that really benefits. He gives up a lot of flyouts, so extra space in the OF is going to help a ton. You then look at the match-up, which is perfect. The Padres are one of the worst teams in the league against righties (.299 wOBA) and don’t offer much in terms of upside. Wil Myers obviously solid, but everyone else is very up and down. deGrom has controlled games this year, which has always been one of his problems. He’s been solid against both sides of the plate with a .291 wOBA and also strikes out over 10 batters per 9 innings. The Padres hold an implied team total of just 3.30 and Vegas fully expect deGrom to handle these guys. deGrom is an extremely strong option in both cash games and tournaments.

Gerrit Cole @ San Francisco Giants
Park – AT&T Park
Vegas O/U – 8

Without having many solid options at pitcher tonight, Gerrit Cole is a great way to go. As we all know at this point, the Giants don’t have much of an offense. Against righties, they have no offense. They hold the leagues lowest wOBA at .290 and are on the way down. While the Giants used to be a team we avoided, the bottom of the order is now very bad. They strikeout a ton and don’t offer much power at AT&T Park. You then look at Gerrit Cole, who has been a solid pitcher his entire career. He’s always going to struggle a bit against lefties, but he makes it up with his effectiveness against right-handers. He strikes out 8 batters per 9 innings and walks just under 2. He’s priced down on both sites and makes for a very solid option in all formats.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

Los Angeles Dodgers Vs. Bartolo Colon (Minnesota Twins)
Park – Dodger Stadium
Implied Total – 5.67

The Dodgers are one of my favorite offenses of the entire season tonight. Yes, all year long. Sure, Bartolo Colon isn’t the worst. He’ll probably last 3-5 innings and give up 4 or 5 runs. He is horrible against both righties and lefties and has given up a .352 wOBA. The Dodgers are one of the best offenses in the entire league and I think they end up bolstering Colon and the average Twins bullpen. The Dodgers have some real obvious bats to target in Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger, who I would never leave off of a stack. You then get to the likes of Grandal and Utley, who are great values at the weaker 2 positions of the slate. If you’re looking to go contrarian, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig have a ton of upside.

Main Stack – Corey Seager, Chase Utley, Cody Bellinger, Yasmani Grandal
Sneaky Stack – Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig

Miami Marlins @ Martin Perez (Texas Rangers)
Park – Globe Life Park in Arlington
Implied Total – 5.03

I absolutely love this stack if you’re paying up for pitcher. You can get your 2 expensive bats in Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna. They are 2 of the best options on the slate and are my 2 top choices for an HR. You can then also get Martin Prado and Tyler Moore, who are cost-effective righties that hit lefties extremely well. The Marlins will be moving into GLobe Life Park, which is a top 4 ballpark for power in the summer months. You can expect some HR’s to be hit here and the value options on the Marlins are solid. Martin Perez is a very average pitcher, but he struggles a ton with righties. So far in 2017, he’s allowed a .364 wOBA and 10 homers in just 80 innings of work. The Marlins may be a bit sneaky and they have as much upside as anyone on the slate.

Main Stack – Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, Martin Prado, Tyler Moore
Sneaky Stack – Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich, Martin Prado

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 07/23/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Sunday, July 23

There are a few elite starting pitchers taking the mound Sunday, which could make offense hard to come by. 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. Toronto Blue Jays
Park – Progressive Field

Kluber had his start pushed back a couple of days as he dealt with neck stiffness, but he is expected to start Sunday. He is having a spectacular season as he is 7-3 with a 2.86 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 135 strikeouts in 100.2 innings. That puts him among the best of the best in all of baseball. Believe it or not, Kluber has actually been even better at home this season as he has a 2.54 ERA at Progressive Field. While the Blue Jays have some pop in their line up, they are in the bottom five in baseball in terms of runs scored. Look for Kluber to have another great performance Sunday.

Jose Quintana vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Park – Wrigley Field

Quintana was dominant in his first start for the Cubs as he pitched seven shutout innings and recorded 12 strikeouts. Ironically, his first start as a member of the National League game against the Baltimore Orioles. Quintana’s 4.49 ERA and 1.32 WHIP for the Chicago White Sox this season were nothing to write home about, but he did allow three runs or less in each of his last seven starts with the team. Sunday brings a favorable match up against the Cardinals who only hit .237 against lefties. If you want to go with a cheaper starting pitcher, Quintana should be your guy.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Colorado Rockies vs. Ivan Nova (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Park – Coors Field

At first glance, Nova doesn’t look like a pitcher you would want to take advantage of as he enters Sunday 10-6 with a 3.27 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. However, he pitches to contact as he only has 73 strikeouts in 126.2 innings. That is not a recipe for success in Coors Field. The Rockies continue to excel in their comfortable confines as they entered Saturday batting .298 with a .854 OPS at home this season. Expect them to hit Nova hard in this contest.

