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DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for September 29, 2017

*Chris Durell*

Lineuplab.com - DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for September 29, 2017

The final weekend of the regular season is upon us and there are still some teams with tons of motivation as they fight for their playoff lives. For fantasy, we will want to focus on these situations for the most part, but don’t forget about the young players looking to make an impact as they play for a spot next season. Let’s jump right in and take a look at a few top pitchers and stacks for tonight.

Starting Pitchers

Zack Greinke
Opponent – @ KC
DraftKings – $11,300
FanDuel – $9,500

The last week of the season is a real challenge when selecting pitchers and there is no such thing as a “safe” play. I lean Greinke at the top as Strasburg was held to just 83 pitches in his last start. Greinke also comes with some risk as the Diamondbacks have locked up the top wildcard spot in the NL but at least you get a bit of a discount on both sites. Greinke is also coming off his worst start of the season but overall, is having a fantastic season all while pitching in a top 3 hitters park. He has given us a ton of upside with his highest K rate(9.57 K/9) since the 2011 season with an impressive 3.18 ERA and 3.34 xFIP. Although he has been better at home, you can’t ignore the park upgrade for him tonight in Kansas City facing a Royals team that ranks 24th in wOBA and 21st in wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching.

Dan Straily
Opponent – vs. ATL
DraftKings – $7,100
FanDuel – $7,400

The value play of the day is Dan Straily who will be at home Friday night facing a Braves team that has really stumbled down the stretch. They sit second to last in wOBA and wRC+ over the last 14 days and also sit in the bottom third of the league vs. right-handed pitching. For Straily, it has been a huge rebound after getting blown up for eight earned runs vs. the Phillies a couple weeks back. Since then, he has allowed just two earned runs over his last 11 innings pitched and flashed a ton of upside with 17 strikeouts. The only knock is that in those two starts he has allowed seven free passes but I am not too worried as he has been much better than that all season with 2.82 BB/9 rate. All things considered, he is in play in all formats with a low to mid $7K price tag on both sites.

 

Top Stack

Colorado Rockies vs. Hyun-Jin Ryu(LAD)

The Rockies are one of the teams fighting for their playoff lives as they try to hold off the Brewers for the second wildcard in the National League. Lucky for them they open the final regular season series at home in Coors which, once again, ranks as the top hitters park in the league. They will face Hyun-Jin Ryu who was removed from his last start after getting hit in the arm and with the Dodgers already locked into the playoffs, I don’t expect them to run him out there for a full start. In one sense, that is a good thing as he has been fairly consistent in the second half allowing more than two earned runs just twice. On the other hand, he has been prone to giving up home runs(16.8% HR/FB rate) and got destroyed in his last start in Coors in mid-May. Look for the Rockies to put forward their best effort with everything on the line in the final days of the season.

Top Hitters to Stack: Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu, Trevor Story

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Matt Harvey(NYM)

Going a little off the board here with my second stack but it has more to do with the pitcher than the team he is facing. The Phillies have struggled to score runs all season but should be able to kick off their final series in style facing Matt Harvey. He returned to the Mets rotation at the start of September and has picked up right where he left off, pitching bad! In those four starts and one relief appearance, he has allowed a total of 24 earned runs in 18.1 innings(11.78 ERA) and has given up four home runs(18% HR/FB rate) while striking out just 10 and walking nine batters. If ever a time to jump on the Phillies, it would be tonight.

Top Hitters to Stack: Cesar Hernandez, Rhys Hoskins, Nick Williams

 

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 September 28, 2017

*Chris Durell*

Lineuplab.com - DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for September 28, 2017

 

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Lineuplab.com

Sonny Gray
Opponent – vs. TB
DraftKings – $11,700
FanDuel – $9,200

With the Nationals likely to limit and not push Strasburg again tonight(85 pitches last outing), I turn to Sonny Gray as my top pitcher. The Yankees have clinched a birth in the playoffs but still have an outside shot at capturing the AL East with four games remaining. Sure, they will need some help from Red Sox opponents but all they can do is go out there and win. Gray has been very consistent for the pinstripers since joining them in August, recording a 3.12 ERA as he has held opponents to two or fewer earned runs in eight of his 10 starts. Gray has also posted his highest K/9 rate(8.46) since his rookie season and it gets a boost tonight vs. the Rays who strikeout nearly 25% of the time vs. right-handed pitching. He is safe in all formats.

