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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/19/20. Kyle Ringstad's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Gerrit Cole and Jacob deGrom highlight today's 11-game slate on DraftKings, while the Tigers' top pick Casey Mize will take the mound for his big league debut against the White Sox. There are plenty of intriguing arms to consider on this slate, so getting that right will be imperative to success. We also have the Astros hitting at the launch-pad of Coors Field in what is currently projected at a 12.5 run total, so that's certainly something to consider tonight.
I'll be going through some of the best plays at each position on DraftKings with a GPP/tournament lineup build in mind. That's not to say that these players won't work in cash-game lineups, but we're looking to provide high-upside plays for the most part (it's more fun that way, anyway). As a reminder, it is best practice to stack 3-5 hitters from the same team for DFS purposes, so try to envision how the games will play out and build your lineups from there. Utilizing unique lineup combinations (i.e the nine, one, two, and three hitters) is another great way to differentiate.
In this article, I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the DraftKings main slate on 8/19/2020. 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, feel free to contact me on Twitter @kringstad19
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Jacob deGrom - SP, NYM vs MIA ($11,800)
deGrom is an elite pitcher in the MLB and you should know this if you play MLB DFS, or if you've paid any attention to the league in the last seven years. He's coming off two straight Cy Young's and he's off to an incredible start this year, compiling a 2.45 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 2.44 FIP, 32.6% K%, and an incredible 18.5% SwStr% (second only to Shane Bieber). The question will be, is he worth the massive pay-up on Wednesday? My answer is a resounding yes. He's playing the Marlins, a team that's improved offensively over last season, but they still rank just 24th in team wOBA (.305) and SLG (.379). Their .142 ISO ranks 25th in the league and they hold the eighth-highest strikeout rate at 24.9%. The game has a low 7.5-run projected total, and it's hard not to like his matchup and strikeout-upside over Gerrit Cole's against the Rays.
Lance Lynn - SP, TEX vs SDP ($9,200)
Lance Lynn has been incredible this season as he continues to re-establish himself as a consistent, high-end starter in the MLB. After a resurgent 2019, Lynn has a 1.11 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 2.82 FIP, and a 29.8% K% in 2020. He twirled a complete-game gem in Coors Field in his last outing, allowing one earned run on two hits while striking out six. He is limiting hard contact this year (third on the slate at 27.4% Hard%), and though the Padres have been crushing the ball lately, they still profile as a positive matchup for a pitcher as they strike out at a 24% rate against RHP. Lynn will also be pitching in the run-suppressing paradise that is Petco Park, and Vegas has this as the lowest projected total game at just seven runs. Lynn is viable as an SP1 in this spot as he's too cheap relative to his production up to this point.
Other options: Gerrit Cole (NYY vs TB) $11,000, Pablo Lopez (MIA vs NYM) $7,200, Aaron Civale (CLE vs PIT) $9,800
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Howie Kendrick - 1B, WAS vs ATL ($3,600)
Kendrick is very affordably-priced and he should be in a prime spot for production as the Nationals face off against the anemic Kyle Wright, who holds the worst ERA (7.20), WHIP (2.2o), xFIP (6.27), SIERA (7.16), tERA (8.52), walk rate (21.3%), and LD% (31.9%) on the slate. Kendrick is day-to-day with a hamstring injury but as long as he plays, he's a solid option at the 1B position on DraftKings. He's hitting .300/.333/.380 with one home run over 50 at-bats, and even though his advanced metrics aren't pretty, the veteran has been very solid against RHP. He had a .930 OPS with 11 homers against RHP in 2019. Additionally, this game projects to be the highest-scoring non-Coors game, meaning you would be wise to get to as many pieces of it as you can.
Alex Bregman - 3B, HOU vs COL ($6,200)
This price is off-the-charts, but he still projects as a top Astros hitter to use tonight even when factoring in salary. His .267/.371/.489 slash line is a bit less impressive than in years past, but his .374 wOBA, .222 ISO, and incredible plate discipline (13.3% BB% and 13.3% K%) still place him among the game's elite sluggers. Most importantly, he's facing a hittable pitcher at Coors Field in a game with a projected 12.5-run total. Castellani has good surface numbers through two starts, but his underlying metrics are terrible and his 5.6% Soft% and 66.7% Hard% are the worst marks on the slate. Bregman is a very consistent fantasy producer but he hasn't had a huge game since he last homered on 8/9 - look for him to put up another one here.