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

Seattle Mariners vs. Luis Cessa (New York Yankees)
Park – Safeco Field

Simply put, Cessa is not a very good pitcher. He is only in the Yankees starting rotation because Michael Pineda went down for the season with an elbow injury. Cessa enters Sunday 0-3 with a 4.61 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 19 strikeouts in 27.1 innings this season. He’s probably not going to stay in the Yankees rotation long term, but that doesn’t make a difference in DFS. Load up your lineup with Mariners hitters and enjoy the ride Sunday.

Players to consider stacking: Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Ben Gamel

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 07/22/2017

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Saturday, July 22

The aren’t many elite starting pitchers taking the mound Saturday, which could lead to some big offensive numbers overall. 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**

Sean Manaea vs. New York Mets
Park – Citi Field

Manaea might be one of the more underrated starters in baseball. He enters Saturday 8-5 with a 3.68 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 101 strikeouts in 100.1 innings. He does a great job keeping the ball in the park as he has only allowed eight home runs this season. His overall numbers are impressive, but he has been even better of late as he has allowed two runs or less in three of his last four starts. The Mets entered Friday hitting only .253 with a .313 OBP against left handed pitching, so Manaea could be in line for another valuable outing Saturday.

Marcus Stroman vs. Cleveland Indians
Park – Progressive Field

Stroman is off to a great start for the Blue Jays as he is 9-5 with a 3.10 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 98 strikeouts in 119 innings. He is currently enjoying a great run of success as he has allowed two runs or less in each of his last four starts. His last two starts were particularly impressive as he held the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros to a combined one run in 13.2 innings. Stroman has already faced the Indians this season and he threw six scoreless innings in the game. With a weak group of starting pitchers, Stroman is one of the stronger options Saturday.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Houston Astros vs. Chris Tillman (Baltimore Orioles)
Park – Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Tillman is having a terrible season as he enters Saturday 1-5 with a 7.20 ERA, 2.02 WHIP and 39 strikeouts in 55 innings. He simply can’t pitch deep into games as he is averaging less than 5 innings per start. Home runs have been a big issue for Tillman as well as he has already allowed 11 this season. He only allowed 19 in 172 innings last year. Even with Carlos Correa injured, the Astros still have a potent lineup. Make sure to take advantage of Tillman.

Players to consider stacking: Jose Altuve, George Springer and Marwin Gonzalez

Detroit Tigers vs. Kyle Gibson (Minnesota Twins)
Park – Target Field

Gibson has been a weak link in Minnesota’s rotation as he is 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and only 57 strikeouts in 87.1 innings. While it’s hard to believe, he’s been even worse at home this season as he has a 7.20 ERA and 1.98 WHIP at Target Field. He just doesn’t have the stuff to put away hitters as he has issued 13 walks compared to 14 strikeouts over his last five starts. The Tigers pounced on him for six runs over 2.2 innings in a start earlier this season, so don’t be surprised to see another offensive explosion Saturday.

Players to consider stacking: Justin Upton, Nicholas Castellanos and Victor Martinez

 

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 21, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 21, 2017

Welcome back for another night of DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks. It’s Friday and we are gifted with a 15-game slate that is chalk full of elite pitching options and some other options we may want to stack against. Let’s take a look at a few of my favorites.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Chris Sale - Boston Redsox - Lineup lab

Chris Sale
Opponent – @ LAA
Park – Angel Stadium of Anaheim(Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (BOS -205)
Vegas Total (7.5)

With their ace on the mound, the Red Sox enter the Friday night slate as the second biggest favorite and are one of three matchups with a very low 7.5 Vegas total. After putting together a CY Young like first half, Sale picked up where he left off dominating the Yankees last Saturday with a season-high 13 strikeouts while limiting them to just three hits over 7.2 innings pitched. Of the four top tier pitchers tonight(Sale, Scherzer, Wood, Darvish), Sale also has the highest projection when looking at the lineup tool by a nice margin which only helps justify his high salary. The Angels don’t strike out a whole lot and did get back their star outfielder Mike Trout but still rank 27th in wOBA and dead last in wRC+ vs. left-handed pitching. Sale is the top pitcher of the night.

