This week’s Collector’s Corner takes an early look at some possible 2021 breakouts in the AL – and the trading cards to collect from this bunch.
By now, everyone knows to collect Luis Robert trading cards, but there’s a huge crop of baseball prospects whose trading cards could see a huge bump in 2021 and beyond if they have breakout seasons. Here are nine such players in the AL you should be stocking in your collection.
NOTE: I’m using my Cash/GPP/Punt system again since it translates well to the DFS/trading card investment comparison.
I shouldn’t have to say much about Franco – who’s now the top prospect in baseball – but since he hasn’t played since 2019, he’s flying a bit under the radar.
Franco does everything well and is projected for about 90 games at the major league level in 2021 – a call-up that will immediately cause a bump in his rookie trading cards. You can buy 2019 1st Bowman #BP100 PSA GEM MINT 10 rookies for $100-125 apiece, and parallels and autos – while expensive – remain excellent long-term investments. I’m happy to have a sharp 2020 Bowman Chrome Sapphire #BCP-1 (second year) in my collection, but I’m working on adding some of his rookies.
He’s not slated for a spot in the Rays lineup on day one of the 2021 season, but once he’s here he may be here to stay.
Mountcastle had an auspicious 2020 debut for the Birds, and he did an excellent radio interview where he talks about the transition to the majors and how he fared in his rookie season (“I held my own”). The multi-positional fielder – who played mostly outfield for Baltimore – posted a solid .333/.386/.492 slash line with five homers and a 141 wRC+ in 35 games.
It’s a small smaple, for sure, but I love guys who can play all over the diamond and remain entrenched in the everyday lineup, and Mountcastle is one of those guys. THE BAT, ZIPS and Steamer projections for 2021 all have him hitting over 20 homers with a wRC+ north of 100.
You can pick up graded 2015 rookies for a reasonable price, and he’s a hitter who’ll be smack dab in the middle of a potent group of young hitters, so his 2021 production could well exceed expectations.
This guy can mash. He hit eight homers in just 92 ABs for the Red Sox in his 2020 debut, and as a corner infielder he should consistently find a way into the Boston lineup. The 42.4% K rate is a bit disconcerting, but as far as raw power metrics goes, his .338 ISO stands out as an obscene number that points to 40+ HR upside for the 2016 draft pick.
2021 projections from the aforementioned sources are unanimous in assuming 25+ HRs for the upcoming season, and his path to 30+ is only clouded by how often he can make things happen and avoid a prolonged slump at the dish.
A natural third baseman, his 2016 Bowman Chrome Draft rookie trading cards are still dirt cheap, and he’s a solid investment in a huge market city – even if he’s a guy who strikes out almost 200 times in a 15-game season.
With Robert off the list and getting regular MLB at-bats, Vaughn is now the No. 1 prospect in the White Sox system, and while he’s not expected to start the 2021 season in the majors, he’s just 22 years old slated for a mid-season arrival.
There’s not a clear path to regular playing time in the field just yet, but Vaughn could become the White Sox DH for a large chunk of the 2021 season, which could be a difficult adjustment for someone used to playing the field.
Still – he was so good in big league campo after he was drafted in 2019 that he was almost brought up to the majors in 2020. While his 2019 trading cards are pretty hot, there’s still plenty of room for growth. I really hate the 2019 Bowman design, but that’s his first Bowman card. I did manage to pull a couple of his 2020 Bowman Chrome Mega Box Mojo Refractors, but it’s important I cave and just grab some of his rookies.
Adell didn’t find much success as a rookie outfielder for the Angels in 2020, but he’s still 21 years old and has the tools and talent to bounce back in his sophomore campaign.
He may start the 2021 season in the Triple-A, and there’s a few hard-hitting outfielders who could complicate his return to The Show – but all five-tool prospects are worth some additional development if it increases their confidence. Adell was clearly rushed into the bigs last year – probably because he’s a high-energy guy and they wanted him to play baseball instead of languishing in the pandemic-induced hiatus that may have stunted the growth of an untold number of MLB prospects.
As a result, his 2017 rookie trading cards – even PSA 10s – are very inexpensive for an organizational No. 1. He’s worth adding to your collection and seeing what happens in the coming season.
Murphy has the offensive and defensive chops to be an All-Star major league catcher for a long time, and we’ve already seen a little of what he’s capable of at the big-league level.
A legitimately great defender at a premium position who looks a lot like a poor man’s Buster Posey when it comes to his pitch-framing and solid bat, Murphy’s 2020 debut was promising – with a .233/.364/.457 slash line, seven HRs and a 132 wRC+ in just 43 games. That stretch earned him 1.5 WAR and an everyday spot in the Athletics’ lineup.
His 2018 Bowman Chrome rookie trading cards are still a huge bargain, and you can pick up a PSA 9 MINT auto rookie for under $100.
