DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (8/31/20): MLB DFS Lineups

The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/31/20. Nicklaus Gaut gives his MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.

We only get seven games on the DraftKings main slate today but it does include a game at Coors and multiple elite starters, with Cole and Bieber battling for the king of chalk. There's also a fair amount of value (including at Coors) so fitting in one of the high-priced starters shouldn't be an issue.

I'll take a look at some of my favorite plays today, taking into account projected points, price, and likely ownership. Today brings a variety of values for position players in those aforementioned areas and even a catcher! You'll want to save cash where you can on hitters today, as a lot of your budget is going to be sucked up by pitching, given the lack of quality at the bottom of the price chain.

In this article, I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the DraftKings main slate on 8/31/2020. 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 as well.

DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers

Gerrit Cole - P, NYY vs. TB ($10,000)

There are enough good pitchers going today that Cole is only the third priciest, with Glasnow and Bieber both higher. While many will be seduced by Bieber's rematch with the Royals, I'll take Cole as my SP1, given his less-chalky taste. He'll face a Rays team that has a 23.4% K-rate versus RHP and has just a  3.6 implied run total. Cole has already faced the Rays twice this season, scoring a total of 47 points, and looks locked in for another 20+ point performance. And hopefully with not as high of ownership as we're used to.

Shane Bieber - P, CLE vs. KC ($11,000)

Just because I like the less-chalky taste of Cole doesn't mean I'm avoiding Bieber, who's an easy cash play in a rematch with the Royals. You may remember his first appearance versus Kansas City (and his first start of the year) when he struck out 14 in six innings, picking up the win along with 41.9 points. Bieber announced himself a member of the top-tier in that start and hasn't done anything since to slow that train down. The price is high but worth paying.

DraftKings DFS Infielders

Tim Anderson - SS, CHW @ MIN ($5,700)

He surprisingly scored zero points yesterday in the White Sox victory over the Royals; surprising because he hasn't put up a zero since August 15 but also because it came against a left-handed starter. Anderson has been dropping lefties like generic henchmen in a Bruce Lee movie, putting up a .764 wOBA and .786 ISO against them in 2020, with an 83.3% contact-rate and 73.9% hard-hit rate. Minnesota starter Rich Hill was sharp in his last outing versus the Indians, allowing one run in five innings, but I'll take my chances on what will likely be a lightly-owned Anderson.

Jake Cronenworth - 2B, SD @ COL ($4,700)

There are a few things I like about Cronenworth here - besides Coors Field, of course. For one, he just keeps raking; he went 3-for-5 last night with a home run (scoring 24 points on DK) and now has hits in 13 of his last 14 games. For two, his name and price could make him one of the lesser-owned options in the Coors bonanza. I think players are more likely to stack against Garrett Richards than versus German Marquez and people still haven't come around to Cronenworth ("Cronen-who?") not just being on a hot streak.

Daniel Murphy - 1B, COL vs. SD ($3,700)

Murphy is another affordable option at Coors for those who get tapped out paying near $6K for the likes of Tatis, Story, and Arenado. His numbers versus RHP aren't spectacular (.333 wOBA and a .171 ISO) but what he has put up is an elite 88.4 contact-rate. He's batting fifth behind the usual Colorado studs so having ducks on the pond shouldn't be an issue.

Fernando Tatis Jr. - SS, COL vs. SD ($6,100)

Obvious or not, expensive or not; it's just hard to pass on Tatis facing a right-hander at Coors Field. Tatis's numbers versus RHP are just videogame silliness, with a .455 wOBA and 65.3% hard-hit rate over 115 PA. Marquez has a 53.5% GB% versus righties but that doesn't bother me as much with Tatis, given his elite speed. Versus right-handed batters, Marquez relies far more on his breaking pitches than he does against left-handers (53% to RHB, 34% to LHB) and more breakers at Coors doesn't always work out. Like when he gave up 10 ER in five innings the last time he pitched at home.

Jacob Stallings - C, PIT @ MIL ($2,700)

The collected works of Nic Cage, Rocky training montages, and "caffeine-fueled" promos by "Macho Man" Randy Savage; there are few things I love more than a cheap catcher with upside. Stallings has hit his way to the middle of the Pirates order after collecting multiple hits in five of his last eight games,  slashing .480/.519/.640 over that period, with a .497 wOBA and 219 wRC+. He'll face LHP Eric Lauer at Milwaukee; Stallings has a .475 wOBA versus LHP this season, with a 46.2% hard-hit rate. Cue Eye of the Tiger.

DraftKings DFS Outfielders

Marcell Ozuna - OF, ATL @ BOS ($4,100)

Not since Proust has a Marcell raked so much, with Ozuna collecting another three hits (and 17 points) in yesterday's 12-10 win over Philadelphia. Remember when people were worried about his .241 AVG last year, even though his struggles were obviously the result of the multiple broken fingers he suffered in over the summer? Well, he's slashing .286/.381/.538, with eight home runs, 23 RBI, and 18 runs scored. Ozuna is still absolutely lasering the ball, with his 92.3 mph EV (top-9%) and 50.6% hard-hit rate (top-6%) are both up slightly from last season. The Braves face starter Colten Brewer (4.57 ERA, 5.99 FIP) and one of baseball's worst bullpens on Monday, a night after the pen was heavily used in a win over the Nationals.

Raimel Tapia - OF, COL vs. SD ($3,800)

Batting leadoff at Coors with a platoon-advantage is an easy way to get my money. Given the expensive firepower available on both teams, Tapia will come at a relative discount, as he was priced at $4,800 yesterday versus this same Padres team. Tapia's been hot, as of late, scoring 84 points in his last 10 games.

Andrew McCutchen - OF, PHI vs. WAS ($3,900)

I'm not sure if you've noticed but McCutchen has been on absolute fire, collecting multiple hits in four straight games (with two home runs) and in five of his last six. McCutchen has scored 134 points on DK over his last 10 games, scoring less than nine points only once over that stretch. He'll bat leadoff and face Nationals pitcher Erik Fedde, who has a respectable 3.57 ERA (but a 5.65 FIP) and most recently allowed four runs in five innings to this same Philadelphia team.

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