 

Jeff Samardzija
Opponent – vs. SD
Park – AT&T Park (Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (SF -155)
Vegas Total (7.5)

When it comes to GPP pitchers, I love taking risks to gain an edge in ownership. You can’t just throw a dart and hope for the best as you still need upside. Enter Jeff “Shark” Samardzija who has the upside with a 9.8 K/9 rate and terrific matchup in one of the best pitchers park vs. a team that ranks 29th in hitting vs. righties. However, he was blown up by these very Padres in his last start despite striking out eight batters. I know there will be a ton of people avoiding this play tonight and that flips the switch for me to go overweight tonight in tournaments. If you aren’t about the risk, I would consider Aaron Nola instead.

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - George Springer - Houston Astros - Lineuplab

Houston Astros vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (BAL)

It is a terrific night for targeting bad pitchers and combine that with another series starting at Coors and you should see some spread out ownership. My favorite stack at the top is by far the Houston Astros who lead the league in runs scored and are one of the few teams that can handle losing a stud like Carlos Correa. They get one of the top matchups of the night vs. Ubaldo Jimenez who has given up four or more earned runs in three straight and four of his last five starts with six home runs against. The other good news is that the Astros head out on the road, where they get a nice park boost away from Minute Maid Park.

Top Players to Stack – Jose Altuve, George Springer, Josh Reddick, Brian McCann

Miami Marlins vs. Homer Bailey (CIN)

Another team that gets a nice park boost as the Marlis travel to the Great American Smallpark to start a series with Reds. Not only that, they get a matchup vs. Homer Bailey who has shown some huge blowup potential since returning from offseason surgery. He has made five starts since mid-June and while two of them were positive on the road(one in Coors), he has given up six, eight, and eight earned runs in his other three starts. With so many great spots tonight combined with the fact the Marlins rank in the bottom third of runs scored, I think they are going to be bargain when looking at ownership.

Top Players to Stack – Dee Gordon, Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Justin Bour

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for July 19, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, July 18, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Carlos Carrasco @ San Francisco Giants
Park – AT&T Park
Vegas O/U – 8.5

When you hear safety, Carlos Carrasco isn’t the first guy who comes to mind. While he is an inherently risky pitcher to a degree, these aren’t the rocky days of Carrasco’s past. He’s now striking out over 10 batters per 9 innings on a consistent basis, while walking just over 2. Carrasco has also posted a .294 combined wOBA and has held opposing hitters to a 21% line drive rate. Carrasco is still one of the top arms in the game and on a slate without a ton of pitching, you have to love him. He also faces the San Fran Giants, who are the absolute worst team in the league against righties, sitting at a .290 wOBA, When you combine that with the wide open AT&T Park, they struggle to score. While Carrasco will cost you, he could very well end up being worth every dollar.

Jacob DeGrom Vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Park – Citi Field
Vegas O/U – 8

This isn’t a slate where you want to pay down at pitcher. In fact, I doubt I pay down past $8k in any spot. If you feel the need to pivot off of Carrasco, Jacob DeGrom is a super elite option. He hosts the Cardinals in Citi Field and should be able to sit em down 1 by 1. deGrom has been his elite self in 2017, striking out 10.6 batters per 9 and holding them to a 3.25 xFIP. He’s been effective against both sides of the plate with a combined .291 wOBA in over 110 innings of work. While the Cardinals aren’t the worst team in the league like the Giants, they don’t offer much else. They have ranked 9th worst in terms of wOBA and haven’t shown much potential. Matt Carpenter is obviously very scary, but that’s really it. If you want to pivot off of Carrasco and don’t want to sacrifice upside, just move on over to deGrom.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

Chicago Cubs @ R.A. Dickey (Atlanta Braves)
Park – SunTrust Park
Vegas O/U – 9.5

The Knuckleball that doesn’t knuckle. The 2017 story of R.A. Dickey. While I guess he’s just ringing his ancient career out for anything it’s worth, it’s time to hang them up. So far in ’17, he’s sported an astonishing 5.05 xFIP and a .277 BABIP. Splits-wise, he doesn’t really care. He’s posted s .340 wOBA against lefties and a .328 against righties, all the while giving up 15 homers in 100 innings of work. You then got their opponent in the Chicago. One of the best offenses in the league and they happen to be putting all together right now. Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant are the top 2 options and extremely safe is Dickey is off. After that, go crazy. Madden could mix up the lineup and you can really go anywhere from Willson Contreras to Ben Zobrist to Tommy La Stella. I don’t think there’s any reason to be picky against Dickey. In fact, this is one of my favorite spots of the season for the Cubs. Dickey strikes out just over 5 per 9 innings and drastically minimizes the Cubs 1 big hole. They’re projected to put up over 5 runs and I find it hard to believe they won’t get there.

