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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on August 15th, 2019. Ben Rolfe's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
A reasonably quiet Thursday greets us, with only 10 games in total. Two of those games fall in the afternoon with eight games making up a very interesting featured slate on DraftKings.
Thre are no massive stand out favorites on the featured slate, with the Reds and Yankees the biggest favorite at -160. The totals are a little more interesting with three of the eight in double-digits. and another four sitting at 9-or-9.5. On a day in which scoring is expected to be plentiful, it may be difficult to find value amongst the pitching options today.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/15/19. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. Be sure to also check out all the Vegas Odds for today's slate. 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 @benrolfe15.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Reynaldo Lopez, CWS (@ LAA) - $7,900
This slate is not pretty for pitching. There is a lot of risk-reward and therefore I decided to try and save some cash for my hitter. Since the All-Star break,he has a 2.13 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 38 innings. The Angels offense has been hot recently, but Lopez has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his previous six outings. Additionally, he is coming off a 6 1/3 inning shutout performance against the Athletcs, so is in great form.
Aaron Sanchez, HOU (@ OAK) - $7,700
This one is a little bit brave but Sanchez is in great form. He has allowed just one earned run in his two starts with the Astros and has scored over 20 fantasy points in each of his last three starts. In fact, in his last four starts he has averaged 22.08 fantasy points and heads into the game in his best form of the season. He offers one of the best opportunities on this slate to earn three fantasy points per $1k salary.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
C - James McCann, CWS (@ LAA) - $3,600
This is a nice situation for McCann as he has good numbers against left-handed pitchers, with a .305 batting average, .221 ISO and a .379 wOBA. Additionally, he has also performed better on the road than at home, with a .309 batting average and a seven home runs coming on the road.
1B - Christian Walker, ARI (vs. SF) - $4,200
Walker is having a good month, hitting over .300 so far in August. He has also had the majority of his success this season against right-handed pitchers, hitting .268 with 17 of his 21 home runs, a .239 ISO and a .353 wOBA. In this matchup, he is facing Dereck Rodriguez, who has a 5.32 ERA and allowed four earned runs in his last road start in Philadelphia.
2B - Rougned Odor, TEX (vs. MIN) - $4,100
It has been an interesting season for Rougned Odor as he has actually been better against left-handed pitchers than righties. He has hit .273 and averages a home run every 21 PA when facing lefties, with a .264 ISO and a .371 wOBA.
3B - Josh Donaldson, ATL (vs. NYM) - $4,300
Donaldson is another hitter with some stark splits but his preference has been to right-handed pitchers. Against righties, this season he has hit .275 with 21 of his 26home runs giving him a .260 ISO and a .382 wOBA. He is also hitting over .300 in August with a .410 wOBA, so his bat is hot right now and with the weather potentially favoring hitters today he could make for a nice value in this matchup.
SS - Javier Baez, CHC (@ PHI) - $5,100
This is a dream scenario for Baez. He is hitting .326 against left-handed pitchers with eight home runs in 101 PA. His ISO when facing lefties is an impressive .348 with a .417 wOBA. That left-handed pitcher he is facing? That would be Drew Smyly and his 6.96 season average, including allowing nine earned runs in his last 10 2/3 innings.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Kris Bryant, CHC (@ PHI) - $5,000
Sticking with the Cubs hitter against left-handed pitchers it is the turn of Kris Bryant, who has a .345 batting average, .368 ISO and a .474 wOBA with a home run every 13.25 PA. This is a fantastic opportunity to exploit those numbers against Smyly.
Jesse Winker, CIN (vs. STL) - $4,100
Winker has extreme splits between right and left-handed pitchers. All 16 of his home runs have come against right-handed pitchers and he is hitting .285 against them. Additionally, he is hitting .311 with 10 of his 16 home runs coming in Cincinnati.
Mark Canha, OAK (vs. HOU) - $4,000
Canha has been one of my favorite selections this season and is hitting .255 with 12 home runs against right-handed pitchers. Against righties he has a .250 ISO and a .373 wOBA, with the wOBA rising to .403 when facing them in Oakland. This is a nice value, especially against a questionable pitcher like Sanchez.
