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MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/18/18

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

Earlybird special! Use Code PAMLB10 at checkout

The entire Friday slate is night games, leaving plenty of options to choose from when creating your DFS entry. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

STARTING PITCHERS

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/18/18

Charlie Morton vs. Cleveland Indians
Stadium – Minute Maid Park
FanDuel = $9,700
DraftKings = $12,200

If it wasn’t for the potential for rain, Max Scherzer facing the Dodgers would be the top choice for the evening. However, that game looks to be very much in doubt, leaving Morton as one of the best alternatives. He continues to be a strikeout machine since joining the Astros, posting an 11.5 K/9 this season. His average fastball velocity sits at 97.2 mph, which would be the highest mark of his career. His 13.8% swinging strike rate is also over five percentage points higher than his career average. The Indians offense has some potent bats, but Morton has enough strikeout upside to still make him an excellent option.

Jake Arrieta vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – Busch Stadium
FanDuel = $8,200
DraftKings = $7,700

Arrieta is off to an odd start. His 2.59 ERA is great and although his FIP is higher at 3.48, it’s still very good. He has a 1.06 WHIP and has allowed only two home runs in 41.2 innings. On the negative side, his 5.8 K/9 is well below his career 8.2 K/9. His velocity has been consistent with last season, but his 6.3% swinging strike rate is a bit alarming. The good news is that he has allowed three runs or fewer in all but one start this season and will face a Cardinals squad that is in the bottom third of baseball in runs scored. The price is right on both sites to take a chance on him in tournament play.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/18/18

Anthony Rizzo vs. Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $5,000

Rizzo is batting an ugly .195, but that’s in large part due to an absurdly low .186 BABIP. His walk rate is down, but his strikeout rate is also below his career mark to go along with a 34% hard-hit rate. It’s only a matter of time before his batting average is on the rise and that might begin Friday since he is 9-for-22 (.409) with two home runs and three doubles against Bailey in his career.

Matt Olson vs. Marco Estrada, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $3,500

Stacking Athletics turned out to be a wise move against Aaron Sanchez on Thursday and is looking like something to do again Friday versus Estrada. Estrada has not only had a problem keeping runners off base with a 1.43 WHIP this season, but he has also allowed 10 home runs in 44 innings. The homers are not a new trend for Estrada either since he finished with a 1.5 HR/9 last year. Olson is showing signs of coming out of his slump as well, batting 5-for-14 with three home runs in his last four games.

Others to consider: Wilson Contreras (catcher) and Jose Abreu (first base)

SECOND BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/18/18

Whit Merrifield vs. C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $4,300

Sabathia’s 2.23 ERA looks nice, but he’s been a bit lucky considering his 3.61 FIP and .255 BABIP allowed. He’s not an overpowering pitcher by any means with just a 6.9 K/9 and needs to pitch ahead in counts if he’s going to have success. Merrifield has followed up his 2017 breakout campaign with a .289 average this season and four home runs to go along with nine steals. He also excels against left-handed pitchers, posting a .383 wOBA against them in his career.

Jed Lowrie vs. Marco Estrada, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,400

Lowrie came through with another valuable stat line in Thursday’s offensive explosion by the Athletics, going 1-for-4 with a double, one RBI, two runs scored and two walks. He’s on pace for by far the best season of his career and should have plenty of opportunities to provide counting stats in Oakland’s potent lineup. He has followed up his 123 wRC+ against righties last year with a 172 wRC+ this season, so it might be a good idea to go to the well again with him Friday.

Others to consider: Javier Baez and Jonathan Schoop

THIRD BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/18/18

Kris Bryant vs. Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $5,600

Bailey has really struggled this season with a 5.59 ERA, 6.16 FIP, and 1.45 WHIP. He’s not striking out many hitters with a 5.4 K/9 and has already allowed a staggering 12 home runs. He’s someone to target whenever he takes the mound, so stacking Cubs could be an excellent move. Bryant has at least two hits in five of his last nine games and has a 1.024 OPS out of the gate, so don’t be afraid to pay up to get him into your entry.

