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We’re back at it with more Tuesday plays here. All 30 teams are in action, so we’re going to spread the wealth and offer up recommendations all throughout the Majors. We do have a Coors Field matchup though and some studs facing bad offenses, so it’s going to make for a fascinating slate.
In terms of weather, we look good to go. There are only two weeks left, so look for teams to play through pretty much any inclement weather.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/17/19. 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.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Justin Verlander (HOU) $12,800 vs. TEX
It’s going to be tough to fade Verlander on this slate. The simple fact is, this is one of the best pitchers in baseball facing one of the worst lineups. For the year, JV has a 2.58 ERA and 0.78 WHIP. More importantly, he has a 35.2 percent K rate. That’s one of the best marks in baseball and it’s truly horrifying for a lineup that ranks 29th in K rate and 20th in OBP. The future Hall-of-Famer is really feeling it right now too, pitching to a 1.74 ERA, 0.65 WHIP and 13.8 K/9 rate over his last 10 starts. All of that has Verlander and the Astros entering this matchup as a –300 favorite.
Marco Gonzales (SEA) $6,300 at PIT
Gonzales is a risky player to trust for DFS purposes because of his limited upside but there’s a lot to like about him here. Facing an NL lineup is a nice touch, as it allows him to avoid a DH. The best part about this play is how badly the Pirates struggle with left-handed pitching, ranking 25th in runs scored and dead-last in both OBP and OPS against them. Those are nightmarish numbers and it doesn’t even take into consideration that they’ll likely be without their best hitter, Josh Bell. Gonzales has been much better since the beginning of June too, pitching to a 3.87 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in that 17-start span.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
James McCann – C, CWS at MIN ($4,000)
The White Sox are one of the sneakiest stacks on the board, as they’ve had a lot of success against lefties this season. The main reason for that is because their best hitters are Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, Eloy Jimenez and this talented catcher. For the year, McCann has a .289 AVG, .377 OPS, .491 SLG and .858 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. Those are some of the best numbers you’ll see from a catcher and it’s really horrifying for Martin Perez’ 4.89 ERA and 1.47 WHIP.
Luke Voit – 1B, NYY vs. LAA ($13.500) Showdown Only
If you’re playing the early showdown slate, it’s going to be tough to fade Voit. This masher is now in the heart of one of the best lineups in baseball, with players like Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez sidelined. He really should be in the heart of any order no matter the health of his teammates though, as his .392 OBP, .540 SLG and .933 OPS since last season are some of the best marks in the league. He also gets to face a lefty here and Voit has an OBP approaching .400 against southpaws since joining the Yanks and an OPS in the 1.000-range in that same span.
Robinson Cano – 2B, NYM at COL ($4,700)
Cano is dead to many DFS players but now’s the time to hop on the train when it’s running like this. Over his last 14 games, Cano is hitting .467 en route to an .844 SLG and 1.364 OPS. That’s the All-Star that we loved in his day with the Yankees and we have to be encouraged that he’s 100 percent healthy for the first time in a while. Hitting in Coors Field is a good way to keep him rolling, particularly against Tim Melville and his 5.16 ERA and 1.54 WHIP.
Gio Urshela – 3B, NYY vs. LAA ($12,600) Showdown Only
We foreshadowed this a bit with the Voit recommendation, as he and Urshela make for a fantastic two-man stack. The reason we love these righties is because they get to face Jose Suarez, who’s pitching to a 6.94 ERA and 1.64 WHIP this season. Those are disastrous numbers against this lineup, especially with all of the righties they possess. Urshela happens to be one of the hottest hitters in the league right now too, generating a .378 AVG, .676 SLG and 1.074 OPS over his last 38 games.
Manny Machado – SS, SD at MIL ($4,300)
This is a brilliant situation for Machado to have a monster game. Let’s start with the ballpark, with Miller Park ranking as one of the most hitter-friendly stadiums in the Majors. That’s a small reason to like Manny but facing a lefty is the real treat here. So far this season, Machado has a .322 AVG, .409 OBP, .704 SLG and 1.113 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. We’re certainly not worried about Gio Gonzalez either, with the southpaw pitching to a 5.61 ERA and 1.71 WHIP over his last six starts.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Charlie Blackmon, COL vs. NYM ($5,300)
The Rockies have an implied team total approaching seven, so we definitely want to get their leadoff hitter into our build. Facing a righty always makes Blackmon a good play but he’s actually one of the best bats in the league when hitting at home. In fact, Blackmon has a .389 AVG, .442 OBP, .757 SLG and 1.199 OPS at Coors Field this season. That’s scary for Marcus Stroman, who’s got a 4.50 ERA and 1.67 WHIP since joining the Mets.
Franmil Reyes, CLE vs. DET ($3,500)
Reyes is one of the best power hitters in our game and we have to love the way he’s mashing baseballs right now. A .259 ISO shows the sort of power potential this dude has, as he’s done a lot of that damage recently. Over his last 22 games, Reyes has a .367 OBP, .545 SLG and .912 OPS. That’s horrifying for Matthew Boyd, who’s got a 5.89 ERA and 1.34 WHIP over his last 16 starts. All that doesn’t even take into consideration that Reyes had a .376 OBP, .534 SLG and .909 OPS against lefties since joining the Majors. There's a possibility that Boyd won't start here but we like Reyes against whatever bad arm the Tigers will send out here, especially at this price.
Kyle Lewis, SEA at PIT ($3,900)
Lewis just joined the Mariners last week and he’s been one of the best hitters in the league since. In fact, Lewis has collected two doubles, four homers and nine RBI in his first six games. That’s led to a .360 AVG, .920 SLG and 1.290 OPS. That’s all you can ask for from someone in this price range, especially considering he gets to face Mitch Keller’s 8.29 ERA and 1.87 WHIP.
Things change quickly as lineups come out. If you have any questions, hit me up on Twitter @Bartilottajoel and I'd be more than happy to help.
