X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Picks (4/14/17): MLB DFS Advice

Happy Friday to us, my fellow Rotoballers. Let's kick this weekend off right, and by "right," I mean above the cash-line. On deck for today we have a 15 game slate. There is an Early Only contest with two games, starting at 2:20 Eastern, as well as the All Day contests starting then as well. The Main contest begins at 7:05 EDT, with 26 teams taking the field then or shortly thereafter.

Before we get into the players and their respective matchups, let's see if there are any insights we can gather from the early lines Vegas has posted. The teams with the highest projected run totals - which can be a big help when looking at which teams to stack or which pitchers to fade - are the Reds (5.2), the Nationals (4.8), the Twins (4.8), the Red Sox (4.7) the Royals (4.7) and finally the Blue Jays (4.7). As for the biggest favorites, which can be helpful when looking for cash game pitchers (or the reverse, as it can help you find which pitchers to load up against) are the Dodgers (-253), the Nationals (-202) and the Cubs (-170). After that, there isn't that much that is noteworthy. One interesting fact I did read, however, was that this is the first time Zack Greinke (who faces the Dodgers) has been a +250 or higher underdog since 2008, back when he was with the Royals.

Now that we got that out of the way, shall we dance?

 

Offensive Stacks

Minnesota Twins versus Dylan Covey

The Twins are definitely an intriguing stack this evening. As Vegas lines tend to do, things have shifted a bit since run totals, over/unders, moneylines were first released, and of the teams in the top 5 for projected run totals today, only the Twins have trended upward, currently sitting at an implied total of 4.9 runs. After a somewhat slow start, this lineup has picked it up of late, and they'll look to continue the trend today in what is a pretty opportune matchup. They'll face off with White Sox rookie right-hander Dylan Covey. Covey has never pitched above the AA level, and while his numbers are nothing to laugh at, his strikeout numbers per nine are respectable (7.9),  but he's proven to be wild around the plate as well. In 2016, he owned an ugly 5.22 BB/9 and that's something that can get him into trouble early today. The Twins I have my eyes on are Brian Dozier, Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, and Joe Mauer would be my fourth. Sano, Kepler and Dozier all own ISO splits against right-handers that are above .200 over the course of the past year.

Also Consider: Boston Red Sox versus Chris Archer (GPP only)

FanDuel DFS Pitchers

Noah Syndegaard - SP, at MIA ($11,200)

Admittedly, this was not an easy call by any stretch of the imagination. Anytime you have complete studs like Thor, Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg pitching on the same day - and none of which are facing each other - you're left with a tough choice to make. I landed on Syndegaard for a few reasons, which I'll get into in a second, but this is certainly not meant to steer anyone away from using Kershaw - especially for those who have confidence in him. He'll likely be the chalk, and perhaps for good reason. In addition to the lower price, I just prefer Syndegaard's matchup. To start, Syndegaard faces a projected lineup with a higher K% and a lower team wOBA split than the one Kershaw is expected to face. Noah also takes the mound at the more favorable pitcher's park tonight, which is an upgrade than his home park in Queens. He also has the edge in HR/9 and K/9 this season. Yes, those samples are small, but in them we also find that Syndegaard has a considerable edge in batted ball distance allowed this season, ground balls induced, and a much lower hard hit rate. Roll with Thor this evening and use the extra cash you've pocketed to bulk up your lineup.

Julio Teheran - SP, vs SDP ($8,500)

For my tournament readers, let's roll the dice a bit. Teheran can be a bit of a wild card with his high variance scoring outcomes, but honestly, that's all part of the game in tournaments. You have to take on some risk, save some cash (more often than not, but not always), and find a pitcher that has the opportunity to punch out 7-10 guys via the strikeout. It's not an easy thing to do and it can be hard to convince yourself to take on some risk. I'll admit today's matchup doesn't look as risky on the surface, but you never know what you'll end up with when rostering Teheran and his elevated fly-ball rate. I like today's opportunity mainly because we've seen Teheran be effective this year, his strikeout rate per nine innings is above eight, he faces a paltry Padres lineup that has struck out in nearly 28% of at-bats versus right-handed pitching this year, and he faces them in what is one of the most favorable pitching parks of the day. He may not fly under the radar as much as we'd ideally like a GPP pitcher to, but he offers enough salary relief where you can load up your lineup with home run threats.

