DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Friday 8/21/20

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The pitching options on this slate are a bit tough, so, we're going to go with two values and get some stud bats in our hitting section. Whenever you have trouble picking a pitcher, this is always the best route to go in terms of lineup building. With that in mind, let's start off with Adrian Houser!

Pitchers

Adrian Houser FD - P 7400 DK - RP 8400
Opponent - PIT (Chad Kuhl) Park - PIT
FD - 33.47 DK - 17.23

Starting pitchers against the Pirates is always a profitable proposition. This offense is truly one of the worst in baseball, particularly with Josh Bell struggling so badly. In fact, this club is hitting a measly .211 this season, en route to a .332 SLG and .603 OPS. Some of the worst slap hitters in the Majors have better averages than those and it makes them hard to avoid. It's not like Houser is some bum either, with the right-hander generating a 3.27 ERA and 1.18 WHIP this season. He showed in the opener that he can dominate this lineup too, allowing just one hit across five one-run innings. Not to mention, Milwaukee is a -165 favorite and Pitt is projected for just 3.8 runs.

Robbie Ray FD - P 7000 DK - SP 7300
Opponent - SF (Logan Webb) Park - SF
FD - 33.32 DK - 18.01

Recommending someone with an 8.59 ERA and 1.91 WHIP is certainly risky but Ray's last start might be a sign that he's starting to turn things around. The left-hander threw five hitless innings against a stout San Diego offense, despite walking six batters. It's his strikeout stuff that makes him really intriguing though, generating a 29 percent K rate for his career. That's fantasy gold and we certainly like that he faces a lineup that ranked near the bottom of nearly every offensive category last season. In 13.1 innings against the Giants last season, Ray had 20 Ks and we can't overlook the fact that he gets to throw in a pitcher's haven like ORACLE Park.

If you want to pay up, Aaron Nola has been rolling and gets to face a Braves offense without Ronald Acuna.

Catcher/First Base

José Abreu FD - 1B 3100 DK - 1B 4100
Opponent - CHC (Jon Lester) Park - CHC
FD - 10.88 DK - 8.27

Abreu has to be one of the most overlooked assets in fantasy baseball circles. This guy just produces year after year and he's always undervalued in DFS and season-long formats. We're talking about a guy who's never posted and a SLG below .473 or an OPS south of .798. That's a truly solid floor and he comes into this matchup extremely hot. In fact, Abreu is hitting .438 over his last four games en route to a 1.346 OPS. That doesn't even include the three hits, two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI on Friday. A hot hitter like that who's so consistent is always a good choice and we can't overlook the fact that he gets to face a lefty here. Since 2018, Abreu has a .959 OPS against southpaws.

Miguel Sanó FD - 1B 2800 DK - 1B 4700
Opponent - KC (Danny Duffy) Park - KC
FD - 12.08 DK - 8.93

Sano is often a great value on FanDuel and it's hard to understand why there's such a big price discrepancy between these two sites. This is a masher who owns a .352 wOBA, .497 SLG and .254 ISO for his career. There are only a handful of power hitters like that in baseball and it makes Sano hard to fade below $3,000. What adds to his intrigue here is that he gets to face a lefty, generating an OPS just shy of 1.000 against left-handers since the beginning of last season. Stacking Twins is always a good idea and Sano would have to be a part of that equation.

If you're in need of a catcher, Wilson Contreras looks like a good option with the platoon advantage in his favor.

Second Base

Max Muncy FD - 2B 3400 DK - 1B/2B 5200
Opponent - COL (Jon Gray) Park - LAD
FD - 12.46 DK - 9.22

Using Muncy at second base feels like a cheat code. This is easily the worst position in fantasy baseball and getting to use one of the league's best sluggers there is something you can't overlook. We're talking about a guy who has a .374 OBP, .531 SLG and .905 OPS since joining the Dodgers three years ago. His numbers against righties are even better, amassing a .379 OBP and .915 OPS against right-handers in that span. Not to mention, Gray owns a 1.43 career WHIP against the Dodgers and always struggles against them.

Ketel Marte FD - 2B 3300 DK - 2B 4400
Opponent - SF (Logan Webb) Park - SF
FD - 12.44 DK - 9.56

Someone this talented simply shouldn't be this cheap. Since the beginning of last season, Marte is hitting .330 while providing a .568 SLG and .952 OPS. Those are numbers you see from some of the best power hitters in baseball and it doesn't even take into consideration his good speed. We're definitely not worried about Logan Webb either, who's got a 1.57 WHIP this season and some serious regression headed his way. In addition, Marte has a .390 OBP against righties since the beginning of last year and this matchup has multiple base hits written all over it.

