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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on April 4, 2023. Brenton Kemp's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
It's Tuesday and we have a big MLB DFS slate on our hands! Both DraftKings and FanDuel boast 11-game main slates this evening as we look to capitalize early in the week.
Remember, this 11-game main slate at both DraftKings and Fanduel locks at 7:05 PM ET. The lineup picks will range from some elite high-priced players to mid-priced options and value plays. I'll give you a few of my top pitching options and then some infielders, outfielders, and teams to stack!
You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. Let's get after it and come out on top tonight!
DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Julio Urias, LAD vs. Colorado Rockies ($10,200 DK, $10,500 FD)
Given the matchup and price, Julio Urias has a strong chance of delivering the most value on this slate as he takes on the Colorado Rockies tonight in Los Angeles.
The left-hander delivered an outstanding 2.16 ERA across 31 starts last season, the second consecutive year he turned in a sub-3.00 ERA after posting a 2.96 mark across a career-high 32 starts in the 2021 campaign. He tossed six innings of two-run ball alongside six strikeouts in his first start of the 2022 season on Opening Day against the D-backs.
As I noted last week when I highlighted Dustin May against these Rockies on Friday, Urias gets set to take on what has been one of the league's worst road offenses for some time. In fact, the Rockies ranked dead last with a .275 wOBA on the road last season but their .111 isolated power outside of Coors Field was easily the worst mark in baseball as well. This offense has simply struggled to hit outside of the league's hitter-friendliest park.
At a reasonable cost, Urias is a very strong bet to anchor your lineup Tuesday night.
Shane Bieber, CLE vs. Oakland A's ($10,500 DraftKings, $11,000 FD)
Like Urias, Guardians ace Shane Bieber gets a favorable matchup tonight as he takes on the Oakland A's on the road.
While I believe Urias holds the value advantage over Biber due to a lower cost, the right-hander should be another solid foundation for fantasy lineups Tuesday. After all, the A's were one of the league's worst offenses last season and should be again this time around.
The A's finished last in all of baseball with a .277 wOBA last season and have struggled to begin the 2023 campaign as they're tied with the Detroit Tigers for last with a .287 mark this time around. The rebuilding A's simply are not going to hit again this season.
Bieber, the 2020 AL CyYoung winner, worked to a 2.88 ERA across 31 innings last season, albeit while lowering his strikeout rate to just 25%. He walked just 4.6% of the batters he faced, however, and went 13-8 in the process.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Triston Casas - 1B, BOS vs. Roansy Contreras ($2,500 DK, $2,800 FD)
There's a wealth of value upside here with Triston Cases as he takes on the Pirates and right-hander Roansy Contreras Tuesday evening.
Contreras actually worked to a solid 3.79 ERA when he made 18 starts and 21 appearances with the Pirates last season, albeit with a 4.38 FIP and 4.48 xFIP. Nonetheless, this isn't so much about Contreras but rather the low cost we get with a potential AL Rookie of the Year.
Casas hit his first homer of the season on Monday while also driving in his fourth and fifth runs of the season. He hit five homers with a .211 isolated power in his 27-game debut last season, and despite hitting just .197, his bat was 20% above league average by way of his 120 wRC+ in that time. It's safe to say his bat arrived as advertised last season.
Casas has mashed righties for a .288 ISO in his young big-league career and that's certainly more than enough for me at this price.
Bo Bichette - SS, TOR vs. Kris Bubic ($4,900 DK, $3,900 FD)
From a player with a lower price to one worth paying up for, Bo Bichette and the Blue Jays should have their way with Royals left-hander Kris Bubic in this one tonight.
The AL hits leader last season, Bichette is off to a hot start with a .421 average alongside a homer while striking out in only 10% of his plate appearances through four contests. Bichette has hit .318 with a .906 OPS in his career against left-handed pitching and while his bat has been fantastic against both lefties and righties, the splits certainly lean toward the former.
The Blue Jays lead the slate with a 5.8 projected run total so let's see what one of the league's better pure hitters can do in leading the charge tonight.
