Header Image - PICK LIKE THE PROS

Tag Archives

9 Articles

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/30/18

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

July special! Use Code MCMLB50 at checkout

There are only nine games across baseball Monday, leaving fewer options than usual when crafting 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 7/30/18

Tyler Anderson vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – Busch Stadium
FanDuel = $8,600
DraftKings = $8,200

Anderson has bounced back from his 4.81 ERA last year to record a 3.57 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP this season, although he has been a little lucky based on his 4.21 FIP. He’s allowed 1.3 HR/9, which isn’t all that bad considering he has to pitch his home games at Coors Field. Like most pitchers who have played for the Rockies during their career, Anderson has better numbers on the road this year with a 3.48 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP across 10 outings. He’s been hot of late, allowing just five runs (four earned) over 35.1 innings in his last five starts. There aren’t many aces taking the mound Monday, leaving Anderson as an excellent option to consider.

Robbie Ray vs. Texas Rangers
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $8,300
DraftKings = $8,000

Ray had the best season of his career in 2017, but injuries have limited him to just 12 starts this year. It’s mostly been a struggle when he has been healthy, posting a 4.90 ERA and a 4.65 FIP. One of the main reasons for his decline is likely his a 1.42 WHIP after finishing with a 1.15 WHIP last year. On the bright side, he’s still getting plenty of strikeouts with a 12.0 K/9. The Rangers are a lethal lineup at home, but their .680 OPS on the road is in the bottom third of baseball. They also won’t have the benefit of using the DH in Arizona.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/30/18

Paul Goldschmidt vs. Martin Perez, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $4,700

Remember the panic after a horrid month of May for Goldschmidt? Well, he’s done everything to put those fears to rest, hitting .364 with 10 home runs in June and .330 with six home runs in July. He’s boosted his overall OPS up to .909, which would be the fifth time in the last six seasons he finished with an OPS of at least .900. The one season he didn’t, his OPS finished at .899. With a 178 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers, he’s worth his hefty price tag Monday.

Yonder Alonso vs. Ervin Santana, Minnesota Twins
Stadium – Target Field
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,600

Alonso is on a five-game hitting streak that has seen him hit 7-for-20 (.350) with three home runs and seven RBI. His OBP is down 31 points from 2017, but he’s still batting .265 with 18 home runs. He’s usually someone to avoid against lefties, but he’s a viable option against Santana based on his .357 wOBA against right-handed pitchers.

Others to consider: Buster Posey (catcher) and Justin Bour (first base)

SECOND BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/30/18

Ozzie Albies vs. Wei-Yin Chen, Miami Marlins
Stadium – SunTrust Park
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $5,300

Chen’s 2018 campaign has been a disappointment with his 5.65 ERA and 1.49 WHIP. He’s not a big strikeout pitcher with a 7.0 K/9 and he’s already allowed 12 home runs across 78 innings. The switch-hitting Albies has a .365 wOBA against lefties, making him someone to target against Chen.

Ketel Marte vs. Martin Perez, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,400

The Diamondbacks are likely going to be a popular stack Monday based on Perez’s 7.08 ERA that is supported by a 6.36 FIP. He’s allowed a ton of base runners with a 2.02 WHIP, not to mention giving up nine homers in 40.2 innings. Marte is 11-for-33 (.333) across his last nine games and has a .393 wOBA against lefties this year overall.

Others to consider: Jed Lowrie and Starlin Castro

THIRD BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/30/18

Johan Camargo vs. Wei-Yin Chen, Miami Marlins
Stadium – SunTrust Park
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $4,100

There have been some rumors about the Braves possibly acquiring a third baseman before the trade deadline, but Camargo has played well for them. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but he hasn’t exactly been a detriment to them by batting .253 with 11 home runs. He has excelled with a .369 wOBA against lefties and isn’t expensive on either site, making him a great option for a Braves stack.

Evan Longoria vs. Eric Lauer, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $3,900

The Giants were counting on Longoria to solidify third base for them and provide a power bat in the middle of their lineup, but he’s only played 71 games due to injury. He hasn’t been great when he’s been on the field, too, batting .248 with a .282 OBP. He’s still provided some pop with 10 homers and could provide value against the underwhelming Lauer based on Longoria’s .384 wOBA against lefties.

