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DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (4/21/18): MLB DFS Lineups

The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on April 21, 2018. Troy Klauder's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.

We've got another day full of action ready for us on DraftKings, with an early slate starting at 1pm eastern and the featured slate kicking off at 7pm.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/21/18. 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 @TroyKlauder.

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DraftKings Starting Pitchers

Aaron Nola, PHI (vs. PIT) - $10,600

Aaron Nola has been rolling along this season, posting a 2.22 ERA through his first two starts of the season. Nola comes at a very modest price for the type of talent he has, which makes him my favorite pitcher on the early slate. While Nola hasn't been racking up many strikeouts this season, he had a 26.6% K-rate in 27 starts last year, so there's probably some positive regression on the way. The Phillies lineup has been on fire lately and should provide Nola with a win against Pirates starter Steven Brault.

Zack Godley, ARI (vs. SD) - $8,800

Godley was horrific in his last start against the Dodgers, but you shouldn't judge a pitcher based off of one bad start. Even with his blow-up start, Godley still has just a 3.00 ERA on the season, supported by a 3.24 FIP. He's a great buy-low candidate on Saturday, as many owners will probably be scared off by his last start, and he comes at a pretty cheap price. The Padres are one of the worst lineups in baseball, and Godley has huge strikeout potential against them, as the Pads strike out 27.9% of the time against righties. That's the third-highest mark in all of baseball, so I would be comfortable playing Godley in any type of contest.

 

DraftKings Infielders

C - Yadier Molina, STL (vs. CIN) - $3,500

Molina has been one of the best catchers in the league at the plate this season, with a 123 wRC+ and five homers so far. His opposition, Reds starter Homer Bailey, has a 3.42 ERA this season - but that's not fooling anybody. Bailey has a 4.74 SIERA this year, which gives a more accurate representation of the way he's pitched this season. After all, he had a 6.43 ERA last season! The Cardinals are a great lineup to stack on Saturday, but you can also use Molina as a standalone at catcher.

1B - Yuli Gurriel, HOU (@ CWS) - $4,200

Gurriel is back from the DL and batting fifth in the loaded Astros lineup, a spot where he can rack up runs and RBIs. The Astros are an expensive lineup to stack, but I would try to at least get a few of them aganist Lucas Giolito. Giolito has struggled mightily this season to the tune of a 5.50 ERA with 12 walks and just eight strikeouts. Gurriel is particularly valuable in cash games, where his high floor makes him more attractive.

2B - Jonathan Villar, MIL (vs. MIA) - $3,500

Villar is actually having himself a fantasy relevant season once again, batting .288 with four steals. His home ballpark, Miller Park, is one of the best offensive environments in all of baseball, and he's facing an awful pitcher in Jose Urena on Saturday. Urena has a 5.57 ERA through his first four starts, and Villar is coming in at a great price against him.

3B - Mike Moustakas, KC (@ DET) - $4,000

Moose has been on fire this season, so it's actually pretty crazy that his price has only gone up to $4,000. In his last 15 games, Moustakas is batting .380 with a 1.092 OPS and four homers. Yowza! Facing Mike Fiers is one of the best possible matchups you can ask for when you play Moustakas, as Fiers has a 1.54 HR/9 this year after posting a 1.88 mark in 2017. Prepare for Moose to go deep.

SS - Ketel Marte, ARI (vs. SD) - $3,500

There are lots of garbage pitchers taking the mound on Saturday, many of which I have already highlighted. We've got another one to target in Padres starter Clayton Richard, who has just a 16.5% K-rate with a 10.3% walk-rate. Unsurprisingly, he's rocking a 5.73 ERA as well. I think Marte's high-contact style of play will play well against Richard's lack of strikeout ability. If nothing else, Marte's got a solid power/speed combo and comes in at a cheap price.

 

DraftKings Outfielders

Jay Bryce, NYM (@ ATL) - $3,900

Braves starter Julio Teheran always struggles when he pitches at home, and SunTrust Park in Atlanta is a fantastic park for left-handed power. This combination gives Jay Bruce a fantastic opportunity to bust out of his slump on Saturday. Teheran's already got a 6.43 ERA at home this season after posting a 5.86 in Atlanta last season, and don't forget that Bruce knocked 36 dingers last season. He's a great value at this price.

