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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/30/21. Euan Leith's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Monday, Rotoballers! It's hard to imagine we are nearing the final month of the regular season, and yet here we are. The last Monday in August offers up nine games on the DraftKings slate. There are a couple of earlier contests during the day, but we will not be grabbing any arms or bats from that duo of games. For once, it's the West Coast with the majority of fun on the schedule. Three on the East Coast, one in the Central time zone, and then five games on the West Coast throw their first pitch out after 9:30 pm Eastern. So grab that extra cup of coffee today and be prepared for a whole night of baseball.
Nine games would usually mean 18 pitchers, but the New York Yankees indicate they will use Corey Kluber and Andrew Heaney in a piggyback situation. Therefore, we look at 19 pitchers on the board. It'll be a night where I lean on the expensive pitchers. The eye-popping strikeout numbers from some of the $9,000 pitchers keep catching my eye. However, I can never dismiss German Marquez surprising us in a road start, and, despite being burned several times in 2021, seeing Chris Paddack matchup with the Diamondbacks could be a dart throw GPP play.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/30/2021. 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, find me on Twitter and ask away.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Robbie Ray - P, TOR vs. BAL ($9,700)
If you're playing in a cash contest, you may need to eat the chalk and roster, Robbie Ray. The Blue Jays southpaw is also an excellent option as your anchor SP1 in tournaments. Since the All-Star break, Ray is posting a 1.92 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and a ludicrous 30.7 percent strikeout rate. In his last three appearances, he's struck out eight, 11, and 14 batters and averaged 32.2 fantasy points per contest. Of course, it's tough to expect double-digit strikeouts from any pitcher, but he's facing an Orioles lineup with a 23.8 percent strikeout rate and a .299 weighted On-Base Average versus left-handers in August.
Luis Garcia - P, HOU at SEA ($9,200)
I wasn't kidding about leaning on the big guns. If you have to pivot off Robbie Ray, Luis Garcia would be my second-favorite SP1 candidate. However, if you can figure how to fit both of these arms into your Monday lineups, it's going to give you an extremely sound foundation to build upon. Garcia is one of the season's breakout stars and a massive candidate for AL Rookie of the Year. In 24 games, the righty has a 3.21 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 144 strikeouts in 123 1/3 innings. His 31.1 percent strikeout rate since the All-Star break is the highest among the 19 pitchers on the slate, and it matches up perfectly with Seattle's 24.8 percent K rate to righties.
Other options: Zack Wheeler at WAS ($10,000), German Marquez at TEX ($8,500), Chris Paddack at ARI ($5,600)
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Will Smith - C, LAD vs. Drew Smyly ($4,600)
Rostering Smith is a tough call because the Dodgers move him up and down the lineup. In his last four starts, Smith has hit fifth, eighth, seventh, and fourth. If he can sneak into the fourth or fifth spot tonight, I love his value at $4,600. The Dodgers gave their primary catcher the day off on Sunday, so Smith should be good to go for his matchup with Drew Smyly. The 26-year old is on a bit of a run right now, with nine hits in his last seven games to pair with a double, three home runs, five runs, and five RBI.
Luke Voit - 1B, NYY at Jose Quintana ($3,300)
Selecting Luke Voit into my DFS lineup tonight is a bit of a gut feeling. However, I would encourage all DFS and season-long fantasy managers to use it in their decision-making process. We can micro-analyze all the numbers we want, but if you have a feeling about someone: play them. Recently, Voit's success came in the home-run-friendly dimensions of Yankee Stadium. However, he reminded us just how dangerous he could be with one swing of the bat with a 423 foot shot in Oakland on Friday night. Tonight, he will have the righty-on-lefty advantage we all like to see versus Jose Quintana and his 19.1 percent home run to fly ball ratio.
Nick Solak - 2B, TEX vs. German Marquez ($2,300)
Andy Ibanez (hamstring) won't be playing anytime soon, and it's opened the door for Nick Solak to have a full-time spot on the Rangers' lineup card. Since returning to the major league team on Aug. 21, Solak is 11-for-38 with five runs, two doubles, a home run, and six RBI. Those numbers cover seven games, and the infielder has snagged four multi-hit efforts in those seven. While I admit it's not the most exciting choice, Solak averages 10.4 fantasy points per game and offers sneaky upside at only $2,300.
Austin Riley - 3B, ATL at Julio Urias ($4,600)
Austin Riley was not a bad player in the first half of the 2021 campaign. However, that player is nowhere near what Austin Riley has become in the second half of this season. In 40 games, the Braves' third baseman has tallied eight doubles, 14 home runs, 30 runs, and 38 RBI while touting a 1.083 OPS and a .451 wOBA. He's scored at least 15 fantasy points in five of his last 10 games and has multi-hit games in six of those same 10 games.
Wander Franco - SS, TB vs. Nick Pivetta ($5,000)
Tampa Bay's wunderkind Wander Franco had a rough start to his MLB career. In the first half, he scraped together a .197 batting average in 15 games. But, well, he's already starting to come around to the major league level and show how dominant he can become. In 37 second-half contests, Franco slashes .306/.368/.497 with 10 doubles, three triples, and four home runs. Again, the shortstop shows just how special he can be, and his 11.2 FPPG over his last ten games will fit nicely into any roster construction.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
George Springer - OF, TOR vs. Chris Ellis ($4,900)
Springer is expected back in the Blue Jays lineup, and it would be a classic Springer thing to come back with a bang. I watched him leadoff for the Astros for several years, and he is always a threat to hit the ball out of the park in a hurry. His first year north of the border (or in Buffalo and Florida) has been spent on the IL more than the diamond, but when he's playing, he is lethal. In 42 games with Toronto, Springer is crushing a near career-high .972 OPS and is averaging a home run every 11.3 plate appearances. He will instantly slot into the heart of the Blue Jays lineup and look to take advantage of some weak Baltimore pitching to begin the week.
Odubel Herrera - OF, PHI at Josiah Gray ($3,900)
Since Aug. 10, the top three outfielders in wOBA are Tyler Naquin (.598), Ian Happ (.515), and Odubel Herrera (.500). During this stretch, Herrera is recording a .361/.410/.806 slash line with four home runs, six RBI, and seven runs. He's batting leadoff for a Phillies lineup desperate to get back in the NL East hunt and comes in at $3,900. Herrera will see Josiah Gray on the mound tonight, and despite a practical 3.09 ERA, the underlying numbers suggest the rookie is getting his fair share of luck. His FIP stands at 5.85, and he's giving up 2.54 home runs per nine innings. Nevertheless, Herrera is seeing the ball exceptionally well now, and I think he can knock some regression into the Washington Nationals' pitcher.
Brandon Marsh - OF, LAA vs. Corey Kluber ($2,500)
The list I mentioned above with Odubel Herrera includes Brandon Marsh in the fifth slot. His .470 wOBA is incredibly impressive, and he has been an unsung breakout for the Angels in the second half. I'm confused why they won't put his bat higher in the lineup, but he's still providing positive fantasy results for our DFS squads. The outfielder has 11 hits in his last five games with four runs, a double, a home run, and seven RBI while averaging 13.2 FPPG in those contests. At $2,500, Marsh is too easy to fit in your lineup not to have in there. Plus, with the number of expensive arms on the slate, you'll be thankful for the salary relief Marsh provides.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Houston Astros at Seattle Mariners (Chris Flexen, RHP)
- Game stack: Boston Red Sox (Nick Pivetta, RHP) at Tampa Bay Rays (Luis Patino, RHP)
- Game stack: New York Yankees (Corey Kluber, RHP) at Los Angeles Angels (Jose Quintana, LHP)
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