DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Thursday 8/8/19

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Pitchers

Matthew Boyd FD - P 10400 DK - SP 11200
Opponent - KC (Undecided) Park - DET
FD - 38.16 DK - 21.3

Despite a smaller slate on Thursday, we have a selection of pitchers at the top. I love the upside with Chris Sale but he is GPP only for me until further notice. Mike Clevinger has flashed the most upside this season with a 36.9% K rate but draws a tough matchup in the Twins so is also GPP only for me. For cash games, I will be looking at two pitchers and it starts with Matt Boyd who has found his form again allowing two or fewer earned runs in three straight starts while striking out eight or more in each(27 total). The price is climbed to a near season-high again but making me more comfortable about it is the matchup against the Royals who have not only struggled against lefties(.287 wOBA, 75 wRC+) but have also been slumping big-time lately as well(.275 wOBA, 67 wRC+). I will have exposure to Boyd in all formats on FanDuel but in GPP only on DraftKings as I like the discount with the next option.
Aaron Nola FD - P 10800 DK - SP 10600
Opponent - SF (Madison Bumgarner) Park - SF
FD - 35.38 DK - 19.26

Nola is the option I will be looking to on DraftKings tonight at a price $600 cheaper than Boyd. The game also has the lowest total(7.5) on the slate and like Boyd, Nola has really found form lately holding opponents to one or fewer earned runs in seven of his last nine starts(1.91 ERA/3.75 xFIP)  while averaging just shy of seven innings per start. The win will be tough to come by with MadBum on the other side of the game but I give the edge to the Phillies offense as the Giants have fielded a bottom-five offense all season and sit with just an 82 wRC+ over the last two weeks. All things considered, Nola will be a core play for me tonight in all formats.

Also Consider: Dallas Keuchel(ATL) as a top SP2 option on DraftKings as a -200 favorite against the Marlins bottom three offense

Catcher/First Base

Carlos Santana FD - 1B 3700 DK - 1B 4700
Opponent - MIN (Kyle Gibson) Park - MIN
FD - 11.29 DK - 8.42

If you can afford him, Freddie Freeman is far and away our top projected bat at the position but also comes with an elevated price tag on both sites. I will be dipping down into the next tier with Carlos Santana as my top play at the position, at least for cash games. He has been very consistent lately with hits in six straight and nine of his last 11 games for an average of 11.2 DK/14.0 FD points per game. The matchup doesn't jump off the page as Gibson has been decent this season for the most part(4.02 ERA/3.63 xFIP) but has given up a home run four of his last five starts and has had more trouble with lefties. All things considered, Santana has my attention in all formats tonight.
Sam Travis FD - 1B 2600 DK - 1B/OF 3600
Opponent - LAA (Dillon Peters) Park - BOS
FD - 9.77 DK - 7.47

From a PTS/$ perspective, the system absolutely loves Sam Travis again at his value price on both sites. While the stats don't jump off the page, opportunity is the name of the game here as the Red Sox are the highest projected scoring team on the slate and when in the lineup Travis has hit in the five or six-hole giving him added RBI chances. More good news as we aren't locked to using him just at first base as he is also outfield eligible on DraftKings and can be used as a UTIL on FanDuel.

Catcher Consideration: I will be looking at either the Red Sox(Christian Vazquez/Sandy Leon) or Yankees(Kyle Higashioka/Austin Romine)

Second Base

Jason Kipnis FD - 2B 3300 DK - 2B 4300
Opponent - MIN (Kyle Gibson) Park - MIN
FD - 9.31 DK - 7.08

With Albies price on a steady rise, uncertainty around the return of Gleyber Torres, I will be turning to Jason Kipnis as my top bat at second base tonight. We pretty much know what we are going to get with his unattractive .255 average and .317 OBP for the season but the good news is that he is streaky and on the good end of that lately. Going back to July 6, Kipnis has posted an impressive .311/.382/.522 slash line with five home runs and has even gotten some time in the cleanup spot. The Red Sox and Yankees will be the chalk tonight and for good reason but if you want to go with a more balanced approach, the combo of Kipnis and Santana is one way I will be employing that tonight.

Michael Chavis FD - 2B 3000 DK - 1B/2B 4600
Opponent - LAA (Dillon Peters) Park - BOS
FD - 12.32 DK - 9.43

I won't have much as much exposure to Chavis on DraftKings as I would rather pay just $200 more Albies hitting near the top of the lineup but on FanDuel, he is a core play at just $3K and our top PTS/$ value on third base. Consistency is definitely not the name of his game(.263 avg/.331 OBP) but he has a ton of pop in his bat(18 HR), enters with hits in three straight games, and while the wOBA and wRC+ are higher against righties, he has produced most of his power against lefties(10 HR, .267 ISO). Once again, he a GPP only option on DraftKings but a terrific play in all formats on FanDuel at his price.

