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Chris Durell

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for September 1, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for September 1, 2017

Welcome back to another TGIF edition of our daily fantasy baseball picks. There are two afternoon games today and with the cancellation of the Astros game, we get 14 games on the main slate tonight and this is where we will turn our attention. Let’s take a look at some of the top pitchers and stacks.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Mike Clevinger

Mike Clevinger
Opponent – @ DET
Park – Comerica Park (Hitters Park)
Vegas Favorite (CLE -170)
Vegas Total (8.5)

Clayton Kershaw returns to the Dodgers rotation tonight but will be on a pitch count. This has me going almost exclusively with value pitching and it starts with Mike Clevinger. He is coming off his best start of the season where he shut out the Royals over six innings striking out nine. He has been a bit inconsistent with a 3.72 ERA, 4.15 xFIP but has big upside with a 10.3 K/9 rate and 12.9% swinging strike rate. Then there is the matchup that got a huge boost since yesterday as the Tigers traded away their top bat in Justin Upton. Clevinger is safe in all formats.

Jack Flaherty
Opponent – @ WSH
Park – AT&T Park(Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (STL -110)
Vegas Total (8.5)

If you are wanting to completely load up on bats tonight, Jack Flaherty provides a ton of salary relief. After the trade of Mike Leake opened up a spot on the 40-man roster, the Cardinals called up one of their top pitching prospects to take the mound vs. the Giants. In 15 starts in AAA this season, he has gone 7-2 with an impressive 2.74 ERA and 8.96 K/9 rate. He has improved big time this season adding velocity to his fastball and has three secondary pitches to back it up including a plus changeup(according to reports). The upside may not be there vs. the Giants who don’t K much but they rank second to last in overall run scoring. With Flaherty’s very low price on both sites, we don’t need a monster game and is more about loading up on bats to increase our overall ceiling.

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Paul Goldschmidt

With all the value at pitcher tonight, I head straight to Coors Field where the Diamondbacks have the highest implied run total(6.1) of the night. They will face Kyle Freeland who has been better at home this year but I am not buying it as he strikes out just over six batters per nine while walking over three. I will be loading up on Paul Goldschmidt, J.D. Martinez, A.J. Pollock, and for value I like catcher Chris Iannetta who also crushes southpaws.

The other high-end stack I am chasing tonight is the Los Angles Angels who just acquired Justin Upton from the Tigers to bolster their lineup. Tonight they face Cole Hamels who has a nice win/loss record this season but has fallen off in a big way with a career-low 5.5 K/9 rate and 4.89 xFIP. This is the only other game with a Vegas Total over 10 and if Upton is in the lineup, we could see the implied runs rise even more for the Angels. My top bats will Be Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and Justin Upton.

For a value stack, I am looking very closely at the Tampa Bay Rays tonight. They are facing rookie Reynaldo Lopez who has shown some strikeout upside in his first two starts but has struggled with control and has been punished with eight earned runs against including three long balls. He has also been far worse against left-handed bats as well with a .432 wOBA against. The bats I am looking at are Kevin Kiermaier, Lucas Duda, Evan Longoria, and Logan Morrison. Again, it will all depend on the lineups when they are released.

Thank you for reading and if you have any questions as lineup lock approaches please contact me via Twitter(@Jager_Bombs9)

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 31, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 31, 2017

Welcome for another Thursday in daily fantasy baseball. Today we will be turning our attention to the six-game main slate starting at 7:05 p.m. ET tonight. Let’s take a look at some of the top pitchers and some stacking options.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Lineuplab.com

Kyle Hendricks
Opponent – vs. ATL
Park – Wrigley Field
Vegas Favorite (CHC -210)
Vegas Total (7.5)

Hendricks is the clear chalky cash game play on the main slate tonight. They are huge favorites with no other team even close and on top of that, Hendricks has been incredibly consistent. He does lack the upside of other options(7.88 K/9) but has held opponents to three or fewer earned runs in seven straight starts and two or less in 11 of his 18 starts for the season. Then there is the matchup vs. the Braves who rank in the bottom third of the league when looking at wOBA (.313), wRC+ (89), and Isolated Power(.149). There is a case to be made to fade him in GPP’s for ownership purposes but he is a near lock in cash games, especially on FanDuel in the mid $8K range.