Sean Manaea
Opponent – @ TEX
DraftKings – $6,200
FanDuel – $6,500

Consistency is not a word we will use with Manaea who enters tonight with a 4.56 ERA but considering the price and smaller slate, he is in play as a SP2 on DraftKings. His splits are pretty glaring as right-handed bats have had their way with him(.351 wOBA) while he has shut down lefties(.262 wOBA). That is good news for tonight as the Rangers are likely to have three or four lefties in the lineup(Odor, Choo, Mazara, Gallo). The Rangers have also been terrible down the stretch ranking dead last in wOBA(.244) and wRC+(42) over the last 14 days with a crazy 31% K rate. There is definitely some risk here but the price is in a great spot that allows you to pair him with Gray and load up on bats tonight.

Top Stack

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Lineuplab.com

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Edwin Jackson(WSH)

The top stack of the night comes from a team that has been out of the playoff picture for some time now. That hasn’t stopped them from closing out the season strong as they sit with a .351 wOBA and 114 wRC+ over the last seven days. It should be no problem for them to add to those numbers tonight as they get the best matchup on the board facing Edwin Jackson who has been a complete dumpster fire, for lack of a better term. He has made four starts since the calendar turned to September, giving up 22 earned runs in 16 innings including multiple home runs in each game. The best part is that the Pirates do not come with premium prices in a premium matchup.

Top Hitters to Stack: Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, David Freese, Adam Frazier

Also Consider: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kyle Hendricks(CHC), New York Yankees vs. Jacob Faria(TB)

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

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Wednesday, September 27, 2017

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Wednesday, September 27, 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.

Lineuplab.com - NFL Daily Fantasy Sports - We have the tools to help you win DRAFTKINGS & FANDUEL

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Justin Verlander @ Texas Rangers
Park – Globe Life Park in Arlington
Vegas O/U – 3.96

On this 4-game early slate, you have 1 game in Coors Field, 1 in Chase Field, and 1 is a dual between Erasmo Ramirez and Kendall Graveman. That leaves us with Justin Verlander and Nick Martinez in Arlington. Nick Martinez is awful and I wouldn’t consider playing him in a million years. Verlander has been on a roll lately and I think he keeps it going into the playoffs. He’s gone 13 straight starts with at least 6 innings and 8 of those with 7+. He’s been allowed to go to 100 pitches and I think that’s what we see again today. The Rangers are a good hitting team, but Verlander is great and we don’t have any better options. On the early slate, Verlander is almost a plug and play.

Luis Severino Vs Tampa Bay Rays
Park – Yankee Stadium
Opp implied total – 3.10

Sitting as the biggest favorites of the day (-256), the Yankees will host the Tampa Bay Rays in a huge mismatch between Luis Severino and Matt Andriese. Andries is a decent pitcher, but the Yankees are going to light him up. Severino is an elite pitcher and I don’t think the Rays have much of a shot in getting to him. We may only see 85-95 pitches out of Severino, but that’s most guys with any sort of talent at this point in the year. He’s the safest option on the main slate and a great way to go in both cash and tournaments. They should be in for the W pretty easily.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

Colorado Rockies Vs Adam Conley (Marlins)
Park – Coors Field
Implied Total – 6.68

The Rockies still have something to play for, so I love getting exposure here. The wild-card has still yet to be clinched and the Rockies have the best shot at it. They’ll have all their chips on the table and we can expect them to be left in, even in a blowout. Adam Conley is one of the lesser intimidating guys around and I love seeing a lefty. Conley was good to start the year, but he’s fallen off. Way off. He’s now allowing a .361 wOBA to righties and a .340 to lefties. He’s given up 18 homers in less than 100 innings and now heads to Coors Field. Yikes. Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story are the 2 top options and both have held a .380+ wOBA against lefties. In Arenado’s case, closer to .450. The rest of the order is pretty random and you can go with whoever finds a spot. Ian Desmond and Jonathan Lucroy are both pretty good against lefties and should see a solid spot in the order. All in all, there are a few different ways to go on this early slate and the Rockies are my favorite.

