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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on April 9th, 2022. Brian Entrekin's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
We now have two days of MLB baseball under our belt, so let's strap back in and keep it rolling with a couple of five-game slates on a Saturday.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for Fanduel and DraftKings on 4/9/2022, with the early slate locking at 3:05 CT and the main slate locking at 6:05 CT. The lineup 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. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, find me on Twitter @RING_DFS and ask away!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Chris Bassitt - P, NYM vs. WAS ($8,000 DK, $9,700 FD) | Better on DraftKings
Bassitt looks much better as an SP2 cash-game play over on DraftKings, though he can be utilized over on FanDuel if his rostership stays where it's currently at (around 10%). He doesn't feature extremely overpowering stuff, but he posted an impressive 2021 campaign and will look to keep it rolling in his 2022 debut against an overmatched Nationals lineup. Bassitt went 12-4 with a 3.15 ERA, and he ranked in the 88th percentile in Hard Hit rate due to an effective Sinker that he throws about 36% of the time. His 25% strikeout rate isn't elite, but it'll suffice against the top-heavy Nationals. Juan Soto, Nelson Cruz, and Josh Bell are the only bats to worry about here, and five hitters in the lineup held at least a 20% strikeout rate last season. We're looking for the quality start, a win, and a handful of punchouts for Bassitt to reach value tonight.
Justin Verlander - P, HOU vs. LAA ($9,600 DK, $10,400 FD)
The wily ol' veteran will take the mound for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2020. The 39-year-old crushed in Spring Training and Vegas seems to think this will be a pitcher's duel tonight, projecting just 8.5 runs between the squads and only 4.3 runs for the Angels. As a reminder, this guy held a 35.4% K% and a 2.68 xERA in his last full season (2019) - he is a dominant pitcher. The Angels lineup is filled with high-strikeout batters and as long as he can navigate around Ohtani and Trout, Verlander should emerge as a top-tier GPP play on the main slate.
Dylan Cease - P, CWS vs. DET ($9,000 DK)
You play Dylan Cease against the Detroit Tigers and you don't think twice about it. Yes, the Tigers have improved their lineup with the additions of Austin Meadows, Javier Baez, and Robbie Grossman, but they're still the Tigers. Their projected lineup for today held a combined 31.5% K% against RHP last season, and that parallels very nicely with Cease's 31.9% K% in 2021. The Tigers are currently projecting for just 4.1 runs, and even that is a little too generous for me.
Others to consider (FanDuel): Kyle Gibson ($8,300), Carlos Rodon ($10,100), Kyle Wright ($7,000)
Others to consider (DraftKings): Brandon Woodruff ($9,700), Mitch Keller ($6,500), Joe Musgrove ($9,400)
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Luke Voit - 1B, SDP vs. Zach Davies ($3,700 DK, $2,700 FD)
There are certainly more exciting options up top at the 1B position, but you're going to be hard-pressed to find a better value at the position tonight. Voit is hitting cleanup on a pretty loaded Padres lineup, and while he doesn't have a hit yet, he has been productive with three walks and an RBI so far. He held a .227 ISO (.274 xISO) and a .366 xwOBA vs. RHP's last season, and he gets to face a vulnerable RHP tonight. Zach Davies rated out as one of the worst starting pitchers in the MLB last season, allowing an absurd 5.78 ERA (6.31 xERA) and a .294 xBA over 32 games started for the Cubs. Chase Field also ranks as the eighth-best park for run production, so this should be a prime opportunity for Voit and the Padres tonight.
Gavin Lux - 2B/OF, LAD vs. German Marquez ($2,800 DK, $2,900 FD)
Lux slotted in as the nine-hole hitter in the Dodgers' first game of the season, and he figures to remain in that spot moving forward. I truly do not care, and neither should you. He's extremely cheap, hitting in the best lineup in the league, and facing a gettable pitcher in the top ballpark for run production. Oh, and he also posted 19.2 FD points with a very productive season opener, swatting 1-for-2 with two RBI and two walks in the win. Marquez is a good-not-great type of pitcher and while Lux isn't a great bet to take him deep, he posted a solid .344 xwOBA vs. RHP last season and shouldn't have trouble reaching and exceeding value tonight.
