Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - 8/22/16

 

Welcome to Monday baseball! We have a 8 game main slate on our hands with some aces and a few offenses in great spots to put up some runs. Make sure to check out our other articles as they will touch on more pitching options, tournament stacks and any weather concerns that may arise. Let's get into the top options at each position!

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PITCHER

Jon Lester FD 11000 DK 12500
Opponent - SD (Jackson) Park - @SD
FD - 37.8 DK - 24.59

While the Padres are the worst team in the league against righties, they are not very good against left handers either. In 1100 plate appearances against lefties, the Padres have sported a crazy 25% hard contact rate and a 0.35 BB/K rate. Lester, however, has been fantastic against both lefties and righties. Lester has exhibited a .270 combined wOBA to go along with a 3.18 xFIP and a 25% strikeout rate. While there are a few high-end options to consider, Lester is going to be my favorite cash game and tournament option. While he is insanely expensive on DraftKings, he is very fairly priced on FanDuel. The game will take place in Petco Park, which is the absolute best park in the league for left handed pitching.

Stephen Strasburg FD 10000 DK 10700
Opponent - BAL (Bundy) Park - @BAL
FD - 33.27 DK - 22.02

No, this is not a cash game option. This is a pure tournament play, though it is a very good one at that. The Orioles are a team I love to target in tournaments because they either strikeout a ton or hit a few home runs, sometimes both. Strasburg is the ideal pitcher to target against the Orioles as he has struck out over 11 batters per 9 innings. As well as a high K rate, Strasburg has sported a .277 wOBA and a 26.8% hard contact rate. While Camden Yards is not a great park for pitchers, it won't matter if Strasburg is on his game. Like I said, Lester is the way to go in cash games. In tournaments, you gotta go with a guy like Strasburg or Carrasco. If you are looking to pay down, I would tend to go with a guy like Dylan Bundy or Chad Bettis.

CATCHER

Welington Castillo FD 2800 DK 3600
Opponent - ATL (Foltynewicz) Park - @ARI
FD - 9.8 DK - 7.58

Let me just warn you, the catcher position is absolutely horrible tonight. Due to that, I am going to be targeting guys that are high in talent in a decent spot. Welington Castillo is one of the higher talent guys at the position and will be taking on Mike Foltynewicz, a right hander that has been below average against both right handers and lefties. Against righties, Foltynewicz has given up 7 home runs to go along with a 34% hard contact rate. Castillo, however, has held a .312 wOBA against righties over the past few seasons and has exhibited a ton of power. While no catcher is safe tonight, I am willing to lean on Castillo in cash games.

Brian McCann FD 3400 DK 4000
Opponent - SEA (Martin) Park - @SEA
FD - 9.31 DK - 7

If you are looking to pay up a bit at catcher for a guy with a ton of upside at low ownership, Brian McCann is the guy. Over the past 3 seasons, McCann has sported a .341 wOBA against lefties and has hit 90% of his homers against right handers. The Yankees will be taking on Cody Martin, a right handed youngster that has given up a crazy .476 wOBA against lefties. While Yankees Stadium is a much better park for McCann, he has the power to hit it out anywhere. While he is pretty expensive on both sites, it will attribute to some low ownership in tournaments.

 

FIRST BASE

Anthony Rizzo FD 4200 DK 5300
Opponent - SD (Jackson) Park - @SD
FD - 13.54 DK - 10.34

The Chicago Cubs enter into this slate as on of our top offenses as they will be taking on Edwin Jackson, albeit they are in a very pitcher friendly ballpark. Rizzo is a top 2 hitter in this lineup and is the best of the best against right handers. Dating back to 2015, Rizzo has sported a .382 wOBA against righties and has backed it up with any peripheral you can think of. Rizzo was drafted and traded by the Padres, and will look to show them just how big of a mistake they made. While Rizzo is extremely expensive, he has a ton of safety to go along with a heaping ceiling.

Freddie Freeman FD 3900 DK 5400
Opponent - ARI (Godley) Park - @ARI
FD - 11.32 DK - 8.69

Freddie Freeman is a guy you can basically lean on night in and night out to get you some production. While it may not be a home run every 3 days, he rarely has a game where he burns you. Freeman and the Braves will be taking on a righty in Zack Godley that has struggled against lefties since entering the majors. In 25 innings this season, Godley has given up a 4.04 xFIP and a 11.1% HR/FB rate. While Godley is no bum, he is not great and will be facing off with Freddie Freeman in the 2nd best ballpark for left handed power. While Rizzo is my favorite option by far, Freeman is someone that needs to be considered.

 

SECOND BASE

Jason Kipnis FD 3700 DK 5200
Opponent - OAK (Triggs) Park - @OAK
FD - 10.3 DK - 8.26

Kipnis and the Indians are another team that we are going to take a look at tonight in the Oakland Coliseum. The Indians will be taking on the Oakland Athletics and their new right handed starter, Andrew Triggs. Triggs has been quite underwhelming to start the season and his peripherals show no sign of improvement. Kipnis on the other hand, has been dynamic against righties for over 5 years now and brings the combo + power upside that you rarely see at second base. In cash games, he is the easy way to go, though there are a few ways to go in tourneys.

