*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/9/18

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We’ve got a good mix of day and night games in baseball Wednesday, so let’s take a look at some options to consider for both slates. 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

Gerrit Cole vs. Oakland Athletics
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $12,000
DraftKings = $13,400

Cole has been dominant for the Astros and has helped them to have one of the best, if not the best, starting rotation in baseball. Through seven starts with his new squad, he has a 1.42 ERA, 1.55 FIP, and 0.69 WHIP. After allowing 1.4 HR/9 last season, which was almost double his career mark, he has corrected that issue by allowing only three home runs in 50.2 innings. The biggest difference for Cole has been a massive increase in strikeouts with a 13.7 K/9. His ERA is unlikely to stay this low over the course of the entire season, especially considering his opponents only have a .247 BABIP. However, he is still going to provide a ton of strikeouts and is the best starting pitcher available if you are playing the afternoon slate.

Chris Stratton vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $7,600
DraftKings = $5,900

Stratton didn’t have spectacular numbers in the minor leagues, recording a 4.07 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 7.9 K/9 in 623.2 innings. He only pitched 58.2 innings for the Giants last year and while he finished with a respectable 3.68 ERA, his 1.48 WHIP and 4.3 BB/9 were reasons for concern. One area that Stratton has excelled in during his brief Major League career is keeping batters in the ballpark, allowing 0.8 HR/9. He’s done a better job limiting baserunners this season with a 1.23 WHIP. His 3.99 ERA isn’t great, but a lot of that is because he gave up six earned runs in just 1.1 innings in one start against the Dodgers. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his other six outings. His strikeout upside isn’t great, but he’s someone to consider if you’re looking for a cheap starter for the night slate.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/9/18

Brandon Belt vs. Nick Pivetta, Philadelphia Phillies
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $4,000

Injuries limited Belt to 104 games last year, but he’s healthy now and putting up big numbers, batting .297 with six home runs and a .951 OPS. His .365 BABIP would seem to be very high, but with a career BABIP of .335, he might not actually be in line for that much of a regression over the course of the season. He had a wOBA of at least .362 against right-handers in each of the last three seasons and has a lofty .446 wOBA against them this year, making him a great option against Pivetta.

Ryon Healy vs. Jaime Garcia, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $3,800

Healy doesn’t walk much, drawing only 23 free passes last year in 605 plate appearances. Although he only has two walks so far this year, he’s batting a respectable .262 with five home runs. He showed he can hit for power in the minors and followed that up with 25 homers in his first full season in the majors last year. He recorded a .369 wOBA against left-handed pitchers in 2017, so he could provide value against the underwhelming Garcia.

Others to consider: Joey Votto (first base) and Wilson Contreras (catcher)

SECOND BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/9/18

Alen Hanson vs. Nick Pivetta, Philadelphia Phillies
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $3,000

Hanson has taken over at second base with Joe Panik (thumb) on the DL and the Giants really couldn’t have asked for much more from him so far. Not only is he batting .286, but he’s hit for power with a .571 slugging percentage. He didn’t show that kind of power upside in the minors, but he did hit .284 over eight seasons. He has a .400 wOBA against righties in limited action this season, so he might be worth the risk in tournament play.

Jonathan Schoop vs. Eric Skoglund, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,500

Schoop made his return from the DL on Tuesday, going 1-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. He wasn’t hitting well before injuring his oblique, some of which can be attributed to just a 21.3 percent hard-hit rate. Despite his struggles, he still has a .324 wOBA against left-handers this year after posting a .397 wOBA against them in 2017. Skoglund hasn’t pitched well with a 6.84 ERA and 1.41 WHIP across five starts, making Schoop someone to consider at this cheap price.

Others to consider: Ozzie Albies and Whit Merrifield

THIRD BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/9/18

Kris Bryant vs. Wei-Yin Chen, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Wrigley Field
FanDuel = $4,600
DraftKings = $5,200

Bryant is batting .284 this season despite his .313 BABIP that is 31 points lower than his career mark. He’s hitting the ball hard with a 42 percent hard-hit rate and continues to draw plenty of walks, helping lead him to a .415 OBP. He’s finished with a wRC+ of at least 150 against lefties in back-to-back seasons and if off to an even better start this season with a 258 wRC+ against them. You’ll have to pay up to get him into your lineup, but he also carries significant upside.

Adrian Beltre vs. Francisco Liriano, Detroit Tigers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,400

Beltre wasted no time in his first game back from the DL on Tuesday, going 3-for-4 with two RBI. He has batted at least .300 in five of the last six seasons and is showing no signs of slowing down this year with a .330 average. He has fared very well against Liriano during his career, batting .314 with a home run and four doubles in 42 plate appearances.

Others to consider: Mike Moustakas and Colin Moran

SHORTSTOP

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/9/18

Manny Machado vs. Eric Skoglund, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $4,500
DraftKings = $4,900

Machado is in the midst of a power drought, homerless in nine straight games. He has just two doubles over that stretch as well. He only went hitless in two of those games though, so it’s not like he is in the middle of a prolonged slump in general. Facing Skoglund could be just what he needs to get his power swing back on track as he has a 1.4 HR/9 and has allowed a 50.6 percent hard-hit rate this season.

Jean Segura vs. Jaime Garcia, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,000

Segura has a prime spot in the Mariners lineup, hitting behind Dee Gordon with Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz providing protection after him. It’s helped him score 23 runs and record 24 RBI in only 34 games. He’s only scored at least 100 runs in a season once in his career and has never had more than 64 RBI, so he could be on his to a special season. With Garcia allowing a .383 wOBA to righties this season, Segura is another Mariner to consider putting into your lineup.

