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DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Monday 8/22/22
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Starting Pitcher
Jordan Montgomery FD 9200 DK 8300
Opponent - CHC (Drew Smyly) Park - CHC
FD - 32.25 DK - 17.1
To say Montgomery flipped a switch when the Yankees traded him to the Cardinals would be an understatement. It started with a win against his old team and he has only gotten better in his last two starts holding the Rockies and Brewers to a combined one run while striking eight in each of those games(35% K rate). He now faces a Cubs team that has been on a bit of a roll lately but have faced the Nats & Reds, who are a combined 64 games under .500, nine times in the last two weeks. The Cards swept them in their last series and I look for much of the same dominance on Monday. Monty is my pitcher on the slate in all formats.
Jeffrey Springs FD 8000 DK 7700
Opponent - LAA (Tucker Davidson) Park - LAA
FD - 36.55 DK - 19.92
Springs is on his third team in five years but like many other pitchers, he has found his way with the Rays. He only rallied four K’s in his last start but held the Yankees to just two hits and has tallied a 2.49 ERA over five second-half starts with 25 strikeouts and just four walks. Tonight he faces a struggling Angels team that has lost five of their last six games while scoring just 15 runs. At these prices, Springs is my favourite PTS/$ pitcher on this slate.
Catcher/First Base
Paul Goldschmidt FD 4700 DK 6200
Opponent - CHC (Drew Smyly) Park - CHC
FD - 12.3 DK - 9.32
At this point, there isn’t much more we need to say to sell Goldy as an elite DFS play. He comes in with hits in 10 of his last 11 games including five multi hit efforts, five home runs, and 16 RBI. It is also no secret he demolishes lefties and enters with an insane .435 average, .568 wOBA, and 276 wRC+. In a plus matchup against Drew Smyly, I will be building around the future 2022 NL MVP in all formats.
Matt Olson FD 3800 DK 4600
Opponent - PIT (Roansy Contreras) Park - PIT
FD - 11.9 DK - 8.86
Whether you are fading Goldy to get exposure to Max Scherzer on the mound or just prefer a more PTS/$ friendly build, the Braves fit the bill. Olson started out the second half ice-cold but has picked it up in August with hits in 13 of his last 16 games including four home runs and 14 RBI. The matchup also aligns nicely as they face Roansy Contreras who returned from injury last week and gave up six hits and four earned runs to the Red Sox while walking(4) more than he struck out(3). Olson has a ton of power upside tonight and is in play in all formats.
Second Base
Jeff McNeil FD 2700 DK 4400
Opponent - NYY (Domingo Germán) Park - NYY
FD - 7.22 DK - 5.55
Second base is my least favourite position on this slate so I will hunt for some value. Enter Jeff McNeil who has been scorching hot for the better part of a month with an insane .416/.442/.652 slash line going back to July 29 on the back of 11 multi-hit efforts and the fact he is nearly impossible to strike out (12%). The lefty/lefty matchup may not seem like something we want to target but McNeil also thrives in the split with a .368 wOBA/144 wRC+ and faces Domingo German who has been average at best since making a late start to the season with a 4.45 ERA and even worse 4.69 xFIP. McNeil's best value comes on FanDuel in the sub $3K range but he is still in play in all formats on both sites.
Joey Wendle FD 2400 DK 3600
Opponent - OAK (Adam Oller) Park - OAK
FD - 8.21 DK - 6.37
It makes a ton of sense to just punt a position when the options are this bad and tonight, it also helps us load up on the red-hot and lefty-mashing Cardinals. Wendle is rarely going to win you a GPP but does check a lot of boxes here starting with the matchup against Adam Oller who has struggled mightily as a starter giving up 3+ earned runs in seven of 10 starts and has really struggled against lefties giving up a .408 wOBA/.565 SLG. For Wendle, he has been decent with hits in eight of his last 12 games and best of all, is projected to remain in the leadoff spot. At these prices, he is one of my top punt plays on this slate.