Ben Zobrist FD 3400 DK 4900
Opponent - SD (Jackson) Park - @SD
FD - 10.31 DK - 7.99

We are going to take a look at Ben Zobrist here s he will be taking on a gas can righty in Edwin Jackson. Since 2015, Jackson has sported a .328 wOBA against lefties and his peripherals suggest some regression as evident by his 5.75 xFIP against lefties. Zobrist, however, has been terrific against righties over the last few years with a .348 wOBA and a 34% hard contact rate. While Kipnis is my favorite option at 2nd, I couldn't blame you for the pivot to Zobrist. The Cubs are a team that is going to produce tonight and Zobrist is a safe way to get exposure to the team as a whole.

 

SHORTSTOP

Francisco Lindor FD 3500 DK 5100
Opponent - OAK (Triggs) Park - @OAK
FD - 9.2 DK - 7.62

Shortstop is another position that doesn't do too much for me, though I never expect much. That being said, there are a few great ways to go that can get you an edge on the field, one of those being Francisco Lindor. Lindor has been terrific against righties since entering the majors with a .342 wOBA that is backed up by plenty of peripherals and batted ball rates. Like I mentioned a bit ago, Triggs is a young righty that is going to struggle a bit as he gets acclimated to the major league ecosystem. While the ballpark doesn't excite me, Lindor is far from reliant on power and can score in plenty of different ways.

Xander Bogaerts FD 3400 DK 4100
Opponent - TB (Snell) Park - @TB
FD - 10.1 DK - 8.1

While Lindor is my top overall option, I think you can consider both LIndor and Boagerts in cash games. Bogaerts and the Red Sox will be facing off with Blake Snell, a young left handed prospect that has had a few troubles with righties. Aside from the quality wOBA, Snell has given up 4.42 xFIP, which certainly suggests some impending regression. Bogaerts has also been quite lucky on the season, though the peripherals have began evening out recently, as everyone predicted. While the position isn't very voluptuous, there are a few spots to take a look at.

 

THIRD BASE

Jacob Lamb FD 3300 DK 4300
Opponent - ATL (Foltynewicz) Park - @ARI
FD - 11.46 DK - 8.9

Jacob Lamb is one of the most underrated hitters in the league, especially against right handers. Dating back to 2015, Lamb has sported a .392 wOBA against righties that is backed up by a 36% hard contact rate and a 23.2% line drive rate. The Diamondbacks are taking on Mike Foltynewicz, and as I mentioned, he has struggled mightily against left handers. Dating back to 2014, "Folty" has given up a .362 wOBA against lefties that is backed up by plenty of peripherals and batted ball rates. Lamb is going to be one of my favorite plays on the slate and I am a big fan of him in both cash games and tournaments.

Kris Bryant FD 4300 DK 5500
Opponent - SD (Jackson) Park - @SD
FD - 13.51 DK - 10.37

We are going to look at another Chicago Cub here in Kris Bryant. Bryant has been stupendous against righties on the season with a .394 wOBA. Alongside the wOBA, Bryant has produced a 42.1% hard contact rate and a crazy 25.4% line drive rate. Bryant has stepped into the elite category in terms of hitting and he will not look back for a very long time. If you have the cash, get some exposure to Bryant in your tourney lineups. Though the ballpark isn't great, Bryant has the power to hit it out of the USA, let alone Petco Park.

 

OUTFIELD

Carlos Gonzalez FD 3700 DK 5200
Opponent - MIL (Nelson) Park - @MIL
FD - 12.24 DK - 9.4

Carlos Gonzalez and the Rockies are in a very good spot tonight, though this is the only bat mentioned thus far. While they are in a great spot, there are a few other teams that have taken priority. individually, however, it is a different story. I love this match up here and I am using my HR prediction of the night. CarGo has demolished right handers for about 8 years now and has shown no signs of slowing down, as evident by his .399 wOBA this season. The Rockies will stand 60 feet away from Jimmy Nelson, who has had his fair share of troubles against lefties. Gonzalez is one of my favorite plays on the night and he is a tremendous play in both cash games and tournaments.

Jacoby Ellsbury FD 3100 DK 3900
Opponent - SEA (Martin) Park - @SEA
FD - 9.41 DK - 8.18
Brett Gardner FD 3200 DK 4200
Opponent - SEA (Martin) Park - @SEA
FD - 9.06 DK - 7.44

The duo of Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner is one that I have rostered a ton over the past couple years and it has paid off a ton on multiple occasions. While they have been a bit underwhelming over the past year, they still have a ton of speed and can score in plenty of different ways. Both Ellsbury and Gardner have sported wOBA's over .340 over the past couple years. As mentioned, Cody Martin has been absolutely pitiful against lefties and has also given up quite a few stolen bases in his minor league career. While I prefer the options listed below, this duo is a great one to get exposure to on both sites.

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