Bradley Zimmer, CLE (@ BAL) - $3,300

Indians centerfielder Bradley Zimmer is coming in at near punt-level prices on Saturday, and it's not exactly clear why. He's batting .385 in the last 15 days with a 1.005 OPS! Zimmer has a great matchup in Oriole Park, an outstanding hitter's park, and opposing pitcher Chris Tillman might actually be the worst of the worst pitchers on today's slate. Tillman has a hilarious 11.91 ERA with only three strikeouts and 10 walks in three starts. I recommend an Indians stack, and Zimmer is an essential part of that stack.

Mitch Haniger, SEA (@ TEX) - $4,000

Don't be a goofball and avoid Mariners hitters against Bartolo Colon on Saturday. He had a fantastic start against the Astros his last time out, but he's going to have to show us much more than just that in order to take him seriously. For now, he's still a pitcher we want to target, and Haniger is a great mid-range play to consider against him. Haniger has a 131 wRC+ this season and hasn't gotten a ton of buzz despite his success.

MLB DFS News and Injury Alerts

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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brandon Aiyuk

49ers Officially Place Brandon Aiyuk on PUP List
Nathan Eovaldi

Likely Done for the Season
Tyreek Hill

Remains Out of Practice
Najee Harris

Moved to Active Roster
Yordan Alvarez

Activated and Starting on Tuesday
Oneil Cruz

Back From Injured List
New York Mets

Jonah Tong Promoted to Major Leagues
Spencer Rattler

Saints Name Spencer Rattler as Starting QB
MarShawn Lloyd

Packers Leaning Toward Placing MarShawn Lloyd on Injured Reserve
Tyjae Spears

to Begin the Season on Injured Reserve
Nikola Jović

Heat Have High Hopes for Nikola Jovic
Golden State Warriors

Cody Martin Drawing Interest From Warriors
Minnesota Timberwolves

Timberwolves Interested in Reunion With Bones Hyland
Kylor Kelley

Joins Lakers
Colin Castleton

Links Up With Magic
Brock Bowers

Pete Carroll Classifies Brock Bowers Among His Best Players Ever
De'Von Achane

Lingering Calf Injury Poses Concerns for De'Von Achane
Adam Thielen

Vikings and Panthers Struggling to Finalize Adam Thielen Trade
Malik Monk

Kings "Not Actively Engaged" in Trade Discussions Involving Malik Monk
P.J. Washington

Mavs Likely to Offer P.J. Washington a Contract Extension
Kenny Pickett

Raiders Acquire Kenny Pickett From Browns
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Give Trey Hendrickson a Raise
Amari Cooper

Signs One-Year Deal With Raiders
NHL

Jan Rutta Lands in Switzerland
Kirby Dach

Skates on Monday
COL

Tyson Barrie Retires From NHL
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Back in Toronto's Lineup
Joe Mixon

to Start Season on Non-Football Injury List
Jaylen Wright

Not Expected to Play in Week 1
Jakobi Meyers

Requests Trade
Jauan Jennings

Not Practicing on Monday, has Avoided IR for Now
Matthew Stafford

Taking 11-On-11 Reps on Monday
Zhang Mingyang

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Johnny Walker

Gets Back In The Win Column
Brian Ortega

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Aljamain Sterling

Proves Too Much For Brian Ortega
Chris Sale

Penciled in to Start on Saturday
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Sergei Pavlovich

Wins Decision At UFC Shanghai
Terry McLaurin

Signs Three-Year Extension with Commanders
Kevin Borjas

Drops Decision At UFC Shanghai
Sumudaerji

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Kiefer Crosbie

Still Winless In The UFC
Taiyilake Nueraji

Gets His First UFC Win
Ryan Blaney

Earns his Second Daytona Cup Series Win
Tyler Reddick

Locks Into the 2025 Playoffs Despite Underwhelming Daytona Performance
Erik Jones