Nolan Arenado - 3B, STL vs. Dylan Dodd ($4,900 DK, $3,800 FD)
Another player who is worth the elevated cost tonight is Nolan Arenado who takes the Braves and rookie Dylan Dodd tonight.
Dodd, who was promoted after the injury to ace Max Fried, makes his MLB debut in this one after beginning last season at High-A ball. He pitched well across three minor-league levels last season but this will be a tall task for the southpaw tonight.
Arenado enjoyed a massive season at the plate last year, hitting .293 with 30 home runs and a .891 OPS across 148 games. His 151 wRC+ was by far a career-high, and like Bichette, Arenado has raked lefties as he owns a career .312 average and a .986 OPS against southpaw pitching.
Look for the perennial Glod Glover to pounce on the Braves rookie tonight.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Luke Raley - OF, TB vs. Chad Kuhl ($2,300 DK, $2,100 FD)
Luke Raley is an excellent value play tonight as he and the Rays take on the Nationals tonight on the road.
In just 12 plate appearances this season, Raley already has a pair of home runs with a .300 average. He has largely scuffled at the MLB level with a career .197 average and .616 OPS across 59 games but it appears we could have a late bloomer on our hands in the 28-year-old left-handed bat.
Raley will take on a right-handed Chad Kuhl who hasn't had a ton of big-league success. He's the owner of a career 4.74 ERA and posted a 5.72 mark last season across 27 starts with the Rockies. He also tossed up 1.64 HR/9 a season ago while he's yielded 1.31 HR/9 in his six-year MLB career.
If you need a cost-efficient outfielder Raley is an excellent selection on this slate.
Kyle Tucker - OF, HOU vs. Matt Manning ($5,500 DK, $4,100 FD)
You'll be hard-pressed to find many hitters with a better power/speed combination than Kyle Tucker this season.
Just 26, Tucker slugged 30 homers with 25 stolen bases along with 107 RBI last season across 150 games played. The lefty-swinging outfielder has one homer and one steal this season while he's already knocked in four runs in just five games so far. Tucker has solid splits off lefties but his best work has come against righties like Matt Manning as he owns a career .854 OPS off righties.
Manning enjoyed a solid 3.43 ERA in 12 starts last season before being shut down due to injury but he also struggled this spring. His 18.3% K% from last season left much to be desired and he'll have a hard time putting away these Astros hitters as Houston boasts some of the best plate discipline in baseball.
This is a nice spot for Tucker to do some damage tonight.
Oscar Gonzalez - OF, CLE vs. JP Sears ($3,500 DK, $2,800 FD)
His cost drops between Raley and Tucker but Oscar Gonzalez is a solid look as the Guardians take on A's left-hander JP Sears tonight in Oakland.
Sears did a fine job last season as he tossed a 3.86 ERA in 70 MLB innings between the Yankees and A's but he also dominated at Triple-A in the form of a 1.67 ERA acrossn43 innings in the Yankees organization before making just one start in the A's system. As I've previously noted, this has more to do with Gonzalez than it does with Sears.
Gonzalez hit 11 homers along with a .788 OPS across 91 games last season but is off to a tough start this time around. Five of his 11 homers came against lefties despite seeing 149 fewer plate appearances against them than he did right-handers. At his price, Gonzalez is certainly worth a look tonight.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Kris Bubic (KCR)
Bo Bichette is a player that should certainly produce plenty of value on this slate but the rest of a Blue Jays team that is projected to score the most runs on this slate should help out. George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirj, and Matt Chapman are more right-handed bats that will chip in against the left-handed Bubic.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Dylan Dodd (ATL)
The Cardinals are another offense that should take care of business against a left-handed starter.
Dylan Dodd is in tough in his MLB debut against plenty of right-handed bats with power. Tyler O'Neill, Paul Goldschmidt, Willson Contreras, and Jordan Walker are more right-handed hitters who should be able to help Nolan Arenado touch up the young lefty in this one. As good as he was in the minors last season, Dodd could very well get knocked around in his big-league debut tonight.
Good luck tonight everyone and let's get after it this season!
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