X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Picks (4/2/17): MLB DFS Advice

Baseball is Back! Opening day part one is upon us and we have a small three game slate to kick off the season. Monday has a full slate of games, but some action on a Sunday is always fun. Since this is the start of a new season, that means we have no currents stats to look at, but we can judge things on the previous season, and take some notes from spring training. We have baseball from now until the fall, so hopefully this is a successful season for you and your fantasy teams. Let's get into it!

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 4/2/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on FanDuel.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @DFS_Tom.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 50% off using code SUMMER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

FanDuel DFS Pitchers

Jon Lester - P, @ STL ($10,000)

The Cubs are going with Lester on opening day to start their defense of their World Series title, and they picked the right guy. Lester was 2-0 vs the Cardinals last year, posting a 0.87 ERA and only giving up 11 hits in 20.2 innings pitched. He really seemed to have their number last year, and I would guess the Cubs want to get off to another good start this year, and we will be seeing much of the same from Lester. Last year for the months of March and April, Lester had a 0.93 WHIP and 8.65 K/9. So has really good upside on the strike out potential, and shouldn't give up more than two walks per game. He should be able to pick up the win with the run support we know the Cubs can provide.

Chris Archer - P, vs NYY ($9,400)

Archer had a bit of an up and down season last year, but the potential for a player of his caliber is very high. Just some quick stats on him from last year: 4.02 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 233 Strikeouts, 201.1 Innings pitched. His ERA wasn't great, but he average over one strike out per inning last year. So in terms of fantasy value, that is great because strike outs get you points, and if he can rack up a bunch of them, it should leave you in good shape. The reason I think Archer is a good pick today is because of the Yankees lineup, it's very young. Many people are saying the future is bright in the Bronx, but the young players are going to struggle a bit, and a pitcher like Archer can jump at that and get you some fantasy points along the way.

 

FanDuel DFS Infielders

Paul Goldschmidt - 1B, vs SFG ($4,300)

Goldschmidt is somewhat the face of the Diamondbacks, and last year he did his best to prove that. He finished the season with, 24 HR, 95 RBI, and .295 AVG. Those are some solid numbers and he should be on a path to have similar production this year. Pick hitters is tough the first few days of the MLB season, since all the best pitchers are on the mound. But you have to roster somebody, and it might as well be Goldschmidt who hit for .429 AVG off lefty pitchers at home last year. Going against Bumgarner is never an easy thing to do, but at home, Goldschmidt seems to have the key to hitting lefties, so this this is the spot for him.

Evan Longoria - 3B, vs NYY ($3,200)

Longoria is always a good option for third base, we know he is batting in the top half of the lineup, and he hits for a good combination of average and power. Last season, he hit 36 HR, 17 of those came in home games, and 16 of those 17 were against right-handed pitchers. Got that all? Point is, if he is going to hit a homerun at home, it will be against a right-handed pitcher. Longoria did start the season a bit slow last year, only batting .232 for March/April. But he has 22 hits in 23 games, so its likely you will get some production from him.

Brandon Crawford - SS, @ ARI ($2,400)

Crawford is a really solid play since he was hammering right-handed pitchers on the road last year. He had a.295 AVG and .347 OBP. Really strong numbers when you are on the road. This is not surprising since his home field is AT&T Park which is one of the best pitchers parks in the league. You generally know what you are going to get from Crawford, he probably won't go deep, but he gets on base, and if you stack him with other Giants' players, you should have a good chance to cash in on some points.

 

FanDuel DFS Outfielders

Yasmany Tomas - OF, vs SFG ($2,900)

Tomas is one of the up and coming young power hitters in the league and showed that last year by putting up 31 HR. He has some real power and has a bit of a sneaky match up vs Bumgarner today. As I mentioned above, going against Bumgarner is tough, but Tomas hit .328 AVG at home vs left-handed pitchers last year. For a player that is known more for the long ball, rather than consistent hitting, that is a great number and something you want to look at. He is cheap and has a the upside, could also be low owned in a GPP, due to his match up.

Dexter Fowler - OF, vs CHC ($3,400)

This pick is mostly due to the narrative going on. Fowler won the World Series last year with the Cubs, but in the off season, he signed a five year, $82 million dollar deal with their rivals, the Cardinals. Now, I know that's just the business side of the game, but it could also be in the back of his mind in this game, and he wants to show them that he is worth the money. He hit .293 AVG vs left-handed pitchers last year, and drew 19 BB. This is more of a gut pick, simply playing the narrative street card here.

