RADIO
Welcome to Thursday baseball on FanDuel. While football is fully in swing and most have there attention glued to that, the MLB is winding down and it's almost playoff time. The divisional races are getting tighter and we start to see who will be fighting for what spots. FanDuel hasn't slowed down, either, with plenty of huge tournaments at every price tag.
This is the first slate without Coors Field in a few days, so we will have some more balanced hitting ownership. There also isn't a whole lot to love for cheap at pitcher, so you'll either have to pay up for bats or pay up for Verlander. There are a couple pitchers to consider, but things get ugly quick. Let's dive into each position!
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
Justin Verlander - HOU vs. OAK - $12,000
With only a few games on this slate, Justin Verlander is in a tier of his own at pitcher. He's been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, second to only his teammate Gerrit Cole is terms of xFIP. Verlander has struck out 11 batters per nine on the season and has held both lefties and righties to a sub .247 wOBA. He now gets to face off with an Oakland Athletics team that ranks 21st vs righties and strikes out 24% of the time. While Verlander is pricey, he's easily the safest option on the board in both cash games and tournaments.
Kolby Allard - TEX vs. TAM - $8,000
There really isn't all that much to love after you get past Justin Verlander. Kolby Allard has been great recently, tossing five or more innings in five straight starts at this point. He strikes out close to eight batters per nine innings and has held both sides of the plate to a sub .310 wOBA. He's way too cheap on FanDuel and get a solid match-up with a Tampa Bay Rays team that ranks 23rd vs lefties with a .298 team wOBA. Allard should go another five or six innings and pick up a cheap win for just $8,000.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Daniel Vogelbach - SEA vs. CIN (Mahle) - $3,300
First base always has a ton of options, and tonight is no different. While we don’t have a huge slate of games to look at, there are more than a couple of first baseman worth considering. We’ll focus on Daniel Vogelbach, who’s dealing with Tyler Mahle and his .366 wOBA vs opposing lefties. Hes great against righties, but one of the worst pitchers in all of baseball against lefties. Vogelbach on the other hand, has held onto a .384 wOBA against righties and has hit just as many home runs at home in spacious Seattle. Tyler Mahle will struggle with this lefty-heavy order and Vogelbach is your best bet to hit one out.
Ozzie Albies - ATL @ PHI (Smyly) - $3,400
The Braves have to face the most lefties of any team in baseball. It seems like they’re facing a southpaw every night and it’s come to benefit Ozzie Albies. On the season, he’s sported a .454 wOBA against lefties and has hit 10+ home runs in just over 100 innings against them. Drew Smyly has been a bit better recently, but is still giving up a .377 wOBA to righties and over two home runs per nine. Albies is still priced beneath the elite 2B, but is just as good as any of them against southpaws. Albies makes for a great play in both cash and tournaments.
Josh Donaldson - ATL @ PHI (Smyly) - $3,500
We’ll actually stay with the Braves for third base and take a look at Josh Donaldson. Dating back to his days in an Oakland Athletics uniform, Josh Donaldson crushes lefties. He’s not over a .400 wOBA like he used to be, but a .367 wOBA with seven home runs in 100 at-bats is still great. Especially against a pitcher I Drew Smyly who’s giving up the long ball to anyone who will hit it. He’s been slightly better of late, but has still allowed a 53% hard contact rate over the last month. I love the Braves stack tonight and Albies + Freeman as a mini one. They’re affordable on FanDuel and won’t be overly popular.
Bo Bichette - TOR vs. BOS (Chacin) - $3,700
The Blue Jays and Red Sox are two teams we haven’t touched on yet, but make for phenomenal plays. Both pitchers, Clay Buccholz and Jhoulys Chacin, leave a lot to be desired. We’ll pick on Chacin here, but Buccholz will get his attention in a bit. Chacin has been terrible this season, giving up a .340 wOBA to both righties and lefties. Against righties, 12 home runs allowed in 50 innings of work. He now faces off with Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrero, who can hit homers with the best of em. Bichette has posted a .411 wOBA against lefties and he’s a lot cheaper than some of the top shortstop options on the slate.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Mookie Betts - BOS @ TOR (Buccholz) - $4,400
Buccholz is trying to make one last push at glory, but his 35 year old body isn’t letting that happen. He’s struggled against both sides of the plate and has huge home run problems. He now has to face a Red Sox team that knows him better than anyone. He hasn’t shown any signs of getting any better, but more so looks to be squeezing out every dollar his talent can get him. Mookie Betts has held onto a .391 wOBA against righties and has as much potential as anyone on the slate.
Joc Pederson - LAD @ BAL - $3,700
You can obviously play Bellinger here as well, but Joc Pederson is way cheaper and has similar home run upside. On the season, Joc has hit 32 home runs vs righties on his way to a .391 wOBA against. On the other side of things, Dylan Bundy will host the Dodgers. He’s struggled on the season with a .327 combined wOBA, but now has the best hitting team in baseball in Camden Yards. The upside is huge for this lineup and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them relatively unowned in some tournaments. Pederson is always a boom or bust play, but his price is fair on FanDuel and he has legitimate two home run upside every night he faces a bad righty.
