Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - 8/30/16

 

Welcome to Tuesday baseball! We have a 15 game full 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

Max Scherzer FD 11200 DK 13600
Opponent - PHI (Eickhoff) Park - @PHI
FD - 40.49 DK - 26.28

Scherzer is going to lead us off at the pitcher position, like he usually doesn't when he takes the mound. Scherzer has been one of the absolute best pitchers in the league this season with dominant numbers against both lefties and righties. Over the course of 180 innings, Scherzer has sported a .250 combined wOBA that is backed up by a 29% hard contact rate and an 11 K/9. His opponent, the Phillies, have been quite horrible against righties. With the leagues 28th worst .299 wOBA, they are a team that you can heavily target with right handed pitching, let alone one of the best pitchers in the world. Scherzer is the easy choice tonight and he is my favorite option in both cash games and tournaments.

Johnny Cueto FD 10300 DK 11200
Opponent - ARI (Greinke) Park - @SF
FD - 40.48 DK - 26.92

If you are looking for a guy that will be lower owned and has similar upside, you can take a look at Johnny Cueto. Cueto and Scherzer are actually very similar DFS pitchers, as they are both very consistent and offer a ton of upside without the huge risk. Cueto has owned righties this season with a .254 wOBA and his numbers against lefties are no disappointment. The Diamondbacks are a team we usually don't target pitchers against, but that is because of their extremely hitter friendly home ballpark. They will be visiting San Francisco which means the game will be played in AT&T Park, which is a top 5 pitcher ballpark. Against righties, the Diamondbacks have been quite underwhelming with a .312 wOBA and a 22.5% strikeout rate. While I definitely prefer Scherzer in cash games, Curto is right up there with him in tournaments. Let's move on to some hitters!

CATCHER

Victor Martinez FD 3600 DK 4300
Opponent - CHW (Ranaudo) Park - @DET
FD - 12.77 DK - 9.77

Anthony Ranaudo is really bad against both righties and lefties. the Tigers have a lot of good hitters. What does that mean? That means you are going to see a whole bunch of Tigers here as they are great plays across the board. The first of which being Victor Martinez, the switch hitting 37 year old. While V-Mart is a tad bit better against lefties, he has more power against righties and has sported terrific numbers over the previous 3 seasons. While Comerica Park isn't a terrific ballpark for homers, Martinez and the rest of these Detroit guys are far from reliant on power. If you need a pivot on DraftKings, let's look at Russell Martin.

Russell Martin FD 3200 DK 4500
Opponent - BAL (Jimenez) Park - @BAL
FD - 10.3 DK - 7.89

The Blue Jays have been hitting the ball extremely well recently and I don't see any reason for that trend to stop tonight. They will be facing off with Ubaldo Jimenez, who is one of the least intimidating pitchers in the league. Jimenez has given up a .340 wOBA to righties thus far in 2016 and is peripherals suggest we may see some more decline. While Martin started off the season cold, he has  picked it up over the last couple month and he has a great track record against right handed pitching. As a huge plus, this game will be played in Camden Yards, which is a top 4 ballpark for right handed power.

FIRST BASE

Miguel Cabrera FD 4200 DK 5300
Opponent - CHW (Ranaudo) Park - @DET
FD - 15.56 DK - 11.83

Miguel Cabrera is my top play on this slate. Cabrera is still a top 3 hitter in this league, and is better against righties than he is lefties. Dating back to 2014, Cabrera has sported a +.400  wOBA against right handers and there are plenty of peripherals and batted ball rates to back that number up. As mentioned, Anthony Ranaudo is very below average pitcher and has not yet acclimated into the majors. Until he does, I am going to target him every single time he takes the mound. While he is going to cost you a pretty penny on both sites, he is worth it and is my favorite play on this slate, in both cash games and tournaments.