Misses the 2025 Playoffs Despite Top-Five Run at Daytona
Justin Haley

Best Performance of 2025 Falls Short of Victory at Daytona
Chase Burns

To Throw Bullpen on Tuesday
Kyle Larson

Enters Playoffs As Co-Points Leader
Alex Bowman

Advances to Playoffs Despite Crashing at Daytona
Cole Custer

Finally Shows Signs of Life at Daytona
Daniel Suarez

Lame-Duck Daniel Suarez Delivers Clutch Second-Place Finish
Logan Gilbert

Punches Out 13 in Victory
Randy Rodríguez

Randy Rodriguez Battling Arm Soreness
Marcus Semien

Out 4-6 Weeks, Could Miss Rest of Season
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Strikes Out 11 in Win
Cal Raleigh

Sets Catcher Home Run Record
Yordan Alvarez

Likely to Return on Tuesday
Jacob deGrom

to Start on Monday
Kyle Tucker

Homers Twice in Win
Chris Sale

Likely to Return Next Weekend
Brian Robinson Jr.

to be RB2
Najee Harris

to be Ready Week 1?
De'Von Achane

Making Good Progress
Marcus Semien

Placed on Injured List
Jackson Merrill

Heads to 10-Day Injured List
Brice Turang

Absent on Saturday, "Touch-and-Go" With Wrist Injury
Chase Elliott

Despite Being Winless at Daytona, Chase Elliott is Probably the Best DFS Option
Ryan Blaney

Will Likely Lead a Lot at Daytona
Kyle Larson

a Poor DFS Option at Daytona
Christopher Bell

Consistent Enough to Consider for DFS
Chris Buescher

Now Must Win His Way Into Playoffs
Ryan Preece

Being One of the Slowest-Starting Fords Makes Ryan Preece a Strong DFS Option
Ross Chastain

Leads a Lot on Drafting Tracks
Daniel Suarez

Now in Desperation Mode With his Career on the Line
Chase Briscoe

Tendency to Finish Better Than He Runs May Reap Dividends at Daytona
Carson Hocevar

Hard to Forecast Since He's Rarely Given 100 Percent at Daytona
Michael McDowell

has a Solid Drafting Record
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Arguably Starting Too Well for Place-Differential Points
Austin Dillon

Will Likely Be Too Conservative for DFS Consideration
Matt Chapman

Activated and Starting on Saturday
Moses Moody

Warriors Not Interested in Trading Moses Moody
Kevin Durant

Rockets Expected to Agree on New Contract
Trey Murphy III

Warriors, Spurs Interested in Trey Murphy III
Zack Wheeler

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
CAR

Luke Kunin Joins Panthers on One-Year Deal
Auston Matthews

Says His Health is "Good" Before Start of Season
Roope Hintz

"Feeling Good" Ahead of New Season
Matthew Tkachuk

Recovering From Surgery
Marco Rossi

Wild Re-Sign Marco Rossi to Three-Year Deal
NBA

Malik Beasley Now Drawing Interest from Teams
Zhang Mingyang

Set For UFC Shanghai Main Event
Johnny Walker

In Dire Need Of Victory
Brian Ortega

An Underdog At UFC Shanghai
Aljamain Sterling

Set For UFC Shanghai Co-Main Event
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Sergei Pavlovich

A Favorite At UFC Shanghai
Kevin Borjas

Set for UFC Shanghai Main-Card Bout
Sumudaerji

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kiefer Crosbie

Set To Open Up UFC Shanghai Main Card
Taiyilake Nueraji

Set For His UFC Debut
Connor Ingram

Clears Player Assistance Program
Frank Nazar

Inks Seven-Year Extension With Blackhawks
COL

Victor Olofsson Signs One-Year Deal With Avalanche
Dru Smith

Aims to Be Healthy for Training Camp
Jayson Tatum

Provides Injury Update
RJ Barrett

Considered a Trade Candidate
Golden State Warriors

Warriors "Remain Very Confident" About Signing Al Horford
Jahmir Young

Agrees to Deal With Heat

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP