DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Sunday 8/8/21 - Main slate

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Pitchers

Zack Wheeler FD 10700 DK 10400
Opponent - NYM (Taijuan Walker) Park - NYM
FD - 41.63 DK - 22.89

Pitching isn’t amazing on this slate some lower moneyline odds and bad matchups, but Wheeler is easily the best arm going so we can work with that. He has 2.81 xFIP on the season and is striking out close to 10.5 batters per nine. The peripherals are great too with a better than 5:1 K:BB rate. He faces off against the Mets as a -166 home favorite and that win expectation is good enough considering the hefty price tag. I think he ends up as the chalk cash pitcher.

Tyler Mahle FD 8400 DK 9800
Opponent - PIT (Bryse Wilson) Park - PIT
FD - 37.18 DK - 20.47

It is tough to run out pitchers in Great American Ballpark because it is so favorable to hitters, but this slate is a bit thin with the arms and Mahle is a huge favorite here at -232 against the lowly Pirates. Pittsburgh ranks second to last in team offense on the season with a .295 wOBA and they arent likely to get better the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Mahle is best xFIP season of his career, sitting at 3.88 and striking out batters at a 28% rate. You dont love the 10 over/under, but everything else lines up here.

Catcher/First Base

Joey Votto FD 4100 DK 5800
Opponent - PIT (Bryse Wilson) Park - PIT
FD - 14.04 DK - 10.54

We wrote Votto up yesterday as a core cash play even with the big price tag and he delivered with a home run. In fact, we were stacking Reds and they ended up with 11 runs all told. We will be looking to stack them again on this slate for sure. As stated, Votto is having a complete bounce back season with 23 home runs, his best mark since 2017. The OPS is well over .900 as well, again the best in the last four seasons. He has turned it all back around in his age-37 season, which is remarkable. Here is to hoping he keeps it going on Sunday.

Freddie Freeman FD 3700 DK 5400
Opponent - WSH (Patrick Corbin) Park - WSH
FD - 14.05 DK - 10.51

This is lefty-lefty matchup against Corbin, but the latter has really fallen off a cliff this season, now striking out fewer than seven batters per nine with an xFIP in the high 4.00s. Freeman has been excellent again with an OPS around .900 and he remains one of the toughest outs in the game. This is definitely the wrong side of his platoon, but Corbin has been so rough that I think we can stomach it.

Second Base

Ozzie Albies FD 3300 DK 4900
Opponent - WSH (Patrick Corbin) Park - WSH
FD - 14.41 DK - 11.02

From a fantasy perspective, Albies is having an excellent season combining power (17 home runs) and speed (13 stolen bases) into just the right mix of scoring that we like to see in cash games. He is firmly in the leadoff slot for the Braves now as well, setting the table in a great matchup against Patrick Corbin. For his career, Albies is significantly better against lefties with a 146 wRC+, .395 wOBA, and .941 OPS in that split. This is a great spot for Albies and he is too cheap on FanDuel.

Mike Moustakas FD 2500 DK 5700
Opponent - PIT (Bryse Wilson) Park - PIT
FD - 14.5 DK - 10.87

We said that Moustakas was completely mispriced on FanDuel yesterday and nothing has changed here on Sunday. It is simply a mistake with where they slotted the salary and he is an automatic play on that site. Sitting at fifth a potent lineup with one of the higher expected run lines on the day, Moustakas is in a great spot for a patient hitter coming at punt prices. Frankly, considering the park and opponent, the DraftKings price is almost in play as well.

Shortstop

Dansby Swanson FD 3200 DK 4600
Opponent - WSH (Patrick Corbin) Park - WSH
FD - 12.79 DK - 9.71

Swanson has an OPS under .800 but everything else about the fantasy profile lines up with him making for a strong play on Sunday. He is hitting fifth in the lineup for the Braves and already has the best power season of his career with 20 home runs. Plus he has added in eight stolen bases as well. It isn’t a huge advantage against the lefty considering he has been mostly platoon neutral for his career, but the other factors line up here with the Braves coming cheap across the board.

Amed Rosario FD 2900 DK 4300
Opponent - DET (Wily Peralta) Park - DET
FD - 11.96 DK - 9.38

It is easy to talk yourself into some Indians on this slate because of the matchup against Peralta. The latter is one of the weakest arms in the game with a 4.97 xFIP and he strikes out just 5.21 batters per nine, one of the lowest rates you will ever see out of a guy who takes the mound somewhat regularly. Meanwhile, Rosario is locked into the second spot in the lineup for the Indians. He isn’t a prolific bat but does have 12 stolen bases on the season and the matchup is too good to pass up.

Third Base

José Ramírez FD 4000 DK 5900
Opponent - DET (Wily Peralta) Park - DET
FD - 14.59 DK - 10.97

The Indians lineup isn’t all that scary anymore, but this is Wily Peralta we are talking about here so the top slots in the order are all in play. And Ramirez remains one of the best hitters in the game. The mid-.800s OPS isn’t as good as last season, but he has 24 home runs and 11 stolen bases with a 13% K rate compared to the 10% walk rate. Really, the OPS is only being held back by a BABIP almost 50 points lower than his career average.

Austin Riley FD 3500 DK 5100
Opponent - WSH (Patrick Corbin) Park - WSH
FD - 12.92 DK - 9.74

More Braves? You got it. Riley is turning in easily the best season of his young career and is locked into the cleanup slot for the Braves right now. He has increased his walk rate this season and lowered the strikeouts, plus the 23 home runs are a career-best. Against righties, his OPS is a bit higher than against lefties, though he does strike out more in that split. But the sample size is still on the smaller side where that is concerned.

Outfield

Jesse Winker FD 4100 DK 5900
Opponent - PIT (Bryse Wilson) Park - PIT
FD - 15.48 DK - 11.65

Nick Castellanos FD 3500 DK 4000
Opponent - PIT (Bryse Wilson) Park - PIT
FD - 14.75 DK - 11.17

Winker is getting up there in price, but it is for good reason. He has a .947 OPS on the season and is a very tough out, going down on strikes only 16% of the time. Meanwhile, Bryse Wilson could be in real trouble against this Reds lineup considering he is striking out batters at just a 13% rate this season and has a 5.34 xFIP. Winker is expensive for sure, but it is worth it considering the park and the weaker arm of Wilson.

And then there is Castellanos who should be hitting third in the lineup in this matchup. He has been awesome too with a .956 OPS when healthy this season. The prices on both sites are too low for the production and the DraftKings one looks particularly advantageous. It is a tough call between stacking the Reds or the Braves here.

Also, consider Jonathan India (FD $3700 DK $4800).

Jorge Soler FD 3300 DK 3400
Opponent - WSH (Patrick Corbin) Park - WSH
FD - 14.05 DK - 10.47

We can finish off the down-the-board Braves stack with Soler who should find himself hitting second against the lefty Corbin. Soler has struggled this season, though the BABIP is about 60 points lower than his career average. And he has been better against lefties for his career, walking more and carrying a higher ISO in that split. The DraftKings price is way too cheap considering the matchup and his potential spot in the lineup.

Myles Straw FD 2600 DK 2400
Opponent - DET (Wily Peralta) Park - DET
FD - 11.38 DK - 8.89

Straw is hitting leadoff for the Indians right now and basically coming free on DraftKings. Sure, the OPS is in the mid-600s, but this guy has also stolen 19 bases and does walk around 10% of the time. The ball will almost surely be in play against Peralta and the DK price makes for an easy call.