Hey, everyone. Jared from Fantasy Cruncher here. I’ll be writing the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday FanDuel MLB Lineup Advice articles every week for FantasyPros this year. Really excited to share my thoughts and recommended plays with you throughout the season!
It’s a full slate on Friday, and lineups will be locking just after 7 pm EST.
For reference throughout the season, be sure to bookmark our overview of MLB Park Factors and how to Use Weather to Your Advantage in MLB DFS. Also, check out our GPP and Cash Games Primers to learn more about different daily fantasy game types specific to MLB.
Weather
The good news is that weather does not appear to be as much of an issue tonight as it was yesterday. It’s pretty much clear skies everywhere in the evening, with most temperatures in the 60s and 70s.
Overall Thoughts
The last time I wrote this column, I got a little risky and rolled with Luis Perdomo on the mound. After a string of a few great starts, he fell flat vs ARI and really did us in. I don’t regret that decision as his ground ball and K rates were tremendous – but sometimes a young arm lets us down even though they’re on a nice roll. Tonight the decision was really if I wanted to go with Max Scherzer or Alex Wood – and the value of the Dodgers’ lefty is just too good to pass up considering we have a Coors game and others that are begging for hitting exposure.
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Pitcher
Alex Wood (LAD): $8,600 vs CHC
Wood continues to put up eye-popping numbers, sitting with a 68% ground ball rate, 20% hard hit rate and 10.9 K/9 through his first seven starts. His 2.58 SIERA is the lowest on the slate, and the 1.88 ERA is absolutely sparkling, too. I don’t love the opponent, but the price is still solid and the Cubs due to name value alone will keep ownership lower than it probably should be. He’s a steal on FanDuel for under $9,000 and makes for a tremendous GPP option. I understand that Scherzer may pop out as the play for you, but the value is tremendous for Wood tonight and you can spend up for some elite bats to support the argument for spending down on the mound for a high-skill SP.
Other Notables
Catcher
Gary Sanchez (NYY): $3,300 vs OAK
I’m not crazy about playing guys against ground ball pitchers like Kendall Graveman, but Sanchez’s price on FanDuel is excellent for the kind of power potential he brings to the plate. His ISO vs RHP is over .300 dating back to the start of 2016, and the wOBA is well over .400 as well. Those are elite numbers for a catcher, and the fact he hits in the No. 2 spot makes it all the better, too.
Other Notables
- Russell Martin
- J.T. Realmuto
- Chris Hermann
First Base
Kendrys Morales (TOR): $3,000 vs TEX
I want a couple shares of exposure to the Jays against A.J. Griffin today, and the price is fantastic for Morales. He brings one of the best potential HR values to the table hitting in a great park, against a pitcher who has not only over-achieved this year but also is a fly ball arm that gives up a ton of hard contact. Not bad for a guy who has traditionally had an ISO split over .200 vs RHP.
Other Notables
Second Base
Jed Lowrie (OAK): $2,300 @ NYY
This is a punt spot for me, as I am not in love with the price points for other two-baggers on the slate. I like where Lowrie hits in the order, and the $2,300 price point makes him someone that we can hopefully get 5-9 points out of as a lineup stabilizer. He has a sneaky line drive rate of 23% vs RHP and keeps his Ks down, which gives a promising floor.
Other Notables
Third Base
Jedd Gyorko (STL): $4,300 @ COL
I want exposure to Coors today, and although I don’t love the value with Gyorko, I surely love the park factor and power potential. Senzatela has a very low K/9 (5.7) and doesn’t miss many bats. If Gyorko can step into a pitch or two, we could be looking at a very productive evening – and as long as he’s in the heart of the order – he’s a really nice way to get Coors access.
Other Notables
Shortstop
Xander Bogaerts (BOS): $3,700 vs SEA
Xander has been hitting very well of late, and I love the match-up against Yovani Gallardo who is one of the weakest SPs on the board tonight. Despite not being a high-ISO split guy, the price is right for a player who is hitting as well as he is these days. They have a high team total for a reason, and Bogaerts should be right in the middle of the action.
Other Notables
Outfield
Jose Bautista (TOR): $3,800 vs TEX
Truth be told, Bautista was one of the first guys I put in this lineup today. His ISO and wOBA splits are off the charts, and he’s been playing fantastic baseball of late. He is one of the highest OBP-skill guys on the board and is facing off against a fly ball pitcher in a terrific hitter’s park. Not only that, but the history these two teams have is obvious – and an “angry” Bautista is the best Bautista. Love the HR potential and likely high-scoring game, and it won’t surprise me to see the Jays’ slugger finish with 20+ points.
Dexter Fowler (STL): $3,700 @ COL
Another piece of Coors exposure that I am happy about on the day. His value for under $4,000 is solid, and the fact he will be hitting at the top of the lineup puts him in a great spot to succeed. There aren’t eye-popping numbers for Fowler vs RHP, but the wOBA and ISO splits are both positive, and I want to make sure I have a couple shares of Coors against an SP without dominant stuff.
Gregor Blanco (ARI): $2,300 @ MIL
I ended up playing Blanco in a number of lineups yesterday, which turned out to be a positive move. His price point as a leadoff hitter vs RHP is fantastic, and he’s been doing a very good job at producing. He is very good at keeping the Ks down and putting the ball in play, and Junior Guerra is not the kind of pitcher that should be able to dominate this lineup. He’s a great value option while the going is good.
Other Notables
- Mookie Betts
- David Peralta
- Michael Brantley
- Kevin Pillar
- Michael Conforto
- Josh Reddick
- George Springer
- Adam Jones
- Michael Saunders
- Seth Smith
- Stephen Piscotty
- Delino DeShields
- Tyler Collins
- Giancarlo Stanton
My Lineup
- SP – Alex Wood (LAD): $8,600 vs CHC
- C – Gary Sanchez (NYY): $3,300 vs OAK
- 1B – Kendrys Morales (TOR): $3,000 vs TEX
- 2B – Jed Lowrie (OAK): $2,300 @ NYY
- 3B – Jedd Gyorko (STL): $4,300 @ COL
- SS – Xander Bogaerts (BOS): $3,700 vs SEA
- OF – Jose Bautista (TOR): $3,800 vs TEX
- OF – Dexter Fowler (STL): $3,700 @ COL
- OF – Gregor Blanco (ARI): $2,300 @ MIL
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Jared Kwart is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jared, find his work at FantasyCruncher.com and follow him @FCJaredK.