Others to consider: Francisco Lindor and Andrelton Simmons

OUTFIELD

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/9/18

Justin Upton vs. Tyler Anderson, Colorado Rockies
Stadium – Coors Field
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,800

Upton wasted no time in hitter-friendly Coors Field, hitting a home run in the first game of this series Tuesday. Upton demolished left-handers last year with a .472 wOBA. Considering Anderson allowed a .358 wOBA to righties last year, Upton could be in for another productive performance Wednesday.

Nelson Cruz vs. Jaime Garcia, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,200

If you are panicking because the normally reliable Cruz is batting only .255, you shouldn’t be. His BABIP sits at .254, which is over 50 percentage points lower than his career mark. He’s still hitting the ball well with a 43.6% hard-hit rate and his K% is actually down. With Garcia’s struggles against righties already detailed, Cruz isn’t someone to sleep on Wednesday.

Alex Gordon vs. Andrew Cashner, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,400

Just when you thought Gordon’s days of being a viable fantasy option were well behind him, he’s batting .321 so far this season. He’s not walking much, but he does have a career-low 15.7% K%. His .355 BABIP probably won’t hold up, so don’t run out and grab him off waivers if you play in a season-long league. However, Cashner allows a lot of base runners and struggles against left-handed hitters, so you may be able to take advantage of Gordon’s hot start in DFS.

Others to consider: Mike Trout and Jorge Soler

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Put your favorite MLB daily fantasy baseball lineup stacks from the article below in our MLB 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

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Max Scherzer - Lineuplab.com

Max Scherzer @ Atlanta Braves
Park – SunTrust Park
Opp implied total – 3.22

Did you expect anyone else? We do have a full slate on our hands tonight, but there aren’t a ton of pitching options to choose from. Scherzer is the clear top option and I suspect his ownership will certainly reflect that. You can still play him in cash games, though, as the performance he puts up could force you to the bottom if you fade. He has a great match-up with the weak Braves, who are easily one of the worst offenses in baseball. The still have the dangerous Freddie Freeman in the middle of the order, but Scherzer should be able to pitch around him rather easily. Scherzer has been as good as ever, sporting a .187 wOBA against righties and a .283 against lefties. He’s one of the undisputed best pitchers in the league and is just getting into playoff mode. I suspect him to go well over 100 pitches if things are going well and for the win to be in the bag with Luiz Gohara on the other side. Scherzer is the safest option by a longshot and he belongs in every cash game you make.

Zach Godley @ San Diego Padres
Park – Petco Park
Vegas O/U – 3.39

In tournaments and on 2 pitcher sites, you’ll need exposure outside of Max Scherzer. I’m just as uncomfortable with as you are, but it’s necessary. We, fortunately, have a few options who have some real upside and don’t rely on K’s or a terribled offense. Zach Godley has been a very consistennt pitcher for the D-Backs and one of the reasons they still have a chance to make the playoffs. Godley has held both righties and lefties to a sub .283 wOBA and has struck out close to 10 batters per 9 innings. He faces the Padres tonight, who we all know are atrocious. They are a bit better against righties, but a .311 team wOBA is far from impressive. Petco Park is the toughest bark in the league to hit HR’s in and with Godley playing most of his games at Chase Field, this is a monstrous upgrade. He should be able to go at least 6 or 7 innings and strikeout close to 10. He’s still a bit riskier than Scherzer, but his price is also lower, giving you more upside with the bats.

OFFENSIVE STACKS

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Nelson Cruz - Lineup Lab

Seattle Mariners Vs Martin Perez (Rangers)
Park – Safeco Field
Implied Total – 5.27

Even with so many games on the slate, I can’t find any complete gas cans to pick on. We do have a lot of younger guys, and of course, they can bust at any point, but they have a lot of talent and it’s tough to predict. For example, I’m not willing to bet on Jose Berrios having a bad game. It can still happen, but I’d much rather look towards a guy like Martin Perez. The Mariners hold the highest implied total on the day and should have no problem putting up some numbers. Martin Perez isn’t the worst lefty around, but he’s given up a .365 wOBA and 19 homers to righties in just under 130 innings. The Mariners are extremely dangerous against righties and you can also target the lefties in hopes we see a bullpen game. Nelson Cruz is the easy choice, as one of the absolute best hitters in baseball against lefties. Mitch Haniger isn’t a big name, but he has posted a .382 wOBA against left-handers. Jean Segura, Danny Valencia, and Taylor Motter are all pretty good against lefties as well and don’t be afraid to get some exposure. Cano and Seager are still amazing hitters, so I’m not willing to leave them off a stack. All in all, the Mariners are going to put up some runs and you should probably find a way to get exposure.

Main Stack – Nelson Cruz, Mitch Haniger, Jean Segura, Robinson Cano
Sneaky Stack – Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager, Danny Valencia

Washington Nationals @ Atlanta Braves
Park – SunTrust Park
Implied Total – 5.16

The Nationals faced this kid just a few days ago and he was actually decent. He went 6 innings and gave up just 1 run on 6 hits. I suspect the Nats will have a much better idea of what’s going on in this one after going into last game with virtually no film. They now have his pitches on file and I’m a big fan of the righties. Anthony Rendon is one of the best hitters against lefties and I will have close to 100% exposure to him at 3B. He’sheld nearly a .500 wOBA against them on the season. Ryan Zimmerman isn’t far behind, either, and I wouldn’t put a stack together without either of them. Trea Turner is better against righties, but he’s still at the top of the order and has an immense amount of upside with the speed. The back of the order has studs against lefties with Werth and Kendrick that are a bit cheaper and have just as much upside. Don’t be afraid to play Daniel Murphy, who could see 2 or 3 at-bats against righty out of the pen.

Main Stack – Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman, Trea Turner, Jayson Werth
Sneaky Stack – Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman, Daniel Murphy, Howie Kendrick

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