MLB DFS Hitting Picks for 5/8 – Rockie Roll All Night

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The first thing we always need to check before submitting DFS lineups is the weather and we have some nightmare forecasts here. Over half of the Wednesday slate has weather question marks and the cities/states we need to keep an eye on are as follows: Milwaukee, St. Louis, Chicago, Colorado, Baltimore, Detroit and Houston. That’s simply a bad outlook for DFS players and it’s imperative to check with Mark Paquette for weather updates.

Catcher 

Yasmani Grandal, MIL vs. WSH 

DK ($4,200)   FD ($3,000) 

The Brewers make for a nice stack here against Jeremy Hellickson and Grandal should be in the heart of their order. When picking catchers, I usually punt the position or pick an elite option, so we’re going to go with a stud like Grandal. What we like here is the fact that he gets to bat from the left side against Jeremy Hellickson. Since the beginning of 2017, Grandal owns an .805 OPS and .478 SLG against right-handers. Hellickson’s 5.33 ERA and 1.48 WHIP shouldn’t scare us off either, especially in a hitter’s haven like Miller Park. 

Also Consider: Willson Contreras is the hottest catcher in the league right now and gets a good matchup against Jose Urena 

First Base 

Anthony Rizzo, CHC vs. MIA 

DK ($5,300)   FD ($4,300) 

Rizzo might be the hottest hitter in the league right now and that alone makes him impossible to fade in this matchup. Over his last 15 games, Rizzo is posting a .351 AVG and .449 OBP. That is impressive but his power has been even more absurd, with Rizzo providing six doubles, six homers and 17 RBI in that span. Rizzo always hits better against right-handers and Urena’s .370 wOBA, 5.45 ERA and 1.54 WHIP definitely make him someone we want to stack against. 

Also Consider: Jesus Aguilar is super cheap on both sites and has a .478 OBP and three dingers over his last eight games.  

Second Base 

Rougned Odor, TEX at PIT

DK ($4,000)   FD ($3,000) 

Odor’s ugly batting average will make many DFS owners overlook his potential but this guy is too good to be this cheap. Not only is he batting in the heart of the Rangers order, this is also a guy who has 25-20 potential. That’s evident by the fact that he’s averaging 27 homers and 14 steals per year over the last three seasons. While he hasn’t provided much of that yet this year, it’s good to invest in a guy when his stock is at its lowest because an increase is inevitably on the horizon. It could start against Nick Kingham, as Odor gets the platoon advantage against a righty who’s posted a 6.39 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. 

Also Consider: Jose Altuve is more expensive but could have success against an inconsistent arm like Jorge Jopez. 

Third Base 

Nolan Arenado, COL vs. SF

DK ($5,500)   FD ($4,900) 

Arenado is always worth considering at home and especially so when he faces a weak left-hander. While this price makes him a tough sell, it’s hard to overlook his career numbers. In fact, Arenado owns a 1.020 OPS against lefties throughout his career and a .979 OPS at home. That’s obviously ridiculous and it says a lot about how good this guy is. He comes into this matchup rolling too, with nine homers, 21 runs and 21 RBI over his last 19 game. Not to mention, Arenado owns a 1.700 OPS and .600 OBP in 15 plate appearances against Derek Holland throughout their careers. The Giants lefty pitching in Coors is a nightmare circumstance too, as his .349 xwOBA and 5.17 FIP paint an ugly picture.

Also Consider: Matt Carpenter remains cheap on both sites and gets the platoon advantage against Jared Eickhoff. 

Shortstop 

Trevor Story , COL vs. SF

DK ($5,600)   FD ($4,700) 

Story pairs beautifully with Arenado as a two-man Rockies stack, as Story is easily the best shortstop option on the board. This write-up is nearly identical to the Arenado recommendation, as Story has made minced meat of lefties at home throughout his career too. Since his call-up, Story has posted a .973 OPS at home and a 1.024 OPS against southpaws. That has equated to an OPS north of 1.200 against southpaws at home and it’s no surprise when you consider the fact that Coors Field is the best hitting park in the majors. What also makes this Rockies stack intriguing is Vegas’ thoughts on the game, as they have Colorado projected to score nearly six runs, which is easily the highest total on the slate.

Also Consider: Corey Seager is just $3,600 on DK and $3,000 on FD and gets the platoon advantage against a struggling Mike Foltyniewicz.  

Outfield 

Mookie Betts/J.D. Martinez, BOS vs. BAL

DK ($5,400)   FD ($4,300) 

DK ($4,900)   FD ($3,900) 

These two ruined my Monkey Knife Fight picks on Monday but we’re going to go right back to the well here. The simple fact is, these are two of the best hitters in the game. That makes them worth considering on any slate but especially against Andrew Cashner. The Orioles righty has simply been one of the worst pitchers in the Majors over recent years, posting a .381 xwOBA this season while accruing a 4.52 ERA and 1.46 WHIP since the beginning of 2015. That spells disaster against Martinez, who homered on Tuesday and is one of the league leaders with a .452 xwOBA. Betts is on fire right now too, as he’s 25-for-64 at the plate over his last 16 games, accumulating three homers, six doubles, 14 walks, 14 runs and 13 RBI in that span. 

Yasiel Puig, CIn at OAK

DK ($3,900)   FD ($2,700) 

The Cincinnati slugger has struggled in his first month with the Reds but he’s simply too good to be priced this cheaply. What makes Puig an intriguing option here is the fact that he gets the platoon advantage against Brett Anderson, with Puig posting a .932 OPS against left-handers this season. Anderson is not really a pitcher Puig’s going to worry about either, with the southpaw posting a 1.41 WHIP and 4.91 xFIP so far this year. 

Gregory Polanco, PIT vs. TEX

DK ($4,100)   FD ($2,900) 

Polanco is in the exact same boat as Puig, as we’re going to bet on him getting much better over the next few months. The lefty slugger actually homered Tuesday and hopefully, that’s the sign of things to come. He now has at least 10 DK points in three of his last four games and it’s only going to continue against a weak righty like Shelby Miller. Not only does Miller own an unsightly 7.99 ERA and 2.03 WHIP, he’s also posting a nightmarish .408 xwOBA. That’s fantastic for Polanco, who owns an OPS of .800 against righties since the beginning of 2017. 

Also Consider: Andrew Benintendi is another great piece to a Boston stack, as he gets the platoon advantage against Cashner.