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Thursday represents one of the more tumultuous slates of the young 2020 season due to the uncertainty surrounding many starting pitchers across the league. There is no runaway ace that should dominate cash or GPP games alike, paving the way for lots of uncertainty and diverse lineups.
Due to the nature of the pricing of many of the slates pitchers, owners need not stress about getting up to full salary allotments across the board.
In this article, I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 8/6/2020. Be sure to also check out all the MLB player news including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like DraftKings, and other sports too.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Tyler Chatwood - P, CHC @ KC ($9,600)
Chatwood is the top arm Thursday in the wake of his breakout start to the 2020 year. His sky high price tag is likely the result of his advantageous matchup against a Royals offense that has been stuck in first gear for most of the first two weeks, in addition to his newly-refined cutter, which he has thrown 49 times through his first two starts and not yielded a hit. Never known as a strikeout pitcher, Chatwood has posted a gaudy 40.4 K% to open the year; with high-strikeout bats such as Jorge Soler and Ryan O'Hearn lined up against him, the righty definitely merits legitimate conversation, even with a likely large level of exposure coming his way.
Nate Pearson - P, TOR @ ATL ($7,500)
In his big league debut, Pearson traded zeros with Nationals ace Max Scherzer. On Wednesday, he was bumped up to being listed as the No. 9 overall prospect in the Majors, per MLB Pipeline. For his next challenge, he battles a stout Atlanta lineup that features Ronald Acuna Jr., Freddie Freeman, and Marcell Ozuna; but the Braves’ starting nine is playing at less than full strength with Ozzie Albies (wrist) and Matt Adams (hamstring) unavailable.
Having averaged 96.1 mph on his fastball against Washington, Pearson struck out five batters across five scoreless frames. Through 12 games, Atlanta had amassed 13 more strikeouts (132) than any other team and are now tasked with facing a prospect wunderkind that averaged 10.5 K/9 in 2019. Having pitched a Class A Advanced as recently as last season, there is some refinement ahead for Pearson, but his price tag lends way to making room for some of the higher-priced bats.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Yasmani Grandal - C, CWS v. Josh Lindblom ($2,700)
The first home run of the 2020 year has proven elusive for Grandal, but that hasn’t meant that he has failed to be productive. He enters play Thursday on a five-game hit streak, having gotten in the scoring column in FanDuel in nine of his first 10 games. There is little reliable Statcast info on Lindblom due to his recent big league return, but with few guarantees at the catcher/first base slot, Grandal presents an excellent cash play due to his on-base skills.
Ketel Marte - 2B, ARI v. Brandon Bielak ($2,900)
Pricing Marte has been difficult as of late, but with the Thursday slate being released before his first pitch Wednesday, he has the advantage of having collected a multi-hit performance, yet remaining at a juicy price point for owners. A staple at the top of the Arizona batting order, he faces another rookie in Bielak, a matchup that should be exploitable. With such a small sample size early on in 2020, sometimes taking an established bat at a low price point is as simple as it gets.
Brian Anderson - 3B, MIA @ TBD ($3,100)
While indicators are positive that Anderson collected a hit and RBI in each game of Wednesday’s doubleheader, owners will want to make sure that he’s back in the lineup after playing two games in one day. Baltimore had not yet announced who would be starting as of Wednesday night, but Anderson’s .970 OPS makes him a threat no matter who the Orioles run out on the mound.
Bo Bichette - SS, TOR @ Touki Toussaint ($2,700)
A two-hit performance Wednesday now gives Bichette two hits collected in three of his first six games to begin the year. For a leadoff hitter with significant pop in his bat, this price tag feels too low, especially considering that he’ll face off with Toussaint, who is just finding his footing as a big league starter. Factor in that Bichette unleashed a 105.4 MPH lineout Wednesday, and his bat represents the hottest in the Blue Jays’ order entering play Thursday.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Avisail Garcia - OF, MIL @ Gio Gonzalez ($2,800)
After having opened the year in the bottom half of the Brewers’ order, Garcia appears to have claimed a spot up near the top with injuries ravaging the Milwaukee outfield. The Brewers have one of the more stackable offenses Thursday as they matchup with Gonzalez, who has been slammed by right-handed bats this year to the tune of a .421 average and 1.206 OPS. Entering play Wednesday, Garcia’s sweet spot percentage (35.3%) and walk rate (17.2%) are on pace to be career bests, early indicators that he is both swinging the bat and seeing pitches well.
Kyle Schwarber - OF, CHC @ Brad Keller ($2,800)
Looking for bats that are peppering the ball to begin 2020? Look no further than Schwarber, who ranked in the top-two percentile in exit velocity (96.1 MPH) entering play Wednesday and had hit the ball hard more than half of the time that he put it in play (52% Hard Hit rate). Matching up against the season debut of Keller, Schwarber gets to potentially feast on a righty after having mashed 32 homers against RHP in 2019. More of a GPP play, Schwarber offers terrific upside with his power potential in a ballpark that is in the top third of park factor in runs scored to begin the year.
Jonathan Villar - OF, MIA @ TBD ($2,600)
Much in the same ilk as Anderson, owners will want to make sure that Villar is a thumbs up to play following having taken the field in both legs of Wednesday’s doubleheader. His spot at the top of the order appears assured should he be in the lineup, and following a rough start to the year offensively, he had two hits Wednesday, as well as adding his first stolen base of the year. Both Pedro Severino and Chance Sisco threw out a below average number of baserunners in 2019, which bodes well for Villar should he be able to reach base.
