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The main slate is a short one on Thursday, with only eight games. With elite pitchers like Clayton Kershaw and Corey Kluber going, the choice tonight will be between rolling with one of them at their high cost and punting a few hitters, or taking a chance with a second tier option such as Aaron Nola in favor of heavier hitters.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 9/7/17. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.
Let's get to it!
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DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider
Clayton Kershaw, LAD vs. COL (DK - $13,300, FD - $12,000)
If you can find a way to jam Kershaw into your lineups, he’s a no brainer play. In his return from injury, he allowed just two baserunners over six innings to go along with seven strikeouts. Though that was against the Padres, Kershaw has a chance to once again rack up points on Thursday as the Rockies have a 23.6% strikeout rate against lefties this season. You’ll have to get creative with bats to get him in, especially on DK, but the upside is obviously there.
Aaron Nola, PHI @ WAS (DK - $8,500, FD - $8,400)
Nola has had a bit of a rough ride over his past few starts, but he has maintained his strikeouts which is a promising sign. That alone gives him some floor in his performance, and the matchup against the Nationals isn’t the same daunting task it was a few months ago. As a team, the Nationals have just a 101 wRC+ against right-handed pitching for the season and have just an 80 wRC+ over the past 30 days. Nola is still a risk and not one worth taking in cash games on FanDuel, but he is an option on DraftKings to offset the cost of Kershaw.
DFS Infielders to Consider
J.T. Realmuto - C, MIA @ATL (DK - $3,400, FD - $2,600)
The bottom has fallen out a bit for Realmuto in the second half of the season as his average has dipped from .303 in the first half to just .220 in the second half. That goes hand in hand with a strikeout rate that has jumped from 16% to 20%. That being said, Realmuto has already matched his home run total from the first half of the season so his ceiling is intact. Given his matchup against lefty Sean Newcomb on Thursday, that ceiling is within reach as his slugging percentage jumps to .511 when facing lefties.
Eric Hosmer - 1B, KC vs. MIN (DK - $4,400, FD - $3,500)
The first base slate is ugly unless you have the cash to pay all the way up to the likes of Freddie Freeman or Joey Votto. That said, Eric Hosmer is an option if you are looking to pay down a bit. Admittedly, Kyle Gibson has been solid in the second half of the season, having jumped his strikeout rate by 9%. However, the game has one of the highest totals on the night and without other affordable standout options, Hosmer is not a bad fallback.
Ian Happ - 2B, CHC @ PIT (DK - $4,300, FD - $3,200)
Much like first base, there isn’t a lot to love at second base either, unless you are willing to pay all the way up. Scooter Gennett is a nice option, but so are all Reds left-handed hitters. That leads to Ian Happ who will have the opportunity to face a struggling Jameson Taillon. Taillon has allowed four or more earned runs over his past eight starts. The Cubs have an offense clearly capable of capitalizing on that and Happ, who has batted predominantly fifth in recent games, will have the opportunity to be a part of that.
Nolan Arenado - 3B, COL @ LOS (DK - $3,900, FD - $2,600)
Arenado is priced way down on Thursday’s slate for the obvious reason that he is facing Clayton Kershaw. However, if anyone is capable of solving Kershaw, the money would have to be on Arenado. He has posted a ridiculous .841 slugging percentage against lefties on the season and 13 of his 30 home runs have come off them despite only 126 of his 527 at-bats coming against them. Furthermore, Arenado has posted a very respectable .511 slugging percentage against Kershaw for his career.
Dansby Swanson - SS, ATL vs. MIA (DK - $3,300, FD - $3,100)
With very little fanfare, Swanson has slowly come alive of late in an effort to salvage his season. His plate approach has changed for the better as he is posting a 16.7% strikeout rate and 13.5% walk rate in the second half of the season. These numbers are a far cry from his marks over the first half of the season, and that has shown up in his performance as his wOBA has gone from .264 to .337. Meanwhile, Dan Straily has allowed 1.85 HR/9 since the All-Star Break, so the matchup is positive.
DFS Outfielders to Consider
Harrison Bader - OF, STL @ SDP (DK - $3,500, FD - $2,400)
Harrison Bader has come alive of late and much of his damage has come against left-handed pitching. Meanwhile, Clayton Richard has allowed a .531 slugging percentage to opposing right-handed batters and his home/road splits are nearly identical. Bader is far from a sure thing, but he is a great spot for much needed salary relief on Thursday’s slate.
Scott Schebler - OF, CIN @ NYM (DK - $3,500, FD - $3,000)
t’s hard to isolate Matt Harvey’s struggles to one split versus another, but he has undoubtedly been terrible against lefties, allowing a horrendous 2.76 HR/9 when facing them. Schebler is an interesting play against him, as he has posted reverse platoon splits but also been far better on the road than at home. Both of those are unexpected, but jamming left-handed Reds’ hitters into your lineup tonight is a smart move.
Giancarlo Stanton - OF, MIA vs WAS (DK - $5,500, FD - $4,700)
The price is obviously hefty for Stanton and pairing him with Kershaw will be a tricky maneuver. However, anytime Stanton is facing a lefty he is nearly must-play. He has an incredible .786 slugging percentage and hits a home run every 9.86 plate appearances against them on the season.
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