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We have an interesting 7-game slate on tap today. A few "stud" pitchers to pay for in Berrios, Burnes, and even Lance Lynn. Other than that, the pitching is very suspect, and some decisions will need to be made. When it comes to bats, DK did a decent job with pricing. There are not many cheap options that make building easier, as we saw in the first week of the season. A couple of players in the $2K range, but overall, building lineups and finding values will be a bit more important than usual.
When looking at the slate, it comes down to which approach you want to build with; pay up for two pitchers, or gamble on one of the cheaper arms to make sure you get some pricier bats. There are too many solid targets to mention in one article, so I highly recommend listening to MLB DFS Quick Hits to get a first look at the slate. When looking at the offense, Coors will be popular once again, at least the Rockies side of things with Kelly on the mound. The White Sox and Red Sox will also be quite popular with matchups versus Harvey and Keller. Finding the "sneakier" stacks, which there are a few today, will help save some money and differentiate you from the field.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/8/2021. 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 @bdentrek.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Jose Berrios - P, MIN vs SEA ($9,800)
Berrios is coming off an outstanding start to kick off the season, going six no-hit innings, no walks, and 12 strikeouts versus the Brewers. Now he gets to face the Mariners, a team whose offense has been scuffling this season. The Mariners are hitting .224 with a .152 ISO, so not the end of the world, but not great. More importantly, the Mariners are striking out 28.6% of the time versus RHP, and that is where we can rack up our DK points. Berrios is the most expensive pitcher on the slate and will not usually sit well for DFS players. He will likely get passed by for Burnes today, and part of me understands that, but do not sleep on Berrios. He brings a great floor to today's action. Berrios has always been strong at home, last season racking up a 3.38 ERA, .183 BA against, and a 22% K-BB%. Berrios brings a great floor, probably a better floor than Burnes, making Berrios a better cash gameplay today.
Corbin Burnes - P, MIL at STL (9,400)
Burnes' offseason hype has been through the roof, and he did not disappoint in his first outing, going 6.1 innings. He allowed only one hit, a solo home run while striking out 11 and walking none. Burnes picked up where he left off in 2020, where he finished with a 1.42 ERA, 1.10 xFIP, and a 52.4% K%. Burnes will take the bump in pitcher-friendly St. Louis today against a Cardinals team that has not been world-beaters at the plate. They are hitting .211 this season with a .158 ISO versus RHP, and most importantly, they striking out 27.7% of the time. That bodes well for Burnes as he should be in line for another big strikeout game, hopefully, double-digit strikeouts. The strikeout upside alone and the fact Burnes usually limits damage gives him a high ceiling when it comes to Thursday's start. He will be very popular, which is the main reason I will not be all in on Burnes. Other than the amount he will be rostered, do not be scared to put Burnes into your lineups today.
Other Options: Lance Lynn (CWS vs. KC) $8,700, Jon Gray (COL vs. AZ) $7,000
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Omar Narvaez - C, MIL at STL ($3,200)
There were reports this spring surrounding some changes Narvaez made at the plate, and things look perfect so far when it comes to the results for Narvaez. He has hit safely in all four games this season, with multi-hit games in three of four games this season. Narvaez is hitting .500 with a .429 ISO so far this season, and while this is unsustainable, that does not mean we should not ride the hot streak out today. Narvaez has a great matchup vs. Wainright today, and with the changes made, we may see a return to some success Narvaez has seen versus RHP. Before his bad 2020 season, Narvaez had hit at least .286 in each of the last three seasons versus RHP while also having an ISO of .169 or better in two of three seasons. He'll face Wainright, who gave up six earned runs in 2.2 innings in his season, and I do not see a ton changing going forward. Narvaez gives great value today and a nice piece of a sneakier Brewers stack.
Other Options: Yermin Mercedes (CWS vs. KC) $4,100
Trey Mancini - 1B, BAL vs Eduardo Rodriguez ($4,500)
Trey Boo Boo is making his return to Camden Yards, and if you didn't get emotional about that, I would recommend checking to see if your heart is actually beating. Mancini has hit safely in three of five games this season, with a couple of extra-base hits. He faces Rodriguez today, who is making his season debut and is a great story as well. The concern is just how long ERod goes today. Reports say no restrictions, but being realistic is also a good idea. Regardless, Mancini enjoys facing LHP and has fared well versus ERod in his career, hitting .323 (10-31) with five XBH (two HR). When Erod exits, Mancini will also get a few at-bats from a bad Red Sox bullpen. I love Trey to go deep today, and the Orioles are one of my favorite sneaky stacks as well.
