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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on April 23rd, 2022. Brian Entrekin's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
We're treated with five games on the main slate tonight and as seems to be the case on weekends, we're forced to choose from a relatively weak pool of pitchers. Yu Darvish, Noah Syndergaard, Ian Anderson, and Matt Brash make up the top of the salary tier on both sites, while the rest of the options are just downright ugly. There are currently only two teams - the Mets and the Angels - projecting to score at least five runs tonight, while the Braves, Diamondbacks, and Mariners all hold implied totals in the 4.3 to 4.5 run range. Let's get to it.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for Fanduel and DraftKings on 4/23/2022, with the main slate locking at 7:20 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!
DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Matt Brash - P, SEA vs. KCR ($9,000 DK, $8,600 FD)
Brash is underpriced on FanDuel and a bit overpriced on DraftKings, but I'm looking to get to him on both sites tonight. It's a pretty simple line of reasoning: Brash has been solid through two starts while the Royals are currently one of the worst offenses in baseball. Brash put up 17 and 16.6 DK points against the White Sox and Astros, respectively, which is even more impressive when you consider that those were the prospect's first two starts at the major league level. He has 11 punchouts to this point and while the Royals haven't been striking out much, they rank as a bottom-three team in xBA (.222), wOBA (.267), wOBACON (.300), xwOBA (.288), xwOBACON (.329), barrels (20), and walks (80). They're projecting for just 3.4 runs tonight, making Brash a high-priority play on tonight's slate.
Noah Syndergaard - P, LAA vs. BAL ($8,600 DK, $10,200 FD) | Better on DraftKings
The Angels will enter tonight's slate as the heaviest favorites on the board at -250 to win against the Orioles at home. This should get our attention immediately over on DraftKings, where the Angels starting pitcher is underpriced and we have to select two pitchers in our lineups. Syndergaard posted 15 DK points against the Astros in his season debut and racked up 18.5 DK points versus the Rangers in his last start - that seems to be a solid range to project him at for tonight's matchup. His current 11.6% K% is a far cry from his 26.2% K% career average, but that number is due to normalize very soon as all of his advanced metrics suggest his strikeout rate should be much higher. His fastball velocity is close to 95 MPH and he's showing solid chase rates and whiff rates with his changeup and slider, so expect more punchouts moving forward. The Orioles lineup is full of them as they're currently striking out at the seventh-highest rate vs. RHP this season (25.1%).
Others to consider (FanDuel): Elieser Hernandez ($7,700), Yu Darvish ($9,400)
Others to consider (DraftKings): Elieser Hernandez ($7,800), Ian Anderson ($9,600)
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Christian Walker - 1B, ARI vs. NYM ($3,100 DK, $2,500 FD)
This feels a little point-chasey, but you have to be able to identify the hot bats and ride them in MLB DFS, especially when the pricing hasn't yet been adjusted. His .611 xSLG ranks in the top-eight percentile in the MLB, while his 17.1% barrel rate is also right up there at the top of the leaderboard. He went deep yesterday and he gets a soft-throwing starter in Trevor Williams tonight.
Anthony Rendon - 3B, LAA vs. BAL ($3,200 FD)
Austin Riley - 3B, ATL vs. MIA ($3,500 DK)
My priority 3B plays are different players on FanDuel and DraftKings as their prices are flipped around on the respective sites (i.e Rendon is expensive on DK, Riley is expensive on FD).
Rendon struggled out of the gate, but he has turned it on as of late with at least 9 FD points in seven of his last eight games and over 12.6 FD points in four games during that stretch. He went deep last night and he gets Spenser Watkins and (likely) a bunch of bullpen arms tonight.
Riley is in a great situation to exceed value at his DraftKings price tonight. He'll be facing Elieser Hernandez, who has given up a 10% barrel rate and three homers across his 10 and 2/3 innings pitched through two starts. We're obviously still working with a small sample size, but this certainly feels like a spot where Riley can succeed. He held an astoinding .248 ISO (.249 xISO) with 30 homers against RHP last season, and the Braves home ballpark ranks seventh in park factor.
Max Muncy - 2B/3B, LAD vs. SDP ($5,100 DK, $3,100 FD) | Better on FanDuel
I wouldn't get to much of him over on DraftKings at his egregious pricing over there, but Muncy looks like a solid option on FanDuel. He's hitting just .167 with a .709 OPS this season, but the advanced metrics suggest that he has been getting very unlucky as he holds a solid .526 xSLG, a .404 xwOBA, and a 14.7% barrel rate. He exploded for 34.7 FD points as he hit a homer, drove in three runs, and walked twice last night. He gets a pitcher who he has had trouble with in Darvish tonight, but I'm betting on the form to come through for the Dodgers' cleanup hitter tonight.
