Baseball doesn’t let up Thursday with 10 more games making up the main evening slate in DFS. With a few teams dealing with injuries or making changes to their starting rotation, there are several lineups in a position to thrive.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/9/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/9/18
Earlybird special! Use Code PAMLB10 at checkout
We’ve got a good mix of day and night games in baseball Wednesday, so let’s take a look at some options to consider for both slates. 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
Gerrit Cole vs. Oakland Athletics
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $12,000
DraftKings = $13,400
Cole has been dominant for the Astros and has helped them to have one of the best, if not the best, starting rotation in baseball. Through seven starts with his new squad, he has a 1.42 ERA, 1.55 FIP, and 0.69 WHIP. After allowing 1.4 HR/9 last season, which was almost double his career mark, he has corrected that issue by allowing only three home runs in 50.2 innings. The biggest difference for Cole has been a massive increase in strikeouts with a 13.7 K/9. His ERA is unlikely to stay this low over the course of the entire season, especially considering his opponents only have a .247 BABIP. However, he is still going to provide a ton of strikeouts and is the best starting pitcher available if you are playing the afternoon slate.
Chris Stratton vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $7,600
DraftKings = $5,900
Stratton didn’t have spectacular numbers in the minor leagues, recording a 4.07 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 7.9 K/9 in 623.2 innings. He only pitched 58.2 innings for the Giants last year and while he finished with a respectable 3.68 ERA, his 1.48 WHIP and 4.3 BB/9 were reasons for concern. One area that Stratton has excelled in during his brief Major League career is keeping batters in the ballpark, allowing 0.8 HR/9. He’s done a better job limiting baserunners this season with a 1.23 WHIP. His 3.99 ERA isn’t great, but a lot of that is because he gave up six earned runs in just 1.1 innings in one start against the Dodgers. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his other six outings. His strikeout upside isn’t great, but he’s someone to consider if you’re looking for a cheap starter for the night slate.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Brandon Belt vs. Nick Pivetta, Philadelphia Phillies
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $4,000
Injuries limited Belt to 104 games last year, but he’s healthy now and putting up big numbers, batting .297 with six home runs and a .951 OPS. His .365 BABIP would seem to be very high, but with a career BABIP of .335, he might not actually be in line for that much of a regression over the course of the season. He had a wOBA of at least .362 against right-handers in each of the last three seasons and has a lofty .446 wOBA against them this year, making him a great option against Pivetta.
Ryon Healy vs. Jaime Garcia, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $3,800
Healy doesn’t walk much, drawing only 23 free passes last year in 605 plate appearances. Although he only has two walks so far this year, he’s batting a respectable .262 with five home runs. He showed he can hit for power in the minors and followed that up with 25 homers in his first full season in the majors last year. He recorded a .369 wOBA against left-handed pitchers in 2017, so he could provide value against the underwhelming Garcia.
Others to consider: Joey Votto (first base) and Wilson Contreras (catcher)
SECOND BASE
Alen Hanson vs. Nick Pivetta, Philadelphia Phillies
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $3,000
Hanson has taken over at second base with Joe Panik (thumb) on the DL and the Giants really couldn’t have asked for much more from him so far. Not only is he batting .286, but he’s hit for power with a .571 slugging percentage. He didn’t show that kind of power upside in the minors, but he did hit .284 over eight seasons. He has a .400 wOBA against righties in limited action this season, so he might be worth the risk in tournament play.
Jonathan Schoop vs. Eric Skoglund, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,500
Schoop made his return from the DL on Tuesday, going 1-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. He wasn’t hitting well before injuring his oblique, some of which can be attributed to just a 21.3 percent hard-hit rate. Despite his struggles, he still has a .324 wOBA against left-handers this year after posting a .397 wOBA against them in 2017. Skoglund hasn’t pitched well with a 6.84 ERA and 1.41 WHIP across five starts, making Schoop someone to consider at this cheap price.
Others to consider: Ozzie Albies and Whit Merrifield
THIRD BASE
Kris Bryant vs. Wei-Yin Chen, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Wrigley Field
FanDuel = $4,600
DraftKings = $5,200
Bryant is batting .284 this season despite his .313 BABIP that is 31 points lower than his career mark. He’s hitting the ball hard with a 42 percent hard-hit rate and continues to draw plenty of walks, helping lead him to a .415 OBP. He’s finished with a wRC+ of at least 150 against lefties in back-to-back seasons and if off to an even better start this season with a 258 wRC+ against them. You’ll have to pay up to get him into your lineup, but he also carries significant upside.
Adrian Beltre vs. Francisco Liriano, Detroit Tigers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,400
Beltre wasted no time in his first game back from the DL on Tuesday, going 3-for-4 with two RBI. He has batted at least .300 in five of the last six seasons and is showing no signs of slowing down this year with a .330 average. He has fared very well against Liriano during his career, batting .314 with a home run and four doubles in 42 plate appearances.
