Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - 9/5/16

 

Welcome to Labor Day baseball! We have a 7 game 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 11400 DK 13700
Opponent - ATL (Weber) Park - @WSH
FD - 40.33 DK - 25.95

I am pretty sure Max Scherzer has been at the top of this list for the past 5 times he has pitched, and has only let us down once. He is coming off of a game against the Phillies where he went 8 innings and struck out 11 batters. Scherzer has held elite numbers against both lefties and righties with a combined wOBA around .255. He will be taking on a Braves team today that has been absolutely pitiful against right handers. Over the course of 1300 innings, the Braves have sported a .303 wOBA to go along with a pitiful .703 OPS. Scherzer brings the type of upside that only a few guys have (Kershaw and Arrieta) as evident by his 20 strikeout performance earlier in the year. While the Braves do not strikeout at a huge clip, Scherzer can force any team to strikeout more than they do on average. Scherzer is my top option across the board and I love him in both tournaments and cash games.

Justin Verlander FD 9500 DK 12400
Opponent - CHW (Sale) Park - @CHW
FD - 34.81 DK - 23.42

If you are looking to pay down a bit at pitcher, you have to consider Justin Verlander. Verlander has been fantastic with 12 quality starts in a row, and will be looking to make it 13 here against the Chicago White Sox. While Verlander is more of a tournament option for me, I don;t mind him on cash games on DraftKings. With Sale on the other side, it is hard to project a win, which marks him way down for me on FanDuel. The White Sox have been horrible against right handers with a .307 wOBA and a 21% strikeout rate. While there are definitely a few intimidating bats in the lineup, those guys strikeout a ton and the other guys are just bad hitters. While he is a lot more expensive on DraftKings, I prefer him over there in all formats, but that is not to say I dislike him on FanDuel in tournaments.

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CATCHER

Stephen Vogt FD 2900 DK 3300
Opponent - LAA (Weaver) Park - @OAK
FD - 10.07 DK - 7.81

Starting us off at catcher, we are going to take a look at Stephen Vogt. Vogt and the Athletics are in a great spot here today as they will be taking on one of the worst pitchers in the league, Jered Weaver. Weaver has been absolutely horrible against lefties thus far in 2016 with a .377 wOBA. Aside from the wOBA, he has given up 14 home runs, in less than 60 innings. While Vogt has had a down year, he has always hit righties well and his peripherals suggest some positive regression. Vogt is incredibly cheap on both sites, and I am a huge fan of him in all formats across the board.

Wilson Ramos FD 3100 DK 4200
Opponent - ATL (Weber) Park - @WSH
FD - 10.97 DK - 8.45

If you want to pay up a little bit for more upside, take a look at Wilson Ramos. Ramos and the Nationals are another team that is in a great spot here against the youngster Ryan Weber. The Nats are projected to score almost 5 runs tomorrow and Ramos should have no problem getting involved. Ramos has hit righties extremely well over the past 3 seasons with a .346 wOBA that is backed up by any peripheral stat you can think of. While he is a bit more expensive than Vogt, I prefer him due to his safety and upside combo.

FIRST BASE

David Ortiz FD 4300 DK 5500
Opponent - SD (Jackson) Park - @SD
FD - 13.77 DK - 10.36

The Red Sox come in as one of my favorite cash game offenses of the night, but that is not to say that you can't use them in both tournaments and cash games. Ortiz in particular, is a terrific play in all formats. While it goes unsaid, he is one of the best hitters in the league against righties and this year has been no exception. Edwin Jackson on the other hand, has struggled against lefties dating back to 2014 with a .342 wOBA and a 34% hard contact rate. While Petco Park is a huge downgrade from Fenway Park, it is actually slightly better for lefties as the right field wall is slightly closer. Ortiz is the beating heart of a lineup that is going to have a big game tonight, simple as that.

Wil Myers FD 3500 DK 3700
Opponent - BOS (Pomeranz) Park - @SD
FD - 8.62 DK - 6.96

Wil Myers constantly goes extremely low owned and he consistently plays great baseball. While Pomeranz is a good pitcher, I expect him to struggle a bit here as the Padres know him better than anyone. While the ballpark will help, I think the Padres will send up getting to him. Myers is my hitter of choice of the lineup as he is by far the best hitter on the team. Against lefties, he has sported a +.250 wOBA that is backed up by plenty of peripherals and batted ball rates. While I definitely prefer Ortiz in all formats, Myers makes for a fantastic pivot across the boars.

SECOND BASE

Joe Panik FD 3400 DK 5300
Opponent - COL (Bettis) Park - @COL
FD - 11.25 DK - 9.03

Sure, I could of packed this entire article with Rockies and Giants, but what's the point? Everyone knows they are good plays in Coors Field. I ended up just putting my 2 favorite hitters from each team here as I will be playing them in both cash games and tournaments. Joe Panik is one of those guys, as he is one of the most consistent hitters on the team. Since 2014, Panik has hit righties to a .345 wOBA clip and has improved on his numbers every season. Chad Bettis is a decent pitcher, but struggles in Coors Field as most pitchers do. If you want to save a little money and get a great comb of safety and upside, take a look at Joe Panik.

Daniel Murphy FD 3900 DK 5500
Opponent - ATL (Weber) Park - @WSH
FD - 12.53 DK - 9.87

Let's take a look at another Nationals bat here with Daniel Murphy, who has arguably been the best hitter on the team. Some might say that it isn't even an argument and that Murphy is the best hitter on the season. While that might be a bit of a reach, he is a fantastic hitter and someone you should be targeting against bad righties. Ryan Weber certainly qualifies as that as he has not been able to get any lefties out in the minors, let alone the majors. Against right handers, Murphy has sported a ridiculous .416 wOBA that is backed up by a 37% hard contact rate. While he is a bit pricey on DK, he is very fairly priced on FanDuel, and I like him in all formats over there.

