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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/7/21. Euan Leith's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Wednesday, RotoBallers! It's an ace day in DFS with recent Cy Young winners Trevor Bauer, Blake Snell, and Shane Bieber all getting their second starts of the young season. You'll find those three sitting at the top of the pitching salaries facing some weak offenses in the middle of the week.
DraftKings is switching things up with a day slate on Wednesday. There are only two traditional night games this evening, and that wouldn't have been fun for anyone involved. So I am grateful to have 10 games to pick and choose from as we build our DFS lineups. We lose Coors Field, but that should take some of the chalk away from today's contests.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/7/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It’s also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Dallas Keuchel - P, CWS at SEA ($7,400)
Keuchel didn't have the start to the 2021 season he was hoping for against the Los Angeles Angels and will look to make amends versus the Seattle Mariners. He was spotted a 7-1 lead in his season debut but couldn't hold it together long enough for the win. He only scored 6.8 DraftKings fantasy points in that one, but he will blow that number away against the Mariners.
I picked on Seattle with Carlos Rodon in Monday picks, and I'm going back to the well with Keuchel. In 2020, they struck out 27.3 percent of the time against lefties, and it's worse than that this year. In 43 plate appearances, they've struck out 17 times (39.5 percent), and it puts Keuchel in a fantastic spot. As long as he doesn't pitch himself into trouble as he did on Opening Day, the 2015 AL Cy Young winner should grab his DFS managers a win and a higher-than-usual amount of strikeouts.
Hyun-Jin Ryu - P, TOR at TEX ($7,300)
With so many big names taking the mound today, there are some fantastic values at starting pitcher. One, in particular, is Ryu. He didn't blow anyone away on Opening Day versus the New York Yankees, but he did exceptionally well at limiting the high-powered Bronx Bombers. In 5.1 innings, Ryu allowed two earned runs, four hits, and one walk, with five strikeouts for a modest 15 fantasy points.
Today, the southpaw will have a chance to pick up the win and rack up some strikeouts against the Texas Rangers. Last season, the Rangers struck out 26 percent of the time against left-handed pitching. The team from Dallas also constructed a lowly .220/.279/.363 slash line versus lefties in 2020. Ryu would be in the $8-$9,000 range on a non-ace day versus this lineup, and I will happily take the savings on Wednesday.
Other Options: Trevor Bauer at OAK ($10,200), Brandon Woodruff at CHC ($7,200)
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Yasmani Grandal - C, CWS at SEA ($5,500)
Rostering the most expensive catcher won't be a popular strategy, but few at the position have the same upside as Grandal. He's hit fifth or sixth in every game he's played and already has two multi-hit efforts in the young season. On the year, the switch-hitting backstop has a .922 OPS with four runs, one home run, and five RBI. Grandal and the White Sox face Justin Dunn, a righty with a career 4.13 ERA and a 6.44 FIP. Grandal's ability to hit both sides of the plate also gives him an advantage whenever the M's go to their bullpen on Wednesday. The 32-year old sat out last night's contest and should slot into an RBI-producing position for the White Sox in his return to the lineup.
Jake Cronenworth - 1B/2B, SD vs. SF ($3,800)
San Diego will not be as explosive without Fernando Tatis Jr. in their lineup, but we should still expect big things from this offense. Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer, Wil Myers, and Tommy Pham will all be integral as the team looks to steady the ship after their big injury blow. Another member of the team that will need to step up is Jake Cronenworth. The righty-smasher is off to a hot start in 2021 with a .381/.500/.571 slash line and three extra-base hits. The 27-year old has also hit first or second in each of his last three games and has five walks to one strikeout so far. Priced at $3,800, leading off, and facing a righty (Kevin Gausman) gives Cronenworth a big leg up to get in your DFS lineups.