Others to consider: Jose Ramirez and Martin Prado

SHORTSTOP

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/30/18

Francisco Lindor vs. Ervin Santana, Minnesota Twins
Stadium – Target Field
FanDuel = $4,600
DraftKings = $5,600

Unless there is a true elite ace on the mound, there are few matchups that don’t lean in Lindor’s favor. He’s putting together an MVP-caliber season, batting .291 with 27 home runs, 15 steals and 90 runs scored. Santana made his first start of the year last week against the Blue Jays and is understandably a little rusty, so look for Lindor to take advantage Monday.

Nick Ahmed vs. Martin Perez, Arizona Diamondbacks
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $2,600
DraftKings = $4,300

With three more hits Sunday, Ahmed is now batting .300 in July. He’s hit for power as well with a .575 slugging percentage during that stretch and should continue to see plenty of playing time with Jake Lamb (shoulder) on the DL. He’s yet another Diamondbacks hitter who performs better versus left-handed pitching, posting a .359 wOBA against them this year.

Others to consider: Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco

OUTFIELD

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/30/18

A.J. Pollock vs. Martin Perez, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Chase FIeld
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $5,100

Last, but certainly not least in the group of Diamondbacks who could provide value, is their star outfielder Pollock. Injuries have been a problem for him in recent years, with 2018 being no exception. He’s healthy now and is batting .293 with three home runs in 83 plate appearances since being activated from his most recent DL stint. Perez could have plenty of troubles getting him out considering Pollock’s career .366 wOBA against lefties.

Wil Myers vs. Derek Holland, San Francisco Giants
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $4,600

Myers has been limited to 42 games this year due to injuries of his own, but he’s batting .291 with a .557 slugging percentage, both of which would be the best marks of his career. Holland has an impressive .221 wOBA against left-handed hitters, but righties have had far more success against him with a .341 wOBA.

Manuel Margot vs. Derek Holland, San Francisco Giants
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,000

Margot enters Monday on a 10-game hitting streak where he is 14-for-37 (.378) with a home run and 10 runs scored. His .254 batting average and .315 OBP overall aren’t great, but he’s shown an improved eye at the plate by lowering his strikeout rate over three percentage points compared to last year. With Holland’s struggles against righties already detailed, Margot comes in as a cost-effective option with upside Monday.

Others to consider: Ronald Acuna Jr. and Michael Brantley

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 6/27/18

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

June special! Use Code MCMLB50 at checkout

Wednesday’s main evening slate in DFS is light on excellent starting pitchers, so there could be plenty of runs scored throughout baseball. 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 6/27/18

Kyle Gibson vs. Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Guaranteed Rate Field
FanDuel = $8,300
DraftKings = $8,500

Gibson entered 2018 having finished with an ERA of 5.07 and a WHIP of at least 1.53 in both of the last two seasons. This year has been a different story as he enters Wednesday with a 3.25 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He has been aided by a .254 opponents BABIP, but he also has an 8.7 K/9 after posting a 6.5 K/9 for his career. He has allowed two runs or fewer in five straight games and had success in his first start against the White Sox this season, allowing three runs and recording eight strikeouts in 6.2 innings. On a night short of elite pitchers, Gibson is shaping up to be one of the best options available.

Wade LeBlanc vs. Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $6,500
DraftKings = $7,800

LeBlanc pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for the Pirates last year, posting a 4.50 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. Without much starting pitching depth, the Mariners have had to turn to LeBlanc to fill out the back end of their rotation. He’s exceeded expectations so far, posting a 2.91 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP across 10 starts. His .292 opponents BABIP is right in line with his career numbers, so he hasn’t exactly been getting lucky. One big reason for his improvement is getting opponents to swing at 36.3% of his pitches outside of the strike zone, which is six percentage points higher than his career mark. The Orioles have scored the second-fewest runs (285) and have the third-worst OPS against left-handed pitchers (.664) in baseball, so LeBlanc might be worth the risk in tournament play at this cheap price.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 6/27/18

Paul Goldschmidt vs. Wei-Yin Chen, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $5,400

Goldschmidt is currently on an eight-game hitting streak and has done a great job rebounding from an abysmal start. He’s batting .380 with 10 home runs in June while finally providing owners in season-long fantasy with the type of production they expected when they selected him in the first round. He has a 197 wRC+ against lefties and will get to face a struggling one in Chen, who has a 6.70 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP.

Buster Posey vs. Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,200

Posey doesn’t put up flashy numbers, but he’s not exactly hitting poorly with a .285 average and a .364 OBP. He has just five home runs and has only hit at least 20 home runs in a season twice in his career, so don’t expect him to go on a power surge anytime soon. He can still provide a lot of value, though, against Freeland since Posey has a .390 wOBA against lefties.

