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Happy Thursday, RotoBallers! It's almost Friday, so that means MLB is going to split the slate. There are five early and five evening games on Thursday. Today's article focuses on the evening slate starting at 6:40 p.m. ET when Pittsburgh and Cincinnati meet in the Steel City.
It's a great day because it's a Paul Skenes day. Any chance to watch the rookie phenom pitch is an excellent reason to turn on a Pirates game. He's been everything he was touted to be and then some. He'll likely be in 50 percent of DFS lineups on this five-game slate.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 8/22/2024 and the slate locking at 6:40 p.m. ET. 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.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Paul Skenes - RHP, PIT vs. Reds ($9.9K DraftKings; $10.9K FanDuel)
There's not a lot wrong with Paul Skenes. Through 16 starts, the rookie has a 2.30 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and a 31.8 percent strikeout rate. That strikeout rate translates to 121 strikeouts in 98 innings. The last time Skenes faced the Reds, he fired six innings of one-run baseball with seven strikeouts.
The only thing to watch with the Pirates rookie is the walks. He's provided at least three free passes in three of his previous four starts, but that should be mitigated against Cincinnati. Over the last month, the Red's 6.2 percent walk rate versus RHPs is the fourth worst in baseball.
Paul Skenes, 99mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/OGMZJnXOgC
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 16, 2024
Spencer Arrighetti - RHP, HOU at Orioles ($7.5K DK; $8.7K FD)
Before a stumble against the White Sox, Spencer Arrighetti was on a tear. The right-handed hurling rookie had 12 and 13 strikeouts in back-to-back games, putting his early season struggles behind him.
While a date with Baltimore isn't ideal, Arrighetti has kept the Red Sox, Rays, and Dodgers relatively quiet in three of his last four starts. The Astros pitcher is a value play because anyone with a dozen-strikeouts upside is worth a shot at his price on either site.
Also consider: Dylan Cease vs. NYM, Spencer Schwellenbach vs. PHI, Corbin Burnes at HOU
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Jake Cronenworth - 1B/2B, SD vs. Luis Severino ($4.5K DK; $3.0K FD)
Don't look now, but Jake Cronenworth is in the Crone Zone. The Padres infielder has a hit in 14 of 18 games this month, and hopefully, a late-season surge can turn his year around. Over the last seven days, Cronenworth is slashing .250/.423/.400 with five runs, five RBI, and two extra-base hits.
Spencer Horwitz - 1B/2B, TOR vs. Griffin Canning ($3.9K DK; $2.8K FD)
When Toronto faces a righty on the mound, they boost Spencer Horwitz up the lineup. The 26-year-old has hit fourth in three of the previous four games with a RHP facing the Blue Jays. In the last two weeks, he's rocking a .864 OPS with three doubles and four home runs.
Horwitz goes deep to extend the Blue Jays lead early! 💪 pic.twitter.com/xstlfaxVzX
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 21, 2024
Manny Machado - 3B, SD vs. Luis Severino ($5.0K DK; $3.2K FD)
Luis Severino served up meatballs before a complete game shutout against the Marlins. In the three starts before that Marlins outing, the Mets righty conceded five home runs and 14 earned runs. Manny Machado is in a home run-hitting mood these days, with two in his previous four games.
The recent power surge from Machado has produced a .945 OPS since July 23, with 17 runs, 21 RBI, and 15 extra-base hits (seven home runs). Expect the Padres' third baseman to be extremely popular on tonight's slate with Austin Riley and Alex Bregman nursing injuries.
Also consider: Alejandro Kirk, Will Wagner, Anthony Rendon, Gunnar Henderson, Trea Turner
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Marcell Ozuna - OF, ATL vs. Cristopher Sanchez ($5.6K DK; $3.8K FD)
There's little to split Marcell Ozuna and Yordan Alvarez, so DraftKings players should take the $300 in savings and spend it somewhere else in their lineup. The Braves are dealing with a depleted lineup, but their designated hitter keeps producing the goods.
Ozuna's registered a hit in 13 of his last 14 games and mashed plenty of baseballs. In those 14 games, the 33-year-old has 11 runs, eight RBI, four doubles, and five home runs. Don't sleep on him in DFS because a lot of his teammates have hit the IL.
Marcell Ozuna's 37th homer of the season gives the @Braves the lead ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/nr6rZVBN2S
— MLB (@MLB) August 21, 2024
Ryan O'Hearn - OF/1B, BAL at Spencer Arrighetti ($3.8K DK; $2.9K FD)
While Spencer Arrighetti was touted earlier in the article as a value play, managers should tread cautiously. The Baltimore lineup is deadly. So much so that they feel confident limiting Ryan O'Hearn to platoon duty and giving him a premiere lineup spot when he makes the team.
The limited on-again, off-again action can affect a lot of players, but O'Hearn's managed to put together a .819 OPS over the last two weeks. The outfielder hasn't had an extra-base hit since Aug 2 but could take advantage of Arrighetti's 40.9 percent hard-hit rate.
Connor Joe - OF/1B, PIT vs. Nick Lodolo ($3.4K DK; $2.6K FD)
Pittsburgh has an odd scheduling quirk where it'll face a third left-handed pitcher in a row. Considering Connor Joe hit fourth in both games, DFS managers can expect him to be there again on Thursday.
The former Rockies utility bat sports a .796 OPS this year with 50 runs, 48 RBI, and 30 extra-base hits (12 home runs) in 109 games. That OPS has risen to .819 over the last two weeks, so hopefully, Joe can continue that upward trend against another Southpaw on the mound.
Also consider: Joey Loperfido, Michael Taylor, Brandon Marsh, Cedric Mullins, Kyle Schwarber
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
1. San Diego Padres vs. Luis Severino - RHP, NYM
Favorite Plays: Jake Cronenworth, Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill
2. Atlanta Braves vs. Cristopher Sanchez -LHP, PHI
Favorite Plays: Michael Harris II, Marcell Ozuna, Sean Murphy
3. Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Nick Lodolo - LHP, CIN
Favorite Plays: Joey Bart, Connor Joe, Oneil Cruz
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