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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/9/20. Frank Ammirante's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Sunday is my favorite day for DFS because we don't have to wait until the evening for some action! Nothing better than relaxing after a busy week with some afternoon baseball, especially when it involves players that you've stacked in your lineups. Let's cash in with some winners!
I'll take a look at each position and build a lineup using my favorite plays on the slate. Our goal here is to take down a GPP and secure a nice return on our investment. Today we'll be stacking the red-hot Tigers lineup mixed with some Mets and Rays. Always remember to stack your hitters to optimize your lineups!
In this article, I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the DraftKings main slate on 8/9/2020. 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.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Jacob deGrom - P, NYM vs. MIA ($11,600)
deGrom is the chalk pitcher on our main slate, but he's elevated his game to another level with his increased velocity, with his four-seamer jumping from an average of 96.9 MPH to 98.7 MPH. In my mind, deGrom has surpassed Cole as the clear-cut top pitcher in baseball with this improvement. He goes up against one of the worst lineups in baseball, so it's a good idea to pay up for him here.
Sonny Gray - P, CIN @ MIL ($9,400)
Gray has picked up right where he left off from the second half of 2019, dominating hitters to the tune of an absurd 33.8 K-BB%. He takes on a Brewers' lineup that came into Saturday's game struggling against righties, ranking 24th with a .287 wOBA. Simply put, Gray is absolutely rolling right now, so we're going to pay up for two aces in great spots to act as the foundation for our Sunday lineup.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
J.T. Realmuto - C, PHI vs. ATL ($5,000)
Realmuto is the most expensive catcher on the slate, but for good reason - he's slashing .333/.400/.778 with three home runs in six games so far this season. He takes on Huascar Ynoa, a righty making his first big-league start. Ynoa struggled in Triple-A last season, posting a 5.33 ERA and 1.58 WHIP in 72.2 innings last season. This is a great matchup for a red-hot hitter, so we'll ride Realmuto despite his high price.
C.J. Cron - 1B, DET @ PIT ($3,100)
Cron is swinging a hot bat for a team that has scored an insane 26 runs in their last two games, homering in each of those contests. Cron has been penciled in as the cleanup hitter, so he remains in a great spot for run production. He goes up against LHP Steven Brault in this one, which is good news because he kills lefties, slashing .326/.385/.636 against southpaws last season.
Jonathan Schoop - 2B, DET @ PIT ($3,200)
Schoop is another Tiger who's swinging a hot stick, batting second in this lineup, so he makes for a great pairing with cleanup hitter Cron. Schoop similarly crushes lefties, slashing .277/.354/.563 against them last season. This is another case where we ride the wave - even though the Tigers profile as a mediocre lineup on paper, they are simply on fire right now - fire them up!
Yandy Diaz - 3B, TB vs. NYY ($3,400)
Diaz is one of my favorite player to slot in my lineups when he faces a lefty because he's usually underpriced despite his success against southpaws - he posted a .311/.393/.583 against them last season. He goes up against LHP James Paxton, who has struggled mightily this season - his four-seamer is down 3.6 MPH from 95.4 MPH to 91.8 MPH so far. This is a great spot for Diaz to go yard for the first time this year.
Niko Goodrum - SS, DET @ PIT ($3,600)
We'll go with the red-hot Goodrum to complete the Tigers stack. Goodrum has gone 4-12 (.333) with one home run and six RBI in the last two games. He slashed .361/.411/.515 against lefties last season, so he's another great option against the Pirates' southpaw here. Let's continue to ride the wave of this Tigers lineup that has simply been en fuego in Pittsburgh.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Michael Conforto - OF, NYM vs. MIA ($3,700)
Conforto against a righty has become a rock-solid play in DFS. He has now hit safely in his last five games, including two home runs and four RBI. Conforto goes up against RHP Pablo Lopez, who is a solid pitcher with the ability to induce groundballs, but this is still an exploitable matchup. Let's ride this hot streak and hope that the Mets' outfielder can do some damage against another righty.
Hunter Renfroe - OF, TB vs. NYY ($3,600)
We'll go with Renfroe to complete our mini-Rays stack against James Paxton. Renfroe is a boom-or-bust type DFS play, either hitting a home run or providing minimal production. We'll take the gamble here against Paxton with his diminished velocity. Renfroe should be an under-owned option on this larger Sunday slate. Let's hope that the Rays decide to hit him higher in the order against the struggling lefty.
Dominic Smith - OF, NYM vs. MIA ($3,400)
Smith is a nice pairing with Conforto because he provides some power upside and hits in a higher slot in the batting order against righties, batting as high as cleanup. Smith has secured everyday playing time with the absence of Yoenis Cespedes, so he's a solid option at a cheap price. The young slugger has become a viable choice every time he faces a right-handed pitcher.
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