RADIO
The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on October 9th, 2019. Austyn Varney's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
It's game 5 day! We have two game fives on our hands today and it's going to be a fun night of baseball. The Braves and Cardinals face off first, with Jack Flaherty and Mike Foltynewicz on the mound. We're currently looking at a pick-em from Vegas. The Nationals aren't so lucky, going into Los Angeles as +170 underdogs to face WWalker Buehler. Strasburg will hold his own, but it'll be fun to see how a youngster like Buehler handles the pressure and a lineup of savvy hitters.
Let's dive right in and find some of the top plays on this slate!
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/9/19. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. Be sure to also check out all the MLB Rosters for today's slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports too.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Walker Buehler - LAD vs. WAS - $9,000
We have two game fives to watch today, so there’s no complaining. However, it’s not the easiest DFS slate to get through. All four pitchers are solid and it’s hard to repeatedly beat the same drum over and over. One thing that should be unanimous is Walker Buehler is the top option at pitcher. He’s a different animal at home, striking out 11.04 batters per nine and posting a 3.01 xFIP. The Nationals are a great offense, but they can be shut down and they do K 24% of the time. The Dodgers are -170 favorites and the Nationals hold an implied total under three runs. The price is steep, but Buehler should give is six or seven solid innings.
Mike Foltynewicz - ATL vs. STL - $6,000
If you want to pay up for a lot of these expensive bats, Mike Foltynewicz is a guy to pay attention to. Sitting at just $6k on DraftKings, he gives you a ton of freedom with your hitters and doesn’t restrict you much at pitcher. Foltynewicz shut down the Cardinals just a few games ago and will get another crack at it here. One thing I will say about both pitchers in this game is they will have a short leash. If Folty or Flaherty is shaky, they will go right to the bullpen as there’s no time to get down a few runs. The risk is obviously there to get blown up, but the price is too much to pass up when the second and third options are no better.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Brian McCann - ATL vs. STL (Flaherty) - $3,200
Catcher is beyond ugly and it comes down to picking the lesser of four evils. The Braves are slightly my favorite offense to put up runs and Brian McCann always has some upside with 12 on the season. His price is low and he’ll let you pay up at positions that matter. Jack Flaherty is s great pitcher, but so is everyone else on this slate. McCann is solid in all formats, and Molina would be my number two.
Freddie Freeman - ATL vs. STL (Flaherty) - $4,600
Freddie Freeman was utterly terrible in game four, striking out three times, grounding into a double-play, and killing a ninth-inning rally. It was easily one of the worst games of his career and he’ll be looking to bounce back tonight. Jack Flaherty is solid, but he’s allowed a 4.14 xFIP to lefties on the season. Freeman, on the other hand, is one of the best in baseball with a .431 wOBA vs righties. If he performs today, all will be forgotten from the last game.
Max Muncy - LAD vs. WAS (Strasburg) - $4,500
If I’m going to target Stephen Strasburg, it’s with left-handed power. His surface numbers don’t show it, but his xFIP, hard contact rate, and HR/9 are all worse against lefties and this Dodgers lineup is full of them. I don’t expect more than two or three runs to be given up, but they could very well be solo home runs. Muncy has been dynamite this season against righties with a .372 wOBA and 35 home runs. If you can afford him at second, I like him over Wong and Albies (barely). Lux is a great value if playing.
Matt Carpenter - STL @ ATL (Foltynewicz) - $4,100
Mike Foltynewicz, while a solid play at so cheap, is the least talented pitcher on this slate. He’s facing the least-talented offense, though, and has shown that he can quiet them. Matt Carpenter has started to come around after a terrible season and has made a difference in the playoffs. He’s always smashed righties and Foltynewicz has held an xFIP of 5.49 to lefties. Carpenter is a great play at third and I doubt he’s over 20% owned, even on such a small slate.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Ronald Acuna Jr. - ATL vs. STL (Flaherty) - $5,600
Ronald Acuna Jr. is showing early on that he has ice in his veins and is made for October. If I can afford him, there’s no way I’m leaving him off my lineup today. In a win-or-go-home game five, I expect Acuna to step up huge and do whatever it takes to move on. Flaherty is a tough match-up, but I really do think Acuna Jr. controls these at-bats and makes hard contact. My home run call of the day goes to Acuna Jr.
Dexter Fowler - STL @ ATL (Foltynewicz) - $3,700
If you need to save some in the outfield, Dexter Fowler should be leading off against Mike Foltynewicz and his 5+ xFIP to lefties. Fowler has been great this year and specifically in the second half, sporting a .354 wOBA to opposing righties. You can play him even if you roster Foltynewicz, as we’re only working with four offenses and you don’t need a shutout performance from him at $6k. Good luck tonight and please do reach out if you have any questions.
Things change quickly as lineups come out. If you have any questions, hit me up on Twitter @VarneyDFS and I'd be more than happy to help.
