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DraftKings MLB Lineup Advice: Opening Day (3/29)

DraftKings MLB Lineup Advice: Opening Day (3/29)

DraftKings and FanDuel have different Opening Day main slates, with just nine games on DK. There is a big difference between the top and bottom tier pitching. Paying up for pitching is a popular DFS strategy, but there are some expensive bats in great spots as well. There will be pitchers who dominate their first start and pitchers who will struggle. All we have are the numbers from last year to determine which route to take. Let’s take a look at some of the best options for the start of the season.

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Pitcher

Chris Sale (BOS): $12,200 @ TB
Likely the highest-owned pitcher on the slate, the Boston ace is the top option for Opening Day in both cash games and GPPs. There can easily be a case made for Max Scherzer, Luis Severino, or Justin Verlander as your SP1, but Sale has the best matchup of the top tier. The Tampa Bay Rays struggled to hit left-handed pitching in 2017 posting a league worst 25.9 K%. Meanwhile, Chris Sale lead MLB in K/9 (100 minimum IP) with 12.93. He is expensive but has the least amount of risk to go along with the highest fantasy production upside.

Garrett Richards (LAA): $6,800 @ OAK
Most will lean to pair Sale with Chris Archer at $8,500. This, however, will leave you with very little salary leftover for those big bats. Garrett Richards does come with risk. He has missed nearly all of the last two seasons with injury. Richards can throw mid to high 90s and has some of the nastiest stuff in the majors. At the end of 2017, the hurler put together six starts with a 25% strikeout rate and 54% ground ball rate. He looked as dominant as ever. This Opening Day, he will face a strikeout-prone Oakland Athletics. Last year, the team was bottom five in strikeouts at 24.3%. Not the safest cash-game selection, but at $6,800, Richards is a great GPP option for salary relief.

Catcher

Salvador Perez (KC): $3,700 vs. CWS
We begin talking about hitters who are facing terrible pitchers. The Kansas City Royals are fortunate enough to stare down the home run specialist, James Shields. Shields had a forgettable season in 2017 owning a 2.08 HR/9, 4.08 BB/9, and a 5.23 ERA. The Royals are all in play for their home opener in what should be a slugfest. Perez showed an increase in offensive production and will hit in the heart of the Royals lineup. The ballpark is the only factor keeping Perez from being the top catcher on the slate, regardless of price.

First Base

Lucas Duda (KC): $3,800 vs. CWS
The second piece to a Royals mini-stack is the first baseman, Lucas Duda. The power-hitting lefty was brought in during the offseason to replace Eric Hosmer. Duda put together a solid performance last season hitting 30 home runs with a .279 ISO and .360 wOBA vs. right-handed pitching. With the number of homers Shields gives up and his struggles with left-handed batters, Duda is a great salary saving option at first base with huge upside.

Second Base

Jonathan Schoop (BAL): $4,100 vs. MIN
The infield is very thin on Opening Day, so paying up is a wise strategy. Jose Altuve is a great play as well but will garner a lot more ownership at $1,100 more. The Orioles will host Jake Odorizzi and the Twins this Thursday in a game which has sneaky shootout potential. Camden Yards plays in favor of power hitting bats. Schoop will hit near the top of a great offensive lineup against an uncertain starting pitcher. In 2017, Odorizzi had reverse split-stats, giving up more power to right-handed batters. Coming off 32 home runs, 105 RBIs and a .293 AVG, Schoop should be in line to be productive right out of the gate.

Third Base

J.D. Davis (HOU): $3,200 @ TEX
With the injury to Yuli Gurriel, a spot at first has opened for J.D. Davis. Edging out Tyler White in Spring Training, Davis showed great plate-discipline and power with 56 at-bats. In Double-A last season, Davis displayed monster power (21 HR, 60 RBIs, and .231 ISO in 87 games) and will now take on veteran Cole Hamels as a part of MLB’s top offensive lineup. He will likely be sent down once Gurriel is back and healthy, so expect him to show the organization everything he has to make an impact.

Shortstop

Carlos Correa (HOU): $4,900 @ TEX
The 23-year-old shortstop is one of the top offensive hitters on Opening Day at a very thin position. Correa checks all of the boxes for roster construction. Bats near the top of the order? Yes. Good hitting environment? Yes. Weak opposing pitcher? Yes. To dive in deeper, in 92 plate appearances against left-handed pitching, Correa owned five HRs and 19 RBIs, to go along with a .391 avg. Hamels struggled last season with a career-low 17.1 K% and 4.90 SIERA. Globe Life Park in Arlington is a tough park to pitch in and benefits right-handed hitters greatly. All Astros are in play on Thursday, but specifically the power-hitting righties.

Outfield

Bryce Harper (WAS): $5,200 @ CIN
A lot of people are touting Bryce Harper as a 2018 NL MVP candidate. If he can stay healthy, there is no reason he doesn’t have a shot. There are plenty of reasons to roster the outfielder Opening Day, but we will start with the pitcher who will face him, Homer Bailey. With just a 16% strikeout rate, 10% BB rate, and a 6.43 ERA, Bailey struggled last season. The bullpen behind Homer Bailey is not a lot better either and Great American Ballpark also favors hitters. This is a perfect storm for the Washington Nationals offense to explode. Might as well roster the best player in this potent lineup.

Howie Kendrick (WAS): $3,200 @ CIN
Until the lineup is released we may not be 100% sure who will start for the Nats Opening Day. However, if Howie Kendrick does find his way in the starting lineup, he is a great value option. Again, Homer Bailey is a tire-fire. All bats are in play. In order to fit in the high-priced bats and pitchers finding value in great lineups is the way to go. Kendrick is a savvy veteran who knows how to get on base and add fantasy production in multiple categories.

Trey Mancini (BAL): $3,600 vs. MIN
The second part of an Orioles stack, Mancini showed welcoming offensive production in an already strong lineup. A player who can maintain a high batting average in a great hitters ballpark speaks to a breakout 2018 season. The Orioles offense should go overlooked on a day where the Yankees, Nationals, and Astros are all in great spots as well. Stacking the O’s could be a tournament-winning strategy which also has safe, cash game players.

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Jeremy Maw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Jeremy, check out his archive or follow him @j_maw.

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