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The top early-slate daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on August 16, 2023. Mike's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Our Wednesday is pretty chopped up today. We have four early games, three renegades that dared start before 7 PM Eastern, and eight normal games. We will concentrate on the four-game afternoon slate on Getaway Day. Of course, FanDuel had to make this far less interesting and chop off the left coast afternoon games. This will be a DK-centric article because they had the decency to give us four games.
This article contains my picks for the early slate on August 16, 2023, for DraftKings and FanDuel slates, which lock at 1:10 PM ET. All four games look to have sunshine, so let's enjoy the day baseball!
The lineup picks will range from some elite high-priced players to mid-priced options and value plays. I'll give you a few of my top pitching options and then some infielders, outfielders, and teams to stack. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Aaron Civale, TB at SF ($9,400 DK)
A-A-Ron hasn't been all that great as a Ray. He has struggled to get guys out against two weaker offenses in Cleveland and Detroit with his new team. So why run him at the Giants? Because the Giants might be even worse than the aforementioned teams he has faced as a Ray. The Giants hit just .209 in July and are hitting .210 in August. They have only scored more than three runs in a game once this entire month. I'm ready to be hurt by Civale again, but I hope this is where he shows flashes of who he was in Cleveland.
Since FanDuel had to be a pain and only use two games, Kenta Maeda is my second choice over there. Olson is way too cheap for what he has done to the Twins this year and in his career.
Reese Olson, DET at MIN ($7,700 DK, $7,000 FD)
I know this is a small sample size, but it is also indicative of the Twins' offensive philosophy. The Twins are great for all DFS purposes, especially on small slates. Even if they score runs, they will strike out more than enough to make it productive to use a pitcher against them. Just check this out.
Not only is that K% elite, but he also hasn't really allowed hard contact to the Twins either. They certainly aren't having success against Olson. You can run a Correa one-off and still use Olson as your pitcher and come out way ahead.
Others to consider: Kenta Maeda ($9,900 DK, $9,500 FD) vs. DET
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Christian Walker - 1B, ARI at COL ($5,700 DK)
Walker has homered in the first two games of this series and has three in his last four games. There isn't a good reason to jump off now, especially with another lefty in Austin Gomber acting as pitching machine today.
Ketel Marte - 2B, ARI at COL ($6,000 DK)
Marte is expensive, but he will likely be worth it. He is 6-for-13 in his career against Austin Gomber with two doubles and two homers already. Marte will also be leading off against a lefty, topping a lineup that is projected to score the most runs of the afternoon. Whether as a stand-alone or part of a stack, Marte is a necessary piece of your lineups today.
Ke'Bryan Hayes - 3B, PIT at NYM ($4,100 DK, $3,300 FD)
Technically his hit streak ended with an out in a pinch-hit appearance in the nightcap of the twin bill on Sunday, but not counting that, Hayes has a hit in the last seven games that he has played in full. That counts for something. He has four hits in the first two games in New York with a pair of walks as well. Hayes only has one RBI to show for his trouble, but the good things will keep happening since he keeps getting on base.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Brandon Nimmo - OF, NYM vs. PIT ($4,600 DK, $3,000 FD)
Nimmo has homered in the first two games of this series and has two hits in each of the last four games. Nimmo has a seven-game hitting streak overall while adding four walks in that span, but the team around him is so bad that he has only driven in himself in those seven games. Hey, at long as he keeps hitting, I'm not complaining.
Tommy Pham - OF, ARI at COL ($3,900 DK)
After a dreadful 1-for-14 start to his Arizona career, Pham has come to life with a six-game hitting streak. He has three doubles, a homer, six RBI, four runs scored, and a stolen base in that span. Pham has averaged a home run every 13.6 at-bats against left-handed pitching this year, and that includes his sub-par numbers with the Mets and horrid start in the desert. He's a nice, cheap piece of an Arizona stack.
Kerry Carpenter - OF, DET at MIN ($3,700 DK, $3,000 FD)
Carpenter is on some kind of tear right now, hitting .459 with three doubles, a triple, four homers, six RBI, and 11 runs scored in the last 10 games. His hitting streak is up to 11 games now and he is showing no signs of slowing down. Carpenter is hitless in four tries against Maeda so far, but that ends today. I'll trust a hot hitter over a talented pitcher that always seems to be laboring.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Austin Gomber
I highlighted three favorites above simply because their numbers are too good to ignore. That also means I will have at least three pieces of Arizona in each lineup. If you're full stacking, try to get different. Most will stack this Arizona line. Don't ignore Jose Herrera or Geraldo Perdomo at the bottom of that lineup. If Nick Ahmed starts at his price, lock him in! That guy loves Coors Field. I don't know about the beer...
Favorite pieces: Walker, Pham, Marte, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Perdomo/Ahmed
Also consider: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Tylor Megill
Megill has a 5.64 ERA on the season and a 6.65 ERA in his last 10 starts. That means he's getting worse.
Favorite pieces: Bryan Reynolds, Hayes, Liover Peguero, Jack Suwinski, Andrew McCutchen
Sneaky stack: Colorado Rockies vs. Slade Cecconi
The Rockies have only scored one less run than Arizona in this series and most touts have been overwhelmingly on the Arizona sides of stacks while practically ignoring the Rockies. These Rockies may not be household names, but there are some good pieces in here that are cheap enough to fit in the Arizona studs as well.
Favorite pieces: Ezequiel Tovar, Elehuris Montero, Nolan Jones, Charlie Blackmon, Ryan McMahon
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