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DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 17, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 17, 2017

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Luis Severino - New York Yankees - Lineup Lab

Luis Severino
Opponent – @NYM
Park – Citi Field(Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (NYY -180)
Vegas Total (7.0)

Almost everything is in Severino’s favor tonight. I say almost as the price has elevated to $12.5K on DraftKings tonight. I think that combined with the fact he is coming off a blow up start vs. the Red Sox(8 ER with 2 HR) will keep his ownership down tonight making him my top target. The Yankees are big -180 favorites and get a huge park upgrade going to Citi Field and we shouldn’t worry too much about Severino. He has been very consistent this season with a 3.32 ERA, 3.13 xFIP and also comes with a ton of upside with a 10.4 K/9 and 12.1% swinging strike rate.

Jeff Samardzija
Opponent – vs. PHI
Park – AT&T Park (Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (SF -120)
Vegas Total (7.0)

Severino is likely the chalk tonight on FanDuel for just $500 more so for tournaments I think the Shark makes a great pivot for ownership. He comes with much less win potential as not only is the moneyline lower for the Giants but they have one of the weakest offenses in the league. He still has upside with a 9.25 K/9 rate and the xFIP(3.36) is much better than the ERA(4.74). Shark also gets an elite matchup vs. a team that has actually scored less runs this season than the Giants. The Phillies also strikeout over 23% of the time vs. right-handed pitching and have a 77 wRC+ over the last seven days.

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Andre Beltre - Texas Rangers - Lineuplab

With a five game slate and a pair of expensive pitchers, it really limits the options available for stacking. Only two games have a total of 9.0 or higher and the Cardinals/Pirates game has some risk of rain at this point. The chalk will most definitely fall on the Texas Rangers tonight who currently sit with a slate-high six implied runs. The wind is blowing out in the Texas heat so get ready for some bombs. Reynaldo Lopez is a nice prospect but gave up two home runs in his first start and now faces a Top 10 offense. I will be looking at not only stacking the top four hitters(Choo, Mazara, Andrus, Beltre) but I also want a piece of the bottom of the order with Gallo and Chirinos if they are in the lineup. For DraftKings where I will be playing Severino in hopes of lower ownership(due to price), I will be looking at the White Sox. They are another one of those teams that has struggled this year and have been much better vs. lefties but the matchup should not be ignored. Tyson Ross is walking nearly six batters per nine with a below average strikeout rate and enters tonight with a 7.11 ERA and xFIP of 6.03 that doesn’t provide much hope things will get any better.

 

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

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 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

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 07, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 07, 2017

With one early and one late afternoon game on Friday, we will turn our attention to the 13-game main slate and look at a couple of the top pitchers and stacks.

Starting Pitchers

Max Scherzer
Opponent – vs. ATL
Park – Nationals Park(Neutral)
Vegas Favorite (WSH -245)
Vegas Total (8.0)

First of all, there is much less chance of rain tonight so we shouldn’t have to deal with the Nats brass making any horrible weather decisions. For cash games, I don’t think there is any other way to go than Max Scherzer tonight who has a higher floor and almost more upside than any other pitcher in baseball this season(honorable mention to Kershaw & Sale). In my opinion, Scherzer is the clear CY Young in the national League at this point, at least from a fantasy perspective. Sure, Kershaw has a sparkling 13-2 record but Scherzer helps you where you need it most in the strikeout department. He is second in the entire MLB(qualified starters) with a 12.2 K/9 rate and is tied with Sale with a ridiculous 16.2% swinging strike rate. On paper the Braves don’t strikeout a ton but Gio was able to rack a K per inning last night so Scherzer should have no issues.