Others to consider: Mike Moustakas and Colin Moran
SHORTSTOP
Manny Machado vs. Eric Skoglund, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $4,500
DraftKings = $4,900
Machado is in the midst of a power drought, homerless in nine straight games. He has just two doubles over that stretch as well. He only went hitless in two of those games though, so it’s not like he is in the middle of a prolonged slump in general. Facing Skoglund could be just what he needs to get his power swing back on track as he has a 1.4 HR/9 and has allowed a 50.6 percent hard-hit rate this season.
Jean Segura vs. Jaime Garcia, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,000
Segura has a prime spot in the Mariners lineup, hitting behind Dee Gordon with Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz providing protection after him. It’s helped him score 23 runs and record 24 RBI in only 34 games. He’s only scored at least 100 runs in a season once in his career and has never had more than 64 RBI, so he could be on his to a special season. With Garcia allowing a .383 wOBA to righties this season, Segura is another Mariner to consider putting into your lineup.
Others to consider: Francisco Lindor and Andrelton Simmons
OUTFIELD
Justin Upton vs. Tyler Anderson, Colorado Rockies
Stadium – Coors Field
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,800
Upton wasted no time in hitter-friendly Coors Field, hitting a home run in the first game of this series Tuesday. Upton demolished left-handers last year with a .472 wOBA. Considering Anderson allowed a .358 wOBA to righties last year, Upton could be in for another productive performance Wednesday.
Nelson Cruz vs. Jaime Garcia, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,200
If you are panicking because the normally reliable Cruz is batting only .255, you shouldn’t be. His BABIP sits at .254, which is over 50 percentage points lower than his career mark. He’s still hitting the ball well with a 43.6% hard-hit rate and his K% is actually down. With Garcia’s struggles against righties already detailed, Cruz isn’t someone to sleep on Wednesday.
Alex Gordon vs. Andrew Cashner, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,400
Just when you thought Gordon’s days of being a viable fantasy option were well behind him, he’s batting .321 so far this season. He’s not walking much, but he does have a career-low 15.7% K%. His .355 BABIP probably won’t hold up, so don’t run out and grab him off waivers if you play in a season-long league. However, Cashner allows a lot of base runners and struggles against left-handed hitters, so you may be able to take advantage of Gordon’s hot start in DFS.
Others to consider: Mike Trout and Jorge Soler
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/17/18
Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/17/18
Earlybird special! Use Code PAMLB10 at checkout
The weather doesn’t seem like it will be a big issue in baseball Tuesday, which should hopefully leave us with a full night of options in DFS. 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
Patrick Corbin vs. San Francisco Giants
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $9,500
DraftKings = $9,800
Corbin is off to an excellent start this season, posting a 2.45 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 14.2 K/9 through three starts. He’s never had a K/9 above 8.4 and has a career WHIP of 1.34, so he is likely in line for some regression across the board as the season wears on. However, Tuesday brings an excellent matchup against a bad Giants lineup that has scored the second-fewest runs (49) in baseball this season. Although both Corey Kluber and Shohei Ohtani are taking the mound Tuesday, Corbin could provide similarly excellent results at a more reasonable price.
Yonny Chirinos vs. Texas Rangers
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $6,000
DraftKings = $4,700
Chirinos has been one of the pitchers the Rays have thrown out first on their “bullpen days”, but he’s pitched so well that he’s made a case to be in the starting rotation moving forward. In 14.1 innings this season, he has yet to allow a run and has a sparkling 0.70 WHIP. His K/9 isn’t great at 7.5, but he’s shown excellent control with a 1.3 BB/9. He’s obviously going to give up a run at some point and has been a bit lucky with opponents posting a .222 BABIP, but he’ll face a Rangers lineup Tuesday that is missing Elvis Andrus (elbow), Rougned Odor (hamstring) and Delino DeShields Jr. (hand). At this price, Chirinos might be worth the risk in tournament play.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Yasmani Grandal vs. Bryan Mitchell, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $3,600
The Padres have a lot of young promising players, but Mitchell is not one of them. Brought over in a trade from the Yankees to help fill out their rotation, Mitchell has been awful through three starts. Not only does he have a 6.64 FIP, but he has only three strikeouts compared to 14 walks. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff by any means, making Grandal a great option for your entry considering the hot bat he is swinging as well.
C.J. Cron vs. Matt Moore, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $2,800
Moore has been almost as bad as Mitchell, recording an 8.76 ERA and 2.11 WHIP through three starts. Opponents are squaring him up well with a 44.7% hard-hit rate after he allowed a career-high 34.7% hard-hit rate in 2017. Cron is a better hitter against lefties, finishing with a .331 wOBA against them last year. If you’re looking to save money at the position. Cron is a viable option.
