Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - 9/18/16

 

Welcome to Saturday baseball! We have a nice 10 game 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

Noah Syndergaard FD 11000 DK 12700
Opponent - MIN (Gibson) Park - @NYM
FD - 37.43 DK - 24.43

Noah Syndergaard is going to start us off here at the pitcher position, as he usually does when he is on the mound. He will be taking on the Minnesota Twins tonight, a team that has struggled mightily against right handers. In nearly 4500 at-bats against righties, the Twins have sported a .318 wOBA to go along with a 22% strikeout rate and a .740 OPS. Though it goes unsaid, Syndergaard is one of the best pitchers in the league and his numbers surely back it up. So far in 2016, Syndergaard has exhibited a .270 combined wOBA that is backed up by a 10.5 K/9 and a 27.4% hard contact rate. Those are extremely elite numbers and there is no reason to think those will change anytime soon, let alone today. Citi Field is a pitcher park, as it ranked in the bottom 10 last year for both right handed and left handed power. Syndergaard is my favorite option in both cash games and tournaments, though there are a couple other options that you can consider if you prefer paying down.

Marcus Stroman FD 7700 DK 8100
Opponent - LAA (Meyer) Park - @LAA
FD - 30.77 DK - 20.37

Stroman is going to come in as my 2.a, right next to Kyle Hendricks and right behind Noah Syndergaard. Stroman and the Blue Jays will be traveling to Los Angeles and taking on the Angels. The Angels have struggled against righties in 2016 with a .313 wOBA to go along with a putrid .405 SLG. The only problem here is the low strikeout rate, and that is why I prefer him in cash games. Stroman is also not  a big strikeout guy, but he is extremely efficient and rarely has a game that will hurt you. The ballpark is also going to help a ton as it is one of the absolute best parks in the league for pitchers. In 2015, it ranked 3rd worst for right handed power, and the Angels throw out nearly all right handers. His price is very similar on both sites, though I prefer him on FanDuel as the win is worth a lot, which I expect him to get with ease.

Kyle Hendricks FD 10100 DK 12900
Opponent - MIL (Peralta) Park - @CHC
FD - 38.33 DK - 25.01

Kyle Hendricks is going our last guy we look at here, but don't let that mistake you. I really like him. Sure, he is is expensive, boring and doesn't have much upside. But he is also consistent, extremely good and he has a very high floor in this match up. I will actually argue that Hendricks has a huge ceiling as well in this match up. The Brewers strikeout the most against righties in the league at almost 26% of the time, which is a crazy amount. Hendricks may not have a huge K rate, but he has shown flashes. He has struck out 12 batters twice and has struck out 7 batters or more in 8 starts. Hendricks has been absolutely dominant against both lefties and righties on the year as evident by his combined .270 wOBA. Wrigley Field is a very neutral field that is heavily dependent of wind speed and direction, so keep an eye out for that. While I do prefer Syndergaard and Stroman, Hendricks is a close 3rd and I prefer him on FanDuel over DK.

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CATCHER

Stephen Vogt FD 3400 DK 3800
Opponent - TEX (Lewis) Park - @TEX
FD - 9.6 DK - 7.45

Stephen Vogt!!! Vogt has been on fire as of late, and I have been waiting all season. I have been writing him up all yer and suggesting that his peripherals are telling us a different story. Those numbers finally broke out and he has been hitting like the batter he really is. He has the honor of taking on Colby Lewis tonight, a guy I love to pick on. Lewis has been below average against lefties for about 5 years now, but continues to have a spot in a rotation. I will continue to pick on him and it will continue to pay off. The ballpark will also give an assist here as Globe Life Park is one of the better parks in the league for lefties. Vogt is a guy I am considering in both cash games and tournaments. He is pretty expensive on both sites, but that should help lower his ownership.

Miguel Montero FD 2600 DK 3300
Opponent - MIL (Peralta) Park - @CHC
FD - 9.32 DK - 7.06
Willson Contreras FD 2900 DK 3600
Opponent - MIL (Peralta) Park - @CHC
FD - 9.57 DK - 7.62

I am not sure which one will be in the starting lineup, so I put both instead of taking a guess. Whichever guy ends up being in the lineup, is a great play. The Cubs as an offense are in a good spot today against Wily Peralta, the Brewers "Ace". We will touch on that in a bit. Like I said, Wrigley Field is very dependent on wind speed and direction, so that will play a huge part in whether or not I play either of these guys over Stephen Vogt. I am hoping that Willson Contreras is the guy due to him being a better overall hitter. Both guys are pretty cheap on both sites and they can be considered in both tournaments and cash games, though I would only play Montero in tournaments.