Like Dalbec, Jones was drafted in 2016, and his rookie trading cards are also still very affordable. He’s also got immense raw power, as seen by the .213 ISO he posted in 2019 for the team’s Double-A affiliate. Unlike Dalbec, he hasn’t played since 2019 since he wasn’t called up to the bigs.
Jones is now the No. 1 prospect for Cleveland and may or may not get his shot in 2021 – but we’ve seen hitters like him arrive to fill a lineup gap and just never leave. There’s probably less long-term risk involved than Dalbec, but he may not provide immediate dividends.
Kyle Lewis made a huge splash in 2020 and Julio Rodriguez may be ready to arrive by late 2021 or early 2022, but White will be in the Mariners lineup on opening day. His 2017 Bowman Chrome rookie autos are selling (raw) for low prices and PSA 10s can be had in the $100-200 range.
White struggled at the dish as a rookie in 2020 (.176/.252/.346 slash with a 41.6% K rate and just eight dingers in 200+ ABs), but THE BAT and Steamer projections have him improving drastically in 2021; only ZIPS has him hitting fewer than 20 homers with an average under .230.
Big Nick is slated to bate out of the No. 5 slot in the Rangers 2021 lineup, and while he’s on his third organization since being drafted by the Yankees in 2016, his 2020 Topps trading cards earned the RC logo and are very cheap, very good investments.
Solak had a great MLB debut in 2019, took a step back in 2020, and is poised for a big 2021. His rookies have him on the Yankees, so that may not hurt their ability to fetch big prices as much as say 2015 Bowman Draft Mike Yastrzemski rookies in Orioles gear. He’s not a great defender and isn’t going to be a guy who hits 30+ homers or steals 30 bases, but he’s got 20-15 upside and a solid enough bat to move the needle on his trading cards in the next couple of years.
A flashback at some of the best performances from the Tuesday slate plus their outlooks for the remainder of the season on the 9/25 MLB DFS and Betting review and look ahead.
Sign up NOW for WIN DAILY Premium Gold right here! DFS Pro Cheat Sheets, projections, wagering info, 24/7 expert chats with our DFS Pros and more!
Premium Gold members had access to the MLB Cheatsheet, as well as other parts of the website as you will see throughout this article and the Slack channel with access to all the DFS Pros. Jason chose Yasiel Puig as a value outfielder on last night’s slate against the divisional-rival Chicago White Sox on the road. Puig had a big night at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two runs and a walk against the White Sox pitching staff.
Outlook for the rest of the season: The Cleveland Indians are currently 0.5 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the second A.L. Wild Card spot. Yasiel Puig revitalized his season once he was traded to the Indians back at the deadline. In 46 games as an Indian, he has a slash line of .312/.391/.836 and has been a staple in the middle of their order, especially with Jose Ramirez just returning to the lineup. Expect Puig to make some contributions as the Indians battle and could potentially overtake the second Wild Card spot to play in the one-game playoff on the road.
Here is a screenshot from our FanDuel Pitcher Projection Model. As you can see, Mitch Keller landed outside of the Top 20 probable starting pitchers on the slate yesterday. Keller was on the mound against the division-rival Chicago Cubs five innings of one run ball on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. He picked up a no decision in the effort as well.
Outlook for the rest of the season: Keller has been hit hard in his limited season, posting a 7.13 ERA after this start on 48 innings of work. This was also his third consecutive game of seven strikeouts, proving there is good stuff on his pitches. If Pittsburgh keeps their starting rotation as currently constructed, Keller will pitch the final game of their season against another divisional-rival in Cincinnati. Expect Keller to continue to build on a short season and take this valuable experience to become a better pitcher in 2020.
Our very own Phil Naessens wrote this in his Cash with the Flash article. If you wanted to make extra bankroll during the late stages of Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, you would have followed this bet. Jordan Thompson won this matchup in three sets against Vasek Pospisil. This means that he has officially advanced to the round of 16 to face Alexander Bublik tomorrow morning. It was not a dominant performance by any stretch but Thompson won and was the better player in the match.
As shown on the MLB Cheatsheet, the Boston Red Sox were a team to stack up players onto your 9/25 DFS lineups. The Red Sox offense scored 12 runs on 14 hits and added four walks as a team against the Texas Rangers in Arlington. This included good games by J.D. Martinez, going 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored while Xander Bogaerts 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored.
Outlook for the rest of the season: The Boston Red Sox have been eliminated from advancing to the postseason. Their team could look a lot different by Opening Day with the potential of Mookie Betts being traded in the offseason. The offense has scored 876 runs this season, which is the fourth most in the majors. Boston’s hitting kept them alive for as long as it can, so with a better season out of their pitchers, expect a better run in 2020.
We’ve got a 13-game main slate for 9/24 DFS and while a playoff picture is finally emerging and the season is winding down, there are still some high-upside hitters and stacks to get you prepped to win some green!
Sign up NOW for WIN DAILY Premium Gold right here! Projections, wagering info, 24/7 expert chats and more!