Also Consider: Breyvic Valera(NYY) as a punt play if Gleyber Torres is still out of the lineup and a nice wrap-around option to pair with LeMahieu/Judge

Shortstop

Xander Bogaerts FD - SS 3900 DK - SS 5200
Opponent - LAA (Dillon Peters) Park - BOS
FD - 16.54 DK - 12.62

The shortstop position is absolutely loaded today with some tough decisions to make with four or five players who I can make a strong case for as the top play. If you play both sites, it makes sense to get most of your Bogaerts exposure on FanDuel as he is the cheapest of the Top 5 but is definitely in play on both as the Red Sox lead the way with 6.5 implied runs at the moment. They get a plus matchup against Dillon Peters who has split time between the majors and AAA this season and through 25 innings with the Angels, he has sported a 1.42 WHIP(slate-high) with an xFIP(4.99) over a run and a half higher than his ERA(3.20). As for Bogaerts, he is fresh off snapping his four-game hitless streak and is 4 for 8 in the series against the Royals. I say currently as last nights game was suspended. He also sits with a .307/.387/.563 slash line on the season and has been one of the most consistent bats at the position. Get him and as many Red Sox as possible in your lineups.
Bo Bichette FD 3900 DK 4300
Opponent - NYY (Domingo German) Park - NYY
FD - 10.53 DK - 8.06

It has been an insanely hot start for Bichette since being called up to join the rebuilding Jays team. He has hits in each of his first 10 games which include a record seven multi-hit efforts and he has also added three home runs. The Jays were quick to place him in the leadoff spot as he also has patience and a good eye at the plate. Normally I wouldn't target against German here but he has somewhat struggled as of late giving up 15 earned runs over his last four starts with eight home runs. The price has climbed up into the same tier as some of the games best which should help create an ownership gap tonight, especially on FanDuel(same price as Bogaerts) where he makes an excellent GPP pivot. On DraftKings, his price is still at enough of a discount from the top tier where we can target him in all formats.

Also Consider: Trevor Story(COL)

Third Base

DJ LeMahieu FD - 3B 4100 DK - 2B/3B 5100
Opponent - TOR (Thomas Pannone) Park - TOR
FD - 13.47 DK - 10.46

The Yankees sit just narrowly behind the Red Sox in implied runs(6.1) tonight and are my second favorite place to turn in all formats. Leading the way is LeMahieu who has been the spark plug at the top of the Yankee lineup all season. He has been incredibly consistent with hits in 18 of 21 games since the All-Star Break and enters tonight with an elite .335/.384/.531 slash line and has also added a ton of upside with a career-high 18 home runs as well. He and the Yankees will face Thomas Pannone who has bounced around from the pen to rotation and back several times. He has struggled as a starter, however, allowing 21 earned runs in just over 21 innings. Lock in as many Yankees as possible tonight starting with their leadoff hitter who is in play in all formats.
Harold Castro FD 2500 DK 3500
Opponent - KC (Jorge Lopez) Park - KC
FD - 9.75 DK - 7.42

If we are going to be jamming in lots expensive Red Sox and Yankees bats tonight, we are going to need a few punt/salary relief plays in our lineup to tie it all together. One of those plays for me tonight will be Harold Castro of the Tigers who isn't going to break any slate on his own with a .282/.299/.374 slash line and two home runs but he does get the opportunity to score runs hitting near the top of the lineup and does enter tonight with hits in eight of his last 10 games with four multi-hit efforts. The other nice part about using him tonight is that he is multi-position eligible on DraftKings(3B/OF) meaning you are not just tied to him at third base.

Also Consider: Nolan Arenado(COL) who has fallen to the third most expensive option at the position and is facing a lefty

Outfield

Aaron Judge FD - OF 4200 DK - OF 4500
Opponent - TOR (Thomas Pannone) Park - TOR
FD - 17.44 DK - 12.95

On FanDuel, the decision between the Red Sox outfielders(Betts, Benintendi, Martinez) is very close all in the same price range but what stands out to me tonight on DraftKings is the discount we get with Judge. First of all, he is cheaper than his teammate Mike Tauchman who hits at the bottom of the lineup and $800 cheaper than all three Red Sox. He has been streaky this season but has picked it up more recently with hits in seven of his last eight games and while the power numbers are down a bit in 2019(12 in 59 games) he enters tonight with an elite .408 on-base percentage and has terrorized left-handed pitching to the tune of a .444 wOBA, 181 wRC+, and 1.073 OPS. Judge is my top outfielder on DraftKings tonight and I will also have plenty of exposure on FanDuel as well.
Ender Inciarte FD 2700 DK 4000
Opponent - MIA (Elieser Hernandez) Park - MIA
FD - 8.76 DK - 6.89

There are more than enough options to pay up for in the outfield tonight so let's look at an option who can help us save salary and get to those elite players. Inciarte has been getting the bulk of his playing time in center field and much like Harold Castro who I wrote about at third base, he isn't going to break a slate but has been fairly consistent lately with hits in eight of his last 11 games and while he hits ninth in the order, I love pairing him with Acuna/Albies who hit at the top of the order creating a wrap-around stack to get some value. At these prices, especially on FanDuel, I will have exposure to Inciarte in all formats.

Also Consider: Nicholas Castellanos(CHC) in a great spot vs. a lefty

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