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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on August 18th, 2018. Troy Klauder's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
We've got five different slates on this busy Saturday, with the featured slate starting at 7:05 pm and covering 11 games.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/18/18. 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 @TroyKlauder.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Jacob deGrom, NYM (@ PHI) - $13,000
deGrom is easily the top starter on today's slate, so if you can make room in your payroll for him, it will be worth your time. He's got an absurd 2.26 Deserved Run Average with a 2.14 FIP and a dominant 31.3% K-rate. The Phillies have a 25.4% K-rate against righties, which is the third-highest mark in the league. deGrom has a rare high floor and high ceiling combo that makes him the best investment available.
Zack Godley, ARI (@ SD) - $8,700
Godley has been on a tear over the last month, striking out 35 batters in 31 2/3 innings with a 2.84 ERA. His hot streak should continue against the Padres, who are the worst lineup in the league versus right-handers according to their .288 wOBA. They've also got the second-highest K-rate, at 25.7%, and play in one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in baseball. Godley is a steal at this price.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
C - Yasmani Grandal, LAD (@ SEA) - $4,200
Grandal is one of the only catchers worth spending on. He's been demolishing right-handed pitching this year with a 140 wRC+ and gets to face Erasmo Ramirez, who has a 6.75 ERA through three starts. Grandal has 21 homers and can do some work in the loaded Dodgers lineup.
1B - Jose Abreu, CWS (vs. KC) - $4,200
Abreu is on fire right now, with homers in back-to-back games and a .950 OPS over the last 15 days. While opposing starter Brad Keller has a 3.40 ERA, his 4.77 SIERA and 5.53 DRA suggest that he's been overperforming. Indeed, Keller has just a 15.7% K-rate with a 10.1% walk-rate. Take Abreu and some of his White Sox teammates for an effective stack.
2B/OF - Whit Merrifield, KC (@ CWS) - $4,000
Merrifield is batting .345 over the last 15 days and leading off for the Royals, so he should rack up some hits against Dylan Covey, owner of a 6.06 ERA. Merrifield will maximize his plate appearances out of the leadoff spot, giving him better odds at racking up runs and steals.
3B - Evan Longoria, SF (@ CIN) - $3,900
Longoria can take advantage of an extreme hitter's park in Cincinnati against Matt Harvey, who has a 5.19 ERA and an insane 2.28 HR/9 at home. Even a hitter like Longo can easily go deep with this matchup.
SS - Trea Turner, LAD (vs. MIA) - $4,400
Turner may only be a league-average hitter, but his spot batting second for the Nationals gives him a ton of value. Wei-Yin Chen has a 5.32 ERA, so Turner should be involved in some run-scoring. Of course, Turner also has 32 steals this year, so he can easily get you some points on the basepaths.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Starling Marte, PIT (vs. CHC) - $4,300
Any time you can get Marte for this cheap, you should take advantage. He's been an elite fantasy player with 17 homers and 28 steals. Tyler Chatwood has been absolutely horrible this year, with more walks than strikeouts.
Lorenzo Cain, MIL (@ STL) - $4,100
Cain's batting .409 in the last week and will get lots of plate appearances batting second for the Brewers. He's another speed option, with 22 steals this year.
