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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on May 8th, 2019. Justin Bales' MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
We have two slates for today with four games around noon and eight games at 7 PM EST. This article will be focusing solely on the later slate, as it's the "main" slate on DraftKings. There are still plenty of options to choose from in those eight games.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/8/19. 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.
Be sure to also check out all the Vegas Odds for today's slate. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter @BalesSJustin.
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Today's Weather
There aren't any weather concerns on the main slate as of now, but the weather can change throughout the day. Please double check the weather prior to locking your lineups in for this slate.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Clayton Kershaw - P, vs ATL ($10,200)
Kershaw may no longer be the untouchable pitcher he once was, but he still owns a 1-0 record with a 2.77 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP through four starts. He has also posted a 3.00 xFIP and a 3.22 SIERA in 2019. Kershaw has also posted 27.8% strikeout and 12.1% swinging strike rates this season. He gets a plus matchup against the Atlanta Braves, who rank third on the slate in strikeouts per at-bat. They also rank in the bottom five of the slate in team wOBA. Kershaw is a -174 favorite in a game set at 8 runs, and Atlanta features an implied run total of only 3.5 runs.
Kyle Hendricks - P, vs MIA ($8,400)
Hendricks has featured a few ups and downs this season, posting a 2-4 record with a 3.93 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP through six starts. He has recorded a 4.11 xFIP and a 4.48 SIERA this season, as well. Hendricks has struggled with an 18.1% strikeout rate to go along with a 7.8% swinging strike rate. He gets an elite matchup against the Miami Marlins, though, who lead the slate in strikeouts per at-bat, while also ranking second last in team wOBA. Hendricks has scored 30+ fantasy points in two of his last three games, and he's a -221 favorite, although the total hasn't been set yet.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Curt Casali - C, at OAK ($3,400)
Casali generally draws the start against left-handed pitching, and he gets a great matchup against Brett Anderson tonight. In limited at-bats on the season, Casali is hitting .283 with a .391 slugging percentage and a .731 OPS. He has also been playing well over the last 15 days, posting 45% hard hit and fly ball rates to go along with a 95 MPH exit velocity. Casali isn't an elite catcher by any means, but he's a strong punt option for a low price tag on this slate.
Brandon Belt - 1B/OF, at COL ($4,400)
Belt generally doesn't get as much love as other first basemen, but he's also outfield eligible, which adds to his value. His numbers don't jump out over his last 10 games, but he has scored fantasy points in eight of those games, while finding double-digit fantasy points thrice. Over the last 15 days, Belt owns 44% hard hit and fly ball rates to go along with a 92 MPH exit velocity. He also enters this game with 0.076 wOBA and 0.051 ISO differentials against right-handed pitching. Belt gets a plus matchup against Jon Gray, and he's surprisingly cheap for a Coors bat.
Joe Panik - 2B, at COL ($3,900)
Panik is a Coors player who is far too cheap tonight. He owns 0.033 wOBA and 0.036 ISO differentials against right-handed pitching and gets a plus matchup against Jon Gray. Panik is also hitting .256 with four extra-base hits (two home runs) and seven RBIs over his last 10 games. Furthermore, he has recorded a 40% hard hit rate with a 93 MPH exit velocity over that span. Panik makes one of the best options for his price on this slate.
Nolan Arenado - 3B, vs SF ($5,500)
Arenado is an option that can always be considered at home against left-handed pitching. In 2018, he hit for a .420 average with a .898 slugging percentage and a 1.378 OPS in that situation. He gets a great matchup against Derek Holland, who is far from a dominant pitcher. Arenado also enters this game on fire, recording 46% hard hit and fly ball rates with a 95 MPH exit velocity over the last 15 days. He isn't going to come cheap, but he can be considered in all leagues.
Corey Seager - SS, vs ATL ($3,800)
The obvious choice here is Trevor Story, but I'm opting for someone a bit cheaper. He has struggled over his last 10 games, but he owns 37% hard hit and 43% fly ball rates to go along with a 91 MPH exit velocity over the last 15 days. He gets a decent matchup against Mike Foltynewicz, and Seager enters this game with 0.069 wOBA and 0.13 ISO differentials against right-handed pitching. He may not be the safest option, but he comes with tremendous upside.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Nick Senzel - OF, at OAK ($4,400)
Senzel has looked outstanding through four games this season, posting a .235 average with a .765 slugging percentage and a 1.146 OPS. He owns three home runs with three RBIs and one steal. Senzel also posted 50% hard hit and 66% fly ball rates with a 94 MPH exit velocity over that span. He gets a plus matchup against Brett Anderson, and Senzel has found plenty of success against left-handed pitching. He's a high upside option, who can be considered in all leagues tonight.
Ian Desmond - OF, vs SF ($4,000)
Desmond is another cheap way to get a piece of this game. His numbers over his last 10 games are far from elite, but he owns 54% hard hit and 36% fly ball rates with a 94 MPH exit velocity over the last 15 days. He gets a great matchup against Derek Holland, and Desmond brings 0.043 wOBA and 0.075 ISO differentials against left-handed pitching. He's a strong option in all leagues, as he's expected to hit sixth in the Colorado Rockies lineup.
