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There are six games on tap for the main slate on both sites tonight and my goodness is picking out a pitcher (or two or DraftKings) going to be interesting. Verlander (@ SEA) and Urias (vs. CIN) are the headliners at the top, while Matz (@ MIL), Houser (vs. STL), and Taillon (@ BAL) make up the tier below. We also have Syndergaard squaring against the Rangers, Flexen in a tough matchup against the Astros, and Cincinnati's #1 prospect Hunter Greene making his second MLB start after an up-and-down debut. The Yankees, Dodgers, and Angels are all projecting to score at least five runs tonight, while the Cubs-Rockies game currently holds a monster 12-run implied total in the thin air of Denver, Colorado. Let's get to it.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for Fanduel and DraftKings on 4/16/2022, with the main slate locking at 7:05 ET. The lineup will range from some elite players to mid-priced options, and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, find me on Twitter @RING_DFS and ask away!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Justin Verlander - P, HOU vs. SEA ($9,700 DK, $10,500 FD)
I'm really not in love with any of the pitching options on this slate, to be entirely honest. Verlander is as reliable as they come, as evidenced by his incredible 17-year career as well as the 19.7 DK points he put up on the Astros in his season debut. He also has a ceiling that only Julio Urias can match on this slate, as he has finished with a strikeout rate of at least 33% in each of his last three seasons and flashed his typical form with seven punchouts in his debut. The Mariners don't roll out the same caliber of a lineup as Houston does, so the upside is even higher in this one. There's also the fact that the Mariners are projecting to score just 3.5 runs tonight, and that they'll be playing in the league's worst park for run production. Fire up the veteran.
Jameson Taillon - P, NYY vs. BAL ($7,000 DK, $8,600 FD)
It feels like Taillon will be slept on relative to the other options we have at pitcher on this slate, which is odd since he had a great debut and now gets the gift of facing an unimposing Orioles lineup. Taillon went five innings and gave up just five hits and two earned runs against the dangerous Blue Jays sluggers, and he struck out six in the outing to record 16.3 DK points. We'll take that all day at his bottom-tier price point. We're still very early in the season, but Baltimore holds the second-lowest slugging percentage (.283), the fourth-lowest wOBA (.277), and the second-highest strikeout rate (27.8%) against RHP. Almost everyone in their projected lineup held at least a 23.5% strikeout rate against RHP last season, with the lone exceptions being Mullins and Santander. There's sneaky upside for Taillon in this spot.
Others to consider (FanDuel): Julio Urias ($9,800), Noah Syndergaard ($8,200), Hunter Greene ($6,500)
Others to consider (DraftKings): Julio Urias ($9,000), Hunter Greene ($7,500)
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
C.J. Cron - 1B, COL vs. CHC ($4,000 DK, $4,100 FD)
Mark Leiter Jr. made 11 starts in 2017 for the Phillies and appeared in 40 games as a reliever in 2018. He holds an uninspiring 5.53 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP in the big leagues, and his .351 wOBA and 7.2% barrel rate are well below league average. All of this is to say that we have to like the Rockies' chances to put up a big total and a bunch of fantasy points tonight, and Cron is a prime way to start off your Rockies stack. He's absolutely mashing to the tune of a 1.057 OPS and 11.6 fantasy points per game, and he has gone yard in three of his last five contests. He also held a .240 ISO, .373 wOBA, and hit 20 homers against RHP last season, so the splits are on his side too.
Ian Happ - 2B/OF, CHC vs. COL ($3,900 DK, $3,600 FD)
Happ is priced down despite hitting for a .429 AVG and a .806 OPS in the early going. He's playing at Coors Field and should be hitting cleanup for a team projecting to score 5.8 runs, which are three big positives right off the bat (ha). He hasn't hit for any power yet this season, but he hit 25 homers last year and his high 41.% Hard Hit % suggests that he has it in him. Opposing pitcher Antonio Senzatela is not the type of pitcher we need to shy away from, especially at the top park in the MLB for fantasy points.
Freddie Freeman - 1B, LAD vs. CIN ($4,700 DK, $3,800 FD)
He hasn't posted a true ceiling game yet, but he did rack up three straight multi-hit games with three doubles prior to yesterday's 0-for-3 outing. Hunter Greene is a top prospect with some good stuff, but he got knocked around for three earned runs and two homers against Freeman's former squad (the Braves) in his season debut and things aren't going to get any easier against the Dodgers tonight.
