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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on August 2nd, 2019. Austyn Varney's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Welcome to Saturday baseball on DraftKings! We have 12 games on the main slate with plenty to breakdown in-between. At pitcher, Lance Lynn and Mike Clevinger will battle it out for the top spot. We'll go with Lynn in a spectacular match-up, but you could make a great case for Clevinger as well. On the cheaper end, there are three of four guys worth considering. With a game in Coors Field, the slate is always shifted a bit.
No matter the price point you're looking for, DraftKings has a tournament styled for you. Whether you're looking to spend $3 or $1,500, you have a shot at a huge prize if you can finish first. There are a ton of different routes to take on this slate and we'll dive into a few different ones. Let's get to it!
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/2/19. 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 @VarneyDFS.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Lance Lynn - TEX vs. DET - $11,700
It’s between Lynn and Clevinger on the high end. Clevinger is a better pitcher than Lynn, but this Tigers lineup is beyond weak without Nick Castellanos and you can’t say the same for the Angels. The Tigers already rank 28th in baseball vs righties, and have now lost their best hitter. Lynn has been an absolute workhorse this season and has gone seven-plus innings in what seems like every single start. The Tigers are one of the absolute worst offenses in baseball and there’s no reason to think Lynn will slow tonight. He’s worth paying up for in both cash games and tournaments.
Steven Matz - NYM @ PIT - $7,700
Matz faced this same team a week ago and threw a CGSO in just 99 pitches. This Pirates team has struggled all season long vs lefties, sporting a .293 team wOBA and 24% strikeout rate. Matz hasn’t been great this season, but he’s always dominated lefties and he’s held righties in check with a .324 wOBA. You can’t expect another performance like his last, but he should go five or six innings and be in a great spot for the win. He’s still affordable on DK and will likely be pretty popular given what he did in this same match-up just days ago.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
C - Tom Murphy - SEA @ HOU (Miley) - $3,400
While it’s never a guarantee, Tom Murphy should get the start tonight. With Omar Narvaez sporting a .281 wOBA vs lefties, Murphy has stepped in and posted a .452 wOBA. Yes, you read that correctly. He hits lefties for a living and the Mariners are facing off with Wade Miley in Minute Maid Park, where the short porch in left sits. If Murphy draws the start, he’s easily one of the top value plays on the slate and a guy I will have all over my lineups. If Murphy isn’t playing, Garver and Perez are solid.
1B - Joey Votto - CIN @ ATL (Gausman) - $3,800
DraftKings has priced Joey Votto for too low for how well he’s currently hitting the ball. He has five hits in his last three and is driving the ball to all fields. Kevin Gausman is as average as it gets, allowing a .341 wOBA to lefties since last season. He's been solid lately, but his peripherals tell us he hasn't changed. Votto, on the other hand, has held a .372 wOBA vs righties on the year and it’s starting to look like the power is back. He’s cheap on DK and worth a play in all formats.
2B - Ozzie Albies - ATL vs. CIN (Wood) - $4,200
Albies is on my radar any time he’s facing off vs a lefty. On the season, he’s posted a ridiculous .428 wOBA vs southpaws and has hit six home runs in just 100 at-bats. He’s one of the Braves two best hitters vs lefties and often flies under the radar. Alex Wood is an average pitcher at best and he struggles with the long ball. Against righties, he’s allowed a .341 wOBA dating back to 2018. Albies remains affordable on DK and is in play in all formats and can be included in a Braves stack. Wood has been known to blow up and this Braves offense is one that can do it quickly to you.
3B - Eduardo Escobar - ARI vs. WAS (Ross) - $4,700
Joe Ross has been absolutely terrible this season. He's given up a .400 wOBA and has allowed five home runs in just 24 innings. You can point to a small sample size, but he last pitched meaningful innings in 2017 and gave up a .387 wOBA to lefties. The Diamondbacks are projected to score close to six runs and I think they get to the over. Escobar has hit 22 homers on the year and has sported a .327 wOBA vs righties. He has a rare combo of speed and power and will be less than 15% owned.
SS - Jorge Polanco - MIN vs. KC (Sparkman) - $4,700
Glenn Sparkman is clearly one of the worst pitchers in baseball. Over his last six games, he's allowed four or more earned runs in five of them. That's just one game in the last month and a half where he didn't get absolutely pummeled. He's allowed a 5.50 xFIP and strikes out five batters per nine innings. He quite obviously doesn't belong in the majors and we should take advantage while he's putting homers on a silver platter. Jorge Polanco is far better against righties (.388 wOBA) and has been seeing the ball better than ever. He's in play in all formats and is someone I'm looking to pay up for.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
George Springer - HOU vs. SEA (Kikuchi) - $5,300
If I'm paying up for an outfielder, it's George Springer. The Astros are facing off with the Mariners and Yusei Kikuchi. It’s hard to say after just one year, but the Kikuchi experiment is looking like a failure. He’s given up a .364 wOBA to righties and his peripherals don’t suggest any improvement. He’s a certified gas can that can be picked on regularly, for at least the rest of this season. Springer has sported a .399 wOBA vs lefties with five home runs in just 66 at-bats. He’s one of the biggest HR threats every time he takes the box and makes for a top OF play in all formats.
Bryce Harper - PHI vs. CWS (Nova) - $4,400
With Harper priced down, I see no reason not to play 100% of him against Ivan Nova. Nova is bad at one thing and that’s getting lefties with power out. Harper has dominated Nova in the past and will look to continue the trend tonight. Nova has given up a .358 wOBA to lefties on the season and Harper has matched him with a .352 vs righties. Harper is affordable and I’ll personally have him in 100% of lineups. Good luck tonight and please do reach out on Twitter @VarneyDFS with any questions!
