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We've got a full slate of games on Saturday, and that means it's time to build some lineups. With several different contests being offered across DraftKings, we'll have lots of different lineup options. For our purposes, the following picks have been made for contests running all day.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 3/31/18. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @TroyKlauder.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Yu Darvish at MIA, $12,200
Yu Darvish is the best pitcher you can grab on Saturday, and he's worth the price tag. Darvish gets to face the Marlins, who are easily among the worst lineups in the majors, which gives him a rare combination of high-ceiling and high-floor. Darvish had a monster 27.8% K-rate in 2017 and should plow through this Miami lineup, racking up plenty of strikeouts along the way. He's a pitcher worth investing in, and someone to build your lineup around in his Cubs debut.
Ian Kennedy vs CHW, $8,200
If you need to grab a cheaper starter than Darvish, look to Kennedy. He's not a great pitcher, but the White Sox certainly don't have a great lineup - they ranked 27th in all of baseball last year in wOBA versus righties, with a .307 mark. He won't give you a spectacular start, but he should produce some solid innings that are worth the price tag. Pair him with an elite starter or some high-powered bats.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Willson Contreras - C, at MIA, $4,800
Willson Contreras is one of the best catchers in baseball with the bat. He posted a 121 wRC+ last season and is still only improving at age 25. He's facing Marlins starter Odrisamer Despaigne, who had an abysmal 12.2% K-rate and a 9.5% walk-rate last year. The Cubs are going to absolutely tee off on Despaigne, and Contreras will rack up lots of RBI batting cleanup.
Miguel Cabrera - 1B, at PIT, $4,500
Cabrera is one of baseball's biggest question marks this season, but his upside when he's healthy is one of the best hitters in baseball. Even if he's not that, he can still have a productive day against Pirates starter Trevor Williams, owner of a 4.07 ERA in 2017. Consider Cabrera in GPPs, where his upside will pay off.
Neil Walker - 2B, at TOR, $3,400
Anybody who is batting in the high-powered Yankees lineup should be considered at this price. Walker has plenty of opportunities at runs and RBI by just existing around hitters like Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. Toronto is a great hitter's park, so run-scoring should be even higher. And it's not like Walker can't hit, either, as he posted a stellar 127 wRC+ against right-handed pitching last year. He's a great buy at a great price.
Alex Bregman - 3B, at TEX, $4,500
Alex Bregman eats lefties for breakfast, as evidenced by his insane 160 wRC+ against southpaws in 2017. He's facing Matt Moore, who put up a 5.52 ERA in 174 1/3 innings last year, and who is now pitching in a hitter-friendly park. Bregman bats second in the Astros lineup, after George Springer and before Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa. He's a lock on Saturday.
Tim Anderson - SS, at KC, $3,900
Tim Anderson might not be a great "real-life" hitter, but he has plenty of value in daily fantasy because of his power/speed combo. He gets to face off against Ian Kennedy on Saturday, who was one of the worst regular starters in the bigs last year with a 5.61 FIP. Kennedy gives up homers like it's his job, with a 1.99 HR/9 last year, so don't be surprised if Anderson adds to his home run total.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Matt Kemp - OF, vs SF, $3,800
Matt Kemp certainly isn't the hitter that he once was, but if there's one thing he can still do, it's that he can mash lefties. He's got a career .921 OPS against left-handed pitching and faces against Derek Holland on Saturday. Holland had a horrendous 7.46 Deserved Run Average last year, so get as many Dodgers in your lineup as you can (including Kemp, of course!)
Max Kepler - OF, at BAL, $3,400
Max Kepler gets an awesome matchup against Andrew Cashner on Saturday. On the surface, it may appear that Cashner had himself a nice 2017, but the underlying stats show that he's got serious regression on the way. Cashner posted just a 12.2% K-rate with a 9.1% walk-rate - he's a ticking time bomb. Oriole Park is a launching pad for batters, so Kepler should have himself a nice day at a low price.
Odubel Herrera - OF, at ATL, $3,500
Herrera is a solid cash game play, as he may not have a huge ceiling, but provides you with a strong floor. He can give you nice production from the three-hole, where he can put up runs and RBI in an improved Phillies lineup. Odubel has a bit of pop and a bit of speed, so there's lots of ways he can help out your lineups on Saturday.