The Red Sox shouldn’t have problems getting to either Vólquez, who’s having a last hurrah in the big leagues before retiring, or Jurado, who has a 5.73 ERA this season and has trouble getting Ks. You may want to skip Betts, who’s been getting rest since coming back from a foot injury, but grab shares of J.D. Martinez, Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts and some of the more inexpensive bats (Mitch Moreland, Brock Holt, Jackie Bradley) that should help you make salary. I think the 2-5 plus Christian Vazquez (the projected 7 hitter) might be my favorite stack among the Red Sox bats.
The Astros are always worth looking to considering their 121 team wRC+ and .349 wOBA, but they face a couple mashable pitchers and you don’t have to worry about splits since they rake just about everybody. Get some shares of the red-hot George Springer (three HRs on Sunday) as well as Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yuri Gurriel and Yordan Alvarez. they have the highest implied total among the teams with set lines so far.
These teams have been bashing each other’s brains in, and while I prefer the Blue Jays side of this offensive tilt, the entire game stack is in play. It’s been a GPP winner recently, so I have no qualms about rolling out the usual suspects again: Cavan Biggio, Randal Grichuk, Rowdy Tellez, and value bats like Brandon Drury and Teoscar Hernandez – especially if Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. (illness) sits for a second consecutive day.
Chicago Cubs at Mitch Keller – The Cubs are nearly out of the playoff picture thanks to the Cardinals, but for 9/24 DFS you shouldn’t consider them officially dead yet – and they’re a bunch who can still pile on the runs. The Pirates home park isn’t the best venue for stacks, so ownership should be relatively low.
Atlanta Braves at Danny Duffy – Plenty of bats to like for this potent Braves lineup facing the lefty in Kansas City, you’ll just have to leave out a couple since they’re all so good. I may be fading the Yankees in Tampa, but I’m not worried about the Braves against a hittable pitcher in the heartland.
Cleveland Indians vs. Hector Santiago – The Indians aren’t as consistent as the Braves offensively, but they have a bunch of lefty mashers with a special affinity for Santiago. The implied run total is over 5.5, which means you should have shares of the 1-5 bats along with some exposure to Franmil Reyes and Jordan Luplow. I might take a wait-and-see approach with Jose Ramirez, who’s set to be activated from the IL.
Oakland Athletics at Dillon Peters – The A’s aren’t as good against LHPs (.305 team wOBA), but it’s a viable contrarian stack to consider for 9/24 DFS. The implied total is also over 5.5 runs and seems a bit high — so tread lightly with this bunch.
Vazquez got a day off yesterday against the Rays, but he should beback in the lineup Tuesday in Texas. He’s got 3 homers in his last seven gamesand his overall numbers in 2019 have been impressive: .273/.316/.472 with 22 HRs.Digging a little deeper, we find a .232 road ISO, with 14 of his dingers comingaway from Fenway Park.
Santana is having a career year, and I’m plugging him into most ofmy GPP builds against Hector Santiago. Hisseason slash sits at .288/.403/.529 with a 139 wRC+ and he’s destroying LHPsthis season (1.015 OPS, 162 wRC+ and .421 wOBA). There are many ways to go at1B on this slate, but Santana is my bet for a monster game.
Did you expect me to play some other than Biggio? He hit anotherbomb last night and has ben raking every time I use him in GPPs – from lastTuesday’s cycle and Thursday’s home run to helping me spike some decent cashesin last night’s Rally contests on FanDuel. He’s way too cheap on that site andhis price tag on DK should keep him from being chalk – especially with so manyhigh-priced arms.
It’s been a disappointing season for Machado, but he’d like to endit with some standout performances against his old team, the Dodgers. I lovethe matchup against LHP Rich Hill since Machado – with some really pronouncedsplits this season – hits .314/.401/.683 against southpaws. The price is rightfor Machado, and using him as a one-off or with OF Hunter Renfroe ($4,000 onDK, $3,100 on FD) – who’s another viable Padres power hitter with a 132 wRC+against LHPs – makes a lot of sense if you’re trying to find some value and buildingmultiple lineups.
Seger is finally hitting his groove as we near the postseason, andnow is a great time to plug him in at SS in the 9/24 DFS main slate. He’s got a123 wRC+ against RHPs and has a .381 WOBA and .314 ISO sine the start of September.There’s no time like the present, and presently, Corey Seager is raking.
Tired of losing money on your DFS and Sportsbook? Sign up today and become a winner whileturning your passion for sports into a second stream of income!
Cody might just ring that bell again on Tuesday night against “BadRonald” Bolanos, who’s given up three homers in 14 innings. Bellinger’s 166wRC+ and ridiculous .314/.414/.641 slash line vs. RHPs means he’ll be in all thelineups I can afford him in, regardless of the venue and the fact he’s on the road(149 wRC+ in away games this season).
