Daily Fantasy MLB Baseball Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 6/8/15

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Pitchers

Chris Sale - FD 10900 DK 11400
His last three games have been magnificent and I think we are all over the question marks about his skill set (or his health) from early in the year. Not that there was ever too much cause for concern, but the inflated ERA created some doubts. He's back to dominating and has struck out 35 batters in his last 22 innings pitched. Those are unreal numbers. Today should be more of the same as he's facing an Astros team that strikes out the most in the league against lefty arms at a 24% clip. Sale is the clar cash game option here even in a hitter's park.

Cole Hamels - FD 9900 DK 10400
This one's more of an upside play if you think he can get rolling downhill against the Reds. Hamels' biggest issue this season are the walks, but he's striking out more than a batter an inning. The Reds are a good team against lefties though they do strike out about 21% of the time. Hamels has an xFIP in the mid 3's (slightly higher than his 2.88 ERA). Again, I don't consider him safe and for about the same prices I'd much rather have Sale. But he's a tournament consideration for sure.

Ian Kennedy - FD 7300 DK 7700
Another tournament consideration on this slate. Kennedy is the very definition of feast or famine. He's either got it going, or he doesn't and you know quick. Now, don't get too fooled by the 6+ ERA, the xFIP is about three whole runs lower. You are buying him at a big discount because he's run a little bad in the home runs and strand rate. He's still striking out a batter an inning while issuing a fair share of walks. Again, this is an upside play but you aren't getting the kind of K's he gives from any other
pitcher in his tier.

Consider Lance McCullers
 

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Catchers

Dioner Navarro - FD 2200 DK 4000
Just hoping he's in the lineup today against the lefty. Navarro is significantly better in this split for his career and owns a 107 wRC+. That, in and of itself, isn't exactly lighting the world on fire. But on FanDuel you'd be playing him at the minimum. That's where is really starts to stand out. When he plays, the Jays tend to bat him in and around the middle of the order. You are going to see a lot of Blue Jays on the list today so buckle up.

Jonathan Lucroy - FD 2900 DK 3300
All over this DraftKings price. Lucroy is coming at a monster discount over there and he's close to a must play at this price. In play on FanDuel for sure. But on DraftKings you are getting a catcher hitting second in the order and that almost alone makes a $3300 tag a crazy bargain. Not the best matchup in the world against A.J. Burnett, but there are times when you can take a player almost independent of matchup. This is the case for Lucroy.

Consider Russel Martin as well as whoever is catching for the Rockies.

First base

Edwin Encarnacion - FD 3800 DK 4900
Here's to hopinh E5 is back in the lineup Monday. I don't have a huge issue playing a guy coming back from an injury as long as the club has deemed him fit to play. Because it's difficult to quantify injury in this respect (relative to performance), I'll just let the numbers do the talking here. Encarnacion's struggling this season but that is partially a .220 BABIP-fueled issue. He's K-ing more for sure, but has handled lefties over his career with an .877 OPS and .377 wOBA. Like I said before, stacking righty Jays could be the way to go today.

Adam Lind - FD 2800 DK 3900
One of the reasons I'm really hoping Encarnacion plays today is I hate most of what else is going on at first base. I don't love the matchup for Abreu or Laroche against McCullers even with a good ballpark. And there isn't much else to like at the position. I'm begrudgingly throwing out Lind here as a mid range low/ middle guy with a hints of power. Not a great ballpark and Burnett can dial up the K's. But again, the position is tough.

Consider Pedro Alvarez

Second base

Neil Walker - FD 2800 DK 4000
He's hitting second in the lineup right in front of Cutch and is just one of those guys we like to target based on price and opportunity. It's a concept we talked a lot about with NBA and there are similar comps within baseball. When you are projected for more plate appearances than similar guys in your price range, it makes a major difference in expectation. That's the case with Walker. He isn't a great hitter by any means. But he gets the job done at these prices.

Chase Utley - FD 2700 DK 3500
Look, it's been brutal for this guy in the luck department this season. His .209 BABIP is one of the worst in the majors for guys with similar plate appearances. Some of it is from an increased ground ball rate which will just lead to more outs. But we are still buying low on him. Even with some more decline in his skill set, there are few other second basemen hitting this high in the lineup and he's going in an extreme hitter's park. I like a sniff of power upside for Utley today against Leake and think he's a perfectly reasonable cash game play.

