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DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Friday 8/13/21
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The Yankees and White Sox get a night off after an amazing display in the "Field of Dreams" game last night which gives us a 14-game slate tonight. Let's take a look at a few of my top plays at each position for DraftKings and FanDuel.
Pitchers
Robbie Ray FD - P 10700 DK - SP 9200
Opponent - SEA (Chris Flexen) Park - SEA
FD - 37.17 DK - 19.73
I have a thing for road pitchers tonight and it starts with Robbie Ray who has been a bulldog for the Jays this season. He has provided tremendous safety going six or more innings eight of his last nine starts while posting a 2.10 ERA and 28% K rate. Adding to the PTS/$ floor is the fact he is at the low end of pricing we have seen home at recently and he also gets a boost in upside against a Mariners team that strikes out a ton(26.5%) against lefties. All things considered, Ray is my favorite pitcher on this slate.
Blake Snell FD - P 9000 DK - SP 8400
Opponent - ARI (Madison Bumgarner) Park - ARI
FD - 31.05 DK - 16.68
The decision at SP2 was a tough one as there are multiple viable options in this mid-range of pricing. For me, Snell gets the slight edge over Morton in cash games and it comes down to matchup as he faces a D-Backs team that has the 6th lowest wOBA, 5th lowest wRC+, and 2nd highest K rate(27%) since the trade deadline. There have definitely been some hiccups along the way this season but Snell is also starting to become more consistent and has held opponents to one of fewer earned runs in three of his last four starts. In this matchup, he is my favorite SP2 on this slate and at just $9K on FanDuel makes for a nice target to help load up on bats.
Catcher/First Base
Freddie Freeman FD 3600 DK 4800
Opponent - WSH (Josiah Gray) Park - WSH
FD - 11.79 DK - 8.82
First base is a bit of a disaster tonight unless you acquire a loan to pay up for Vladdy or Olson. I get that Freddie Freeman has struggled in the short term but he is still an elite hitter(reigning NL MVP) and comes in with a .288/.388/.491 slash line. What stands out here and the reason he is among my favorite PTS/$ plays at the position is the free-falling price which is now below $5K on DraftKings. Buy-low on an elite player and move on.
Also Consdider: Valdimir Guerrero Jr(TOR) or Matt Olson(OAK) if you have the salary to pay up for them or Ji-Man Choi(TB) who hits near the top of the lineup and the Rays are in a great spot offensively against Michael Pineda
Second Base
Kolten Wong FD 3200 DK 4400
Opponent - PIT (Mitch Keller) Park - PIT
FD - 11.21 DK - 8.64
We are going to have to watch the radar closer to lock as there is rain in the area but hopefully it holds off as the Brew Crew are in a great spot offensively tonight. They face Mitch Keller who has been up and down all season but terrible lately allowing 20 hits and 12 earned runs over his last three starts. The prices on Yelich and Escobar have really took off lately so I will turn to my favorite PTS/$ plays on the team and its starts with Wong. He leads off and gets to hit in front of those power bats and while he has been hit or miss lately, it is hard to ignore the price in this plus spot.
Brandon Lowe FD 3800 DK 4600
Opponent - MIN (Michael Pineda) Park - MIN
FD - 12.68 DK - 9.54
While Michael Pineda hasn't been terrible this season, he is a flyball pitcher going against a team that lives on the homer in a game with a projected 10 mph wind blowing straight out. This is a recipe for run-scoring and no better place to start than Lowe who has occupied the leadoff spot most nights and also comes in red-hot with hits in five straight including three home runs, 10 RBI, and seven runs scored. At theses prices, especially on DraftKings, Lowe will be a core play for me in all formats.
Shortstop
Willy Adames FD 3300 DK 5500
Opponent - PIT (Mitch Keller) Park - PIT
FD - 11.4 DK - 8.69
The trade that was somewhat forgotten as it happened so early in the season(mid-May) just might be having the biggest impact. The Brewers were third in the NL Central and four games back when they traded for Adames and since then have gone 49-23 and sit eight games up on the Reds. In that time, Adams is hitting .297 with an incredible .397 wOBA and 148 wRC+. The price is creeping up there but he is more than worth it, especially in this plus matchup tonight.
Amed Rosario FD 2900 DK 4200
Opponent - DET (Tyler Alexander) Park - DET
FD - 10.54 DK - 8.26
Rosario checks almost every box tonight starting with his form as he enters the night with hits in 11 of his last 13 games including 10 extra-base hits. He struggles against right-handed pitching(74 wRC+) which keep his price down but also presents a ton of value when he faces a southpaw as he has tallied a .364 wOBA and 131 wRC+ in the split this season. Put it all together and you have a top PTS/$ play for any format.
Third Base
Rafael Devers FD 4400 DK 5800
Opponent - BAL (Spenser Watkins) Park - BAL
FD - 17.15 DK - 12.99
The third base position is not short of elite bats tonight but the #1 choice is pretty clear to me at this point. Whether it works out remains to be seen. There just isn't any way in cash games I could pay more for Eduardo Escobar or even the same price for Jose Ramirez. While he trails Vladdy and Ohtani the MVP race, Devers is still in the discussion and has an average 30 points higher than the two I just mentioned and has destroyed righties to the tune of a .406 wOBA and insane .350 ISO. If paying up for one bat tonight, Devers is most definitely in that conversation in all formats.
Patrick Wisdom FD 2900 DK 4400
Opponent - MIA (Jesús Luzardo) Park - MIA
FD - 7.28 DK - 5.6
I haven't touched the Cubs since they traded away their stars but if in search of some value tonight, they are a viable source. It starts with the matchup against Jesus Luzardo who hasn't had the best start since being traded to the Marlins giving up 11 hits, seven walks, and 10 earned runs in his first two starts. For Wisdom, he is projected to hit at or near the top of the lineup and comes in on a roll with hits in three straight including home runs in two straight. At these prices, I love the PTS/$ value in cash games and could even see value stacking the Cubs to fit an expensive team with them.
Outfield
Alex Verdugo FD 2800 DK 3700
Opponent - BAL (Spenser Watkins) Park - BAL
FD - 11.83 DK - 8.65
He went on the paternity list this past Sunday to welcome his new child and reports are he is set to return tonight with some baby swag. Not that he needs it as he has been red-hot hitting .327 with a .383 wOBA over the past two weeks. The Red Sox lead the way in terms of implied runs tonight in a plus matchup vs. Spenser Watkins who has given up four earned runs in three straight and still sits with an xFIP close to a full run higher than his ERA. All things considered, Verdugo is my top PTS/$ play in the outfield if he suits up tonight.
Teoscar Hernández FD 3500 DK 4800
Opponent - SEA (Chris Flexen) Park - SEA
FD - 11.41 DK - 8.58
With Vladdy struggling in the short term and Bichette possibly missing a third game due to injury, Teoscar has a great opportunity to help carry a team thick in the wildcard race. He has helped in that respect all season with a career year hitting over .300 with a .363 wOBA/130 wRC+ and has been en fuego coming in with hits in five straight including four multi-hit efforts. The best part of it all is that the price on DraftKings has once again dropped below $5k. Buy low and rsoter Teo in all formats.
