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Happy Sunday, RotoBallers! I'm excited to be covering another fun DFS slate. The MLB season has been good to me in the early going, so I'm looking forward to sifting through another crop of games. Let's break down my favorite plays from today's slate!
There's nothing better than matinee baseball. Today's matchup features no shortage of aces, though most of them find themselves in tricky matchups, making things very interesting. I'll point out the standout plays, but with a robust 10-game group, there will be plenty of opportunities to get creative with your builds.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 4/23/2023 and the slate locking at 1:35 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!
DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Jacob deGrom, TEX vs. OAK ($11,000 DK, $11,100 FD)
This is pretty much the closest thing you can have to a lock with MLB DFS. deGrom is rightfully expensive and will be the most popular pitcher on this slate despite it. He enters play sporting a 2.07 xERA, 2.11 xFIP, and .227 xwOBA. We can break down dozens of reasons why deGrom is a great play today, but the main reason is his 40% strikeout rate. Even if Oakland does manage to plate a run or two, deGgrom's strikeout numbers typically will more than compensate for whatever damage he accrues.
Further, Oakland is an overmatched offense in this one. They score just 3.48 runs per game and carry a .642 OPS, 1.27 ISO, and 23.3% strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers. Fading deGrom in this matchup is a dangerous undertaking. It's more likely you will need deGrom to take down a tournament, considering his unmatched floor-ceiling combo. My advice is not to overthink it; deGrom is a great play.
Kevin Gausman, TOR vs. NYY ($10,000 DK, $10,600 FD)
Pivoting from safe play to volatile, Gausman is my favorite GPP arm on this slate. Due to price, matchup, and recency bias, Gausman's ownership likely dips lower than it should be today. In reality, his ceiling rivals deGrom on his best days, though the floor is simply not there. Gausman is coming off an awful outing against Houston, surrendering seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings pitched. He burned a lot of people, and that's bound to scare some off from rostering him. However, before that start, Gausman posted a 1.35 ERA with 29 strikeouts over 20 innings. He owns a 3.16 xFIP and 29.1% strikeout rate for the season.
The Yankees are far from the easiest opponent but are also not as scary as you might think. For starters, Giancarlo Stanton is sidelined for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury. Further, the team's numbers against right-handed pitchers are surprisingly middling, carrying a .739 OPS and 25.4% strikeout rate. With high strikeout numbers and inconsistent hitting, there's a path to double-digit punchouts for Gausman.
Also consider: Hunter Greene, Clayton Kershaw, Jesus Luzardo
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Carlos Correa – SS, MIN vs. Patrick Corbin ($4,600 DK, $2,900 FD)
There's nothing unique about picking batters against Patrick Corbin anymore. Right-handed hitters are slugging .514 against him with three home runs this season, building off the .526 slugging percentage and 24 home runs they posted against him in 2022. Corbin isn't suddenly going to figure it out, and Correa is well positioned to advantage here. Correa finished with a .545 slugging percentage and .246 ISO against southpaws last season, and his numbers are even better versus lefties so far this year, albeit with a small sample size.
Jonah Heim – C, TEX vs. Kyle Muller ($3,700 DK, $3,500 FD)
Heim enters play sporting a phenomenal .320/.417/.620 slash line with four home runs. He's firmly in the conversation for being the best offensive catcher this season, and his price has yet to catch up properly. In particular, the switch-hitter excels against left-handed pitching, bringing a .488 SLG and .221 ISO against southpaws for his career. Muller has struggled to get hitters out regardless of splits, surrendering a .549 xSLG, .405 xwOBA, and 46.4% hard-hit rate. All that amounts to a 7.29 xERA and 4.95 xFIP. Another great spot for Heim.
Brandon Belt – 1B, TOR vs. Clarke Schmidt ($2,200 DK, $2,400 FD)
If you need salary relief after spending up for top pitching, here's a worthwhile punt. Clarke Schmidt's struggles against left-handed hitters this season have been remarkable. Lefties are slugging .794 with a .534 wOBA and three home runs on the season and slugging .552 with a .409 wOBA against him for his career. Fortunately for Schmidt, the Blue Jays' best bats are all right-handed hitters. Still, Brandon Belt is always capable of running into a big fly.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Randy Arozarena – OF, TB vs. Lucas Giolito ($6,300 DK, $4,000 FD)
Arozarena is worth the premium price if you can get there. He's tearing the cover off the ball this season, supported by elite numbers like a 61% hard-hit rate, .603 xSLG, 95.6 MPH average exit velocity, .420 xwOBA, and 16.9% barrel rate. He'll square off against Lucas Giolito, who surrendered a .541 slugging percentage and .391 wOBA to right-handed hitters last season.
Jorge Soler – OF, MIA vs. Logan Allen ($4,600 DK, $3,100 FD)
Soler has hit the ball as hard as anyone this season. He ranks in the 95th percentile or better with each of his .691 xSLG, .446 xwOBA, 56.5% hard-hit rate, 96.5 MPH average exit velocity, and 23.9% barrel rate. He'll take on Logan Allen, making his MLB debut. Allen owns a 1.26 ERA through 14 1/3 innings pitched in Triple-A this season, but he doesn't carry top-prospect upside. Allen was roughed up in Triple-A last season, accruing a 6.49 ERA over 59 2/3 innings pitched. I like Soler a lot in this spot.
Jack Suwinski – OF, PIT vs. Hunter Greene ($2,900 DK, $3,200 FD)
Suwinski is undervalued at his DraftKings price. He ranks in the top percentile among players in both xSLG (.739) and barrel rate (27.6%) and sports similarly impressive numbers, such as a 55.2% hard-hit rate, .473 xwOBA, and a 95 MPH average exit velocity. Hunter Greene is no slouch on the mound but is susceptible to the long ball.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Clarke Schmidt
Clarke Schmidt looks nothing like he did in 2022. He sports an atrocious 7.39 xERA and 4.86 xFIP through four starts. The underlying numbers get even worse as Schmidt ranks in the bottom ten percent of all pitchers with each of his .572 xSLG, .321 xBA, 93.3 MPH average exit velocity, and 58.3% hard-hit rate. He's struggled mightily against left-handed hitters throughout his career, but this year, Schmidt is getting tagged from both sides of the plate. Playing in the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium certainly doesn't help matters.
On the flip side, the Blue Jays bring one of the deepest batting orders in the league. You can play around with different stack types featuring premium bats like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Matt Chapman or find salary relief with the likes of Brandon Belt, Whit Merrifield, and Danny Jansen. The possibilities are endless, and I anticipate Toronto's batters jump on Schmidt here.
Favorite Plays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Matt Chapman, Bo Bichette, Daulton Varsho, Brandon Belt
Minnesota Twins vs. Patrick Corbin
Stacking against Patrick Corbin is a cornerstone of MLB DFS strategy by now. He hasn't been an effective pitcher since 2019, and every time he takes the mound, it's a near certainty that at least one hitter is taking Corbin yard. It's been that way for four years now, and 2023 is more of the same. Corbin brings a .516 xSLG, .329 xBA, .379 xwOBA, 90.2 MPH average exit velocity, and 44.2% hard-hit rate into play today. That amounts to a 6.19 xERA and 4.50 xFIP.
Minnesota's lineup is largely nothing to write home about, but they do have a couple of headliners in Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton, and neither is terribly expensive to roster. Beyond those two are plenty of cheap guys you can slot easily into your lineups. Presumably, you're spending up for Jacob Degrom on this slate, so finding a cheap way to stack is a worthwhile strategy.
Favorite Plays: Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, Jorge Polanco, Jose Miranda, Ryan Jeffers
Also Consider: Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds
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