 

Jordan Montgomery
Opponent – vs. MIL
Park – Yankee Stadium(Hitters Park)
Vegas Favorite (-175)
Vegas Total (11.0)

For tournaments on DraftKings where you want to access Scherzer’s upside without totally handicapping your bats, take a close look at Jordan Montgomery tonight. There is definitely risk involved as the game has a huge 11 total but to be fair the majority of it is coming on the Yankee side. It has been a good season for the rookie and even better lately as he has gone at least five innings in six straight starts since the start of June with a 2.95 ERA and 8.6 K/9 rate. I believe he can even afford to give up a few earned runs and still hit value tonight as the Brewers boost his K upside as they strike out 26.1% of the time vs. left-handed pitching.

 

 

Stack of the Night

New York Yankees vs. Junior Guerra(MIL)

The other reason I like Montgomery so much tonight is the fact he gets a huge boost in win potential thanks to the potent Yankee offense. They are one of two teams(Rockies) projected to score north of six runs tonight and they get an elite matchup to do it. Junior Guerra has been awful lately walking over 6.5 batters per nine and has a 7.27 ERA over his last five starts. He is also giving up home runs at high rate(23.1% HR/FB). Combine the fact that the wind is projected to blow out to left field and Guerra has struggled more vs. right-handed batter and you have a very high upside stack that could be a tick lower owned than the Rockies.

Top Players to Stack – Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, Didi Gregorius

 

 

Baltimore Orioles vs. Felix Jorge(MIN)

My favorite stack of the night when using Scherzer is the Orioles with their terrific values at the top of the lineup. They also get a pretty good matchup tonight vs. rookie Felix Jorge making his second major league start after jumping straight from Double-A last week. Normally when we see this jump the pitcher has dominated making a trip to Triple-A meaningless. That is not the case for Jorge despite his 8-1 record in the minors this season. He also had a respectable 3.26 ERA and 3.43 xFIP but only struck out 6.4 batters per nine while giving up a 15% HR/FB rate. He won his first start going five innings but only struck out two and gave up seven hits and three earned runs but was back by an 11 run offensive output. I fully expect similar troubles in his second start vs. a powerful O’s team.

Top Players to Stack – Seth Smith, Adam Jones, Mark Trumbo, Jonathan Schoop

Daily Fantasy Lineup Picks – June 21, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

Daily Fantasy Lineup Picks – June 21, 2017

Welcome to Lineup Lab’s Best Daily Fantasy Lineup Picks, where we feature our top players for our MLB Lineup Optimizer on Fanduel and Draftkings. Put your favorite 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.

Daily Fantasy Lineup Picks - Jose Berrios - Lineup Lab

Starting Pitchers

Jeff Samardzija @ Atlanta Braves
Park – SunTrust Park

We have a big main slate with a whole lot of average pitchers. While we have an ace in Carlos Carrasco, he’s facing the Orioles in Camden Yards and hasn’t been the same pitcher as of late. He’s leaving pitches in the zone and it’s resulting in a higher than ever hard contact rate. Instead, we’re going to move down a bit and take a look at Jeff Samardzija. Samardzija hasn’t been amazing this year, but he’s been as expected. He eats up innings and does a good job of limiting opposing offenses to just 2 or 3 runs at most. He will get his 7 or 8 strikeouts and work his way into plenty of wins. He faces a very poor Braves team, that happens to be without their only ++ hitter, Freddie Freeman. Since Freeman got injured, the Braves have ranked 28th in baseball against righties with a .294 wOBA. There is literally nobody to be afraid of and it just comes down to how well Samardzija can pitch. While cash games are in question as a whole on this slate, this is your best option as a whole.

Jose Berrios Vs Chicago White Sox
Park – Progressive Field

Jose Berrios has been very good. He was one of the top prospects in all of baseball for a few years and has already shown why. He’s acted like a prime number 2 this year, usually going around 7 and allowing 1 or 2 runs. Berrios has been absolutely dominant against both sides of the plate in his 8 starts, sporting a .265 combined wOBA. He’s striking out over 8.5 batters per 9 innings and has posted a very strong 0.8 HR/9. He’s also been extremely consistent, which is rare to see out of a 23-year-old. Berrios has gone at least 6 innings in all but 1 start, in which he went 5 innings. This kid is special and will be a pitcher we target for a long time. He is however very young and he can still implode at any time. Fortunately, he’s facing off with the White Sox. They have been one of the worst teams all year long and hold the 4th lowest wOBA on the road in all of the majors. Berrios has plenty of opportunities here, but it really just comes down to whether he can keep the ball in the zone. Nobody on this White Sox team is going to battle and put up consistent at-bats in Progressive Field.


