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Happy Thursday, RotoBallers! Well... it could be happier if MLB gave us more than four games for our DFS slates. Unfortunately, that is not the case, as the Tigers-Mets doubleheader isn't included in either DraftKings or Fanduel's main slate.
In fact, DK has extended their slate to include the 7:40 p.m. EDT game between the White Sox and Royals. Meanwhile, FD is settling for the three-game slate of the 4:00 p.m. EDT games. It leaves us a little short on options, but a day of MLB DFS is still a good day.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 4/4/2024. 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. Monitoring injury news and today's MLB starting lineups is also essential. Follow me on X @EuanFPL for more DFS advice.
DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Pablo Lopez vs. Guardians ($9.8K DraftKings; $10.6K FanDuel)
Today's slate is like the stars and scrubs strategy in a salary cap draft for season-long leagues. You want the big guns, and we will fill in the rest. There's no better asset than Pablo Lopez for Thursday's contests. The Twins righty had a dominant first start of 2024. He only needed 84 pitches to twirl seven innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts. Lopez's efficiency raises his floor, but his 29.2 percent strikeout rate from last season also provides that sought-after ceiling for an SP1 in our lineups.
Pablo López, Painted 83mph Slider. 🖌️🎨
7th K pic.twitter.com/CvmSmrj7rs
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 28, 2024
Seth Lugo vs. White Sox ($8.6K) - DraftKings only
If Pablo Lopez is a little rich for your blood, Seth Lugo is your next best bet on DK. The newly signed Royals pitcher had a positive start for his new team to begin the 2024 campaign. Against Minnesota, Lugo pitched six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out four. Last season, Chicago sported the 11th-highest strikeout rate to RHPs while posting bottom-six numbers in ISO, average, wOBA, and wRC+.
Also consider: Tanner Bibee at MIN, Martin Perez at WAS
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Henry Davis - C/OF, PIT at Josiah Gray ($3.8K DK; $2.7K FD)
Pittsburgh is looking for a long-term solution at catcher, but Henry Davis is doing an admirable job as the short-term replacement. His catcher eligibility on DK makes him the premier option at the position for Thursday's four-game slate. The 24-year-old has a hit in three of five games to start the year and flashed his power potential with two doubles in the first game of this series. Davis isn't worth clogging your C/1B spot on FD, but he's a reasonably cheap upside play on DK.
Nolan Gorman - 2B/3B, STL vs. Ryan Weathers ($4.2K DK; $3.1K FD)
It's far too early in the season to make sweeping judgments, but DFS sites like to react, allowing managers to take advantage of some mispricing. Nolan Gorman slots in at $3.1K on FD, but his power potential is too great to let this slide. Last year, he was in the 97th percentile for Barrel rate but hasn't had a home run this season. Ryan Weathers only strikes a few hitters out but does issue his fair share of free passes. With Gorman batting third for St. Louis, there should be plenty of RBI opportunities this afternoon.
Jake Burger - 1B/3B, MIA at Lance Lynn ($4.3K DK; $3.4K FD)
Today is the day to back guys without a home run this season. Jake Burger is next on the list in his matchup with Lance Lynn and the Cardinals. Despite only having one extra-base hit to his name this season, Burger is tied for sixth in MLB with eight RBI. He's flipped his position in Miami's lineup into valuable DFS points. Lynn had a subpar 19 percent HR:FB rate in 2023 while allowing a 10.4 percent Barrel rate.
Burger and the Marlins are up early on the Angels.
Jake Burger is slugging .582 (219 total bases in 376 ABs) against starting pitchers since the 2022 season, tied for 5th best in MLB.#HomeOfBeisbol pic.twitter.com/oPBKaUaf9l
— Inside Edge (@IE_MLB) April 1, 2024
Also consider: Paul Golschmidt, Josh Bell, Jose Ramirez, Luis Arraez, Keibert Ruiz
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Bryan Reynolds - OF, PIT at Josiah Gray ($5.6K DK; $3.7K FD)
Adding Bryan Reynolds to your lineup certainly leans into the stars-and-scrubs vibe I mentioned earlier. The Pirates outfielder has a .894 OPS through six games this season, adding three doubles and a home run to his early-season numbers. With a right-handed hurler in Josiah Gray on the mound, Reynolds will bat behind Oneil Cruz instead of Connor Joe. That makes Reynolds the highest-scoring outfielder on the slate, and he'll have a great chance to build on that stat versus Gray and his sky-high 11.5 percent walk rate from 2023.
Steven Kwan - OF, CLE at Pablo Lopez ($4.4K DK; $3K FD)
It's tough to avoid Pablo Lopez on a four-game set, and Steven Kwan's price on FD is too reasonable to pass up. Leading off at $3K, Kwan should garner much attention from DFS managers. The Guardians outfielder has compiled four multi-hit efforts in seven games so far and averages a convenient 12.95 FD PPG in the early season. Surprisingly, he's also added two extra-base hits, including a home run, to his 2024 resume, so there could be some unexpected power upside for Kwan on Thursday.
Kwan we can!#ForTheLand | @CleGuardians pic.twitter.com/LRU5XfeOFI
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) March 30, 2024
Alex Kirilloff - 1B/OF, MIN vs. Tanner Bibee ($3.2K DK; $2.6K FD)
Knowing when to go against a high-quality pitcher like Tanner Bibee is always tough, especially on a small slate like Thursday. Bibee is the second-best arm on the schedule, but he's going against the best arm in Pablo Lopez. This allows DFS managers to go against a popular pitcher with cheaper assets. Alex Kirilloff perfectly fits that profile. With a RHP on the mound, the left-handed slugger will bat second in the Twins lineup, and he went 4-for-4 on Tuesday with two extra-base hits. Get him in your lineup while he's healthy.
Also consider: Andrew McCutchen, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Byron Buxton, Lane Thomas
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
1. Pittsburgh Pirates at Josiah Gray
Favorite Plays: Michael Taylor, Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds
2. St. Louis Cardinals vs. Ryan Weathers
Favorite Plays: Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Gorman, Willson Contreras
3. Kansas City Royals at Michael Soroka - DraftKings only
Favorite Plays: Maikel Garcia, Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez
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