Also Consider: Clayton Kershaw - SP, vs ARI ($12,600) - Cash; Stephen Strasburg - SP, vs PHI ($9,900) - GPP option/salary relief

 

FanDuel DFS Infielders

Manny Pina - C, at CIN ($2,200)

Stop me if you've heard this before, but the catcher cupboard is quite bare today. A few of my often-deemed "top matchups," guys who can save you some cash and hit the long ball, like James McCann and Wellington Castillo, don't have good splits tonight. As such, I moved down the list to look for a catcher that can save me some cash but also provide upside in the form of potential home runs or extra base hits. Pina has quietly gotten off to a solid start this year, provides a ton of salary relief, and gets a nice ballpark upgrade today. He also happens to play for one of the teams with the highest projected run total, which is quite favorable, and he also owns an ISO split against right-handed pitchers that is 148 points higher than his southpaw splits. If there was a time to take on the risk of rostering a bottom-third-of-the-order catcher, that time is today.

Also Consider: Victor Martinez - C, at CLE ($2,600)

Miguel Cabrera - 1B, at CLE ($3,600)

Miggy hasn't had the hottest start to his 2017 campaign to say they least, but he finally broke out yesterday, crushing a home run and piling up 24.9 FanDuel points in the process. The nice thing about that is that his salary has crawled downward and we get him at a more ideal price - a figure that he can and should surpass value at. Over the past year, Cabrera owns very impressive splits against right-handers, posting a .397 wOBA and a .255 ISO.

Also Consider: Eric Thames - 1B, at CIN ($2,500) - GPP option

Brian Dozier - 2B, vs CWS ($3,700)

There's very little not to love about Mr. Dozier. He's a power-hitting second baseman that can hit for average, too, and is slotted in the leadoff spot, which is quite literally the most opportune spot we can consider for DFS roster construction. On top of that, he is an opposite splits guy, meaning he has better splits over the last year when facing right-handed pitching (despite him being a right-handed hitter himself) and could go a little overlooked tonight on this big slate. Those splits I mentioned are quite impressive. Have a look for yourself: .368 wOBA, .263 ISO and a .536 slugging percentage. That'll play.

Also Consider: Jonathan Villar - 2B, at CIN ($3,500) - GPP option

Mike Moustakas - 3B, vs LAA ($3,000)

The steadily-improving Moustakas has picked up where he left off in the power department of his 2016 campaign and entered 2017 with a bang. The lefty slugger has always had a knack for hitting right-handed pitching hard, and he'll have the opportunity to do so tonight at a very cheap price. Moose is currently projected to hit as high as second in the order tonight, and his .395 wOBA and .329 ISO splits create both an incredibly high floor and high ceiling.

Also Consider: Nick Castellanos - 3B, at CLE ($3,000) - GPP only

Aledmys Diaz - SS, at NYY ($3,600)

Diaz has somewhat quietly produced big time split numbers against right-handed pitching in the last year, posting a .385 wOBA and .245 ISO. Seeing as he has positive reverse splits, he could go under the radar this evening, and he does get a slight park upgrade moving from St. Louis to the Bronx in this matchup. Additionally, his direct competition - Masahiro Tanaka - has been struggling in a number of areas. Most notably, he's been dealing with elbow issues, a decrease in velocity, and right-handed hitters have posted over a .400 wOBA in his last few starts.

Also Consider: Francisco Lindor - SS, vs DET ($4,100)

 

FanDuel DFS Outfielders

Michael Conforto - OF, at MIA ($2,800)

I find it quite amusing that Conforto is listed at such a discount price. Yes. we're very early into a long season, but he's been mashing the ball and hitting near the top of the order. There isn't a lot more you can ask for from an outfielder priced under $3,000. But wait, there is more. Over the last season, Conforto owns splits against right-handed pitching that are quite beautiful, posting a .357 wOBA and .251 ISO.

Adam Duvall - OF, vs MIL ($3,600)

Duvall wasn't one of the outfielders that immediately looked enticing, but a dig into his peripheral stats revealed he could be a stellar option this evening, particularly in tournament formats. The slugger that burst onto the scene in 2016 has an opportune matchup tonight in one of the best parks for power hitters at Great American. Over the last year, Duvall has posted a .265 ISO split and maintained a hard-hit rate at or above 35%. His opposition, Tommy Milone, has allowed over a .360 wOBA and .500 slugging percentage split to right-handed hitters, which bodes well for Duvall and a few of his teammates.

Also Consider: Mike Trout - OF, at KC ($5,100) and Curtis Granderson - OF, at MIA ($2,900)

 

MLB News & Injury Alerts

 

Full Season MLB & DFS Premium Pass

Get a Premium Pass for the entire MLB season - including the playoffs - for only $49.99.

