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

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*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






MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for September 4, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Monday, September 4, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks -- Jake-Arrieta-DFS-MLB-Lineup-Picks

Jake Arrieta @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Park – PNC Park
Opp implied total – 3.59

When we step back and look at this day as a whole, we have an early/main slate and a late slate. Both of them stink at pitching, but the earlier slate is a bit friendlier. You have a few guys to choose from, with Jake Arrieta coming out as the top option. Now it may be a bit too soon to speak, but the old Jake “The Snake” Arrieta may be back. He’s allowed just 4 runs over his last 4 starts and has struck out 24. He’s still holding an elite .287 combined wOBA and striking out around 9 batters per 9 innings. He moves into PNC Park and faces off with a very underwhelming offense against righties. They’ve posted the league’s 3rd worst wOBA against them on the year at .306. The game is also in PNC Park, which is the 4th hardest place to get a ball out for righties. Arrieta is a strong play in all formats and should be set for another solid performance.

Dallas Keuchel @ Seattle Mariners
Park – Safeco Field
Vegas O/U – 3.82

This night slate is a lot less forgiving in terms of pitching. After our top option in Dallas Keuchel, it gets extremely thin. When I say extremely thin, I mean basically nobody. Dallas Keuchel and the Astros travel to Seattle and will look to pick up a few easy wins. The first one will come against Erasmo Ramirez, who doesn’t have much of a shot against the Astros offense. Keuchel has been one of the better pitchers this season with a .233 combined wOBA and 8.23 K/9. He now moves into one of the friendliest ballparks in baseball for pitchers, Safeco Field. The Mainers are a much worse team against lefties, with Cano, Seager, Gamel, and Segura all considerably worse against them. There is still the danger of Nelson Cruz, but I’m assuming Keuchel will give him a few change-ups in the dirt and let him either strike out or walk to first. Let’s hope. If you don’t like Keuchel, well, too bad. Go complain to the baseball gods.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Jose Ramirez - Lineuplab.com Picks

Cleveland Indians @ James Shields (White Sox)
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field
Implied Total – 5.87

Every 5th day, we’re reminded that anyone can make an MLB roster if you were good at one point. That reminder comes in the flesh of James Shields. Shields, who continuously gets pummeled and is somehow still jogging out there and tossing it to the catcher. I don’t see a pride POV how he’s doing this, but I guess it’s the money. I can guarantee that in his interviews 10 years from now he will admit to not really caring at this point. It’s actually quite obvious by his reactions. He’s prone to giving up home runs and runs. Looking at his stats, he’s probably the worst pitcher in the game against lefties with a .424 wOBA and 15 home runs allowed in 45 innings. Yes, that’s a home run every 3 innings or a 3 HR/9. An average HR/9 is around 0.90. Getting to the Indians, we know they are a tough offense with a ton of options. Carlos Santana, Jose Ramirez, and Francisco Lindor stand out above the rest and are locks in any Indians stack I create. There are a few more interchangeable guys and it’ll just come down to the batting order and who sees a bump. Play the lefties.

Main Stack – Carlos Santana, Bradley Zimmer, Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor
Sneaky Stack – Jose Ramirez, Edwin Encarnacion, Jay Bruce, Francisco Lindor

Washington Nationals Vs Adam Conley (Marlins)
Park – Nationals Park
Implied Total – 5.11

This late slate has a few offenses you can stack, but the Nationals are my favorite and they will likely b e the most popular. Adam Conley is admittedly a fine pitcher, but he’s nothing special. He’s allowed a .330 wOBA against righties, though a .265 BABIP leaves that a bit worrisome. This Nationals offense is elite against lefties and it’s why they’re projected to put up nearly 5.5 runs. Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman are the top 2 options and I wouldn’t put a Nats stack together without either. You then get the 2 stud OF’s against lefties in Jayson Werth and Howie Kendrick. Both are in play as safe plays with plenty of upside. You may have to choose Trea Turner over one of them, however, as he will lead-off and be a big reason if they do have success. I prefer Werth, but you can go Kendrick with no qualms from me. All in all, this offense is going to put up some runs and they may break loose. You want exposure, even if it’s in a minute way. Personally, I’ll have a ton of ownership in the form of stacks.

