DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Thursday 9/3/20

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Pitchers

Early

Lance McCullers Jr.Lance McCullers Jr. FD - P 8900 DK - SP 8900
Opponent - TEX (Lance Lynn) Park - HOU
FD - 36 DK - 19.19

I much prefer how FanDuel handled the slates today splitting the games down the middle and on the early slate Lance McCullers is the top arm I am targeting. The ERA(5.06) would suggest he is having a terrible start but the xFIP(3.99) sits over a run lower and he is coming off a terrific start going six innings while holding the A's to one earned run while striking seven. He and the Astros are -155 favorites in a plus matchup against the Rangers who rank bottom 3 in almost all offensive categories. Fire up McCullers in all formats.

**Update - There are conflicting reports and it very well could be Zack Greinke starting for the Astros and if that is the case, he becomes my top pitcher on the early slate.**

Main

Dylan Cease FD - P 8900 DK - SP 9500
Opponent - KC (Danny Duffy) Park - KC
FD - 30.16 DK - 15.67

While going both Cease and Kershaw together on DraftKings is most likely the optimal play, I lean Cease simply because I am playing more fanDuel tonight and he comes at a $2K discount.  He is running a bit on the lucky side with a .235 BABIP and isn't going to provide elite upside with a 20% K rate, but has been very solid allowing two or fewer earned runs in six straight starts. Cease also gets a plus matchup against the Royals who rank bottom in wOBA(.309), wRC+(91), and K rate(24 %) on the season.

Catcher/First Base

Early

Luke Voit FD - 1B 4000 DK - 1B 3900
Opponent - NYM (Robert Gsellman) Park - NYM
FD - 9.89 DK - 7.42

First base is loaded on the early slate and what stands out more than anything is that Voit is $800 cheaper than Hoskins on DraftKings. After a slow start to the season(10 for 43), Voit has come on strong and been a key piece while Stanton and Judge have been out. Since August 9, he has hits in 15 of 18 games with nine home runs and 18 RBI for an elite .343/.405/.791 slash line. He is my top play at first base on this slate in all formats.

Main

Eric Hosmer FD - 1B 3700 DK - 1B 4200
Opponent - LAA (Andrew Heaney) Park - LAA
FD - 9.33 DK - 7.13

While this is a lefty/lefty matchup consider that Hosmer is cheaper than Vlad Jr. on DraftKings and is better against lefties in almost every area. Hosmer has also been red-hot in the middle of the Padres lineup as he went into Wednesday with hits in nine of his last 11 games including four doubles, three home runs, and 13 RBI. He faces Andrew Heaney tonight who, outside of three stellar starts vs. Seattle, has given up 15 earned runs over his four other starts. The Padres should be a tough test for him and Hosmer is in play in all formats.

Second Base

Early

DJ LeMahieu FD - 2B 3400 DK - 2B/3B 4400
Opponent - NYM (Robert Gsellman) Park - NYM
FD - 10.02 DK - 7.74

Once again we get a Yankee player cheaper than a Phillies player on DraftKings which, in my opinion, is just a mistake. He missed two weeks due to injury in mid August but has hits in five straight since his return pushing his slash line to an incredible .402/.444/.587 on the season. It is that kind of consistency and upside that puts a player in the conversation as top play almost every single day, and especially on small slate with few options. He and Voit are my top 1-2 stack today.

Main

Nick Madrigal FD - 2B 2600 DK - 2B 3100
Opponent - KC (Danny Duffy) Park - KC
FD - 8.33 DK - 6.58

There are a few more pitching options on the main slate which means we are going to need some value and middle infield is the place I look first. It is only a matter of time before rookie Nick Madrigal makes his way up the batting order as he now has hits in all five games since returning to the lineup including three multi-hit games. Even if he is hitting near the bottom of the lineup again, his price is still very low on both sites making him my top punt play in a plus matchup against Danny Duffy and the Royals.

