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Daily Fantasy Leagues - FanDuel Lineup Picks (5/9)
Please check the posted lineups and weather forecasts for each game before finalizing your lineup.
SP: Jose Fernandez @ SD ($ 10,600)
I usually forego spending a ton of money on a starting pitcher, but it’s too enticing to pass up the best RHP in baseball against the worst offense in baseball. The Padres offense has been sputtering out of control since the season started, and there hasn’t been much reason for optimism lately. You’ll need to take some discounted players elsewhere, but I this Fernandez is worth the money here. I’d project a line of something like 7-8 IP, 8-9 K and 1-2 ER. Miami’s offense has been surprisingly decent so far this year, too, which increases Fernandez’s odds of collecting a win.
1B: Freddie Freeman vs. CHC (vs. Jason Hammel, RHP) ($3,400)
Freeman hasn’t gone deep in several games. I think this is the main reason for his relatively cheap salary. There are more than ten first basemen with a higher salary than Freeman, but he’s a top-five option for Friday's games. I expect Freeman to have a power surge here pretty soon, and a plus matchup against a mediocre RHP could be just the catalyst he needs.
2B: Jose Altuve vs. BAL (vs. Wei-Yin Chen, LHP) ($3,100)
Like most RHH, Altuve is a much stronger hitter against lefties. Chen is an extremely hittable soft-tossing LHP. Moreover, the Astros’s offense has been significantly better this season. The Astros have a good shot at putting a healthy amount of runs on the board tonight against Chen.
OF: Matt Joyce vs. CLE (vs. Corey Kluber) ($2900)
I’m a Corey Kluber apologist. He’s got great “stuff,” and he limits walks. However, he’s one of the most inconsistent starters in MLB. He’ll have games when he’s completely untouchable, then he’ll have games where he’ll give up 10+ hits in under five innings. Kluber is prone to giving up a lot of hits and a lot of home runs because he has very spotty command inside the strike zone. Accordingly, Kluber has had a much higher BABIP than most pitchers. Sure, Kluber could throw a gem and keep the Rays from scoring any runs. However, there is a good chance that righty-killer Matt Joyce will get several pitches to drive in his two or three AB against Kluber. For $2900, Joyce has tremendous upside in this matchup.