Main Stack – Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman, Howie Kendrick, Trea Turner
Sneaky Stack – Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman, Wilmer Difo, Jayson Werth






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.

 

 

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 22, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Tuesday, August 22, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Chris Archer - Tampa Bay Rays - MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks

Chris Archer Vs Toronto Blue Jays
Park – Tropicana Field
Opp implied total – 3.51

We finally have a nice slate with some strong pitching options. While we don’t have a bunch of aces in good match-ups, we have a pretty healthy spread of options at different price points. Chris Archer is the highest of all and comes in as the top option. He’s at home, facing off with the lowly Blue Jays. On the road, the Blue Jays have ranked 19th with a .311 wOBA and 22% strikeout rate. The upside is there with K’s and this lineup is nowhere near as lethal as it was in previous years. Once you get past the gauntlet (Donaldson, Smoak, Bautista), it’s smooth sailing. The lineup turns into a pile of garbage that can K as much as anyone. Chris Archer is also one of the best pitchers in the game, if that matters. He strikes out over 10 batters per 9 and has posted a .291 combined wOBA on the season. He can easily hit double-digit K’s tonight and have one of his best outings. This is Chris Archer, however, so he can also walk 2 guys and give up a bomb. While there will always be an inherent risk with Archer, I’m willing to play him in both cash games and tournaments.

Lance Lynn Vs San Diego Padres
Park – Busch Stadium
Vegas O/U – 3.51

I’m not one to target Lance Lynn very often. In fact, I don’t think I’ve played him since 2016. That’s also a mistake on my part, as I’ve missed some very solid games in situations similar to this one. Lynn isn’t too tough to figure out. He dominates righties and gets dominated by lefties. When looking to target Lynn, you want to see how many righties are in the opposing lineup. ThePadres have one of the heaviest righty lineups in the game and may end up being forced with 5 of them. Oh yea, the righties they have also stink. Lynn has held a .256 wOBA against righties and strikes out nearly 8 batters per 9. Lynn is very safe here and his price is fair. He makes sense in all formats and will help you pay up for a few bats, which is something that definitely matters on a slate like this. Lynn is also an excellent SP2 with Archer on DK.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

Anthony Rizzo - MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Chicago Cubs - Lineuplab

Chicago Cubs @ Homer Bailey (Reds)
Park – Great American Ballpark
Implied Total – 5.58

The Cubs are facing Homer Bailey. We know the drill. This same game happened about a week ago and we saw one of the highest scoring games of the year so far with 23 combined runs. While that is very unlikely to happen again, it was very clear that Homer Bailey doesn’t have much left. He’s getting the ball plastered almost every at-bat and will soon be yanked from the rotation. If the Reds don’t do it, one of these rocket ships is going to end up hitting him and doing the deed for them. He’s allowed a .421 wOBA and 5.44 xFIP, all the while striking out just 6 batters per 9. Homer Bailey isn’t as bad as some of the White Sox pitchers, but he isn’t good either. He’s going to get walloped by the Cubbies and I want to be all over it. Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant are musts if you’re stacking the Cubs. DOn’t get cute. Further along, you can look any which way. In cash games, wait for the lineup to come out and make some fiscally responsible decisions. In tournaments, take a shot on a guy in the 6 or 7 hole who may not garner much ownership.
Main Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Ben Zobrist
Sneaky Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Willson Contreras/Alex Avila

Baltimore Orioles Vs Paul Blackburn (Athletics)
Park – Camden Yards
Implied Total – 5.85

If you were on the Orioles yesterday, I see no reason to get off of them now. They are facing an even worse pitcher in the same ballpark, with lower implied ownership. They hold and 5.85 implied run total and do come in as one of the highest projecting offenses. Looking a bit deeper at Paul Blackburn, he is far from a standout. He allowed a 4.36 xFIP in AAA and hasn’t shown anything more yet. He’s been better against lefties, but don’t let the .260 BABIP fool you. Camden Yards is going to be rough for this guy and the Orioles will do damage. Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop will always be the top 2 options, with Adam Jones and Chris Davis to follow. You also have guys like Trey Mancini, Mark Trumbo, and Welington Castillo, so have fun in tournaments.

