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After a strange five-game slate last night, we've got a full 13-game slate on tap today with only the Cardinals and White Sox game not playing. There are some prime spots to target, as well as some nice pivots to differentiate your lineups, which can be found here and also in the value plays article in the Premium content. Listening to MLB DFS Quick Hits will also help get you pointed in the right direction.
When looking at the slate, Jacob deGrom and Gerritt Cole pop off the page immediately as the two best arms in the game. They don't have easy match-ups but can certainly put up big numbers against anybody, so you'll need to find some value elsewhere to afford them or go for all value bats if you want to fit them both in your lineup. Just remember, as we saw with Anthony DeSclafani last night, sometimes going full chalk can torpedo a lineup. This article will outline some of the obvious plays and some sneakier ways to go about attacking today's slate.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/14/2020. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports too. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter @SamskiNYC.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Sonny Gray - P, CIN vs PIT ($9,600)
Gray is 2K cheaper than DeGrom, but you can make a pretty strong case that he's pitching better right now with a 3-1 record, 2.25 ERA, and 13.13 K/9. He's upped his SwStr% to 11.9 and is keeping the ball out of the air (22% FB%), which is huge given his home ballpark. The Pirates don't strike out a lot as a team, but they have the second-worst average in the league at .214 and the second-worst SLG at .345. Despite their offensive explosion yesterday, I don't think that this is a lineup that can really do much damage against Gray with the way he's pitching right now.
Frankie Montas - P, OAK @ SF ($8,400)
If you want an elite arm but need to save some money for those high-end bats, then Montas is your guy tonight. Perpetually overlooked because he plays most of his games after East Coast people like me have gone to bed, Montas is now fully stretched out after going seven innings in each of his last two starts - 99 and 86 pitches respectively - putting up 31 and 28.6 DraftKings points in those games; the latter total coming against a talented Astros offense. He has a 1.57 ERA and had big strikeout games against the Mariners and Angels when he had his slider going. The Giants offense also doesn't strikeout a bunch, but they're bottom-ten in SLG and Exit Velocity as a team, and I think Montas can keep them at bay for six or seven innings and pick up a win.
UPDATE: Frankie Montas has been scratched and Jesus Luzardo will start instead.
Other Options: Tyler Chatwood (CHC vs MIL) $9,100, Spencer Howard (PHI vs NYM) $4,000
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Martin Maldonado - C, HOU vs Yusei Kikuchi ($3,500)
There are a few solid mid-priced catching options on the slate, but it's going to be crucial to save money somewhere in your lineup if you want to pay up for two of these good arms. To me, catcher is the best place to save money, and Maldonado is my favorite target to pay down. Yes, I know Kikuchi has been limiting hard contact and looks like a new pitcher this year, but this Astros offense is solid from top to bottom and Maldonado is able to provide value because he has plenty of RBI opportunities even though he hits at the bottom of the lineup. To top it off, he has home runs in two of his last three games and double-digit DraftKings points in each of his last three. Take the salary savings here.
Other Options: Travis d'Arnaud (ATL @ MIA) $4,600, Salvador Perez (KC @ MIN) $4,500
Derek Dietrich - 1B/OF, TEX @ Ryan Castellani ($4,200)
Dietrich probably isn't my favorite play at 1B today, but I wanted to take the time to mention him because I think he'll be an under-owned option today. Even though most people are going to try and get a piece of this Coors Field game, Dietrich was claimed off the scrap heap last week, so he's not on many radars. However, he went 3-3 with a 2B and SB in his first game for Texas, so I would be surprised if they decided to bench him after that. We know that he's historically been a streaky hitter who can put up tremendous fantasy value when he's going strong, so I think he can be a useful piece as one of the cheapest Coors Field options against a young and unproven rookie pitcher.
Other Options: Pete Alonso (NYM at PHI) $4,900, Luke Voit (NYY vs BOS) $4,500, Jesus Aguilar (MIA vs ATL) $4,000, Eric Hosmer (SD at ARI) $3,300
D.J. LeMahieu - 2B, NYY vs Ryan Brasier (bullpen game) ($5,200)
I like a lot of the high-priced 2B tonight, but I also want some exposure to the Yankees lineup against a Boston bullpen that has been truly atrocious this season. They are a bottom-five bullpen in terms of hard contact allowed, and LeMahieu is crushing the ball to the tune of .431/.479/.569. He hits at the top of a Yankee lineup that should score a bunch of runs today, which gives him a solid floor even if he doesn't go 4-for-5 like he did last time out.