Daily Fantasy Lineup Picks - Gary Sanchez - Lineup Lab

Offensive Stacks

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels (Ricky Nolasco)
Park – Yankee Stadium

This offense is pretty easy to love tonight. When initially looking at the slate, they stand out like a sore thumb. When any team holds an implied run total over 6 runs and that team is outside of Coors Field, you must take notice. The Yankees are in that spot tonight and I find myself thinking they may be in that spot somewhat often with how their offense is rolling. They face off with arguably the worst pitcher on the entire slate. So far in 2017, Ricky Nolasco has managed to sport a .386 wOBA against righties and a .357 to lefties. He’s also allowed an insane 21 home runs in less than 21 innings. Yes, you read that correctly. Both Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez are hitting home runs every night and both look like the next Babe Ruth. If you’re stacking the Yankees, you play them both. You can then go a lot of different ways. Matt Holliday deserves a lot of consideration and hits righties extremely well. Starlin Castro and Aaron Hicks are both solid, but should be highly owned and aren’t must plays. Personally, I will have a ton of exposure to the “main stack” in both cash games and tournaments. The Yankees are very safe tonight and if they go down in flames to Ricky Nolasco, I’ll take the loss and move on.

Main Stack – Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Starlin Castro, Matt Holliday

Sneaky Stack – Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Aaron Hicks, Didi Gregorious

St. Louis Cardinals @ Philadelphia Phillies (Nicholas Pivetta)
Park – Citizens Bank Park

The Cardinals are a pretty weird team to target as a stack. it’s always tough to figure out what you do with guys like Yadier Molina, Kolten Wong, and Paul DeJong. Statistically, they can hit home runs. However, they don’t aim for the fences and often find themselves labeled as “boring” or as having “no ceiling”. Instead, I like to look at these guys as under-owned. You can get these lower in the order bats at a much lower ownership and if they happen to drive in some runs, you’re in a splendid spot. The Cardinals are facing off with the Phillies and Nick Pivetta tonight. Pivetta has been atrocious against both sides of the plate, holding a .361 combined wOBA. Matt Carpenter and Dexter Fowler are obviously your top 2 targets, with Aledmys Diaz and Stephen Piscotty up next. The Cardinals offense isn’t very concentrated, so feel free to take a shot on a guy who sneaks into the lower part of the order.

Main Stack – Matt Carpenter, Dexter Fowler, Aledmys Diaz, Stephen Piscotty

Sneaky Stack – Matt Carpenter, Dexter Fowler, Yadier Molina, Jedd Gyorko

MLB Draftkings Picks – June 20, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

MLB Draftkings Picks – June 20, 2017

Welcome to Lineup Lab’s Best MLB Draftkings Picks, where we feature our top players for our MLB Lineup Optimizer on Fanduel and Draftkings. Put your favorite 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.

Chris Sale - Boston RedSox - MLB Draftkings Picks - Lineuplab

Starting Pitcher

Chris Sale @ Kansas City Royals
Opposing Pitcher – Matthew Strahm
Park – Kauffman Stadium

Chris Sale is on the slate and he’s in the biggest ballpark in baseball. Kauffman Stadium is death to fly balls and will often throw 2-1 or 3-0 type of games out there. When you move a top 3 pitcher into it against a bad offense, things could get interesting. The Royals rank 23rd in the MLB with a .300 wOBA against lefties and the 2nd lowest ISO in the league.Sale, on the other hand, is the definition of elite. He’s holding a .240 wOBA against both lefties and righties and is striking out over 11 batters per 9 innings. Kershaw is right up there with Kershaw in DFS and you have to love his chances of a big game here. Sale doesn’t really have anyone to be scared of here and he should be able to dice through the lineup relatively easily. With that being said, the Royals do a good job of figuring out ways to put up a couple hits and runs. Sale might not leave with a clean slate, but he’s going to have at least 9 K’s and I doubt he goes less than 7 innings.