Gio Gonzalez
Opponent – @ MIL
Park – Miller Park (Hitters Park)
Vegas Favorite (WSH +101)
Vegas Total (8.5)

Gio should be lower owned in tournaments as he is more expensive than Hendricks and is currently a slight underdog. While his strikeout upside(8.1 K/9) is very similar to Hendricks overall, he gets a huge boost tonight facing a Brewers team that not only has struck out 27% of the time over the last 14 days but also strikes out 26% of the time vs. left-handed pitching. Gio has also been very good at limiting hard contact(28.3%) this season and has held opponents to two or fewer earned runs in six straight starts.

 

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Lineuplab.com

There are plenty of ways to go when stacking in tournaments tonight but I start with the Blue Jays. I lead with them as I think they are outside the top 3 in ownership which can give you edge on a small slate. They have been very inconsistent this season and has lost four straight and six of their last seven games but are more than capable of putting up double digit runs with the wealth of power at the top of the lineup. They get a great matchup vs. Jeremy Hellickson who has been a roller coaster ride himself this season with a 4.88 ERA, 5.34 xFIP, and 14.4% HR/FB rate. Speaking of home runs, he has given up seven over his last three starts. My top targets for the Blue Jays are Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Steve Pearce, and Justin Smoak.

My favorite stack of the night, if we aren’t worrying about the chalk, is the Chicago Cubs. They have been in beast mode all second half with a .357 wOBA(tied for 1st), 118 wRC+(2nd), .205 ISO(2nd), and 270 runs scored(1st). On top of that, they are a Top 5 team against left-handed pitching with a .344 wOBA and 110 wRC+ and face Sean Newcomb who has some K upside(9.2 K/9) but walks way too many(5.33 BB/9) and gives up home runs(14% HR/FB) which will spell trouble vs. the Cubs. My top targets are Anthony Rizo, Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist, and Javier Baez.






DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 25, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 25, 2017

Welcome for another big Friday in daily fantasy baseball.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Zack Greinke - Arizona Diamondbacks

Zack Greinke
Opponent – vs. SF
Park – Chase Field (Hitters Park)
Vegas Favorite (ARI -220)
Vegas Total (9.5)

Don’t be scared off by hitters environment in Arizona as Greinke has been downright dominant at home. So far in 2017, 14 of his 25 start have come at home and he has recorded a very impressive 2.34 ERA, 10.9 K/9 rate, and has limited opponents to a low .250 wOBA. Despite the Giants striking out less than league average, they rank 3rd last in runs scored overall and rank dead last in wOBA and wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching. Greinke is safe in all formats.

 

A.J. Cole
Opponent – vs. NYM
Park – Nationals Park (Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (WSH +120)
Vegas Total (8.0)

Before I get into Cole who is a currently a +120 dog i want to clarify that I also like Michael Wacha and Adam Conley as viable SP2 options on DraftKings. Both of those I will be using in cash games but for GPP’s I prefer to save even more salary and roll with Cole. He was recalled this morning to make a spot start for Scherzer and gets a plus matchup vs. a watered down Mets lineup. Cole has gone at least five innings in all four starts this season and if he can control the walks tonight has a chance to crush his value in the $6K range. He also helps pay right up for Greinke and not limit the bats you can get in your lineup.

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Paul Goldschmidt - Arizona Diamondbacks

For my stacks tonight, i will be paying up for the Diamondbacks who get a terrific home matchup vs. Ty Blach who has struggled mightily on the road with 5.50 ERA. On top of that, he has allowed a .369 wOAB to opponents away from AT&T Park and comes in having allowed 12 earned runs over his last two starts to the Marlins and Phillies(both bottom third offenses). I will be targeting Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock for the most part but also liek teh value in Gregor Blanco if back in the leadoff spot and Chris Iannetta who crushes lefties.

For my value stack I will be turning to the Oakland Athletics tonight. They are going to be low owned due to the perception of the park but looking at the 2017 numbers, Oakland Coliseum has been a Top 5 hitters park this season. Everything is lining up for it to produce some runs tonight as well as the forecast is currently showing 10-15 mph winds blowing out to right center. The A’s also get a nice matchup vs. A.J. Griffin who produces a slate low 28.9% ground balls, a slate high 58.3% fly balls with a 37% hard contact rate. He is also prone to a blow up as he has given up three or more home runs in three of his last seven starts and sits with a 14.3% HR/FB rate.