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

Kansas City Royals Vs Jordan Zimmerman (Tigers)
Park – Kauffman Stadium
Implied Total – 5.48

Moving on to the main slate, you have to love the Royals. When any team is sitting in Kauffman Stadium with a 5.46 implied total, you pay attention. When it’s the Royals, you better really pay attention. Jordan Zimmerman is an atrocious pitcher and one that can be taken advantage of by both sides of the plate. In 140 innings of work this season, he’s allowed a .383 wOBA ago lefties and a respectable .373 to righties. Everyone in this Royals lineup can be played, but the preference is at the top. Merrifield and Perez are my 2 favorites and the guys I’ll have the most exposure to. Moustakas is also free on FanDuel and nearly a must in cash games. The rest of the order will fill itself in and you can go with whoever fits. They might not be the most popular stack of the night, but they should put up at least 5 or 6 runs and make some noise.

Main Stack – Mike Moustakas, Whit Merrifield, Eric Hosmer, Sal Perez
Sneaky Stack – Mike Moustakas, Whit Merrifield, Melky Cabrera, Brandon Moss

 

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

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, September 26, 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.

Lineuplab.com - NFL Daily Fantasy Sports - We have the tools to help you win DRAFTKINGS & FANDUEL

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Chris Sale - MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Lineup Lab

Chris Sale Vs Toronto Blue Jays
Park – Fenway Park
Opp implied total – 3.08

At the top, it’s Robbie Ray or Chris Sale. Ray has as much upside as anyone, but it’s tough to play a guy in Chase Field when Chris Sale is the same price. Moving down a bit, you have a lot of solid options, 1 of which we’ll touch on next. Sale is facing the Blue Jays for the 4th time this season, after going a combined 22 innings, 0 ER, and 35 strikeouts. To put it lightly, Chris Sale has owned the Blue Jays. On the season as a whole, he’s sported a .251 combined wOBA and has struck out 12 batters per 9 innings. He has been seeing a solid pitch count and the Red Sox will push him to 110 if he’s pitching well. The Blue Jays are a pretty bad team overall and rely on the bats of Josh Donaldson and Kendrys Morales against lefties. The rest of the order has held a combined .296 against lefties with a 24% strikeout rate. Sale is more comfortable pitching in Fenway and should be the safest way to go on this slate.

Alex Wood Vs San Diego Padres
Park – Dodgers Field
Vegas O/U – 2.88

Alex Wood was the same price as Chris Sale just a couple months ago. Since he’s struggled mightily and has seen a huge drop in production. However, these last 2 starts have derived some hope. He has shut down 2 offenses in a row and the Dodgers have allowed him to get to 100 pitches when it makes sense to. The Padres are an atrocious team and the one Wood has the most upside against. They’ve posted a .296 team wOBA on the season against lefties and a pitiful 25.1% strikeout rate.If you’ve had the honor to watch Wood pitch, it’s clear why he’s so productive. He has a starting pitching motion and snaps his elbow at the top. It’s a bit like Chris Sale and what he does over in Boston. Getting back to Wood, he’s a bit cheaper than Sale on both sites and makes for a fine play in both cash games and tournaments. I’m not sure there is a big difference between a lot of these pitchers, so let’s try to make the difference with the bats.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

Lineuplab.com - MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Cleveland Indians

Cleveland Indians Vs Bartolo Colon (Twins)
Park – Progressive Field
Implied Total – 5.64

Bartolo Colon is just doing whatever he possibly can do to get out of this season and make it to the offseason healthy. He has been absolutely horrible all year long and has been taken advantage of by both sides of the plate. He’s held a .387 wOBA against lefties and a .379 against righties, so the splits are marginal. He’s allowed close to 2.5 HR/9 and strikes out just under 6 batters per 9. The time is over for Colon, as I think 1 more season might just be the limit. He might not make it out of the 1st innings a few times if he kept going. This Indians lineup is extremely dangerous and a team you can definitely afford to pay up for. Lindor and Edwin are my 2 favorites, with Santana and Ramirez following closely. The whole order is in play and I couldn’t fault you for playing anyone 1-6. You should have the funds to pay up and there will be punts to pay down for. Just keep an eye out for lineups and jump on.

