If you’re looking for a night filled with pitcher duels, you won’t find it Monday. While it’s not a light slate, the eight games on the schedule bring a severe lack of quality pitchers.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 6/12/2019
It won’t be the busiest of nights Wednesday with eight games making up the main evening slate in DFS. Not only will several of the leagues worst teams be in action, but there are a few bad pitchers scheduled to take the mound.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 6/6/2019
With only five games included in the main evening slate of DFS on Thursday, we don’t have a ton of great options to choose from. Still, there are some teams and players who stand out as being in favorable positions to provide value.
Read MoreMLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 8
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
MLB Fantasy Baseball Schedule Analysis for Week 8
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If you are playing in a head-to-head fantasy league, using starting pitchers that have two starts in a week can give you a significant edge over your opponent. Here are some starters who will each start two games in the week ahead that you should either target or avoid for your lineup.
Starters With Favorable Matchups
Patrick Corbin, Arizona Diamondbacks: vs. MIL, at NYM
Corbin has continued his torrid start, posting a 2.12 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 11.8 K/9 through eight starts. Not only is he recording strikeouts at the highest rate of his career, but he also has an excellent 2.3 BB/9. It is likely he is going to see some regression at some point though considering opponents have just a .217 BABIP against him. That may not come this week though with two matchups that lean heavily in his favor since the Brewers and Mets have the two lowest OPS’s in baseball against left-handed pitchers. If there was ever a time to sell high on him, it might be after this week.
Alex Wood, Los Angeles Dodgers: at MIA, at WAS
Wood’s 3.60 ERA is solid, but his performance this season has been even better when you consider he gave up seven runs in 3.2 innings in one game against the Athletics. He has done a great job limiting homers again with a 0.6 HR/9 and doesn’t walk many batters either, helping lead him to a 1.00 WHIP. His strikeout upside isn’t off the charts, but he can still provide value in the category with an 8.3 K/9 for his career. His first start for Week 8 brings the Marlins, who have scored the fewest runs (138) in baseball. He’ll then face the Nationals, who have the sixth-lowest OPS (.673) against lefties. He has actually already faced them once this season, allowing three runs (two earned) to go along with four strikeouts in six innings. Look for Wood to provide plenty of value in these two games.
Tyler Anderson, Colorado Rockies: at SD, at SF
Much like Wood, Anderson has had one bad start that has thrown off his numbers, allowing seven runs in 2.1 innings against the Diamondbacks in his first start of the season. Since then, he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of seven starts. He has had some control issues with a 4.0 BB/9, but he also has a career-high 9.4 K/9. He will be facing the Padres for the third time this season, allowing two runs to go along with 12 strikeouts in 12 innings across his first two starts. Both the Padres and the Giants are in the bottom seven in baseball in terms of runs scored, so Anderson could be a viable streaming option this week. He is still available in 80% of Yahoo! leagues.
Mike Minor, Texas Rangers: at SEA, at CWS
Minor’s transition back into a starting role in the majors for the first time since 2014 hasn’t been great, but it hasn’t been a disaster either. Through seven starts, Minor has a 4.73 ERA and 4.55 FIP. He’s allowing too many home runs with a 1.4 HR/9, but he does have a 1.20 WHIP. His .284 BABIP allowed is close to his career mark, but his 41.8% hard-hit rate allowed is abnormally high. This could be the week to take a chance on him though if you need starting pitching help. The Mariners just lost one of their best offensive players in Robinson Cano (hand) and the White Sox have the fourth-lowest OPS (.663) against left-handers. Minor is still available in 90% of Yahoo! leagues.
Starters to Avoid
Jose Quintana, Chicago Cubs: vs. ATL, at CIN
Quintana’s 4.42 ERA this season isn’t terrible, but he’s lucky it’s even that low considering his 1.47 WHIP. Control has been an issue, allowing 4.4 BB/9 and throwing a first-pitch strike to only 62.5% of the batters that he has faced, which would be his lowest mark since his rookie season. He had an excellent 9.9 K/9 last year, but that was much higher than the 7.8 K/9 he has for his career. He’s regressed back to a 7.9 K/9 this season, so we may have just seen a one-year anomaly. The Braves have one of the best lineups in all of baseball and the Reds have the 10th highest OPS (.765) against lefties, so this may not be the week to ride with Quintana.
