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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on August 25th, 2019. Austyn Varney's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Welcome to Sunday baseball on DraftKings. We saw college football make its way into they eyes of America last night, and the NFL news overshadowed it all. We aren’t worried about that world though, as were solely focused on baseball winding down. There’s still plenty of edge to be had and well even see some free football money be used when people get bored.
The slate kicks off early and gives us a ton of options. There are three or four pricey pitchers worth paying up for, and then it drops off severely. With so many solid bats, it may be important to find a value arm you can lean. Let’s dive in and take a look at a top play from each position!
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/25/19. 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
Aaron Nola - PHI @ MIA - $11,000
There are quite a few aces to choose from, but Aaron Nola has the friendliest match-up and it isn't even close. The Miami Marlins rank dead last against righties on the season with a team .279 wOBA and 26% strikeout rate. They also play in Marlins Park, which ranks 28th in baseball for power allowed. Nola has been struck out 10.04 batters per nine innings and he's only walking three. He's posted a sub .313 wOBA against both sides of the plate and neither righties nor lefties have had much power success. ola has been extremely consistent of late and is the safest option on the board. It's risky to ignore Nola as your SP1.
Matt Boyd - DET @ MIN - $10,300
There isn’t much to love after this expensive group of pitchers. Matthew Boyd has been solid all season long, striking out 11.46 batters per nine and holding both sides of the plate to a sub .305 wOBA. He walks just under two batters per nine innings and has a leash over 100 pitches. The Minnesota Twins aren’t a bad offense by any means, but they’re surely worse against lefties and strikeout 26% of the time. Nelson Cruz is a maniac vs left-handlers, but Kepler, Polanco, Rosario, and Arraez, just to name a few, struggle vs left-handers. Boys isn’t safe against this high-powered offense, but the upside is there and there isn’t much else to love in this price range.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
C - James McCann - CWS vs. TEX (Burke) - $4,400
James McCann has always been better against lefties, but he's been a completely different hitter this season. Against lefties, he's posted a .361 wOBA and has hit four homers in under 100 at-bats. Brock Burke was dominant in his first start, but a .235 BABIP is to blame. He doesn't profile as a great starter, averaging a 4+ xFIP over the last two seasons in the minors. James McCann is rather affordable on DraftKings and won't be very popular.
Rhys Hoskins - PHI @ MIA (Hernandez) - $4,200
The only reason Elieser Hernandez is in a starting rotation is because the Miami Marlins exist. He's given up a .420 wOBA to lefties and a 4.51 xFIP to right-handers. Hernandez strikes out eight batters per nine innings, but he walks over three and gives up 40%+ hard contact. Rhys Hoskins is better against lefties, but a .346 wOBA against righties with 17 home runs is nothing to scoff at. He won't be popular on either site and makes sense in all formats across the board. The Phillies are a great stack that won't garner much attention.
Ozzie Albies - ATL @ NYM (Matz) - $4,000
When a lefty is facing off with the Braves, you can expect Ozzie Albies to be mentioned here. Against left-handers, Albies has sported a ridiculous .442 wOBA and has hit nine home runs in just 125 at-bats. He'll be slotted into the two hole and will have plenty of RBI and run scoring opportunities. Steven Matz is a solid pitcher, but he's far from untouchable. He's allowed a .330+ wOBA
Anthony Rendon - WAS @ CHC (Hamels) - $5,300
It doesn’t matter what lefty, Anthony Rendon murders southpaws. On the season, he’s posted a .412 wOBA with seven home runs and nine doubles in just 110 at-bats against them. Cole Hamels is an average pitcher who has been hit around plenty this season. Righties hold a .321 wOBA and hit the ball hard 37% of the time. Rendon is going to cost you a pretty penny, but he has as much upside as anyone on the slate and may be under owned with the high tag.
Javier Baez - CHC vs. WAS (Strasburg) - $3,900
I know this match-up isn’t great for Javier Baez, but he’s far too cheap on DraftKings at $3,900. He’s also a fastball hitter, and we know Strasbourg leans on his fastball to get ahead in counts. I can see a very real world where Baez jumps on an early count fastball and smacks a solo homer into the bleachers. He’ll be completely ignored and has a ton of upside against a fastball-heavy arm. He can also strikeout three times, so make sure you accept the risk going in. There are far safer options. They’re just pricey.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Mike Trout - LAA @ HOU (Valdez) - $5,800
You’ll have to pick just a guy or two to pay up for if you want expensive pitchers, and Mike Trout may be worth prioritizing. He gets to face off with Framber Valdez, a left-hander that’s allowed six home runs in just 30 innings of work. He’s a high strikeout pitcher that will give up a ton of bombs when he misses his spot. He also works low in the zone, which is a recipe for disaster if you’re pitching to Mike Trout. It goes unsaid, but Trout has posted a .400+ wOBA against lefties over his entire career and has hit 15 home runs against them this season. He’s the top play on the slate and will hopefully be ignored with the high tag.
Dexter Fowler - STL vs. COL (Senzatela) - $4,000
When facing Antonio Senzatela, you look for lefties. He’s allowed a .401 wOBA to opposing lefties on the season and has allowed 22 XBH in 41 innings of work. A lot of that has been in Coors Field, but a 5.12 xFIP away from Coors tells you more than enough. Dexter Fowler will be in the top of the order and have plenty of opportunities to drive runs in. He’s been better against righties on the year with a .334 wOBA and 12 homers. He’s affordable on DK and gives you a ton of upside for an affordable price tag.
Things change quickly as lineups come out. If you have any questions, hit me up on Twitter @VarneyDFS and I'd be more than happy to help.