He makes for a fine one-off if you’re not using the Braves stack, and he’s putting up obscene numbers against both LHPs and RHPs. Another interesting stat about Acuna is that he’s slashing a robust .281/.370/.510 with a 125 wRC+ at home and .279/.361/.527 with a 128 wRC+on the road. There’s not a day that I don’t consider him, even against the league’s top pitchers and regardless of the lofty price tag.
Hays had a monster night in Toronto on Monday and he’s once again in a good spot facing a lefty. The 24-year-old slugger is slashing .302/.362/.535 in the 15 games he’s played in the majors, and he’s still very inexpensive on both sites. If he’s in the Orioles lineup on Tuesday, I’ll be grabbing shares.
C: Wilson Contreras ($4,400 DK, $3,200 FD), Sean Murphy ($4,000DK, $3,100 FD)
1B: Anthony Rizzo ($4,900 DK, $4,100 FD), Trey Mancini ($4,700 DK,$3,900 FD)
2B: Jose Altuve ($4,700 DK, $4,200 FD), DJ LeMahieu ($5,000 DK)($4,200 FD – 3B)
3B: Gio Urshela ($4,100 DK, $3,000 FD) Vladimir Guerrero Jr, ($3,800DK, $3,200 FD)
SS: Francisco Lindor ($5,400 DK, $4,300 FD), Nico Hoerner ($3,700DK, $3,000 FD)
OF: Anthony Santander ($4,000 DK, $3,400 FD), Brett Gardner ($4,500DK, $3,500 FD), Randal Grichuk ($4,100 DK, $3,000 FD), Ramon Laureano GPP($3,100 FD), Austin Riley GPP ($2,200 FD), Adam Duvall GPP ($2,400 FD)
On our Thursday 9/5 DFS 7:05 main slate, there are seven ballgames – with one that stands out as a good single-game stack with a couple one-offs (a hot-hitting Cub and some RHBs on the lefty-mashing Houston buzzsaw). Are we ready to, once again, embrace the variance and win some green? You bet we are – and there’s enough pitching value to fade the top arms and build a lineup with serious studs.
Sign up NOW for WIN DAILY Premium Gold right here! Projections, weather reports, wagering info, 24/7 expert chatsand more!
Most of this stack’s full-bodied components will be discussed hitterby hitter in greater detail below, but this is my top stack of the slate and I’llhave plenty of exposure to this game in general. The usual suspects apply. TheRed Sox are slashing a robust .285/.355/.506 at home this season and there’s nobodyI’d be careful to avoid.
The Twins have a little tougher matchup as they are underdogs inFenway Park, but they’d slashed .319/.384/.584 as a team over the past 7 daysheading into last night’s tough matchup vs. Eduardo Rodriguez (which resultedin a 6-2 loss). Look for the Twins to rebound in a big way against a hittable Eovaldi(6.23 ERA, 5.62 FIP). I like the outfielders (though Max Kepler was removedfrom last night’s game with upper chest soreness) and the slugging infielders (JorgePolanco, Miguel Sano, C.J. Cron, Luis Arraez).
Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yuri Gurriel make up the core of this stack, with Michael Brantley and/or Yordan Alvarez rounding it out on FD/DK. But if you’ve only got room for hitters like Aledmys Diaz, Abraham Toro and cheap catching option Robinson Chirinos, there’s still plenty of reason to get excited. The Astros has demolished LHPs this season to the tune of a 133 wRC+ and have great number sat home (.217 team ISO with just an 18.8% K rate – the second lowest in the league).
Chicago Cubs at Chase Anderson (Reverse splits pitcher and an implied total near 5 runs)
Baltimore Orioles vs. Kolby Allard (high-risk/value/contrarian)
Tampa Rays vs. Trent Thornton (high-risk/value/contrarian)
With Castro starting this game out on the bench, I’m pivoting to Chirinos. He’s about the same price and offers similar upside in this matchup. Chirinos sports a .444 xwOBA in 174 ABs (217 plate appearances) vs. LHPs over the past couple of seasons.
Gurriel has cooled off a little bit since his insane July (.408/.437/.847 in 24 games), but not much, as he posted a .344/.423/.677 slash in August. He’s actually a little better against RHPs but maintains a .237 ISO vs. lefties, so he’s maybe a tad contrarian if you’re mini-stacking stacking Astros along with Boston bats. The .298 home ISO and 148 home wRC+ make him an attractive option.
Altuve (.302/.369/.599 with 14 HR at home this season) isunderpriced on DK and the Astros have the second highest implied total (about 6runs) on the evening slate. The diminutive slugger has been in a bit of a funk withno XBH on the five-game road trip, but a return to friendlier confines could bejust what he needs. It’s hard to find better implied value at this position, sowhy look past the five-and-a-half footer if we’re putting our best foot forward?