That's over 200 days of Premium DFS, delivered every single day:

  • DFS lineup picks and cheat sheets for FanDuel, DraftKings and Yahoo - seven days a week
  • Six expert lineups: FanDuel, DraftKings, Yahoo and Stacks of the Day - seven days a week
  • Top DFS value plays, avoids and injury updates - seven days a week
  • Lineup tools: daily premium hitter and pitcher matchup ratings

Sign Up Now!

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nathan MacKinnon16 mins ago

Mikko Rantanen Crush Penguins
Roman Josi26 mins ago

Suffers A Lower-Body Injury
Andrew Wiggins38 mins ago

On Track To Return On Wednesday
Fred VanVleet46 mins ago

Expected To Return On Wednesday
Alperen Sengün55 mins ago

Alperen Sengun Questionable For Wednesday
De'Andre Hunter1 hour ago

Likely To Feature Against Knicks
Bogdan Bogdanovic1 hour ago

In Danger Of Missing Another Game
Jalen Johnson1 hour ago

Carries A Questionable Tag
Josh Hart1 hour ago

Iffy For Wednesday's Cup Game
Jake Burger9 hours ago

Rangers Acquire Jake Burger From Marlins
Karl-Anthony Towns13 hours ago

Expected To Face Atlanta
Trae Young13 hours ago

Probable Again For Wednesday
P.J. Washington14 hours ago

Won't Suit Up Versus OKC
Naji Marshall14 hours ago

Returning On Tuesday Night
Isaac Guerendo14 hours ago

Misses Tuesday's Practice
Washington Nationals14 hours ago

Nationals Win MLB Draft Lottery
Nathan Eovaldi14 hours ago

Reunites With Rangers On Three-Year Deal
Andrés Giménez15 hours ago

Blue Jays Acquire Andres Gimenez From Guardians
Max Fried15 hours ago

Yankees Agree On Eight-Year, $218 Million Contract
Joey Daccord17 hours ago

Faces Panthers On Tuesday
Cole Sillinger17 hours ago

Available On Tuesday
Erik Cernak17 hours ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Anthony Cirelli17 hours ago

Doubtful For Tuesday's Matchup
Jake Allen17 hours ago

Unavailable On Tuesday
David Pastrnak17 hours ago

Good To Go Tuesday
Max Domi17 hours ago

Ready To Rejoin Action Tuesday
Grayson Rodriguez19 hours ago

Will Be A "Full-Go" For Spring Training
Thairo Estrada19 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Colorado
Max Fried20 hours ago

Nearing His Free-Agent Decision
Paul Goldschmidt20 hours ago

Tigers Showing Interest In Paul Goldschmidt
Carlos Correa20 hours ago

Twins Receiving Calls On Carlos Correa
Christian Walker20 hours ago

Yankees Making A Push For Christian Walker
Kyle Tucker21 hours ago

Cubs, Yankees Showing Interest In Kyle Tucker
George Pickens22 hours ago

Has Outside Chance Of Playing In Week 15
Dallas Cowboys22 hours ago

DeMarvion Overshown Expected To Need Knee Surgery
CeeDee Lamb1 day ago

Finds End Zone For First Time Since Week 8
Lonzo Ball1 day ago

Has Minutes Restriction Increased
Rico Dowdle1 day ago

Records Back-To-Back 100 Yard Rushing Games
Jaden Hardy1 day ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Naji Marshall1 day ago

Considered Questionable For Tuesday's Cup Action
Jaylin Williams1 day ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Karl-Anthony Towns1 day ago

Returns With Winning Performance
Scottie Barnes1 day ago

X-Rays On Scottie Barnes' Ankle Negative
Taylor Hall1 day ago

Enjoys Multi-Point Outing Versus Rangers
Jason Zucker1 day ago

Amasses Three Points Against Red Wings
Andrew Copp1 day ago

Scores Twice In Monday's Win
Troy Terry1 day ago

Nets Two Goals In Losing Effort
Lane Hutson1 day ago

Sets New Franchise Record With Another Productive Outing
Jace Jung1 day ago

Undergoes Wrist Surgery, Expected To Be Ready For Spring Training
Patrik Laine1 day ago