Main Stack – Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Edwin Encarnacion, Jason Kipnis
Sneaky Stack – Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Austin Jackson, Carlos Santana

Arizona Diamondbacks Vs Matt Moore (Giants)
Park – Chase Field
Implied Total – 5.48

Matt Moore isn’t the worst pitcher in the world, but the D-Backs have a 5.48 implied total and face a lefty, so you have to pay attention. Matt Moore has allowed an 11% barrel rate (2nd highest) to back up the 44% hard contact rate allowed vs righties. Moore is no longer the pitcher he was a couple years ago and is now just pushed around by righties with any kind of power. Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez are some of the best plays on the slate and guys that could hit 2 HR without blinking. Pollock is the next righty, but you can also go with lefties in hopes we see an early bullpen. Both Lamb and Peralta will be close to ignored by the general public, all the while having as much upside as anyone after the 4th or 5th inning. However you decide to go, it may be a good idea to get exposure to the Diamondbacks, who are expected to put up close to 6 runs in mini-Coors.

Main Stack – Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, J.D. Martinez, Brandon Drury
Sneaky Stack – Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, Jake Lamb, Chris Iannetta






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

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Monday, September 25, 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.

Lineuplab.com - NFL Daily Fantasy Sports - We have the tools to help you win DRAFTKINGS & FANDUEL

*STARTING PITCHERS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Lineup Lab - Chicago Cubs

Yu Darvish Vs San Diego Padres
Park – Dodgers Field
Opp implied total – 3.52

With all these talented arms on the slate, it’s a bit weird for me to say I don’t think anyone is very safe. With the end of the regular season very near, most pitchers aren’t seeing full workloads. Yu Darvish is part of that group, but he has every other thing working for him. First of all, he’s facing the Padres. They’ve posted a .299 wOBA against righties and strikeout the 2nd most in the league at 25.1%. He’s also at home, where he’s posted a .286 wOBA against. He might just see 85-95 pitches, but they should be productive and clean. He strikes out 10 batters per 9 and only walks 1.5. He’s been great over his last 2 games and will look to keep it going into the playoffs. The Dodgers are facing off with Travis Wood and the win should be there with ease. He is expensive, but if you need safety, here you go. 

Jon Lester @ St. Louis Cardinals
Park – Busch Stadium
Vegas O/U – 3.97

Jon Lester has been sitting around $10k all year, so this drop down to $8400 is very intriguing. He faces a Cardinals team that he has dominated many times. As we know, Lester is risky. He can get knocked around occasionally and we saw it just last start. He is typically one of the best starters in the league and if you look at his box score, the bloops usually come about once every 2 months. As for the match-up, the Cardinals aren’t the greatest against lefties. They have held a .321 wOBA against them and a 22.5% strikeout rate. Lester, on the other hand, has sported a .245 wOBA against righties and he’s struck out over 9 per 9 innings. Busch Stadium is bigger than Wrigley Field and I expect Lester to have a very solid game as the Cubbies get ready for the postseason.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Lineuplab.com - Redsox

Los Angeles Dodgers Vs Travis Wood
Park – Dodgers Field
Implied Total – 5.51

Boy, Travis Wood is not very good. I keep waiting for him to turn things around, but a .372 wOBA suggests otherwise. In about 90 innings, he’s given up an astounding 18 home runs. He also strikes out 6 per and walks 4. No matter how you cut it, Travis Wood is one of the worst pitchers in the entire league. The Dodgers are one of the best offenses and I think there is a ton of ways to stack them. Justin Turner and Corey Seager are my 2 favorites, with Taylor, Forsythe, and Bellinger following. The entire lineup can be considered in a stack and I think they will be a bit too low-owned. They need some momentum after struggling the last month and you can expect Dave Roberts to leave he guys in if they swing it right. All in all, get some exposure to the Dodgers if you want a chance to win a GPP.