Shortstop
Carlos Correa FD 3200 DK 5000
Opponent - TEX (Cole Ragans) Park - TEX
FD - 10.95 DK - 8.29
Shortstop is a position that is loaded with options tonight and will ultimately come down to who you feel more comfortable stacking. Despite getting shutout by the Rangers yesterday, I am right back on the Twins Monday who get another terrific matchup. After a solid debut against the White Sox, rookie Cole Ragans has really struggled in his last two starts giving up eight earned runs, and four long balls, all to right-handed batters. Correa has not been at his best but does have hits in nine of his last 11 games and is very productive against lefties with a .362 wOBA/139 wRC+ on the season. The price is on the rise on DraftKings so I am not forcing him there but he is easily one of my top plays at the position on FanDuel tonight.
Kevin Newman FD 3000 DK 3200
Opponent - ATL (Jake Odorizzi) Park - ATL
FD - 7.45 DK - 5.88
We have been on the Pirates a ton lately and while they have let us down as a stacking option, Newman has been a terrific one-off value. He gets a ton of opportunity hitting at the top of the lineup and has paid off dearly with hits in eight of his last 10 starts including five multi-hit efforts. He and the Pirates get another plus matchup on Monday facing Jake Odorizzi who has struggled mightily in the second half posting an ugly 5.26 ERA/5.47 xFIP while giving up six home runs. I am not fully on board stacking the Pirates again but will have a ton of exposure to Newman in all formats as one-off value, especially on DraftKings.
Third Base
Austin Riley FD 3800 DK 5100
Opponent - PIT (Roansy Contreras) Park - PIT
FD - 12.03 DK - 9.11
With the Cards and Arenado in a such a good spot and potential showers in Pittsburgh, the Braves could end being a lower owned tonight. I am not overly concerned with the weather so love the idea of loading up on the huge upside in a matchup against Contreras who finally hit the regression we have been waiting for. Not only did he give up four earned runs in his return from injury but he ha really struggled against righties this season giving up a .367 wOBA/.500 SLG. Enter Austin Riley who has seen the average dip but that has helped stabilize the price and there is no denying the power upside as he sits third overall in home runs with 31 on the season. Fire up Riley in all formats.
Jose Miranda FD 3600 DK 3900
Opponent - TEX (Cole Ragans) Park - TEX
FD - 9.25 DK - 7.13
With some weather concerns in other popular places tonight, the Twins will likely be chalky again and I am fully on board. This is another player with a huge pricing differential and is a near lock for me on DraftKings under $4K. He has been hitting 4th/5th in the lineup since the All-Star break and it has paid off as he enters the night with a .347/.402/.531 slash line helping the Twins be a real part of the AL Wildcard race. I love the matchup against lefty Ragans and Miranda has also been tremendous against southpaws with a .373 wOBA/147 wRC+/.292 ISO. With multi-position eligibility(1B also), Miranda is a top three PTS/$ play for me on DraftKings.
Outfield
Manuel Margot FD 2700 DK 3700
Opponent - LAA (Tucker Davidson) Park - LAA
FD - 10.17 DK - 8.91
Harold Ramírez FD 2700 DK 3400
Opponent - LAA (Tucker Davidson) Park - LAA
FD - 10.04 DK - 8.81
The Rays are another team that has capitalized down the stretch winning seven of their last nine and becoming a real player in the AL wildcard. With Wander Franco out there is not really one superstar bat in the lineup but rather a nice balance of value which also in turn works as a team to pair with the Cardinals or Braves' expensive bats. In the outfield, we have Margot and Ramirez who have recently returned from injury and taken their spot in the middle of the lineup. Margot has just one hit in two games but Ramirez has been red-hot with hits in all five games since returning including three straight multi-hit efforts. Even more good news as both crush lefties(Margot - .404 wOBA/174 wRC+, Ramirez - .413 wOBA/180 wRC+). Ramirez is easily my favourite PTS/$ play in the outfield but I like pairing both together as a top two-player stack for cash.
Ben Gamel FD 2800 DK 2600
Opponent - ATL (Jake Odorizzi) Park - ATL
FD - 8.11 DK - 6.21
As I sat up planning out the article I said to myself "stay away from the Pirates" but here we are targeting them again for value. It is a little easier to stomach on this smaller slate which could be smaller due to weather and at his current price, there isn't a whole lot of risk with Gamel. Better yet, he has been one of the few bright spots as he comes in hot with hits in six straight games and is hitting .328 with a .373 wOBA and 140 wRC+ since August 4(16 games). He is in play as a top value in all formats.
