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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on April 8th, 2019. Daniel E. Dobish's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
For Monday's slate of Major League Baseball games, I'll focus on the evening contests (first pitch of 7:05 PM EST and later). Be sure to double-check the weather and the lineups before finalizing your roster.
The only weather trouble spot on Monday's slate will be the battle between the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants. The rain is expected to move in and out sometime during the game. It wouldn't be surprising to see the tarpaulin come out, so be careful with using either starting pitcher in the game. If there is a rain delay, and it's long enough, both LHP Eric Lauer and LHP Madison Bumgarner could each see abbreviated starts and point production.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/8/19. 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. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter @danieledobish.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Marco Estrada - P, at BAL ($7,300)
The Orioles won two of three in the Bronx to open the season, but the real O's have stood up in recent days. Homers are flying out of their yard on a regular basis again, and Estrada faces a very favorable matchup against counterpart RHP Andrew Cashner. The O's are 4-10 in his past 14 home starts since last season, and 0-6 in his past six against AL West foes.
Vince Velasquez - P, vs WAS ($8,400)
You'll have to take a bit of a leap of faith, and ignore the trends in this series. First off, the Nationals are 5-1 in their past six visits to 'The Vault'. However, take solace in the fact the Phillies are 5-0 in Velasquez's past five home starts dating back to last season, and the Phils are 8-2 in their past 10 against a right-handed starter. The offense should provide ample support against RHP Anibal Sanchez.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Yadier Molina - C, vs. LAD ($3,700)
You can't base your selections on batter vs. pitcher stats, especially with limited interactions between the two. Molina has two homers in nine at-bats vs. LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, but that's not the sole reason to take Molina. He slashed .281/.314/.436 from 2016-18 against southpaws with an .806 OPS.
Kendrys Morales - 1B, at BAL ($4,300)
Morales doesn't have a ton of history against Cashner, but most of it is very good. He is 6-for-10 (.600) with three homers and six RBI with two walks and zero strikeouts. Look for Morales to shine.
Whit Merrifield - 2B, vs. SEA ($4,500)
Merrifield has hit safely in 28 consecutive games, surpassing Jose Offerman for the second-longest streak in franchise history. Only Hall of Famer George Brett stands in his way (30 games). It's a tougher matchup against RHP Felix Hernandez, but even though King Felix looked good in his first outing, his velocity is down and he is not nearly as intimidating as he used to be.
Alex Bregman - 3B, vs. NYY ($4,600)
Bregman is starting to heat up, hitting safely in his past six games while hitting .550 (11-for-20) with two doubles and two RBI in April. That includes three consecutive multi-hit performances. You can also use him at shortstop on DraftKings.
Jonathan Villar - SS, vs. OAK ($4,500)
Villar has been rolling right along, collecting five multi-hit outings in nine contests this season, including four in the month of April. Villar has a little bit of pop, a little bit of speed and he is slashing .333/.350/.590 through nine games.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Khris Davis - OF, at BAL ($5,200)
Davis received a day of maintenance on Sunday in the series final, so he should be fresh for Monday's series opener against the O's. Like Morales above, Davis had hit well against Cashner, going 6-for-17 (.353) with a double, a homer and six RBI while posting a .941 OPS. Look for a rejuvenated Davis to do big things are Camden Yards against a pitcher he sees well.
Bryce Harper - OF, vs. WAS ($5,200)
Harper will face his former team again, this time in his new digs. The Nationals have dominated this series in recent years, but we'll see if Harper's addition tips the scales in their favor. He has worked over RHP Anibal Sanchez in their brief dealings, going 4-for-14 (.286) with two triples, a homer, two RBI and five RBI with a .786 slugging percentage and 1.236 OPS.
