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FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Picks (4/14/17): MLB DFS Advice

Happy Friday to us, my fellow Rotoballers. Let's kick this weekend off right, and by "right," I mean above the cash-line. On deck for today we have a 15 game slate. There is an Early Only contest with two games, starting at 2:20 Eastern, as well as the All Day contests starting then as well. The Main contest begins at 7:05 EDT, with 26 teams taking the field then or shortly thereafter.

Before we get into the players and their respective matchups, let's see if there are any insights we can gather from the early lines Vegas has posted. The teams with the highest projected run totals - which can be a big help when looking at which teams to stack or which pitchers to fade - are the Reds (5.2), the Nationals (4.8), the Twins (4.8), the Red Sox (4.7) the Royals (4.7) and finally the Blue Jays (4.7). As for the biggest favorites, which can be helpful when looking for cash game pitchers (or the reverse, as it can help you find which pitchers to load up against) are the Dodgers (-253), the Nationals (-202) and the Cubs (-170). After that, there isn't that much that is noteworthy. One interesting fact I did read, however, was that this is the first time Zack Greinke (who faces the Dodgers) has been a +250 or higher underdog since 2008, back when he was with the Royals.

Now that we got that out of the way, shall we dance?

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Offensive Stacks

Minnesota Twins versus Dylan Covey

The Twins are definitely an intriguing stack this evening. As Vegas lines tend to do, things have shifted a bit since run totals, over/unders, moneylines were first released, and of the teams in the top 5 for projected run totals today, only the Twins have trended upward, currently sitting at an implied total of 4.9 runs. After a somewhat slow start, this lineup has picked it up of late, and they'll look to continue the trend today in what is a pretty opportune matchup. They'll face off with White Sox rookie right-hander Dylan Covey. Covey has never pitched above the AA level, and while his numbers are nothing to laugh at, his strikeout numbers per nine are respectable (7.9),  but he's proven to be wild around the plate as well. In 2016, he owned an ugly 5.22 BB/9 and that's something that can get him into trouble early today. The Twins I have my eyes on are Brian Dozier, Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, and Joe Mauer would be my fourth. Sano, Kepler and Dozier all own ISO splits against right-handers that are above .200 over the course of the past year.

Also Consider: Boston Red Sox versus Chris Archer (GPP only)

FanDuel DFS Pitchers

Noah Syndegaard - SP, at MIA ($11,200)

Admittedly, this was not an easy call by any stretch of the imagination. Anytime you have complete studs like Thor, Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg pitching on the same day - and none of which are facing each other - you're left with a tough choice to make. I landed on Syndegaard for a few reasons, which I'll get into in a second, but this is certainly not meant to steer anyone away from using Kershaw - especially for those who have confidence in him. He'll likely be the chalk, and perhaps for good reason. In addition to the lower price, I just prefer Syndegaard's matchup. To start, Syndegaard faces a projected lineup with a higher K% and a lower team wOBA split than the one Kershaw is expected to face. Noah also takes the mound at the more favorable pitcher's park tonight, which is an upgrade than his home park in Queens. He also has the edge in HR/9 and K/9 this season. Yes, those samples are small, but in them we also find that Syndegaard has a considerable edge in batted ball distance allowed this season, ground balls induced, and a much lower hard hit rate. Roll with Thor this evening and use the extra cash you've pocketed to bulk up your lineup.

Julio Teheran - SP, vs SDP ($8,500)

For my tournament readers, let's roll the dice a bit. Teheran can be a bit of a wild card with his high variance scoring outcomes, but honestly, that's all part of the game in tournaments. You have to take on some risk, save some cash (more often than not, but not always), and find a pitcher that has the opportunity to punch out 7-10 guys via the strikeout. It's not an easy thing to do and it can be hard to convince yourself to take on some risk. I'll admit today's matchup doesn't look as risky on the surface, but you never know what you'll end up with when rostering Teheran and his elevated fly-ball rate. I like today's opportunity mainly because we've seen Teheran be effective this year, his strikeout rate per nine innings is above eight, he faces a paltry Padres lineup that has struck out in nearly 28% of at-bats versus right-handed pitching this year, and he faces them in what is one of the most favorable pitching parks of the day. He may not fly under the radar as much as we'd ideally like a GPP pitcher to, but he offers enough salary relief where you can load up your lineup with home run threats.

