RADIO
Below are some of my DFS lineup picks and player recommendations for today's daily league games on FanDuel. Some of these players could be sleepers for your FanDuel DFS lineups based on their pricing, matchups and recent performances.
As always, remember to check your players to make sure they are in their MLB starting lineups before lineups lock, and make sure you are doing your own research too for optimal performance! The most successful daily leaguers are grinders who are constantly tweaking their lineups as the day goes on and fantasy news gets released. Good luck today, RotoBallers!
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Daily Fantasy Leagues - FanDuel Lineup Picks (7/28)
My top recommendation would be to start Madison Bumgarner at pitcher and then check the starting lineups to stack some A’s, Rockies or Jays. As always, check an hour before game time to make sure your picks are in the starting lineup tonight.
STARTING PITCHERS
Madison Bumgarner, SF ($9300): Do yourself a favor by starting Bumgarner and then go a little cheaper on offense. MadBum is the clear top start of the day against the Pirates, who just struggled against lefties in Coors Field over the weekend and are well below average against them all season. Bumgarner strikes out about a guy per inning and the Pirates strike out more than 21 percent of the time against southpaws. This is a matchup made in heaven.
Jesse Chavez, OAK ($7800): Here’s your value play of the day. Chavez faced the Astros last week and put up a respectable 14.66-point day. The Astros strike out a lot, particularly against righties with Chavez’s profile, and the A’s figure to win tonight against Brett Oberholtzer. If you don’t want to pay top-dollar for MadBum, then Chavez is really the only other way to go. I wouldn’t trust any pitcher going for less tonight.
Also consider: Jordan Zimmermann ($8600)... but just splurge the extra $700 for Bumgarner. Kyle Lohse ($7500) is a risky option.
CATCHER
Derek Norris, OAK ($3200): Norris is a lefty-killer who is facing a sub-par lefty in Brett Oberholtzer today. I suspect that the hot-hitting A’s will be a popular stack play today, and Norris should be in the middle of it. He’s a guy with a 1.039 OPS against lefties, and he comes at an affordable price.
Also consider: Russell Martin ($3400), Dioner Navarro ($3300)
FIRST BASE
Lucas Duda, NYM ($3500): Duda has homered in four of his last six games, so I’m riding the hot hand here. Other top 1B options are getting expensive, but Duda stays reasonable facing off against A.J. Burnett, who doesn’t love pitching against left-handed hitting. Duda has quietly put up a solid season with a .356 OBP. Burnett is susceptible to bases on balls, particularly against lefty batters. I expect to see Duda on base tonight with the potential for a long ball.
Also consider: Anthony Rizzo ($4400), Mark Reynolds ($2800)
SECOND BASE
D.J. LeMahieu, COL ($2400): I know the Rockies are out of Coors Field this week , but LeMahieu is a hot bat at a cheap price going against Tsuyoshi Wada, a vulnerable lefty. LeMahieu has hit in six straight and 13 of his last 15 games. If you are looking for a 2B at near punt prices, he’s your guy.
Also consider: Aaron Hill ($3100), Emilio Bonifacio ($2700)
THIRD BASE
Juan Francisco, TOR ($2800): In daily fantasy leagues, it is critical to find the streaky player whose price has not caught up to his recent performance. Francisco is one such guy. The Blue Jays third-sacker is a platoon lefty going against Clay Buchholz, who has been absolutely awful this season. Francisco has hit a homer in two of his last three games and is a guy I can see getting on base a lot tonight with the potential to go yard again.
Also consider: Nolan Arenado ($3200), Martin Prado ($3100)
SHORTSTOP
Josh Rutledge, COL ($3500): Rutledge is another Rockies right-hander that I’ll take a chance on against Wada and the Cubs. Rutledge has done his best Tulowitzki impersonation against lefties, slugging to a .378/.425/.649 triple-slash line. I can envision a lot of winning lineups tonight that stack Colorado Rockies like LeMahieu, Arenado, Rutledge and Stubbs.
Also consider: Jose Reyes ($3900), Didi Gregorius ($3100)
OUTFIELD
Melky Cabrera, TOR ($3800): All the top OF options are really, really expensive today. If you have the budget, I’d jump on Jose Bautista ($4800) against Buchholz and the Sox. If not, Melky is a reasonable alternative. He kills right-handed pitching and has hit in his last three games. I expect the Blue Jays to do some damage on offense tonight and Cabrera will be in the middle of it.
Denard Span, WAS ($3200): Nathan Eovaldi was a powerful strikeout pitcher earlier this season, but that has gone by the wayside lately as the Marlins right-hander hasn’t struck out more than five guys in a game since June 6th. That will benefit Span, who figures to put the ball in play and put his speed to use. He’s never a threat to put the ball over the fence, but if he gets on base he will run and will provide some points from runs scored and stolen bases.
Matt Joyce, TB ($3200): Joyce just had his eight-game hitting streak snapped yesterday, but he’s another hot bat with a good price to look into. Joyce is strictly a platoon righty who faces the Brewers and Kyle Lohse tonight. Lohse is no slouch, but he is the type of pitcher that Joyce can feast on. Like I said above, I prefer some higher-priced options tonight like Bautista and Cespedes, but if you need to squeeze someone in at a lower price point, Joyce could fit the bill.
Also consider: David Peralta ($3200), Gerardo Parra ($2500). Homer Bailey allows a .357 wOBA against lefty bats.