Lefty on lefty for Devers hasn’t bothered me since he took AroldisChapman deep as a youngster for the Sox, and he’ll be an overlooked part of theBoston stack and low-owned because of it. He’s completely avoidable if you’renot stacking this team, but I love going with Devers at 3B because he’s alwaysin the thick of this offense and his production this season (.320/.369/.579 slashwith 29 HR and 107 RBI) shows it.
We’ve had success recently with Bogaerts, and this is agreat matchup for the power-hitting SS to show off his .416 xwOBA against LHPs overthe past two seasons. Martin Perez isn’t a bad pitcher these days, but he has stillyielded a .184 ISO and .865 OPS since 2018. I’ve been doing well not overthinkingon Xander, so that’ll continue as I plug him into most of my lineups at SS. Thesomewhat underpriced Alex Bregman ($4,900 DK, $4,400 FD) is the obvious pivotat 3B and SS if you’re not anxious play both Devers and Bogaerts.
Tired of losing money on your DFS and Sportsbook? Sign up today and become a winner while turning your passion for sports into asecond stream of income!
Bettshad a monster game last night and when Mookie gets hot, you continue to playhim. Boston’s leadoff hitter connected for a couple homers last night en routeto a 4-for-5, five RBI night. He’s still underpriced at $5K on DK and is a Benjamincheaper than J.D. Martinez on FD. Since the start of 2018, Betts is sporting anxwOBA of .430 against LHPs and even if Perez gets yanked early, a righthander faceseven more obscene Betts data (.468 xwOBA vs. RHPs and home xwOBA of .478).
Mr. Castellanos has taken the Windy City by storm, and he getsto travel to Milwaukee to hit in a controlled environment. The problem is thatthese walls cannot possibly contain him either, and he’s been a revelatory offensivepowerhouse since joining the Cubs in a deadline deal, slashing .346/.378/.709 witha ridiculous .362 ISO, .439 wOBA, 12 homers and 24 RBI in just 31 games. It’snot just Wrigley, either: the bell-ringer has split his dingers 6/6 betweenhome and road. Plus, he’s massively underpriced facing a reverse-splits righty (ChaseAnderson) on a small slate. It’ll be tough to leave him out in any format.
The Sox are my favorite team and Travis is much-welcomed valueto help you finish them off on FD with these four hitters I’ve listed, or even addin another bat on DK if you’re going that route. He hits lefties well (.382 xwOBA,.200 ISO and under a 20% strikeout rate over the past two seasons). He’s higherrisk and may attract some ownership, but at that low, low price I’ll make roomto differentiate elsewhere.
C: Wilson Contreras ($4,200 DK, $3,100 FD), Travis d’Arnaud($4,000 DK, $2,700 FD)
1B: Josh Bell ($4,800 DK, $4,200 FD), Garrett Cooper (valueat $3,500 DK, $2,700 FD)
2B: Jonathan Schoop ($4,600 DK, $3,100 FD), Starlin Castro($3,500 DK, $3,000 FD)
3B: Abraham Toro ($2,600 DK, $3,200 FD, Miguel Sano ($5,100DK, $3,900 FD)
SS: Alex Bregman, Jonathan Villar ($4,700 DK, $3,400 FD)and possibly Javier Baez (thumb, DTD – $4,600 DK, $4,100)
OF: Twins galore (Max Kepler, Eddie Rosario, Nelson Cruz, JakeCave), Trey Mancini, Anthony Santander and Ryan Braun (.475 xwOBA vs. LHPs, 415ISO including five career HR vs. Jose Quintana)
Today we’ll be examining a fine 12-game Tuesday 9/3 DFS MLB slate (one without a super-obvious Coors Field game), looking to embrace the variance, find some compelling stacks to focus on in our lineup builds, and list some viable hitters in GPPs – as well as some additional plays that might be worth a punt or contrarian pivot.
Sign up NOW for WIN DAILY Premium Gold right here!Projections, weather reports, wagering info, 24/7 expert chats and more!
The Braves have the highest implied total (6 runs) on the 12-game 7:05 slate, with the Dodgers close behind. Both Font and Zeuch (the proposed primary reliever who’ll be making his MLB debut) are RHPs — so it’s safe to stack the 1-5 hitters as there are no weak links in the bunch. Don’t overthink this one – the Braves have punished RHPs, are a better offense at home this season, and have plenty of value bats if you’re building a non-traditional stack.
The Dodgers have six hitters in their projected lineup with ISOmarks north of .200 against RHP, including some of the best xwOBA marks on the slate(Will Smith at .487 and Cody Bellinger at .446). Feel free to attack Chi Chi’sterrible splits against lefties regardless of the barely beneficial shift awayfrom Coors. Joc Pederson (who you will have to double check on because he leftMonday’s game after a leaping catch at the wall), Corey Seager, Bellinger, A.J.Pollock and Matt Beaty should be the core of this group.
