Daily Fantasy MLB Baseball Picks for FanDuel, DraftKings and Starsdraft 10/14/15

We are definitely nearing the end of DFS baseball. With the Cubs moving into the second round and the first round finishing up, there aren't many days left. Enjoy the game while you can.
 

If you're new to the playoff picks, I'll be giving you one play per position to whet your appetite. You can also grab a free trial of the projection system that makes these picks possible. Your free trial also includes access to our NFL and NHL tools - so get started today!

Pitchers

Johnny Cueto - FD 10500 DK 8200
Opponent- Hou (Mchugh) R Park- @KC
It's a cheaper day on the pitching side, but that's because it's fraught with peril. While our system likes Cueto as the runaway favorite from a value perspective, it is having a little trouble identifying the distinct issues he's had over the second half of the season. His K/9 has dropped significantly and he's just been a different guy; not the dude the Royals thought they were getting at the trade deadline. That being said, I think you take what you are getting here with some of the other contextual pieces. He's got the better ballpark situation of the two games and he's the moneyline favorite going in. The Astros will strikeout if given the chance and on this slate I very much think I'm avoiding the Rogers Centre with my pitchers if I can. It's scary, I know. And I could just have easily written up the guy below.

I can make a case for Marcus Stroman at his price on FanDuel considering you can load bats. Hate the ballpark, but if you weren't going Cueto, Stroman is the clear play and I could probably have had him in the top spot considering the price.

Catchers

Salvador Perez - FD 2400 DK 3300
Opponent- Hou (Mchugh) R Park- @KC
Totally fine going cheap as possible at catcher here. While Russell Martin is also in contention, I don't love paying up there when I can get some bigger and better bats in at other parts of the lineup. Like a couple of his cheap Royals' teammates, Perez is just kind of a guy that plays. I know that's the hard-hitting, expert analysis you came here for and I'm happy to oblige. He's not a particularly adept hitter, but he's in the lineup around the 7th slot and you need to get guys like this in the lineup on shorts slates in order to get real hitters in other places.

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First base

Eric Hosmer - FD 3100 DK 4300
Opponent- Hou (Mchugh) R Park- @KC
Though Collin McHugh has 19 wins this year, I don't want that to make you think he was an outstanding pitcher. Dude's xFIP was up near 4 on the season and he had a K rate less than 7.5 per nine. I suppose it depends what you think about Cueto, but I like targeting some of the Royals against McHugh in this matchup. Hosmer put together a fine enough season with a low .800's OPS and had a 141 wRC+ against righties. The FanDuel price is workable no matter what pitcher you choose.

Second base

Jose Altuve - FD 3400 DK 4200
Opponent- KC (Cueto) R Park- @KC
I know I mentioned Cueto at the outset. But like I said, there are plenty of reasons to be hesitant about that play and if you aren't with him, you're against him. Altuve, from the top of the order is a safer cash game play considering it is very difficult for righties to put him down on strikes. Though much better against lefties, Altuve only K'd 8.8% of the time in the righty platoon this season and was a league average hitter. Won't break the bank at all.

I like Ben Zobrist as well in the same price point.

Shortstop

Alcides Escobar - FD 2300 DK 3300
Opponent- Hou (Mchugh) R Park- @KC
As much as I like Tulo against the lefty, I'll happily take Escobar's price tag from the leadoff slot. I've said a 1,000 times over the course of the year that Alcides has no business hitting leadoff for this, or any, team. But the Royals don't care about stuff like stats and whatnot, so there's Alcides and his .293 OBP "setting the table" for KC. He's free and the plate appearance expectation is enough to play him at a generally weaker offensive position.

Third base

Josh Donaldson - FD 4600 DK 4800
Opponent- Tex (Hamels) L Park- @Tor
With the pitching coming cheaper, this is one place you can most definitely load up. Though Hamels is the best arm on the slate, Donaldson counters that some by being about the best lefty platoon hitter in all of baseball. Donaldson crushed a 1.024 OPS and absurd .428 wOBA against that hand this season and those numbers are right in line with what he's done over his career. It is just incredibly hard for him to not crush the souls of lefties. While clearly not a lock against Cole, if I was paying up for a guy considering the past history and the ballpark, this is one of those dudes.

Mike Moustakas against McHugh is the other way to go for a little cheaper
 

Outfield

Mitch Moreland - FD 2700 DK 3400
Opponent- Tor (Stroman) R Park- @Tor
Look, with these super short slates, we are definitely in an "if/then" situation with the picks. If you play Stroman, don't play Moreland. If you don't play Stroman, then Moreland represents middle of the order power for very, very low prices. There's somewhat of a case for playing him even if you are rocking Stroman simply because the price tag is so damn low. He's hitting cleanup in one of the best hitter's parks in baseball. Moreland rocked a .372 wOBA against righties this season with a high .800's OPS. He's slumped this series, but that doesn't bother me considering the prices.

Jose Bautista - FD 4400 DK 4900
Opponent- Tex (Hamels) L Park- @Tor
Chris Colabello - FD 3000 DK 3400
Opponent- Tex (Hamels) L Park- @Tor
Different price points, but in advantageous situations considering the park and the lefty on the mound. The Jays righty stack against southpaws is a buzz saw for even the best of arms. Even if Hamels can hang for some, there is almost too many lefty killers to clear. And yes I know what he did in game one. Believe me, he's not a favorite to make that happen over the long term.

Josh Hamilton - FD 2400 DK 3400
Opponent- Tor (Stroman) R Park- @Tor
He's strictly a tournament guy for me, but considering he's a punt play I can swing it. Needs to do his damage early especially if they PH for him or go defensive replacement. But he's cheap and there's some power in his game.

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