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 MLB DFS Lineup Picks (8/15/19): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

Austyn Varney highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 8/15/19, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.

Welcome to Thursday baseball on FanDuel. We have eight games on the main slate, and it’s definitely an interesting one. With surely one of the worst pitching slates of the season, we’ll be left to find some guys who won’t kill you. The fun comes with the bats, who are going to put on a show tonight.

Without a game in Coors Field, we can look at these guys on an even playing field. FanDuel has tossed out some huge tournaments tonight with the $9.99 Rally and $88 Grand Slam that will both prize $20k to first place. Let’s jump in and find some guys that will help you find the top of the leaderboard.

Be sure to also check out all the Vegas Odds for today's slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports too. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @DFSVarney

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 30% off using code NEW! 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

Yu Darvish - CHC @ PHI - $9,400

This is one of the uglier pitching slates we've seen all season long. There isn't a single safe arm that you can rely on, so this is a slate you have to look at completely different. You can still play cash games, but go into them knowing that starting pitching is a bit of an unknown. Yu Darvish and the Cubs are favorites over the Phillies, who are projected to put up just over four runs. Darvish has his holes (3.48 BB/9), but he's also been unlucky (4.43 ERA vs 3.85 xFIP). His peripherals tell us he should be holding both lefties an righties to a combined .297 wOBA, while striking out 10+ batters per nine innings. The Phillies have plenty of firepower, but rank middle of the road vs righties and strikeout 25% of the time. Darvish is as good as you'll get on this miserable pitching slate.

Andrew Heaney - LAA vs. CWS - $6,400

Like I said, pitching is terrible on this slate. You're goal is to find the lesser of all evils. Not a single pitcher on this slate will likely have a clean slate, but a few of them will at least have decent games. The big numbers will come from the bats, so a serviceable start is all we really need. The White Sox face off with Andrew Heaney and hold the night's lowest expected run total of 4.08. The Sox rank 22nd against lefties and are hitting in pitcher-friendly Angels Stadium. Heaney won't ever last more than five or six innings, but the hope is that he'll strikeout seven or eight and allow just a run or two. He's very cheap on FanDuel and hard to pass up in any format.

 

FanDuel DFS Infielders

C/1B - Matt Olson - OAK vs. HOU (Sanchez) - $3,600

Aaron Sanchez is being hyped as some kind of good pitcher for the Astros. He’s genuinely terrible (5.41 xFIP) and is living off of a 8.08 K/9. Against lefties, Sanchez has allowed a .333 wOBA and 15 home runs in just over 100 innings. There are always a ton of first baseman to choose from and tonight is no different. It should keep the masses off of Matt Olson, who’s hit 23 home runs and has sported a .356 wOBA. Olson has as much home run upside as anyone and won’t be over 15% owned.

2B - Luis Arraez - MIN @ TEX (Payano) - $3,000

Vegas thinks Pedro Payano is going to have a terrible time tonight. The Twins hold onto the highest projected total of the night at 7.32. Payano was a strikeout pitcher in the minors, but he’s K’ing just 16% of batters so far in the majors and is still walking 15%. The Twins are extremely dangerous and while Luis Arraez isn’t the scariest hitter, he’s a great contact hitter and always keeps the line moving. Arraez has sported a .352 wOBA against righties and will come up with plenty of RBI opportunities tonight. As long as Arraez is in the lineup, he’s affordable on FanDuel and is in play across the board.

3B - Kris Bryant - CHC @ PHI (Smyly) - $3,800

My favorite pitcher to target in MLB DFS this season has been Drew Smyly. He’s been arguably the worst pitcher in all of baseball, managing to give up 23 home runs in 70 innings of work. He’s allowed a .362 wOBA and 5.68 xFIP vs righties and has been even worse against lefties. Kris Bryant is one of the best hitters in baseball against lefties, sporting a .474 wOBA. This is one of the easier plays of the night and you won’t find a lineup of mine without Bryant.

SS - Jorge Polanco - MIN @ TEX (Payano) - $3,700

All of these Twins are in play, but Polanco should be under-owned with so many options at shortstop and he has as much upside as anyone. While he’s a switch-hitter, he sports a .381 wOBA against righties and a .288 against lefties. 44 of his 53 XBH have come against righties and he now draws Pedro Payano. Payano is expected to last just two or three innings and the bullpen to follow him ranks 22nd vs lefties. Polanco is a great play in all formats.

 

FanDuel DFS Outfielders

Nick Castellanos - CHC @ PHI (Smyly) - $3,600

Castellanos has boosted this Cubs lineup more than you could ever imagine. Prior to the trade, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez were the only lefty killers. With Castellanos added, his .464 wOBA has made a huge impact, accounting for 11 XBH (5 homers, 6 doubles) through just 15 days of August. The Cubs now see Drew Smyly, who’s a pitching tee that stands 60 feet 6 inches. In all reality, Drew Smyly still strikes guys out, but he gives up an insane amount of home runs and hasn’t had a clean start against a good team. These Cubs righties are my favorite plays on the slate.

Michael Conforto - NYM @ ATL (Teheran) - $3,400

It;s not hard to figure out who to target against Julio Teheran. He's been consistent throughout his entire career, dominating righties and struggling mightily vs lefties. Since 2018, he's allowed a .346 wOBA and a 1.87 HR/9 to opposing left-handed bats. The Mets don't have many lefties in their order, but Conforto has been swinging the bat well and sees a phenomenal match-up with Teheran. Conforto has dominated righties with a .387 wOBA and 34 XBH in 100 games of work. He's affordable on FanDuel and a great option in cash games.

UTIL - Max Kepler - MIN @ TEX (Payano) - $4,000

Vegas loves the Twins tonight (7.32 expected run total) and it's hard to disagree. Pedro Payano is not ready for the majors, and he's going to be followed by a bullpen that's tired and not good in the first place. We know how potent this Twins lineup is with every hitting being capable of hitting a home run from 1-9. Kepler has hit 25 home runs against righties and has backed it up with a .369 wOBA and a 44% hard contact rate. Kepler is affordable on FanDuel and has as much upside as anyone on the slate.

MLB DFS News and Injury Alerts




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

Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Moises Ballesteros

Riding An 11-Game Hit Streak
Victor Mesa Jr.

Starting Rehab Assignment On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF