RADIO
Welcome to this fine Thursday, August 13th. If you follow me on Twitter (which you really should by now!) at @BellRoto, you’ll likely be aware of my awesome Monday night in which I was a base hit away from conquering my first tournament. It was a very small tournament in which the winner took home $100. So although the win would’ve been sweet, I’ve decided I want my first big win to come in a larger tournament. I ended up placing third and taking home $40, so it was a pretty good night.
Just like most other Thursdays, we find a split slate today. There are four “afternoon” games and five “night” games. I’ll pretend this is an all-day advice article, and hopefully I can help out all who are playing FanDuel today whether early or late. Let’s get to it!
Editor's Note: If you play on FanDuel, you should also check out RotoBaller’s DFS Partner DraftKings - they're hosting a one-day Fantasy Baseball league tonight. It's FREE to enter and pays out $50,000 in cash prizes!
Sign up now and we'll give you free access to RotoBaller's Premium DFS Lineup Picks and Tools (a $29.99 value). You'll also receive a 100% bonus on your first DraftKings deposit.
Offenses to Target for FanDuel DFS
The great part about Daily Fantasy Sports (well, one of the great parts) is that you get to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch every day. Because of that wonderful aspect of the game, you’ll find that your overall strategy may shift as the season progresses. Recently, my strategy has shifted away from the “stack this team” mindset.
In the past I have been victim of the “force stack” mindset. I would build my lineups around a pitcher I want to target, even if that means rostering a hitter that I didn’t quite believe in, just because he fit in with my stack. I’ve gotten away from that strategy recently, and so far it’s paying off.
Because of that mindset shift, I am going to use this category in the future as more of a “Pitchers to Target for Hitters” section. Basically I’m going to start letting the stacks create themselves rather than force them. I’ll certainly keep in mind (and mention in this future category) which pitchers I want to pick on, but as far as full-on stacking goes I think I’m sticking with the best values I can assemble instead.
For Thursday, I think Tyler Cravy is the pitcher to keep in mind when choosing hitters in the early slate. Make sure to check wind conditions before picking home run hitters like Anthony Rizzo though. Keyvius Sampson serves as our pitcher to target for the late slate, as he joins the list of mediocre right-handers who must take on the Dodgers’ potent lineup.
Like I said, I won’t be tunnel-visioning myself to Cubs or Dodgers hitters, but if I can’t decide between two players, the pitching matchup will certainly weigh heavily. Give this strategy a try if you’d like, and let me know how it goes for you.
DFS Starting Pitchers to Target for FanDuel
Noah Syndergaard (SP, NYM) - $11,000
Thor is the cash game go-to pitcher for Thursday’s day slate, and I don’t know how likely I’ll be to stray from him in tournaments either. He has high strikeout potential and good win probability against an offense who has been struggling the past few games. Hopefully FanDuel players are scared off by his rough outing last time out, because I’m confident that Syndergaard will put together a very useful start on Thursday. Sonny Gray as a contrarian play against the Blue Jays and Mark Buehrle as a cheaper pick are decent options for tournaments, but I don’t feel confident in either one’s ability to improve on their less than stellar outings last time they faced each other’s teams.
Stephen Strasburg (SP, WAS) - $9,400
The late slate doesn’t give us any options above 10K, so we have to make due with risky pitchers. My favorite of the bunch is the man who has a lot to prove. Strasburg had a stellar start against the Rockies last weekend in his first game back from the DL, and I’m confident he can do it again against an up-and-down Giants lineup. Strasburg has the stuff of an ace as long as he’s on, and he showed his immense strikeout potential on Saturday, racking up 12 Ks in seven innings. There aren’t any options I like better than him overall outside of the upside that Francisco Liriano and Trevor Bauer always carry, so for this price I’m going Strasburg all the way.
DFS Infielders to Target for FanDuel
Yasmani Grandal (C, LOS) - $3,200
I love the idea of using Grandal in the late slate, and I think everyone else will be on board too. He gets a young righty in Sampson who meets his splits benefit, and he has had a couple of days of rest recently to prepare for the final stretch. I feel a Grandal hot streak coming on real soon, and it could very well start on Thursday.
Joe Mauer (1B, MIN) - $2,400
Here’s a good spot to relieve some of the salary you spent on Syndergaard in the early slate. Mauer doesn’t have any power anymore, but he gets a high-contact righty in Chi Chi Gonzalez during a semi-hot streak (seven hits in five games). Mauer is worth a shot at this price.
Anthony Rendon (2B, WAS) - $2,800
There’s not a whole lot that intrigues me at second base for either slate on Thursday, so I went with a safe pick that’s not too expensive. Rendon is almost always good for a hit and a run these days, but if you’re lucky he’ll hit a homer. VogelDONG is capable of providing that homer, so Rendon could pay dividends.
Danny Valencia (3B, OAK) - $3,200
While second base is limited, third base is not. I certainly like Todd Frazier’s price in the late slate, even if it’s against a righty. However, Valencia stands out as a decent value for the early slate. He’s been on quite the roll lately, and he certainly seems like someone who could get a hold of a looping, lefty curveball and put it in the seats.
Francisco Lindor (SS, CLE) - $3,000
Speaking of hot streaks, Lindor has been on a tear of his own recently. He benefits greatly from the good hitters around him, as well. Nate Eovaldi is the opposition on Thursday, and Lindor is more than capable of providing good return at this investment price.
DFS Outfielders to Target for FanDuel
Michael Brantley (OF, CLE) - $4,000
Any game log of Brantley’s that you can find will provide evidence for this pick. I feel like there’s not much explanation needed. He gets right-handed Eovaldi as well, and he’s about as must-play as they come.
Ryan Braun (OF, MIL) - $3,800
After two hitless games and a day off, Braun came back strong Wednesday with three hits including a dinger. He gets a lefty in Jon Lester on Thursday afternoon, and depending on wind conditions, Braun has a real chance to go yard again at a reasonable price.
Andre Ethier (OF, LOS) - $2,900
Ethier had an off day Wednesday, and he gets to come back to a righty, his favorite! I’m still surprised his price comes in this low when he faces bad righties, but I’m not going to complain. Along with Gregory Polanco, Ethier and his .382 wOBA vs. righties can round out my outfielders any time!
Good luck with your FanDuel and DFS lineups RotoBallers!