Main Stack – Justin Turner, Corey Seager, Chris Taylor, Logan Forsythe
Sneaky Stack – Justin Turner, Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Austin Barnes

Boston Red Sox Vs Brett Anderson
Park – Fenway Park
Implied Total – 5.68

The Red Sox are back to Fenway Park and they start it off with an exceptional match-up against Brett Anderson and the Blue Jays. Anderson has somehow been worse than the aforementioned Travis Wood. Against lefties, Anderson has allowed a .457 wOBA. Against righties, .375 wOBA and 43% hard contact rate. As a lefty, Anderson is going to struggle with the green monster. Hanley Ramirez is actually my favorite of the bunch and I think his HR projection is exceptional for the price. Moving on, Bogaerts, Mookie, and Young/Davis are my favorites. The entire lineup is in play and you really don’t need to fade anyone. Anderson has been atrocious against everyone and I can’t find a reason that he gets better tonight. Fenway is the toughest park he’s pitched in yet and the Red Sox will show him why.

Main Stack – Hanley Ramirez, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia
Sneaky Stack – Hanley Ramirez, Mookie Betts, Chris Young, Rajai Davis






Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 09/24/2017

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Sunday, September 24

Only two Sundays left in the long 162-game schedule. As teams are clinching playoff spots and others are eliminated from the hunt, we are running out of time in the baseball DFS season as well. 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**

Max Scherzer vs. New York Mets
Park – Citi Field

Scherzer has had another stellar campaign in 2017 as he is 15-6 with a 2.59 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and has 253 strikeouts in 191.1 innings. Scherzer is on pace to have a WHIP under 1.00 for the fourth time in the last five years. When you limit base runners to that extent, you are bound to have success. This will also be his sixth straight season with a 10.1 or higher K/9. In summary, he’s awesome. He has also been excellent on the road this season, posting a 1.84 ERA and 0.82 WHIP away from Nationals Park. Roll with him again Sunday.

Chase Anderson vs. Chicago Cubs
Park – Miller Park

After never posting an ERA below 4.00 in his career, Anderson has made major strides this season as he enters Sunday 11-3 with a 2.74 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 120 strikeouts in 128 innings. He has been excellent over his last three starts, allowing only one run to go along with 15 strikeouts over 16.1 innings. Consistency has been a big plus for Anderson as he has allowed three runs or less in each of his last 14 appearances. Miller Park has treated Anderson kindly this season as he has a 2.34 ERA and 0.99 WHIP at home. Anderson presents a nice option in the mid-tier price range Sunday.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Boston Red Sox vs. Jackson Stephens (Cincinnati Reds)
Park – Great American Ball Park

Stephens has only made five appearances in the majors this season, two of which have been starts. He has not had much success as he has a 4.80 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 13 strikeouts over 15 innings overall. The concerning part about Stephens is that he did not pitch well in the minors this season either, posting a 4.92 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 110 strikeouts in 139 innings at Triple-A. This looks like a receipt for disaster against a hot Red Sox team.

Players to consider stacking: Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers and and Jackie Bradley Jr.

Atlanta Braves vs. Nick Pivetta (Philadelphia Phillies)
Park – SunTrust Park

Pivetta has had a terrible season for the Phillies, posting a 6.57 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 129 strikeouts in 122 innings. The fact that Sunday will be his 25th start of the season shows just how bad the Phillies rotation is. He’s been even worse of late, allowing at least six runs in three of his last six games. The road has not been kind to him either as he has a 7.29 ERA and 1.75 WHIP away from Citizens Bank Park. This is the day to stack your lineup with the Braves offense.