Also Consider: Clayton Kershaw - SP, vs ARI ($12,600) - Cash; Stephen Strasburg - SP, vs PHI ($9,900) - GPP option/salary relief

 

FanDuel DFS Infielders

Manny Pina - C, at CIN ($2,200)

Stop me if you've heard this before, but the catcher cupboard is quite bare today. A few of my often-deemed "top matchups," guys who can save you some cash and hit the long ball, like James McCann and Wellington Castillo, don't have good splits tonight. As such, I moved down the list to look for a catcher that can save me some cash but also provide upside in the form of potential home runs or extra base hits. Pina has quietly gotten off to a solid start this year, provides a ton of salary relief, and gets a nice ballpark upgrade today. He also happens to play for one of the teams with the highest projected run total, which is quite favorable, and he also owns an ISO split against right-handed pitchers that is 148 points higher than his southpaw splits. If there was a time to take on the risk of rostering a bottom-third-of-the-order catcher, that time is today.

Also Consider: Victor Martinez - C, at CLE ($2,600)

Miguel Cabrera - 1B, at CLE ($3,600)

Miggy hasn't had the hottest start to his 2017 campaign to say they least, but he finally broke out yesterday, crushing a home run and piling up 24.9 FanDuel points in the process. The nice thing about that is that his salary has crawled downward and we get him at a more ideal price - a figure that he can and should surpass value at. Over the past year, Cabrera owns very impressive splits against right-handers, posting a .397 wOBA and a .255 ISO.

Also Consider: Eric Thames - 1B, at CIN ($2,500) - GPP option

Brian Dozier - 2B, vs CWS ($3,700)

There's very little not to love about Mr. Dozier. He's a power-hitting second baseman that can hit for average, too, and is slotted in the leadoff spot, which is quite literally the most opportune spot we can consider for DFS roster construction. On top of that, he is an opposite splits guy, meaning he has better splits over the last year when facing right-handed pitching (despite him being a right-handed hitter himself) and could go a little overlooked tonight on this big slate. Those splits I mentioned are quite impressive. Have a look for yourself: .368 wOBA, .263 ISO and a .536 slugging percentage. That'll play.

Also Consider: Jonathan Villar - 2B, at CIN ($3,500) - GPP option

Mike Moustakas - 3B, vs LAA ($3,000)

The steadily-improving Moustakas has picked up where he left off in the power department of his 2016 campaign and entered 2017 with a bang. The lefty slugger has always had a knack for hitting right-handed pitching hard, and he'll have the opportunity to do so tonight at a very cheap price. Moose is currently projected to hit as high as second in the order tonight, and his .395 wOBA and .329 ISO splits create both an incredibly high floor and high ceiling.

Also Consider: Nick Castellanos - 3B, at CLE ($3,000) - GPP only

Aledmys Diaz - SS, at NYY ($3,600)

Diaz has somewhat quietly produced big time split numbers against right-handed pitching in the last year, posting a .385 wOBA and .245 ISO. Seeing as he has positive reverse splits, he could go under the radar this evening, and he does get a slight park upgrade moving from St. Louis to the Bronx in this matchup. Additionally, his direct competition - Masahiro Tanaka - has been struggling in a number of areas. Most notably, he's been dealing with elbow issues, a decrease in velocity, and right-handed hitters have posted over a .400 wOBA in his last few starts.

Also Consider: Francisco Lindor - SS, vs DET ($4,100)

 

FanDuel DFS Outfielders

Michael Conforto - OF, at MIA ($2,800)

I find it quite amusing that Conforto is listed at such a discount price. Yes. we're very early into a long season, but he's been mashing the ball and hitting near the top of the order. There isn't a lot more you can ask for from an outfielder priced under $3,000. But wait, there is more. Over the last season, Conforto owns splits against right-handed pitching that are quite beautiful, posting a .357 wOBA and .251 ISO.

Adam Duvall - OF, vs MIL ($3,600)

Duvall wasn't one of the outfielders that immediately looked enticing, but a dig into his peripheral stats revealed he could be a stellar option this evening, particularly in tournament formats. The slugger that burst onto the scene in 2016 has an opportune matchup tonight in one of the best parks for power hitters at Great American. Over the last year, Duvall has posted a .265 ISO split and maintained a hard-hit rate at or above 35%. His opposition, Tommy Milone, has allowed over a .360 wOBA and .500 slugging percentage split to right-handed hitters, which bodes well for Duvall and a few of his teammates.

