DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Sunday 9/8/19

Now’s your chance to get DFSR PRO, which will give you access to our MLB and NBA optimizers and our new player lab! Get started for free by clicking the button below. This is one of the biggest weekends for me personally because many of my H2H playoff matchups are being decided today. That means we have to get things right today and we truly feel like we have some great picks for you on this slate. With that in mind, let's start with one of the best pitchers in baseball...

Pitchers

Gerrit Cole FD - P 12000 DK - SP 12200 Opponent - SEA (Felix Hernandez) Park - HOU FD - 52.34 DK - 29.84 It's going to be very tough to fade Cole. The simple fact is, we have one of the best pitchers in baseball facing one of the worst lineups. Let's start with Cole, as his 2.81 ERA and 0.95 WHIP is no match for his absurd 39 percent K rate. That happens to be the best K rate of any starter in the league and he's truly one of the best bets for double-digit Ks in a matchup like this. The opposition makes us like him even more, with Seattle ranked 28th in K rate and 25th in xwOBA. That's why he and the Astros enter this matchup as a -500 favorite, one of the largest spreads of the season. Adrian Houser FD - P 7100 DK - SP 5500 Opponent - CHC (Jon Lester) Park - MIL FD - 29.48 DK - 15.5 This is simply a price play. Facing the Cubs is obviously tough but Houser is way too good of a pitcher to be $7,100 on FanDuel and $5,500 on DraftKings. Our numbers tell us that he should be $1,000 more on each site and it's hard to understand why these algorithms are keeping him so cheap. We're talking about a pitcher with a 3.45 ERA and 1.29 WHIP and he's been even better recently. Over his last seven appearances, Houser is pitching to a 2.29 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 9.2 K/9 rate. That's really all you can ask for against a team who sits 20th in K rate and might be without Javier Baez.

Catcher/First Base

Ji-Man Choi FD - 1B 2900 DK - 1B 4000 Opponent - TOR (Jacob Waguespack) Park - TB FD - 10.15 DK - 7.64 Why do these DFS sites continue to disrespect Choi? This dude has been mashing righties throughout his career and it truly doesn't make sense why he's priced so cheaply. Let's take a look at those splits, with Choi generating a .370 OBP, .493 SLG and .862 OPS against right-handers since 2017. That's why he's typically been hitting leadoff or cleanup and that too only adds to Choi's value. He comes into this matchup rolling as well, hitting .308 over his last 12 games en route to a .953 OPS. Eric Hosmer FD - 1B 3300 DK - 1B 4200 Opponent - COL (Peter Lambert) Park - SD FD - 10.94 DK - 8.38 This is one of the first times I've recommended Hosmer this season and it's easy to see why. Getting the platoon advantage against Peter Lambert would put any hitter in play, with the Rockies right-hander pitching to a 7.19 ERA and 1.73 WHIP this season. Those are disastrous statistics and it certainly puts a hitter with a .284 AVG and .780 OPS directly in play. He's typically much better with the platoon advantage in his favor too, with Hosmer amassing a .310 AVG, .374 OBP, .494 SLG and .868 OPS against right handers since 2017. If you're in need of a catcher, Buster Posey gets the platoon advantage against Julio Urias and has been much better in the second half.

Second Base

Jose Altuve FD - 2B 4200 DK - 2B 5200 Opponent - SEA (Felix Hernandez) Park - HOU FD - 15.65 DK - 12.13 It's difficult to fade Altuve the way he's playing right now. Over his last 57 games, Altuve is hitting .346 while totaling a .613 SLG and 1.007 OPS. That's the All-Star that we've become accustomed to and it's really hard to overlook him against someone like Felix Hernandez. While King Felix was an ace at one point, his 6.02 ERA and 1.45 WHIP is sadly right around his averages for the past three years. Don't be afraid to stack all of these Astros in this superb matchup. Kolten Wong FD - 2B 2900 DK - 2B 4100 Opponent - PIT (Mitch Keller) Park - PIT FD - 10.6 DK - 8.18 Wong has been moved up to the two-spot in the lineup recently and it's done wonders for his fantasy value. Over his last 10 fixtures, Wong is hitting .444 en route to a .778 SLG and 1.265 OPS. Those are studly numbers and it's really no surprise from such a talented player. What adds to his intrigue here is a matchup with Mitch Keller, with the Pittsburgh righty pitching to an 8.18 ERA and 1.88 WHIP this season. It also gives Wong the platoon advantage, with Wong posting a .371 OBP and .798 OPS against righties this season.