 

 

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 24, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 24, 2017

Today we have 12 games split right down the middle and for the purpose of this article, we will be concentrating on the six-game main slate only. Let’s jump in and take a look at a few of the top pitchers and some stacking options.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Carlos Martinez

Carlos Martinez
Opponent – vs. SD
Park – Busch Stadium (Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (STL -220)
Vegas Total (8.0)

Chris Sale is clearly the better pitcher on the main slate but has the tougher matchup and is quite a bit more expensive. From a PTS/$ perspective, I lean Carlos Martinez tonight who hasn’t been a slouch with a 9.4 K/9 rate and 3.62 xFIP on the season. He also gets the way better matchup vs. the Padres who rank second to last in wOBA and wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching and strike out 25% of the time. It makes sense to go with CarMart in all formats and get better bats throughout your lineup.

Jose Berrios
Opponent – @CWS
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field (Neutral)
Vegas Favorite (MIN -165)
Vegas Total (10.0)

The value range is full of risk all over the place so I always lean matchup and upside. Enter Berrios who has been better at home(road tonight) but consider he gets a plus matchup vs. a White Sox team that ranks 28th in wOBA and wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching with a 22.5% K rate. He is also coming off one of his best starts of the season where he shut out the D-Backs over seven innings allowing just two hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. The upside and price is enough to overcome the risk factor.

 

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Anthony Rizzo

There are a couple ways I am going to go with stacks tonight and it starts with the Cubs who have the highest implied run total(5.4). I am not all concerned that Sal Romano shut down the Braves in his last considering Atlanta is not that strong of an offense to begin with. In his three starts before that, Romano was downright awful giving up 15 earned runs in 17 innings with just 11 strikeouts and nearly 40% hard contact against. I will be turning to Kyle Schwarber, Kris Bryant(if back in LU), Anthony Rizzo, and Alex Avila as my main targets.

After the Cubs, I will be heavily targeting the Twins who face Derek Holland tonight. He has given 17 earned runs over his last three starts and sits with a 18% HR/FB rate for the season. The stack could also be somewhat low owned as the Twins, as a team, are mid-pack against left-handed pitching but are lead by Brian Dozier and Eduardo Escobar who rake vs. southpaws.

 

 

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 18, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 18, 2017

Welcome for another big Friday in daily fantasy baseball. With one afternoon matchup(TOR @ CHC) it leaves us with a big 14-game slate starting at 7:05 p.m. ET tonight. Let’s take a look at a couple of the top pitching and stacking options.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Max Scherzer - Washington Nationals - Lineup Lab

Max Scherzer
Opponent – @SD
Park – Petco Park(Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (WSH – 198)
Vegas Total (7.0)

The price is steep, especially on DraftKings where he has reached the $14K mark once again but Max clearly has the best matchup and most upside of any pitcher tonight. He and the Nats will travel to Petco Park to take on the Padres who have scored a league low 466 runs this season and also rank 27th in wOBA and 26th in wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching with a 25% strikeout rate. Scherzer is currently the leading CY Young candidate in the National League and is running a career-high 12.35 K/9 rate and is second to only Kershaw with a 2.25 ERA on the season. On a full slate, there will be more than enough value plays to fit Scherzer in your lineups in all formats.

Matt Moore
Opponent – vs. PHI
Park – AT&T Park(Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (SF -150)
Vegas Total (8.0)

I won’t be considering Moore on FanDuel in the mid $7K range but on DraftKings he makes an excellent SP2 at $5K if you are planning on using a lot of Scherzer and still want some bats in your lineup. The combination keeps you under $20K for your pitching staff and allows you an average of $3,862 for the remaining eight spots in your lineup. I am definitely not suggesting he is a safe play with a 5.71 ERA and 4.92 but with has shown more K upside lately(16 K’s last two starts) and has picked up double-digit DK points in seven of his last 10 starts, scoring 20+ in two of them. Not bad for just $5K.

