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DraftKings DFS MLB Strategy Advice: Sunday (8/30)

DraftKings DFS MLB Strategy Advice: Sunday (8/30)

We’re creeping back to normalcy after a wild week and it will make for a busy Sunday. For this slate, we have 10 games, starting at 1ET. That’s the perfect amount for DFS and we’re likely looking at smaller playing fields with many people doing their fantasy football draft. This is all about baseball though, so, let’s get started with some pitchers.

If you have any comments or questions, reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel

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Value Plays

Pitcher

NAME (TEAM) OPPONENT PRICE MATCHUP RISK
Kenta Maeda (MIN) @DET $9,600 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
Blake Snell (TB) @MIA $9,200 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Medium
Brandon Woodruff (MIL) vs PIT $8,200 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Medium
  • Maeda is the easiest play of the day. The right-hander has at least 21 DK points in three-straight games and gets to face a Detroit team that sits 27th in OBP and dead-last in K rate.
  • Snell is coming off one of his best starts and gets to face a bad Marlins lineup.
  • If you think Detroit and Miami are bad, Pittsburgh is saying “hold my beer.” This team owns an OPS around .600 and a league-worst wOBA at .276.

Catcher/First Base

NAME (TEAM) OPPONENT PRICE MATCHUP RISK
Jose Abreu (CWS) vs. KC $5,400 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
Eric Thames (WSH) @BOS $3,500 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Medium
Gary Sanchez (NYY) vs. NYM $4,300 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Medium
  • Abreu always kills left-handers, which is scary since he has a 1.659 OPS over his last 11 games.
  • Thames has an OPS north of .800 against right-handers for his career, making him way too cheap at $3,500.
  • Sanchez is usually closer to $5K and he makes for a great option at catcher.

Second Base

NAME (TEAM) OPPONENT PRICE MATCHUP RISK
Keston Hiura (MIL) vs. PIT $5,200 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Medium
Mike Moustakas (CIN) vs. CHC $4,800 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
Jeff McNeil (NYM) @NYY $3,700 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Medium
  • Hiura gets to face a lefty here and a weak one at that.
  • Moustakas is always a cheat code at second base and gets to face a struggling Tyler Chatwood.
  • McNeil has an OPS approaching .900 since the beginning of last season and that makes him a huge value south of $4K.

Third Base

NAME (TEAM) OPPONENT PRICE MATCHUP RISK
Jose Ramirez (CLE) @STL $5,400 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
J.D. Davis (NYM) @NYY $3,800 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Medium
Yoshi Tsutsugo (TB) @MIA $2,300 ⭐⭐ High
  • Ramirez is scorching right now and gets to bat from his more favorable left side against Adam Wainwright.
  • Davis is way too good of a player to be below $4K, particularly against an unknown pitcher.
  • Tsutsugo is risky but he’ll likely find his way into this lineup which alone makes him attractive at a near-minimum price tag with his pop.

Shortstop

NAME (TEAM) OPPONENT PRICE MATCHUP RISK
Tim Anderson (CWS) vs. KC $5,500 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
Trea Turner (WSH) @BOS $5,400 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
Adalberto Mondesi (KC) @CWS $2,600 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High
  • Anderson joins Abreu with the platoon advantage in his favor and has been nearly as hot.
  • Turner is turning his season around and could roll through a weak pitcher like Zack Godley.
  • Mondesi was a stud last season but has been terrible this year. That makes him a worthy punt play at $2,600.

Outfield

NAME (TEAM) OPPONENT PRICE MATCHUP RISK
Juan Soto (WSH) @BOS $5,700 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
Eloy Jimenez (CWS) vs. KC $5,000 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Medium
Max Kepler (MIN) vs. DET $4,500 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
Franmil Reyes (CLE) @STL $4,000 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Low
Stephen Piscotty (OAK) @HOU $3,500 ⭐⭐⭐ Medium
  • Soto has been one of the best hitters in baseball this season and gets to face a lackluster Godley from the right side.
  • Jimenez is yet another White Sox righty we like against Bubic.
  • Kepler should be in his usual leadoff spot against a right-hander, making him super dangerous at just $4,500.
  • Reyes has an OPS north of 1.200 over the last two weeks and simply shouldn’t be this cheap.
  • Piscotty is traditionally much better against lefties and is a huge value at $3,500 the way he’s swinging the bat.

5 Studs Worth Their Salary

  • Kenta Maeda, MIN ($9,600): Maeda is averaging about 30 DK points per game over his last three outings and is clearly the horse of this rotation. That’s bad news for a Detroit team who sits 27th in OBP and 30th in K rate. This is the best pitching option out there.
  • Brandon Woodruff, MIL ($8,200): Pittsburgh currently ranks last in runs scored, OPS and wOBA. That makes them a tough sell against anyone, particularly Woodruff and his 3.54 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 29 percent K rate since 2018.
  • Juan Soto, WSH ($5,700): Soto has a career OBP north of .400. Think about that for a second. He’s actually been even better this year and has a career OPS north of 1.000 against right-handers.
  • Jose Abreu, CWS ($5,400): Abreu sports that ridiculous OPS in the earlier write-up, and that pairs beautifully with the fact that he faces Kris Bubic, who’s never pitched above Double-A before this year.
  • Eloy Jimenez, CWS ($4,900): Jimenez and Abreu are one of the scariest stacks on the board. Jimenez also gets the platoon advantage against Bubic and has a 1.300 OPS over his last 15 games played.

5 Notable Players to Fade

  • Tyler Chatwood, CHC ($8,700): Chatwood is the fifth-highest priced pitcher on the slate and it’s hard to understand why. He has -11.2 combined DK points across his last two starts and has to face a stingy Reds offense.
  • Adam Wainwright, STL ($8,300): Wainwright is always a tough pick with his low K rate and we really don’t like him against a hot offense like the Indians.
  • Matt Olson, OAK ($5,300): Olson traditionally struggles against left-handed pitching and that’s bad news against a cruising pitcher like Framber Valdez.
  • Paul Goldschmidt, STL ($5,100): Goldy isn’t quite the stud that we remember and could struggle against a talented righty like Aaron Civale.
  • Javier Baez, CHC ($4,500): Baez is off to a terrible start this year and that’s bad news against a stud like Luis Castillo.

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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel

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