RADIO
Hey RotoBallers! I officially made the switch from NBA DFS to MLB, and I’m loving it so far. The lower scoring and instant score changes are an awesome change of pace. I’ve always been a diehard baseball fan too, so that helps. Hopefully we can take FanDuel and other DFS sites by storm and walk away with bigger bankrolls in October.
My plan for DFS analysis this year is to focus mostly on the night games. We’ll see how that holds up as the year progresses, especially because we can usually find a handful of afternoon games on Fridays. The logic behind this is that most people don’t set lineups for the earlier games, and if they do they’re strictly for the earlier games. It would be like writing two separate articles. Playing an all-day game can get messy because a lot can happen with starting lineups between noon and 10 p.m. That being said, let’s get to some analysis.
Editor's Note: RotoBaller's Premium DFS Lineup Picks & Tools help you get an edge for your FanDuel lineups with exclusive access to DFS tools and expert lineup picks. Also our DFS batters vs. pitchers tool helps you analyze today's matchups and make optimal lineup decisions.
Offenses to Target for FanDuel DFS
Washington Nationals
The Nats hitters are facing off against the Philadelphia Phillies’ right-handed pitching Jerome Williams. Who’s that, you ask? Exactly. I can certainly see the logic behind a stack that might include Bryce Harper, Ian Desmond, and Michael Taylor. All three have had spurts of awesomeness in the first series of the season. The Nationals are primed for an offensive outbreak, and this is as good a time as any.
Chicago Sox
Vegas is currently ranking the White Sox and Minnesota Twins game as the highest over/under of the night at 9.0. Tommy Milone will be chucking for the Twins, and Jose Abreu is, well, Jose Abreu. A possible stack here could include him, Adam Eaton (who is pretty much a .300 hitter against righties and lefties), as well as Alexei Ramirez. Both Eaton and Ramirez are due for a big game. To sweeten the pot further, Milone had a 4.28 ERA against righties last year.
DFS Starting Pitchers To Target for FanDuel
Gio Gonzalez (SP, WAS) - $9,400
I think Gonzalez is the ideal cash game play. He is a very consistent pitcher, and he finds himself up against a less-than-stellar Phillies lineup on Friday. I mentioned earlier that I can imagine a good deal of runs for the Nats in this one, so I will be rolling with Gonzalez when there is no need to be unique.
Taijuan Walker (SP, SEA) - $7,400
This one’s more of a risky tournament play. The Oakland A’s have been the most inconsistent offense thus far in 2015. They score 10 runs one night and one run the next. I’m sure you’ve heard the raving going on involving Walker’s potential. The hype is real. Walker has great strikeout potential, which is what you need in a FanDuel tournament pitcher. Depending on which A’s team shows up Friday, Walker could be in for a stellar night.
DFS Infielders To Target for FanDuel
Xander Bogaerts (SS, BOS) - $2,800
I am expecting big things from the young Boston shortstop this year. Bogaerts singled Wednesday and tripled Thursday. Let’s hope for a homer on Friday. I also would love to see him higher in the order, but there will certainly be RBI chances for Bogaerts with the way Boston is hitting right now.
Joey Votto (1B, CIN) - $3,700
Votto is back baby! His price tag hasn’t quite reached $4,000 yet, so use him before it does. He is facing a lefty in John Lackey on Friday (which is actually his worse split statistically), but Votto can put up big numbers as a line-drive hitter. If I have any leftover change I’m putting it towards this guy.
DFS Outfielders To Target for FanDuel
Wil Myers (OF, SDP) - $3,200
Myers already has two stolen bases on the year. The man atop the Padres new and improved lineup has had a little trouble getting on base so far, but he has made the most of his time on the base paths. Look for Myers to have some productive at-bats Friday night, and hopefully he continues to benefit from a solid-looking Padres lineup behind him.
David Peralta (OF, ARI) - $3,000
Peralta has some sneaky power that we saw a preview of last year. Batting in the heart of the order, the Dbacks outfielder should have at least one opportunity to drive in a couple of runs on Friday. For $3,000 dollars the risk may just be worth taking.
Good luck with your FanDuel and DFS lineups RotoBallers!