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Corey Dickerson - Tampa Bay Rays - Lineuplab

There are a lot of different ways to go tonight and I really think that helps spread the ownership out quite a bit. The Coors Field ownership is definitely helped by the fact there are two CY Young candidates on the mound (Scherzer & Kluber) in great matchups and are priced as such. I prefer the Rockies who are currently projected to score almost seven runs as they face-off with Matt Garza who doesn’t miss bats(6.05 K/9) and has struggled this year with a 4.38 ERA and even worse 4.97 xFIP. The Brewers are also on my radar despite the second half struggles as they come at a discount and very well could fall outside the Top 3 in ownership. The team I project to push the Rockies for the top owned team tonight is the Texas Rangers who have been on fire this week winning four straight games while scoring 37 runs (9.3 per game) with 10 long balls. They are also a team I will run multiple variations as they are loaded with power throughout the lineup. For value tonight, I love the Tampa Bay Rays left-handed bats (Corey Dickerson, Logan Morrison, Lucas Duda, Brad Miller) going up against their old teammate, Erasmo Ramirez who has been much worse vs. lefties(.357 wOBA vs .281 wOBA vs RH).

 

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.

 

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 11, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 11, 2017

Welcome back for another exciting installment of our daily fantasy baseball picks. With no afternoon games, we get a full 15-game slate tonight so let’s jump in and take a look at a couple of the top pitchers and some stacking options. 

Starting Pitchers
 

Carlos Carrasco
Opponent – @ TB
Park – Tropicana Field
Vegas Favorite (CLE -135)
Vegas Total (8.0)

This slate is chalk full of risk and it starts at the pitcher position. On DraftKings, it seems almost crazy to pay $12K+ for Rich Hill in cash games. Pitch count has been a word that follows almost every Dodgers pitcher, especially since Kershaw went down. I think it is an alright GPP play considering the matchup but for cash games, I will take the discount and roll with Carlos Carrasco. Sure, he has struggled giving up five earned runs in back to back starts but is running a very unsustainable BABIP right now and is likely to see some positive regression real soon. Despite the struggles, he has kept his xFIP in the mid 3’s and has an elite 9.78 K/9 rate and 12.5% swinging strike rate. He gets a boost in upside tonight as the Rays strike out 25% of the time vs. right-handed pitchers and have been even worse over the last 14 days striking out 28% of the time.

Charlie Morton
Opponent – @ TEX
Park – Globe Life Park in Arlington
Vegas Favorite (HOU -125)
Vegas Total (9.5)

This play is definitely GPP only as it comes with a ton of risk but on the flip side also comes with a ton of upside. The Rangers have a scary offense that ranks inside the Top 10 when looking at runs scored and they also play in a very hitter friendly ballpark, especially in the heat of summer. With that said, they have seen an elevated K rate(27.2%) over the last 14 days with a league average wOBA and wRC+. This fits my strikeout model perfectly tonight as Charlie Morton provides his own upside with a 9.82 K/9 rate and he has also been very steady this season with a 3.78 ERA and 3.71 xFIP. The risk is there but you aren’t going to find a pitcher without any and at least Morton gives us access to some huge upside at a price below $10K.

Top Stacks

I am much more excited about stacking than I was last night as there are currently nine teams with an implied run total greater than five and two teams sitting at over 5.5 right now. My favorite team to stack tonight is the Dodgers once again as they get a matchup vs. another left-handed pitcher after putting up eight runs in another win last night. I will be heavy on Chris Taylor, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, and Enrique Hernandez. If you are looking for some lower ownership with your stack tonight there is a chance the Brewers come lower owned than usual thanks to their struggles lately. They do have a ton of power upside and get an elite matchup vs. Homer Bailey who has given up five or more earned runs in five of his nine starts this season. For the Brew Crew, I am targeting Eric Thames, Ryan Braun, Domingo Santana, and Travis Shaw.

 

 

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 10, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 10, 2017

With just two afternoon games today, I will be concentrating on the 10-game main slate tonight and providing my top pitchers and stacks. Let’s dig in and take a look.

Starting Pitchers
 James Paxton - LineupLab - DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks

James Paxton
Opponent – vs. LAA
Park – Safeco Field (Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (SEA -180)
Vegas Total (7.5)

There are five pitchers over $10K tonight on DraftKings and all of them display some sort of upside. This should help neutralize the ownership and allow us to choose our favorite option. For me, it’s James Paxton who has been nothing short of dominant in the second half. He has won all five of his starts, posted a 1.41 ERA/1.95 xFIP and is walking just over a half batter per nine with an elite 11.53 K/9 rate and 13% swinging strike rate. The matchup could be a bit better as the Angels strike out a tick less than league average but overall they rank 29th in wOBA and 27th in wRC+ vs. left-handed pitching.