Others to consider: Matt Olson (first base) and Carlos Santana (first base)

SECOND BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 6/27/18

Brian Dozier vs. James Shields, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Guaranteed Rate Field
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $3,800

Dozier traditionally struggles in the first half of the season and this year has been no different. He has yet to go on a big run, but he does have at least one hit in five of his last six games. Dozier doesn’t have the platoon advantage against Shields, but he has actually performed better this year against righties. He has also had success against Shields in his career, hitting 13-for-42 (.310) with four home runs and a 1.114 OPS.

Ketel Marte vs. Wei-Yin Chen, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $3,600

With Chen on the mound for the Marlins, it’s a good idea to target Diamondback hitters for your entry. Although their lineup is predominantly left-handed, the switch-hitting Marte has an edge because Chen has allowed a .398 wOBA to righties. Marte is also significantly better from the right side of the plate, posting a .366 wOBA against lefties compared to a .261 wOBA against righties.

Others to consider: Javier Baez and Dee Gordon

THIRD BASE

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 6/27/18

Matt Carpenter vs. Shane Bieber, Cleveland Indians
Stadium – Busch Stadium
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,700

Carpenter hit .155 with two home runs in his first 105 plate appearances this season. He’s been a different hitter since then, especially of late as he is batting .319 with eight home runs in his last 104 plate appearances. He has great numbers overall against righties with a .384 wOBA this year, so look to ride is hot bat again Wednesday.

Kyle Seager vs. Alex Cobb, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,800

Seager is hitting only .225 this year in large part because of a career-high 22.2% strikeout rate. He’s still provided value in the power department with 14 home runs, but he’s going to need to cut down on his strikeouts if he’s going to turn things around. The good news for Wednesday is that Cobb doesn’t strike out many hitters and has been prone to giving up crooked numbers as he has allowed at least five earned runs in a game six times already this season.

Others to consider: Max Muncy and Jed Lowrie

SHORTSTOP

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 6/27/18

Jean Segura vs. Alex Cobb, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,000

Jumping on the Mariners bandwagon against Cobb, Segura is another player to consider for your entry. He recently missed some time with a forearm infection, but he went 3-for-4 in his second game back Tuesday. He’s been one of the Mariners most consistent hitters this season with a .337 batting average and continues to be aggressive on the basepaths with 14 steals. Cobb allows a lot of baserunners with a 1.63 ERA, setting Segura up nicely for a productive game.

Scott Kingery vs. Luis Cessa, New York Yankees
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $2,400
DraftKings = $3,000

The Yankees called up Cessa to give their starters an extra day of rest in preparation for a series against the Red Sox this weekend. He’s pitched both out of the bullpen and in the starting rotation during his career in the majors, posting a 4.41 ERA, 5.40 FIP, and a 1.22 WHIP. He’s an average pitcher even on his best day and doesn’t have overwhelming stuff with a 6.6 K/9. A Phillies stack could pay off Wednesday and Kingery is priced so low that he can really help your budget while still providing some upside in tournament play.

Others to consider: Didi Gregorius and Elvis Andrus

OUTFIELD

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 6/27/18

Odubel Herrera vs. Luis Cessa, New York Yankees
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $5,200

Herrera was one of the hottest hitters in baseball heading into this series against the Yankees but he went 0-for-7 with a walk in the first two games. Don’t expect that slump to last long with Cessa on the mound Wednesday. Hererra also loves hitting at home with a .325 average and eight home runs at Citizens Bank Park compared to a .275 average and five home runs on the road.

Eddie Rosario vs. James Shields, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Guaranteed Rate Field
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $5,300

Speaking of hot hitters, Rosario is batting .353 with 14 home runs and a .437 wOBA since May 1st. Maybe one of the most impressive things about Rosario’s excellent first half is that not only are his power numbers up, but he’s also cut his strikeout rate down to 16.9% compared to his 21.3% career mark. He’s particularly excelled against righties with a .416 wOBA.

Brian Anderson vs. Robbie Ray, Arizona Diamondbacks
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $3,600

Ray will be making his first start since April after suffering an oblique injury. He only threw 66 pitches in his last rehab outing, but with Clay Buchholz getting injured, the Diamondbacks are going with Ray probably one start sooner than they would have liked to. He could be on a pitch limit in this game as a result. Ray can be a dominating pitcher, but he also has a 1.36 WHIP for his career. Anderson has a .369 wOBA against lefties this season and is cheap enough to warrant consideration in tournament play.

Others to consider: Leonys Martin and Manuel Margot