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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on September 24th, 2019. Joel Bartilotta's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
This is the final Tuesday of the regular season and we have a full slate ahead of us. It’s been a great season up to this point and we want to start this article off with the best pitcher on the board.
While we don't have any weather issues, there are a ton of questionable lineups and pitch counts that need to be monitored. It's going to be a bizarre week, so treat lightly.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/24/19. 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 @Bartilottajoel
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Gerrit Cole, HOU at SEA ($13,000)
Cole might be the best pitcher in baseball right now. While a 2.61 ERA and 0.91 WHIP is ridiculous in its own right, it’s no comparison to his absurd 39 percent K rate. That happens to be the best mark in baseball and it’s frightening just how good his swing-and-miss stuff is right now. Over his last 18 starts, Cole is providing a 1.76 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 13. 6 K/9 rate. That’s bad news for a Mariners club who ranks 28th in K rate and bottom-10 in OBP and OPS. All of this has Cole entering this matchup as a –400 favorite.
Jake Odorizzi, MIN at DET ($10,400)
The Twins right-hander is in the midst of a breakout season and that alone makes him a fantastic option against this terrible Tigers offense. Let’s start with that matchup, with the Motor City Kitties ranked dead-last in runs scored, OBP, OPS, K rate and xwOBA. That’s a recipe for disaster against a pitcher with a 3.59 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. In three starts against Detroit this season, Odorizzi has a 2.00 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and 10.0 K/9 rate. That's why Odorizzi and the Twins enter this matchup as a –250 favorite.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Travis d'Arnaud - C, TB vs. NYY ($4,100)
Many Mets fans were very disappointed with d’Arnaud but he’s showing signs of brilliance in his time with the Rays. Not only is he close to setting career-highs across the board, d’ Arnaud typically bats in the heart of the order against lefties. In fact, the slugging catcher has a .351 OBP, .541 SLG and .892 OPS against southpaws dating back to 2017. That’s very encouraging against a guy like C.C. Sabathia, with the veteran southpaw pitching to a 4.99 ERA and 1.42 WHIP this season. Even if Sabathia doesn’t take the hill here, we like d’Arnaud against any pitcher the Yanks throw out with such limited quality starters available.
Mitch Moreland – 1B, BOS at TEX ($4,700)
Moreland is quietly having another dominant season against right-handed pitching and it’s truly special how consistent this guy has been from the left side. So far this season, Moreland has a .554 SLG and .889 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. That’s huge from a player in this price range, particularly against a bad pitcher in hitter’s haven like Globe Life Park. Moreland opposes Ariel Jurado, with the Rangers righty pitching to a 5.73 ERA and 1.49 WHIP this season. Moreland is hot right now too, hitting three dingers over his last two games.
Luis Arraez – 2B, MIN at DET ($3,800)
Arraez has been in a ton of my articles recently and it truly blows my mind how low these DFS sites keep his price. We’re talking about a dude who’s hitting .343 en route to a .851 OPS. Those are monstrous numbers in an 88-game sample size from someone this cheap and it doesn’t even take into consideration his superb matchup. Arraez gets to face Spencer Turnbull and his 4.66 ERA and 1.47 WHIP, which is awesome with Arraez amassing a .916 OPS against righties so far this season.
Renato Nunez – 3B, BAL at TOR ($3,800)
Nunez is always a sneaky play when he faces left-handed pitching. So far this year, the slugging third baseman has a .510 SLG and .839 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. That’s led to him collecting 29 homers and 83 RBI, which nearly quadruples his previous career-high. Getting to oppose Anthony Kay is the icing on the cake, with the Toronto southpaw pitching to a 5.79 ERA and 1.43 WHIP this season.
Alex Bregman – SS, HOU at SEA ($5,100)
It’s insane just how hot this dude is right now. Over his last 45 games played, Bregman has collected 19 doubles, 13 homers, 40 runs scored and 45 RBI en route to a .480 OBP and 1.225 OPS. Those are downright silly statistics and it puts him in play against anyone. This happens to be a bad someone, with Seattle sending out Justin Dunn and his 6.75 ERA and 3.38 WHIP. Those horrific numbers have the Astros projected for about 5.5 runs, with Bregman expected to do a good amount of that damage in the heart of this order.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Aaron Judge, NYY at TB ($5,100)
Don’t look now but Judge is starting to find his stroke. The advanced statistics told us that it would just be a matter of time, with Judge ranked Top-5 in barrel rate and exit velocity. That makes him recent hot stretch all the less surprising, as he’s got a .472 OBP, .833 SLG and 1.305 OPS over his last 13 games. That’s terrifying for Brendan McKay’s 5.40 ERA and 1.41 WHIP, considering Judge has a .471 OBP and 1.134 OPS against southpaws so far this season.
Franmil Reyes, CLE at CWS ($4,100)
Much like Judge, Reyes is one of the most powerful men in baseball. That’s evident by the fact that he has 36 dingers and an ISO approaching .270. While he got off to a slow start with the Indians, a .359 OBP, .557 SLG and a .916 OPS over his last 25 games indicates that he’s fully feeling it right now. All of that pairs majestically with this matchup, getting the platoon advantage against Hector Santiago and his 5.65 ERA and 1.81 WHIP.
Khris Davis, OAK at LAA ($3,600)
Let’s keep the power bats rolling with Davis. How often do you see someone with this much power potential priced this cheaply? We’re talking about a dude who leads the leagues in homers dating back to 2016, posting an ISO north of .250 in that four-year span. He appears to be finding some of that power recently, with Davis collecting seven extra-base hits and 16 RBI over his last 21 games. He’s also been much better against lefties, generating a .364 OBP, .512 SLG and .876 OPS against them this season. That’s no good for Dillon Peters 4.81 ERA and 1.51 WHIP.
