DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Wednesday 8/19/20

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Pitchers

Jacob deGrom FD - P 10700 DK - SP 11800
Opponent - MIA (Pablo López) Park - MIA
FD - 36.98 DK - 20.87

We have a tough decision to make tonight with two elite aces on the bump and for cash, it is deGrom who gets the edge for me tonight. It is very close but the consistency is what stands out as deGrom has yet to allow more than two earned runs in a start and since seeing his pitch count extended over 90 pitches he has won twice with a 16:3 strikeout to walk ratio. He also gets the better matchup as the depleted marlins roster sits with a 88 wRC+ and 26% K rate over the last 14 days. All things considered, DeGrom is the top pitcher on this slate and in play in all formats.

Pablo López FD - P 8300 DK - SP 7200
Opponent - NYM (Jacob deGrom) Park - MIA
FD - 25 DK - 12.68

Whether you are rolling with deGrom or Cole tonight, you are going to have to pair him with a value SP2 to get any bats in your lineup on Draftkings and Lopez stands out above the rest. The Marlins rotation is currently Top 10 in ERA and Lopez has played a huge role winning two of his three starts while allowing just four earned runs over 16 innings(2.25 ERA) and that is backed up by an elite 2.73 xFIP. On top of that, he is also missing a ton of bats with a 17% swinging strike rate which has led to 28% K rate. The only concern is the matchup against a hot Mets team but at his price tag, I am willing to take the risk at SP2 on DraftKings even if it means two pitchers from one game.

Catcher/First Base

Travis d'Arnaud FD - C 3200 DK - C 3200
Opponent - WSH (Erick Fedde) Park - ATL
FD - 11.7 DK - 8.87
Tyler Flowers FD - C 2700 DK - C 3600
Opponent - WSH (Erick Fedde) Park - ATL
FD - 8.92 DK - 6.73

Outside of the game at Coors, the Braves/Nats has the highest total at the moment and whichever catcher is behind the plate is a great value. We have discussed D'Arnaud who, after running in the mid $4K range for a couple of weeks, dropped big-time on DraftKings and has just slowly started creeping back up. With Acuna out, he is up hitting third in the lineup and has been excellent to start the season with a .33/.364/.588 slash lone through 13 games. Flowers also comes cheap and has been consistent when getting his turn behind the plate with hits in five of seven games(.350 average) with three extra-base hits. Both are in play in all formats.

Christian Walker FD - 1B 2800 DK - 1B 3300
Opponent - OAK (Jesus Luzardo) Park - OAK
FD - 9.46 DK - 7.13

While the Diamondbacks aren't near the top of the list in terms of implied runs tonight, I love the matchup against a struggling Jesus Luzardo who has tallied multiple walks in four straight games and allowed eight earned runs over his last two starts. The risk is not even that high here as Walker comes cheap on both sites and has been very consistent to start the year with a .337 wOBA and 112 wRC+ and has been tearing up lefties(small sample) with five hits in 15 at-bats and a 60% hard contact rate. With the combination of matchup and consistency, Walker is in play in all formats for me tonight.

Second Base

Tommy La Stella FD - 2B 2300 DK - 1B/2B 3800
Opponent - SF (Johnny Cueto) Park - SF
FD - 8.43 DK - 6.47

The first thing that stands out here is the fact neither site has adjusted to La Stella's new role hitting second in the lineup. He took over the roll on August 9 and since then has hits in eight of nine games with two home runs, nine RBI, and six runs scored. The second thing that stands out is the plus matchup for the Angels as they face Johnny Cueto who enters Wednesday start with a 4.62 ERA and even worse 5.58 xFIP and the biggest issue has been the walks as he has issued at least two walks in four straight starts. La Stella should get a ton of opportunity to rack up the fantasy points and is my top play at the position.

