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What a beautiful slate we have today. Full 15 games for the All-Day, and a fat 10 game Main slate on FanDuel for the first Saturday of the 2017 MLB season. We have a plethora of big name pitchers, including the best in the business, and the power-hitting Madison Bumgarner. The weather looks promising across the board today, so set your lineups with your mind at ease.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 4/8/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on FanDuel.
You can read our DraftKings and Yahoo DFS lineup picks as well. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @RowdyRotoJB
Offensive Stacks
Boston Red Sox vs Jordan Zimmerman
Zimmerman owned a 7.00 ERA at Home in 2016, and allowed a steady 15 ER in 14 IP this spring. He was slightly worse against RHB, meaning Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez, and Xander Bogaerts instantly grab my attention. Hanley has great BvP numbers against Zim for his career, and Betts has taken him deep once in two AB. Of course I would also be happy with either of the young stud lefties in the outfield as well.
Cincinnati Reds vs Michael Wacha
Wacha was also awful at Home in 2016, owning a 6.18 ERA at Busch Stadium. For the three starts against the Reds last year, he posted a 6.75 ERA. He struggles against RHB which means Adam Duvall, Zack Cozart, and Eugenio Suarez are all in play tonight. Oh, and Joey Votto is obviously a given. I think this game is overshadowed by other flashy matchups, making this a sneaky GPP stack.
Also Consider: Seattle Mariners vs Ricky Nolasco
FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Clayton Kershaw, LAD ($10,400)
Come on now. Coors Field is definitely a hitters haven, and yeah the ball flies really far up in the thin air. But this is Kershaw, and you should definitely take advantage of this great price. His last trip to Denver resulted in seven innings of three hit shutout baseball with six strikeouts. He is a guarantee for a QS, and is a safe bet for a W with Jon Gray on the bump for the bad guys. I'll take him over Bumgarner and save 1,500 big ones.
Kevin Gausman, BAL ($7,900)
With all the big name pitchers on the mound today, I think Gausman will make for a nice GPP play considering ownership percentage. He is the lowest priced pitcher I feel has the potential to throw an absolute gem. He wasn't great in his first outing versus the Blue Jays, but he did not give up a single extra base hit. I see him settling down today, and keeping the Yankees bats in check. He was fantastic at Camden Yards in 2016, and in six starts against New York, owned a 1.10 ERA.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Willson Contreras- C, CHC ($3,000)
The Brewers are rolling out Tommy Milone against the defending World Champions today. He owned a 5.71 ERA in 2016, and allowed a .859 OPS to right handed hitters. Contreras hits southpaws very well and will be in the middle of the Cubs lineup. With Yasmani Grandal in Coors Field, Contreras might actually be low enough owned to be used in both cash and GPP contests today.
Also Consider: James McCann- C, DET ($2,200)
Freddie Freeman- 1B, ATL ($3,300)
Chad Kuhl owned a 7.03 ERA at home in 2016, and allowed an .854 OPS to left handed batters. Freeman hasn't started 2017 as hot as he ended last year, but he is still an elite hitter- especially against RHP. This is easily the best value at the position today, and the price tag is too sweet to pass up. Look for the Bravo to get things started tonight and put one in the stands.
Also Consider: Brandon Belt- 1B, SFG ($2,900)
Robinson Cano- 2B, SEA ($3,100)
This price almost made me laugh out loud. Cano is 6-12 with two bombs lifetime against Ricky Nolasco, and owns a career .891 OPS against RHP. I am not going to let a slow start in the first week of the season make me pass on this opportunity, and neither should you.
Also Consider: Devon Travis- 2B, TOR ($2,400)
Kris Bryant- 3B, CHC ($4,100)
Again, overshadowed by the Coors Field showdown, FanDuel has both Justin Turner and Nolan Arenado priced above KB today. Its a crazy world we live in. When facing LHP away from Wrigley Field last year, Bryant owned a 1.162 OPS. There is a strong possibility HR's #1 and 2 of 2017 are coming tonight.
Also Consider: Miguel Sano- 3B, MIN ($3,200)
Francisco Lindor- SS, CLE ($3,700)
When this dude stops hitting dongs, I'll stop using him in my DFS lineups. But considering he left the yard again yesterday, today will not be that day, especially facing a RHP at Chase Field.
Also Consider: Addison Russell- SS, CHC ($2,700)
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Bryce Harper- OF, WSH ($4,700)
Of all the elite outfielders today, Harper is the guy I want in all my lineups. He is 7-11 with 2 HR for his career against Aaron Nola, and has already hit two dingers for the season. Mike Trout and George Springer are also great options as always, and own solid BvP stats against their respective pitchers today. But I like Washington's offense to produce the most run scoring opportunities today, mainly from this man.
Nelson Cruz- OF, SEA ($3,500)
Something weird is going on today with the pricing of the Mariners studs. I love a Cruz-Cano mini stack against Ricky Nolasco, with their combined five HR against him in 27 AB, and especially at their mid-range prices. Home runs are the heart of FanDuel, and Cruz is a master of the art.
Stephen Piscotty- OF, STL ($2,900)
I usually prefer to target Piscotty when he is facing southpaws, and when he hasnt recently been pegged by a baseball three times in one play. But 2,900 bucks for a great hitter facing a man who hasn't pitched in a big league game since 2014? I will gladly oblige.
Also Consider: Mitch Haniger- OF, SEA ($2,000)
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