RADIO
Welcome to Sunday baseball! We have a fun 10-game slate on our hands with plenty of options at pitcher and in the field. There are a couple aces to look at, but most of the focus should be on finding some value. It's not easy. With all focus in the world on football, we may see some leftover cash get put on baseball today.
There should we a way to gain some edge in cheaper contests, and I would endorse joining as many $1 and $2 contests as you can today. There will be some dead money for sure. Let's jump in and find a top play at each position.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/1/19. 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 Vegas Odds for today's slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports too. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @VarneyDFS.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Justin Verlander - HOU @ TOR - $12,000
Both Verlander and Corbin are in great spots tonight, and I’d be fine with either in cash games. I lean Verlander for safety reasons, as he was ejected from last game and should have no issue going well past 100 pitches. The Blue Jays May not be as bad as the Marlins, but they still strikeout 26% of the time and rank 25th in baseball vs righties with a .296 team wOBA. Verlander has been one of the best pitchers in baseball, striking out 12+ batters per nine innings while walking just two.
Michael Pineda - NYY vs. OAK - $9,300
The Tigers are absolutely terrible against righties and we’ve been picking on them all season long. Since the All-Star break, they’ve posted a .279 team wOBA, surpassing the Marlins as the worst team in baseball vs right-handed pitching. They strikeout 25% of the time and struggle vs the sinker. Pineda isn’t a perfect pitcher, but he’s affordable and the match-up couldn’t be friendlier. He’s a safe SP2 with plenty of upside in tournaments.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
C - Gary Sanchez - NYY vs. OAK (Manaea) - $4,600
There isn't much to love at catcher. I'll likely end up paying down once lineups come out, but Gary Sanchez would be the way to pay up. Sean Manaea has been activated from the 60-day DL and will make his first start against the Yankees. It's a tough lineup to open up against, and you have to think the Yankees beat him up pretty good. Sanchez is up to 32 home runs on the season and has been much better at home. He'll be in the cleanup spot tonight and has more home run upside than anyone at the position.
1B - Josh Bell - PIT @ COL (Hoffman) - $5,700
If you want exposure to the Pirates, Josh Bell is easily my favorite. He's a fly ball hitter to begin with and Coors Field boosts that like crazy. Jeff Hoffman has been terrible against righties with a .366 wOBA allowed and it goes down to a .396 at home. The Pirates are expected to put up seven plus runs tonight and Bell should be a huge part of it. He's sported a .376 wOBA on the season and is my home run pick of the night.
2B - Whit Merrifield - KC vs. BAL (Brooks) - $4,700
Second base is another spot that's tough to find anyone concrete. There are a lot of guys with upside, but there doesn't seem to be a bunch of pitchers that are utterly terrible on this slate. Aaron Brooks is certainly one of the worst, though, giving up a .347 wOBA to righties with 20 home runs in 80 innings of work. Kansas City is certainly a big ballpark, but Merrifield doesn't derive his upside from power anyway. He can get three hits, steal a base, drive in a few, and get to 20 DraftKings points. He's my favorite cash game second baseman.
3B - Kris Bryant - CHC vs. MIL (Gonzalez) - $4,400
Goo Gonzalez isn’t a terrible pitcher, but he’s nowhere near the guy he used to be. Against righties, Gio has given up a .360 wOBA and has always had problems with the long ball. Kris Bryant has had success against him in the past and it’s no surprise. Against lefties, Bryant has posted a .427 wOBA on the season with nearly half of his homers coming against them. With the Cubs losing last night, I expect a bounce back win.
SS - Jorge Polanco - MIN @ DET (Turnbull) - $4,700
The Twins are always in play, capable of hitting seven home runs in any given game. Jorge Polanco isn’t s big power source, though he is up to 20 on the season. Against righties, Polanco has sported a .375 wOBA with a 43% hard contact rate. Spencer Turnbull on the other hand, has been a bit lucky on the season and should get knocked around by this order. He’s far worse against lefties (.362 wOBA) and has a big issue with home runs (1.87 HR/9). Polanco is affordable on DraftKings and a great way to get exposure to this Indians lineup at a weaker position.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Nick Castellanos - CHC vs. MIL (Gonzalez) - $4,700
There are a ton of great outfielders to pay up for, but none stand out like crazy. We’ve already touched on the Cubs and I think these righties do a number vs Gio Gonzalez. He’s struggled with righties with a .360 wOBA and this lineup has been locked in outside of last night. Castellanos is another monster vs lefties, boasting a .433 wOBA on the season and a .482 since become a Cubbie. He’s not very expensive and has as much upside as anyone at the position.
Dexter Fowler - STL vs. CIN (Mahle) - $3,900
The Cardinals just keep on winning. Dexter Fowler should be right back in the front of the order with a righty on the mound. He’s been great vs righties, sporting a .347 wOBA and eclipsing double digit home runs. Tyler Mahle is a decent strikeout pitcher vs righties, but has posted just a .355 wOBA against left-handers. He also struggles to hold runners on base. Fowler is affordable on DraftKings and a great play in all formats.
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.