It’s been a few days, but the Indians bats came alive last night and knocked around Ross Detwiler, and the matchup against Dylan Cease shouldn’t offer too much resistance. Cease is vulnerable to both RHBs and lefties, so it doesn’t really matter which side of the plate your stacked players hit from – just make sure you’re building around a core of Francisco Lindor, Oscar Mercado and Carlos Santana. You have myriad options for additional power bats in the heart of the lineup and a bit further down (Yasiel Puig, Franmil Reyes, Jakob Bauers), so it might be worth it to build some variety if you’re multi-entering in GPPs.
Minnesota Twins at Rick Porcello
Boston Red Sox vs. Randy Dobnak
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Matthew Strahm
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Dereck Rodriguez
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Sandy Alcantara
We’re looking for some value at catcher given some of the prices of these bigger bats in the stacks we need to fit, and Castro is exactly the type of hitter we’re looking for – a sneaky option with ample power and plenty of bats surrounding him. If the Twins roll out Castro against Porcello, I’d be comfortable with the BvP data (5-for-13 with a HR) and overall against RHP (.476 xwOBA).
You’re going to get Josh Bell at a very low ownership, and while the $5,100 price seems oppressive, the Pirates still sport a decent implied total and Bell (.426 xwOBA vs. RHP) might fly under the radar in this slate. The Pirates aren’t the safest stack, but Bell stands out as an excellent one-off, especially if you’re steering clear of Freddie Freeman and looking for a more contrarian play.
Wong is red-hot at the plate, with a seven-game hitting streak and a triple in three straight games (the record is five, by Chief Wilson in 1912). A streaky hitter who’s having an excellent second half (.381/.462/.545 in 42 games since the break), Wong’s got an affordable price tag and could be banging out some more extra base hits from that 2-slot against the Giants.
Devers and the Red Sox are a formidable stack against just about anyopposing pitcher, but this is an especially tasty matchup with rookie Randy Dobnakon the mound for the Twins. Since Anthony Rendon and Alex Bregman aren’t in idealspots Tuesday, I’m rolling with Devers and his obscene metrics vs. RHP (.429xwOBA, .247 ISO). He’s never far from a run-producing spot and he’s got all theprotection he needs surrounded by the Boston sluggers.
Mondesiobviously missed being a part of the Royals lineup, because he went 4-for-5with two runs scored and three SB in the Royals’ 6-4 comeback win against theOrioles on Sunday. He’s facing a LHP in Daniel Norris on Tuesday and he’sclearly recovered from his shoulder injury – and while the price on DK issteep, he’s very affordable on FD.
Tired of losing money on your DFS and Sportsbook? Signup today and become a winner while turning your passionfor sports into a second stream of income!
Joyceis a classic value GPP play because of his power potential and assault on RHP(.392 xwOBA). It’s also helpful that both the projected starter and primaryreliever are right handers – which could give him an extra AB or two before he mustface a lefty out of the bullpen or get pulled for a pinch hitter or defensivereplacement. In a search for some bargains to offset the rest of the Bravesstack, Joyce could be a key cog.
MaxKepler is batting leadoff for one of the top stacks of the day, so he’s definitelya fly ball hitter to build around despite his steep price tag on DraftKings. He’scoming off a 2-for-5 day in a win over Detroit and is slashing .258/.339/.537with 36 home runs and 90 RBI over 127 games in 2019. He’s an excellent roadhitter (.266/.357/.548) and he’s a real bargain on FanDuel at just $3,500.
It’s always a weather-dependent recommendation to use or fade batsin Wrigley, so make sure there’s not a stiff breeze blowing in before youcommit to Schwarber here. The enigmatic Schwarber does his best work at homevs. RHP (125 wRC+ in 2019, .250/.355/.545 slash), and while he’s not the besthitter in high leverage spots (65 wRC+), that’s a figure that’s bound toimprove. King Felix is not the pitcher he once was, and it’s a fine spot forlefty mashers against him.
C: Carson Kelly, Chris Herrmann (value)
1B: Anthony Rizzo, Matt Olson
2B: Brock Holt (value), Eduardo Escobar
3B: Matt Carpenter, Abraham Toro
SS: Corey Seager, Nick Ahmed
OF: Matt Beaty, Dexter Fowler, Nick Castellanos, Adam Jones. Franmil Reyes, Oscar Mercado
This Saturday August 31st slate is all about landing the right bats. Follow my stud and value plays and lock in the MLB DFS Picks of Destiny.
Check out our Data Driven Projections for FanDuel Hitters for Premium Gold Members.
Todays picks are listed in order of preference, not price.
David Jones won 100K on FanDuel! Read about it here!
Catcher: Tom Murphy ($2,900 FD) The new and improved young Mariners lineup is hitting lefties well and not many people have noticed. Murphy has 11 home runs in only 97 at bats. He hits 412 ISO/.458 wOBA and faces Brock Burke in the hitter friendly Globe Life Park. Brock has looked good in his major league debut, but I think that is more luck than skill personally. In the minors he had a 7.88 ERA. Look for Murphy, Nola and Seager to keep the Mariners in the game.
