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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on April 2, 2024. Euan Leith's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Tuesday, RotoBallers! Did you know Ireland celebrates April Fool's Day on April 2nd during leap years? What a wild world we live in. Also, belated April Fools! Gotcha! Fortunately, there are no shenanigans for our Tuesday slate, which includes nine games across the baseball map.
The slate begins on the East Coast, with Detroit meeting the Mets in New York. Then, our nine-game contest ends with some West Coast action as the Giants and Dodgers continue their first series of the 2024 season. It will be wet and windy in some parts of the country, so watch for any postponements or delays ahead of the first pitch.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 4/2/2024. The lineup picks will range from some elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. Monitoring injury news and today's MLB starting lineups is also essential. Follow me on X @EuanFPL for more DFS advice.
DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Shane Bieber at Mariners ($8,800 DraftKings; $10,200 FanDuel)
It was well documented that Shane Bieber put in some major work this offseason to get back to his sparkling 2019-2021 form. Based on his first game, it paid off. The 2020 AL Cy Young winner tossed six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk with 11 strikeouts against Oakland. It was Oakland, so we must be cautious, but Seattle is a good follow-up test. In 2023, the Mariners struck out the second most to right-handed hurlers. This provides Bieber with enough strikeout upside to make him today's SP1.
Brayan Bello at Athletics ($8,000 DK; $8,800 FD)
Brayan Bello gets the opposite matchup to Shane Bieber in his second start. The up-and-coming pitcher started the season with Seattle and now gets to face Oakland. In his first start of the year, Bello allowed one home run and two earned runs over five innings while striking out two Mariners. Oakland is a much softer matchup. Last season, the A's had the fourth-highest strikeout rate versus RHPs and were bottom-two in average, OBP, SLG, and wOBA.
Javier Assad vs. Rockies ($6,600 DK; $6,200 FD)
It feels unnecessary to drop this far on FanDuel at starting pitcher, but Javier Assad is a classic bargain bin SP2 candidate on DraftKings tonight. Streaming against the Rockies on the road is always a good idea. When Colorado was away from Coors Field in 2023, they had the highest strikeout rate (27.3 percent) while producing the second-lowest OPS, wOBA, and wRC+. It's risky, but Assad slots in as my favorite sub-$7,000 pitcher on DK because of the matchup.
Also consider: Luis Castillo vs. CLE, Zac Gallen vs. NYY, Reynaldo Lopez at CWS
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Jake Cronenworth - 1B/2B, SDP vs. Miles Mikoles ($4,000 DK; $2,900 FD)
Finding hitters in the top three spots of a lineup for $4,000 or less on DK ($3,000 or less on FD) is a fantastic way to build your DFS lineup throughout the season. While the long-term outlook for Jake Cronenworth could be further down the lineup, he's still sitting between Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado to begin the year. That's RBI-producing and run-scoring heaven for the Crone Zone and his DFS managers.
Davis Schneider - 2B/OF, TOR at Framber Valdez ($4,300 DK; $2,800 FD)
I was searching far and wide on DK, trying to find Davis Schneider, only to realize that DK has him listed as an outfielder to begin the year. It takes him out of the player pool, but he's a great pick on FD. The utility bat is on the short side of a platoon, but he should be able to hit his way into a full-time role. On Sunday, Schneider cranked a home run in his first start of the year against left-handed Tyler Alexander. He'll face the rocky and inconsistent Framber Valdez tonight with that short porch in Minute Maid Park.
Yoan Moncada - 3B, CWS vs. Reynaldo Lopez ($4,000 DK; $2,500 FD)
It's hard to sit on your hands when early-season baseball comes around. Reacting quickly could be the difference between boosting that bank account or returning to the drawing board for another slate. Yoan Moncada has three extra-base hits in his last three games and is giving me flashbacks to the 2018 preseason when his hype was at an all-time high. Somehow, he's still only 28 and also batting second for this White Sox lineup. He's another example of a great FD value, but still worth a shot in DK if you have some extra salary.
Also consider: Christian Walker, Mookie Betts, Andres Gimenez, Christopher Morel,
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - OF, ARI vs. Nestor Cortes ($5,100 DK; $3,600 FD)
You couldn't have asked for a hotter start than what Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had to begin the 2024 campaign. In the year's first series, the Diamondbacks outfielder went 8-for-17 with six runs, 10 RBI, two doubles, and three home runs. The blazing beginning ended in the first game of this series against New York, but that only means it's time to start a new streak. Nestor Cortes wasn't disastrous against Houston in his first outing, but four earned runs over five innings with a couple of walks and a home run shows he can be attacked in DFS.
Mark Canha - OF, DET at Adrian House ($4,000 DK; $2,700 FD)
These DraftKings prices are rigid tonight, but managers shouldn't shy away from Mark Canha on FD. The outfielder showed what he's capable of in the second game of the season when he went 3-for-5 with a double, home run, and 47.1 FD points. He's getting regular playing time and batting in an advantageous spot for Detroit. Plus, Canha has the revenge-game narrative on his side after he played for New York in the last two seasons.
Brendan Donovan - OF, STL at Yu Darvish ($3,600 DK; $2,600 FD)
Once again, it's hard to resist a leadoff guy below $4,000 on DK, and Brendan Donovan is an excellent addition to our DFS rosters. The outfielder will continue to leadoff for the Cardinals and is coming through for St. Louis after shaking off some rust. In the last three games, Donovan's gone 5-for-13 with three runs, six RBI, two doubles, and a home run while averaging 16.0 DK PPG. Yu Darvish looked much better in his second start than the one in Korea, but the Japanese pitcher can be incredibly inconsistent from start to finish.
Also consider: Michael Conforto, Michael Harris II, Tyler O'Neill, Ian Happ, George Springer
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
1. Atlanta Braves at Garrett Crochet
Favorite Plays: Ronald Acuna Jr, Austin Riley, Travis d'Arnaud
2. Houston Astros vs. Jose Berrios
Favorite Plays: Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Jon Singleton (if he starts)
3. New York Yankees at Zac Gallen
Favorite Plays: Oswaldo Cabrera, Gleyber Torres, Juan Soto
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