RADIO
Joel Bartilotta highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 4/20/19, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
In today's slate, we need to focus on the weather, as we had two postponements on Friday. The good news is that we don't have as much rain in the forecast for Saturday but we still have games with questionable forecasts. Those include the ATL-CLE, KAN-NYY and CWS-DET matchups. Keep an eye on all of those games and be sure not to use any players unless we get the green light that it's clear enough to play.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 4/20/2019. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @BartilottaJoel
FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Max Scherzer, WSH at MIA ($12,300)
Scherzer is the highest-priced pitcher on the board and rightfully so. His 42.5 FanDuel points per game show just why, as he's got at least 34 fantasy points in all four starts this season. That really shouldn't be a surprise when you consider the fact that he's allowing a ridiculous .262 xwOBA this season while owning a 32.4 percent K-rate. Not to mention, he faces a Marlins team who ranks 25th in xwOBA and dead-last in total scoring. As an added bonus, Marlins Park is one of the best pitcher's parks in the majors.
Mike Fiers, OAK vs. TOR ($7,500)
Despite struggling in the opener, Fiers should have no problem picking up a quality start here. Not only does he have at least 34 FanDuel points in two of his last four starts, the peripherals tell us he's been better than his 7.06 ERA would indicate. While a .328 xwOBA doesn't necessarily jump off the page, it definitely tells us that Fiers has some positive regression headed his way. Facing Toronto could start that uptick, as they currently sit 24th in xwOBA while recording the second-most strikeouts in baseball. That's why Oakland is a -150 favorite in this game, with Toronto projected to score fewer than four runs.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Jose Abreu, CWS at DET ($2,800)
This price simply blows my mind, as Abreu is traditionally a $4,000 player. While he's struggled so far this season, his .344 xwOBA indicates that there's really nothing to worry about. Facing Daniel Norris is one of the reasons we really like him though, as Abreu has the platoon advantage against the lefty. For his career, Abreu owns an .896 OPS against southpaws and that becomes particularly intriguing against a guy who's allowed a .412 xwOBA so far this season.
Jose Altuve, HOU at TEX ($4,600)
Stacking against Adrian Sampson is always a good idea, especially when it's someone as hot as Altuve. In fact, Altuve is one of the league leaders with eight dingers so far this season, hitting seven of those in the last nine games. In that nine-game span, Altuve is posting an OPS north of 1.300. That alone makes him hard to fade but facing Sampson is simply the icing on the cake. The Texas righty has allowed a .405 xwOBA so far this season and should struggle in the best hitting park in the AL.
Paul DeJong, STL vs. NYM ($3,700)
Much like Altuve, DeJong is absolutely on fire right now. After a slow opening weekend, DeJong has posted a .433 OBP and 1.133 OPS across the last few weeks. He's been even better recently, accruing a .471 AVG and 1.303 OPS in his last nine games heading into Friday. That makes him attractive no matter what and not having to face Jacob deGrom here only adds to his intrigue.
Jose Ramirez, CLE vs. ATL ($3,400)
This price is simply too cheap for one of the best players in baseball and we're going to continue to recommend Ramirez until he gets above $4,000. Not only did Ramirez sit in the $5,000-range for the majority of last season, he actually finished top-three in total fantasy points. He appears to be re-capturing that form too, averaging 12.2 FanDuel points per game across his last four fixtures. Facing Julio Teheran is hard to overlook too, as he's allowed an OPS of .760 to left-handed hitters over the last three seasons.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
George Springer, HOU at TEX ($4,400)
Springer is another huge part of our Houston stack, as we want to get as many Astros into our lineup as possible in this superb matchup. Not only is Sampson posting a 5.93 ERA and 1.61 WHIP this season, pitching in Globe Life Park would worry any pitcher. That becomes even scarier with Springer's recent form, with him collecting three homers, four doubles, nine runs and 11 RBI across his last 11 games.
Eddie Rosario, MIN at BAL ($4,300)
Using batters against Baltimore is always a good idea and Rosario is truly one of the most underrated hitters in the majors. Not only is he averaging 13.6 FanDuel points per game, Rosario also owns an impressive .372 xwOBA. Rosario's upside is ridiculous too, as he has at least 26 fantasy points in five of his last 10 games. That monstrous upside becomes very enticing in this matchup, with Dan Straily owning a 10.24 ERA and 1.86 WHIP, while recording more walks than strikeouts.
Nelson Cruz, MIN at BAL ($3,600)
Cruz'snumbers aren't necessarily impressive but there's reason to believe he has a serious hot stretch headed his way. The main reason why is his absurd hitting profile, as he's one of the league leaders with a .450 xwOBA. That alone makes him a great option but this price tag is impossible to fade. Cruz always goes off at Camden Yards, posting a 1.389 OPS against the Orioles while collecting 32 doubles and 40 homers in his one year playing for Baltimore.