Michael Pineda Vs Los Angeles Angels
Opposing Pitcher – Parker Bridwell
Park – Yankee Stadium

We saw Pineda struggle against this same team in just his last start, which will hopefully keep some people off of him. He was on the road and ended up getting extremely unlucky in a few different spots. He heads back home tonight, where he holds a .237 wOBA and an elite 10 K/9. Pineda is close to an elite pitcher at this point and his numbers in Yankee Stadium are undeniable. This LA Angels team is nothing to be scared of in the slightest. They strikeout the 10th most in the majors against righties and don’t have anyone that gives too much fear to opposing pitchers. Pineda will get plenty of run support tonight, with the Yankees projected for almost 6 runs against Parker Bridwell. Pineda is a good savings option from Sale in both cash games and tournaments, though I clearly have Sale as my top option.

Catcher

Gary Sanchez Vs Los Angeles Angels
Opposing Pitcher – Parker Bridwell (R)
Park – Yankee Stadium

Gary Sanchez is usually going to stand far above the rest at the catcher position. You can definitely say that tonight, facing off with a righty in Parker Bridwell that has struggled against righties since being drafted. He’s limped through the minors and has sported a xFIP over 4.00 in 2 straight seasons. There is no reason to think this guy sis going to have nay success in the majors and he’s been worse against righties. We all know by now that Gary Sanchez is also a guy with reverse splits. He’s sported a .417 wOBA over the last 2 seasons against righties and has shown no signs of showing down. If you have the salary and want a legitimate shot at an HR, take a look at Gary Sanchez.

Russell Martin @ Texas Rangers
Opposing Pitcher – Nick Martinez (R)
Park – Globe Life Park

We do have Chris Sale on this slate, so chances are you can’t afford Gary Sanchez at catcher. If you need to pay down a bit and want to get some upside in both cash games and tournaments, Russell Martin has some appeal. He, like Gary Sanchez, has actually been better against righties recently. This hasn’t always been the case with Martin but his change in approach has switched things up for him. The Blue Jays face off with a real gas can in Nick Martinez. He has never been good and I doubt he ever will be. He’s sported a near .400 wOBA against both sides of the plate for years now and I’m truly clueless why he keeps getting starting opportunities. The Blue Jays will put some runs on the board and I could see Martin getting in on the party for cheap on both sites.

Anthony Rizzo - Chicago Cubs - MLB Draftkings Picks - Lineuplab

First Base

Anthony Rizzo Vs San Diego Padres
Opposing Pitcher – Jhoulys Chacin (R)
Park – Wrigley Field

Rizzo has taken over as the leadoff hitter as of late, where we can expect him to be tonight. He’s been very good at getting on base and has been driving the ball to all fields. Rizzo has been great against righties since coming up with the Padres nearly 8 years ago. Over the last 3, he’s sported a .384 wOBA with some of the best peripherals in the game. He stays home in Wrigley Field tonight and faces off with a below average righty in Jhoulys Chacin. He’s allowed a .393 wOBA to lefties so far this season and Wrigley Field is a big downgrade from his home in San Diego, Petco Park. Rizzo is an elite option in all formats and the Cubs are a great team to stack that may go overlooked.

Brandon Belt @ Atlanta Braves
Opposing Pitcher – Julio Teheran (R)
Park – SunTrust Park

The San Francisco Giants certainly disappointed yesterday, getting shut down by R.A. Dickey for 7 innings. They ended up going scoreless and have surely left a sour taste in a lot of people’s mouth. I’m going to jump right back on board and grab Brandon Belt. Belt, who has sported a .371 wOBA against righties, faces off with a righty who struggles mightily against left-handers. Julio Teheran still has a lot working for him, but he has never been able to figure it out against lefties. He’s right back to allowing a .385 wOBA this year and it just looks like its who Teheran is as a pitcher. SunTrust Park has played well for lefties so far this year and I’m going to jump right back on the train tonight. Belt has a great shot at an HR and should be less than 8-10% owned. First base is always very fruitful and the Giants screwed over plenty of pockets last night, including mine. Short term memory is very important in winning with DFS.

