RADIO
Whether owners will get a true “complete” slate at any stage in 2020 as the league adjusts to the COVID-19 pandemic on the fly remains to be seen, but Tuesday is a close microcosm of what a packed house main slate will look like.
In addition to having to combat Coors Field, Max Scherzer and Zack Wheeler are on the table, as is Mike Trout, who slammed two home runs Monday. There are price tags flying out of control across nearly every position, so we’ll take a look today at some high-upside, under-the-radar looks that owners could use to maneuver their way through a slate that figures to have a high rate of volatility.
In this article, I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 8/11/2020. Be sure to check out all the MLB player news including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like DraftKings, and other sports too.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Kyle Freeland - COL vs. ARI ($6,900)
A pitcher on the mound at Coors Field? Aside from being tremendously contrarian, Freeland isn’t purely a shot in the dark pick, so long as his early 2020 returns are indicative of where he has been in the past. A nightmarish 2019 notwithstanding, many forget how dominant the southpaw was at the hitter’s paradise in ‘18. Across 15 starts, he went 10-2 and amassed a 2.40 ERA, which is where this year is beginning to trend after allowing just three runs in 12 ⅔ frames in two home starts. Having allowed just one barrel all season up to this point, Freeland is limiting hard contact (on pace for a career-low 28.3% Hard Hit rate) and getting the ball on the ground (56.6% ground ball rate), two major keys to success at Coors. Some owners will be scared off by the noise that the Arizona offense made Monday, which could make him even more of an appealing GPP play.
Tyler Alexander - DET vs. CWS ($6,600)
Now back among the starting rotation following his historic relief outing against Cincinnati on Aug. 2, Alexander is a high upside DFS play should he channel the strikeout chops that he displayed when he struck out nine straight batters and recorded 10 consecutive outs via the K. There is considerable trepidation with the pick when factoring in past performance, but Alexander enters as arguably the hottest pitcher on the slate. The 164 strikeouts that the White Sox have accrued through their first 17 games are the third-most in the Majors, which could pave the way for Alexander to compile points irrespective of a win, allowing for more money to be allotted on high-priced sluggers.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Daniel Murphy - 1B, COL vs. ARI ($3,600)
While there are numerous eye-popping names at the unique catcher/first base slot on FD, Murphy and his home park factor are too difficult to ignore. After a multi-hit performance Monday -- his fifth of the year already -- Murphy enters Tuesday engulfed in figurative flames at the dish with his OPS soaring over 1.000 both against right-handed pitching and at Coors Field. Whether going for a stack or attempting to have some counter-exposure, Murphy appears to be a reasonably-priced asset to nab in the midst of his consistent stretch.
Keston Hiura - 2B, MIL vs. MIN ($3,200)
Hiura has homered in back-to-back games and with a bullpen day slotted for Minnesota on Tuesday, there’s no wipeout starter for owners to fret. Hiura had gotten off to a slow start in 2020, but his home/road splits have been drastic dating back to last year with a 123 tOPS+ at Miller Park vs. an 84 mark on the road. His price tag hasn’t adjusted to his hot hitting, which further expands his range for owners who are eyeing stacks and one-offs alike.
Dylan Moore - 3B, SEA @ TEX ($2,600)
Until Moore’s price tag adjusts, he is too unfairly priced to ignore. One of the true breakout candidates of 2020 thus far, Moore has compiled at least 24 FD points in four of his last six games, including having homered in each of his last two outings. While all four of his home runs this year have come against right-handed pitching, the pitch count that Rangers left-hander Mike Minor will be under works to his advantage, as does the fact that he has gone 4-for-8 against southpaws this year with three doubles. Holding down the No. 2 spot in the order, Moore should hold a ton of ownership in FD as he continues to swing one of the hottest bats in the game.
Trea Turner - SS, WAS @ NYM ($3,200)
The shortstop spot is entirely stacked Tuesday with worthy candidates, which makes competition even more difficult to sparse through. Turner remains the favorite of the bunch due to the Mets’ inability to throw out opposing basestealers, even as the speedy infielder has virtually had the clamps imposed upon him. Piggybacking on a three-hit, home run performance Monday, Turner is swinging a dangerous stick while sitting atop the Nats’ lineup against a shaky Rick Porcello.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Bryce Harper - OF, PHI vs. BAL ($4,000)
Yet to deliver a goose egg in the scoring column on the season, Harper is a prime Coors Field pivot with a hitter-friendly ballpark combined with a salivating matchup against Baltimore right-hander Alex Cobb, who has been susceptible to yielding the long ball in his Orioles tenure (35 in 179 IP). Harper’s eye is well-honed at this stage, swinging at a career-low 22.7% of pitches out of the zone, mashing the ball when he does swing to the tune of a 91.4 MPH average exit velocity. One of the safer cash plays on the board, Harper figures to anchor a Philly lineup in need of a jolt.
Shohei Ohtani - OF, LAA vs. OAK ($3,000)
Any concerns about how the loss of the pitching element would affect Ohtani have all but gone out the window as he has now homered in four of his last eight games, including having amassed extra-base hits in back-to-back contests. In 11 career at-bats against Oakland right-hander Mike Fiers, Ohtani has six hits, including a pair of doubles. Oakland’s starter has been walloped to begin the year, allowing a .617 xSLG on his sinker, a pitch that he throws more than a third of time. Hitting in an order jam packed with star power, Ohtani can get lost in the shuffle, but his FD price is more than fair as he continues to swing a hot power bat.
Kyle Schwarber - OF, CHC @ CLE ($2,700)
Put succinctly, Schwarber is demolishing the ball to begin 2020. With Cleveland having swapped in right-hander Adam Plutko for Mike Clevinger due to suspension, Schwarber’s low price point makes him one of the more compelling plays on the slate. Entering Tuesday, the Cubs’ designated hitter ranks eighth in the Majors with an average exit velocity of 94.3 MPH, which when compiled with Plutko’s 46 career home runs yielded in 196 2/3 innings, sets the stage for Schwarber being an appealing play no matter the slate.