Catcher Value: None
First Base: Albert Pujols ($2,900 FD) I love Pujols at this price, vs Brian Johnson (L), at home, on a Saturday night. Pujols is hitting lefties better than righties this year, with 10 home runs in 147 ABs. There is something about Pujols at home on Saturday. He just tends to exceed value. I will lock him in at a cheap $2,900.
First Base Pivot: Danny Santana, Sam Travis, Austin Nola
Second Base: KiKi Hernandez ($2,700 FD) is on a hot streak and his price is not rising. In his last five games he has scored double digit fantasy points four times. He has exceeded 20 FanDuel points three times in the same time frame. Robbie Ray is on the bump and is not necessarily an easy target, unless you name is KiKi. He hits Ray at .395 ISO/.405 wOBA with four home runs against him in 38 at bats in his career. Dodgers look like they are in a sneaky MLB DFS spot tonight.
Second Base Pivot: Ryan McMahon, Adam Frazier
Third Base: Rafael Devers ($4,300 FD) hits .211 ISO/.344 wOBA vs lefties and is always a threat to go deep. Dillion Peters has given up three home runs in his last 8.2 innings pitched. A few Red Sox are going to hit one over the wall tonight and statistically Devers has one of the best chances. Red Sox are becoming my favorite MLB DFS stack of the night.
Third Base Pivot: Jose Osuna, Kyle Seager
Shortstop: Trevor Story ($4,100 FD) Shortstop looks loaded tonight but Story appears to be in the top spot. The Pirates are rolling out Joe Musgrove and they tend to want to let him go deep, whether he is getting hit or not. Tonight I think he gets hit. Rockies came out a bit flat last night and broke at lot of hearts at high ownership but that will not scare me off of them tonight. Story is hitting .274 ISO/ .382 wOBA with 23 home runs vs righties on the season.
Short Stop Pivots: Trea Turner, Kevin Newman, Xander Bogaerts (I think you have to pay up at SS tonight)
Outfield: J.D. Martinez ($4,500 FD) destroys lefties and gets to tee off vs Dillon Peters. He has given up six home runs in his last five games but still has managed a decent 4.11 ERA on the season. JD is hitting .483 ISO/.539 wOBA this season with 16 home runs in 118 ABs. He went deep last night and he has a great chance to do it again. If I end up stacking Red Sox, he would be the first bat I try to get in.
Outfield: Sam Hilliard ($3,100 FD) His price keeps sneaking up but at $3,100 he still can easily exceed value. In his short MLB debut he is hitting .545 ISO/.509 wOBA. Of course this will regress, but he is off to a very nice start. He has two home runs in his 11 AB’s vs righties in the majors. I am not scared to target Joe Musgrove tonight, especially in Coors. He has a 4.67 ERA on the season, and tonight shouldn’t help make that any better.
Outfield: Kole Calhoun ($3,300) The Angels will face lefty Brian Johnson (6.83 ERA) for the “bulk” of the game. Calhoun hits southpaws at .203/.441/.746 on the season. I expect the Angels to score enough to have a chance to win tonight and Calhoun should be batting around the cleanup spot and have the opportunity to help clear the bases. At $3,300 on FD he make for a nice MLB DFS value play.
Outfield Pivots: Willie Calhoun, Brian Goodwin, Aristides Aquino
I primary used FanDuel when building optimal MLB DFS lineups.
Sign up NOW for WIN DAILY Premium Gold right here! Projections, weather reports, wagering info, 24/7 expert chats and more!
Follow Win Daily Sports on twitter @WinDailyDFS. Please check out everything that Win Daily Sports has to offer by becoming a premium member. New articles, projection models and data are being added frequently. We can’t say enough about our private Win Daily Slack Channel as it provides one on one coaching for all sports and all platforms. There are channels set up for MLB, PGA, NASCAR, WNBA, CFL, NBA, and NFL. We also have a channel dedicated to sports betting and one dedicated to Monkey Knife Fight where we provide winners to cash in on daily. We have a special promo for a limited time only to sign up for a full 12 months at only $199.99 or a monthly plan at $19.99 which are both 50% off our regular price.
This report will provide recommended DFS stack options for today’s nine-game main slate. I will also include my favorite pitching picks.
All plays are listed in order of preference. Please check back between 5-6 PM EST as some players can receive rest days or get limited at bats especially as we get closer to the postseason. Make sure you stay up to date with all our favorite plays on our Premium Gold DFS Cheat Sheet as well.
I’m just going to start off my saying I’m really not impressed with what either team has to offer in Coors field tonight. Tim Melville has two starts this season so it’s hard to overlook his performance in the past even though he holds 0.75 ERA at the moment. His pitch movements and velocity look right on par with league averages and he utilizes a lot of slider (56%), a breaking pitch that helped Agrazal limit damage to three earned runs last night. If you did not read my article yesterday I talked about some of the more effective pitches in Coors and breaking pitches statistically are. Not a full fade here and once again I’m not looking at Melville as a viable pitching option, but I think he can limit damage here if he can keep up with that high GB rate through two starts. The Pirates are slashing .325 wOBA, .170 ISO, and 100 WRC+ for the month of August.