Others to consider: Cody Bellinger (first base) and Joey Votto (first base)
SECOND BASE
Jed Lowrie vs. Miguel Gonzalez, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $3,900
Lowrie is off to a scorching start this season, batting .343 with four home runs and 14 RBI. His BABIP sits at .392, so expect that to come down close to his career mark of .296 at some point in the near future. He could keep his hot streak going for at least one more game Tuesday though, in a favorable matchup against Gonzalez, who only has a career 6.3 K/9. Lowrie also hits right-handers well, finishing with a 123 wRC+ against them in 2017.
Jonathan Villar vs. Sal Romano, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Miller Park
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $3,000
After a breakout 2016 campaign, Villar came crashing back to Earth last year hitting .241 with a .293 OBP. His .373 BABIP from 2016 dropped to .330 last season, which was a big reason for his decline in production. He’s shown improvement with a .273 average in the early going and will get to bat from his stronger side of the plate against the righty Romano on Tuesday, who has struggled with a 1.50 WHIP in his brief Major League career.
Others to consider: Jose Altuve and Ian Kinsler
THIRD BASE
Kris Bryant vs. Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – Wrigley Field
FanDuel = $5,100
DraftKings = $5,100
Bryant is not only batting .352 this season, but he has more walks (10) than strikeouts (eight). He’ll face Wainwright on Tuesday who is a shell of his former self, posting an ERA of at least 4.62 and a WHIP of at least 1.40 in both of the last two seasons. He hasn’t been any better in 2018, recording 5.06 ERA and 1.50 WHIP through two starts.
Travis Shaw vs. Sal Romano, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Miller Park
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $4,100
Shaw is off to a bit of a slow start, hitting only .266 through the first 16 games of the season. He has just a 23.5% hard-hit rate, which is significantly lower than his career mark of 33.7%. Facing Romano might be just what he needs to jump-start his bat since he had a .373 wOBA against right-handers in 2017.
Others to consider: Todd Frazier and Matt Carpenter
SHORTSTOP
Carlos Correa vs. Ariel Miranda, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Safeco Field
FanDuel = $4,700
DraftKings = $4,800
Miranda is making his first start of the season after finishing with a 5.12 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 7.7 K/9 in 2017. He wasn’t a big strikeout pitcher in the minors either with a career 8.3 K/9. Correa’s 187 wRC+ against left-handed pitching ranked inside the top-15 in the majors last year, leaving him as an excellent option to consider Tuesday.
Corey Seager vs. Bryan Mitchell, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,200
Seager is batting just .200 so far this season, but he has been victimized by a .224 BABIP. A lot of that could be because he is not hitting the ball hard, posting a 28% hard-hit rate compared to his career mark of 41.4%. However, with Mitchell’s struggles and lack of an overpowering pitch arsenal, this could be a breakout performance from Seager.
Others to consider: Zack Cozart and Marcus Semien
OUTFIELD
George Springer vs. Ariel Miranda, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Safeco Field
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $4,700
Springer’s bat is starting to heat up, collecting at least two hits in three of his last four games. He hit for excellent power over that stretch as well, slugging three home runs. Like Correa, Springer also excels against left-handed pitching, posting a 165 wRC+ against them in 2017.
Dexter Fowler vs. Tyler Chatwood, Chicago Cubs
Stadium – Wrigley Field
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $3,600
After being limited to just 118 games due to injury last year, Fowler is not off to the kind of fresh start he hoped for with a .183 average. You might be able to take advantage of his reduced price Tuesday though against Chatwood, who allowed a .360 wOBA to left-handers last year. The switch-hitting Fowler is better against righties, finishing with a wOBA of at least .363 against them in both of the last two seasons.
Matt Joyce vs. Miguel Gonzalez, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,100
Joyce is someone you normally want to target as a cost-effective outfield option against right-handed pitching since he has a .351 wOBA against them in his career. This season has been no different as he has a .362 wOBA versus lefties in his first 17 games. Lefties were able to finish with a .360 wOBA against Gonzalez in 2017, making Joyce an excellent option once again Tuesday.
Others to consider: Charlie Blackmon and Jose Pirela
Fantasy Baseball Season Preview: Third Base
*Mike Barner – @rotomikebarner*
Fantasy Baseball Season Preview: Third Base
Third base is loaded in fantasy baseball again this season with many of the premier players in the league manning the position. Several of the elite options are young as well, providing even more value if you play in a keeper or dynasty league. Let’s not only take a look at the cream of the crop but also at some third basemen who are overvalued and undervalued heading into 2018.