Also Consider: Mike Trout - OF, at KC ($5,100) and Curtis Granderson - OF, at MIA ($2,900)

 

MLB News & Injury Alerts

 

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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Aaron Judge

Headlines AL Silver Slugger Award Winners
Terry McLaurin

Officially Ruled Out for Week 10
Kelly Olynyk

Cleared to Play on Friday
Jeremy Sochan

Available to Play Friday Against Houston
Puka Nacua

Will Play in Week 10
Steven Adams

Cleared to Face the Spurs
De'Andre Hunter

Available on Friday
Luke Kennard

Ruled Out Friday Against the Raptors
Kyshawn George

Ruled Out Versus Cleveland
William Eklund

Moved to Injured Reserve
Cam Thomas

Out 3-4 Weeks
Gustav Nyquist

Expected to Remain Out Friday
Luguentz Dort

Will Miss Friday's Meeting with Sacramento
Thatcher Demko

Questionable to Play This Weekend
Brock Purdy

Questionable Again, Won't Start in Week 10
Austin Reaves

Out Again on Saturday
Rasmus Dahlin

Takes Leave of Absence
Filip Hallander

to Miss at Least Three Months With Blood Clot
Domantas Sabonis

Will Not Play Friday vs. the Thunder
Kevin Bahl

a Game-Time Call Friday
Patrick Kane

Returns to Action Friday
Garrett Wilson

Listed as Questionable for Week 10, Expected to Play
Shohei Ohtani

Headlines List of NL Silver Slugger Winners
MLB

Munetaka Murakami Officially Being Posted on Friday
Alvin Kamara

Listed as Questionable for Week 10
De'Aaron Fox

To Make Season Debut On Saturday
Aaron Jones Sr.

Questionable for Week 10
Brian Thomas Jr.

Ruled Out For Week 10
D'Andre Swift

Listed as Questionable for Week 10
J.K. Dobbins

Getting Second Opinion on Foot Injury
Collin Sexton

Downgraded from Probable to Doubtful on Friday
LaMelo Ball

Downgraded to Doubtful on Friday
Kyler Murray

Expected to Return This Season
Yves Missi

Remains Sidelined on Saturday
Al Horford

Tagged as Questionable on Friday
Anthony Edwards

Available for Friday's NBA Cup Game
Harold Fannin Jr.

Questionable for Sunday
Justin Fields

Jets Refusing to Name Starting QB; Justin Fields Expected to Get the Nod
Luke Kennard

Considered Questionable on Friday
Shedeur Sanders

Back in QB2 Role in Week 10
Kayshon Boutte

Ruled Out in Week 10 Against Tampa
Kyshawn George

Downgraded to Questionable on Friday
Rhamondre Stevenson

Officially Ruled Out for Week 10
Tetairoa McMillan

Questionable to Play With Hamstring Injury
Rico Dowdle

Cleared to Play Against Saints
Harold Fannin Jr.

Back at Friday's Practice, on Track to Play Sunday?
DeForest Buckner

Placed on Injured Reserve With Neck Injury
Chris Godwin

Will be Ruled Out in Week 10
Jordan Poole

Out with Quad Strain
Bucky Irving

Still Not Practicing, Won't Play in Week 10
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Available vs. Hornets
Norman Powell

Available vs. Hornets
Randy Brown

Set For UFC Vegas 111 Main Event
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Joseph Morales

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 111
Matt Schnell

Set For UFC Vegas 111 Co-Main Event
Uros Medic

Aims To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Muslim Salikhov

Looks For His Fourth Consecutive Win
Chris Padilla

Looks To Remain Unbeaten In The UFC
Chris Kreider

Extends Goal Streak to Four Games
Ismael Bonfim

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Nikita Kucherov

Lifts Lightning Past Golden Knights
Marco Tulio

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Jalen Chatfield

Injured in Thursday's WIn
Christian Leroy Duncan

Set To Open Up UFC Vegas 111 Main Card
Dougie Hamilton

Exits Early Thursday
Anthony Cirelli

Expected to Be Fine for Saturday
Michael Misa

Sharks Place Michael Misa on Injured Reserve
Kyle Tucker

Headlines List of 13 Players to Receive Qualifying Offers
Pete Fairbanks

Becomes a Free Agent
Filip Hallander

Out Against Capitals
Tyson Kozak

Available Versus Blues
Cody Glass

Returns to Action Thursday
Connor Brown

Out on Thursday
Mats Zuccarello

Could Be an Option Friday
Matt Duchene

Remains Out Thursday
Roope Hintz

a Game-Time Call Thursday
CFB

Luke Fickell Will Return as Wisconsin's Head Coach in 2026
Bo Bichette

Blue Jays Extend Qualifying Offer to Bo Bichette
Craig Stammen

Named Padres New Manager
K'Andre Miller

Could Return to Action Thursday
Jorge Polanco

Declines his 2026 Option to Become a Free Agent
Chris Sale

Braves Picking Up Chris Sale's 2026 Option
Michael Thorbjornsen

Poised to Continue Hot Play in Mexico
Davis Riley

Struggling to Find Form Ahead of World Wide Technology Championship
Taylor Montgomery

