MLB DFS: DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (8/12/24) - Today's Top Lineups

6 months ago by Doug Shain

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Happy Monday! Tonight’s slate is an eight-gamer that looks to be a lot of fun. There is an unusually large number of premium pitchers on tonight’s slate, but there are also enough poor pitchers that we can build strong stacks to help take down a tournament.

The main event of the night will be multi-time Cy Young winners Chris Sale and Blake Snell squaring off as the Braves head to San Francisco. Sale is the leading candidate to win this year’s National League Cy Young, while Snell is on the best three-game run of his career. Who will win this showdown? Are either of these pitchers targets for us tonight? Read on to find out!

This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 8/12/2024 and the slate locking at 7:10 p.m. EDT on DraftKings and FanDuel. The lineup picks will range from some elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. Monitoring injury news and today's MLB starting lineups is also essential.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:

DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Blake Snell (SF/LHP) vs. Atlanta Braves ($9.3K DK, $10.2K FD)

Although Chris Sale has been the more consistent pitcher this year, it’s Blake Snell who is the hot hand at the moment. He has racked up 34 strikeouts over his last three games; the type of tournament-winning upside we look for from our top starter. That he’s cheaper than Sale on both DraftKings and FanDuel is icing on the cake.

The Braves have a reputation as an offense we want to avoid with our pitchers, but they have not looked their best against left-handed pitching this year. Their power numbers are strong, but their combined wOBA is average and they strike out nearly 24% of the time against lefties. That reputation, though, should keep Snell’s ownership low, making him the top pay-up option in tournaments tonight.

Luis Gil (NYY/RHP) at Chicago White Sox ($9K DK, $10.8K FD)

Luis Gil had his best performance of the season when he faced Chicago earlier this year, striking out 14 White Sox batters in only six innings. Keep in mind that this performance took place before the trade deadline when Chicago had Eloy Jimenez and Paul DeJong keeping the lineup afloat. Now the White Sox have nothing, and their expected starting lineup has been abysmal against righties this year (a 25% strikeout rate and a .130 ISO).

Gil doesn’t give up a lot of home runs as is (0.76 home runs per nine innings), making this a perfect matchup for him. He’s a rock-solid option in cash games, and like Snell, he has a tournament-winning upside in this matchup.

Also Consider: Chris Sale (ATL), Pablo Lopez (MIN), Brandon Pfaadt (ARI), Joe Musgrove (SD)

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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Zach Neto - SS, LAA vs. Bowden Francis ($4.6K DK, $3.3K FD)

Zach Neto has been ridiculously hot over his last 10 games. In that time, he’s got a batting average of .342 with eight extra-base hits, 14 runs batted in, and two stolen bases. He has three three-hit games over his last five starts and four multi-hit outings in his last eight games. He’s been so good that he gets the nod over Corey Seager as the top shortstop option on tonight’s slate.

His .203 ISO against right-handed pitching leads the Angels, and his .430 slugging percentage is second-best on the team. Meanwhile, Bowden Francis has the highest slugging percentage allowed to right-handed bats on the slate at .584. Neto is a cash game option and should be one of the first names you lock into any Angels stack.

With that homer Zach Neto joins Mike Trout to become the 2nd Angel ever to have 25 HR & 25 SB in his first 200 career games 👏@Angels | #RepTheHalo https://t.co/h6OWZka1Pm pic.twitter.com/stq2wJtuNj

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) August 11, 2024

Rhys Hoskins - 1B, MIL vs. Clayton Kershaw ($4.2K DK, $3K FD)

Clayton Kershaw has only made three starts so far this year and he’s looked rather pedestrian as he’s ramping up his workload. He’s only allowed one home run in those three starts, but his 4.38 ERA and 1.62 WHIP aren’t promising. Rhys Hoskins has had the most success against Kershaw of anyone on the Brewers, recording four hits, including two extra-base hits, in nine at-bats.

He has a .213 ISO for the season and leads the Brewers with five home runs against left-handed pitching. Other first basemen make more sense for cash games (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.), but Hoskins will be a low-owned option to use as a one-off in tournament lineups.

Joey Bart - C, PIT at Joe Musgrove ($3.4K DK, $2.8K FD)

Has Joey Bart finally adapted to the speed of the major leagues? The once-heralded Giants prospect has disappointed in his brief stint in the big leagues, but his last 10 games suggest that he may finally be showing his massive potential. Over that stretch, he has produced a .375 batting average, a .700 slugging percentage, and four home runs.

He has at least one hit in nine of his last 10 games, and five of those outings were of the multi-hit variety. He has both a floor and ceiling today, making him one of the better cash game looks and a vital part of a sneaky Pirates stack against Joe Musgrove.

Also Consider: Corey Seager (TEX - SS), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR - 1B), Manny Machado (SD - 3B)

DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Matt Wallner, OF - MIN vs. Brady Singer ($4.1K DK, $3.1K FD)

Matt Wallner hammers right-handed pitching. In 95 plate appearances, he has a .390 ISO, a .675 slugging percentage, and all seven of the home runs he’s hit this year. His team-leading .451 wOBA against righties shows that he’s more than just a home-run dart. He has 11 hits over his last 10 games, with only two home runs, yet he’s still showing strong power numbers (a .333 batting average and a .727 slugging percentage).

He’s not very expensive, which puts him in play for cash games. The Twins as a whole crush righties, and Brady Singer has allowed three or more earned runs in three of his last five starts. This makes Wallner and Minnesota a fun tournament option tonight as a pivot off more popular stacks.

Joc Pederson, OF - ARI vs. Bullpen Game ($4.2K DK, $3.1K FD)

Like most of the Arizona offense, Joc Pederson has found his stroke over the last couple of weeks. In his last 10 games, he’s hit four home runs and put up a .370 batting average. Assuming the Rockies roll out a bunch of righties (and it looks as of now like they will), Pederson is in prime position to smash this slate.

He leads Arizona in both ISO (.272) and slugging percentage (.563) against right-handers this year. The Diamondbacks are my favorite stack tonight in tournaments, even if Ketel Marte isn’t in the lineup. Pederson is in play for both cash and tournament lineups.

Joc Pederson comes off the bench and gives the @Dbacks the lead with his 3rd homer in his last 4 games 🐍 pic.twitter.com/mcKIWChXpb

— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2024

Jarren Duran, OF - BOS vs. Tyler Mahle ($5.9K DK, $3.8K FD)

The best thing about Jarren Duran is that he can hit value in a variety of ways. He’s got a little bit of power and is a terror on the base paths. Over his last 10 games, he has only hit one home run, but his six stolen bases and .850 OPS have allowed him to still pay off his high salary in half of those games.

He particularly feasts off right-handed pitching, posting a .270 ISO and .573 slugging percentage. Duran is a preferred pay-up option in cash games and will be in all of your Red Sox stacks (one of my favorites on the evening).