Edwin Encarnacion FD 4200 DK 5200
Opponent - BAL (Jimenez) Park - @BAL
FD - 13.81 DK - 10.34

Edwin Encarnacion is a guy I tend to roster a bunch as he is always way under owned for the crazy upside that he brings. Encarnacion is one of the best power hitters in the league, and will be playing in Camden Yards which is only going to help the cause. Dating back to 2015, Encarnacion has sported a .382 wOBA against righties and has hit most of his home runs against right handed pitching. As mentioned when touching on Martin, Jimenez is very underwhelming and I have no trouble picking on him, especially with a guy like Edwin Encarnacion. While it is going to be tough to pivot off of Miggy, Encarnacion is probably the only guy that will warrant any consideration outside of Cabrera on this slate.

SECOND BASE

Jason Kipnis FD 3700 DK 3900
Opponent - MIN (Albers) Park - @CLE
FD - 11.28 DK - 9.05

Kipnis has been flying under the radar lately, but has not missed a beat in terms of production. This far into 2016, Kipnis has sported a .350 wOBA that is backed up by a 39.9% hard contact rate and a crazy 26% line drive rate against lefties. The Indians will be taking on Andrew Albers, a southpaw that has struggled mightily in the small time he has been in the majors. The Indians run out a very potent lineup and I see no scenario where Albers goes out and dominates. The Indians are a great team to stack in tournaments, as well as a team that has a bunch of great cash game plays mixed in. While most players are way more expensive on DK, Kipnis is only $200 more which puts me on him even more over there.

Ben Zobrist FD 3400 DK 4700
Opponent - PIT (Kuhl) Park - @CHC
FD - 10.42 DK - 8.08

The Cubs are another one of our top offenses of the night and personally, they are right up there with the Blue Jays and Tigers. While there are only 2 Cubs listed here, they are all in play across the board in both cash games and tournaments. While Chad Kuhl isn't horrible, his baseline numbers have been pretty rough and his underlying stats do not show and promise. Zobrist, however, has been great against right handers with a .342 wOBA since 2015. In cash games, it is very difficult to get off of Zobrist. He has one of the lowest strikeout rates in the league and he very rarely gives you a 0. WHile he is very expensive on DraftKings, he is only $3400 on FanDuel, which is way too cheap. I would go with Kipnis on DK and Zobrist on FD, personally.

 

SHORTSTOP

Troy Tulowitzki FD 3200 DK 4400
Opponent - BAL (Jimenez) Park - @BAL
FD - 10.14 DK - 7.73

We obviously love the Blue Jays tonight and they are a top 2 offense in terms of tournament stacking and cash game exposure. Tulowitzki is my favorite shortstop on the slate as he brings a ton of safety and upside at a position that lacks both. Tulowitzki has been on absolute fire lately and I expect him to keep it up here against Ubaldo Jimenez and the sub-par Orioles bullpen. Against righties, Tulo has sported a .362 wOBA dating back to 2014 and that number is backed up by a very strong 35% hard contact rate. While he isn't on the same level as a guy like Cabrera tonight, he is my favorite option at the position and I will have a ton of exposure.

Francisco Lindor FD 3400 DK 4200
Opponent - MIN (Albers) Park - @CLE
FD - 12.08 DK - 10.01

Francisco has solidified himself as one of the most valuable players in the league, with his insane fielding and his very good bat. Lindor is a switch hitter, but has hit lefties better since entering the league. In 2016, Lindor has sported a .336 wOBA against lefties and has hit more homers per at bat than he has against right handers. While Progressive Field is known as a neutral park, it has played very hitter friendly for the better part of 5 seasons. While Tulowitzki is certainly preferred, I can see the reason to pivot on Lindor, especially if you have Kipnis plugged in. Lindor is a great play in both cash games and tournaments, though I prefer him in cash games as he does lack the power that a guy like Tulo has.