FIRST BASE

Anthony Rizzo FD 4200 DK 5500
Opponent - MIL (Peralta) Park - @CHC
FD - 13.96 DK - 10.66

We are going to go right at another Chicago Cubs bat here in Anthony Rizzo, the heartbeat of the team. Rizzo took the day off yesterday and will have fresh legs to face off with Wily Peralta. Rizzo has been dominant against right handers so far in 2016 with an insane .410 wOBA that is backed up by any peripheral you can think of. Rizzo is one of the best hitters in the league and will be facing off with one of the worst pitchers around, Wily Peralta. I will go in depth on Peralta in a bit, but just know that he is absolutely atrocious. Rizzo is my top option at first base and arguably my favorite player on the slate. I will have him in both cash games and tournaments, and suggest you do as well.

Justin Bour FD 2200 DK 4000
Opponent - PHI (Asher) Park - @PHI
FD - 10.35 DK - 7.92

Justin Bour is going to be the second guy we look at here, though he is only an option on FanDuel (unless you want to be crazy). Bour and the Marlins are in a good spot here against Alec Asher, a right handed youngster that has struggled mightily against left handers. So far in 2016, Bour has hit righties very well as evident by his very high .364 wOBA. Citizens Bank Park is one of the best stadiums in the league for left handed power, and that will only help Bour. On FanDuel, he is extremely cheap and you have to consider him in both cash games and tournaments. On DraftKings, he is way too cheap and I would only consider him in a very large field tournament.

SECOND BASE

Daniel Murphy FD 4000 DK 5300
Opponent - ATL (Wisler) Park - @ATL
FD - 12.23 DK - 9.64

Daniel Murphy is going to be the expensive guy we look at here and is my favorite overall option on DraftKings at second base. The Nationals are in a phenomenal spot here against the braves and Matt Wisler. Wisler has been horrible so far in 2016 against lefties with a .345 wOBA that is actually held up by some horrible peripherals and batted ball rates. Murphy on the other hand, has held a nearly .400 wOBA against right handers and his peripherals definitely tell the same story. While Turner Field isn't great for Murphy, he is not power reliant and can score in a multitude of different ways. Murphy is my favorite guy on DraftKings, but on FanDuel, you have to go with Dee Gordon at his price tag.

Dee Gordon FD 2700 DK 4700
Opponent - PHI (Asher) Park - @PHI
FD - 9.21 DK - 8.86

Dee Gordon is still $2700 on FanDuel. Until he gets over $3500, I will play him against any righty in baseball. If he gets on base once, he will likely pay off his value as he has been stealing a ton of bases. Like I just mentioned, Alec Asher has struggled against lefties and I doubt he will turn it around anytime soon. Gordon was one of the best hitters last year against righties with a +.360 wOBA that is supported by plenty of peripherals and batted ball rates. While Gordon doesn't have any home run upside, he has a bunch of stolen base upside which makes him a great play in both cash games and tournaments. While Murphy is the guy on DK, Gordon has to be the man on FanDuel.

Thomas La Stella FD 2100 DK 3200
Opponent - MIL (Peralta) Park - @CHC
FD - 6.44 DK - 4.99

La Stella is just a cheap guy I wanted to mention here. If he finds himself in the lineup, you have to toss him in there. I would keep Gordon on FanDuel, but on DraftKings, I would take La Stella over both of the above guys, unless he was hitting 8th or 9th. La Stella hits righties well and finds a way to get involved when given the opportunity. Keep an eye on the viable Cubs offense and if he is in there, give him a whirl.

 

SHORTSTOP

Addison Russell FD 2600 DK 3700
Opponent - MIL (Peralta) Park - @CHC
FD - 10.31 DK - 7.98
Javier Baez FD 2800 DK 3300
Opponent - MIL (Peralta) Park - @CHC
FD - 9.46 DK - 7.67

I promise, these are the last Cubs we will talk about. Honestly though, can you blame me? They are taking on Wily Peralta!! Peralta is absolutely atrocious against both sides of the plate and also struggles with holding runners. Against righties in particular, Peralta has given up a .364 wOBA to go along with a 5.46 xFIP and a 344% hard contact rate. Both Russell and Baez hit righties well, and always provide the chance of a stolen base. I do prefer Russell as Baez will likely be lower in the lineup. The Cubs are an offense you will want exposure to, and these 2 guys give you that at an affordable price.