Jorge Polanco - 2B, MIN at DET ($3,400)
It's not very often that a player slashing .091/.167/.091 will find his way into this article. However, I'm buying into a Twins stack versus Matt Boyd, and Jorge Polanco is a discount piece batting at the top of a scorching lineup. The Twins have put up 27 runs in their last three games, and it's only a matter of time before Polanco comes good on his end of the bargain. On Monday, he went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI apiece but followed it up with an 0-for-5 performance yesterday. The encouraging aspect is the 10 at-bats he got over the last two games. Nelson Cruz and Byron Buxton are swinging red-hot bats behind Polanco, and Luis Arraez has a .500 on-base percentage ahead of him. The production is coming, and the price is low enough to take the chance on it starting today.
Alec Bohm - 3B, PHI vs. NYM ($3,100)
Bohm has a meager price on Wednesday, and DFS managers should happily slot him into their lineups. Despite early-career reverse splits against left-handed pitching, I still like this matchup against David Peterson. Even if you take the matchup out of the equation, Bohm is a solid play. $3,100 for a player batting second (like he did on Tuesday), fourth, or fifth in this Phillies lineup will present opportunities. The 24-year old only has four hits on the season, but they've all come in his last three games. I will keep believing today is the day Bohm breaks out as long as he is priced in this low $3,000 range.
Xander Bogaerts - SS, BOS vs. TB ($5,400)
After a dismal start, Bogaerts and the Red Sox woke up from their winter slumber. After going 1-for-12 in the opening series versus the Orioles, the two-time All-Star has put it together against the Rays. In his last two games, Bogaerts is 5-for-9 with two runs, a double, one RBI, a walk, and even tossed in a stolen base last night. He's averaging 15 fantasy points per game for the series and will see lefty Ryan Yarbrough on the mound. The Rays used six different relievers in last night's 12-inning loss. If the Red Sox can get to Yarbrough early enough, they will have the chance to continue their hot-hitting series against a tired bullpen to wrap up the three-game set.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Nelson Cruz - OF, MIN at DET ($5,100)
The pairing of a hot-hitting Nelson Cruz with a home-run giving Matt Boyd feels like a match made in heaven for DFS players. After an opening weekend series where he was limited to pinch-hitting duties, Cruz has hit the ground running to kick off his 2021. In the first two games against the Tigers, the veteran slugger is 4-for-11 with four runs, a double, three home runs, and six RBI. Now, he will face left-handed hurler Matt Boyd in the series finale. Over the past two seasons, Boyd has a home run to fly ball rate of 18.2 percent and 19.7 percent, respectively. Cruz will look to make it three days in a row with a home run, and the matchup couldn't be better.
Eddie Rosario - OF, CLE vs. KC ($4,600)
When Eddie Rosario signed with Cleveland in the offseason, I thought he would make a suitable leadoff hitter for their team. Well, Cleveland had other plans for their new acquisition as he has hit fourth in the lineup to start the season. So far, the returns have been promising. Rosario has a .875 OPS with two runs, a home run, and four RBI. The Cleveland lineup is far from exciting, but they should be in a good spot against the Royals this afternoon. Jakob Junis is on the mound for Kansas City, but he pitched in relief over the weekend and should be used as an opener before a long reliever takes the ball. An extended look at the bullpen could be exactly what Cleveland needs as their 3-4-5 hitters (Jose Ramirez, Rosario, and Franmil Reyes) try to provide run support for Shane Bieber.
Adam Eaton - OF, CWS at SEA ($4,000)
You've got to love a leadoff man with a platoon advantage against one of the lower-priced pitchers on the slate. Adam Eaton has hit first or second in four of his first five games this season, and his teammates are driving him in quite frequently. On the season, the left-handed-hitting outfielder is 5-for-20 with seven runs, one home run, and three RBI. Tim Anderson is still on the mend from a hamstring scare, and it should keep Eaton perched atop a White Sox lineup averaging 7.3 runs per game to begin the year.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Chicago White Sox at Seattle Mariners (Justin Dunn, RHP)
- Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers (Matt Boyd, LHP)
- Sneaky Stack - Cleveland Indians vs. Kansas City Royals (Jakob Junis, RHP)
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