DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Monday 4/11/22(Main Slate)

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After a wild opening weekend to the 2022 season, we now enter the first full week of the season and it starts with a full day of baseball. For this article, we will be looking solely at the seven-game main slate that locks at 6:40 pm ET on both sites. Let's get started.

Pitchers

Huascar Ynoa FD 8600 DK 8600
Opponent - WSH (Undecided) Park - WSH
FD - 28.36 DK - 14.73

We are now five days into the season and that means teams are reaching the bottom of their rotations. On the main slate, it will be tough to pay up for Manoah against a stacked Yankees lineup so I will be taking a more balanced approach that starts with Ynoa. It feels like we have been waiting for a breakout for a while but he has plus stuff and had an xFIP(3.40) that was over a half a run better than his ERA94.05) over 17 starts last season. He also produced an above-average 27% K rate and faces a Nats team that is striking out over 30% of the time to start the season. Fire up Ynoa in all formats.

Nick Martinez FD 5700 DK 5900
Opponent - SF (Alex Wood) Park - SF
FD - 13.28 DK - 6.97

This slate is probably going to lead me to a similar strategy I have used almost every slate to start the season and that is to save at pitching and load up on bats. So far so good so let's keep it rolling on Monday. Martinez is sub $6K on both sites but I am really only interested on DraftKings as a cheap Sp2 to give me 4-5 innings and 12-15 DK points. Martinez hasn't pitched in the majors since 2017 and has been in Japan but has apparently picked up some velocity over the last couple of seasons and is a brand new pitcher. I am willing to find out at these prices against a Giants team that is Top 10 in K %(29%) early in the season while scoring just 10 runs through three games.

Catcher/First Base

Jared Walsh FD 3400 DK 4700
Opponent - MIA (Elieser Hernandez) Park - MIA
FD - 12.36 DK - 9.32

Overall, it has been a rough start for the Angels' offense who have scored just 10 runs in their first four games but there have been some bright spots for fantasy and it start with Walsh. After going hitless in the opener, he has put together a three-game hit streak including two multi-hit games and his first home run of the season. He appears to have settled into a very productive role hitting cleanup behind Ohtani and Trout and gets a plus matchup against Elieser Hernandez who posted a 4.18 ERA/4.33 xFIP last year and struggled against lefties giving up a .412 wOBA with a 5.48 xFIP. Fire up Walsh in all formats at these prices.

Ji-Man Choi FD 2400 DK 4000
Opponent - OAK (Paul Blackburn) Park - OAK
FD - 9.88 DK - 7.37

It feels like I have been on the Rays' bats every day so far as they have had some juicy matchups and that continues on Monday as they have one of the best on the board. They will face off against Paul Blackburn who got lit up in his late-season call-up last year posting a 5.87 ERA and giving up eight home runs in nine starts. Choi doesn't provide a ton of upside but has been consistent pinch-hitting in the opener collecting a walk and run scored and then picking up hits in each of the last two games. He also benefits from hitting in between Arozanrena and Franco and with his price makes stacking the three of them realistic in all formats.

Second Base

Adam Frazier FD 2400 DK 4000
Opponent - MIN (Dylan Bundy) Park - MIN
FD - 9.01 DK - 7.01
Luis Arraez FD 2400 DK 3600
Opponent - SEA (Chris Flexen) Park - SEA
FD - 10.13 DK - 7.93

If you are paying up for pitching or just want all the big bats, second base is my favorite spot to turn for value so I will group these two together. Let's start with Adam Frazier who came to Seattle in the offseason to be a part of the young core that is moving in the right direction. He is coming off a 2021 season where he posted a career-high .305 avg/.368 OBP which fits perfectly for his new role as the Mariners' leadoff hitter. Add a decent matchup against Bundy who has always been a little worse against lefties and you have a top PTS/$ in the infield.