Main Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist, Willson Contreras
Sneaky Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward, Kyle Schwarber

Colorado Rockies vs. Clayton Richard (San Diego Padres)
Park – Coors Field!
Vegas O/U – 11.5

Yep, I went deep diving to find this one. All the way into Coors Field. In reality, it’s just hard to ignore any team who holds an implied team total close to 7. While it mostly has to do with the ballpark, Clayton Richard isn’t very good at all either. He’s a 33-year-old below average arm who has allowed a .395 wOBA to righties, while allowing an astonishing 14 homers in 80 innings. Remember, this is a guy who has the honor of pitching in Petco Park half the time. He now moves into hitters paradise and basically has no shot. Nolan Arenado is a stone cold lock if you’re stacking the Rockies and makes for one of the best one offs outside of that. Further, Mark Reynolds and Ian Desmond stand out. They both smash lefties and have a great shot of putting one over in Coors, Blackmon is a lefty, but hits them just fine and will go relatively overlooked. The Rockies are going to put up a lot of runs and while they are expensive, they’re worth it.

Main Stack – Nolan Arenado, Mark Reynolds, Ian Desmond, Charlie Blackmon
Sneaky Stack – Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Mark Reynolds, Ian Desmond

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for July 18, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Clayton Kershaw - Lineuplab

 

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Clayton Kershaw @ Chicago White Sox
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field
Vegas O/U – 8.5

Who else? When Kershaw takes the hill, you can expect him to lead this article. While Scherzer and Sale are making a solid case for that spot, Kershaw is still the best pitcher in baseball. He’s actually flown under the radar this year and it speaks to just how consistent and dominant he is. So far in 2017, Kershaw has struck out nearly 11 batters per 9 while walking just 1.5 per 9. Lefties are also having the best season of all-time against Kershaw, which obviously won’t last for long. The White Sox are a very easy team to face for a guy like Kershaw. Against lefties, they have been a bit fluky. With a team .343 BABIP, their surface numbers are sure to go down. They do K as much as any other team in the league, sitting at 23.1%. Guaranteed Rate Field is a better hitting park than Dodgers FIeld, but nothing too extreme. Kershaw is one of the best pitchers of all-time and if you can afford him, do it. If you need to pay down, let’s take a look at a guy facing one of the bottom offenses in the game.

Michael Clevinger @ San Francisco Giants
Park – AT&T Park
Vegas O/U – 8.5

I know, it’s tough to spend up for a guy we don’t know much about. With that being said, what we have seen from Clevinger has been very nice. He’s posted a .297 combined wOBA since the start of 2016 and hasn’t really had any big red flags. He strikes out over 1 batter per inning and has held opposing hitters to a very low 26% hard contact rate. While I’m not saying he’s some great pitcher, he can get it done in the right match-up. The San Francisco Giants have been one of the most disappointing teams in the league, sporting a league-low .290 team wOBA against righties. In AT&T Park, they have a very tough time putting together runs. The Giants hold the 2nd lowest implied team total on the slate and Clevinger should be a solid option in both cash games and tournaments.

 

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

New York Yankees @ Bartolo Colon (Minnesota Twins)
Park – Target Field
Vegas O/U – 10.5

Oh boy, I have no idea why the Twins are doing this to Bartolo. At 44 years old, there is no way he belongs in the majors. He shouldn’t even be in the minors. Colon has pitched 62 innings so far this year, sporting a .371 wOBA against lefties and a .423 wOBA against righties. He’s given up 11 homers and has allowed a 32.3% hard contact rate. What I’m basically saying is that he should mightily struggle. With Colon being worse against righties and a predominantly fastball pitcher, it’s pretty easy to know who we want to target. Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez are 2 of my favorite plays on the slate and I would never think about leaving either of them off a Yankees stack. After those 2, you can really go anywhere.

