Welcome to SuperDraft. Tired of salary-cap based DFS contests? In the mood for something refreshing and new? At SuperDraft, you can start any player available on the slate and receive differing multiplier bonuses based on the players you use.
Gerrit Cole, 4-0 and looking like one of the best pitchers in baseball, has a 1x multiplier. However, if you start someone with upside, but as inconsistent as Johnny Cueto, you get a 1.95x multiplier. The multipliers vary, making for some interesting strategy sessions as you have to pit raw production against multiplier production when making lineup decisions. Tonight’s slate features contests from 7:00 pm EST onward only. This means the slate shrinks to 11 games instead of 17 and that we miss out on pitching options like Trevor Bauer and Luis Castillo.
It is important not to get too cute in setting lineups by chasing high multipliers only, as a combination of high floor, and high multiplier based upside usually leads to ideal results as far as finishing in the money. Let’s take a look at some of tonight’s top plays.
Gerrit Cole (SP – NYY): 1x multiplier
Gerrit Cole has been one of the best pitchers in baseball through the first few weeks of the season, and currently sits with a 4-0 record. He will face division rival Tampa Bay tonight, a team that he gave up three runs to in just 4.2 innings a little over a week ago. He should have a better outing against them at home but will need to limit contact to avoid getting chased from the game for the second time this season.
Cole leads the majors with four wins, and is top five with a miniscule 0.85 WHIP. Tampa Bay of course presents one of the tougher matchups in baseball, but Cole will need to learn to deal with them now that he is a member of the American League East. The 1x multiplier combined with facing Tampa Bay is almost enough to fade Cole. However, with a lack of appealing options due to Trevor Bauer and Luis Castillo playing before today’s SuperDraft slate begins, Cole (and deGrom) becomes our top play at the pitcher position.
Fernando Tatis Jr (SS -SD): 1.45x multiplier
Fernando Tatis Jr. has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball, and is averaging 13.3 fantasy points per game. A 1.45x multiplier for someone as hot as Tatis is an obvious knee jerk reaction by SuperDraft to the strong play from Lance Lynn this season. While Tatis has been good at PETCO in his career, this San Diego Padres team is far superior to anything Lynn has had to face in the past. Tatis became a national talking point after deciding to swing at a ball down the middle with the bases loaded, but whether or not you believe in the unwritten rules of baseball, Tatis deserves strong consideration despite the tough paper matchup.
Lance Lynn is an MLB level pitcher, but someone to fade someone as hot as Tatis against, he is not. Tatis leads the league in home runs (11), RBI (28) and steals (6), and is tied for second in hits (31). Lance Lynn has never been better than slightly above average aside from last year, and has a mirage of a line due to facing Colorado (twice), Arizona, Oakland, and the Los Angeles Angels this season. I am attacking Lynn with confidence today with the juicy 1.45x multiplier on the table.
Brandon Lowe (1B, 2B – TB) 1.55x multiplier
One of the hottest players in baseball, Brandon Lowe has a 1.55x multiplier due to playing against Gerrit Cole this evening. He went 0-2 at the plate when he faced him on August 8th, but remains a strong play due to averaging double digit fantasy points thus far this season. He has put 10.9 fantasy points this season in SuperDraft’s game, a number that increases to a very appealing 16.9 when we add in the 1.55x multiplier.
Lowe is tied for third in the majors with 23 RBI, is third with 63 total bases, and is third in the league with a 1.168 OPS. He is absolutely not someone to fade when he has a 1.55x multiplier, and should be contrarian enough to put you in the money with a unique lineup if he finds the expected success at the plate this evening. Lowe is someone I will be plugging into my SuperDraft lineups until he goes on an extended slump.
Mike Trout (CF – LAA): 1.3x multiplier
Mike Trout, the best player in baseball, gets a 1.3x multiplier despite facing Johnny Cueto. Cueto is a good pitcher when he is on, but he has been too inconsistent in his career for Trout to be tagged with a 1.3x multiplier. Trout will likely be the chalkiest play of the day at SuperDraft, but still belongs in at least one of your lineups due to his sheer dominance.
Second in the majors with 10 home runs, Trout has averaged 11.7 fantasy points at SuperDraft. That number gets boosted to a very appealing 15.2 fantasy points when the 1.3x multiplier is factored in. Don’t overthink this one. Unless Mike Trout is in an extended slump or is facing a Cy Young candidate, he deserves strong lineup consideration on a daily basis.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.
