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DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Saturday 4/22/23
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Pitchers
Early
Pablo López FD 10500 DK 8100
Opponent - WSH (Chad Kuhl) Park - WSH
FD - 42.74 DK - 22.84
Lopez has to be feeling good fresh off signing a huge $73.5 million dollar deal this week. It is well deserved as he has been terrific through four starts with the Twins allowing under four hits per start, just five total earned runs(1.73 ERA/2.86 xFIP), and has been electric with a 34% K rate. He not only comes with a nice mid-tier price but also gets one of the best matchups on the board as a -250 home favourite against a bottom-five Nationals offence. All things considered, Lopez is my favourite PTS/$ arm in all formats.
Main
Andrew Heaney FD 8900 DK 8800
Opponent - OAK (Shintaro Fujinami) Park - OAK
FD - 35.49 DK - 19.71
We will look towards more PTS/$ value on the main slate with Andrew Heaney and the Rangers who are heavy -225 home favourites tonight. Surprisingly Oakland hasn't been as bad as advertised thus far but still bottom 10 overall through 20 games of the season. For Heaney, the season got off to a rough start(7 ER) but he has bounced back in a huge way allowing just four hits and no earned runs over his last two while striking out 14(35% K rate). I will have exposure to Heaney in all formats.
Catcher/First Base
Early
C.J. Cron FD 3200 DK 5100
Opponent - PHI (Cristopher Sánchez) Park - PHI
FD - 9.83 DK - 7.4
We are usually only targeting the Rockies at home but they are going to draw some attention on the main slate in a matchup against a young pitcher just off the IL and a bullpen that has been borderline terrible. There is definitely some concern with Cron's increase in strikeouts which has carried over from 2022 but the good news is that the power remains and four of his five have come on the road. He comes in with hits in eight of his last 11 games and is my favourite play at first base on the early slate.
Also Consider: Wilmer Flores(SFG) who has been hitting 2nd in the lineup against lefties and is hitting over .400 through 28 at-bats in the split in 2023
Main
Nathaniel Lowe FD 3200 DK 4900
Opponent - OAK (Shintaro Fujinami) Park - OAK
FD - 13.73 DK - 10.44
The Rangers' offence has not skipped a beat scoring over six runs per game during the eight-game stretch where Corey Seager has been injured and they get another great spot on Saturday leading all teams in implied runs. It comes down to the matchup against Fujinami who has struggled to find his way in America giving up 16 earned runs over his first three starts(11.37 ERA/6.95 xFIP) with a 43% hard contact rate. For Lowe, his average is never going to have him in the elite range at the position but he has been consistent with hits in 13 of his last 15 games with nine runs and 11 RBI. All things considered, he is my favourite PTS/$ play at first base tonight.
Also Consider: Rowdy Tellez(MIL) who comes in with hits in seven of his last eight games with four home runs
Second Base
Early
Bryson Stott FD 2900 DK 4000
Opponent - COL (Kyle Freeland) Park - COL
FD - 12.45 DK - 9.62
The Phillies' first-round pick from 2019 has most definitely made an early impact this season and has arguably been their best player to this point. He started the season with an amazing 17-game hit streak and has gotten on base in 20 of 21 games and enters with a .344/.365/.452 slash line. He is the Phillies' everyday leadoff hitter and while it is a lefty/lefty matchup, he has held his own with a .351 wOBA and 127 wRC+ in the split thus far. The price is still in a great spot on both sites making him a terrific play in all formats.
Also Consider: Nico Hoerner(CHC) as a pivot who has been red-hot lately with a .416 wOBA/160 wRC+ over the last 14 days
Main
Ketel Marte FD 3000 DK 4300
Opponent - SD (Joe Musgrove) Park - SD
FD - 9.96 DK - 7.6
The second base landscape is pretty rough on the main slate if you don't have the salary to pay up for Marcus Semien so I will take a somewhat value approach with a red-hot hitter. The D-Backs have been a huge surprise to start the year and Marte's bat has been a big factor lately as he comes in with hits in five straight and 11 of his last 14 games with multi-hit efforts in six of those games. The matchup is average-at-best against Joe Musgrove but he is making his season debut so likely has a shorter leash and also got knocked around in his rehab starts. I will be playing Marte in all formats today.
