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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/18/20. Eric Samulski's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
We had only a small 6-game slate on Thursday night, so it's like Christmas morning looking at this 12-game slate tonight. There are a couple of top-end arms and a few main bats to focus on. We still have Coors in play as well which may lower the amount some of the other strong offenses are rostered. It should be another fun slate as we head to the close of the MLB season.
When looking at the slate the top-priced arm is Zack Greinke against a poor Diamondbacks lineup, but you can also pivot to Tyler Glasnow, Chris Paddack, or Zach Plesac. When it comes to value arms it is a little more difficult, but we shall find some once lineups are released and we can see which offenses are a little friendlier to target. As with yesterday, with Coors in play, many will flock to the matchup between the Dodgers and Rockies, hopefully lowering the amount the Yankees and even Angels are rostered. Overall it is a straight forward night, but make sure to listen to MLB DFS Quick Hits to get all the angles for tonight's slate.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/18/2020. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports too.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Zach Plesac - P, CLE at DET ($8,500)
There are a few high-priced offenses that I'd like to target tonight, so paying this price for Plesac against a mediocre offense is extremely enticing to me. He had a rough last outing against a stacked Twins lineup, but he has been dominant all year, registering a 2.20 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, and a 23.5 K-BB%. The Tigers lead the league with a 27.3 K%, so Plesac should be able to push towards double-digit strikeouts in a game where we should also feel confident in his ability to get the win bonus. With the higher priced options struggling (Glasnow), coming back from injury (Max Fried), or facing good offenses (Kyle Hendricks, Zac Gallen), Plesac is definitely one of my favorite pitchers on the slate.
Danny Duffy- P, KC at MIL ($7,800)
If you don't want to roster two high-priced arms, I like Duffy as a potential SP2. He was scheduled to start earlier in the week but missed the team's flight. While a player being disciplined is never a good thing, it does mean that Duffy isn't injured and received a few extra days of rest, which could help him against a Brewers team that is seventh-worst in the league in K% against LHP with a 24.5% mark. Duffy has found his swing-and-miss stuff again this year, raising his K% to 23.9% and is giving up only 27.1% hard contact, down from 39.1% last year. He's also had a brutal schedule with multiple starts against the White Sox and Twins. I think this will be a nice respite for him, and while I don't expect a huge game, I like his floor and chances to be a low-priced SP2 option who won't torpedo your lineup.
Other Options: Chris Paddack (SD at SEA) $8,800, Zack Greinke (HOU vs ARI) $10,100
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Will Smith - C, LAD at Ryan Castellani ($4,800)
I know we don't usually like to pay up at catcher, but Will Smith has really begun to separate himself from the pack. He's hitting .436 over his last 10 games with 2 HR and 9 RBI, which has led the Dodgers to move him into the middle of their high-powered offense. Now he gets to travel to Coors to face Castellani, who has allowed a 2.36 HR/9 and a 90.4 mph average exit velocity. His 4.46 ERA is not at all supported by his 7.19 FIP and 5.96 SIERA, and I think the Dodgers could wallop him tonight. If you can find value in other spots, I love the idea of paying up for Smith.
Luke Voit - 1B, NYY vs Martin Perez ($5,300)
There are a ton of first baseman you can pay up for tonight, but I have to mention Voit because he has been absolutely crushing the baseball. He has hit four home runs in his last three games and seven in his last 10. He's hitting .326 over that 10 game span with 17 RBI and 13 R as a huge part of these Yankees onslaughts. While his average against LHP hasn't been great this year, he is also sporting a .182 BABIP which has driven that down. The quality of contact is great, with a .417 ISO and .397 wOBA against southpaws. A slight knock against him tonight is that Perez has controlled his home runs, with only a 1.21 HR/9. However, the Yankees can still hit him around the yard and then get into Boston's weak bullpen, where Voit can do even more damage.
(NOTE: I also really like Jared Walsh tonight if you don't want to pay up for Voit)
Other Options: Freddie Freeman (ATL at NYM) $5,700, Jose Abreu (CWS at CIN) $5,100, Hunter Dozier (KC at MIL) $4,100, Jared Walsh (LAA vs TEX) $4,000
DJ LaMahieu- 2B/3B, NYY vs Martin Perez ($5,600)
Value is not nearly as strong at 2B as it is at other positions today. There are some dart throw options in good environments who haven't been hitting well lately, but nothing that is screaming out to me. That means I may opt to pay down at other positions and go for a sure thing here. DJL is another Yankee who has caught fire of late, hitting .400 over his last 10 games with 6 HR, 11 RBI, 16 R, and a crazy 8:3 BB:K ratio. He is seeing the ball incredibly well and is another strong option against a mediocre Red Sox pitching staff.