Lance Lynn
Opponent – vs. KC
Park – Busch Stadium (Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (STL -140)
Vegas Total (8.5)

The options at the second starting pitcher position for DraftKings are limited tonight if you are looking in the mid tier. For the most part, this will have me paying up for two high-end options but in the lineups I want to upgrade bats, I will be looking to roster Lynn. He doesn’t provide a ton of upside(7.7 K/9 rate) but has been extremely consistent all season. He has held opponents to two or less earned runs in seven straight starts and in 17 of his 23 starts this season. He also gets a very good matchup vs. the Royals who rank in the bottom third of the league when looking at runs and also when looking at wOBA, wRC+ and ISO vs. right-handed pitching.

Top Stacks

Jose Altuve - draftkings fanduel mlb lineup picks - Houston Astros - LineupLab

Stacking is a little bit tougher tonight as there are currently no teams projected over 5.5 runs and no game with a double-digit run total. On the high-end I like the Astros and Dodgers going up against southpaws and both teams sit inside the Top 3 when looking at most metrics vs. left-handed pitching. The Astros get the best matchup going up against Carlos Rodon who does have some k upside but the ugly walk rate (4.6 BB/9) and long ball potential(22.9% HR/FB rate) more than makeup for the risk. The Dodgers get a big park upgrade in Chase Field and face Anthony Banda who is just two starts into his major league career after posting a 5.13 ERA/4.67 xFIP in 19 starts in AAA earlier this season. Target the Dodger right handed bats (Taylor, Hernandez, Turner, Puig).

On the value end of things, I like going with the Mets left-handed bats (Conforto, Cabrera, Granderson, Walker) and even Cespedes vs. Vince Velasquez. He has given up a .373 wOBA to lefties this season and has walked over five per nine. I will also have exposure to the Athletics who face Wade Miley tonight. The Oakland Coliseum has actually been an above average hitters park this season and Miley gives up a ton of home runs(19.6% HR). I am mainly looking at Marcus Semien, Jed Lowrie, Khris Davis, and Ryan Healy.

 

 

 

 

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 4, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 3, 2017

Welcome back for another TGIF edition of our daily fantasy baseball picks. We have a two-game afternoon slate today but I will be looking at my top pitchers and stacks for the main slate starting at 7:05 p.m. ET tonight. Let’s jump right in.

Starting Pitchers

 James Paxton - LineupLab - DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks

James Paxton
Opponent – @ KC
Park – Kauffman Stadium
Vegas Favorite (SEA -160)
Vegas Total (8.5)

There are a ton of options at the top tonight including Darvish in his start as a Dodger going up against deGrom of the Mets. I think both are nice tournament options with the Vegas line so close but for my main pitcher I will turn to James Paxton who may even come low owned due to the high price. The Royals are in the bottom third of the league when looking at runs scored and are a tick worse against left-handed pitching with a .307 wOBA and 87 wRC+. Paxton has been one of the best pitchers in the league since the All Star break with a 4-0 record, 1.04 ERA and 11.8 K/9 rate. The Royals only K about league average vs. lefties but the overall floor and win potential are enough for me to rank Paxton #1 tonight in the top tier.

Eduardo Rodriguez
Opponent – vs. CWS
Park – Fenway Park
Vegas Favorite (BOS -190)
Vegas Total (9.5)

With a sub $7K price tag on DraftKings and a moneyline of -190, Eduardo Rodriguez is my top SP2 tonight. His control issues are well documented(3.6 BB/9) but he has also shown some big upside with a 9.99 K/9 rate through 13 starts. Most of the struggles have come on the road this season where he holds an ERA over a run higher and K/9 rate that is 2.3 strikeouts per nine less. There is definitely some risk but the matchup vs. the White Sox is too much to pass up. Despite ranking much higher against left-handed pitching this season, they have struggled a ton lately with a .294 wOBA, 80 wRC+, and 25.4% K rate over the last 14 days.