Aaron Judge - OF, @ TAM ($2,300)

Judge was recently named the starting right fielder for the Yankees, and this is your chance to buy low on him. As I mentioned in the part about Chris Archer, the Yankees have a ton of young players, and they will prob go through some rough parts this season. But, the energy they have at the start of the season, could see them sneak in some highlights before the end of the first week. We saw some flashes of this late last year, and the power Judge has is pretty clear. So if you are willing to take a risk on a young player, especially in a GPP, I think now is the time. Who knows, maybe he has a multi home run game to start the season.

 

MLB News & Injury Alerts

 

Full Season MLB & DFS Premium Pass

Get a Premium Pass for the entire MLB season - including the playoffs - for only $49.99.

That's over 200 days of Premium DFS, delivered every single day:

  • DFS lineup picks and cheat sheets for FanDuel, DraftKings and Yahoo - seven days a week
  • Six expert lineups: FanDuel, DraftKings, Yahoo and Stacks of the Day - seven days a week
  • Top DFS value plays, avoids and injury updates - seven days a week
  • Lineup tools: daily premium hitter and pitcher matchup ratings

Sign Up Now!

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

James Wood

Homers, Drives in Four
Agustín Ramírez

Agustin Ramirez Homers Twice to Snap Skid
Isaac Paredes

Astros Hopeful Isaac Paredes Can Avoid the Injured List
Royce Lewis

Dealing With Hamstring Strain
Kodai Senga

Diagnosed With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain
Gleyber Torres

Goes Deep Twice on Friday
Evan Carter

Leaves Early With Wrist Soreness
Anthony Richardson

Should be Fine for Training Camp
Russell Westbrook

to Decline Player Option
Kevin Durant

Trade Could Happen in the "Next Few Days"
A.J. Puk

Pauses Throwing Program
Matt Chapman

Can Begin Rehabbing in a Week
Logan Gilbert

Next Start Could Come in the Big Leagues
Cam Akers

Joining Saints
Yordan Alvarez

Still Not Hitting
Michael Mayer

to Get More Involved
Aaron Rodgers

DK Metcalf Building Chemistry with Aaron Rodgers
Colston Loveland

Likely to be Primary Tight End
Jacob Wilson

Returns on Friday
Justin Martinez

Out 12-13 Months With UCL Sprain
Will Johnson

Returns to Practice
Harold Fannin Jr.

Could Have Big Role in Rookie Season
Matt Chapman

Could Miss the Rest of June
Quentin Johnston

Still Running With Starters
Rashawn Slater

Takes Part in Minicamp
Jack Bech

Mostly Working With Second-Team Offense
Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Makes Strides This Offseason
Joaquin Buckley

Set For Main Event
Ashton Jeanty

to be Part of Committee Backfield?
Kamaru Usman

An Underdog At UFC Atlanta
Christian McCaffrey

Takes Part in Mandatory Minicamp
Jordan Watkins

has Been Standing Out
Miranda Maverick

Set For Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas

Looks To Bounce Back
Jacob Cowing

on the Rise
Andre Petroski

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Four
Demarcus Robinson

a Frequent Target This Spring
Dee Winters

has Been Impressive This Spring
Edmen Shahbazyan

A Favorite At UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos

Set To Take On Former Champion
Cody Garbrandt

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mansur Abdul-Malik

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Cody Brundage

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Alonzo Menifield

Opens Up UFC Atlanta Main Card
Oumar Sy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Aaron Civale

Traded to the White Sox
Connor Hellebuyck

Wins Vezina And Hart Trophies
Aleksander Barkov

Records Two Power-Play Assists Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Collects Three Points in Thursday's Loss
Matthew Tkachuk

Notches Three Points in Losing Effort
Calvin Pickard

Joins Exclusive List with Thursday's Win
Mattias Ekholm

Logs Two Assists in Comeback Victory
Leon Draisaitl

Delivers Victory in Overtime Thursday
Myles Turner

Playing Through Illness
Reed Sheppard

Will Play in the NBA Summer League
Kevin Durant

Deal Could Come Sooner Rather Than Later
Jacob Misiorowski

Pulled With Cramps
Framber Valdez

Punches Out 12 in Win
Isaac Paredes

Homers, Exits Early With Hamstring Injury
D.J. Humphries

Rams Sign D.J. Humphries on Thursday
Troy Franklin

has Had a Good Offseason
Jacob Misiorowski

Leaves Game with Ankle Injury
Mike Williams

Expected to be Ready for Training Camp
Trey Benson

Adds Weight, Explosiveness
Dorian Finney-Smith

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Christian Moore

Angels Calling Up Christian Moore
Anze Kopitar

Wins Third Lady Byng Trophy
Sergei Bobrovsky

Heading Out for Win No. 15
John Klingberg

Won't Play in Game 4 Against Panthers
Viktor Arvidsson

Sits Out Game 4 Against Panthers
Christian Yelich

Back in Brewers Lineup
Stuart Skinner

Remains in Oilers Crease Thursday
Chris Kreider

Ducks Acquire Chris Kreider From Rangers
Jalen Williams

Leads Thunder in Scoring Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Settles for 24 Points in Game 3 Loss
Pascal Siakam