Others to consider (FanDuel): Carson Kelly ($2,200), Carlos Santana ($2,200), Jesus Aguilar ($2,400), Luke Voit ($2,800), Roughned Odor ($2,200), Ketel Marte ($2,700), Robinson Cano ($2,600), Sergio Alcantara ($2,100), Nick Ahmed ($2,000), Dansby Swanson ($2,500)
Others to consider (DraftKings): Travis d'Arnaud ($2,200), Tom Murphy ($3,000), Carlos Santana ($2,500), Trey Mancini ($2,700), Matt Olsen ($4,500), Roughned Odor ($2,900), Sergio Alcantara ($2,300), Bobby Witt Jr. ($3,000), Dansby Swanson ($2,500), Nick Ahmed ($2,500)
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Daulton Varsho - OF, ARI vs. NYM ($3,900 DK, $2,500 FD)
Picking on Trevor Williams again with this one as Varsho has been crushing the ball and is still underpriced, especially on FanDuel. He has put up at least 12 DK points in five of his last eight games and he went deep four times during that stretch. He holds a 55.2% hard-hit rate and a 20.7% barrel rate so far this season, which are both elite marks. Hop aboard the Varsho Train.
Mike Trout - OF, LAA vs. BAL ($6,000 DK, $4,400)
With all of this paying down with D-Backs bats, we have to look somewhere for raw point upside. Mike Trout feels like a good place to start. He holds a .960 OPS with two homers, three RBI, and nine runs scored this season, and those stats feel a little light considering that he ranks in the top-five percentile in xwOBA (.426) and xSLG (.647). He gets to face Spenser Watkins and the O's bullpen tonight - probably not the spot where you want to get away from him. Angel Stadium ranks eighth in park factor and ninth in total home runs over the past three years.
Pavin Smith - OF, ARI vs. NYM ($2,800 DK, $2,300 FD)
Yet another recommendation from the Diamondbacks as Williams is a pitcher I want to heavily target on tonight's slate. Smith hasn't done much on the surface, posting a .699 OPS with no homers, one RBI, and three runs scored over 47 plate appearances. However, he has posted six barrels on 29 batted balls (20.7% barrel rate) and that's bound to produce results sooner or later. He should hit fifth in the order, between two guys who are absolutely mashing in Walker and Seth Beer.
Others to consider (FanDuel): Eddie Rosario ($2,200), Alex Dickerson ($2,100), David Peralta ($2,400), Jesse Winker ($2,700), Shodei Ohtani ($4,500)
Others to consider (DraftKings): Alex Dickerson ($2,000), Eddie Rosario ($2,500), Adam Duvall ($2,400), Mark Canha ($2,900), Marcell Ozuna ($3,200), Wil Myers ($3,200)
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Mets (Trevor Williams, RHP)
Williams has appeared in just 1 and 2/3 innings as a reliever so far this season, and he has allowed four hits and two unearned runs in the limited sample. He doesn't throw hard or put guys away, and I don't see him lasting too long before he gets the hook tonight. The Mets bullpen ranks among the league's best with a 2.93 xFIP, but they're also allowing the ninth most walks per nine innings and homers per nine innings, so there should be plenty of opportunities to do damage on them. Walker, Smith, and Varsho are my favorite targets, but you could make an argument for every hitter with the way they're priced.
Los Angeles Angels vs. Baltimore Orioles (Spenser Watkins, RHP)
Watkins will be making his third start of the season after allowing just two earned runs over eight innings pitched against the Brewers and Orioles. He was among the worst pitchers in baseball in his rookie season last year, posting an 8.07 ERA (6.94 xERA) over 10 starts (16 appearances). He ranked near the bottom of the league in xBA, xSLG, wOBA, xwOBA, and strikeout rate as well, and things haven't improved much so far this season from an advanced metrics standpoint. The big boppers in Trout, Ohtani, and Rendon look the best, but Jared Walsh and Jo Adell are worth taking shots on as well.
Atlanta Braves vs. Miami Marlins (Elieser Hernandez, RHP)
New York Mets vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (Humberto Castellanos, RHP)
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