Gleyber Torres - 2B/SS, NYY vs. BAL ($4,100 DK, $2,400)
Torres is ultra-cheap (especially on FanDuel) and hitting in a lineup projecting to score 5.3 runs tonight. I think there's room for them to go way over that number as the Orioles will be going with a bullpen game, and their bullpen was among the worst in the league last season. They rank #1 in ERA, FIP, and WAR so far this season, but it's far too early to assume they've suddenly evolved into the best bullpen in the league. Torres holds a solid .405 xwOBA and .572 xSLG so far this season.
Others to consider (FanDuel): Brad Miller ($2,900), Nathaniel Lowe ($2,600), Frank Schwindel ($3,300), Jason Castro ($2,000), Kyle Higashioka ($2,100), Mike Brosseau ($2,300), Aledmys Diaz ($2,100), Nick Madrigal ($2,900), Ramon Urias ($2,200), Josh Donaldson ($3,200), Corey Seager ($3,200), Wily Adames ($3,100), Mike Brosseau ($3,000)
Others to consider (DraftKings): Brad Miller ($3,700), Nate Lowe ($3,900), Jason Castro ($2,200), Kyle Higashioka ($3,300), Aledmys Diaz ($3,700), Nick Madrigal ($4,200), Wily Adames ($4,500)
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Andrew McCutchen - OF, MIL vs. STL ($4,500 DK, $2,900 FD)
McCutchen projects to lead off for the Brewers once again tonight, and opposing pitcher Steven Matz got rocked for seven earned runs over three innings pitched against the Pirates in his season debut. McCutchen is hasn't done a whole lot on the surface, but his batted ball metrics are looking great as his xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG all rank in the 77th-percentile or higher to this point. Look for him to hit value against a struggling, and possibly still injured, starter today.
Joey Gallo - OF, NYY vs. BAL ($4,000 DK, $2,800)
Gallo has been absolutely smashing the ball, ranking in the 98th percentile in Barrel %, 87th-percentile in Hard Hit %, and 92nd-percentile in xSLG. However, he's slashing a miserable .167/.310/.167 to this point, and he has zero homers to his credit. Taylor Wells was smacked around in his lone start this year, going just 1 and 2/3 innings while allowing four earned runs on three hits and two walks. This profiles as another bullpen game, and we have to like Gallo's chances at going yard at a cheap price against the O's subpar bullpen arms. He held a .277 ISO with 27 homers against RHP last season.
Mike Trout - OF, LAA vs. TEX ($5,700 DK, $4,400 FD)
If I'm paying up for anyone on this slate, it's Mike Trout. He has turned it on recently, going 3-for-8 with a homer, a double, three runs scored, and two walks in the first two games against the Rangers. Hearn held the Rockies to one run while recording six punchouts in his debut, but he held a .499 wOBA (bottom-7th percentile) and gave up 17 bombs over 11 starts (104 and 1/3 IP) last season. He really struggled against RHH's, too, allowing a .267 AVG, .454 SLG, .340 wOBA, and 12 of his 17 home runs allowed in that split.
Others to consider (FanDuel): Hunter Renfroe ($2,800), Corey Dickerson ($2,200), Kole Calhoun ($2,300), Aaron Hicks ($2,500), Conner Joe ($3,600), Charlie Blackmon ($3,400)
Others to consider (DraftKings): Hunter Renfroe ($4,700), Corey Dickerson ($3,100), Kole Calhoun ($3,400), Aaron Hicks ($3,100), Conner Joe ($3,5,00), Charlie Blackmon ($3,700)
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Chicago Cubs at Colorado Rockies (Mark Leiter Jr., RHP vs. Antonio Senzatela, RHP)
There are certainly occasions where it makes all the sense in the world to try to get away from the field by shying away from Coors. I don't view this as one of those times. Leiter Jr. and Senzatela are both very vulnerable pitchers and I expect this game to be full of fireworks on both sides. Cron, McMahon, Blackmon, and Diaz are my favorites for the Rockies, while Happ, Madrigal, Contreras, and Gomes are my picks for the Cubbies.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Cincinnati Reds (Hunter Greene, RHP)
Dodgers stacks are almost always a good idea with how incredible their lineup is. If Greene is going to be popular on tonight's slate, they're even more appealing. They're projecting for 5.3 runs at home tonight, and they hold the third-best OPS vs. RHP (.818) and the sixth-best wOBA (.338) to this point in the season. They've only hit six homers through seven games, but that can change on a dime. Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner, Gavin Lux, and Will Smith are my top targets.
New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles (Taylor Wells, RHP)
It's an Orioles bullpen game against the Yankees, and it seems like none of you really care. Gallo, Judge, and Hicks are my favorites, while Stanton, Torres, and Higashioka can also be mixed in.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Steven Matz, LHP)
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