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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on August 13th, 2018. Adam Meyer's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
We have a 10-game slate on Monday night for DraftKings and some big pitchers will be taking the hill. Yet, only one team is considered to be a heavy favorite (-200 odds, or greater): the Dodgers. We’ll see more from their pitcher in a little bit.
First, let’s talk offense. Four games have an over/under of at least nine total runs. The ARI/TEX matchup leads the slate with 10 projected total runs. We’re still waiting on the lines from MIA/ATL. Their second game of the doubleheader will be included in the main slate on DK.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/13/18. 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 @CharlieSideHstl.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Clayton Kershaw, LAD (vs. SF) - $10,000
Kershaw is my favorite pitcher of the slate and he comes at a discount. DraftKings lists Kershaw as the third-most expensive pitcher on Monday night and we’ll take that bargain. CK has allowed three earned runs, or less, in every start this season and has punched out at least seven batters in three of the last five appearances. Also, Kershaw owns the Giants. In his career, Kershaw is 22-10 with a 1.60 ERA and 320 strikeouts in 310.1 innings of action against San Francisco.
Sean Manaea, OAK (vs. SEA) - $7,300
Like Kershaw, Manaea hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in the past 12 starts. Also, Manaea has punched out at least five batters in three of the last four outings. As for his matchup against the AL West opponent, Seattle, Manaea is 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA and nine strikeouts in 13 innings of work against the Mariners.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
C - Alex Avila, ARI (@ TEX) - $3,500
The Diamondbacks lead the slate with an implied run total of 5.7 runs on Monday night. Naturally, I look towards their lineup to find deals and add players to my DK lineup where the talent is thin. Avila is only batting .171 this season, but in 3-or-10 in the past week with two doubles and three walks. Also, Avila has a .191 ISO against right-handed pitchers since 2017.
1B - Justin Smoak, TOR (@ KC) - $4,300
Toronto is fourth on the slate with an implied run total of 4.8 runs against the Royals. Smoak leads the Blue Jays with a .265 ISO against righties since 2017. Also, in the past week, Smoak is 9-for-22 (.409) with two doubles and a home run (three walks). He’s tallied multiple hit performances in three of the past six contests, too.
2B - David Fletcher, LAA (@ SD) - $3,200
When looking to save money, look no further than Fletcher at the second base position. He’s recorded 58 at-bats in the leadoff spot for the Angels and he’s reached base six times in the past five starts for Los Angeles.
3B - Christian Villanueva, SD (vs. LAA) - $4,100
Villanueva continues to impress against left-handed pitchers. Since 2017, he’s recorded an ISO of .424 against southpaws. In the past week, Villanueva is 5-for-14 (.357) with two doubles and two walks. Of his 36 hits in 2018 against lefties, 14 have left the yard and his still maintains a .343 AVG.
SS - Kike Hernandez, LAD (vs. SF) - $3,600
Don’t let Madison Bumgarner intimidate you away from Hernandez. He doesn’t. In his career, Hernandez is 10-for-23 (.435) with six extra-base hits (three home runs) against the Mad Bum. Hernandez also owns a .250 ISO against southpaws since 2017. Plus, he’s batting .275 at home this season (.160 AVG on the road).
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
AJ Pollock, ARI (@ TEX) - $4,900
As I mentioned towards the top of this post, Arizona leads the pack with their 5.7 projected run total. It makes sense to build at least a small stack of their bats on Monday night. Pollock is right on the borderline with a .199 ISO against righties (we aim for .200, or better), but I’ll allow it. Bartolo Colon is on the hill for the Rangers and he’s allowed at least four earned runs in the last four appearances, too (four home runs during that span).
Justin Upton, LAA (@ SD) - $4,500
Even though Upton is only batting .259 this season, he’s starting to heat up. He’s tallied six hits in the past four contests and has homered in three of the past four games. On Monday night, he’ll see an opponent on the hill who he’s had a successful career against. Upton is 12-for-24 (.500) with five extra-base hits (one home run) when Clayton Richard is pitching to him. Speaking of Richard, he’s allowed at least five earned runs in three of the past four outings.
Randal Grichuk, TOR (@ KC) - $4,300
My final bat for the Monday slate is Grichuk. Even though he’s only 5-for-26 (.192) in the past week, he’s still second on the team with a .257 ISO against right-handed pitchers. Also, the Royals will start Brad Keller on Monday night. He’s allowed at least four earned runs in three of the past five appearances.