SHORTSTOP

Marcus Semien FD 3000 DK 3000
Opponent - LAA (Weaver) Park - @OAK
FD - 9.39 DK - 7.47

While there are only 2 Athletics listed here, I could of definitely put more in, but didn't want to be overkill on 1 single team as there are so many teams in positive spots here. Semien is one of my favorite shortstops to roster as he has the type of power that not many shortstops have. Semien has 23 homers on the season and has hit 13 of those against right handers. As mentioned, Jered Weaver is a horrible pitcher at this point and we should be looking to take advantage of him with both sides of the plate. While Semien is naturally more of a tournament option, I like him a lot in both formats as he is cheap enough to merit the play.

Brandon Crawford FD 3800 DK 5200
Opponent - COL (Bettis) Park - @COL
FD - 11.73 DK - 9.17

Brandon Crawford is another one of my favorite shortstops to roster as it seems like he produces whenever he is in a good spot. He is certainly in a good spot here tonight against Chad Bettis in the hitter haven that is Coors Field. Against lefties in Coors Field, Bettis has struggled with a +.335 wOBA allowed. While Crawford is not a fantastic hitter, he offers a ton of upside, especially in Colorado where the ball absolutely flies off the bat. While he is a bit too expensive for my taste on DK, he is very fairly priced on FD and $3800. On DraftKings, I would only consider him in tournaments as he will be low owned as has more upside than anyone else on the slate as he is in Coors Field and the Giants have a guaranteed 9 innings of hitting.

THIRD BASE

Nolan Arenado FD 4500 DK 5600
Opponent - SF (Moore) Park - @COL
FD - 14.85 DK - 11.25

While this is the first Rockie mentioned, they are obviously a fantastic offense to target in Coors Field. Matt Moore is in a very bad spot here, due to the fact that he relies so heavily on the fly-ball. In Tampa Bay, it works, but Denver is a completely different story. I look for Arenado to take advantage of that weakness and look to send one over the fence. Arenado has demolished left handers in 2016 with a +.400 wOBA against lefties at home in Coors Field. While the price is definitely a bit scary, I am going to do my best to get Arenado into most of my lineups. Arenado is the top option at 3rd base for both cash games and tournaments. If you are looking to pay down a bit, let;''s take a look at Travis Shaw.

Travis Shaw FD 2800 DK 4400
Opponent - SD (Jackson) Park - @SD
FD - 9.84 DK - 7.65

If you are looking for a bargain bin special on FanDuel, Shaw is a fantastic way to go. The Red Sox are gonna have a productive game here and I expect some guys to be on base when Shaw gets to the plate, even if he is hitting in the bottom of the order. Shaw has been great against righties over the past couple season as evidenced by his .361 wOBA over the past 2 years. While I definitely prefer Arenado in all aspects, Shaw offers an interesting alternative as he is much cheaper and still offers the same hypothetical upside, though he will hit that ceiling a lot less than Arenado will. While I don't necessarily love him in cash games, he is one of my favorite tourney plays on the slate.

OUTFIELD

Bryce Harper FD 4100 DK 5500
Opponent - ATL (Weber) Park - @WSH
FD - 15.77 DK - 12.16

Starting us off in the outfield, we are going to take a look at Bryce Harper. Harper finally picked it back up in August and he is looking like his old self. Over the past few years, Harper has exhibited a .382 wOBA against righties with a ludicrous hard contact rate of nearly 40%. His opponent, Ryan Weber, has been quite the opposite of great against lefties. In a 25 inning sample size, he has given up a .406 wOBA and has given up 5 home runs, which comes out to more than 2 HR/9. The Nationals should have a field day here and Harper will likely be in the middle of it along with Daniel Murphy and Wilson Ramos. The Nationals are a great stack today and you can go to the stacks article to see more info on potential tournaments stacks.

Mookie Betts FD 4400 DK 5600
Opponent - SD (Jackson) Park - @SD
FD - 12.4 DK - 10.28

Our final Red Sox bat, Mookie Betts. Betts is one of the best players in the league, and I will gladly take any insults that come along with that statement. He has absolutely demolished right handers in 2016 with a .391 wOBA. Along with the great wOBA, he has sported a 35.5% hard contact rate and a 14.5% HR/FB rate. As mentioned, Edwin Jackson has struggled over the past couple seasons and his peripherals suggest that he has been over performing. While I do prefer Harper if i'm paying up, I can definitely see myself pivoting or playing both in a few of my lineups.

Ryan Raburn FD 2900 DK 3300
Opponent - SF (Moore) Park - @COL
FD - 11.21 DK - 8.62

Ryan Raburn is going to be out cheap option in the outfield. Raburn is a southpaw specialist and absolutely smothers left handed pitching .Dating back to 2015, Raburn has sported a .364 wOBA against lefties and this season has been no different. While Matt Moore isn't necessarily a bad pitcher, his weaknesses will just be exposed at an extreme rate in the high altitude of Coors Field. While is a bit risky, I am going to go with Raburn as my homer pick of the night. I have hit 2 in a row and will look to make it 3 here with Raburn. He is cheap enough to play in both cash games and tournaments, though I prefer him in tournaments as there is always a pinch hit risk with him.

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