The Top Three
Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
Arenado is one of the safest first-round picks in fantasy. He enters this season at only 26 years old but has hit at least 37 home runs to go along with at least 130 RBI and 97 runs scored in three straight seasons. His batting average and OBP have increased each of the last three years as well, topping out at .309 and .373, respectively, in 2017. He certainly benefits from playing in Coors field, batting .336 with 18 home and 76 RBI in 78 home games last year. While his batting average was lower on the road, he did still manage to slug 18 home runs last year away from Coors field. Arenado is not only the best option at third base, but he is arguably a top-five player in fantasy.
Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
Bryant was on his way to pushing Arenado for the best third baseman in fantasy after a monster 2016 season that saw him hit .292 with 39 home runs, 102 RBI and 121 runs scored. He took a step backward in 2017 though, hitting .295 with 29 home runs, 73 RBI, and 111 runs scored. The main reason for his decline in RBI was because he moved up in the batting order. In 2016, he batted third in 62 games and recorded 50 RBI. He hit second in 83 games, providing only 45 RBI. Bryant batted second in 110 games in 2017, finishing with just 59 RBI in those contests. With Bryant expected to bat second again this season, it will be difficult for him to reach his 2016 RBI total again. He’s still an elite talent though who hits for average and power, making him worthy of a late first-round, early second-round pick depending on the size of your league.
Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
Machado was expected to be one of the best players in fantasy in 2017 after batting at least .286 with at least 35 home runs, 86 RBI and 102 runs in back-to-back seasons. While his powers numbers were there last year with 33 home runs and 95 RBI, he batted just .259. Much of that can be attributed to a horrid first half where he hit just .230 in large part because of a .230 BABIP. He has a career .301 BABIP, so it’s no surprise that he improved to a .290 BABIP in the second half of the season. The result was a .290 average over that same stretch. He should see a significant improvement in batting average this season and could end up pushing Bryant for being the second-best fantasy option at third base. He is also moving to shortstop, which will give him a boost in value when he gains that added eligibility.
Overvalued Players
Mike Moustakas, Free Agent
Moustakas finally had his breakout season in 2017, hitting 38 home runs to go along with a .272 average. He finished with just 85 RBI and 75 runs scored though as 27 of his home runs were of the solo variety. He did appear to take a more aggressive approach at the plate, seeing only 3.78 pitchers per plate appearance, the second fewest of his career. Also, he struck out swinging on 96.8% of his strikeouts, by far the highest percentage of his career. He has yet to sign with a team, but it’s going to be hard for him to match his homer total from last season wherever he signs considering he had never hit more than 22 home runs in a season previously. His current ADP in the NFBC is too high at 118.30. Fellow third basemen Kyle Seager (137.64) and Adrian Beltre (158.42) could provide very similar numbers and are still available later in most drafts.
Jake Lamb, Arizona Diamondbacks
Lamb set career-highs last year with 30 home runs, 105 RBI, and 89 runs scored. His average was still poor though at just .248, the second straight season he hit below .250. Lamb tends to get off to a hot start before cooling off in the second half. He has batted .284 for his career in the first half of the season but has followed it up with a career average of just .220 in the second half. Home runs are becoming easier to find in fantasy, making Lamb less valuable than he may have been previously. There are no signs that he is going to improve his batting average this year, which should limit his overall value. His current ADP of 118.35 is right behind Moustakas, which is hard to justify based on his numbers.
Undervalued Players
Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers
Injuries plagued Beltre in 2017, limiting him to 94 games. He was excellent when he was on the diamond, batting .312 with 17 home runs, 71 RBI, and a .383 OBP. Although he will turn 39 this year, injuries had not been a recent problem with Beltre playing at least 143 games in each of the previous five seasons. A career .287 hitter, Beltre had also hit at least 28 home runs in five of his last seven seasons entering 2017. With his consistent power and a high batting average now being at a premium in fantasy, Beltre should be going higher than his current ADP of 158.42. Don’t sleep on him in your league.
Matt Chapman, Oakland Athletics
Chapman got his first taste of the majors in 2017, batting .234 with 14 home runs and 40 RBI in 84 games. He only batted .244 for his career in the minors, so don’t expect to see any significant improvement from him in that area this year. However, he provides plenty of power, slugging .518 in the minors. He’ll strike out a lot, but he did have a walk percentage of at least 10.6% in each of his stops in the minors since 2015. His current ADP is only 284.97, which is 25th amongst players eligible at third base. He could provide 25 home runs and 80 RBI in a full season, leaving him as someone with value even with his poor average that late in a draft.
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for August 7, 2017
*Austyn Varney*
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks – Monday, August 7, 2017
*STARTING PITCHERS*
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*
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
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Stacks for July 19, 2017
*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