Collects Two Points Versus Ducks
Joe Burrow1 day ago

Highly Productive In Week 14 Win
Chase Brown1 day ago

Remains Highly Productive As Receiver On MNF
Ja'Marr Chase1 day ago

Explodes For Monster Two-Touchdown Game
Jung Hoo Lee1 day ago

Won't Have Restrictions In Spring Training
Christian Yelich1 day ago

Should Be Ready For Spring Training
Brandon Woodruff1 day ago

Might Not Be Ready For Opening Day
Yordan Alvarez1 day ago

Astros Want To "Cut Back" On Yordan Alvarez's Time In The Outfield
Aaron Judge1 day ago

Likely Moving Back To Right Field In 2025
Jasson Domínguez1 day ago

Jasson Dominguez A Leading Candidate To Play Center Field In 2025
Dallas Cowboys1 day ago

DeMarvion Overshown Ruled Out On Monday Night With Knee Injury
Will Dissly1 day ago

Expected To Miss A Few Weeks
Rafael Devers1 day ago

Red Sox Haven't Discussed Moving Rafael Devers Off Third Base
Garrett Crochet2 days ago

Yankees, Mets Vying For Garrett Crochet
Kenneth Walker III2 days ago

Seahawks Unsure On Kenneth Walker III's Status
Immanuel Quickley2 days ago

To Get Additional Testing
Jameis Winston2 days ago

To Remain Browns Starter
Maxi Kleber2 days ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
P.J. Washington2 days ago

Could Miss Tuesday's Game
Khris Middleton2 days ago

Expected To Play On Tuesday
Drew Lock2 days ago

To Start In Week 15 If He's Healthy
Justin Herbert2 days ago

Expects To Be Fine
Tom Wilson2 days ago

Misses Monday's Practice
David Pastrnak2 days ago

Battling An Upper-Body Injury
Alexandre Carrier2 days ago

Out Week-To-Week
Rasmus Dahlin2 days ago

On Track To Return At The End Of The Week
Jordan Greenway2 days ago

Set To Return To Sabres Lineup
Mackenzie Blackwood2 days ago

Lands In Colorado
Detroit Lions2 days ago

Aidan Hutchinson Could Be Ready For NFC Championship
Aaron Rodgers2 days ago

Has Played With Hamstring, Knee, Ankle Injuries This Year
Alexandre Pantoja2 days ago

Gets Second-Round Win At UFC 310
George Pickens2 days ago

Likely To Miss Week 15
Kai Asakura2 days ago

Submitted At UFC 310
Isaac Guerendo2 days ago

Day-To-Day With Foot Sprain
Alexander Volkov2 days ago

Takes Split-Decision Loss
Aidan O'Connell2 days ago

Has Bone Bruise, Not Ruled Out For Week 15
Ciryl Gane2 days ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC 310
Desmond Ridder2 days ago

In Line To Start If Aidan O'Connell Can't Play
MMA2 days ago

Doo Ho Choi Scores TKO Win At UFC 310
Derek Carr2 days ago

Suffers Major Fracture In Non-Throwing Hand, Likely Done For The Season
Nate Landwehr3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC 310
Kron Gracie3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 310
Bryce Mitchell3 days ago

Scores Knockout Win At UFC 310
Ian Machado Garry3 days ago

Suffers First Defeat At UFC 310
Shavkat Rakhmonov3 days ago

Remains Undefeated After UFC 310
Kai Asakura5 days ago

Competes For UFC Flyweight Title
Alexandre Pantoja5 days ago

Set For Third Title Defense At UFC 310
Ciryl Gane5 days ago

Set For Heavyweight Clash
Alexander Volkov5 days ago

Looks For His Fifth Win In A Row
MMA5 days ago

Doo Ho Choi An Underdog At UFC 310
Kron Gracie6 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC 310
Bryce Mitchell6 days ago

A Massive Favorite At UFC 310
Nate Landwehr6 days ago

Opens Up UFC 310 Main Card
Ian Machado Garry6 days ago

In A No. 1 Contender Fight At UFC 310
Shavkat Rakhmonov6 days ago

A Big Favorite At UFC 310

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

Video: Week 15 Must-Start Defense (D/ST) Streamers - 2024 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Analysis

With most leagues headed into the fantasy football playoffs, we're bringing the heat for Week 15! Check out our top 2024 fantasy football must-start Defenses (D/ST) and be prepared to dominate your playoff matchups! LaQuan Jones discusses his top "Must Start" Defense (D/ST) streamers that have the potential to be game-changers in Week 15, as […]


Von Miller Buffalo Bills Defense - Fantasy Football DST, Defense Streamers, Waiver Wire IDP