Shortstop

Early

Didi Gregorius FD - SS 3000 DK - SS 4500
Opponent - WSH (Anibal Sanchez) Park - PHI
FD - 12.5 DK - 9.54

It has been a minute since I mentioned Didi in an article but small slates open up the player pool. The good news is that the Phillies lead all team in implied runs today and Didi comes to us in the second tier of pricing. While he hasn't been consistent on a day to day basis, he has provided a ton of upside when he is on has he has a double, two triples, and two home runs over his last nine games.  All things considered, he is my top play at second on the early slate.

Main

Corey Seager FD - SS 3900 DK - SS 5000
Opponent - ARI (Luke Weaver) Park - LAD
FD - 13.12 DK - 9.93
Tim Anderson FD - SS 3700 DK - SS 5700
Opponent - KC (Danny Duffy) Park - KC
FD - 13.03 DK - 10.15

To start off, I fully believe Tatis is the best player on the planet at the moment but this spot is much more of a price play tonight on a smaller slate as Seager is 4th in pricing on DraftKings and Anderson is 4th on FanDuel. Seager is now hitting 2nd in the Dodgers lineup and went into Wednesday night with hits in 12 of his last 14 games. Anderson is coming off a batting championship and while a smaller sample looks better in 2020. He comes in with a .345/.385/.600 slash line and has absolutely destroyed lefties with 16 hits in 34 at-bats with five home runs(.651 wOBA). I will be splitting them in cash games between FanDuel and Draftings tonight.

Third Base

Early

Colin Moran FD - 3B 2700 DK - 1B 3700
Opponent - CHC (Alec Mills) Park - PIT
FD - 9.06 DK - 6.95

Here is what I wrote about Moran yesterday:

After sitting out a week due to a concussion Moran is back and after going 0-2 on Monday with two walks and a run, he went 2 for 4 with a walk and two runs on Tuesday. He isn't the most consistent option(.253 avg/.333 OBP) but provides some upside(6 HR) and faces a pitcher in Kyle Hendricks who has struggled in that area lately giving up five in his last three starts. At these prices, he makes an excellent value play in GPP formats on a hot Pirates offense that has scored 5+ runs in seven of their last eight games.

He didn't disappoint with a solo shot and despite this being a small slate, is still under $4K on DraftKings and $3K on FanDuel making him a core play for me on this slate.

Main

Manny Machado FD - 3B 3900 DK - 3B 4800
Opponent - LAA (Andrew Heaney) Park - LAA
FD - 12.25 DK - 9.26

Another price play tonight, this time on DraftKings where Machado is somehow 5th in pricing at the position despite having one of the best starts to a season in his career. Through 37 games, he has posted a .303/.377/.606 slash line with 11 home runs and 30 RBI's only three behind his teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. who leads the league. Manny has also mashed lefties with a .436 wOBA and 175 wRC+ since the start of last season. He is in play in all formats, even on FanDuel where he is still under $4K.

Outfield

Early

Ian Happ FD - OF 3100 DK - OF 4000
Opponent - PIT (JT Brubaker) Park - PIT
FD - 12.67 DK - 9.51

Happ is another player I wrote yesterday who paid off handsomely with his fourth straight multi-hit effort. At least for now, he's the Cubs everyday leadoff hitter and still comes at a tremendous value, especially for a small slate and also gets a plus matchup against a rookie pitcher who has posted a 6.00 ERA and 5.05 xFIP over his first four starts. Happ is my favorite PTS/$ outfielder on the early slate.

Main

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. FD - OF 2900 DK - OF 3900
Opponent - BOS (Martin Perez) Park - BOS
FD - 10.23 DK - 7.83
Randal Grichuk FD - OF 3400 DK - OF 3800
Opponent - BOS (Martin Perez) Park - BOS
FD - 11.25 DK - 8.48

On the main slate, I am looking at the Blue Jays outfield for PTS/$ value facing a struggling lefty in Martin Perez who has posted a 4.58 ERA and 5.40 xFIP on the season. Let's start with Gurriel who has comes in red-hot in the short term going 6 for his last 11(3 games) with three doubles and a home run. Grichuk has been one of the Jays top producers on the season leading the team in RBI(24), is second in home runs(9), and has absolutely crushed lefties to the tune of a .486 wOBA, 215 wRC+, and .400 ISO. These two are my top two-man stack on the main slate.

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