Shortstop

Francisco Lindor FD - SS 4200 DK - SS 5300 Opponent - MIN (Undecided) Park - MIN FD - 14.71 DK - 11.22 After a bunch of value plays, let's hook you up with a couple of stud shortstops. Lindor is just that, as he's one of the best hitters in baseball right now. That's evident by his .308 AVG, .598 SLG and .949 OPS over his last 50 games. Those are actually pretty close to his season-long numbers and it doesn't even take into consideration that he has 20 steals. That's horrifying for whoever the Twins send out there, as it will surely be some random Triple-A arm. Alex Bregman FD - SS 4400 DK - 3B/SS 5400 Opponent - SEA (Felix Hernandez) Park - HOU FD - 15.59 DK - 11.75 If you think Lindor is hot, wait until you see these numbers. Over his last 31 games, Bregman is providing a .413 AVG, .489 OBP, .752 SLG and 1.241 OPS. Those are downright ridiculous statistics and it definitely makes him one of the best plays of the day against a guy like King Felix. While Hernandez' ugly numbers were explained in the Altuve write-up, he also has a 5.28 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over the last three years in total. That's why Bregman and the Astros are projected to score six runs.

Third Base

David Fletcher FD - 3B 2700 DK - 3B/SS 3700 Opponent - CHW (Dylan Cease) Park - CHW FD - 9.92 DK - 7.8 It's rare to find a leadoff hitter this cheap, particularly in such a good matchup. Let's begin with that opponent, as the Angels will square up against Dylan Cease and his 6.75 ERA and 1.55 WHIP. Those horrible numbers are terrifying against a potent offense like this, as he'll have a hard time navigating through this lineup. That has to make Fletcher one of the best options on the board, batting atop this lineup projected for more than five runs. He's been much better against righties this year too, generating a .300 AVG and .350 OBP against them this season. Matt Chapman FD - 3B 3900 DK - 3B 4500 Opponent - DET (Daniel Norris) Park - OAK FD - 13.56 DK - 10.22 If you don't already know, Chapman absolutely kills left-handed pitching. In fact, Chapman has a .555 SLG and .901 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor this season. That's huge against a weak lefty like this, with Daniel Norris pitching to a 4.76 ERA and 1.40 WHIP this season. The slugging third baseman also appears to be getting out of his recent slide, accruing a .415 OBP and .890 OPS over his last 13 fixtures.

Outfield

Shohei Ohtani FD - OF 2900 DK - 1B 4400 Opponent - CHW (Dylan Cease) Park - CHW FD - 13.48 DK - 10.17 Mike Trout FD - OF 4600 DK - OF 5600 Opponent - CHW (Dylan Cease) Park - CHW FD - 16.18 DK - 12.08 Let's continue our Los Angeles stack with their two-best hitters. The reason we like the Angels so much is because they face Dylan Cease. The White Sox righty is currently pitching to a 6.75 ERA and 1.55 WHIP this season. His 5.51 FIP really doesn't indicate that he's been that unlucky this year and it's clear that he's just not ready to face Major League hitting. That's why the Angels have an implied run total over five, as these two should do most of that damage. Let's begin our Angels stack with the best hitter in baseball. Mike Trout is in the midst of yet another historic season and it's hard to fade him whenever he gets a good matchup. He comes into this matchup absolutely rolling right now too, posting a .414 OBP, .713 SLG and 1.127 OPS over his last 51 outings.  That pairs beautifully with a guy like Ohtani, as he has made minced meat of righties throughout his career too. In fact, Ohtani has a .299 AVG, .363 OBP, .580 SLG and .943 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor since joining the Angels. Josh VanMeter FD - OF 2600 DK - 2B/OF 3800 Opponent - ARI (Mike Leake) Park - CIN FD - 11.79 DK - 9.03 VanMeter is always under-priced on these DFS sites and it really doesn't make sense why. He's done nothing but rake this season and he should be $500 more on each site. Over his last 35 games, VanMeter has a .273 AVG, .346 OBP, .482 SLG and .828 OPS. That's really all you can ask for from a player in this price range, as he also has an .803 OPS against righties so far this season. That's scary for Mike Leake, who's pitching to a 4.71 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball.

Also considered: Eloy Jimenez.

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