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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on April 17th, 2019. Justin Bales' MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
This is a bit of an odd slate, as there are two slates with four and seven games, but the "all day" slate features 14 games. DraftKings loves leaving off 6 PM EST games, and that's the case again tonight. Regardless, this article will discuss the all day slate, making sure we can cover as much on this slate as possible.
The Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers are the only teams in a game with a projected run total in the double-digits. Surprisingly, on this large of a slate, there isn't a single game with a projected run total under eight runs. That means we should see plenty of scoring, as there are only a couple higher end pitchers throwing tonight.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/17/19. 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. Be sure to also check out all the Vegas Odds for today's slate. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter @BalesSJustin.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Cole Hamels - P, at MIA ($9,400)
Hamels struggled in his first start this season, but has looked significantly better in his last two. Overall, he owns a 2-0 record with a 3.79 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. He has allowed only three earned runs, while recording 11 strikeouts over his last 14 innings. Hamels gets a great matchup against the Miami Marlins, who rank fourth on the slate in strikeouts per at-bat and second last in team wOBA. The Chicago Cubs are -152 favorites in a game set at 8 runs, giving the Marlins an implied run total of only 3.6 runs tonight.
Jake Odorizzi - P, vs TOR ($7,700)
Odorizzi is the exact opposite of Hamels. He scored 31.7 fantasy points in his first start before totaling 0 fantasy points over his next two starts. Odorizzi's only success has been at home, where he'll be throwing tonight. He gets a plus matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays, who lead the slate in strikeouts per at-bat, while also ranking well below average in team wOBA. Odorizzi is a -145 favorite in a game set at 9 runs, giving Toronto an implied run total of 4.1 runs.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Francisco Cervelli - C, at DET ($3,300)
Cervelli has struggled early this season, but he's entirely too cheap for his situation. He is eligible at arguably the weakest position on the slate. He also comes with an extremely cheap price tag, while he's expected to hit third in the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup. Cervelli also gets a plus matchup against Spencer Turnbull, and he should be a cash game staple, even with his recent struggles.
Justin Bour - 1B, at TEX ($4,000)
Bour has been a great option against right-handed pitching, as he boasts 0.055 wOBA and 0.122 ISO differentials against righties. He also gets an elite matchup against Lance Lynn in a hitter friendly stadium. Bour possesses 44% hard-hit and 38% fly ball rates with a 93 mph exit velocity over the last 15 days. He is relatively cheap for the position, but comes with strong home run potential tonight.
Danny Santana - 2B, vs LAA ($4,200)
Santana has only played in a pair of games, but he has looked outstanding. He has posted 14 and 20 fantasy points in those games, while displaying tremendous speed. He owns a triple and two steals over that span. Santana is expected to hit second in the Texas Rangers lineup, and he has flashed tremendous upside. He makes a strong option in all leagues in a plus matchup against Matt Harvey.
Asdrubal Cabrera - 3B, vs LAA ($4,500)
Cabrera has been heating up quite a bit recently, hitting three home runs over his last four games. He's another hitter playing in the best game on the slate, and he's averaging double-digit fantasy points per game at home this season. The matchup against Matt Harvey is one of the best on the slate, and Cabrera also owns 52% hard-hit and 44% fly ball rates with a 95 mph exit velocity over the last 15 days.
Marcus Semien - SS, vs HOU ($4,200)
Semien slots into the leadoff spot for the Oakland A's when they face off against left-handed pitching. That's expected to be the case tonight, as they play Wade Miley, who has struggled at times this season. Semien brings 0.03 wOBA and 0.073 ISO differentials against left-handed pitching into this game, and he's a consistent option, who also comes with elite upside. He has scored double-digit fantasy points in four of his last five contests, as well.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Shin-Soo Choo - OF, vs LAA ($4,500)
Choo has been playing at an extremely high level recently, as he's hitting .394 with a .636 slugging percentage and a 1.160 OPS over his last 10 games. He has flashed power and speed over that span, and he gets an elite matchup against Matt Harvey in a hitter friendly stadium tonight. Choo also brings 0.104 wOBA and 0.119 ISO differentials against right-handed pitching into this game, and he's a safe option, who also comes with tremendous upside.
Kole Calhoun - OF, at TEX ($3,900)
We get the leadoff hitter for the Los Angeles Angels for a sub-$4K price tag. That is far too good of a price to avoid, especially with this game featuring the highest projected run total. Calhoun has also been better than his numbers suggest, as he has posted 45% hard-hit and 37% fly ball rates with a 96 mph exit velocity over the last 15 days. He also owns 0.01 wOBA and 0.085 ISO differentials against right-handed pitching, while getting a great matchup against Lance Lynn.
