DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (8/5/20) - MLB DFS Lineups

I'll be going through some of the best plays at each position on DraftKings with a GPP/tournament lineup build in mind. That's not to say that these players won't work in cash-game lineups, but we're looking to provide high-upside plays for the most part (it's more fun that way, anyway). As a reminder, it is best practice to stack 3-5 hitters from the same team for DFS purposes, so try to envision how the games will play out and build your lineups from there. Utilizing unique lineup combinations (i.e the nine, one, two, and three hitters) is another great way to differentiate.

DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers

Yu Darvish - P, CHC vs. KC ($10,400)

We're heading into the third time through the rotation for each team, and while it's important not to put to much stake into one or two starts, we can start to identify certain trends and use that to our advantage. Darvish is 1-1 with a shaky debut against Milwaukee (4 IP, 3 ER, 5 K) coupled with a dominant win over Pittsburgh (6 IP, 0 ER, 7 K) in his last outing. His early-season advanced metrics are great, though, as his 1.24 FIP, 2.13 xFIP, 2.62 SIERA, 18.2% SwStr%, and 30% K% all lead the slate. You're chasing the strikeout-upside and the win-equity here and the Royals are happy to oblige as they currently sit at 105 strikeouts, eighth-most in the league. Their projected lineup has six hitters with a 22% strikeout rate or higher. They also have the ninth-worst OPS against RHP this season. Yu gotta love Darvish in this spot.

Randy Dobnak - P, MIN vs PIT ($7,200)

This dude is a former Uber driver, played for the Utica Unicorns in the United Shore Professional Baseball League, and got signed by the Twins "off the strength of his YouTube videos." How can you not root for the guy? He's ultra-cheap and has had success this season, going 1-1 in two starts (nine innings) with a 1.00 ERA, 19.4% K%, and a 12.0% SwStr%  in 2020. He may not go too deep in the game, but this Pirates offense is terrible as they rank dead-last in OPS to RHP and have eight hitters in their projected lineup with strikeout rates over 20% (three are over 31%). The Twins shouldn't have any trouble providing early run support against Trevor Williams, giving Dobnak a great chance a securing a win and providing great value as a possibly-overlooked SP2 option.

Other options: Lance McCullers Jr. (HOU vs ARI) $8,300, Ross Stripling (LAD vs SD) $7,800, Dallas Keuchel (CHW vs MIL) $7,400

DraftKings DFS Infielders

Jorge Polanco - SS, MIN vs PIT ($3,900)

Pirates pitcher Trevor Williams hasn't made it through the fourth inning yet, allowing the Cubs and Cardinals to combine for nine hits, five earned runs, and two homers. He has a 5.40 ERA and hasn't kept the ball on the ground (30.4% GB%), and he wasn't any better in 2019. He simply doesn't have the stuff to contain this offense, and neither does the Pirates bullpen. Polanco is a very affordable way to get a key piece in the Twins stack. He's not off to a great start but his .098 ISO is way overdue for positive regression. Polanco is a switch hitter but does much better when facing RHP - in 2019 his OPS was .891 against RHP and .728 against LHP. Bank on the talent and the lineup protection winning out here.

Jose Altuve - 2B, HOU vs ARI ($5,700)

Altuve is expensive but well-worth the pay up at the 2B position. Robby Ray has some of the worst 2020 numbers on the slate, rocking a 8.64 ERA, 2.16 WHIP, 8.32 FIP, 20.9% BB%, and an egregious 3.2 HR/9 rate. He also leads the slate with an unbelievable 60.9% FB% - he just can't keep the ball on the ground or in the yard. Of course, he does have strikeout potential at a 25.6% K%, but Altuve historically mashes lefty's and that seems likely to continue tonight.

Pablo Sandoval - 1B/3B, SF vs COL ($3,800)

Sandoval is past his prime but he's still seeing regular playing time for the Giants in 2020. The 33-year-old isn't having a great season as he's hitting just .115/.200/.115 over 30 at-bats, but he has a few things going for him. He has a monster 47.8% hard hit rate in those 30 at-bats, and his .130 BABIP indicates he should see some positive regression there. The top angle here is that Sandoval has had success against Jon Gray, going 5-for-13 with two doubles and three walks against him in his career. He's cheap, he shouldn't be popular, and he has the power upside at Coors Field to propel you to profits.

Other options: Luis Arraez (MIN vs PIT) $3,300, Alex Bregman (HOU vs ARI) $5,300, Carlos Correa (HOU vs ARI) $4,300

DraftKings DFS Outfielders

David Dahl - OF, COL vs SF ($5,500)

You have to pay the price to get to the Rockies, but it's definitely a recommended play as long as you can afford it. Blackmon looks great but he's $6,000, so saving $500 to get to the leadoff man in Dahl gives you a little relief. Dahl hasn't had the best season, but he has a hit in five straight games and he hit a triple last night. Dahl is a righty-masher and the Giants are sending out rookie Logan Webb, who struggled with his command in his last start. Dahl is in a prime spot to provide value and he's overdue for a dinger.

Max Kepler - OF, MIN vs CLE ($4,100)

Kepler leads off for one of the most potent offenses in the league and he's crushing RHP this season to a tune of a 1.240 OPS and three homers. Trevor Williams is not good at all (see Polanco, Jorge), and targeting a hot hitter against him is generally a good strategy. Kepler should be popular tonight but he should also be prioritized in any Twins stacks.

Kyle Tucker - OF, HOU vs ARI ($3,900)

Kyle Tucker is likely to continue filling in for Michael Brantley (quad), who is day-to-day. The 23-year-old has had a few great fantasy outputs already, highlighted by a 3-for-5, four RBI and a double game on 7/31 against the Angels. Though we haven't yet seen it displayed on the big league level, Tucker has some serious power. He hit 34 homers and had a .289 ISO over his 463 at-bats at Triple-A in 2019. The matchup is also appealing as Robbie Ray has struggled mightily this season and he's been susceptible to the long ball.

Other options: Jo Adell (LAA vs SEA) $3,000, Alex Dickerson (SF vs COL) $4,800, Eddie Rosario (MIN vs PIT) $4,000, Nelson Cruz (MIN vs PIT) $4,900