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We have a very quiet Thursday in major league baseball. Just nine games which are fairly evenly spaced throughout the day makes for a couple of underwhelming slates. The early slate is made up of three games before a five-game slate kicking off at 6:35 pm. As always here we are chasing the biggest prize pool and will, therefore, turn our attentions to the evening slate.
Thursday's evening slate brings us three monster favorites in the form of the Yankees, Indians, and Twins. Of those three two of the pitchers terrify me in Masahiro Tanaka and Kyle Gibson, and you will not find them in any of my lineups today. The best game of the day is in Chicago, where the Cubs square off against the Cardinals in a clash to potentially take control of the NL Central. Totals wise we have two games projected to go over 10 runs, Minnesota and Baltimore, with the other three games projected to see nine or more runs, so it should be a fun day in the majors despite the small slates.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/19/19. 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 @benrolfe15.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Mike Clevinger, CLE (vs. DET) - $11,400
Well, what is there to say really? This was between Clevinger and Jack Flaherty, and in the end, it came down to a higher upside pitcher facing a worse offense. It really is that simple on a slate where the mid-range pitching is not pretty that you just pay up for a man of this talent.
Drew VerHagen, DET (@ CLE) - $5,200
I am breaking a lot of rules here. Picking pitchers against each other and picking someone I really think is bad. However, in order to get Clevinger, I needed to cut costs everywhere I could and VerHagen is a perfect way to do that. At just $5,200 he actually offers you upside as well. In 37 2/3 inning since the start of August, he has allowed 10 earned runs and struck out 34 hitters. The Indians lineup is not the most terrifying in the world and VerHagen offers the chance for a two or three times return on investment at a dirt-cheap price.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
C - Pedro Severino, BAL (vs. TOR) - $3,900
This is a pitching matchup I am expecting to be the worst of the day and you are going to find a couple of plays here from Baltimore. Severino is someone I do try and avoid at home, as he has just a .205 batting average and .295 wOBA in Camden Yards. However, his numbers against left-handed pitchers mean I cannot ignore him, with a .277 batting average, a .220 ISO and a .341 wOBA.
1B - C.J. Cron, MIN (vs. KC) - $3,900
Yes, Cron is just hitting .225 in the second half, but he is almost hitting home runs at the same pace as the first half. His numbers against left-handed pitchers mean he is hard to ignore, as he has a .325 batting average, .325 ISO and a .417 wOBA.
2B - DJ LeMahieu, NYY (vs. LAA) - $4,600
This is the first time in months that LeMahieu has been cheap enough for me to even consider him. However, he is absolutely worth it, especially at home against left-handed pitchers. He has a .413 batting average, .275 ISO and a .482 wOBA when facing lefties in Yankee Stadium.
3B - Hunter Dozier, KC (@ MIN) - $4,300
Dozier has been one of my go-to guys this year. Good against both left and right-handed pitching, and solid both at home and away. On the road against right-handed pitchers, he has hit 12 of his 26 home runs, with a .351 wOBA and a .278 ISO. Now he gets to face a pitcher in Kyle Gibson with an ERA over seven in his recent starts and he should be able to have a strong day.
SS - Paul DeJong, STL (@ CHC) - $3,600
I was desperately trying to avoid this game but I just love the price of a couple of guys. DeJong is also in a sweet spot, facing a right-handed pitcher on the road. 24 of his 27 home runs have come against righties, and 18 of those 27 have also been on the road. Altogether he has a .287 ISO and a .363 wOBA when facing righties on the road.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Trey Mancini, BAL (vs. TOR) - $4,900
I have ridden him all season so why not a couple more weeks? Mancini has a .268 ISO and a .371 wOBA when facing lefties, as well as a .251 ISO and a .360 wOBA in Camden Yards. The price is higher than I like because of the small slate, but for me, Mancini should have been this price all year.
Marcell Ozuna, STL (@ CHC) - $4,200
Another Cardinals hitter who has been best against right-handed pitchers and on the road. His .270 batting average, .236 ISO and .259 wOBA make him a solid play, even with the weather being against hitters and the tough pitching matchup.
Jason Heyward, CHC (vs. STL) - $4,000
I normally flat out refuse to pick against Jack Flaherty, but this time the value is right to do it. Heyward has 19 of his 21 home runs off righties, as well as a .354 wOBA, a .268 batting average and a .209 ISO.
