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We have all 30 team playing on Friday, however we miss out on a couple games due to their early first pitch. The Cardinals and Cubs both have stellar pitching options, and even better bats, but we can’t construct a lineup with them on Friday unless we play in the all-day slates.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/13/18. 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 hit me up on Twitter @CharlieSideHstl.
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DraftKings Starting Pitchers
Gerrit Cole, HOU (vs. TEX) - $12,100
If you want reliability and consistency with your expensive SP1, then select Cole to your lineup. In his first two starts, Cole has pitched seven innings and struck out 11 batters in each contest, while only allowing one earned run. In his first outing of 2018, he faced these same Rangers. Cole allowed only two hits and one earned run.
Eduardo Rodriguez, BOS (vs. BAL) - $8,500
If you want a strikeout machine, with a high percentage at pulling off the victory, then you can’t get a better deal than Rodriguez. After a short time on the DL, Rodriguez returned to action with a 3.2 inning outing against the Rays. While the IP seems short, he completed 92 pitches and, most importantly, struck out seven batters. Baltimore leads the league with 131 strikeouts in 2018.
Dillon Peters, MIA (vs. PIT) - $5,300
With four games producing an over/under of nine runs, or more, you may need some salary relief in order to get those big bats into your DK lineup. Enter Peters. Though he was shelled in his last outing, nine earned runs against Philadelphia, he has the ballpark factor in his favor. For his first start, Peters shut down the Cubs in Miami: 6 IP, 0 ER. He returns home to face the Pirates. The Marlins home ballpark features the second-best park factor for pitchers over the course of the past three seasons. Again, this is more of a “punt” play to shoehorn some more expensive bats into the entry.
DraftKings Infielders
C - Jonathan Lucroy, OAK (@ SEA) - $3,300
When saving money, look to the catcher position. When determining which backstop to choose, BvP (batter vs. pitcher) could be the way to go. In his career, Lucroy is 19-for-38 (.500) with five extra-base hits and two home runs against Mike Leake. That sample size is plenty when narrowing down your search for suitable options to fill the catcher position.
1B - Marwin Gonzalez, HOU (vs. TEX) - $3,600
Houston is one of the strongest favorites on the board (-250). While Cole is a big part of the decision, the offense helps, too. A cheap way to get an Astro into the order is selecting Gonzalez. Like us, A.J. Hinch will make a valiant effort to get this versatile player into the starting lineup. Last year, Gonzalez produced a .217 ISO against left-handed pitchers.
2B - Whit Merrifield, KC (vs. LAA) - $3,100
It’s been a slow start to 2018 for Kansas City’s second baseman. However, Merrifield has compiled at least one hit in four of the past five games. Last season, Merrifield was known for his proficiency against southpaws. His .207 ISO from 2017, against lefties, leads the current active Kansas City roster.
3B - Alex Bregman, HOU (vs. TEX) - $4,300
As I mentioned in Gonzalez’s write-up, adding Astros to your DK roster should be a wise investment on Friday’s slate. Bregman exploded for four hits in Wednesday’s contest against Minnesota. At the conclusion of 2017, Bregman’s .239 ISO against southpaws was second-best in the Houston lineup.
SS - Eduardo Nunez, BOS (vs. BAL) - $3,500
We’ve mentioned how Houston is such a huge favorite, yet Boston owns the highest projected run total for the Friday slate (six implied runs). While J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts are projected to score more DK points, their price makes constructing a decent DraftKings lineup nearly impossible. Nunez allows you to add a bat from that dangerous Red Sox lineup and still afford quality bats across the remainder of your lineup.
DraftKings Outfielders
Andrew Benintendi, BOS (vs. BAL) - $4,000
As I mentioned with Nunez, there are bats who I trust more from the Boston batting order, but it’s not as economical as other options down the player pool. One of those cheaper choices is Benintendi. His .178 ISO against right-handed pitchers is below my preferred .200 level, but I’ll make an exception for a team projected to score six runs on Friday. Also, tallied at least seven DK points in seven consecutive games.
Brett Gardner, NYY (@ DET) - $3,800
This is another case where people may consider the more expensive bats from the lineup, and we’ll swerve for the cheaper play. Gardner gathered a .191 ISO against right-handed pitchers in 2017. Also, the Yankees outfielder produced multi-hit performances in three of the past four games.
Jose Pirela, SD (vs. SF) - $3,400
Another factor, when it comes to building your DFS lineup on a regular basis, is going with the hot bat. Pirela tallied at least two hits in three of the past four games, compiling a .355 AVG with three doubles in the past week. Plus, his price tag is just too cheap to avoid.