Main Stack – Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, Adam Jones, Chris Davis
Sneaky Stack – Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, Trey Mancini, Welington Castillo

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 14, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Monday, August 14, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

Jose Quintana - Chicago Cubs - MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Lineuplab

Jose Quintana Vs. Cincinatti Reds
Park – Wrigley Field
Vegas O/U – N/A

Yesterday, we were blessed with an amazing core of pitchers. They pitched very well and the chalk guys didn’t hurt too much. Today is a whole different story. Pitching is extremely limited and the only ace we do have in Greinke is facing the Diamondbacks in Chase Field. Instead, we’all move a few spots down and take a look at Jose Quintana against the Reds. While Quintana isn’t a high upside, strikeout pitcher, he’s very consistent and can nearly be locked in for 6 innings. Quintana has been good against both sidedness of the plate with a .293 wOBA and 9.58 K/9. He’s as safe as you’ll find on the slate and his price is very fair. He will be popular, but that’s fine in cash games where the alternatives aren’t great.

Jerad Eickhoff @ San Diego Padres
Park – Petco Park
Vegas O/U – 8.5

Listen, pitcher is bad. We can’t be picky tonight and after Quintana, I’m not willing to trust anyone. Jerad Eickhoff is a very talented young arm with a ton of potential and upside. He’s sported a .293 wOBA and strikes out nearly a full batter per inning. The K’s haven’t been huge for Eickhoff his entire career, but they’ll likely come with age and experience. The Padres, as we know, stink against righties. They have held just a .308 wOBA and have struck out nearly 26% of the time, which leads the league. Eickhoff may not be “safe”, but he’s definitely “safer” than a lot of these arms on the slate. He should get you at least 5 or 6 innings and come through with the win when it matters.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Ian Kinsler - Detroit Tigers - LineupLab

Detroit Tigers @ Martin Perez (Rangers)
Park – Globe Life Park
Implied Total – 5.19

While the Rockies are the obvious stack here, you didn’t need me to tell you that. If you are interested in a Rockies stack, they’ll be popular and have as much upside as anyone. We’re going to take a look in Arlington and peer down at this often troubled Tigers lineup. They face off with Martin Perez, who is a southpaw (lefty) with some major issues. In 97 innings of work, Perez has posted a .373 wOBA and 16 homers. Wow. He now faces a team with as many righties as you could hope for. Ian Kinsler and James McCann are my 2 favorites, with Castellanos and Miggy a close 3/4. This lineup isn’t too concentrated and you can definitely get exposure to some of them for cheap.

Main Stack – Ian Kinsler, James McCann, Miguel Cabrera, Justin Upton
Sneaky Stack – Justin Upton, James McCann, Victor Martinez, Nick Castellanos

Chicago Cubs Vs Asher Wojciechowski (Reds)
Park – Wrigley Field
Implied Total – N/A

Main Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist, Alex Avila
Sneaky Stack – Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Jason Heyward

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 7, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Monday, August 7, 2017

*STARTING PITCHERS*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks - Max Scherzer - Washington Nationals - Lineuplab

Max Scherzer Vs. Miami Marlins
Park – Nationals Park
Vegas O/U – 8

Who else? If you’ve taken a look at this slate, you’re probably aware of what’s going on at pitcher. We have 2 solid options at the top and not much after. While there are arguments to be made, I don’t think anyone compared to the elite 2 in Scherzer and Arrieta. Starting with Scherzer, you have to love him in this match-up. The Marlins have been average against righties with a .323 wOBA and strikeout 21% of the time. Guys like Marcell Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton are locks for 2-3 K’s here. Scherzer has been one of the3 best pitchers in the entire league this season and I’m not sure it’s debatable. Through nearly 150 innings, Scherzer has posted a .231 combined wOBA, while striking out over 12 batters per 9 innings and walking just 2. He’s a lock to go 7 innings and has the upside for a CGSO every start. In Nationals Park, he’s been even better. There is no reason to shy away from Scherzer in this spot and it just comes down to price. Without any expensive offense being a must, you can certainly fit Scherzer. Let’s take a look at Arrieta, who’s a bit cheaper and in a better match-up.

