Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks for FanDuel, DraftKings, DraftDay and Draftster 8/21/14

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Pitchers

Short slates all around today. Going to keep this brief. One play per position per slate. Thursday is a day of rest around these parts.
Early
Corey Kluber - FD 10700 DK 11400 DD 21400 DFSTR 14000
Though our system isn't as high on him as I thought it'd be but I'm still taking him at the stud in the early slate of games. Kluber's been a Cy Young contender this season rocking a 2.69 xFIP and striking out 9.89 batters per nine. The peripherals are insane with a 5:1 K:BB ratio that allows him to work later into games. He's pitched into the eighth inning in five of his last eight games and that kind of efficiency makes him feel super safe for cash games. The Twins aren't dogs against righty pitching, but they do strike out more than 21% of the time.

Consider Brandon McCarthy

Late
Zack Greinke - FD 9700 DK 10600 DD 19450 DFSTR 8700
Going to be an obvious and popular play but for good reason. Greinke's been awesome this season, finding his 2011 form striking out close to ten batters per nine and keeping the walks to around two per nine. Those numbers are super efficient and allow him to go late in games. Though they've hit better of late, there's a reason the Padres rank last in the league against righty pitching. Yes they've been unlucky, but that doesn't completely account for the .286 team wOBA against righties this season. They strikeout 22% of the time, and Greinke is a huge favorite today. This one's easy. On a day full of corrections, here's another one. Greinke isn't pitching today. It's Kershaw. The price is much higher but the value is still there IMO. Makes salaries tougher though.

Strongly consider Madison Bumgarner here as well.

Catchers

Early
Wilson Ramos - FD 3000 DK 3800 DD 8950 DFSTR 4500
This one's a little bit of a stretch but I really want to avoid some of the bigger ace arms going in this early slate. Not having to throw guys out there against Kluber, Price or even Cobb is a good place to start. Wade Miley's been real good, but it says something about this slate of arms when Miley's one of the worst guys going. Ramos is better against lefties and this season owns a 117 wRC+ in that split. Again, the early slate is a pitcher's paradise. Finding solid bats will be tough.

Late
Buster Posey - FD 3000 DK 4100 DD 8600 DFSTR 3000
He hasn't been his usual self against lefties this season with an OPS under .800. Part of that is him running a little bad in Hr/FB%. The wRC+ is still solid at 127 and I'm more than willing to buy at his prices against Travis Wood. Wood is a walk machine, issuing more than four free passes per nine innings. Wood is just generally horrible with an xFIP in the mid 4's and Posey's price is down across the industry.

Strongly consider Evan Gattis

First Basemen

Early
Mark Teixeira - FD 2900 DK 3900 DD 9000 DFSTR 3200
When Dallas Keuchel is a guy you are targeting bats against you know it's a crazy good slate for arms. Keuchel's been real solid this season with an xFIP under three, but I like Tex a bit better against lefties as he's been better on that side of the platoon for his career. Even with a lower Babip Teixeira still has an OPS right at the .800 mark against lefties this season. Oof, it's tough to find bats here.

Late
Freddie Freeman - FD 4000 DK 5000 DD 11300 DFSTR 10900
David Holmberg has had one major league start and let's just say it didn't go well. He got shelled in Coors, a place that would be death of most good young pitchers. Unfortunately, Holmberg isn't all that good. Great American Ballpark is great for boosting power to lefties and Freeman brings in a .900 OPS against righty pitching this season. The price is fair enough and I really like the matchup. Some other solid options here tonight, but Freeman stands out on his power upside. (Update: I had Holmber listed as a righty. This is incorrect. I'd bump Freeman down and consider Albert Pujols. Thanks Mike S. and Brian M. for the catch.

Consider Michael Morse and Albert Pujols

Second Basemen

Early
Aaron Hill - FD 2600 DK 3300 DD 7600 DFSTR 4200
Gio Gonzalez is usually good for about three and a half innings and then the wheels fall off. Gio can always turn in a decent game, but I don't mind picking on him today with the wealth of power arms going. Hill is kind of just whatever though he is better against lefties for his career. This season's been forgettable though some of that is due to bad-ish luck. He's about average, but so are the prices.

