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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/23/21. Euan Leith's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Monday, Rotoballers! Unlike most of the teams in MLB today, we don't take any days off in DFS land. We are looking at a paltry six-game slate to start the final week of August, but that's okay. I tend to do better on smaller slates compared to the big, 14-game Friday night bonanzas. You may be different and thrive when you have all the options at your fingertips. Every player is different, and I'm hoping to nudge you in the right direction to start this week in a winning fashion.
The lack of pitching upside among today's arms is quite alarming. We've got three of the top inning-eating pitchers in the game, with Zack Greinke, Kyle Hendricks, and Marco Gonzales taking the hill. While their tendency to go deep into games is valuable, their minimal strikeout potential is not. Greinke is a perfect example of this as he is facing the Royals in a rematch of his last start where he pitched six innings of one-run baseball but didn't strike out a single opponent and left us with a measly 8.5 fantasy points. Therefore, we may have to get uncomfortable and take some risks if we want an arm with a 30-point ceiling in our lineup.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/23/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It’s also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, find me on Twitter and ask away.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Alek Manoah - P, TOR vs. CWS ($8,500)
I mentioned in the intro the need to be uncomfortable if we want a 30-point ceiling from our pitchers. Well, it may not get more uncomfortable than Alek Manoah against a powerful White Sox lineup. The rookie is having a tremendous first season in baseball, and it looks like he's been a bit unlucky since the All-Star break. The right-handed hurler's ERA (4.15) is almost half a run higher than his FIP (3.68), and a 64.7 percent strand rate suggests some bad defense may be costing him at times. Meanwhile, in Manoah's last six starts, he's struck out at least nine batters three times and less than four batters three times. It's been quite a rollercoaster since the second half started, but he will be in a good spot against a White Sox lineup, striking out 24.2 percent of the time against righties over the last three weeks.
Kyle Hendricks - P, CHC vs. COL ($8,100)
I tagged Hendricks as a pitcher lacking the strikeout upside we seek in DFS. While I stand by that point, a date versus the Colorado Rockies at home is too tempting to pass up. This is a team with a 14-45 record outside Coors Field averaging 3.03 runs per game, a home run every 43 at-bats, and a .210/.284/.324 slash line. There are a lot of pitchers I would throw out against the Rockies, and Hendricks is undoubtedly one of them. He's scored at least 17.5 fantasy points in three of his last four outings, and a prime matchup with Colorado should lock him in to reach the benchmark for the fourth time in five games.
Other options: Jordan Montgomery at ATL ($10,000), Zack Greinke vs. KC ($8,900), Marco Gonzales at OAK ($8,100)
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Yan Gomes - C, SEA vs. Marco Gonzales ($3,300)
With a southpaw on the mound, Yan Gomes will likely grab the starting nod behind the home plate over Sean Murphy for Oakland. Gomes came over to the A's at the trade deadline, and while the results are mixed, there are reasons for optimism heading into the season's final month. Gomes has two home runs in 10 starts and had success against a lefty in his last game. On Friday against Alex Wood, the former Nationals catcher went 2-for-4 with a fourth-inning double and a run. It's not the most exciting selection to make at catcher, but on a six-game slate, I believe Gomes will return palpable returns at $3,300.
Frank Schwindel - 1B, CHC vs Antonio Senzatela ($2,700)
The Cubs declared their roster rebuild at the trade deadline like Michael Scott declared bankruptcy in 'The Office' several years ago. While this may have angered several Chicago fans, it's given way to a new wave of DFS value plays. Frank Schwindel is Exhibit A in this example. In August, the 29-year old's .455 weight On-Base Average is second among qualified first basemen, and he's added four home runs and 15 RBI in 18 games. Plus, he's collected six multi-hit efforts in his last 10 games, and he will be a big part of any damage the Cubs put up on Antonio Senzatela.