For Arraez, while the upside is somewhat limited, he is a terrific cash play who never really seems to kill your lineup. He is going into year four with the Twins and enters with a career .313 average and .374 OBP which has him hitting near the top of the order against right-handed pitching. He has already picked up a couple of hits in five plate appearances this season and is once again a top punt play for me on this smaller slate.

Shortstop

Wander Franco FD 3500 DK 5300
Opponent - OAK (Paul Blackburn) Park - OAK
FD - 11.82 DK - 9.13

It has been a quick transition from top prospect to MLB superstar for Wander Franco as he played just 40 games above A-ball before making his debut in the big leagues last June. Through three games, Franco has already tallied two three-hit games and now the Rays get the top matchup on the board against Blackburn. Considering his contributions in almost every single category, Franco is underpriced in this matchup sitting outside the Top 15 in salary on both sites for this smaller slate. Lock and load in all formats.

Elvis Andrus FD 2200 DK 3300
Opponent - TB (Luis Patiño) Park - TB
FD - 5.82 DK - 4.58

There are always plenty of shortstops to pay up for as the position is stacked but if you need some value, consider Elvis Andrus. Despite the average-at-best matchup, Andrus provides a ton of PTS/$ opportunity hitting second in the lineup and he comes in with doubles and runs scored in back-to-back games. I am not into stacking the A's offense as a whole but do like Andrus as a top PTS/$ cash value on both sites.

Also Consider: Brandon Crawford(SF) is expensive and hitting 5th but gets a plus matchup and winds are blowing straight out at 20-25 mph

Third Base

Austin Riley FD 4000 DK 4800
Opponent - WSH (Josh Rogers) Park - WSH
FD - 12.81 DK - 9.7

The Braves offense as a whole has really only had one productive fantasy game so far but I am not worried about the reigning World Series champs with all the raw power and overall upside. Even if you aren't ready to fully stack them tonight, you have to consider a few pieces for cash in this matchup against lefty Josh Rogers. Austin Riley is at the top of my list of Braves, at least on DraftKings, where he sits under $5K to start the season. He is coming off a breakout season where he hit .303 with 33 home runs and 107 RBI and has picked up where he left off with hits in three of his first four games in 2022.

Joey Wendle FD 2200 DK 3800
Opponent - LAA (Michael Lorenzen) Park - LAA
FD - 8.75 DK - 6.79

Wendle moved from the Rays to the Marlins in the offseason and has an opportunity to get a few more at-bats with a regular spot in the lineup. There is still little upside as the Marlins aren't a great offense overall and but Wendle makes a lot of sense if looking for a one-off cash value play to help stack 4-5 studs tonight. He faces an Angels bullpen game and comes in with three hits, a walk, and three runs scored in his first two games. He is best used for cash games and his best value comes on FanDuel at near minimum price.

Outfield

Mike Trout FD 4200 DK 5600
Opponent - MIA (Elieser Hernandez) Park - MIA
FD - 16.17 DK - 11.96

Trout likely isn't going to be a cash play on FanDuel where both he and Ohtani are $4K+ but the system still loves Trout on DraftKings as a core play in the mid $5K range where he likely doesn't stick for long. It has been an overall slow start for the Angels' offense as a whole but there have been signs of life including Trout's first home run on Saturday and he now also has hits in three of his first four games. With the amount of value scattered at all positions, stacking Trout and Walsh in cash games is currently high on my priority list.

Marcell Ozuna FD 3000 DK 3800
Opponent - WSH (Josh Rogers) Park - WSH
FD - 13.34 DK - 10.11

The system absolutely loves Ozuna here tonight as he sits as our top PTS/$ play in the outfield and I agree completely as the Braves are in a great spot sitting #2 in implied runs in a matchup against lefty Josh Rogers. Ozuna is hitting cleanup and with the firepower ahead of him, should get a ton of opportunities to drive in runs and has started the season 4 for 16 with two doubles and two RBI. My top cash games stack has me stacking Ozuna and Riley which gives us plenty of room to go practically any direction we want with the rest of out lineup.

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