Late
Howie Kendrick - FD 2500 DK 4500 DD 7650 DFSTR 5300
Rubby de la Rosa will turn in a solid performance here and there, but there are few and far between. Look for him to struggle with a solid Angels lineup tonight and I can see getting a contact guy like Kendrick into the lineup especially with the Green Monster helping things in left. Kendrick is a bit better for his career against lefties, but the splits aren't extreme. Hasn't been all roses for the guy this season though I like the matchup today.

Consider Tommy la Stella

Shortstops

Early
Ian Desmond - FD 3700 DK 4300 DD 9400 DFSTR 6600
Like I said with Ramos, Wiley's been a solid pitcher this season. But I like the prices on a few of the Nats righties and Desmond fills a need at a position that is pretty terrible any way you shake it. Desmond's had an above average year against lefties with a 125 wRC+ on that side of the split. He strikes out more than he should which could a problem against Miley. But what are you going to do? It's a Cy Young convention in this early slate.

Late
Erick Aybar - FD 2400 DK 4100 DD 7450 DFSTR 3500
Love this spot for Aybar. He's better against righty pitching and his solid contact rates should play well against Rubby de la Rosa who strikes out less than seven batters per nine innings and walks more than three. Aybar is one of my go-to cash game plays because he limits his downside with the contact and is one of the few shortstops hitting around the middle of the order for his squad.

Third Basemen

Early
Martin Prado - FD 2700 DK 3500 DD 7000 DFSTR 5400
Liked him the other night against the lefty Oberholtzer and he more than paid. Keuchel is much better of course but we are picking around the margins today. Prado's been one of the best hitters in the league against lefties this season with a 1.011 OPS and crazy high .431 wOBA. He's a hidden gem in the DFS game because of his splits and his career numbers show this isn't exactly fluky. I'll have him everywhere in the early slate.

Late
This is a real problem in the late slate. There isn't anyone I'd feel comfortable recommending with any real security or comfort. I'd consider monitoring lineups before gametime and running the cheapest option on the board to save yourself the frustration. There's a small case to be made for Todd Frazier but it feels like an overpay in the extreme.

Outfielders

Early
Mark Trumbo - FD 3300 DK 4000 DD 9500 DFSTR 5700
I don't mind snagging a couple of DBacks against Gio today. Trumbo is one of those guys and is someone I'll be using in the early slate. He's rocked lefty pitching this season (small sample) with a .916 OPS and .389 wOBA. Gio is so prone to a blow up that I can get on board with Arizona bats considering the rest of the pitching landscape.

Jayson Werth - FD 3500 DK 4000 DD 9750 DFSTR 7100
He's another guy with supreme splits against lefties and should be in play against Miley. Werth has killed lefty pitching for his career and this season is par for his course. The OPS in that platoon is over .900 and he's tuning lefties up to a 160 wRC+.

Consider Alfredo Marte as a punt play

Late
Mike Trout - FD 4400 DK 5600 DD 13200 DFSTR 3000
Price is reaching critical mass in some spots and I just don't see how you avoid him in cash games at his salary on sites like FanDuel. Trout is Trout and facing Rubby de la Rosa is a prime spot for a break out in Fenway. Too good to pass up really. These are the spots we wait for in DFS.

Hunter Pence - FD 3500 DK 4700 DD 8750 DFSTR 3400
He continues to hit lefties well and there's a nice mini-Giants stack possibility in the late slate with him, Posey and Morse hitting in the middle of that lineup. Travis Wood stinks and the ballpark plays fine for power to left.

Jason Heyward - FD 3700 DK 4200 DD 8950 DFSTR 8700
Goes along nicely with Freeman. For as much as Heyward is maligned as a disappointment, he's been solid against righty pitching this season with a 137 wRC+ and OPS over .800 for the season. Seems on the safer side against Holmberg. Update: I had Holmberg incorrectly listed as a righty. Bump down Heyward and bump up Justin Upton

Give a follow on Twitter @dailyfantasysr and @dougnorrie.

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