Shortstop
Early
Anthony Volpe FD 2800 DK 3700
Opponent - TOR (Alek Manoah) Park - TOR
FD - 9.4 DK - 7.17
There are definitely options to pay up for on this slate(Semien, Lindor) but it will be hard to ignore the value with Yankees' top prospect, Anthony Volpe. While the average still sits below .200 on the season, he is getting a huge opportunity as the leadoff hitter and has given the team hits in five of seven games while hitting in that spot. He is much too cheap for a player who provides a combination of patience at the plate, power upside, and tons of speed. He and the Yankees also get the 2022 Cy Young runner-up at the right time as he is struggling mightily. Fire up Volpe in all formats.
Main
Bobby Witt Jr. FD 3300 DK 5000
Opponent - LAA (Tyler Anderson) Park - LAA
FD - 10.68 DK - 8.26
Like Volpe, Bobby Witt is another top prospect who is finding his way in the big leagues. He has started the season dropping the K rate while increasing the walk rate when compared to last year and comes in with hits in eight of his last 10 games with four multi-hit efforts, two doubles, two triples, and a home run. He now faces a struggling Tyler Anderson who has given up 15 hits and 11 earned runs over his last two starts. Fire up Witt in all formats.
Third Base
Early
Max Muncy FD 4200 DK 5000
Opponent - CHC (Hayden Wesneski) Park - CHC
FD - 11.21 DK - 8.3
The Dodgers are second behind the Phillies in implied runs on this early slate and while they are very expensive we are likely going to want some exposure, especially the lefties. They will face Hayden Wesneski who is coming off a good start against Oakland but has struggled to a 6.23 ERA/4.71 xFIP overall. While a small sample size, he has really struggled against lefties giving up an ugly .429 average and .535 wOBA. Muncy is never going to be labelled consistent in fantasy circles but provides a ton of upside and is sitting third overall in home runs(8) with seven of those coming in the last 11 games.
Also Consider: Ryan McMahon(COL) as a cheaper option in a plus matchup against a young Phillies pitcher and terrible bullpen
Main
Josh Jung FD 3000 DK 4100
Opponent - OAK (Shintaro Fujinami) Park - OAK
FD - 10.94 DK - 8.35
While the third base position is stacked with elite names at the top, they all have either tough matchups or are struggling. This has me targeting some value and it lines up perfectly as I love the spot for the Rangers who face a struggling Shintaro Fujinami(11.37 ERA/6.95 xFIP). After struggling at both the minor and major-league level last year, Josh Jung has been a terrific surprise in 2023 and enters tonight with hits in nine straight 15 of his last 17 games. I will take the savings with Jung at third base and add him to my Rangers core stack in all formats.
Outfield
Early
Brandon Nimmo FD 3300 DK 4100
Opponent - SF (Logan Webb) Park - SF
FD - 9.44 DK - 7.18
There has arguably been no hitter in baseball hotter than Brandon Nimmo as he enters the night with hits in eight of his last nine games while tallying multiple hits in seven of those. He is a key player in the Mets' offence hitting in the leadoff spot and gets a plus matchup against Logan Webb who has given up four earned runs in three of his four starts including five long balls. He has also struggled against lefties giving up a .393 wOBA and .514 SLG so make room for Nimmo in your lineups in all formats.
Cody Bellinger FD 3300 DK 3500
Opponent - LAD (Dustin May) Park - LAD
FD - 8.92 DK - 6.79
Hard to ignore Bellinger at these prices given he has terrorized his old team with home runs in both games so far in this series and he also homered against them back in Los Angeles. He has found new life in Chicago hitting over .300 overall and appears to have found that MVP-like power stroke with five home runs and 14 RBI. The matchup against Dustin May isn't at the top of my list but he is coming off his worst start of the season and is much more effective against right-handed batters. Bellinger is in play for me in all formats.
Main
Mike Trout FD 4100 DK 5700
Opponent - KC (Zack Greinke) Park - KC
FD - 13.96 DK - 10.39
Is it just me or has Mike Trout become a bit underrated? Ok, I get that might sound crazy but turn on any channel this week and all they could talk about was Judge vs. Ohtani when the Yankkes and Angels met for a series. Whether or not you agree on that aspect, we all have to agree he is way too good to be the 6th most expensive OF on a seven-game slate. He has quietly been extremely consistent posting a .299/.427/.522 slash line with elite .417 wOBA and 170 wRC+. He now faces Zack Greinke who he has had success against in the past(.497 wOBA) and who has struggled giving up seven earned runs his last two starts. Build around Trout in all formats.