Does Everything for Pacers Wednesday Night
Tyrese Haliburton

Gets Close to Triple-Double in Game 3 Win
Bennedict Mathurin

Leads All Scorers with 27 Points Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Has Second Offseason Surgery
Cale Makar

Wins His Second Norris Trophy
Lane Hutson

Voted NHL's Best Rookie
CGY

Adam Klapka Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Considered a Game-Time Call Thursday
Jaylen Brown

Undergoes Successful Knee Procedure
Kevin Porter Jr.

Likely to Decline Player Option
Matt McCarty

Comes Off Season-Best Showing at RBC Canadian Open
Justin Thomas

Desperate to Continue Good 2025 Season
Kevin Durant

Knicks Not Looking to Trade for Kevin Durant
Jon Rahm

Seeks Revenge at U.S. Open
Tom Kim

Aiming for Improvement in U.S. Open
PGA

Sungjae Im Expects Solid Performance at Oakmont
Brian Harman

Aims to Rebound From the Memorial
Tony Finau

has Been Up and Down at U.S. Open
Patrick Cantlay

Hoping This is the Year at Oakmont
Akshay Bhatia

Improving in Time for U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Primed for Another Major Championship Run
Cameron Young

May Struggle at U.S. Open
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Third Major Championship Title
Matt Fitzpatrick

Seeks to Avenge Oakmont Collapse
Jordan Spieth

Can Contend at Oakmont
Shane Lowry

a Strong Value Play at U.S. Open
Brooks Koepka

Seeks Another Major Win at Oakmont
Viktor Hovland

Still Can Improve at U.S. Open
Michael Kim

a Boom-or-Bust Value Play at U.S. Open
Russell Henley

Looking to Play the Weekend at Oakmont
Tyrrell Hatton

a Safe Option at U.S. Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Eyeing Third U.S. Open Title
Darius Garland

Kings Targeting Darius Garland
Kevin Durant

Expected to Be Moved Soon
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Reportedly Has "No Trade Market"
Jarace Walker

Remains Out Wednesday
Tyrese Haliburton

"Fine" For Wednesday's Action
Denny Hamlin

Charges Late to Win at Michigan
Carson Hocevar

Michigan Run is Derailed by A Late-Race Flat Tire
Kyle Larson

Up-and-Down Day Ends With Top-Five Finish at Michigan
Ross Chastain

Quietly Finishes Sixth at Michigan
Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Says Rehab Going "Great"
Corey Perry

Nets Power-Play Goal in Monday's Loss
Stuart Skinner

Gets Pulled in Heavy Game 3 Defeat
Evan Rodrigues

Extends Scoring Streak with Multi-Point Effort
Sam Reinhart

Collects Two Points in Monday's Win
Chris Buescher

Takes Second Place After William Byron Runs Out of Fuel
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Has a Great Points Day to Build Buffer Over the Playoff Cut Line
Ryan Blaney

Flat Tire Results in Poor Finish for Ryan Blaney
Alex Bowman

Playoffs in Doubt After Stage 2 Crash at Michigan
Sean O'Malley

Submitted For The First Time In His Career
Merab Dvalishvili

Defends Bantamweight Belt At UFC 316
Julianna Peña

Julianna Pena No Longer A Champion
Kayla Harrison

Is The New Champion
Joe Pyfer

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum

Drops Decision
Patchy Mix

Drops Decision In His UFC Debut
Mario Bautista

Extends His Win Streak
Vicente Luque

Submitted At UFC 316
Denny Hamlin

is A Top Contender to Win At Michigan
Kyle Larson

Will Compete For The Win At Michigan
Chase Elliott

is One of the Most Favored DFS Options of the Week for Michigan
William Byron

May be A Top Threat to Win at Michigan
Kyle Busch

is Difficult to Recommend for DFS Lineups at Michigan
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Qualifies Ninth For the FireKeepers Casino 400
Alex Bowman

What Should Fantasy Managers Do With Alex Bowman at Michigan?
Austin Cindric

Should Austin Cindric be Considered For Michigan DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Should Shane Van Gisbergen Be Rostered For Michigan DFS Lineups?
John Hunter Nemechek

Is A Solid Value Option For Michigan DFS Lineups
Zane Smith

Is Zane Smith Worth Rostering Outside of Tournament Lineups at Michigan?
Todd Gilliland

Is A Decent Value Option for Michigan DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF