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It's Saturday, so it's time to pick some winners for this eight-game MLB slate. It's a great day to pay up for a future Hall of Fame pitcher because he's on another level than the other options available. We're also going to bet on a slugfest at Fenway Park with two questionable pitchers on the mound.
Can you believe that we're already almost 20 percent through the season? Let's enjoy it while it lasts! It's time to dig deeper into Saturday's slate to find out which players will help you win a cash game and build your bankroll or take down a GPP for a big pay-day. Every player on this list is on one of my own FanDuel teams.
In this article, I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 8/8/2020. Be sure to also check out all the MLB player news including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like DraftKings, and other sports too.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Clayton Kershaw - LAD vs. SF ($10,600)
Kershaw is the premier option on the slate and it's not particularly close. The future Hall of Famer looked fantastic in his season debut, pitching 5.2 shutout innings, allowing three hits with no walks and six strikeouts. The most intriguing part about Kershaw's start was his fastball velocity, which was up to 92.0 MPH, an increase of 1.7 MPH from last season. Kershaw threw 81 pitches in his first start, so we can expect an increase to close to 100 pitches this time around. He goes up against the Giants at home in a highly exploitable matchup. The Dodgers are -300 favorites, so there's a great chance at a win here. Kershaw is a chalky play, but he's the best option here.
David Peterson - NYM vs. MIA ($8,300)
If you feel like going against the grain by fading Kershaw, Peterson would be a solid alternative. The rookie lefty has shown strong command in his first two starts, posting a 17.0 K-BB% in 11.2 innings. He faces a Marlins lineup that has hit well so far this season but remains one of the worst lineups in baseball. The hope here is for Peterson to provide us with a quality start with four to five strikeouts. The upside is low here, but he should turn in a decent outing in a favorable matchup.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Xander Bogaerts - SS, BOS vs. TOR ($3,600)
Bogaerts has been the best hitter on the Red Sox in the early going, slashing .333/.404/.619 with three home runs and one stolen base this season. He takes on righty Chase Anderson, who is making his season debut in his first start with the Blue Jays. Anderson is not stretched out yet, so he's only expected to pitch three innings before handing it off to the bullpen. The Jays' bullpen is gassed right now, as Tanner Roark only lasted three innings on Friday, while Nate Pearson pitched five innings on Thursday. Bogaerts is in a terrific position to mash in this one.
Miguel Sano - 1B, MIN @ KAN ($3,200)
Sano punishes left-handed pitching, as he slashed .284/.355/.651 against southpaws last season. He's been the classic boom-or-bust hitter so far this season, with three of his five hits clearing the fences. Sano faces off against LHP Danny Duffy, who has struggled with the long-ball in his career, posting a 1.45 HR/9 last season. Despite his poor surface stats this season, Sano is still hitting the ball hard, ranking in the 80th percentile in barrels and exit velocity. Let's roll the dice on him here against a middling lefty.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - 1B, TOR @ BOS ($3,000)
Vlad Jr. has really struggled so far this season because he continues to hit the ball on the ground, posting a 61.3% groundball rate heading into Friday's game. Having said that, Vladito still ranks in the 92nd percentile in exit velocity, so we'll roll the dice here in a great matchup against RHP Zack Godley at Fenway Park. Guerrero showed some signs of busting out his slump on Friday, going 1-2 with a double, two walks, and one RBI. Give him a shot here.
Eugenio Suarez - 3B, CIN @ MIL ($3,000)
Suarez is off to a horrendous start this season, posting a .106/.276/.213 slash with one home run in 52 plate appearances. However, there are some signs that he's starting to see the ball well, as he has five walks with four strikeouts in his last four games. We have to play him here at such a cheap price since this is a hitter who crushed 49 home runs last season. Suarez faces LHP Brett Anderson, who is a mediocre starter - Suarez slashed .276/.417/.577 against southpaws last season. This is a great matchup for the veteran third baseman to bust out his slump.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Nick Castellanos - OF, CIN @ MIL ($3,900)
Castellanos continues his ascension into stardom, crushing his seventh home run of the season on Friday night. He's slashing an absurd .340/.411/.840 on the season. Castellanos absolutely annihilated southpaws last season, posting a .370/.425/.713 slash against them in 2019. He makes for a nice pairing with Suarez against lefty Brett Anderson. Even at $3,900, Castellanos is still undervalued with how he's swinging the bat - this is a hitter who should be priced over $4,000. Take advantage and ride the wave of this potential NL MVP.
J.D. Davis - OF, NYM vs. MIA ($2,700)
Davis has hit safely in 10 of his 12 games this season. He's been slotted in the 5-hole in this Mets' lineup, so he's in prime position for run production. The Marlins have yet to announce their starter for Saturday's game - given their precarious position due to their coronavirus outbreak, we can project this to be a bullpen day. Davis is a great value at a sub-$3,000 price, so we'll fire him up with confidence here.
Dominic Smith - OF, NYM vs. MIA ($2,500)
We'll throw in another Mets' slugger here in Dominic Smith against a likely Miami bullpen day. Smith has benefitted from Yoenis Cespedes' opt out, as the sophomore slugger has become a fixture in this Mets' lineup. Coming into Friday's game, Smith had two barrels with only 12 batted balls, as well as a 41.7% hard-hit rate. This is a player who can hit the ball hard. He hit a homer in Friday's game, so perhaps this is the start of a hot streak. Let's pair Smith with Davis and see what happens against a suspect Marlins' bullpen.
Chris Owings - OF, COL @ SEA ($2,400)
Owings has become a coveted value play whenever he goes up against left-handed pitching, as he does here against mediocre southpaw Nick Margevicius. Take a look at this production: Owings has put up 21.7, 9.2, 24.9, 15.7, and 9.2 FanDuel points in his five starts this season. Even though he's away from Coors, that type of production is hard to ignore, especially at such a cheap price. Throw him out there in this one if you need to save some cash.
