RADIO
Here are my top value plays for Fanduel today. I did not include the Mets-Phillies afternoon game which is not included on the Fanduel slate. There are a lot of awful matchups, pitching-wise, to take advantage of today. I would recommend a stack of Tampa lefties against Colby Lewis, Rangers righties against Drew Smyly, Twins against Brad Peacock or even Pirates righties against Justin Verlander. Most of my selections today have a budget in mind since I STRONGLY recommend paying the price for Felix Hernandez.
Remember, these picks are posted early in the day for your convenience, and without knowledge of the teams’ starting lineups. ALWAYS check starting lineups before finalizing your FanDuel entries. On days like Monday, especially, teams will often give some of their regulars a day off.
Also, you have got to check out RotoBaller's new BvP (batter vs. pitcher) analysis tool, which shows you all the daily matchup stats for every single hitter in the MLB.
Starting Pitcher DFS Picks for 8/11
Budget Buster
Felix Hernandez, SEA ($11,300): Just about every scheduled pitcher tonight has some flaws and reasons not to select him. Yes, Felix is expensive. Yes, he is pitching against one the top offenses (Toronto), but I don’t think that matters. Felix has not given up more than two earned runs since May 12 and over that span has struck out at least eight batters in 10 of his 16 starts. With a lot of bad pitchers going tonight, I’ll find cheap options on offense. But I’m not going cheap at pitcher – I can’t afford to let my opponents get all those Felix points while I’m left with a shakier option.
Budget Option
Yovani Gallardo, MIL ($6900): I am strongly encouraging you all to start Felix Hernandez tonight, but it is my duty to provide you with a cheap alternative. For me, it is Gallardo against the Cubs. The Cubs are not a good offense. They are well below the league average at home and against right-handed pitching. They strike out 22 percent of the time against righties. Gallardo has been hit-or-miss this season. He got roughed-up by the Giants his last time out, but shut down the Mets and Rays in his two starts before that. Any non-Felix pitcher will carry some risk tonight, but I think Gallardo is the best bet of the bunch to put up a quality start with some K’s and a win.
Catcher DFS Picks for 8/11
J.P. Arencibia ($3200) or Robinson Chirinos ($2900), TEX: The Rangers are facing Drew Smyly, who has had monumentally bad splits against right-handed hitters over his career. Lefties do nothing against him, but right-siders have a .385 wOBA this season. For that reason, I’ll be recommending a bunch of Rangers’ righties tonight. For all their problems, Texas is a top ten hitting team versus southpaws. It’s possible that Arencibia and Chirinos will both me in the lineup tonight. I’d start the guy that you can stack up with other righties in the lineup.
Also consider: Victor Martinez ($4200), Caleb Joseph ($3100), Eric Fryer ($2500)
First Base DFS Picks for 8/11
Jon Singleton, HOU ($3300): Singleton is a lefty who has hit left-handed pitching to the tune of a .900-plus OPS this season. Tommy Milone is barely Major League quality and can serve up some walks and gopher balls. Singleton’s biggest weakness is his propensity to strike out, but Milone is a pitch-to-contact pitcher. I think he’s the most solid start of the mid-salary guys.
Also consider: Yonder Alonso ($2400), James Loney ($2700), Freddie Freeman ($3800).
Second Base DFS Picks for 8/11
Ian Kinsler, DET ($3300): I actually prefer Robinson Cano here on a bad day for second-baseman, but Kinsler will likely provide more value for the salary. Considering there are six second-basemen that will cost you more, I like Kinsler against the left-handed Jeff Locke. Locke will probably have problems with all of the Tigers’ right-handers and Kinsler figures to be atop the lineup getting on base and scoring runs.
Also consider: Robinson Cano ($3800), Ben Zobrist ($4100), Tommy La Stella ($2800).
Third Base DFS Picks for 8/11
Adrian Beltre, TEX ($3400): I can’t understand why Fanduel has him priced so low, $900 less than top-priced Josh Donaldson. The answer is likely his 16 home runs this season, though we all know the power that Beltre has, particularly against lefties. He gets to face Smyly tonight and is just too tempting at this price to not start. I have him far and away the best third-base option for this slate of games.
Also Consider: Kyle Seager ($3200), Yangervis Solarte ($3000).
Shortstop DFS Picks for 8/11
Elvis Andrus ($2600): He is going for so cheap that adding him will allow you to start Felix while also putting together a good offense. He is never a threat to hit one out, but he’ll get on base and be a threat to steal and score some runs. And if he doesn’t, you only paid near-punt prices for him. There’s a lot of upside here.
Also Consider: Chris Taylor ($3000), Jordy Mercer ($2900).
Outfield DFS Picks for 8/11
Jason Heyward, ATL ($3700): Dan Haren had a nice start five days ago, ending a long run of clunkers. Haren’s problem has been homers this year and lefties do most of the damage. I’ll try to take advantage of this by getting a lefty Brave or two into my lineups – whether it be Freeman, La Stella or Heyward.
Matt Kemp, LAD ($3700): I am still going to ride out Kemp’s hot bat. Julio Teheran has the ability to shut down any offense and is particularly tough on righties, but when Kemp is locked in he can hit anybody. He is locked in right now and there are so many outfield options going for $4000 or more that this price seems low.
Nelson Cruz, BAL ($3300): He has cooled down (a lot) since his early-season power surge, but he gets a mediocre lefty in Chris Capuano pitching in the Baltimore bandbox. Cruz finally broke out of his homer slump on Saturday and is as good a bet as any to find the seats again.
Also Consider: Adam Jones ($3900), Justin Upton ($3400), Josh Reddick ($3100), Starling Marte ($3200).
Whether you have success with my advice or not, I always like to hear from readers via Twitter @baseballscotty or via email at scottslezak22@gmail.com.