Players to consider stacking: Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis and Ender Inciarte

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 09/23/2017

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks – Saturday, September 23

The season is almost over, so let’s not waste any time and get right to the business of cashing in Saturday. 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**

Stephen Strasburg vs. New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field

Strasburg has been largely healthy this season as Saturday will mark his 27th start of the season, the most he has had since he started 34 games in 2014. He has been excellent as he is 14-4 with a 2.60 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 190 strikeouts in 162.2 innings. Not only does he record a lot of strikeouts, but he has only allowed 13 total home runs. Saturday brings a road match up against the Mets, a team he has a 2.33 ERA and 0.98 WHIP against in three starts this season. He is also excellent on the road as he is 8-2 with a 2.06 ERA and 1.03 WHIP away from Nationals Park. I expect another great performance from him in this contest.

Lance Lynn vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – PNC Park

Lynn is my choice more often than not if I’m looking to use a cheap starter on days when he pitches. He’s having an excellent season as he enters Saturday 11-7 with a 3.09 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 147 strikeouts in 180.2 innings. It’s impressive that he missed the entire 2016 season, but he is still going to log almost 200 innings this year. He has had success against the Pirates this season, going 2-1 with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP against them this season. Roll with him Saturday if you want to save money at the position.

**OFFENSIVE STACKS**

Houston Astros vs. Bud Norris (Los Angeles Angels)
Stadium – Minute Maid Park

Norris had a stretch this season where he excelled as the closer for the Angels, saving 19 games in the process. However, the bottom has fallen out of his season as he has a 8.84 ERA and 1.91 WHIP over his last 21 appearances. He started his last game against the Cleveland Indians, allowing three runs over only two innings. While he gets the start again Saturday, he’s not expected to pitch deep into the game. Look for the Astros to get off to a hot start while he’s in the game, then continue to tack on as the game moves along.

Players to consider stacking: Jose Altuve, Marwin Gonzalez and Yuli Gurriel

Atlanta Braves vs. Henderson Alvarez (Philadelphia Phillies)
Stadium – SunTrust Park

You remember who Alvarez is right? He’s the guy who threw a no-hitter for the Miami Marlins in 2013 and was a National League All-Star in 2014. Injuries and struggles have limited him to only five games in the majors since 2015 though, one of which was last Sunday against the Oakland Athletics. He struggled in that appearance, allowing four runs over five innings. Even when he was at his peak in 2014, he never recorded a lot of strikeouts as he only had a 5.3 K/9. This has the makings of an offensive explosion for the Braves.

Players to consider stacking: Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies and Ender Inciarte

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for September 22, 2017

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for September 22, 2017

Welcome back to the second last Friday in daily fantasy baseball as far as the regular season goes. Tonight we have a full 15 game slate with some nice pitching options across the board combined with some teams in great matchups that make excellent stacks. Let’s jump right into the picks.

Starting Pitchers

Zack Greinke - MLB Lineup Picks - Lineuplab
Zack Greinke
Opponent – vs. MIA
DraftKings – $12,100
FanDuel – $10,100

Friday night gives us a few more options than last night and it starts with Zack Greinke. As I have said many times this season, don’t worry about the park factor with Greinke as he has been lights out at home this season with a 2.33 ERA while limiting opponents to a low .196 average and .250 wOBA. He has also seen an uptick in strikeouts with a 10.23 K/9 rate at home vs. a 8.7 K/9 on the road. The matchup presents a bit of risk going up against Giancarlo Stanton and the Marlins but Greinke comes in red hot holding opponents to two or fewer earned runs in five straight starts. Roll him out in all formats tonight.

Michael Wacha
Opponent – @ PIT
DraftKings – $8,200
FanDuel – $8,200

For a value SP2 on DraftKings or GPP value on FanDuel I will be turning to Michael Wacha. He doesn’t flash a ton of upside but has posted a career-high 8.5 K/9 rate(not counting rookie season with 9 starts) in 2017. He has also been consistent lately holding opponents to three or fewer earned runs in four straight starts lowering his xFIP below 4.00 for the season. The one thing that makes or break his value is the control but if he can limit the free passes tonight should be able to hit or exceed value. He faces a struggling Pirates team that ranks 27th in wOBA and wRC+ over the last 14 days while walking a league-low 5.4% of the time.