Other Options: C.J. Cron (COL vs. AZ) $3,800, Colin Moran (PIT vs CHC) $3,400
Garrett Hampson - 2B, COL vs. Merrill Kelly ($3,200)
I guess I will keep writing about Hampson as DK continues to leave him mis-priced. Hampson has now played in four of the last five games and has hit leadoff or second in each game. The idea of getting one of the Rockies table setters for $3200 is just crazy. Hampson is coming off a 33 point DK night on Wednesday and has now scored five or more points in four straight games, which works great for his price point. The Rockies are locked in as one of, if not the top stack today versus Kelly. Kelly allowed three runs in four innings in his debut, walking his fair share and allowing some quality contact with a 9.1% barrel rate and 63.6% hard-hit rate. Things do not bode well for Kelly, and then Hampson and company get a depleted DBacks bullpen. Play Hampson everywhere, especially in cash games.
Jonathan Villar - 3B/SS, NYM vs. Nick Neidert ($3,100)
I honestly did not play on writing about Villar this season, but here we are as we look for value on today's slate. J.D. Davis is down with an injury, and Villar appears to be the recipient of playing time. Villar started on Wednesday, his first start of the season, and he went 3-5 with a double, triple, runs scored, and 18 DK points. We have seen in the past that Villar is quite volatile, but when on, he can put up monster fantasy days. He will face the youngster Neidert on Thursday and is definitely worth playing at his $3100 price tag. Niedert is a good young arm but should not be too long for the game, resulting in many Marlins bullpen. Villar brings great savings in tournament and cash lineups today.
Other Options: Yoan Moncada (CWS vs KC) $4,600, Travis Shaw (MIL at STL) $4,000
Xander Bogaerts - SS, BOS at Matt Harvey ($5,700)
The Red Sox are going to be the popular stack outside of the Rockies, and why not? They are facing the shell of a man formerly known as "the Dark Knight." Harvey stifled the Red Sox last week, but I will retake my chances that this will not continue. Bogaerts has hit safely in three straight games with multi-hit games in two of three games and, more importantly, has produced 12 or more DK points in each of the three games. The shortstop position is a pay-up spot today, so why not go all the way to the top for the best option in potentially the best matchup (sorry, Trevor Story)? Bogaerts with my next player (JD) is a pay-up combo that I am all about today.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
J.D. Martinez - OF, BOS at Matt Harvey ($5,600)
As just mentioned when discussing Bogaerts, let's get in on the Red Sox today, especially a Bogaerts/JD stack. Martinez has started off the season on fire, hitting .440 with two home runs. Martinez has hit safely in all six games this season and has scored 11 or more DK points in five straight games. Martinez is one of the first players I am plugging into cash lineups with the floor he brings, and he should be in most lineups in general. Outside of Coors, Martinez is in one of the best matchups today. It also does not hurt that the ball flies out of Camden Yards, and the wind appears to be blowing out to left. Give me some "Just Dongs Martinez" today.
Cedric Mullins - OF, BAL vs. Eduardo Rodriguez ($4,100)
I mentioned earlier that the Orioles are a nice stack and should not be forgotten today. Mullins is a major part of that stack. Mullins has hit safely in all six games this season while scoring six or more DK points in five of six games, including two double-digit fantasy games. Mullins brings a little pop, some nice stolen base upside, and more importantly, will lead off and set the table for your Orioles stacks today. He is great for tournaments, but I feel Mullins is cash viable today if looking for a cheaper outfield option.
Sam Hilliard - OF, COL vs. Merrill Kelly ($2,500)
Like Hampson above, but possibly worse, Hilliard continues to be priced with such disrespect. Hilliard does not start every day (argument for another day), but when he does get at least two at-bats this season, he has scored at least 14 or more DK points. It seems good, seems worth someone to put in a real lineup to play in a DK lineup. COME ON, BUD BLACK!!!! GET IT TOGETHER!!!!! Hilliard is in a great spot versus Kelly, who allowed LHH to hit him around in 2019 and was beat up by lefties in game one this season. Let's hope Hilliard is in the lineup as he will be an autoplay in all lineups today.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Colorado Rockies (Merrill Kelly, RHP)
- Boston Red Sox (Matt Harvey, RHP)
- Chicago White Sox (Brad Keller, RHP)
- Sneaky Stack - Baltimore Orioles (Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP) & Milwaukee Brewers (Adam Wainwright, RHP)
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