Leaning on Putter at World Wide Technology Championship
Stephan Jaeger

Offers Strong Value at World Wide Technology Championship
Ben Griffin

Looks to Stay Hot at El Cardonal
Nick Dunlap

Looking to Find His Game at El Cardonal
Wyndham Clark

Searching for Consistency at El Cardonal
Michael Brennan

Aims to Extend Fairytale Start at El Cardonal
Shane Bieber

Staying in Toronto for 2026
Salvador Perez

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Royals
Trevor Story

Opts in for Remaining Two Years on his Contract
Yu Darvish

to Miss All of 2026 Following Flexor-Tendon Surgery
Shota Imanaga

Becomes a Free Agent
Luis Robert Jr.

White Sox Pick Up 2026 Option on Luis Robert Jr.
CFB

LJ Martin Expected to Play in Top-10 Matchup Against Texas Tech
PGA

LIV Golf Expanding To 72-Hole Format In 2026
Atlanta Braves

Braves Hire Walt Weiss as Their Next Manager
Kris Bubic

Cleared to Begin a Throwing Program
Brandon Woodruff

Declines Mutual Option for 2026
Freddy Peralta

Brewers Exercise 2026 Option on Freddy Peralta
Lucas Giolito

Declines his 2026 Player Option
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Sixth at Procore Championship
PGA

Matti Schmid Finishes Tied for 46th at Baycurrent Classic
Keith Mitchell

Finishes Tied for 10th at Baycurrent Classic
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied for 21st at Genesis Championship
Mackenzie Hughes

Misses The Cut at Sanderson Farms Championship
Max Greyserman

Finishes Second at Baycurrent Classic
Austin Eckroat

Finishes Tied for 56th at Baycurrent Classic
Luke Clanton

Finishes Tied for 56th at Bank of Utah Championship
Pete Alonso

Officially Opts Out of his Contract With Mets
Kyle Larson

Wins His Second NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix
Ryan Blaney

Concludes the 2025 Season with A Win at Phoenix
William Byron

Strong Championship Effort Ends With Late-Race Flat-Tire Crash
Denny Hamlin

Overtime Four-Tire Call Costs Denny Hamlin the Championship
Chase Briscoe

Championship Bid Never Really Started After Two Tire Failures
Brad Keselowski

Nearly Steals Phoenix Race
David Onama

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Steve Garcia

Scores First-Round TKO Win
Ante Delija

Suffers His First UFC Loss
CFB

Dylan Raiola Suffers Season-Ending Injury
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Gets Knockout Win
Themba Gorimbo

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 110
Jeremiah Wells

Gets Back In The Win Column
Yadier del Valle

Remains Undefeated
Isaac Dulgarian

Cut By UFC Following Submission Loss
Daniel Frunza

Still Winless In The UFC
Charles Radtke

Dominates Daniel Frunza
Allan Nascimento

Gets Submission Win
Austin Cindric

is A Driver to Avoid for Phoenix DFS Lineups
Alex Bowman

Could Alex Bowman be A Sneaky Tournament Play for Phoenix?
Noah Gragson

Should DFS Players Roster Noah Gragson At Phoenix?
Erik Jones

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering for DFS at Phoenix?
Michael McDowell

an Easy Recommendation for DFS at Phoenix
Chase Briscoe

Probably Won't Win the Title
Joey Logano

Could Play Spoiler in Championship Battle at Phoenix
Tyler Reddick

Seeking to End Winless Drought, but Probably Won't Have the Speed
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Looks to Protect Top-10 Points Finish at Phoenix
Brad Keselowski

Hasn't Been Fast at Phoenix With RFK Racing
Daniel Suarez

With Nothing at Stake, Expect Little From Daniel Suarez
Kyle Busch

Qualifies Well, but Will Probably Finish Worse Than he Starts
Chris Buescher

Ryan Preece has a Shot to Overtake Chris Buescher as RFK Racing's Lead Driver
Austin Dillon

Looks to Avoid Finishing Last in NASCAR Playoffs
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Might be a Worthy DFS Option

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP