RADIO
We've hit the last Thursday of the regular season of the MLB calendar. There's no need to get too sentimental, but it's been a pleasure guiding you to (hopefully) cashing lineups throughout the season. It's time to close the season strong, so read up.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 9/28/17. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. Let's get to it, shall we?
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @DanMarcus3.
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DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider
Sonny Gray vs. TB (DK- $11,700, FD- $9,200)
The Rays rank among the worst offenses in the league throughout the second half of the season and Sonny Gray continues to post solid numbers regardless of matchup. He he has even seen an uptick in strikeouts this month posting 9.10 K/9. He is the second highest priced pitcher on each site, making it likely that he is highly owned, but he is a strong play in cash games.
Julio Teheran, @ MIA (DK - $8,400, FD - $8,100)
Julio Teheran has quietly been strong throughout the second half of the season after a disastrous stretch through the middle of the season. He too, has seen his strikeouts rise throughout the second half of the season and his results on the road have been especially impressive as he has held opponents to a 2.84 ERA. Thursday, he draws a road start against the Marlins, who have been a distinctly mediocre lineup of late. That makes him a strong tournament option that also provides salary relief from the elite pitching options on the slate.
DFS Infielders to Consider
Bruce Maxwell - C, @ TEX (DK - $2,900, FD - $2,700)
Miguel Gonzalez has gotten destroyed in his past few starts after posting consecutive months of solid performance. A big issue for him has been facing left-handed hitters as he has allowed a .364 wOBA and 5.82 xFIP against them this season. Thus, even though Maxwell hasn’t exactly been crushing the ball, he can handle the bat against righties and comes at the right price for a prime matchup.
Anthony Rizzo - 1B, @ STL (DK - $5,100, FD - $3,900)
Lance Lynn has cured his home run woes in the second half of the season, as he has gone from allowing 1.76 HR/9 to .69 HR/9 from the first to second half of the season. However, he still struggles against lefties, as he has a 6.21 FIP and 5.87 xFIP along with allowing 1.77 HR/9 when facing them this season. Rizzo hasn’t been on the same kind of tear as Kris Bryant of late, but the matchup is a positive one for him nonetheless.
Daniel Murphy - 2B, vs. PIT (DK - $4,700, FD - $3,400)
Ivan Nova has allowed 1.79 HR/9 to lefties throughout the course of the season and 1.96 HR/9 to all batters throughout the second half of the season. That adds up to the possibility for a lot of damage by the Nationals’ lineup, making Murphy a strong option at second base.
Derek Dietrich - 3B, vs. ATL (DK - $3,800, FD - $3,400)
Dietrich has had his most productive stretch of the season in September, posting a .563 slugging percentage and a 131 wRC+, so this is a matter of playing the hot hand. As already highlighted, Julio Teheran has been much better on the road this season so the matchup isn’t the best, but for the cost and recent production Dietrich is worthy of a GPP look.
Dansby Swanson - SS, @ MIA (DK - $3,800, FD - $3,000)
Swanson has been largely a disappointment this season but he gets a plus matchup on Thursday against Dillon Peters who has looked completely overmatched in his first major league innings. The Braves aren’t necessarily the team to take advantage of that, but Swanson comes at a nice price with some upside attached based on a positive platoon split.
DFS Outfielders to Consider
Lorenzo Cain - OF, vs. DET (DK - $4,500, FD - $3,500)
The Tigers have allowed 5.27 earned runs per game this season, worst in the major leagues. Daniel Norris taking the hill on Thursday isn’t likely to improve that stat, so Kansas City should in line for plenty of runs. Cain provides an excellent floor because of that, combined with the fact has hit a strong .336 over the second-half of the season, producing a 127 wRC+ in that span.
Jason Heyward - OF, vs. STL (DK - $3,300, FD - $3,100)
Lance Lynn’s struggles against lefties have already been highlighted earlier in the article, but Heyward, too, is a strong play on Thursday. He is currently posting his highest slugging percentage in any month of the season and is finally showing off some upside to his production.
Kole Calhoun - OF, @ CHW (DK - $4,000, FD - $3,100)
Dylan Covey has been terrible any way you look at his splits, so jamming Angels into your lineup is advisable for Thursday’s slate. Calhoun is one of the easiest to fit, though he obviously doesn’t come with the same upside as Mike Trout or Justin Upton. Calhoun hasn’t been hitting the ball especially well of late, but this game should have plenty of Angels’ offense for him to be a part of.
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