April 24, 2017

Barry Leonard's DraftKings analysis and advice. The top MLB DFS lineup picks on for 4/24/17, as well as a couple of sleepers for daily fantasy baseball rosters.

It's a smaller slate Monday with just nine games scheduled. There are no afternoon games on the docket, so DraftKings will offer the standard evening contests. With limited targets, finding the right combination of popular plays and sleepers will be key. 

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/24/17. 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. Tyler Anderson (LHP)

The Nationals make for a good stacking option Monday thanks to playing at Coors Field. One of the top hitting teams in the league, Washington provides some great offensive targets on most nights. Left-handed pitcher Tyler Anderson has been hit hard by both lefties and righties and enters the game with a record of 1-3 and an ERA of 7.32. Right-handed hitters Anthony Rendon, Matt Wieters, and Ryan Zimmerman are all options. Bryce Harper has performed very well against southpaws this year and has been one of the top fantasy outfielders so far.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Matt Cain (RHP)

Matt Cain has allowed just two total runs in his last two starts, but he's still a good option to stack against Monday. Cain struggled against the Dodgers last year and could do more of the same this time around. Current LA hitters have a combined lifetime average of .339 against him. Stack the lefties like Corey Seager and Adrian Gonzalez, as left-handers are hitting .375 off Cain this year and hit .322 last season.  Also, don't forget about righties Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner.

DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider on DraftKings

Jason Vargas at Chicago White Sox, $8,000

Vargas has made three starts this year and hasn't gone less than six innings. He is 3-0 and has been virtually unhittable so far this year, posting a minuscule ERA of just 0.44. He's coming off a win over the Giants that saw him allow zero runs on four hits and strike out nine in seven innings. The 34-year-old has to be considered one of the biggest early surprises in baseball this year. It's unlikely he'll be able to sustain his pace, but take advantage while you can.

Amir Garrett at Milwaukee Brewers, $6,700

Rookie southpaw Amir Garrett has had a brilliant start to his career. He's posted a record of 2-1 and has a 1.83 ERA. He suffered a loss to the Orioles his last time out, but allowed just two runs and struck out 12 in that outing. Garrett has the ability to rack up strikeouts and keep the score low -- all good qualities for a starter in daily fantasy baseball. The Milwaukee lineup is a tough one, but that should only help to keep Garrett's ownership down Monday.

DFS Infielders to Consider on DraftKings

Catcher (C)

Wilson Contreras - CHC at PIT, $3,700

Contreras did not start Sunday, but he had an at-bat as a pinch hitter, so look for him to be back in his normal starting role Monday. He's coming off a huge game Saturday in which he collected three hits, including a grand slam. He's been a bit inconsistent this year, but with a decent price tag and a .316 average over the last week he's worth the start Monday.

First Base (1B)

Anthony Rizzo - CHC at PIT, $5,300

Anthony Rizzo is on fire and absolutely cannot be faded in daily lineups right now. He enters Monday with a 12-game hit streak, five up which have been multi-hit performances. Additionally, he went deep Sunday for the third consecutive game. Ride the hot hand and get Rizzo into the lineup.

Second Base (2B)

Chase Utley - LAD at SF, $3,200

This one is a super sleeper pick that's based strictly on matchup. Utley is no longer an everyday player, but should be in the lineup against the righty Matt Cain. Utley has very strong career numbers against Cain, going 11-for-29 with four home runs and eight RBI. This one is a risky play, but Utley's numbers against Cain are in his favor.

Shortstop (SS)

Trea Turner - WAS at COL , $5,500

Trea Turner is a five-tool player who can do it all. Back from injury, it's now safe to start using him again.  He can hit for average, power, and can get extra fantasy points with stolen bases. Don't let the fact that he's hitting barely over .200 right now scare you. That will certainly go up once he gets back into the groove after missing nearly three week. Manager Dusty Baker has been cautious with Turner on the base paths, but that shouldn't last long. Turner can be used at either shortstop or outfield, so that's an added bonus.

Third Base (3B)

 Jake Lamb - ARI vs. SD, $4,300

Jake Lamb showed that he can be a power hitter by going yard 29 times a year ago. He's continued that trend in 2017, already hitting four homers. He hasn't been a high batting average guy over his career, but he's currently sitting at .315 this year and has a seven-game hit streak, including a three-hit performance Sunday. The extra hits he is producing now is a bonus to his power. Lamb usually makes for a good daily target, particularly on a night that has a smaller slate of games. Lefties, like Lamb is, have hit .293 with two home runs off of opposing starter Jhoulys Chacin. Lamb himself is hitting .326 and has all of his home runs this year off of right-handers.

DFS Outfielders to Consider on DraftKings

Charlie Blackmon - COL vs. WAS, $5,500

Charlie Blackmon had a double and a triple Sunday while extending his hit streak to eight games. He's batting .270 with five homers and is a good fantasy start on most nights. He's among the most expensive outfielders available Monday since he's playing at Coors Field. The Colorado outfielder has hit .355 with four home runs at home so far this year.

Trey Mancini - BAL at TB, $3,400

Baltimore rookie Trey Mancini has continued to show the promise he did in five games with the Orioles in 2016 when he hit .357 with three home runs.  His average this year was hovering around the .300 mark before an o-for-4 day Sunday. Currently, with Seth Smith banged up, he's been seeing everyday playing time. Mancini clearly offers great value the power department and is a no-brainer in daily lineups as long as his price tag stays low. Mancini presents added value since he can also be used in lineups at first base.

Steven Souza Jr. - TB vs BAL, $4,400

Steven Souza Jr. has continued to rake this year, hitting .347 with four home runs. He went deep Sunday and has put up at least 10 DraftKings points in four of his last five games. He's just a career .243 hitter, so there will be some regression there, but he's well on his way to surpassing last year's career-high 17 home runs. Souza has proven to be worth a lineup spot nearly every night he's on the field.

DFS Hitters to Avoid on DraftKings

Jose Bautista - TOR at LAA, $4,300

Despite having a horrid start to the year, Bautista still carries an inflated price tag. Yes, he's been one of the best power hitters in baseball over the past few years, but he's currently hitting well below the Mendoza Line and has not looked like the same hitter at the plate. Plagued by strikeouts already this year, Bautista has provided little, if any, value to fantasy lineups. Throw in the fact that he's 2-for-12 with four strikeouts lifetime against Ricky Nolasco, and Bautista is certainly one to avoid Monday.

Adam Jones - BAL vs. TB, $4,400

Adam Jones is a hitter to stay away from during Monday's slate of games thanks to a very tough matchup with Chris Archer. The Tampa ace has been sharp to start the year, posting a record of 2-0. Jones has ugly career numbers against Archer (4-for-32 with eight strikeouts), so be sure to pass him by when picking your outfield Monday.

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