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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/17/21. Mike Schwarzenbach's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
After back-to-back big slates on DraftKings, we've got a smaller five-game slate on Saturday. The evening is headlined by a premier pitching matchup at Petco Park as Clayton Kershaw leads the defending champs against Yu Darvish and the Padres. A couple of hours up the California coast, there's another game that will be popular among DFS players as two thunderous offenses will meet up in Anaheim. The Twins/Angels game stack will be popular as the lefty-mashing Twins will face southpaw Jose Quintana and the Angels big lefty bats will be in play versus RHP Matt Shoemaker.
Outside the Sunshine State, the Orioles/Rangers game has shootout potential and the Astros discount-bats will be in play at Seattle. It's a short slate so finding the right combination of low-ownership and fantasy production will be critical. Let's break down a fun Saturday.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/17/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It’s also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Clayton Kershaw - P, LAD @ SD ($10,000)
Kershaw and Yu Darvish are in a similar spot as ace pitchers facing a tough matchup. Darvish offers more strikeout potential posting a 31 percent rate each of the last two seasons, but my preference is Kershaw who has been rock-solid in back-to-back starts. The Los Angeles lefty got knocked around in Coors Field on Opening Day, but has been lights out since allowing just one run across 13 innings versus the A's and Nationals. He's sporting a whiff rate over 30 percent this season and is inducing swings on pitches out of the zone 30 percent of the time.
San Diego isn't an offense to attack, but Kershaw was good in his lone start versus the Friars last season whiffing nine in a quality start. The Dodgers are favorites in this game so Kershaw has a decent chance at the win bonus. Kershaw is the preferred cash-game play of the night and can be used in tournaments as well.
Brett Anderson - P, MIL vs. PIT ($7,200)
Anderson isn't a pitcher we'd normally target, but on a slate barren with options let's attack the lowly Pirates. Pittsburgh has a 30 percent strikeout rate as a team versus left-handed pitching, third-worst in the Majors. Anderson made two start this season and went five innings in both of them while only allowing one run in his last start. He doesn't have big upside, but Anderson should be able to deliver five quality innings with four to five strikeouts. That has big value on a slate such as this one.
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Omar Narvaez - C, MIL vs. PIT ($3,800)
Narvaez has been a staple in my lineups most of this week and there's no reason to pivot Saturday versus Trevor Cahill. The 29-year-old backstop seems to have fixed what ailed him in 2020 when he whiffed over 30 percent of the time. This season Narvaez has cut that to 14 percent which is more in line with his career norms. Less K's means more hits and Narvaez has at least one hit in every start this season. That's good enough for me at the catcher position. Price matters less on a small slate and the floor Narvaez brings at fantasy's weakest position is worth it tonight.
Nate Lowe - 1B, TEX vs. BAL ($4,300)
Nate Lowe is free from the shackles of Tampa Bay and their platoon-happy ways. Despite the fact Lowe gets to face left-handers now, he's still a much better play against righties like he'll face Saturday in Baltimore's Dean Kremer. Lowe has four homers already this season and is making great contact with a 16.1 percent barrel rate and a .497 xwOBA on contact. Kremer has lasted exactly three innings in both of his starts this year but is in the unenviable position of needing to eat innings. The O's bullpen is gassed after playing two doubleheaders this week, and frankly, isn't that good to begin with. Expect to see some big flies from the Ranger bats.
Nick Solak - 2B, TEX vs. BAL ($4,800)
Speaking of Ranger bats hitting dingers, let's fire up some Nick Solak in that matchup with Kremer. Solak had been slumping a little, but he had three hits including a homer on Thursday, and added two hits, a run, and an RBI on Friday to show signs of life at the plate. Second base is a wasteland on this slate so the move is to pay up for Solak who has the highest upside at the position.
Travis Shaw - 3B, MIL vs. PIT ($4,200)
Shaw crushes right-handed pitching and faces a bad one on Saturday in Trevor Cahill. Shaw has a .808 career OPS against righties compared to .678 versus lefties so he's always in play when facing a right-hander. The Brewers lineup has scuffled without Christian Yelich but he should be back one of these games and if he's not then Shaw should bat third again, a prime position for fantasy production.
Carlos Correa - SS, HOU @ SEA ($4,800)
The Astros lineup has been a mess lately due to complications with COVID, but the one consistent has been Correa who has mashed to begin the season. Correa is batting .292 with a cool .542 slugging percentage early in the season while posting a strong 91.6 MPH average exit velocity. The Astros will be a popular stack, but Correa could slip through the cracks in a righty-on-righty matchup. Chris Flexen has shown reverse-splits at times with a career .426 wOBA against righties compared to .384 against lefties so make sure to include Correa if stacking the 'stros.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Kyle Tucker - OF, HOU @ SEA ($4,300)
While we're stacking Astros, Kyle Tucker is in a great position to do damage against Flexen and a Mariners bullpen that pitched a lot recently. Tucker has been batting fifth with multiple astros on the COVID list so he'll be in a position to do damage. Tucker only has 10 hits this season, but seven of them have been extra-base hits and he's gone yard four times and is sporting a .510 slugging percentage. Tucker has a 14 percent barrel rate thus far so he's making good contact and could break out in a good matchup Saturday.
DJ Stewart - OF, BAL @ TEX ($2,900)
DJ Stewart is comically underpriced most nights on DraftKings to the point where his price came up and he's still a value. Stewart bats third for the Orioles and has a strong matchup Saturday against Dane Dunning. Stewart had two hits and a homer on Friday and could go yard again against Dunning who is allowing a 47.6 percent fly-ball rate this season. Dunning struggles with left-handed batters in his young career as his wOBA allowed is 82 points higher versus lefties than righties. Don't overthink this. Keep plugging Stewart unto lineups while he's under 3K.
David Dahl - OF, TEX vs. BAL ($3,400)
Dahl (and teammate Joey Gallo $4,400) are both in play as lefty bats against Kremer and the aforementioned Orioles bullpen. Dahl hit his first homer as a Ranger on Friday night and had a two-hit game on Thursday. Kremer has five walks in six innings this season and the Baltimore bullpen has a 4.28 ERA thus far this year. The Rangers are my favorite stack of the night thanks to the lefties Lowe, Dahl, and Gallo.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles (Dean Kremer, RHP)
- Houston Astros at Seattle Mariners (Chris Flexen, RHP)
- Game Stack: Minnesota Twins at Los Angeles Angels
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