Second Base

Robinson Cano Vs Detroit Tigers
Opposing Pitcher – Jordan Zimmerman (R)
Park – Safeco Field

In 2013, Jordan Zimmerman was one of the best pitchers in all of the league. He sported a 3.25 xFIP, walked less than 2 batters per 9 and allowed just 0.80 HR/9. Those numbers? Looooooong gone. For example, 2.02 HR/9 this season. Zimmerman is a completely different pitcher than he was just 3 years ago and this may be his last chance in the league. He’s been horrid against both sides of the plate, holding down a combined .367 wOBA. Robbie Cano is back to the MVP contending elite hitter he used to be. He’ll end up close to a .400 wOBA against righties this year and he’s been terrific in Safeco Field since signing with the Mariners. He’s safe in cash games and I have no reservations to fade in tournaments. The price isn’t crazy and you can make it work with Chris Sale.

Brian Dozier Vs Chicago White Sox
Opposing Pitcher – Derek Holland (L)
Park – Progressive Field

If you want to avoid the gas can in Jordan Zimmerman for some reason, you have a few Moreno options to consider at second. We’ll take a closer look at Brian Dozier, facing off with Derek Holland. Holland, a lefty, has allowed a .378 wOBA to righties so far in 2017. He’s given up a laughable 14 home runs to them in just 61.2 innings. Derek Holland is officially horrible. Brian Dozier on the other hand. Has always been great against lefties. He has posted a .353 combined wOBA since 2014 and hasn’t had a bad year once. He smacked 30 homers in 2016 and always has as much upside as anyone else at the position. Feel free to target Dozier in any format.

Francisco Lindor - Cleveland Indians - MLB Draftkings Picks - Lineuplab

Shortstop

Francisco Lindor @ Baltimore Orioles
Opposing Pitcher – Chris Tillman (R)
Park – Camden Yards

Shortstop isn’t the prettiest position on this slate, so you can definitely get creative and take an off the board player. To start us off, we’re going to take a look at Francisco Lindor. Lindor may end up being the chalk at SS, but it makes sense as to why. The Indians are implied for close to 6 runs tonight and Lindor will be in the middle of it all. As a switch-hitter, Lindor is always able to control the platoon advantage. Lindor has held a .343 wOBA against righties since entering the league and will only get better at 23 years old. The same can’t be said for Chris Tillman. He has been absolutely atrocious this season and that word is no stretch. Against lefties, Tillman has posted a .451 wOBA. While that may not be fully sustainable (at least I hope not), it’s quite clear how bad Tillman is at this point. The Indians come in as one of the top offenses of the night and Lindor is the play at a weaker SS position.

Tim Beckham Vs Cincinnati Reds
Opposing Pitcher – Amir Garrett (L)
Park – Tropicana Field

Tim Beckham has flown under the radar for a couple years but is a guy I always look at against lefties He posted a .342 wOBA against them in 2016 and came through the minors as a lefty specialist. Beckham has been trusted by the Rays and he has been seeing the top of the order against left-handed pitching. The Rays face off with some very interesting competition in Amir Garrett. Garret is going to be a great pitcher one day and he is a pretty good K pitcher even right now. However, he’s been knocked around against righties and can’t seem to keep the ball in the zone. He’s been sent down to the minors, but is back up and getting another chance. The Rays swing it well against lefties and Beckham plays his role. Righties have held a .386 wOBA against Garrett and an astonishing 4.84 BB/9, which should tell you just how troublesome he has been. Beckham is a great savings option at a position without much of an opportunity cost.