Top Stack

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Adam Conley(MIA)

The Diamondbacks enter Friday night’s action with the highest implied run total of any team and while they will be the chalk, have a near elite matchup. First of all, down the stretch it is important to target teams who are playing for something and the D-Backs hit on that narrative as they look to hold off the Rockies and Brewers in the NL Wildcard. They get a great matchup tonight vs. Adam Conley who has struggled to a 5.20 ERA and 5.38 xFIP this season and has given up nine home runs over his last six starts and 17 for the season(13.3% HR/FB rate and 38% hard contact). While the D-Backs have been slightly worse this season vs. southpaws don’t be fooled as they still have a ton of upside bats at the top of the lineup.

Top Hitters to Stack: Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, J.D. Martinez, Chris Iannetta

Also Consider: Atlanta Braves vs. Ben Lively(PHI), Minnesota Twins vs. Daniel Norris(DET), New York Yankees vs. Marco Estrada(TOR)
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 September 21, 2017

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for September 21, 2017

Welcome back for another exciting Thursday in daily fantasy baseball. With two early games today, we will turn our attention to the nine-game main slate that starts at 7:05 p.m. Et tonight.

Starting Pitchers

Dallas Keuchel
Opponent – vs. CWS
DraftKings – $11,300
FanDuel – $8,900

I really don’t love either of the two top-tier pitchers on the main slate tonight but side with Keuchel for a couple reasons. He has the edge over Carlos Martinez in ERA(2.96), xFIP(3.43), Ground Ball Rate(66%) and Hard Contact against(24.4%). He doesn’t have the strikeout upside of CarMart but gets to toss in the best pitchers park in the big leagues and faces a team in the White Sox who rank in the bottom third of the league in runs scored this season. All things considered, it’s Keuchel in cash games all the way tonight but I like the pivot to Carlos Martinez in GPP’s.

Tyler Anderson
Opponent – @ SD
DraftKings – $7,500
FanDuel – $6,400

If you are looking for a value pitcher to pair with CarMart or Keuchel consider Tyler Anderson who is back from a knee injury and looking good. He made has made a four-inning relief appearance and a six-inning start so far and has allowed just three hits and zero earned runs while striking out seven and walking just two. He showed us K per inning stuff early in the season and no better spot to back to that than against the Padres who strikeout 25.1% vs. left-handed pitching.

Top Stacks

Colorado Rockies vs. Clayton Richard(SD)

This could be one of those situations where we can get the Rockies much less owned than if they were at home. Overall, they have been a bottom third offense on the road but have won six of their last 10 away from Coors and also carry the narrative of fighting for their lives trying to hold on to the NL Wildcard. The one split that does lean their way is their hitting vs. lefties with a .342 wOBA and .191 ISO on the season. They are led by Nolan Arenado who leads the league against southpaws with a crazy .536 wOBA, 223 wRC+, and .438 ISO. Tonight they face Clayton Richard who hasn’t been the worst pitcher in baseball this season(3.84 xFIP) but doesn’t strike anyone out(6.6 K/9) and gives up the long ball(19.75 HR/FB rate). He also struggles much more against right-handed batters giving up a .373 wOBA and 37% hard contact(.315/25% to LH).

Top Hitters to Stack: Nolan Arenado, D.J. LeMahieu, Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon

Minnesota Twins vs. Jordan Zimmermann(DET)

Jordan Zimmerman is back after sitting out for over two weeks with neck pain. That means it’s once again time to load up on whoever he is pitching against. Zimmermann has really fallen off in 2017 with a 6.18 ERA, 5.49 xFIP, and is striking out less than six batters per nine. On top of that, he is giving up 38.9% hard contact and over a home run per start. Tonight he faces a Twins team that sits near the top of the league offensively over the last 14 days with a .351 wOBA and sit tied with 25 home runs in that time(.225 ISO).

Top Hitters to Stack: Brian Dozier, Eddie Rosario, Eduardo Escobar, Joe Mauer

 

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

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, September 20, 2017

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Wednesday, September 20, 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.