Shortstop

Eduardo Nunez - FD 2200 DK 3300
Eduardo Escobar - FD 2300 DK 2700
Picks don't get less sexy than these two guys. All I'm doing here is buying on two dudes who qualify at shortstop and play a decent amount. They hit aroudn 6-7 in the order, so not all the way down in the basement and the Twins are just kind of whatever. Look, I'm not going to go over the moon with either of these two Eddies. The issue is there really aren't many options are shortstop from an offensive point of view unless you want to pay all the way up for Tulo against Lackey and that's going to be tough if you're rostering Sale. Get in cheap at shortstop and then get the hell out is my plan for today.

Alcides Escobar - FD 2300 DK 3700
Very much in that cheap vein for the position. His one advantage is he hits leadoff for the Royals though I can't totally figure out why because he gets on base less than 30% of the time. Alas, there he stands each day when the lineup cards get handed in. Speed is his main weapon although simple logic says that you really can't steal bases when you aren't standing near first base. I'll take Alcides on the cheap though with the extra plate appearance expectation.

Third base

Josh Donaldson - FD 4800 DK 5300
Remember when he was somewhat affordable? Not the case anymore as Donaldson's turned on the power in the last couple of weeks. And today he's getting to do what he does best: hit against lefties. This is Donaldson's forte and this year's been no different. He's slaughtering southpaws with a 1.256 OPS and 242 wRC+ plus in that split this season. Granted, it's a smaller sample size but his career numbers back up the idea that he's a lefty killer through and through. Of call the big money hitters going today, he's the one I'll work to get in every lineup against Brad Hand.

Trevor Plouffe - FD 2600 DK 3700
The only thing that would pivot me off of Donaldson is there are some other intriguing third base options going. Plouffe is one of them against the lefty Vargas. The latter is a bad pitcher who K's less than six batters per nine and owns an xFIP in the high 4's. For his career Plouffe has an OPS in the mid .800's against lefties and a .359 wOBA. He's an extreme splits guy and this is the time to buy him. Good matchup and he's coming cheap everywhere.

Consider Mike Moustakas and Danny Valencia

Outfield

Carlos Gonzalez - FD 3700 DK 4400
AS long as he's coming at these prices hitting cleanup in Coors then you have to take a long, hard look at CarGo. Good news on him this season is the K's are down and the walks are up. The bad news is the power seems sapped. Of course, Coors has a way of making even the most mediocre of hitters seem amazing. His LD% is at a career high while the FB% is at a career low which would explain some of the power issues. I'm still buying here on ballpark.

Jose Bautista - FD 4900 DK 5400
He's going to cost you a fortune and it's going to be tough to get all of the Blue Jays in a lineup with a live arm, but how could I not mention Joey Bats here? He destroys lefties with this year's .992 OPS in that split as par for his personal course. He's walking more than he's striking out this season and is always a threat to go deep. The biggest issue is his price and that's what you'll be running in to all over the slate with Jays.

Will Venable - FD 2500 DK 3300
I'm no fan of Shelby Miller's and basically think most of his success this season is smoke and mirrors. While the ERA is in the 1's, the xFIP is really in the low 4's. HE only strikes out six batters per nine and has benefited from a .215 BABIP and 85% strand rate. Those kind of numbers won't hang around forever. Meanwhile, Venable's still hitting leadoff for the Padres and having success in the role. Cheap spot to buy him and really like for cash games.

Christian Yelich - FD 2600 DK 3800
I'm buying him on price here. He went through Coors without doing much, but I think we are getting him at a slight discount for his skill set. Look, he's not exactly Mickey Mantle (hot take) but our system really likes him at these prices since they've dipped.

Matt Kemp - FD 2700 DK 4200
I get that it's hard to buy on the guy with the season he's having. But his biggest issue is the strike out and that's something Shelby Miller doesn't really do in bunches. hitting in the middle of the lineup has its advantages.

Strongly consider Matt Holliday and Chris Colabello
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