RADIO
All teams are in action this Sunday, but DraftKings has given us a 10-game featured slate to work with instead of the full 15. This 10-game slate has excluded every game that starts after 3:00 PM EST. Not on the featured slate are the Coors Field game, Clayton Kershaw’s start against the Giants, and Shohei Ohtani’s start against the Athletics. That takes away some common plays, but still gives us a lot to work with this Sunday.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/8/18. 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 @ElliottBaasBB.
DraftKings Starting Pitchers
P - Charlie Morton HOU (vs. SD) $11,500
Morton reinvented himself with Houston last season, upping his fastball velocity to an average of 95 MPH and posting a career high 26.4% strikeout rate. He’ll face a Padres team that had a .299 wOBA and struck out 25.3% of the time against right-handed pitcher. Both of those rates were second-worst in the league. They’ve added a good lefty bat since then with Eric Hosmer, but he’s not enough to make the Padres a tough matchup. Another positive for Morton is his ability to go deep into games. Last season he went six innings or more in 13 of his 25 starts and never pitched less than five. We’ve seen a lot of quick hooks to start the season, but a veteran like Morton should give us the length we need.
P - Reynaldo Lopez CWS (vs. DET) $7,400
Lopez was brilliant in his 2018 debut in Toronto. He struck out six batters in six innings and allowed just one run and two hits. Lopez’s four seamer sat around 97 MPH and even touched triple digits during that start. He used that velocity along with his changeup and cutter to notch twelve swinging strikes. He goes against a Tigers lineup that was fifth-worst with a .312 wOBA against right-handed pitching last season, and that was with JD Martinez and Justin Upton for the majority of the season. There are few bats to be afraid of in Detroit’s lineup, making Lopez the go to number-two starter this Sunday.
DraftKings Infielders
C - Victor Caratini CHC (at MIL) $2,300
Check the lineups on this one, because Caratini has been filling in at first base while Anthony Rizzo deals with back stiffness. If Rizzo remains out, Caratini makes a great cheap option at catcher. He mashed at Triple-A last season, with a .951 OPS and .216 ISO. Those numbers came in the notoriously hitter friendly PCL, and Chase Anderson isn’t a pushover on the mound, but at this price Caratini affords a lot of lineup flexibility.
1B – Jose Abreu CWS (vs DET) $4,400
Detroit righty Mike Fiers took the home run spike on the chin last season, posting a career high 1.88 HR/9. Along with his Gopheritis came a 5.22 ERA, 5.43 FIP, and 3.64 BB/9, all career worsts for Fiers. Abreu may annihilate lefties, but he’s no slouch against righties either. For his career Abreu has a .370 wOBA and .221 ISO versus right-handed pitching.
2B – Neil Walker NYY (vs. BAL) $3,400
Coors Field isn’t in play, but Baltimore starter Mike Wright may be the next best thing. Wright owns a career 5.85 ERA, 5.42 FIP, and 1.63 HR/9 overall, and a 5.65 FIP and 1.90 HR/9 against left-handed batters. The Yankees are the team to stack on the featured slate. The switch-hitting Walker performs considerably better from the left side. He has a career .348 wOBA and .181 ISO against righties throughout his career. Walker gives us cheap exposure to the worst pitcher on the slate.
3B – Kyle Seager SEA (@ MIN) $3,300
Seager busted out of his slump yesterday by taking Jose Berrios deep for a two-run homer. Today he takes on righty Lance Lynn, who had a miserable start against Pittsburgh to open the year. Lynn gave up five earned runs and six walks in four innings before getting yanked. Lynn may have posted a 3.43 ERA last season, but it came with a career worst 4.82 FIP and 1.96 K/BB. He was especially vulnerable to lefties, as left-handed hitters had a .349 wOBA and 1.80 HR/9 against Lynn. Seager handles right-handed pitching well, with a .348 wOBA and .189 ISO against righties in his career. Target Field also had the sixth highest park factor for home runs, and seventh highest park factor for runs last season, putting Seager in a more hitter friendly environment than his home park in Seattle.
SS – Didi Gregorius NYY (vs. BAL) $5,200
It’s a princely sum for Sir Didi, but he’ll be worth it against Mike Wright and the Orioles overworked bullpen (as of Friday Baltimore’s bullpen has been used fifth most in the majors). Gregorious has gotten off to a blistering start this season, with three home runs and a 1.479 OPS through his first 35 plate appearances. Of course those numbers aren’t sustainable over the entire season, but there’s no reason to think he’ll slow down in this matchup.
DraftKings Outfielders
OF – Brett Gardner NYY (vs. BAL) $4,000
OF – Aaron Judge NYY (vs. BAL) $5,400
I’ve lumped these two together because the benefits of a Yankees stack have already been outlined. The Yankees stack will be chalky, but few non-Coors scenarios are this offense-friendly. Mike Wright can’t keep the ball in the yard, Yankee Stadium had the second-best home run factor in 2017, and the Yankees’ lineup is as powerful as they come. They’re hard to fade on this slate. Giancarlo Stanton is $5,700 and could be swapped in for Judge if small sacrifices are made elsewhere.
OF – Nick Delmonico CWS (vs. DET) $3,000
Delmonico is a lefty power bat who’s been given a chance to prove himself during the White Sox rebuild. He’s had a rough start to 2018, with just one hit in his first 16 plate appearances. He fared much better as a rookie last year. In 166 plate appearances last season Delmonico posted a .369 wOBA and .220 ISO along with nine home runs. Like Caratini, Delmonico is a cheap bat with upside that allows us to fit more expensive players in our lineup.