Other Options: Garrett Hampson (COL vs TEX) $4,900, Ketel Marte (ARI vs SD) $4,500, Jake Cronenworth (SD at ARI) $2,800
Matt Chapman - 3B, OAK at Johnny Cueto ($5,300)
Matt Chapman is seeing the ball very well right now. He has four home runs in his last six games and has averaged an exit velocity of 100.68 mph over that span. That's absurd. Cueto was a good story on Opening Day, looking solid in his return after a long layoff, but he only has a 6.3% K-BB%, is allowing only 9.1% Soft Contact, and has given up a home run in three straight games. If he makes it four in a row then Chapman is the best bet to be that guy.
Other Options: Alex Bregman (HOU vs SEA) $5,700, Brian Anderson (MIA vs ATL) $4,100, Marwin Gonzalez (MIN vs KC) $3,800
Andres Gimenez - SS, NYM vs Spencer Howard ($2,800)
In order to roster some of the elite arms and bats on this slate, you're going to need to take advantage of these options to save salary. Gimenez is coming in at a ridiculously cheap price given his recent production and Spencer Howard being an uproven arm who got hit hard in his debut against Atlanta. The 21-year-old is not packing much thump for the Mets, but his .286 average and 5 SB give him enough value at his price point. The Mets have been hitting the ball well lately, which should give him ample opportunity to add some runs or RBIs to that statline as well.
Other Options: Carlos Correa (HOU vs SEA) $4,500, Trevor Story (COL vs TEX) $6,200, Chris Taylor (LAD @ LAA) $3,400
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Charlie Blackmon - OF, COL vs Lance Lynn ($6,000)
I know the price is high, but I have to mention Blackmon with the way he's hitting, let alone when he's playing at home. His .472/.506/.681 triple-slash is absolutely absurd and, unsurprisingly, he's hitting even better at home with a .500 average, 2 HR, 11 R, and 13 RBI in 10 games. Lance Lynn is a good arm, but nobody is untouchable in Coors, especially the way Blackmon is swinging the bat right now. His price and the opposing talent may keep him from being as chalky as he would be on other slates, so don't be the hipster that shies away from something because it's popular.
Mookie Betts - OF, LAD vs Patrick Sandoval ($5,600)
Do you think I'm not going to write up a guy that went 4-for-4 with 3 HR and 5 RBI the night before? Betts is on a five-game hitting streak and, as evidenced by last night, is starting to get more comfortable in Dodger Blue. The Dodgers as a team have been ready to breakout for a while. Their ISO and SLG% are both near the top of the league and their K% is second-best. They've been hitting the ball hard all season, but some of their best bats haven't quite gotten going. Sandoval is a solid arm, but he gave up 1.37 HR/9 last year and 1.8 HR/9 this year in an incredibly small sample size. He gives up a fair amount of hard contact and is no match for Mookie when the outfielder is hitting the ball as well as he is.
Eddie Rosario - OF, MIN vs Jakob Junis ($4,500)
The Twins are a pretty solid stack option tonight against Jakob Junis, who's given up 2 HR/9 and only 9.7% soft contact in his two starts this season, not to mention having an identical 10.3% K% and BB%. Junis has always been susceptible to the big fly and has an unsustainable 90.2% of runners left on base this year, which tells me that a blow-up outing is just around the corner. My guess is that it's tonight, and Rosario is one of my favorite targets to take advantage of it. He has hits in his last four games and 3 HR and 8 RBI in his last three. Ride the hot bat and target the weak arm.
Michael Conforto - OF, NYM vs Spencer Howard ($4,000)
How is Conforto this cheap when he has a 10-game hitting streak going and the Mets just scored 19 runs in two games against Washington? He's hitting .333 with 3 HR, 11 RBI, and a .949 OPS on the year and hits in the middle of the lineup, so there are always ample opportunities for runs and RBI. Remember that, even if Howard pitches respectably, the Phillies have the league's worst bullpen with a 10.13 ERA. Yummy.
Other Options: Joey Gallo (TEX at COL) $5,400, Nelson Cruz (MIN vs KC) $3,900, Bryce Harper (PHI vs NYM) $5,200, Shin-Soo Choo (TEX at COL) $4,700, George Springer (HOU vs SEA) $4,600, Jorge Soler (KC at MIN) $4,300, Willie Calhoun (TEX at COL) $4,200, Franmil Reyes (CLE at DET) $4,200, Dylan Moore (SEA at HOU) $3,800, Robbie Grossman (OAK at SF) $2,700
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Texas Rangers at Colorado Rockies (Ryan Castellani, RHP)
- New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies (Spencer Howard, RHP and league's worst bullpen)
- Minnesota Twins vs Kansas City Royals (Jakob Junis, RHP)
- Sneaky Stack - Miami Marlins vs Atlanta Braves (Kyle Wright, RHP)
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