 

Lineuplab.com - NFL Daily Fantasy Sports - We have the tools to help you win DRAFTKINGS & FANDUEL

*STARTING PITCHERS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Chris Sale - Lineup Lab

Chris Sale @ Boston Orioles
Park – Camden Yards
Opp implied total – 3.42

I’m not exactly sure how the general public will react to this standoff between Chris Sale and Robbie Ray at the top. I do suspect Sale will be higher owned, but I’m not sure by how much. I think it’s a lot closer than some may have it, but still have Sale just a bit higher. The Red Sox are just 3 games ahead of the Yankees and they will allow Sale to go 110 if he’s sailing. The Orioles are an explosive offense, but extremely weak past the surface. They strikeout close to 26% of the time and have held just a .321 wOBA since the break. We know Sale has had a few rough starts this season, but they’re bound to happen with how he throws. You can’t use them to dissuade yourself from exposure tonight. He’s striking out close to 12 batters per 9 and has been the black plague to lefties at the plate. I’m not saying Chris Sale is a must by any stretch, but I do think this will be the first time his ownership under 30% in quite a long time. It just might be something to think about in tournaments. I may end up with 100% in hopes of a crazy game that boosts me way above the field.

Brad Peacock Vs Chicago White Sox
Park – Minute Maid Park
Vegas O/U – 3.30

There’s also the strategy of paying down, which is just as solid on this slate. We have a few different offenses to pay up for and going down to Peacock could very well let you fit 1 or 2 more elite bats. It doesn’t seem like much, but topping off a stack or getting an HR is nothing to scoff at. Peacock has also just been really good. He has demolished righties to a .238 wOBA and lefties a .322. He’s striking out close to 12 batters per 9 and allowing a hard contact rate of just 32%. The White Sox are one of the worst offenses in the league and them also K nearly 26% of the time. Vegas has them expected for just 3.30 runs, which is the lowest on the entire slate. Peacock is a solid value play across the board and a guy you shouldn’t ignore.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

Lineuplab.com - Jose Altuve - MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks

Houston Astros Vs James Shields (White Sox)
Park – Minute Maid Park
Implied Total – 6.20

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. When James Shields is on the mound, I stack the opposing hitters. A whopping 6.20 implied total on the Astros tells you all you need to know. Him being on the road in Houston is just an utter joke. Maybe he’ll prove me wrong and throw a gem, but we all know how likely that is. The reality of the situation is that he’s given up a .394 wOBA to lefties and a .356 to righties. He’s one of the worst arms in the entire league and struggles to make it 6 innings on a regular basis. I highly doubt he gets out of the 4th tonight, facing such a lethal set of bats. Altuve and Reddick are my 2 favorites and I wouldn’t make a stack without either. After that, any mix of Springer, Bregman, Correa, Gonzalez, and McCann works. The Astros are going to put up runs and you’ll need exposure to get anything done.

Main Stack – Jose Altuve, Josh Reddick, Marwin Gonzalez, George Springer
Sneaky Stack – Jose Altuve, Josh Reddick, Carlos Correa, Brian McCann

St. Louis Cardinals @ William “Rookie” Davis (Reds)
Park – Great American Ballpark
Implied Total – 5.28

Believe it or not, we may have a pitcher worse than James Shields on the slate. While William “Rookie” Davis is very young and still likely to improve, it’s not often you can find numbers this bad. Against righties, a .438 wOBA. Lefties, a .436. He has only pitched a few games, so I wouldn’t say it’s completely fair. However, he wasn’t great in the minors and this is no surprise. The Cardinals offense is dangerous in this ballpark and they can hit righties well. Matt Carpenter should be back in there tonight and is the top guy you want. Paul DeJong and Dexter Fowler are close behind. After those 3, I think you can go anywhere. Wait for the lineup to come out and grab someone who’s seen a shift in the lineup. The Cardinals are rarely projected for over 5 runs and we should probably take advantage of this situation. I’m hoping for a repeat of that run-fest last night in Cincy.

Main Stack – Matt Carpenter, Dexter Fowler, Paul Dejong, Jose Martinez
Sneaky Stack – Matt Carpenter, Dexter Fowler, Paul Dejong, Yadier Molina