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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on April 22nd, 2022. Brian Entrekin's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Welcome back to another edition of the FREE DraftKings and FanDuel MLB DFS picks. Today we have a massive 13-game slate on tap. With 13 games, there will be arguments for many pitchers and many stacks to build around. There is no Coors Field in play, and as of this writing, no game totals above 8.5. Finding that team that goes nuts offensively will be the entertaining part of tonight's slate.
It's a massive slate meaning there will be a lot of ways to build tonight. Some may pay up for Justin Verlander, but he has a tough matchup against Toronto, so that I will pass. There are six or so pitchers I will target, but there are not a ton of arms that make you feel all warm and fuzzy. Nailing your pitchers has been easier in recent days, but tonight should be tough. If feeling frisky, you can take some chances with Freddy Peralta or Trevor Rogers, but it is very risky. For a full slate breakdown, listen to MLB DFS Quick Hits.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for Fanduel and DraftKings on 4/22/2022. 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 and ask away!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Kyle Wright - P, ATL vs. MIA ($9,300 DK, $9,000 FD)
Wright has been outstanding to start the season. Throwing at least five innings in each start, allowing two runs, and sticking out 15. His increased velocity and pitch mix change has led to zero barrels this season and only a hard-hit rate of 32%. Wright has been so effective that he is causing a 13.7% SwStr with a 20.2% CStr, suitable for a 33.9% CSW. Tonight, he heads back to Atlanta to take on the Marlins. A Marlins team is striking out 23.2% of the time leading into Thursday night. So strikeouts should be plenty for Wright, and if he can limit the damage once again, he could be in line for a third straight 20+ fantasy point night.
Brad Keller - P, KC at SEA ($8,200 DK, $9,100 FD)
Keller has lured us in before, and we know how that turned out. So here we are again as Keller has looked great in his first two starts, throwing 13 innings, allowing two runs, and striking out ten. He is letting a 9.4% barrel rate to go with a 37.5% hard-hit rate which is not too shabby either. His 11.6% SwStr is not elite but is the best of his career and is a part of a nice 26.5% CSW. Again, there is nothing elite from Keller, but he is pretty serviceable. He will face a Mariners team tonight that is striking out around 20% of the time versus an RHP with a .235 batting average. Keller makes for a cash gameplay with the potential to score 20+ points.
Other options: Freddy Peralta at PHI ($8,900 DK, $9,900 FD), Tarik Skubal vs. COL ($8,600 DK, $7,900 FD), Michael Kopech at MIN ($8,400 DK, $9,500 FD), Bruce Zimmermann at LAA ($7,500 DK, $7,700 FD)
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Josh Naylor - 1B/OF, CLE at Jameson Taillon ($2,600 DK, $2,300 FD)
Naylor returned from the IL a few games ago and has been raking. He has gone 2-4 in three straight games with a double. Naylor is barreling the ball well over 20% of the time with a hard-hit rate over 50% in this early going. Naylor will look to stay hot tonight versus Taillon, who has been ok this season but not great. Taillon has allowed one home run in each start so far, and last season was allowing 1.8 HR/9 versus LHP. Naylor and the Guardians have been sneaky offensively, so ride the hot bats and the value like Naylor that comes with them.
Ozzie Albies - 2B, ATL vs. Trevor Rogers ($4,600 DK, $4,000 FD)
Albies took over leadoff duties for the Braves ten games ago, and he has been mashing. Albies has hit safely in eight of ten games with five home runs and three doubles, and he even threw in a stolen base. He has a .256 average, a .419 ISO, and a .979 OPS with a .214 BABIP, which is impressive. Albies is even barreling the ball 15.2% of the time. He is straight mashing and faces an LHP tonight, which is icing on the cake for Albies. Over his career, he is hitting .338 with a .245 ISO and .952 OPS. I love Albies tonight as a cash game play, GPP one-off, and a part of a Braves stack.