Matt Davidson vs. Matt Moore, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Guaranteed Rate Field
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $3,900

The Rangers had to scratch Cole Hamels from his start Thursday due to a stiff neck, which will result in Moore moving up a day to start Friday. His return to the American League has not gone well, posting a 7.82 ERA and 5.38 FIP. He’s allowing way too many base runners with a 2.00 WHIP and only has a 6.6 K/9. Davidson has fared better against lefties in his career and has a .407 wOBA against them so far this year, making him a cost-effective option with upside.

Others to consider: Danny Valencia and Matt Chapman

SHORTSTOP

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/18/18

Manny Machado vs. Drew Pomeranz, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $5,500

Machado came through with a home run in the ninth inning off of David Price on Thursday, continuing his dominance over left-handed pitchers. He finished with a .345 wOBA against them despite his struggles last year and has a .409 wOBA so far this season. Pomeranz has been unlucky with opponents posting a .343 BABIP against him, but he’s not doing himself any favors with a 4.7 BB/9 and 1.8 HR/9. This is shaping up to be another big performance for Machado.

Marcus Semien vs. Marco Estrada, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $3,800

Semien enters Friday on a seven-game hitting streak that has seen him hit 11-for-34. His .274 average has been boosted by a .336 BABIP that is well above his career mark, but he has also swung at only 23.7% of pitches he has seen outside the strike zone, the lowest of his career. Considering Estrada’s struggles, keeping stacking Oakland hitters with Semien.

Others to consider: Xander Bogaerts and Trevor Story

OUTFIELD

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/18/18

Mookie Betts vs. Alex Cobb, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $5,200
DraftKings = $5,800

What can’t Betts do at this point? Not only does he have an outstanding .734 slugging percentage, but he stole three bases Thursday to bring his total to 11 for the season. You could go on for days talking about his excellent stats, including his minuscule 11.2% strikeout rate. Cobb has looked better since being torched in his first three starts with the Orioles, but he still presents a great matchup for Betts.

Nomar Mazara vs. Carson Fulmer, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Guaranteed Rate Field
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,200

Fulmer is a prime target to take advantage of Friday as he enters this game with a 6.23 ERA, 6.97 FIP, and 1.75 WHIP. He’s not fooling many hitters with a 6.7% swinging strike rate and his reasonable .289 BABIP allowed doesn’t really indicate he is in line for any positive regression. Mazara hits righties well with a .363 wOBA against them this season, making him an excellent option at this reasonable price.

Travis Jankowski vs. Ivan Nova, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – PNC Park
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $3,800

The Padres have several outfield options, but Jankowski is making a case for regular playing time. He is batting .364 in May, logging at least two hits in five of his last nine starts. His .455 BABIP this month is not sustainable, but there is still an opportunity here to take advantage of his hot streak. He is a much better hitter against righties in his career with a .317 wOBA against them compared to .203 against lefties. Nova does not have an overpowering pitch arsenal either, making Jankowski a viable option in tournament play.

Others to consider: Kyle Schwarber and Matt Joyce

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






Daily Fantasy Lineup Picks – June 22, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

Daily Fantasy Lineup Picks – June 22, 2017

Welcome to Lineup Lab’s Best Daily Fantasy Lineup Picks, where we feature our top players for our MLB Lineup Optimizer on Fanduel and Draftkings. Put your favorite stacks from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the MLB Player Lab.

Welcome back for another full day of Major League Baseball. The fun begins with a six games in the afternoon and is followed by six more games on the main slate. Let’s jump in and take a look at my top pitcher and stack for each slate.