 

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Mookie Betts - Boston Redsox

 

Boston Red Sox vs. Carlos Rodon (CWS)

Not only are the Red Sox the highest projected scoring team tonight outside of the Rockies, they have also been red hot lately. Over the last seven days they lead all teams with a .389 wOBA, 140 wRC+, and are one of four teams with an ISO over .200 in that time. Yes, it’s a small sample size but they also rank inside the Top 10 in overall runs scored this season despite seeing a down trend in the power with Big Papi retired. The hit lefties well and show great patience which is perfect facing Carlos Rodon who is borderline wild walking just under six per nine. He does have huge K upside(11.61 K/9) but also gives up the long ball with 23.3% HR/FB rate. I look for the Red Sox to stay hot tonight making them my top stack.

Top Hitters to Target: Mookie Betts, Eduardo Nunez, Hanley Ramirez, Rafael Devers
Houston Astros vs. Cesar Valdez (TOR)

The Astros have slipped a bit offensively lately with the loss of Carlos Correa and George Springer to the DL but the good news is Springer may be back tonight. Despite the fact the Astros hit in the best pitchers park in the league, they have an elite matchup vs. Cesar Valdez. The Jays moved him from the bullpen to the rotation and he looked good in his first start(6 IP, 1 ER, 4 K’s) but got beat up in his second start(2 IP, 6 ER, 2 K’s). Overall this season, he sits with a 6.59 ERA, 4.67 xFIP, and best of all, he gives up nearly 50% hard contact. If Springer is out of the lineup, the value goes up as Derek Fisher should slide back to the leadoff spot.

Top Hitters to Stack: Jose Altuve, Josh Reddick, Derek Fisher, Yulieski Gurriel, George Springer(if back in lineup)

 

 

 

 

 

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 3, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for August 3, 2017

Welcome to another Thursday in daily fantasy baseball. Today we have a split slate and with just three early games, I will be looking at my top pitcher and stacks from the 10-game main slate. Let’s take a look.

Starting Pitchers

 

Colin McHugh
Opponent – vs. TB
Park – Minute Maid Park (Pitcher Friendly)
Vegas Favorite (HOU -150)
Vegas Total (9.5)

My top pitcher of the night when factoring matchup, Vegas, and PTS/$ value is Colin McHugh. He made his first start of the season July 22nd after missing the first four months due to an elbow injury. He was looking good early but slipped and ended up giving up four earned runs. In his second start in Detroit, he was fantastic going six innings allowing just four hits and one earned run while striking out seven and walking just one batter. While the Rays can be a pesky team with some power upside, they do have the second-most strikeouts in the league(1052) and have seen it get worse lately striking out 26.5% of the time over the past 14 days. The best part is you can use McHugh as an SP2 on DraftKings at just $7,500 and is likely low owned on FanDuel with Rick Porcello (-250) coming at a $100 discount.

Also consider: Alex Wood (LAD)

 

Top Stacks

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Baltimore Orioles - LineupLab

Baltimore Orioles & Detroit Tigers Game Stack

I absolutely love this game offensively from both sides tonight. The Orioles are currently -135 favorites at home in a game with the highest total and we get two pretty awful pitchers facing off. The O’s will face Matt Boyd who doesn’t necessarily give up a ton of home runs(10% HR/FB rate) but has given up three or more earned runs in 10 straight starts. The Tigers get the better power upside matchup vs. Chris Tillman who has been a punching bag all season. He saw his ERA drop to 7.65 after giving up eight earned runs in his last start and best of all, he has given up at least one home run in nine of his last 10 starts.

Orioles Players to Stack – Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Chris Davis, Jonathan Schoop, Wellington Castillo

Tigers Players to Stack – Jim Adduci, Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera, Justin Upton

 

 

Minnesota Twins vs. A.J. Griffin

This stack is likely to be low owned due to some rain concerns(40% chance) and the fact the Twins offense just hasn’t been that great this season. I like their upside tonight facing A.J. Griffin who is making his return from an intercostal sprain(chest) that caused him to sit on the DL since the end of May. Before going down, he was having a rough time of it giving up 17 earned runs over 9.2 innings(3 starts) including eight home runs. Until I see him fully regain his form, I will target him for big upside no matter who the team is. Tonight it’s the Twins.

Top Players to Stack – Brian Dozier, Robbie Grossman, Miguel Sano, Eduardo Escobar