Joey Lucchesi, San Diego Padres: vs. COL, at PIT
The Padres desperately need quality starting pitching and Lucchesi has stepped up in his first taste of big league action, recording a 2.98 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 9.8 K/9. He’s had some problems providing length though, throwing 5.2 innings or fewer in six of his eight starts. His .292 BABIP allowed isn’t low, but his 39.3% hard-hit rate allowed is concerning. This week could bring a mixed bag of results based on his two opponents. He’ll face the Rockies for the third time, allowing two unearned runs to go along with 15 strikeouts in the first two starts. However, the Rockies are tied for the seventh-highest OPS (.774) against lefties. The Pirates absolutely mash lefties with a .850 OPS against them, which is almost 40 percentage points higher than any other team.
Francisco Liriano, Detroit Tigers: vs. CLE, at SEA
Liriano’s 3.35 ERA looks nice, but he’s been playing with fire due to a 4.5 BB/9. He has a 1.17 WHIP, but that’s largely been aided by opposing hitters recording just a .226 BABIP. He doesn’t provide much in the way of strikeouts either with a 6.5 K/9. Liriano did hold the Indians to two runs in six innings earlier this season, but their lineup is rolling right now and they are in the top 10 in terms of OPS against left-handed pitchers overall. The Mariners matchup is better without Cano, but they still have some excellent power bats that can take advantage of Liriano if he doesn’t cut down on his walks. Without much strikeout upside, it’s not worth trying to stream Liriano for Week 8.
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/4/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/4/18
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With a full slate of night games in baseball Friday, there are a lot of options to wade through while creating your DFS lineup. 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
Joey Lucchesi vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $8,600
DraftKings = $8,300
Lucchesi has burst onto the scene for a Padres team that desperately needs starting pitching, recording a 2.78 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 9.7 K/9 this season. His FIP sits at 3.13 and his .280 BABIP allowed isn’t terribly low, so there is a chance he could come close to sustaining this type of production moving forward. He has also shown strikeout upside in the minors with a 10.1 K/9 in 181 career innings. The Dodgers lineup has suffered some key injuries and has the fourth-lowest OPS against left-handed pitchers (.663) in baseball, making Lucchesi a viable option at a reasonable price Friday.
Francisco Liriano vs. Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $6,500
DraftKings = 7,000
Liriano has stuck in the rotation for the rebuilding Tigers and has a 3.38 ERA through five starts. His FIP is 4.49 and opponents have just a .215 BABIP against him, so his ERA might not hold up this well for much longer. The good news is he still provides problems for left-handed hitters, holding them to a .286 wOBA in 2017 and a .127 wOBA so far this season. Some of the Royals best hitters are lefties, which could spell bad news for them Friday. This will actually be Liriano’s third start of the season against the Royals and he pitched well in the first two matchups, allowing a total of four earned runs to go along with nine strikeouts in 12 innings. If you are looking to go with a more cost-effective starter for your lineup, there is potential for value here with Liriano.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Gary Sanchez vs. Josh Tomlin, Cleveland Indians
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $4,900
Sanchez is only batting .204 this season, but he’s made his hits count with eight home runs, eight doubles, and 27 RBI. His .200 BABIP is well below normal for him, so expect his batting average to increase as the season wears on. He has a .378 wOBA against right-handed pitchers in his career, so no worries there facing the righty Tomlin on Friday. Tomlin doesn’t have overpowering stuff and has a 9.16 ERA and 1.93 WHIP this year, so this could be the day to pay up for Sanchez.
Justin Bour vs. Sal Romano, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,500
Bour is one of the best hitters left in the Marlins lineup, but he is off to a slow start with a .244 average. His BABIP is low at .266 and he does still have five home runs, so he has value moving forward. He hit righties very well last year with a .384 wOBA and despite his struggles, he has a .362 wOBA against them this season as well. If you’re looking for a cheaper option at first base, Bour might be worth the risk in tournament play.