Jun 16, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez (44) throws to a New York Mets batter during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

 

Starting Pitchers

Early Slate

Carlos Martinez
Opponent – @ PHI
Park – Citizens Bank Park (Hitters Park)
Vegas Favorite (STL -135)
Vegas Total (8.5)

With a smaller six-game slate, Martinez comes with a premium price but has the highest upside and best matchup of all 12 pitchers this afternoon. He has been a bit unlucky in the W/L column this season as the runs support just has not been there for the Cards who rank in the bottom five but do not be mistaken, Martinez is an elite option. He has only allowed an opponent to score more than three earned runs once in his last 10 starts and struck out seven or more batters in eight of those starts. He enters this afternoon’s game with a 10.2 K/9 rate, 11.0% swing strike rate with a 2.86 ERA that is backed up by a 3.36 xFIP. What makes the pick even more enticing is the fact he will face a Phillies team that ranks second to last in overall runs scored and 28th in wOBA and 29th in wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching with a 23.7% K rate. Much like yesterday, there should be more than enough value popping up to easily fit CarMart into your lineups in all formats.

Also Consider – David Paulino @ OAK

 

 

Jake-Arrieta-DFS-MLB-Lineup-Picks

Main Slate

Jake Arrieta
Opponent – @ MIA
Park – Marlins Park (Pitchers Park)
Vegas Favorite (CHI -140)
Vegas Total (9.0)

When look up and see Luis Severino as the top pitcher, over $12K on DraftKings, we know it is going to be a GPP slate. While I can make the case for Severino on FanDuel for just $300 more than Arrieta, I cannot help but take the $3,500 discount on DraftKings. Both have just over a 10.0 K/9 rate on the season and above average swinging strike rates over 10% and while the Trout-less Angels are a better matchup the discount can get you two or three upgraded bats throughout your lineup. The only issue with Arrieta this season has been the increase in fly balls which have resulted in him giving up some long balls but the good news is that he has increased his K rate while reducing the free passes. Arrieta faced the Marlins at the start of June and allowed just two earned runs in six innings with five strikeouts en route to his sixth win of the season. I would be more than happy with a repeat performance but also think he can top that today.

Also Consider – Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. NYM

 

Offensive Stacks

Early Slate

Chicago White Sox vs. Nik Turley(MIN)

The matchup could honestly not get any better if you are looking for a team to stack on Thursday afternoon. The White Sox, while sitting in the bottom third of the league in overall runs scored, lead all teams in wOBA(.356), wRC+(121), and OPS(.827) against left-handed pitching and get a matchup vs. one of the worst pitchers on the slate. Nik Turley was a career minor-leaguer(9 years) before being called up to spot start for the Twins and is somehow getting another opportunity. Through two starts, he has given up 12 earned runs in 8.2 innings striking out seven and walking four while giving up a 42% hard contact rate. Load up on White Sox today.

Top Players to Stack – Jose Abreu, Todd Frazier, Avisail Garcia

Also Consider: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Martin Perez (TEX)

 

Main Slate

New York Yankees vs. Jesse Chavez (LAA)

The Yankees highlight the night slate from a stacking perspective as they lead all of baseball in hitting vs. right-handed pitching with a .359 wOBA, 124 wRC+, and sit second in Isolated Power(.205). They struggled a bit over the last week losing seven in a row but got back on track last night beating the Angels 8-4. Tonight they face somewhat of a gas can in Jesse Chavez who is now with his sixth team in the majors and drastically under performing with a 4.85 ERA and 4.68 xFIP that suggests thing won’t be getting much better. He has dropped his strikeout rate below 6.8 K/9 for the first time since 2010 and is also giving up a career-high hard contact rate of 35% that has led to a 18.9% HR/FB rate. This is great news if you are stacking Yankees as they sit just one home run behind the league-leading Astros and Rays.

Top Players to Stack – Aaron Judge, Starlin Castro, Brett Gardner, Gary Sanchez

Also Consider: Cleveland Indians vs. Wade Miley (BAL)