Jose Altuve - 2B, HOU vs. Daniel Lynch ($5,500)
Jose Altuve slumped through the first two weeks of August (.468 OPS), but he turned it around last week and seemed to be back to his season-long ways. Over the previous seven games, the 2017 MVP is 14-for-33 with five runs, four doubles, a triple, and an RBI. While DFS managers would love to see the RBI total a bit higher, it's hard to argue with 9.8 fantasy points per game. The Astros averaged 10 runs per game in their weekend series with the Mariners, and I think they'll be looking to grab some revenge versus a Royals outfit that took three of four from them just last week in Kansas City.
Aledmys Diaz - 3B, HOU vs. Daniel Lynch ($3,600)
Alex Bregman popped up at Minute Maid Park over the weekend to run through some individual drills, and it served as a reminder Aledmys Diaz's days as an everyday contributor may be numbered. That's one of the reasons I came around to recommending him against Daniel Lynch on Monday. You can also factor in the five multi-hit games he's produced in the previous 10 contests, and he's even better weekend series. In his last three games, Diaz is 6-for-15 with a run, two doubles, and an RBI. He's slotted right behind the big bats of Yuli Gurriel and Yordan Alvarez. If those two aren't smacking it out of the diamond, they will get on base enough to provide Diaz with plenty of fantasy-point producing opportunities.
Nicky Lopez - SS, KC at Zack Greinke ($2,700)
There is a severe lack of depth at the shortstop position for Monday's six-game slate. However, a significant discount option comes in the shape of Nicky Lopez. The Royal's infielder slashes .361/.425/.472 over his last 10 outings, and he's added seven runs, a double, a home run, four RBI, and eight stolen bases in the same stretch. The number of ways he can contribute to a DFS lineup makes him a valuable asset and explains the 16.2 FPPG he's been averaging in the last five games.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Ketel Marte - OF, ARI at Wil Crowe ($4,600)
Ketel Marte is having a somewhat lost 2021 campaign. He's been hampered by a couple of lengthy Injury List stays, but he's healthy now, and the results are coming to the forefront. In the last 10 games, the All-Star owns a 1.063 OPS and a whopping eight extra-base hits. In addition, five doubles, a triple, and a home run will get you on anyone's watchlist in DFS. Marte will see Wil Crowe on the hill tonight, and the young Pirates pitcher shouldn't pose a problem for the veteran bat. However, his 5.49 FIP since the All-Star breaks shows he's been a bit lucky on the mound, and the Diamondbacks should look to end that streak with some hard hits in Pittsburgh.
Jorge Soler - 3B, ATL vs. Jordan Montgomery ($4,300)
There's a little bit of FOMO in my Jorge Soler pick tonight. The Braves slugger has two round-trippers in his last three games, and I don't want to miss the train leaving the station if he continues his power surge against Jordan Montgomery. The former-Royals bat also has four runs and three RBI in his last. Despite Jordan Montgomery being the most expensive pitcher, I can see the Braves putting up some crooked numbers on the scoreboard tonight. Soler's bat is worth the $4,300 investment because he can do a massive amount of damage with a single swing of the bat.
Ian Happ - OF, CHC vs. Antonio Senzatela ($4,100)
One of the only members to survive the trade deadline purge was Ian Happ. It could've been because there wasn't a ton of interest, but the outfielder is turning it around in recent weeks. Over his last 10 games, Happ is slashing.303/.378/.636 with five runs, two doubles, three home runs, and seven RBI. We shouldn't expect this Cubs lineup to offer Happ (or the earlier mentioned Schwindel) a ton of counting stat chances, but his recent display of power is enough to take a flyer on him in DFS. He has four extra-base hits in his last six games, and he should see a few good pitches from Antonio Senzatela with a chance to add another double or home run this evening.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Houston Astros vs. Kansas City Royals (Daniel Lynch, LHP)
- Chicago Cubs vs. Colorado Rockies (Antonio Senzatela, RHP)
- Game stack: Seattle Mariners (Marco Gonzales, LHP) at Oakland Athletics (Paul Blackburn, RHP)
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