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Kevin Luchansky highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 8/24/18, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
Happy Friday, Rotoballers. We made it to the weekend, and we're graced with an interesting 14-game Main slate this evening. Only the Reds at Cubs are playing in the afternoon, with 28 teams taking the field under the lights. Pitching options aren't very "top end", but they're priced as such and will allow for spending up on big bats.
Before we dive into player analysis, let's take a look at a few Vegas lines that should help us craft our lineups. Six teams have implied run totals of 5 runs or greater, starting with the Cardinals at 5.4, followed by the Rockies (5.2), Yankees (5.2), and the Indians, Dodgers and Nationals all right at 5.0. As for the moneyline, the Dodgers are the biggest favorites at -237, followed by the Indians (-194), Braves (-187), Yankees (-170), Diamondbacks (-166), and the Astros (-165).
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 8/24/18. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and other sports too. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me up on Twitter @kpLuch.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Rich Hill - SP, vs SDP ($8,800)
Hill has failed to reach value in three straight, but he had quite a run of tough opponents in hard environments, and still managed 28 FanDuel points or more in each. He's been priced down, and draws a really fantastic matchup against the most strikeout heavy lineup in the majors - one that will be without the services of southpaw masher Christian Villanueva. Thus far in 2018, Hill has posted a solid 1.1 WHIP and a strong K/9 mark of 10.4 The Padres projected lineup tonight owns a 28% K rate against lefties and has posted a lowly .294 wOBA split. San Diego currently has the lowest implied run total of any team at 3.1 and the Dodgers are the biggest favorites in Vegas tonight with a -237 line. At this bargain price and with strong strikeout projections, Hill can be used in all formats tonight.
CC Sabathia - SP, at BAL ($7,800)
Sabathia has been pitching better of late and looks like one of the best bargains on the board. He's not quite cash game safe in my opinion, but the cost savings and high strikeout outlook makes him a nice GPP option. He's struck out 19 batters in his last 11 innings pitched and goes down to Baltimore tonight to face a team whose projected lineup has a 26.7% K rate against lefties this season and just a .261 wOBA split. Sabathia owns a 7.9 K/9 this season and he's been excellent at keeping hitters of balance and limiting hard contact in the month of August.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Ryan Zimmerman - 1B, at NYM ($3,600)
Zimmerman is a tremendous value at this price point. He draws a fantastic matchup against an awful pitcher in Jason Vargas, he has good lineup context (Nationals have one of the highest projected run totals) and his splits and batted ball profile of late (52% hard hit rate in last 12 games) are very strong. His .476 wOBA represents a high points floor, and the .310 ISO screams home run upside. As such, he's one of my favorite overall plays across the entire board this evening.
Cesar Hernandez - 2B, at TOR ($2,500)
Speaking of value, being able to grab a talented leadoff man for a team projected for 4.8 runs at this salary price point is a real steal. Hernandez draws a good matchup in Toronto and the switch-hitter has a pretty strong .356 wOBA split this season against southpaws. He's a stolen base threat as well, which gives him a higher ceiling than most in this price tier.
Anthony Rendon - 3B, at NYM ($4,300)
Getting a bunch of power right-handed Nationals bats into your lineup tonight is going to be optimal. Jason Vargas has been torched by righties this year, to the tune of a .416 wOBA and a massive .604 slugging percentage. Rendon just so happens to be hitting the ball well (40% hard hit rate over the past two weeks) and boasts strong splits in the wOBA (.405) and ISO (.277) categories.
Paul DeJong - SS, at COL ($3,600)
DeJong not only gets the most major of park upgrades, but he also draws a pretty desirable matchup against Antonio Senzatela - who has allowed 42% hard contact to right-handed batters this season. DeJong is a reverse splits guy and performs well in righty-righty situations, posting a solid .335 wOBA and a strong .202 ISO against them this season. He also appears locked in, posting a 52% hard hit rate over the Cardinals' past four series played.
Also Consider for Infielders: Matt Carpenter - 1B, at COL ($4,500); Brian Dozier - 2B, vs SDP ($3,300)
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Carlos Gonzalez - OF, vs STL ($3,800)
Miles Mikolas has been a good pitcher this year, but his numbers are helped by the fact he's been better at home and has dominated right-handed batters. Pitching at Coors tonight is another story, as he's going to face a handful of talented lefty bats that are hot right now. Gonzalez is a nice value here, and he's been tearing the cover off the ball (48% hard hit rate last 11 games). He also boasts a near elite .401 wOBA split to go with a strong .243 ISO. I'm a big fan of him, as well as left-handed hitting outfield mates Charlie Blackmon and David Dahl.
Ender Inciarte - OF, at MIA ($2,700)
If you're looking for a bargain bin priced outfielder with good lineup context, Inciarte is your man tonight. He's facing off against one of the worst starting pitchers in the bigs in Dan Straily, one that has allowed a .363 wOBA to lefties and 44% hard contact this season. Inciarte boasts a .316 wOBA split and has a 47% hard hit rate in the past two weeks.