THIRD BASE

Kris Bryant FD 4200 DK 5600
Opponent - PIT (Kuhl) Park - @CHC
FD - 13.65 DK - 10.48

Wow, Kris Bryant is really good. Aside from my Cubs fandom bias, there is no objecting to how great Bryant is. He is in the top 10 of nearly every offensive category and in the top 5 for most. Against right handers, Bryant has hit 22 home runs and has backed that up with a crazy .403 wOBA. Aside from the wOBA, he has also sported a ludicrous 42% hard contact rate and a 25.2% line drive rate. The opposing pitcher, Chad Kuhl, is very underwhelming and there is no reason to shy away from Bryant because of that. Wrigley Field is a very neutral park, though is is very dependent on the wind speed and direction, so keep an eye on that. Bryant is my pick for homer of the night and we will see if I can make it 3 days in a row!

Adrian Beltre FD 3200 DK 4700
Opponent - SEA (Paxton) Park - @TEX
FD - 11.52 DK - 8.83

Adrian Beltre against a lefty, yes please. Beltre is going to be 80 years old and still be hitting lefties at an elite level. On a serious note, he is still an elite hitter against lefties, especially in Globe Life Park, which is great for right handed power. Since 2014, Beltre has hit lefties to a .364 wOBA and his peripherals are still as good as ever. While James Paxton isn't a guy I tend to pick on, he has had his fair share of troubles with right handers. Dating back to last year, he has given up a .329 wOBA that is held up by unfavorable peripherals and batted ball rates. While Kris Bryant is the easy choice for me at 3rd, I can see the merit of looking at Beltre in tournaments.

OUTFIELD

J.D. Martinez FD 3900 DK 4700
Opponent - CHW (Ranaudo) Park - @DET
FD - 13.92 DK - 10.65
Justin Upton FD 3200 DK 4200
Opponent - CHW (Ranaudo) Park - @DET
FD - 12.27 DK - 9.62

J.D. Martinez and Justin Upton are on my favorite outfield duos to roster as they have a ton of upside, but are not necessarily reliant on power. The Tigers are one of our favorite offenses on this slate and these 2 guys are my favorite set in the outfield, though they are very close to Calhoun and Trout, who we will touch on in a minute. Both Martinez and Upton have sported wOBA's over .360 against righties since 2014 and there is no reason to think that will change anytime soon. Though the ballpark is not great for power, it won't matter if either of these guys make contact. Martinez is my favorit play of the two, though the price reflects that, so it is pretty even between the two.

Bryce Harper FD 4100 DK 5500
Opponent - PHI (Eickhoff) Park - @PHI
FD - 15.51 DK - 11.97

Let's just be honest, Bryce Harper has been kind of disappointment this year. He started off insanely strong, but he seems to have fallen off a little bit since then. That being said, he has still been a top 10 hitter against righties with a .372 wOBA. While Jerad Eickhoff isn't a guy I look to target, h has struggled a bit against lefties as evident by his .343 wOBA and 32% hard contact rate. The Nationals will be playing in Citizens Bank Park, which adds a huge bonus as it is a very good park for left handed power. While I definitely prefer Trout at the top of the pricing spectrum, Harper will be lower owned and makes for a tremendous play in tournaments.

Mike Trout FD 4400 DK 5400
Opponent - CIN (Adleman) Park - @LAA
FD - 14.81 DK - 11.75
Kole Calhoun FD 3000 DK 3200
Opponent - CIN (Adleman) Park - @LAA
FD - 11.71 DK - 9.11

These 2 guys have so much potential, but are held down by the pitiful lineup that surrounds them. Both Trout and Calhoun have dominated right handers since 2015 with +.375 wOBA's that are backed up by any peripherals and batted ball rates you can think of. They will be facing off with Tim Adleman, a right handed journeyman who is pretty bad against both righties and lefties. With a .346 combined wOBA, he can be targeted by both sides of the plate. While Trout is very expensive across the board, Calhoun comes in very cheap on both sites and both of these guys are worthy of consideration in both cash games and tournaments.

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