Garrett Hampson FD - 2B 3200 DK - 2B/OF 4700
Opponent - HOU (Framber Valdez) Park - COL
FD - 12.87 DK - 10.06

Hampson is one of the few Rockies who doesn't see a gigantic price bump in Coors as he is only the 6th most expensive player at the position on both sites. It is real tough to fit his teammates(Arenado, Story, Blackmon) in cash games with their price tags but Hampson allows us to still get exposure and the best part is that he leads off in front of all that power. Since taking over the leadoff spot in early August he has been tremendous with a .317/.404/.512 slash line. He is a great one-off play in cash and key piece of stacking the Rockies in GPP formats.

Shortstop

Corey Seager FD - SS 3800 DK - SS 5000
Opponent - SEA (Taijuan Walker) Park - SEA
FD - 13.23 DK - 10.02

The shortstop position is absolutely loaded tonight including two great options in Coors but I will take a discount here ride with Seager who has seen some added opportunity near the top of the order recently. He has been hitting second behind Betts and in front of Turner, Bellinger, and Muncy which in itself makes him a great play but he has also been playing great with hits in three straight and went into Tuesday night with a .306/.359/.611 slash line on the season. The Dodgers have the highest implied runs of any team on playing in Coors tonight and Seager is a core play for me in all formats.

Dansby Swanson FD - SS 3200 DK - SS 4400
Opponent - WSH (Erick Fedde) Park - ATL
FD - 11.86 DK - 9.05

With so many studs at the position and in great spots, the price on Dansby Swanson continues to stand out on both sites. It has been a slow progression for the 26-year-old who was drafted 1st overall back in 2015 but he has found his own this season and after extending his hit streak to six games last night, he has pushed his average to .298 on the season and at these prices is a bargain in all formats, especially in a plus matchup against the Nats on Wednesday.

Third Base

José Ramírez FD - 3B 4000 DK - 3B 5300
Opponent - PIT (Steven Brault) Park - PIT
FD - 14.77 DK - 11.13

It's a common theme at almost every position where you can pay up for pitching or pay up for Coors bats and there are two elite ones(Bregman, Arenado) with astronomical price tags. For cash games, I tend to want to pay up for pitching for will take any savings at all and that leads me to Jose Ramirez who has picked up where he left off with his red-hot second half last season. Going into Tuesday night, he was slashing .277/.371/.542 and has absolutely owned lefties going 7 for 12 with three home runs. He is my top PTS/$ paly in the top tier at the position.

Evan Longoria FD - 3B 2500 DK - 3B 3600
Opponent - LAA (Patrick Sandoval) Park - SF
FD - 9.82 DK - 7.5

If you are spending up elsewhere and need some savings at the position, you can do worse than veteran Evan Longoria. He and the Giants aren't winning you many GPP's but Longoria comes in with hits in three of his last four games and has still maintained his success against lefties with a .349 wOBA and 119 wRC+ in the split since the start of last season. An excellent cash game punt tonight on both sites.

Outfield

Nelson Cruz FD - OF 4200 DK - OF 5300
Opponent - MIL (Brett Anderson) Park - MIN
FD - 16.28 DK - 12.16

The Twins are in a great spot tonight at home vs. lefty Brett Anderson who has yet to make through five innings, enters with a 4.91 ERA/4.47 xFIP, and has given up a 47% hard contact rate. While the Twins, as a team, have struggled against lefties there is one player who continues to dominate and not only against lefties. The 40-year-old veteran has put himself in the MVP conversation once again with an elite .354/.430/.695 slash line and sits fourth in home runs(8) and second in RBI(23). Cruz is also a lock against lefties with an insane .494 wOBA, 215 wRC+, and .500 ISO against southpaws since the start of last season. It's a hefty price to pay but he is not only one of the top outfielders but also one of the top overall plays tonight.

Franmil Reyes FD - OF 2800 DK - OF 4300
Opponent - PIT (Steven Brault) Park - PIT
FD - 12.44 DK - 9.32

When looking at the PTS/$ rankings in the outfield tonight, Franmil Reyes' name starts showing up and it makes a ton of sense. While not known for his consistency he has opened the season red-hot hitting .316 with a .366 OBP going into Tuesday night on the back of seven multi-hit efforts in his last nine games. On top of that, he has also been much better against lefties posting a .362 wOBA, 125 wRC+, and .226 ISO in the split since the start of last season.

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