Main Stack – Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Brett Gardner, Matt Holliday
Sneaky Stack – Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorious, Jacoby Ellsbury

Houston Astros vs. Sam Gaviglio (Seattle Mariners)
Park – Minute Maid Park
Vegas O/U – 9.5

Sam Gaviglio is not too good of a pitcher. So far in 2017, he’s allowed a .341 wOBA combined. He now moves into Houston to face one of the more lethal offenses in the game. Minute Maid Park is a great hitters-park for righties and I see no problem targeting them in both cash games and tournaments. Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve are the 2 top options and they both hit righties god enough. Josh Reddick and George Springer will hold the 1 and 2 spot and both make very solid plays. McCann and Beltran fit better in GPPs, but I couldn’t blame you for using either in cash games. Gaviglio will only lst 4 or 5 innings and the Mariners bullpen isn’t very good. Target the Stros in both cash games and tournaments.
Main Stack – Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Beltran
Sneaky Stack – Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Brian McCann, Marwin Gonzalez

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for July 17, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Monday, July 17, 2017

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Lance McCullers - Lineup lab

PITCHERS

Lance McCullers vs. Seattle Mariners
Park – Minute Maid Park
Vegas O/U – 9

This is a slate without much to love from the pitching spot, so we’ll take what we can get. McCullers is one of the clear top 2 options and he does have a pretty solid match-up with the Mariners. While they have solid numbers against righties, they rely on the production of 2-3 bats. McCullers has been extremely dynamic this season and has put himself in the conversation with some of the elite arms in baseball. McCullers has struck out close to 11 batters per 9 innings, while walking just 2.5. He’s posted a .273 combined wOBA and has been uber effective against both sides of the plate. Minute Maid Park is tougher on lefties and McCullers has pitched very nicely there with a sub 3.00 xFIP. While McCullers will cost you, it’s not like you have a solid alternative. He’s the top option in cash games and tournaments, but it’s close.

Jon Lester @ Atlanta Braves
Park – SunTrust Park
Vegas O/U – 9

Jon Lester is always a bit weird to roster. It’s usually because it’s tough to roster a pitcher who can’t throw to first base. Especially an elite one. While Lester has tightened down on the running game lately, he’s still far below average. With that being said, you can’t steal 1st base. Lester has dominated lefties to a .218 wOBA and the Braves only real speed threat, Ender Inciarte, happens to be a lefty. Lester is always going to be a bit risky, but he’s also very, very talented and can put up a big game anytime he takes the mound. If you want to pivot off of McCullers for whatever reason, Lester is perfect.

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Adrian Beltren - Lineup lab

OFFENSIVE STACKS

Texas Rangers @ Chris Tillman (Baltimore Orioles)
Park – Camden Yards
Vegas O/U – 10.5

You have to love the Texas Rangers tonight in both cash games and tournaments. Why? Chris Tillman. Once a guy who was looked at as a big prospect, Tillman has gone down the drain. He’s currently allowed a .410 wOBA to righties and a .440 to lefties, struggling to get anyone out. He welcomes the Rangers into Camden Yards, one of the best stadiums in all of the league for hitting. Masses and Choo are 2 lefty OF’ers who take righties and are elite options. Beltre and Lucroy are my 2 favorite righties and round out my cash game stack. After that, you can go anywhere. Joey Gall is an interesting bat as he can send 2 out on any given night without blinking.

Main Stack – Nomar Mazara, Shin-Soo Choo, Adrian Beltre, Jonathan Lucroy
Sneaky Stack – Nomar Mazara, Joey Gallo, Rougned Odor, Jonathan Lucroy

Kansas City Royals vs. Jordan Zimmerman (Minnesota Twins)
Park – Kauffman Stadium

When the Kansas City Royals are projected to put up nearly 5.5 runs in Kauffman Stadium, you know the pitcher is bad. Jordan Zimmerman was actually an established ace just a few years ago and boy has he fallen off a steep, jagged cliff. Zimmerman has sported a .375 wOBA against both righties and lefties, giving no preferential treatment. He’s just bad against everyone. While the Royals aren’t typically an explosive offense, they do have a lot of ways to go. Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas are my 2 favorites and I wouldn’t leave them off any stack. You can then go basically anywhere. Eric Hosmer and Sal Perez make for great tournament options, while Whit Merrifield and Jorge Bonifacio make a bit more sense in cash games.

Main Stack – Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Whit Merrified
Sneaky Stack – Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez, Brandon Moss