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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on April 9th, 2019. Daniel E. Dobish's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
For Tuesday'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.
Precipitation won't be a huge issue across Major League Baseball on Tuesday, but the winds will be kicking up in several places. For the battle between the A's and Orioles, the wind will be blowing in briskly from left field at a 13-16 mph clip, knocking down fly balls in the process. The same holds true for the battle up Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, as the Nationals and Phillies deal with a 12-15 mph breeze blowing in from left field. It will be the exact opposite in San Francisco, with a Jetstream blowing out to the right-center field power alley at 16-19 mph. LHPs Joey Lucchesi and Derek Holland will be toeing the slab, but we might see some right-handed batters go oppo with that kind of sustained wind. In SoCal the wind will be blowing across the diamond from left to right at a 15-18 mph clip, favoring left-handed hitters as well. That might be bad news for RHPs Freddy Peralta and Matt Harvey.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/9/19. 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
Brett Anderson - P, at BAL ($8,000)
It was not a good night to use an Oakland starter on Monday, as Marco Estrada was tuned up by the O's. Well, everyone except for Chris Davis, of course. I was worried about the quick turnaround and cross-country flight after just playing Sunday on the west coast and then flying out for a game the next day in Baltimore. I should have listened to manager Bob Melvin, who bellyached about the schedule. He knew. Well, for Game 2, I have to do it again and roll with an A's hurler. Anderson is 2-0 with a 2.38 ERA across his two outings, and he'll benefit from that stiff wind blowing in.
Marco Gonzales - P, at KC ($7,600)
If you can find a way to free up enough salary, using Mets RHP Jacob deGrom ($11,600) is a good play in an interleague start against the Minnesota Twins. However, he is easily the most expensive player on Tuesday's board and you won't be able to afford much else. Gonzales has the surprisingly powerful Seattle offense backing him against a team with a minus-15 run differential, third-worst in the majors. The Royals have managed just 4.4 runs per game while batting .234 through nine games. Meanwhile, Gonzo is humming along at 3-0 with a 3.20 ERA and 1.17 WHIP through three starts.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Buster Posey - C, vs. SD ($3,600)
Posey has stumbled out of the chute with a .207/.281/.310 slash line through eight games, although he has hit safely in three of his four appearances against San Diego pitching this season. At this price level, he is a good roll of the dice, and he has some upside while also potentially allowing you to squeeze in one high-priced pitcher.
Daniel Vogelbach - 1B, at KC ($4,200)
Vogelbach was able to homer in his fourth consecutive game on Monday against RHP Homer Bailey in the series opener, and he has five dingers on the season. RHP Jakob Junis served up 32 homers across 30 starts last season, so Vogelbach's power streak could continue.
Chad Pinder - 2B, at BAL ($4,200)
Pinder, who can also be used in the outfield if you wish, is 6-for-16 (.375) with two doubles, a home run and a .688 slugging percentage and 1.063 OPS against left-handed pitchers. He is just 3-for-19 (.158) and a .368 SLG against righties. It's a good thing LHP John Means is on the bump for the O's. Look for Pinder to shine.
Max Muncy - 3B, at STL ($4,300)
DraftKings allows you to use Muncy at third base, and you should take full advantage. He'll be working against RHP Dakota Hudson, who has yielded three homers in his five innings of work this season. Muncy could be dialing a little long distance in 'The Lou' on Tuesday.
Nick Ahmed - SS, at TEX ($4,000)
Ahmed comes with a cheap price at his position, but he could collect multiple hits against LHP Mike Minor. Ahmed is slashing a subpar .231/.276/.308 against righties, but he is hitting a robust 6-for-13 (.462) with three doubles and three RBI against southpaws this season. From 2016-18 he hit .274 vs. LHP in 310 at-bats with 12 homers, and just .213 vs. RHP across 657 at-bats with 14 bombs.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Whit Merrifield - OF, vs. SEA ($4,400)
I hate to be repetitive and suggest a guy for a second straight day, but what the heck. Merrifield has hit safely in 29 consecutive games, and he will be looking to equal a franchise record if he can hit safely in a 30th straight outing, matching Hall of Famer George Brett. The last time Merrifield failed to record a hit was back on Sept. 9, 2018 in Target Field against Twins RHP Chase De Jong, just in case you were wondering. You can also use him at 2B on DraftKings.
Christian Yelich - OF, at LAA ($5,300)
Yelich was robbed at the wall by fellow MVP Mike Trout in Monday's series opener, but he'll have a chance to redeem himself on Tuesday. Remember, there is a stiff breeze blowing out to right field and Yelich will be facing a righty in Harvey. Yelich is 10-for-27 (.370) with a double, a homer, five RBI and an .889 OPS against the former Mets hurler in his career.