Other Options: Jose Altuve (HOU vs ARI) $3,700, Ryan McMahon (COL vs LAD) $3,600
Jose Ramirez - 3B, CLE at Michael Fulmer ($5,300)
Most people are going to be looking to attack Coors and the Yankees tonight, but the Indians are an intriguing stack to me that will likely be low-owned. Michael Fulmer has struggled tremendously in his return from a knee injury that kept him out all last year. He will only be serving as the opener (again), but he currently sports a 9.27 ERA, a 2.82 HR/9, and is giving up an average exit velocity of 91.7 mph. Jose Ramirez just went 4-5 with 2 HR last night and his hitting .405 over his last 10 games with 5 HR, 8 RBI, and 9 Runs. I expect people to attack other options at the position, so he might be a nice lower-rostered option.
Other Options: Manny Machado (SD at SEA) $5,400, Justin Turner (LAD at COL) $5,200, Gio Urshela (NYY vs BOS) $4,500, Edwin Rios (LAD at COL) $3,400
Xander Bogaerts - SS, BOS, at Jordan Montgomery ($4,700)
Below, you'll see a lot more of the common names to play on tonight's slate, which is why I wanted to target Xander. The Red Sox haven't been good this year as a team, but their offense has been OK and Bogaerts has been pretty good, particularly against left-handed pitching. On the season he's hitting .360 with a .280 ISO, 1.047 OPS, and .440 wOBA against lefties. Jordan Montgomery was good in his last start against Baltimore, but he's been inconsistent on the season and is certainly a hittable option for Bogaerts and the Sox. I think many people will opt for other options around this price range, so he could be under-rostered.
Other Options: Trevor Story (COL vs LAD) $5,600, Francisco Lindor (CLE at DET) $5,500, Corey Seagar (LAD at COL) $5,300
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Giancarlo Stanton - OF, NYY vs Martin Perez ($4,300)
This will be the last Yankee I write up; I swear. Stanton is hot at the moment, and we know that when the big man gets going, you're going to want to be on board. He's played only two games since coming off the IL, but last night he went 4-5 with a HR and 2 RBI, so perhaps he's beginning to get his timing back. His price is one of the more affordable Yankees on the slate, which makes him easier to fit into stacks or a way to get one-off exposure to a dynamic lineup.
AJ Pollock- OF, LAD at Ryan Castellani ($4,200)
Everybody already knows that Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger have good match-ups today and you should absolutely play them if you can afford to get them into your lineup; however, I wanted to highlight a Dodgers pivot play at a more affordable salary. Pollock was available last night as a pinch-hitter, which makes me think that his hamstring may be healed enough to get him into the starting lineup tonight. He's hit .325 over his last 10 games with 4 HR, 7 RBI, and 8 Runs. After a down August, he has really rebounded and is actually hitting .314 over the entire month of September while batting in the middle of a loaded Dodgers lineup, in Coors, against a bad arm. I love this at the price, but make sure you check the lineup to ensure he's in there.
Marcel Ozuna - OF, ATL at Steven Matz ($4,900)
I really like the Braves offense tonight against Matz in his first game off of the IL. I expect them to get to him early, and the Mets bullpen was taxed last night after Seth Lugo could only get through two innings. The power hasn't been there for Ozuna of late, but his 14 HR and .277 ISO on the season tell us that's it's definitely in there. He's been making good contact with a .295 average over his last 10 games and his place in the middle of the Braves lineup ensures that he'll have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs if they get going.
Other options: Mookie Betts (LAD at COL) $6,000, Mike Trout (LAA vs TEX) $5,900, Charlie Blackmon (COL vs LAD) $5,600, Adam Duvall (ATL at NYM) $4,500, Ryan Braun (MIL vs KC) $3,600
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- COORS- some really nice value to go with the studs, both teams in play with the Dodgers going with a bullpen game
- New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox (Martin Perez, LHP)
- Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers (Jimmy Herget, RHP) - bullpen game
- Sneaky Stack- Houston Astros at Arizona Diamondbacks (Zac Gallen, RHP)
- No Ownership Stack- Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago White Sox (Jonathan Stiever, RHP)
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