RADIO
Baseball is back! Yes, Opening Day is upon us, and we have every team in action to get the to get the season started. There is a three game early slate, and a 12 game main slate, which starts a 3:05pm est.
I will be referring to stats and notes from last season, since we have nothing to work with as of yet. As the season goes on, we'll get into all of the good stats and info, to bring the best quality I can.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 3/29/18. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me up on Twitter @DFS_Tom.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
The first slate of the year means a few things, one of which, is a ton of aces on the mound, something we don't see often throughout the year. With names like Kershaw, Sale, Scherzer, and Kluber, on the slate, its easy to stick with those top guys. But with every team in action, there are fantastic hitting options you want to roster, so let's take a look at some pitchers, who are slightly cheaper, since those top pitchers are a bit obvious.
Luis Severino - P, NYY @ TOR (FD - $10,000)
Severino is coming off a fantastic season, and should be considered one of the top pitchers in the league, just a notch below the mentioned aces. He finished last season with a 29% strikeout rate vs both left-handed hitters and right-handed hitters. He averaged well over one strikeout per inning last season, and is now up against a Blue Jays team, who had a strikeout rate of 21% against right-handed pitchers last season. He is a bit cheaper compared to the top options, and you can make a case for him in your cash game, since the is a solid matchup. We should be looking at around 7 or more strikeouts for Severino, making him a great play at his price, and nice pivot off of the top stars.
Dylan Bundy - P, BAL vs MIN (FD - $7,100)
Bundy makes a GPP option only, and with his cheap price, he allows you to load up on the offense. He had a 26% strikeout rate vs right-handed hitters last year, but was also giving over one HR/9 to both righties and lefties. This is where the risk comes in, since he is a fly ball pitcher, in a hitters park. Bundy had a fly ball rate of 46% or higher vs both types of hitters, but he's right around the league average when it comes to HR/FB%, at 10% for left-handed hitters, and 12% for right-handed hitters. The Twins had a 21.7% strikeout rate vs right-handed pitchers last season, so the upside is there, just know it comes with a bit of risk.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Jose Abreu - 1B, CWS @ KAN (FD - $3,900)
Abreu and the White Sox are a team on the rise this year, and they start off the season in a good spot to get some scoring started early. He is up against Danny Duffy who had a .329 wOBA against right-handed hitters, along with 0.85 HR/9. Abreu had a .428 wOBA and a 173 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers last season. Not the best hitters park in the league, but the upside, and career consistency is there for him.
Jose Altuve - 2B, HOU @ TEX (FD - $4,300)
Alutve had an amazing season last year, and will continue to be one of the top fantasy plays this season, so no reason to fade him. He has a super favorable matchup in front of him on opening day, so we should be looking at him as one of the top cash plays on the board. He is up against Cole Hamels who had a .324 wOBA against right-handed hitters last season, while Altuve had a .412 wOBA against left-handed pitchers. This is also a very favorable park for Altuve and the Astros, so if you want to stack you can, but know they are very expensive.
Mike Moustakas - 3B, KAN vs CWS (FD - $3,300)
Moustakas is one of the core players for the Royals, and has some good success against right-handed pitchers, making him a solid option across the board. Last season he had a .353 wOBA against right-handed pitchers, along with a 119 wRC+. This puts him in a good spot, since he is up against James Shields, who gave up 1.44 HR/9 last season. Moustakas always has a bit of power upside, and this matchup certainly plays to that.
Manny Machado - BAL vs MIN (FD - $3,900)
Machado and the Orioles are in a great spot to put up some home runs, as they are known for. They are up against Jake Odorizzi, who gave up 2.08 HR/9 to right-handed hitters last season, putting Machado in a great spot. Last year, Machado had a .322 wOBA and a 98 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers. I think Machado is solid for cash games, while a full Baltimore stack makes an interesting pivot off of the Astros, Nationals or Yankees.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Rhys Hoskins - OF, PHI @ ATL (FD - $3,700)
We all know that Hoskins had an electric showing in his first season, which was only 50 games, so hopefully we should be in much of the same this year. He is up against Julio Teheran, who gave up 1.44 HR/9 last season to right-handed hitters, putting Hoskins in a good spot with his power upside. Speaking of power, Hoskins had a .333 ISO and a 161 wRC+ vs right-handed pitchers last year. Good all-around spot for him, and with a full slate of games, no need to be worried about ownership in tournaments.
Andrew Benintendi - OF, BOS @ TAM (FD - $3,100)
Benintendi makes more of a GPP option on this slate, since he is up against a tougher pitcher, and not the best hitters park. He does have big splits, so we want to target him when he is up against right-handed pitchers like today. Last season he had .178 ISO and a 111 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers, and for a young player that is solid, in what should be a powerful offense. This is why he could be good in a stack, since he is surrounded by an offense with power upside, he alone doesn't make the best play, but used in a stack is where he can exceed value.
Billy Hamilton - OF, CIN vs WAS (FD - $2,900)
Hamilton is a bit of a cheaper option, and offers some upside, which doesn't come from power. Last season he finished second in the league with 59 stolen bases, which means good upside, at a cheaper price. Yes, this isn't an amazing matchup for him, as he is going up against Max Scherzer, but you aren't rostering Hamilton for the power, you are hoping he gets a simple single, then once on base is where he can cause damage, and get you some points.
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