RADIO
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
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.
