April 13, 2017

Barry Leonards's DraftKings analysis and advice. The top MLB DFS lineup picks on for 4/14/17, as well as a couple of sleepers for daily fantasy baseball rosters.

Friday is another full day of baseball that will include some afternoon games. With several different contests being offered on DraftKings, you'll have lots of different lineup options. For our purposes, the following picks have been made for contests running all day. 

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/14/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings.

You can read our FanDuel and Yahoo DFS lineup picks as well. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @barryleonardjr

DFS Lineup Stacks to Target on DraftKings

Washington Nationals vs. Aaron Nola (RHP)

Despite losing to Aaron Nola in their first meeting, the Nationals are worth a stack Friday. In the loss on April 8 Washington was able to put up three runs on seven hits in six innings against Nola. Current Nationals hitters have a lifetime average of .312 with six home runs versus the right-hander. Lefties Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy have great numbers against Nola and should definitely be in play. Use outfielder Jayson Werth as a sneaky pick.

Cincinnati Reds vs. Tommy Milone (LHP)

The Reds have been one of the best offensive teams so far in 2017, making several Cincinnati hitters worth using in daily fantasy leagues. Friday presents a very favorable matchup for the potent lineup against lefty Tommy Milone. He has struggled through his first two outings of the new season, making one start and one relief appearance and posting an ERA of 9.00. Right-handed hitters Eugenio Suarez, Adam Duvall, and Billy Hamilton all make for good targets. Lefty Joey Votto is 1-for-2 with a home run in his career against Milone.

DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider on DraftKings

Noah Syndergaard, NYM at MIA - $11,400

Thor will look to follow up his strong start last week with another one Friday. Next up is a road matchup with the Marlins. He just pitched against them on April 9 and picked up his first win of the season. In that game, Syndergaard allowed just one earned run on five hits in seven innings while striking out nine. The strikeouts will usually be there with Syndergaard, making him a safe target most nights he takes the mound.

Julio Teheran, ATL vs. SD- $8,500

This one is a bit of a sleeper and may produce someone with a lower ownership number than normal. Julio Teheran can be very useful to fantasy teams, and has been strong in his first two starts of 2017. He's yet to allow an earned run, but is also yet to pick up a win. That's because the Braves have one of the worst offenses in the league. Teheran should be able to put up decent numbers against the Padres Friday -- a team he beat twice last year -- but you may not get the extra points from him for a win.

DFS Infielders to Consider on DraftKings

Catcher (C)

Nick Hundley, SF vs. COL - $3,000

Veteran backstop Nick Hundley has seen his fantasy value suddenly rise thanks to a concussion suffered by starting catcher Buster Posey. With Posey currently on the seven-day disabled list with a concussion, Hundley figures to see the majority of starts at catcher for the Giants. Hitting in the middle of the lineup, he's been solid thus far. He's hitting .313 this season and enters Friday with four hits in the last two games. Hundley's  price tag is about as low as you'll find, so take advantage of his current production.

First Base (1B)

Paul Goldschmidt, ARI at LAD - $4,200

At first glance, this seems like one to stay away from, as it's usually not wise to select too many players when they are facing Clayton Kershaw. However, Paul Goldschmidt presents an opportunity to get a slugger on a day where his ownership should be lower than normal. Goldschmidt's value to a fantasy lineup is no secret, especially considering that he hits in the middle of what's become a good Arizona order. Throw in the fact that two of his 10 lifetime hits off of Kershaw are long balls, and Goldschmidt becomes one to target at first base Friday.

Second Base (2B)

Cesar Hernandez, PHI at WAS - $3,000

On paper, this looks like a sleeper pick meant to save a ton of cap space. While that's true, a closer look shows that Hernandez is actually a very smart play for daily fantasy lineups. Hernandez is hitting .308 for the year and is riding a seven-game hit streak. He's picked up two hits in each of the last two games and four of the last five. While those numbers alone are enough to justify picking him,  add in his history against opposing starter Stephen Strasburg -- six hits in 19 at-bats.

Shortstop (SS)

Francisco Lindor, CLE vs. DET - $4,700

It's no surprise that Francisco Lindor is having a fantastic season, as he's quickly turned into one of the best shortstops in the league. He's been a fantasy stud this year, averaging over 13 points a game. He enters Friday with a three-game hit streak. Lindor is hitting .324 and already has four home runs. Hitting for both average and power, the Cleveland shortstop is a solid pick Friday for daily lineups.

Third Base (3B)

Eduardo Nunez, SF vs. COL - $3,600

Nunez is off to a fantastic start for the Giants this season. The speedster is hitting over .350 and has already proven to be a menace on the bases. His speed alone makes him a great play for daily lineups given his high probability of getting a stolen base. Nunez has had limited at-bats against opposing starter Tyler Anderson, but he's 1-for-3 with a home run off of him. Nunez also has great versatility that makes him available at either third base or shortstop.

DFS Outfielders to Consider on DraftKings

Yoenis Cespedes, NYM at MIA - $4,600

A word of caution first -- Cespedes will likely be a very popular pick on Friday. That being said, it's difficult to suggest fading him right now. To say he's hot is an understatement. The New York outfielder followed up his three-home run performance on April 11 with a two-homer game Thursday. The recent power surge is very valuable to fantasy lineups, so take advantage while you can.

Jayson Werth WAS vs. PHI- $3,400

Werth has put up solid production in the early going of 2017 and seems to be making a bit of a resurgence. The veteran outfielder is hitting over .300 and will look to keep it going Friday in a very favorable matchup with left-hander Aaron Nola. Werth is 6-for-17 lifetime with two home runs and seven RBI versus Nola. As a whole, Werth typically performs better against lefties, making him an intriguing option Friday.

Corey Dickerson, TB at BOS - $3,600

Corey Dickerson has continued to reward fantasy owners so far this season -- hitting .324 with two home runs and five RBI. He enters Friday with a two-game hit streak and hits in seven of his last eight. The slugger also makes a smart play Friday when you consider that he has a .368 average with a home run lifetime against Rick Porcello.

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