Jake Arrieta @ San Francisco Giants
Park – AT&T Park
Vegas O/U – 8

We have been targeting righties against the Giants all season long and rightfully so. They stink. At home, they are by far the worst team in the league against righties with a .290 wOBA. While they do have some talented bats, they are unable to string anything together and in AT&T Park, it takes a monster to hit it out. The Cubs will move into San Fran and bring Jake Arrieta to the table in the first game. Arrieta hasn’t been his best this year, but he has been very good. Against lefties, he’s posted a .323 wOBA, compared to the dominant .244 on the right side. As long as he can keep the Giants from singling him to death, you can lock Arrieta in for 7 innings and 7 K’s. The Cubs offense is one we’ll touch on in a second, so the win shouldn’t be too tough to come by. At pitcher, I suggest going with one of these top 2 guys. In cash games, I don’t think paying down is something you can afford. There are no bats that can assure you get those points back.

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

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

Chicago Cubs @ Matt Moore (Giants)
Park – AT&T Park
Implied Total – 4.65

We don’t have a ton of games on this slate and we really don’t have any horrible pitchers either. We definitely have some guys we can pick on, but we won’t be seeing any 6 run implied totals. Starting off, let’s take a look at the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs are facing off with the San Fran Giants at AT&T Park. Matt Moore will take the hill and do his best to limit this lethal offense. Matt Moore is not a very good pitcher. In fact, he hits more barrels than any other starter at 11.2%. He’s posted a .331 wOBA against righties and .454 against lefties. He’s given up 19 homers and hasn’t shown any signs of improving. Kris Bryant is definitely the top option and he is my favorite bat on the entire slate. After him, you can really go anywhere. Willson Contreras and Javier Baez hit lefties well from the right side and may not be too highly owned. Anthony Rizzo can also hit lefties very well, so don’t be afraid to plug him in there.

Main Stack – Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Willson Contreras, Ben Zobrist
Sneaky Stack – Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Javier Baez, Addison Russell

Cincinatti Reds Vs. Jhoulys Chacin (Padres)
Park – The Great American Ballpark
Implied Total – 5.00

I think the Reds are going to come in as the most popular stack of the night. They hold the highest implied run total on the board at 5.00 and are facing the worst pitcher. Jhoulys Chacin is pretty good in Petco Park, but he is atrocious anywhere else he goes. He will move into Great American Ballpark and I don’t think he’ll have much fun. On the road, Chacin has posted a .381 wOBA. Against lefties, it’s sitting at .442. Wow. Joey Votto is one of the best plays of the night and I’ll have a hard time getting off of him in cash games. Adam Duvall and Scooter Gennett are my next 2 favorites and both have a ton of upside against righties. The rest of the order is up in the air and you can really go anywhere. Billy Hamilton and Jesse Winker have a ton of safety in the top of the order, with Mesoraco being a great GPP play towards the bottom.

Main Stack – Joey Votto, Adam Duvall, Jesse Winker, Scooter Gennett
Sneaky Stack – Joey Votto, Adam Duvall, Billy Hamilton, Devin Mesoraco

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 28

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 28, 2017

Welcome back to another TGIF edition of our daily fantasy baseball picks. Friday gives us another full 15-game slate to sort through and there will bea wrinkle with some weather issues thrown in the mix. Be sure to monitor the situations in Washington and Philadelphia as we get closer to lock. You can also follow me on Twitter(@Jager_Bombs9) as I will be updating the situations there as well. Let’s take a look at some of the top pitchers and stacks for tonight.

Starting Pitchers

Masahiro Tanaka
Opponent – vs. TB
Park – Yankee Stadium(Hitter Park)
Vegas Favorite (-175)
Vegas Total (9.0)

The Yankees are the third biggest favorite(-175) on the slate and Tanaka comes at a value price on both sites which give him huge PTS/$ value on this full slate. I will, however, only be using him in tournaments due to the inconsistency he has shown all season. He has given up 4+ earned runs seven times this season and sits with a 5.37 ERA but there are signs of positive regression working in his favor. First of all, the xFIP(3.74) sits over a run and a half better thanks to a below average walk rate(2.1 BB/9) and elite strikeout potential with a 9.18 K/9 and 14.6% swinging strike rate. While the Rays do rank inside the Top 10 vs. right-handed pitchers, they also K over 24% of the time and have been one of the coldest teams over the last 14 days(.290 wOBA, 81 wRC+).