Others to consider: Edwin Encarnacion (first base) and Yuli Gurriel (first base)
SECOND BASE
Jed Lowrie vs. Andrew Cashner, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $4,500
Lowrie continues to swing a hot bat, going 5-for-12 with two home runs in his last three games. The Athletics finally return home after a lengthy road trip, which is great news for Lowrie since he batted .287 at home last year and is hitting .333 there so far this year. He has a crazy 200 wRC+ against right-handers in the early going and makes a great option in DFS again Friday.
Gleyber Torres vs. Josh Tomlin, Cleveland Indians
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,500
Torres may not be off to the flashy start that fellow star prospect Ronald Acuna Jr. is with the Braves, but he’s played well, batting .317 with five RBI and a steal in 12 games. He’s still looking for his first home run, but he has chipped in three doubles. He has shown he can hit for a high average in the minors and is locked in as the Yankees’ everyday second baseman. Considering Tomlin’s struggles this year, Torres could provide value at this price.
Others to consider: Jose Altuve and Asdrubal Cabrera
THIRD BASE
Jose Ramirez vs. C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $4,700
Ramirez was really struggling out of the gate, but he’s on fire right now. In his last five games, he is 10-for-23 with a home run, five doubles, and seven RBI. He’s hit at least .312 in back-to-back seasons, so it was only a matter of time before he got back on track. A switch-hitter, he particularly thrived against lefties last year with a .395 wOBA. Sabathia’s 1.71 ERA this season looks nice, but his 4.25 FIP indicates he has not pitched nearly that well. Ramirez looks to be in a prime spot to keep things rolling Friday.
Josh Donaldson vs. Andrew Kittredge, Tampa Bay Rays
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $5,000
Donaldson returned from the DL in style Thursday, going 4-for-11 with two home runs and two doubles in a doubleheader against the Indians. It’s encouraging that the Blue Jays played him in both games on his first day back, which is a good sign for his value moving forward. Kittredge is starting for the Rays, but this will be another one of their bullpen days, so it might be a good idea to take advantage with Donaldson, especially with his cheap price on FanDuel.
Others to consider: Yangervis Solarte and Miguel Andujar
SHORTSTOP
Didi Gregorius vs. Josh Tomlin, Cleveland Indians
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $5,000
Gregorius loves hitting at home, posting a .418 average and hitting nine of his 10 home runs there so far this season. He has become an excellent hitter, especially against righties after recording a .354 wOBA against them in 2017. He’s been even better with a lofty .475 wOBA against them this season, making him one of the best options at shortstop Friday.
Andrelton Simmons vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Safeco Field
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $3,700
Simmons continues to show he’s much more than just an excellent defensive shortstop as he is currently on a seven-game hitting streak. He’s shown power over that stretch as well, slugging two home runs to go along with four doubles. He is batting .389 with a home run in 18 career plate appearances against Leake, so he’s someone worth considering for your entry.
Others to consider: Carlos Correa and Eduardo Escobar
OUTFIELD
Mike Trout vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Safeco Field
FanDuel = $5,500
DraftKings = $5,700
Simply put, Trout is insane. You could go on for days about his excellent numbers. He hits for a high average, a ton of power, steals bases and has an OBP of at least .402 in three straight seasons entering 2018. He’s usually a good player to target regardless of matchup but could have an especially big performance against the underwhelming Leake on Friday.
Justin Upton vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Safeco Field
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,300
Upton seems to have come out of his prolonged slump, hitting 6-for-17 with a home run and six RBI in his last four games. He has owned Mike Leake, batting .450 with a home run against him in 21 career plate appearances. An Angels stack could provide plenty of production Friday, Upton included.
Josh Reddick vs. Kris Medlen, Arizona Diamondbacks
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $4,000
With Robbie Ray (oblique) on the DL, the Diamondbacks will call on Medlen to make his first appearance in the majors since 2016. A once promising young pitcher for the Braves, having Tommy John surgery for the second time in 2014 has derailed his career. He wasn’t exactly pitching well in Triple-A this season, recording a 6.00 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in four starts. Reddick has posted a wOBA of at least .356 against righties in each of the last four years and is a great option at a reasonable price against Medlen.
Others to consider: George Springer and Corey Dickerson