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Jesse Borek highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 8/18/20, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
Even with a handful of day games Tuesday, the main slate is still chock full of talent at every position. So long as the Reds are given the thumbs up to get back into action after a positive COVID-19 test over the weekend, this should mark the first time since the early portion of the year that every team has been given the green light to proceed.
With that, we have a jam-packed Tuesday slate that will be going head-to-head with the NBA playoffs, a start of what should be an absolute sprint for DFS players over the next two months.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 8/18/2020. Be sure also 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
Luis Castillo - CIN @ KAN ($10,400)
Traditional metrics have beguiled Castillo through the early going. He will be making his second consecutive start against the Royals, having allowed just one earned run across six frames last Tuesday in Great American Ball Park, a known hitter’s haven, especially in 2020. Castillo’s Statcast page displays above-average metrics at the ready, but none more impressive than his 36.9 Whiff%. The Royals enter play Tuesday averaging 8.7 strikeouts as a club per contest, an exploitable number for a strikeout pitcher. While Castillo has no wins to his credit through his first four starts, he owns a Major League-high 2.05 FIP, due in large part to having allowed just one home run through his first 23 innings.
Carlos Carrasco - CLE @ PIT ($9,800)
The Pirates’ offense has become a group that DFS owners can target during the early portion of this year, and with good reason. Entering play Tuesday, they rank dead last in the Majors in on-base percentage (.273), slugging percentage (.342), and OPS (.615) as a club. That leaves them in a prime spot to have real difficulty solving Carrasco, who is on pace to set a new career high this season with a 32.3 K%. Factor in that Cleveland is one of the highest-rated favorites in play Tuesday, and Carrasco has the added value of potentially snagging a win, which many owners covet.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B - TOR @ BAL ($2,900)
While Guerrero has gotten off to a slow start in 2020 by his standards, the perfect remedy may be the stylings of Orioles left-hander Wade LeBlanc, who has already yielded four home runs across his first 14 ⅔ frames this year. Last season, Guerrero bludgeoned the ball at Oriole Park, producing an astounding .512 average with a 1.323 OPS in 10 contests. Having homered twice in his last five appearances, Guerrero is definitely trending toward being a GPP candidate at this stage.
Luis Arraez, 2B - MIN vs. MIL ($2,200)
There are multiple low-priced options to consider Tuesday, but we’ll take a look at Arraez, who has begun to find his rhythm at the dish over the past week, having hit .360 in his last seven games. Arraez was able to raise his batting average by 58 points in his last three games, all of which have been multi-hit affairs. Much of his value derives as a being a potential member of a Minnesota stack, but he can also provide a safe floor at his price tag.
Also consider: Luis Guillorme or Andres Gimenez ($2,100)
Justin Turner, 3B - LAD vs. SEA ($3,200)
Having returned to the lineup Monday, Turner has now accumulated FD points in 12 consecutive outings dating back to Aug. 4. He has turned Dodger Stadium into his own hitter’s haven, having produced a .386 average and .636 SLG in 12 games. While Turner is a proponent of the launch angle, Gonzales has had difficulty this season limiting it, yielding a career-worst 16.2 mark through his first four starts. Batters have heavily exploited his offspeed pitches thus far in 2020, which could play into Turner’s favor as he owns a .522 xSLG against breaking pitches.
Didi Gregorius, SS - PHI @ BOS ($2,900)
Multiple Phillies hitters represent appealing plays Monday against Boston’s Zack Godley. Gregorius stands out for how well he has hit righties this season, having amassed a .357 average with an .863 OPS. He has grown familiar with Fenway Park over the years, having cranked six home runs there, the most of any ballpark in his career that he has not called home.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Bryce Harper, OF - PHI @ BOS ($4,200)
So long as Harper is continuously matched up against run-of-the-mill right-handed pitching, owners can continue to target him, no matter his price tag. He enters play Tuesday against Godley, who is allowing opponents to hit at a .354/.408/.615 slash line against him through the early part of 2020. But it’s not just Godley’s metrics alone that are worth divulging, it’s also Harper’s, as he has put up an average of 21.4 FD points over his last seven outings.
Anthony Santander, OF - BAL vs. TOR ($3,300)
Sure, Santander is facing one of the game’s preeminent prospects in Nate Pearson, but is there truly a hotter hitter on the planet? Baltimore’s breakout star has scored at least 10 FD points in each of his past 11 games, an astounding stretch for someone whose price tag remains so flexible. Over his last seven outings, Santander has delivered a .931 slugging percentage, and he plays at Camden Yards again Tuesday, where he has collected seven extra-base hits in 51 at-bats.
Jesse Winker, OF - CIN @ KAN ($2,800)
If there’s someone in the Majors hotter than Santander, it has to be Winker. The fact that his price tag has still not been adjusted despite the fact that he enters Tuesday with the highest OPS (1.196) in the Majors is astounding and makes him a near must-play. Over his last seven contests, Winker is vaporizing the ball to the tune of a 13-for-20 stretch with five home runs and seven RBI. He will be matched up against Royals righty Brad Keller, which bodes in his favor as he has peppered the ball against RHP to the tune of a 1.204 OPS to begin the year.