Top DST Starts for Fantasy Football Playoffs: Rest-Of-Season Team Defense Picks (2024)

The fantasy football playoffs are right around the corner, and now is the perfect time to line up your fantasy defenses for the rest of the year. Getting ahead of your league mates and picking up defenses that have a great upcoming schedule could be the difference between a championship or a first-round exit. This […]


Jauan Jennings - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets - Buy/Sell For Week 15 Including Davante Adams, T.J. Hockenson, Jauan Jennings, Isiah Pacheco

Well, RotoBallers, we made it. The fantasy playoffs are officially here. Because we're talking dynasty, you of course don't need to have made the playoffs to take something away from this column, but congratulations if you did! Even if you have a bye in Week 15, there are plenty of reasons to stay active and […]


Tua Tagovailoa - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 15 Include Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Kyren Williams, Terry McLaurin, more

The fantasy playoffs are finally here for leagues that use single elimination. The fun is just beginning as we finally get to see all our hard work through. As such, we need to focus on the best matchups this week. Any edge matters in the fantasy playoffs because any team can get hot at the […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Fantasy Football WR Injury Reports: Week 15 Updates For George Pickens, Chris Olave, Rashod Bateman, Cedric Tillman

Welcome to the fantasy football playoffs! A healthy roster is the best roster, so let's hope your wide receivers are ready to play. To keep close tabs on all of the news across the NFL, make sure to favorite or bookmark the fantasy football player news page. Also, download the free RotoBaller fantasy football mobile […]


Adam Thielen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Fantasy Football WR Sleepers: Smash Spots for Week 15 Include Calvin Ridley, Adam Thielen, Khalil Shakir, Jakobi Meyers

Week 15, here we come. Whether this is the opening week of your fantasy playoffs, your last week of the regular season, or a bye week, we’ve made it to the end of the fantasy season.  Last week, we nailed our WR calls, smashing Jauan Jennings (seven receptions, 92 yards, two TDs) and Darnell Mooney […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Matchups to Target, Avoid (Week 15) - Offensive Line Champs and Chumps

The fantasy playoffs are finally here. Making the fantasy playoffs is a huge achievement that requires good drafting, diligent waiver wire moves, and strong matchup analysis. If your team is in the playoffs, the hard part is just getting started. Winning a fantasy championship requires shooting for upside each week and exploiting every available matchup […]


Jordan Addison - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 15

As Adam says, Week 14 of the 2024 season is in the books. That means another week of cold, hard data to analyze. We’ll try not to overreact but instead, use logic and reasoning as the foundation for our decision-making in the weeks ahead. I'm Joe Nicely and I'll be pinch-hitting for the great Adam […]


Chase Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Rest-of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings: Week 15 Updates for Top 200 (2024)

Many of you are planning for the fantasy football playoffs and so we must deliver an updated rest-of-season rankings sheet! While many of you are only concerned with the current week, one should also consider all remaining games. That's what we're here to provide with our Week 15 fantasy football half-PPR rankings for the rest […]


Puka Nacua - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Rams vs. 49ers TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford, Isaac Guerendo, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings

The 2024 fantasy football playoffs are officially upon us and they kick off with the Los Angeles Rams visiting the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football. Both teams are coming off dominant offensive performances (Rams scored 44 points in Week 14, 49ers scored 38), and this matchup could not be more important for NFL […]


Zach Charbonnet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS and Betting Picks

Fact or Fiction: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Zach Charbonnet, Isaac Guerendo, Jalen McMillan, Tim Patrick, Juwan Johnson

Josh Allen scored 51.9 fantasy points in Week 14. It was a huge game for Allen and was a surprising result because of just how many points were scored, but it's not like we didn't know Allen was an elite player. What was more surprising? The top two fantasy running backs this week were Zach […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL RBs: Week 15 Updates for Kenneth Walker III, Isaac Guerendo, Bucky Irving, Jonathon Brooks

Below is our fantasy football injuries report for running backs in Week 15, as of December 11. The injury statuses for various NFL running backs are up in the air for Week 15, including Kenneth Walker III, Isaac Guerendo, Bucky Irving, and Jonathon Brooks. As the fantasy football season continues, every decision, transaction, and lineup […]


Week 15 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

As the fantasy playoffs start in full, now is a time to educate those too young to remember a scoring system called “rotisserie." It's a system still used in fantasy baseball and basketball, but some may not know it was once applied to fantasy football. Today, it appears to be a relic largely used in […]