Jose Ramirez - 3B, CLE vs PIT ($5,300)
The Indians as a whole are in a great spot against southpaw Steven Brault, which means their top hitter should pop out when analyzing this slate. And pop, he does. Ramirez had consecutive games of 28 and 20 DK points before scoring four DK points last night, and he had a monster 44 DK point outing on 8/6 with his two-homer, four-RBI performance. His slash line this season is impressive, he holds a .253 ISO and .393 wOBA, and he has absolutely destroyed LHP this season to the tune of a 1.281 OPS and three homers in just 21 plate appearances.
Other options: Edwin Encarnacion (CHW vs DET) $3,800, Elvis Andrus (TEX vs SD) $3,300, Asdrubal Cabrera (WAS vs ATL) $4,100
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Joey Gallo - OF, TEX vs SD ($4,400)
Opposing pitcher Chris Paddack is one of the game's talented young arms, but he has really struggled to get it going this year as his surface and advanced metrics are terrible. The most eye-popping stats are his .603 xSLG, 52% Hard%, and 2.5 HR/9. These are metrics that the lefty Gallo can really attack, even though he is a reverse platoon splits hitter. In 2019, Gallo had a .333 average and a 1.174 OPS against LHP (.217 average with a .902 OPS against RHP). He holds a .314 ISO, .376 wOBA, and 56.4% hard-hit rate this season. Petco Park and Paddack's former dominance might scare people away, but Gallo is a good bet to knock one out as he has a matchup he can pounce on and has a homer in two of his last three contests.
Nelson Cruz - OF, MIN vs MIL ($5,300)
Speaking of "a good bet to knock one out," enter 40-year-old Nelson Cruz. Cruz is absolutely crushing the cover off the ball this season and he's sporting a .337/.418/.663 slash line with eight home runs, 23 RBI, and 18 runs scored. He holds an absurd .326 ISO, .461 wOBA, and a 48.3% hard-hit rate and has four bombs in his last five games played. Brewers pitcher Brett Anderson holds the highest groundball rate on the slate at 68.4% and he limits hard-contact, but he hasn't been immune to the long ball as his HR/9 sits at 1.6 through three starts (11 innings). He's a hittable lefty and that works for Cruz, who has crushed LHP's his whole career and holds a ludicrous 1.690 OPS against them this season.
Victor Robles - OF, WAS vs ATL ($2,400)
It's tough recommending a hitter who slots in at the nine-spot every game, but he's a great salary-saver at this dirt-cheap price. Robles isn't off to a scorching start this year, hitting .267/.371/.367 with one home run, seven RBI, and four runs scored. He also doesn't have a steal after going 28-for-37 in stolen bases last season. He did put up a double and two walks on 8/18 against the Braves, and he'll get another crack at bargain-bin production against the very-hittable Kyle Wright (see Kendrick, Howie above). He's overdue for a stolen base or two against the inexperienced pitcher. Note: Juan Soto is the obvious stud to lock-in if you're going with Nationals today.
Other options: Josh Reddick (HOU vs COL) $4,800, Justin Upton (LAA vs SF) $2,700, Starling Marte (ARI vs OAK) $3,700, George Springer (HOU vs COL) $5,900
DraftKings DFS Stacks
The Nationals are the top spot of the night, facing Kyle Wright and all of his slate-worst metrics. The Astros are in Coors Field and facing Ryan Castallani, who has been very solid this season. However, his 3.70 FIP and 5.53 tERA don't back up his 1.04 ERA, and his 66.7% Hard% and 5.6% Soft% are the worst marks on the slate. The Yankees could be in for a big output against the struggling Tyler Glasnow, who has a 7.04 ERA and a 1.8 HR/9 rate. Cleveland is also in a potentially juicy spot against an innings-capped Steven Brault and the Pirates subpar bullpen.
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