Francisco Lindor FD 3500 DK 4100
Opponent - DET (Norris) Park - @CLE
FD - 10.62 DK - 8.8

Shortstop is pretty bad today, and that's why I am going to do my best to fit in either Russell or Baez. If you have too much remaining salary, you can certainly take a look at Francisco Lindor, the Indians young phenom. While Lindor is a switch hitter, he hits southpaws better and has  a lot more power from the right side of the plate. While Progressive Field isn't the best for homers, Lindor can score in many different ways, including a stolen base or 2. Daniel Norris is a prospect that has yet to pan out and I don''t see why today would be the magic game where he is all of a sudden great against a phenomenal offense.

 

THIRD BASE

Evan Longoria FD 3900 DK 5100
Opponent - BAL (Miley) Park - @BAL
FD - 11.66 DK - 8.9

Third base is a pretty fun one tonight as there are 2 guys that are in spectacular spots. Evan Longoria is going to be the first guy we look at as he will be taking on a left handers. Longoria has demolished left handers for about 10 years now, and this season has been no different. He has sported a .364 wOBA so far in 2016 and his peripherals tell us it's reality. He will be taking on Wade Miley, who honestly isn't that bad, but has definitely struggled against righties. The game will take place in Camden Yards, which is a top 5 ballpark for home runs. While the next guy is very tempting, I think Longoria is going to be my top option at the position.

Adrian Beltre FD 3300 DK 5100
Opponent - OAK (Detwiler) Park - @TEX
FD - 13.52 DK - 10.36

While this is the first Texas Rangers bat mentioned, they are in a fantastic spot here against Ross Detwiler and the Oakland Athletics. Detwiler is absolutely atrocious against righties and for some reason, he still has a job. I will be picking on him big time today with both Adrian Beltre and the guy we will look at net, Ian Desmond. Beltre has demolished lefties for what seems to be about 100 years, but has only been 10. This season has been no different and Beltre has showed some flashes of power as well. The Globe Life Park in Arlington will surely help as it is one of the best parks in the league for righties.

OUTFIELD

Ian Desmond FD 3500 DK 5000
Opponent - OAK (Detwiler) Park - @TEX
FD - 13.43 DK - 10.86

Back to back Rangers! We took a while to mentioned them, but we are squeezing em' in. Ian Desmond has fallen off the face of the planet after his red-hot start to the season. That being said, he still has very good numbers against lefties as evident by his .367 wOBA and 36.2% hard contact rate. As I just mentioned, Ross Detwiler is one of the worst pitchers in this league and we should look to target him as much as we possibly can. I am going to go with Desmond as my homer pick of the night, though this one is a bit risky. While he is crazy expensive on DK, he is very affordable on FanDuel at only $3500.

Bryce Harper FD 3700 DK 4400
Opponent - ATL (Wisler) Park - @ATL
FD - 14.02 DK - 10.79
Trea Turner FD 4400 DK 5600
Opponent - ATL (Wisler) Park - @ATL
FD - 11.14 DK - 9.86

We are going to take a look at a combo here in Trea Turner and Bryce Harper. Trea Turner has been absolutely crazy as of late and hit another 2 home runs yesterday. All of those homers have come off against righties, which means that both Harper and Turner hit righties better than lefties. Both of them has sported wOBA's over .390 and while it may be a bit unsustainable in the case of Turner, it is all we have for now. I prefer Harper because his ownership should be lower, but both of them make fantastic plays in both cash games and tournaments. Harper is also cheaper which makes him a lot safer in cash games.

Rajai Davis FD 3200 DK 4300
Opponent - DET (Norris) Park - @CLE
FD - 10.85 DK - 9.75

Rajai Davis against a lefty is like clockwork, he is constant as it gets and almost always demolishes them. While he is a very small guy, he has a ton of power against lefties and can steal a base an at-bat after he jacks one in the 15th row. Like I mentioned earlier, Daniel Norris has struggled against righties and I highly doubt this is the match up that he all of a sudden turns it around. Against lefties, Davis has sported a .372 wOBA that is backed up by all of his peripherals and batted ball rates. While Davis is the last guy listed here, he is probably my favorite options for cash games. He is way too cheap on FanDuel and I will have him in nearly 100% of  my cash game and tournament lineups.

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