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Below are my picks for Monday 8/18's Fanduel contests. The afternoon game between the Mets and Cubs is not included in this analysis since it won’t factor into most of tonight’s entries. Keep in mind that these picks are based upon Fanduel’s dollar values and won’t necessarily be the best plays in other formats.
For those who took my advice last week, I’m sure you did well in your contests. I killed it on Monday night with the guys I recommended. I hope to have the same success this week.
Remember, these picks are posted early in the day for your convenience, and without knowledge of the teams’ starting lineups. ALWAYS check starting lineups before finalizing your FanDuel entries. On days like Monday, especially, teams will often give some of their regulars a day off.
Also, you've got to check out RotoBaller's new BvP (batter vs. pitcher) analysis tool, which shows you all the daily matchup stats for every single hitter in the MLB.
Starting Pitcher DFS Picks for 8/18
This is a tricky slate of pitchers today with only one true ace on the mound in the Sox’s Chris Sale ($10,900) against the Orioles. I would consider him an option if you have a lot of cheap hitters you like, but I’ll most likely be looking elsewhere. The Orioles are a top ten team against lefties with the gauntlet of Adam Jones and Nelson Cruz just waiting to hit the ball out of the park. I have no doubt that Sale has the stuff to navigate that gauntlet, but at his price, may not want to take that risk.
JORDAN ZIMMERMANN, WAS ($8,880): Zimmermann is the safest option today, with the highest floor of any of the Non-Sale pitchers. The Nats are an early -200 favorite versus the D-backs, who are struggling without Goldschmidt in the middle of the lineup. Zimmermann is equally effective against righties and lefties and manages to keep the ball in the park. He probably won’t whiff a ton of guys (think 6 or 7), but he’s a safe, solid option at a decent price.
ROENIS ELIAS, SEA ($6,700): Elias offers a cheaper, yet riskier, option against the Phillies. Philly has been terrible at handling lefties and they even strike out a tasty 21 percent of the time against southpaws. You may not think of Elias as a strikeout guy, but he whiffs eight per nine innings, so that’s usable at a low price. I don’t think Elias has the upside of Zimmermann, but he’s really cheap and probably won’t kill you.
VANCE WORLEY, PIT ($6,300): The Atlanta Braves do not hit right-handed pitching! Anytime a righty goes up against Atlanta, I take a nice, close look at that pitcher. Worley has been surprisingly solid for the Buccos and gets the added benefit of pitching at home, where his offense if one of the league’s best. He won’t get you the strikeout of the other guys listed, as he only averages 5.7 per nine, but the Braves do strike out a lot. He can be a sneaky good option at this price.
Catcher DFS Picks for 8/18
TOP OPTION: DEVIN MESORACO, CIN ($3,700): But he’s also the most expensive option against Justin Masterson and the Cardinals. I’ll probably look for better value here.
KURT SUZUKI, MIN ($2,400): Suzuki puts up a .358 against lefties and should be a solid play for the price against Jason Vargas.
WILSON RAMOS, WAS ($2,900): Ramos has been on a bit of a tear lately and his price has not adjusted. He’s enjoyed multi-hit games this past week. Anytime I can get that production for under $3000, I’ll consider it.
First Base DFS Picks for 8/18
MIKE NAPOLI, BOS ($3,700): I was actually surprised to see that his price was THIS high, but he’s still a rock-solid play against C.J. Wilson and the Angels. Wilson has been vulnerable against righty hitters this season and Napoli owns a .401 wOBA against lefties. It seems like a match made in heaven. Add to that the fact that he’s been on base nine times in his last four games.
BILLY BUTLER, KC ($2,500): The Royals are red hot and Butler’s bat is a big reason why. After a miserable start to the year, he’s been a catalyst in the K.C. lineup since Eric Hosmer got hurt. He is riding a streak where he’s hit in 13 of his last 14 games and gets to take a crack at rookie Trevor May. His price remains low – almost punt prices – and I see him as a great, cheap option to squeeze into your lineup tonight.
PRICIER OPTIONS: Freddie Freeman ($4,000), Adam LaRoche ($4,000).
Second Base DFS Picks for 8/18
ROBINSON CANO, SEA ($3,700): Cano will absolutely be a top play today against the Phillies’ Jerome Williams. Williams is not any good. Against lefties, he’s even worse than “not any good,” with a .395 wOBA against them. Cano and Seager should be heavy percentage plays tonight, even though Robbie is one of the pricier second basemen. I think you spend here.
DUSTIN PEDROIA, BOS ($3,300): Pedroia is another guy who has turned it around in August after scuffling most of the season. He has eight multi-hit games in the 14 he’s played this month and should benefit from facing a lefty at Fenway, IF he's back from his small illness that held him out Sunday.
ALSO CONSIDER: Kris Negron ($2,600)
Third Base DFS Picks for 8/18
KYLE SEAGER, SEA ($3,100): I love his price here against Williams and the Phillies. Seager is a classic lefty power bat who loves to feast on bad right-handed pitching. There are a lot of stats to throw out: 16 of his 18 homers have come against righties. He has a .282/.363/.521 triple slash line against righties. . . and a .385 wOBA. All this adds up to a matchup where Seager is a great candidate for a monster game. And his price tag won’t kill you.
TODD FRAZIER, CIN ($3,000): Frazier’s price has come down to earth to the point where you need to consider him, even against righties. Justin Masterson is MUCH better against same-side hitters, but Frazier has been driving in runs lately (someone on the Reds has to). He is also a good bet to either homer or steal a base each game. I’ll definitely spend the extra $100 for Seager, but Frazer provides another reasonable option.
ALSO CONSIDER: Conor Gillaspie ($2,600)
Shortstop DFS Picks for 8/18
CHRIS TAYLOR, SEA ($3,000): A lot of Mariners love today. My system rates Taylor as the top shortstop choice, likely because Jerome Williams is so bad. Put that aside and Taylor still has been scorching with a .370/.426/.463 line since coming up. His price is rising, but it’s still reasonable.
ALSO CONSIDER: Ian Desmond ($3,700), Cliff Pennington ($2,800), Alexei Ramirez ($3,100)
Outfield DFS Picks for 8/18
JON JAY, STL ($2,900): With all the outfielders on the Cards, he’s not a lock to start, but look what he’s done in his last ten games: 12-for-26 (.461), 8 runs, 2 HR, 9 RBI. For under $3000, you are getting one of the hottest hitters in the league against Mike Leake. Leake is hit-or-miss, but struggles mostly against righties (.363 wOBA against).
ALEX GORDON, KC ($3,300): This is another case of striking while the Royals are hot and facing a rookie pitcher. Gordon has picked up two hits in each of the first three games of this series, including a home run yesterday. He has hit in 13 of his last 15 games with four homers in that span.
GREGORY POLANCO, PIT ($3,600), TRAVIS SNIDER, PIT ($3,000) - The Pirates hit well at home and both Polanco and Snider are lefty bats who prefer righty pitching. Ervin Santana has not been a slouch, but he’s shown some weakness against righty bats. Both these guys are priced reasonably and could be used in a mini-Pirates stack if you desire.
ALSO CONSIDER: Kole Calhoun ($3,400), Jayson Werth ($3,400 – if he plays), Nick Markakis ($3,200)
Whether you have success with my advice or not, I always like to hear from readers via Twitter @baseballscotty or via email at scottslezak22@gmail.com.