Robinson Cano - 2B, NYM vs. Joan Adon ($2,400 DK, $2,200 FD)
Cano has crushed value in each of his first two games, going for 15.4 and 10 FD points with a 3-for-7 line, two RBI, two runs scored, and a walk. He had a good spring, too, so this shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. Adon has one MLB start to his name, though he did impress with nine strikeouts and just two earned runs allowed against the Red Sox. The Mets are currently projected for 5.2 runs, and I think it should be higher with a volatile young gun on the mound.
Freddie Freeman - 1B, LAD vs. German Marquez ($4,800 DK, $4,300)
Freeman is one of the premier bats to pay up for tonight. He went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk in his debut, good for 12.2 FD points, and he'll look to build on that with an advantageous matchup against the RHP Marquez. Freeman demolished RHP to the tune of a .360 ISO (.366 xISO) and .499 wOBA (.486 xwOBA) last season. He's simply one of the best hitters in the game, and we should be jumping at the chance to play him in the top park for run production tonight.
Others to consider (FanDuel): Eric Hosmer ($2,400), Austin Nola ($2,300), Aledmys Diaz ($2,000), Tyler Wade ($2,100), Jeff McNeil ($2,400), C.J. Abrams ($2,000)
Others to consider (DraftKings): Cody Bellinger ($2,600), Max Muncy ($4,300), Jorge Alfaro ($2,700), Will Smith ($4,200), Tyler Wade ($2,500), Mike Moustakas ($2,800), Mike Brosseau ($2,400)
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Brandon Nimmo - OF, NYM vs. Joan Adon ($4,100 DK, $2,600 FD) | Better on FanDuel
Nimmo will be leading off for a Mets lineup that profiles well against the young Adon. He hit for a .230 ISO and .420 wOBA against RHP last season, and he should be a central part of the run production at the top of the order tonight. The Mets are currently projecting to score 5.3 runs, but I think there's a good chance that they exceed that number.
Wil Myers - OF, SDP vs. ARI ($3,400 DK, $2,600)
I love picking on Zach Davies tonight. Myers posted a .313 ISO and .384 wOBA with 10 homers against RHP in 2020 but fell to a .179 ISO with 13 homers against RHP last season. I'm thinking he re-captures some of his old glory this season, starting tonight. As mentioned in the Voit blurb, Davies was absolutely awful last year. I have my doubts that he'll magically turn everything around in his eighth season and on his fourth squad.
Mookie Betts - OF, LAD vs. German Marquez ($5,100 DK, $4,400 FD)
Betts went 1-for-5 with an RBI double and a run scored in the season opener, and he has a great shot to put up an even bigger game this time out. He hit for a .225 ISO and .365 wOBA with 17 homers against RHP last year, and while Marquez is a decent pitcher overall, he has had more than a few seasons where he has struggled to keep the ball in the yard at Coors.
Others to consider (FanDuel): Mike Yastrzemski ($2,600), Aaron Hicks ($2,300), Tony Kemp ($2,300), Darin Ruf ($2,500), Alex Dickerson ($2,200), Eddie Rosario ($3,000)
Others to consider (DraftKings): Julio Rodriguez ($2,000), Brett Phillips ($2,700), Jurickson Profar ($2,400), Alex Dickerson ($2,600), Trent Grisham ($3,900)
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies (German Marquez, RHP)
This is an easy call. The Dodgers are projecting to score a slate-high 6.7 runs tonight and it makes all the sense in the world to get to at least a few pieces of them in lineups tonight. They're priced up, but Marquez can have a tendency to give up the long ball, so getting to the likes of Freeman, Betts, and Muncy is the ideal play. Justin Turner, Will Smith, and even sprinkles of Cody Bellinger also make sense, while Gavin Lux is among my favorite value options tonight.
San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks (Zach Davies, RHP)
It has been mentioned in this article a few times, but it's worth mentioning again. Zach Davies is a pitcher we want to target hitters against - heavily. The Padres are projecting for 5.4 runs, but that feels low against one of the worst starting pitchers in the league. You can play this lineup 1-9 at their soft pricing, but my favorites are Luke Voit, Wil Myers, and Jurickson Profar dollar-for-dollar.
New York Mets vs. Washington Nationals (Joan Adon, RHP)
The Mets will be squaring off against a prospect making his second MLB start, which is always something that should catch our interest. He was solid in his lone start last year, but I'm betting on the volatility swinging the other way to lead off his 2022 season. My favorite targets here are Robinson Cano, Brandon Nimmo, and Francisco Lindor, though Eduardo Escobar and Pete Alonso are firmly in play as well.
Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds (Vladimir Gutierrez, RHP)
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