Shortstop

Tim Anderson FD - SS 3700 DK - SS 4800
Opponent - CHC (Jon Lester) Park - CHC
FD - 11.57 DK - 9.01

Anderson is scorching-hot right now and it makes him hard to fade in such a good spot. Let's start with that form, with Anderson totaling 15 runs scored, five homers and three steals over his last eight games en route to an OPS north if 1.200. Those absurd numbers make him one of the scariest outs in the league right now and it's especially bad news for a contact pitcher like Jon Lester. Don't forget about the fact that Anderson has a 2.367 OPS in 20 at-bats against southpaws this season. That's a small sample size but anytime you have a two in front of that dot for OPS, you can't fade that from someone as hot as this.

Javier Báez FD - SS 3200 DK - SS 4100
Opponent - CHW (Dallas Keuchel) Park - CHC
FD - 12.39 DK - 9.45

Baez is another guy who gets a great matchup with the platoon advantage in his favor. Since 2018, Javy has a .302 AVG, .588 SLG and .937 OPS against left-handers. The only real weakness for Baez is his discipline at the plate but Keuchel's 13.6 percent K rate makes him someone that will struggle with a guy like Baez. A recent slump has actually lowered Baez's price to one of the lowest I've ever seen and that too makes him one of the best value plays out there. If you want to stack Cubs, Baez and Kris Bryant make for a dangerous two-man stack.

Third Base

José Ramírez FD - 3B 4000 DK - 3B 5400
Opponent - DET (Michael Fulmer) Park - CLE
FD - 15.44 DK - 11.64

J-Ram has developed into one of the most dangerous fantasy assets out there and he's always a great choice anytime he faces a weak pitcher. While Michael Fulmer is probably considered average, the Tigers bullpen is not. That's who he'll mainly be facing with Fulmer as the opener, giving him two to three at-bats against bad arms. We're talking about a guy who has five homers and five steals already, providing a .500 SLG and .864 OPS as well. That speed-power combo is unmatched by most players and it always makes him a low-risk option for DFS.

Matt Chapman FD - 3B 3500 DK - 3B 4700
Opponent - LAA (Andrew Heaney) Park - OAK
FD - 12.07 DK - 9.02

Chapman just homered twice on Thursday and he's truly developed into one of the best all-around players in the game. That now gives him six homers, 12 runs scored and 16 RBI over his last 13 games in total. Obviously, that makes him one of the hottest hitters around too, and we love that he's got a .950 OPS at home since the beginning of last season. The icing on the cake is the matchup though, with Chapman getting the platoon advantage against Andrew Heaney. The southpaw really struggled against the A's last season, allowing at least six hits in both games and six total runs.

Outfield

Nelson Cruz FD - OF 4000 DK - OF 5700
Opponent - KC (Danny Duffy) Park - KC
FD - 13.43 DK - 10.03

This might be my favorite raw points play of the day. Cruz is truly one of the best hitters around which is evident by his .315 AVG, .396 OBP, .641 SLG and 1.037 OPS since the beginning of last season. Those are all Top-10 in the league and it's even scarier what he did against lefties. In that same span, Cruz has a .437 OBP and 1.288 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. Not to mention, he's also hitting .370 in 27 at-bats against Duffy while also tallying a .960 SLG and 1.367 OPS.

J.D. Martinez FD - OF 3600 DK - OF 5800
Opponent - BAL (John Means) Park - BAL
FD - 16.09 DK - 12.09

Martinez is yet another righty masher who gets a fantastic matchup against a lefty. Let's start things by talking about that lefty. John Means stuff looks solid at times but a 10.57 ERA is nothing to write home about. That puts J.D. in a position to succeed, with Martinez owning a .711 SLG and 1.148 OPS against southpaws since 2018. Those are some of the best numbers you'll see and it's even less surprising that J.D. owns a .400 OBP, .833 SLG and 1.233 OPS against Means for his career.

Franmil Reyes FD - OF 3100 DK - OF 4600
Opponent - DET (Michael Fulmer) Park - CLE
FD - 13.03 DK - 9.76

While this DraftKings price is definitely appropriate, this FanDuel price is not. It's literally Thom Brennaman inappropriate. We're talking about a guy who has a career ISO in the .250-range, who also happens to be blazing right now. Over his last 13 games played, Reyes is providing a .396 AVG, .750 SLG and 1.205 OPS. That's the slugger we have been waiting for and it's clear that is his league-leading exit velocity from a couple of years ago was no fluke. We also can't overlook the fact that he gets to face this weak Tigers pitching staff.

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