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We've got three slates on DraftKings tonight, with an early slate starting at 12:35 pm eastern and the featured slate kicking off at 7 pm. This article will cover players on every slate.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/26/18. 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.
DraftKings Starting Pitchers
Noah Syndergaard - P, at STL ($11,600)
Syndergaard is an ace pitcher coming in at below-ace level prices on Thursday. While he's still the most expensive pitcher on the early slate, $11,600 is a discount price for a pitcher of his caliber. Syndergaard has an insane 34.8% K-rate with a 4.5% walk-rate, good for an elite 2.40 FIP. Even against a tough lineup like the Cardinals, and ace is going to pitch like an ace. For that reason, I'm letting Thor rock.
Jakob Junis - P, vs CWS ($8,300)
Junis won't give you huge strikeout numbers, but he should give you plenty of strong innings against the White Sox. He went eight innings against the Tigers in his last time out, allowing only four hits with one walk. Junis has a clean 2.03 ERA on the year, and while he's no ace, he doesn't have to pitch like one to give you value at this price. Kaufmann Stadium is a tough park to hit home runs in, which also works in Junis's favor. Additionally, he's facing Lucas Giolito, so the Royals lineup may earn him a win.
DraftKings Infielders
Kurt Suzuki - C, at CIN ($3,700)
Suzuki has been one of baseball's best hitting catchers this season, with an absurd .327/.409/.600 line and a 174 wRC+. He's batting fifth in the Braves order and facing a weak pitcher in Homer Bailey. Don't be fooled by Bailey's decent looking ERA - his 4.71 FIP is a more accurate representation of how he's pitched this season. Great American Ballpark is also one of the best hitting environments in the league, which will help Suzuki out even more.
Carlos Santana - 1B, vs ARI ($3,800)
Santana is a fantastic buy-low on Thursday at just $3,800. While his numbers look awful so far, Santana has plenty of positive regression on the way. His .161 BABIP won't last for long, and he's still walking 16.3% of the time. Santana has been one of the most consistent hitters in baseball over the years, so don't get scared off by a few bad weeks. His home ballpark, Citizens Bank Park, is an outstanding hitter's park, and he has an opportunity for lots of runs and RBI in the Phillies two-hole.
Eduardo Nunez - 2B, at TOR ($3,600)
The Red Sox are a great lineup to target tonight, and Nunez is one of the best value bats you can find on the Red Sox. The Blue Jays' stadium is one of the best parks for offense, and Jays starter Marco Estrada has an awful 5.32 ERA this season. His 2.45 HR/9 means that even Nunez can put a homer on the board. Pair Nunez with some Red Sox hitters for an effective stack.
Miguel Sano - 3B, at NYY ($4,000)
Twins slugger Miguel Sano busted out of his slump with a home run last night, and he's back for more on Thursday. He's a much better hitter against left-handed pitchers, as evidenced by his career 133 wRC+ against southpaws, which is good news as he faces off against Jordan Montgomery. It's incredibly easy to hit a home run at Yankee Stadium, so grab Sano in GPP contests, where his boom or bust potential can pay off.
Chris Owings - SS, at PHI ($3,300)
Owings is a punt play to consider at shortstop if you're trying to make room for some expensive players. He's not having a great year, but he's in a favorable ballpark against a weak starting pitcher. His opposition, Ben Lively, has a 4.64 ERA this year. Owings should bat fifth or sixth on Thursday, and at his price, you can do much worse.
DraftKings Outfielders
Ryan Braun - OF, at CHC ($4,400)
Braun has caught fire over the last 15 days, batting .324 with a .998 OPS over that span. Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks has a poor 5.63 FIP this season and has to deal with the not-so pitcher-friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Braun's got five homers and three steals and bats third in the Brewers order, so there's a ton of ways he can score you fantasy points tonight.
Starling Marte - OF, vs DET ($4,300)
Tigers starter Michael Fulmer is another regression candidate to target on Thursday, as his 4.76 FIP paints a much worse picture than his 3.47 ERA. Fulmer has just a 13.0% K-rate, so Marte has a great chance to put the ball in play multiple times. Marte has a 134 wRC+ this season and has surprisingly started walking, as his BB-rate is up to 12.5%. I like Marte in cash games for his high floor.
Leonys Martin - OF, at PIT ($3,800)
Martin has come out of nowhere to make himself a viable fantasy option this season, as he's got a strong .274/.346/.438 line so far. He hit two home runs yesterday and has made considerable improvements to his approach, now walking 8.6% of the time with just an 18.5% K-rate. As the Tigers' leadoff man, he will have the opportunity to score some runs against Ivan Nova, holder of a 4.20 ERA this year.