Sheldon Neuse- 2B/3B, OAK vs. Glenn Otto ($3,000 DK, $2,500 FD)
On Thursday, Neuse went 3-4, extending his hitting streak to four games. It is not just the four games for Neuse; he has been hitting all season. After Thursday, Neuse is hitting .368 with a home run and eight RBI. With success at the plate, he has an impressive 180 wRC+. Neuse was hitting fifth most of the time, which is excellent, but of late has been hitting second, which bodes even well for his fantasy value. Neuse is one of the better values on the slate tonight.
Jeremy Pena- SS, HOU vs. Ross Stripling ($4,200 DK, $2,900 FD)
Pena took the starting shortstop role for the Astros and has run with it. He is hitting .308 with six extra-base hits (two home runs), a .282 ISO, and .953 OPS. Now he is leading off with Jose Altuve on the IL, increasing Pena's fantasy value. He will face Stripling tonight, who made it four strong in his last start, but as a whole, I will take some chances attacking him for DFS. Last season RHH hit .270 with a .520 SLG and 2.3 HR/9 versus Stripling. I like the Astros a lot tonight, and pairing Pena with Yordan Alvarez feels like a great starting point.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Taylor Ward- 3B/OF, LAA vs. Bruce Zimmermann ($3,700 DK, $2,400 FD)
Ward started the season on the IL but, since returning, has raked, hitting safely in four of five games. He has two extra-base hits, a stolen base and is walking over 20% of the time in his short five-game sample. Ward is only barreling the ball 7.7% of the time but does have a nice hard-hit rate of 46.2%. He will face Zimmermann tonight, who has been great to start the season, but is this sustainable? Last season, Zimmermann allowed RHH to hit .283 with a .483 SLG and 1.9 HR/9. It seems like a great spot and an even better value with targeting Ward.
Aaron Hicks - OF, NYY vs. Eli Morgan ($3,600 DK, $2,600)
Hicks has been swinging a solid bat this season, but after back-to-back 0-4 performances, some may be jumping off the ship. But, as I am still in on Hicks, I hope they will, especially in a great matchup back home in the Bronx. Tonight he will face Morgan, who has only pitched six innings over his three appearances, allowing three runs. So, Morgan likely will not be long for the game, meaning a lot of Cleveland bullpen. But, look for Hicks and the Yankees to get back on track tonight, so enjoy Hicks hitting leadoff at a nice discount.
Cody Bellinger- OF, LAD at Nick Martinez ($3,100 DK, $3,400 FD)
Bellinger appears to be figuring things out at the plate. He has hit safely in six of his last ten games, with multiple hits in each game. In addition, Bellinger has six extra-base hits and three stolen bases with a .343 average over the ten-game stretch. The contact quality is still excellent, with a 13.6% barrel rate and 54.5% hard-hit rate. The production has been great, but a few things do not look great, most notably a 32.5% strikeout rate. Nevertheless, Bellinger is too cheap tonight and should be an excellent value for many tournament builds.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
San Francisco Giants at Washington Nationals (Patrick Corbin, LHP)
Corbin has been really bad to start the season, allowing ten runs over 12 innings in his three starts. Surprisingly he has not allowed a home run yet, but that can change with the Giants tonight. The Giants are great at playing the platoon game, so look at many of the Giants' RHH threats. Darin Ruf, Wilmer Flores, Thairo Estrada, and Austin Slater are some of the RHH to pair with the usual suspects for the Giants.
New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians (Eli Morgan, RHP)
The Yankees have let everyone down for most of the season, but it is not time to give up yet. They return to the Bronx and have a great matchup versus Morgan and the Guardians bullpen. Hicks is too cheap leading off, and you can build with the big boys in the outfield and Josh Donaldson and others.
Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics (Adam Oller, RHP)
It is never fun stacking games in Oakland, but this matchup is hard to pass up. The Rangers will face Oller, who has allowed eight runs (seven earned) over two appearances (4.2 IP). Oller has allowed ten hits, two home runs, and walked six. The Rangers should feast, so look to pay up for Marcus Semien and Corey Seager while pairing up with some of the excellent value that they have daily.
There are many stacking options tonight so check roster rates and lineups as they are released to get different with your builds.
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