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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on April 9th, 2023. Kevin Hickey's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
It's Easter Sunday RotoBallers! I'm excited to be covering another fun DFS slate. The last MLB season was good to me, so I'm looking to build off that momentum and hit the ground running early in 2023. Let's break down my favorite plays from today's slate!
We have some really interesting matchups today. The pitching options range from SP2 and SP3 starters with mediocre matchups to back-of-the-rotation punt arms, which will certainly lead to some tough lineup decisions. I'll point out the standout plays, but with a ten-game slate and so much uncertainty on the mound, there will be plenty of opportunity to get creative with your picks today.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 4/9/2023 and the slate locking at 1:05 pm ET. The lineup picks will range from some elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. Now that we got all that out of the way, it's onto the picks!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Freddy Peralta, MIL vs STL ($9,500 DK, $9,800 FD)
A matchup with the Cardinals is far from ideal, but if anything it will help curb Peralta's ownership. Objectively, he is the best pitcher on this slate and I'm betting on that more often than not. Peralta looked fantastic in his first start, striking out seven across six shutout innings, surrendering just two hits and three walks against a strong Mets lineup. He's looking to build off a strong 2022 campaign featuring a 27.1% strikeout rate alongside an elite ability to induce weak contact - .300 xSLG, 31.3% hard-hit rate, .257 xwOBA, 3.5% barrel rate.
Drew Rasmussen, TB vs. OAK ($8,300 DK, $10,500 FD)
Rasmussen's price tag is too cheap on DraftKings today. He's coming off an excellent season debut, striking out seven and allowing just two hits over six scoreless innings against the Tigers. Rasmussen posted just a 21.4% strikeout rate in 2022, so his upside is somewhat limited in that aspect. Regardless, he posted a 2.84 ERA over 28 starts last season, and a 2.44 ERA in 2021, so we can trust Rasmussen's ability to keep damage to a minimum. He also draws a favorable matchup with Oakland today, who averages just 3.4 runs per game. Rasmussen expects to be very popular on this slate, but I'm willing to eat this chalk.
Also consider: Nestor Cortes, Hunter Brown
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Pete Alonso – 1B, NYM vs. Braxton Garrett ($5,900 DK, $3,900 FD)
Garrett has a pretty aggressive preference for facing left-handed hitters. Righties own a .364 wOBA and .478 slugging percentage against Garrett for his career. On the flip side, Pete Alonso has historically handled left-handed pitchers, owning a career .535 slugging percentage and .298 ISO - including one long ball against Garrett. Alonso has already smacked five home runs this season, including three against southpaws, so his power stroke is in midseason form.
Jean Segura – 3B, MIA vs. Carlos Carrasco ($4,400 DK, $2,200 FD)
It's been a slow start for Segura in 2023, but his bat has shown signs of life lately with two multi-hit performances over his last three games. Carrasco is no stranger to getting hit hard, allowing a .405 xSLG and 39.5% hard-hit rate in 2022. Segura has recorded seven hits, including three home runs and a double in 18 career at-bats against Carrasco.
Cal Raleigh – C, SEA vs. Zach Plesac ($3,500 DK, $2,800 FD)
Raleigh is yet to homer this season, but this matchup seems opportune. Zach Plesac was one of the harder-hit pitchers in 2022, posting atrocious numbers, including a .474 xSLG, .351 xwOBA, 41.5% hard-hit rate, and a 9.6% barrel rate. Raleigh can't be relied on to hit for average, but he's certainly capable of taking Plesac deep. Against right-handed pitching, Raleigh hit 24 of his 27 home runs last year along with a .298 ISO and .509 slugging percentage.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Bryan Reynolds – OF, PIT vs. Michael Kopech ($5,600 DK, $4,000 FD)
Reynolds is on an absolute tear to start the season, smacking five home runs with a ridiculous 1.103 slugging percentage and .629 wOBA. That pace is certainly unsustainable, but today's game looks like another great opportunity for him. Michael Kopech looked awful during his 2023 debut, surrendering five long balls and seven earned runs over 4 2/3 innings against the Giants. Getting smacked around is nothing new for Kopech after posting a 41.6% hard-hit rate, an 89.9 MPH average exit velocity, and an 8.8% barrel rate in 2022. Reynolds is worth spending up for.
Kerry Carpenter – OF, DET vs. Kutter Crawford ($3,000 DK, $2,500 FD)
Carpenter is an underrated discount play today. His MLB service time is limited so far, but he owns a .527 slugging percentage through the first 91 career at-bats. In 98 games between Double-A and Triple-A last season, Carpenter posted 30 home runs with a 1.025 OPS. He'll square off against Kutter Crawford, who surrendered three home runs and 7 earned runs over four innings against the Pirates to open his 2023 season. Left-handed hitters own a whopping .616 slugging percentage against Crawford in his career.
Luke Raley – OF, TB vs. James Kaprielian ($2,500 DK, $2,600 FD)
Given the price, and his multi-positional eligibility on DraftKings, Raley should slot into lineups fairly easily. He's off to a hot start this season, whacking three home runs with a .867 slugging percentage through his first six games. Raley's big-league sample size is limited, but he posted a .929 OPS in 63 Triple-A games last season and a .963 OPS at Triple-A in 2021. Raley will square off against James Kaprielian on Sunday, who has allowed left-handed hitters to slug .462 against him for his career.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Tampa Bay Rays vs. James Kaprielian
The Rays are scorching hot right now. They're 8-0 and lead the league scoring eight runs per game. At some point, they'll come back down to Earth, but James Kaprielian is not the guy for that job. Kaprielian got shelled to the tune of a .416 xSLG, .332 xwOBA, and 4.65 xERA in 2022. His 2023 debut didn't fare much better, giving up five earned runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings against the Guardians. Rostering the Rays won't be a contrarian approach, but you can feel confident about their chance to score runs.
Favorite Plays: Randy Arozarena, Wander Franco, Brandon Lowe, Luke Raley, Yandy Diaz
Seattle Mariners vs. Zach Plesac
Seattle's offense has looked lethargic to start 2023, posting a .683 OPS and only scoring 4.1 runs per game. This matchup looks like the perfect opportunity to ignite the Mariners' bats. Zach Plesac was one of the hardest-hit pitchers in baseball last season, best summarized by his 5.28 xERA and .474 xSLG. He has a career-long struggle with the long ball and Seattle brings some very capable power hitters. Poor recent performance mixed with high price tags should help keep Seattle's ownership on the lower side.
Favorite Plays: Julio Rodriguez, Ty France, Cal Raleigh, Eugenio Suarez, Teoscar Hernandez
Also Consider: New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates
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