MLB DFS Winners and Losers: Lester, Baez, and More

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There was baseball aplenty yesterday with a 17 game slate around the league for Wednesday, May 1. Here are some of the players who excelled and a few that sputtered during yesterday’s contests. All salaries and points are based on DraftKings.

Winners

Jon Lester ($8200)

The veteran hurler was firing on all cylinders for the Cubs yesterday, shutting out the Seattle Mariners over seven frames. Lester tossed one-hit ball while fanning eight en route to an 11-0 drubbing over the Mariners. Lester led all pitchers with 34.55 DFS points and now sports an impressive 1.73 Earned Run Average on the season.

Lester’s Outlook

Lester has been one of the more impressive pitchers in the National League early-on and shows no signs of letting up. He is fanning more than a batter an inning and has only allowed five earned runs in 26 innings of work this season. His next start should come versus the Miami Marlins who are ranked last in the Majors in runs scored with 86. Look for Lester to continue to roll in his next outing versus the Fish.

Javier Baez ($5600)

Javier Baez single-handedly gave teammate Jon Lester all the offense he needed versus Seattle yesterday. Baez stroked three hits including his 10th homer of the season along with a double and two runs scored. The infielder earned 28 DFS points and you were sitting pretty if you stacked him with Lester. Baez is now hitting .314 with 10 homers and 24 ribbies in 121 at-bats to start the season.

Baez’s Outlook

Baez is showing no signs of slowing down and has truly evolved into one of the best two-way players in the sport. He is hitting .385 over his last 15 games and after an off-day today he will face Jack Flaherty and the Cardinals on Friday. The Cards right-hander is 3-1 with a 4.06 Earned Run Average on the season and has already surrendered seven home runs. Baez is hitting .283 with half his homers coming versus right-handed pitching this season. Look for Baez to continue his winning ways and once again be a solid DFS pick on Friday.

Nolan Arenado ($5100)

Nolan Arenado paced all hitters and pitcher yesterday with 35 DFS points, slamming two round-trippers versus the Brewers. Arenado ended the night with three hits, coupled with four runs batted in to complement his homers. Arenado is now hitting .285 with eight bombs and 25 runs batted in thus far this season.

Arenado’s Outlook

Arenado will once again be a strong DFS play today as the Rockies continue their series with Milwaukee. The Brewers will have Freddy Peralta and his inflated 7.13 Earned Run Average on the bump in the series finale. Arenado and the likes of Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon could be a solid stack if the price point is in your budget today.

Losers

Yasiel Puig ($3500)

Yasiel Puig continued to falter verus Jacob deGrom and the New York Mets, registering zero DFS points yesterday. Puig went 0-4 with a pair of strikeouts, seeing his season average drop to .184 on the campaign. The Wild Horse has yet to impress his new teammates, struggling to make consistent contact, striking out 31 times in 29 games with the Reds.

Puig’s Outlook

Things aren’t going to get any easier for Puig as the Reds wrap up their series in Queens opposite Noah Syndergaard. The Mets hurler has not been his prototypical self this season, sporting a 6.35 Earned Run Average, however, it is still a safe play to avoid Puig on this day as his strikeout totals are sure to rise. Puig is going to have to string together some consistency before he once again is DFS worthy.

Eric Hosmer ($4000)

Eric Hosmer did little on offense yesterday, going 0-4 with a strikeout versus Max Fried and the Atlanta Braves. Hosmer is now batting .243 and seems like a shell of his former self from his Royals days. The first baseman has five round-trippers along with 29 strikeouts, but his OBP has dipped below .300.

Hosmer’s Outlook

Hosmer will face Braves hurler Mike Foltynewicz today. He is one-start removed from the disabled list. Hosmer traditionally hits right-handed pitching better, this season he is batting at a .279 clip with all his homers coming off righties. Regardless, there are more viable options available at his price point, it would be safe to avoid Hosmer until he heats up and goes on a run.

Injury Report

Corey Kluber suffered a nondisplaced fracture in his right ulna after being hit with a line drive off the bat of Brian Anderson. There is no time frame for Kluber to return as of yet but it is safe to assume he is done for a couple of months.

Juan Soto was a late scratch last night for the Nationals reportedly due to back spasms. Soto is considered day-to-day until a more concrete prognosis can be ascertained.

Christian Yelich has seen some improvement in his wonky back and expects to return to the Brewers lineup by the weekend.