Third Base

Miguel Sano Vs Chicago White Sox
Opposing Pitcher – Derek Holland (L)
Park – Progressive Field

Boy, this is close to a dream match-up for Miguel Sano. We touched on Derek Holland when looking at Dozier, but let’s look again at those numbers. He has somehow allowed 14 home runs to right-handers in just 61 innings. He backs it up with a .378 wOBA and 2.04 HR/9. Miguel Sano is one of the most dangerous bats in the sport and against lefties, is an HR waiting to happen. He’s held a 52% hard contact rate this year and is hitting it to all parts of the field. The Twins offense has a ton of upside and Miguel Sano is my top pick for an HR on the slate. Against lefties, Sano has posted a .391 wOBA dating back 2 seasons. Progressive Field is neutral for righties and Sano has been great there for his entire career.

Jake Lamb @ Colorado Rockies
Opposing Pitcher – German Marquez (R)
Park – Coors Field
We are often looking to target Jake Lamb when he is at home and facing a righty. Chase Field is extremely friendly for hitting and he thrives there. Tonight, we’re spoiled. Lamb and the D-Backs find themselves in Coors Field to take on the Rockies and German Marquez. Marquez is a decent young pitcher, but has predictably struggled at home against lefties with a .351 wOBA. Lamb is an elite hitter against righties and I expect him to finish this season with a wOBA well over .400 against them. As for tonight, he is right up there with Miguel Sano as a top play. It all comes down to price.
 

Aaron Judge - New York Yankees - MLB Draftkings Picks - Lineuplab

Outfield

Aaron Judge Vs Los Angeles Angels
Opposing Pitcher – Parker Bridwell (R)
Park – Yankee Stadium

The Yankees as a whole may have lost a few steps on the road, but not Mr. Judge. He belted another 2 homers on the 2-series road trip and came through with 7 base knocks in total. This kid is making a legitimate case for MVP and if things keep up, he’ll have it in his back pocket. I’m not a fan of “on pace for” hypotheticals, but Judge is putting something quite special together for a rookie. He’s already belted a total of 23 homers and 18 of the have come against right-handers. He faces a poor one tonight, in a minor-league caliber arm Parker Bridwell. Bridwell isn’t developed enough for the majors and while he may get around the order once with minimal damage, the Yankees will score some runs tonight. They are my favorite offense of the night and have the ability to put up double digit runs without blinking.

Giancarlo Stanton & Marcell Ozuna Vs Washington Nationals
Opposing Pitcher – Gio Gonzalez (L)
Park – Marlins Park

We have a nice little duo here with Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna, who are both much stronger against left-handed pitching. A lot of people know how great Stanton is against lefties, but they don’t know how close Ozuna is to him. Ozuna held a .384 wOBA against lefties in 2016 and it looks like that may be going up by the time this season is over. They face off with Gio Gonzalez, who is far from a bad pitcher. He does, however, have some issues with righties. He’s allowed 11 homers in 66 innings and holds a moderate .321 wOBA. Ozuna and Stanton are never really safe, but both hold elevated chances of hitting one out of the park and will be relatively low owned. Take a shot on either or both of these guys in a tournament.

Chris Young @ Kansas City Royals
Opposing Pitcher – Matthew Strahm (L)
Park – Kauffman Stadium

There were a lot of more expensive guys I could of went with here, but wanted to fit in some price savings. Chris Young is a known lefty masher and faces one with a whole lot of uncertainty. When any team is projected to score 5 runs in Kauffman Stadium, they’re facing a BAD pitcher. Matthew Strahm has allowed 3 homers in just 19 innings against righties in Kauffman Stadium. While a small sample size, it’s not easy to do. Young posted a .422 wOBA against lefties in 2016, which isn’t all that crazy for him. He is an elite hitter against southpaws and will draw a spot in the top 6 because of it. With his teammate Chris Sale drawing so much of the salary at pitcher, Young will help you save and give you as much upside as most at the position.