Danny Salazar
Opponent – @ CWS
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field(Neutral)
Vegas Favorite (-215)
Vegas Total (9.5)

My top option tonight is the electric but wild Danny Salazar. Before a shoulder injury placed him on the disabled list for over a month, Salazar had a ton of issues walking batters(4.58 BB/9) and was punished for it with a 5.40 ERA and 22.4% HR/FB rate. He made his return to the rotation last Saturday and was very impressive giving up just one hit to the Jays over 7.1 innings while striking out eight and walking ZERO. He gets an even better matchup tonight facing a White Sox team that has lost 12 of their last 13 games and rank right near the bottom of the league vs. right-handed pitching with a .304 wOBA, 87 wRC+, and 22.3% strikeout rate.

Top Stack

Texas Rangers vs. Chris Tillman (BAL)

I absolutely love targeting against the Orioles pitching staff. Their bullpen sits in the middle of the pack with a 4.01 ERA but the starters hold the second worst ERA(5.90) and third worst HR/FB rate(16.5%) in the entire league. Tonight it’s the Texas Rangers who, despite getting shelled 22-10 yesterday, have scored 10+ runs in back to back games and face Chris Tillman who has been the worst of the O’s staff this season. He has walked a to of batters(4.48 BB/9) this season and has been punished with the long ball(17% HR/FB rate) resulting in a 7.01 ERA and equally bad 5.51 xFIP.

Top Players to Stack – Shin-Soo Choo, Adrian Beltre, Nomar Mazara, Roughned Odor

 

 

 

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Matt Moore(SF)

I guess we can call this a sneaky snack? I mean the Dodgers, at this point, rank 9th in implied runs tonight and on the main slate the late games can sometimes be overlooked. This is good news as they rank third overall in wOBA and wRC+ vs. left-handed pitching this season and have been the league’s hottest team since the break. They have won They have won five straight and 10 of 12 games scoring an average of over five runs per game. Matt Moore is not a good pitcher with a 5.82 ERA and 5.15 xFIP and has given up at least one home run in three straight and four of his last five games. I think you can further separate yourself from the pack by leaving out the popular and expensive Bellinger and Seager. I will definitely have exposure to both but like the idea of fading them in a few spots to be contrarian.

Top Players to Stack – Justin Turner, Chris Taylor, Logan Forsythe, Enrique Hernandez

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 27, 2017

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings / FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks for July 27, 2017

Welcome back for another Thursday in daily fantasy baseball. Today is a bit of weird one with just eight games in total with three of them running in the afternoon. For the article below, I am going to give you my top pitcher and stack for tonight and we will get back to full-slate baseball on Friday. Let’s dig in.

Starting Pitchers

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Jon Lester - Lineuplab

Jon Lester
Opponent – @ CWS
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field (Neutral)
Vegas Favorite (CHC -225)
Vegas Total (10.5)

The vegas total is the highest of the entire day but don’t let that scare you off as the Cubs side of things makes up for over 61% of that. Lester takes the mound for the North siders tonight and has been brilliant lately. Over his last two starts, he has gone 15 innings, limiting the Braves and Cards to three hits each and three combined earned runs while striking out 16 batters and walking just one. Tonight he faces a White Sox team that started out the year destroying lefties but has fallen off lately since the trade of Todd Frazier. They currently rank 8th in wOBA and more telling is the 18th rank in Isolated Power. Trust Lester in all formats tonight.

Also Consider: C.C. Sabathia

 

Top Stack

DraftKings FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks - Matt Carpenter - Lineuplab

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Zack Godley (ARI)

The Cubs are clearly the top play tonight with their 6+ implied run total but I wanted to give you a secondary option to get away from the chalk. I am leaning in the Cardinals tonight who just finished off a three-game sweep of the Rockies outscoring them 21-9. Tonight they welcome another NL West team in the Diamondbacks who will be throwing Zack Godley to the mound. He had an excellent start to the season holding opponents to three earned runs or less in his first 11 starts but has been stumbling a bit lately. He has given up 10 earned runs over his last two starts despite showing some big K upside. The BABIP suggests he will regress back to normal but on a small slate, I will take a shot with a hot team and cold pitcher.

Top Players to Stack – Matt Carpenter, Paul DeJong, Jedd Gyorko, Tommy Pham

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for July 19, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

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

*STARTING PITCHERS*

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

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

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

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

*OFFENSIVE STACKS*

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

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

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

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

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

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

MLB 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.