Preferred Plays: Josh Bell ($4400 FD|$5700 DK), Starling Marte ($4300 FD|$5800 DK), Bryan Reynolds ($3900 FD|$5600 DK), and Jose Osuna ($3300 FD|$5400 DK).
Same applies as I talked about with the Pirates. Musgrove is not very good but neither is Colorado with their .160 ISO and 78 WRC+. I will have a share or two of Coors just to cover me but I’m just not sold.
Preferred Stack: Charlie Blackmon ($4500 FD|$5700 DK), Nolan Arenado ($4600 FD|$5400 DK), Trevor Story ($4100 FD|$5600 DK), and Sam Hilliard ($3100 FD|$4100 DK).
There are a few games I like today but this is probably my favorite. The Braves face Lopez who is hot and cold at times, but overall has had an “ok” year. Lopez doesn’t have a lot of variation to his pitches, he throws a ton of four seam fast ball and the Braves have seven players in their line slugging .500 or better to the four seamer. Atlanta has let us down on a few occasions but I’m willing to overlook that today. The Braves are slashing to a .328 wOBA, .189 ISO, and 101 WRC+ in the month of August.
Preferred Stack: Josh Donaldson ($3400 FD|$4500 DK), Ronald Acuna Jr. ($4000 FD|$5000 DK), Freddie Freeman ($4200 FD|$5500 DK), and Dansby Swanson ($2900 FD|$4300 DK). Matt Joyce ($2400 FD|$4000 DK) (VALUE)
vs. RHP Jorge Lopez (KCR): 5.00 Runs
Preferred Plays: Renato Nunez ($3300 FD|$4400 DK), Trey Mancini ($3600 FD|$4500 DK), Jonathan Villar ($3500 FD|$5100 DK), and Anthony Santander ($3000 FD|$4300 DK). Hanser Alberto ($2900 FD|$4000 DK) offers some salary relief as well.
vs. RHP Pablo Lopez (MIA): 5.75 Runs
Preferred Plays: Juan Soto ($4000 FD|$5300 DK), Anthony Rendon ($4400 FD|$5300 DK), Adam Eaton ($3600 FD|$4600 DK), and Matt Adams ($2800 FD|$4300 DK).
vs. LHP Dillon Peters (LAA): UPDATE
Preferred Plays: Rafael Devers ($4300 FD|$5600 DK), J.D. Martinez ($4500 FD|$5400 DK), Mookie Betts ($3800 FD|$5200 DK), Xander Bogaerts ($3100 FD|$5200 DK). Sam Travis ($2600 FD|$3600 DK) and Christian Vazquez ($2900 FD|$4000 DK) are also good value plays.
Did you enjoy this piece of content? Sign up for our premium gold membership today!
Follow us on Twitter
This report will provide recommended DFS stack options for today’s 14-game main slate. I will also include my favorite pitching picks.
All plays are listed in order of preference. Please check back between 5-6 PM EST as some players can receive rest days or get limited at bats especially as we get closer to the postseason. Make sure you stay up to date with all our favorite plays on our Premium Gold DFS Cheat Sheet as well.
The Rockies will definitely be popular tonight as they usually are at home, especially with with some intriguing low to mid range pitching options on the slate. I always look for a reason to not ride the Coors chalk, but I will never advocate a full fade. After a relatively good start, Agrazal has found a bit of a struggle and has surrendered three or more runs in his last five games. Agrazal is throwing a ton of sinker at 56% and I believe this bodes well for him in this matchup. Breaking pitches have been found to be some of the more effective pitches in Coors and Agrazal is only throwing his fastball at an 11% clip. I would not want to play him just due to poor strike out upside but I can see Agrazal finding some success here due to his pitching arsenal.
Preferred Plays: Charlie Blackmon ($4700 FD|$5700 DK), Trevor Story ($4300 FD|$5600 DK), Nolan Arenado ($4700 FD|$5700 DK), and Sam Hilliard ($2900 FD|$4000 DK).
We have a pretty good chance at getting Houston at low ownership and in a great spot. Trent Thornton has been underwhelming for the month of August, allowing hitters to slash to a .364 wOBA, .535 SLG, and .348 OBP. This Houston offense is not quite as explosive as they were a month ago, but they are still producing extra base hits as indicated by their 138 WRC+. Overall power is down to righties over the last two weeks (202 ISO) but this offense is potent and can go off on sub par pitching any given night.
Preferred Stack: Yordan Alvarez ($4200 FD|$5500 DK), George Springer ($3400 FD|$5400 DK), Michael Brantley ($3200 FD|$4400 DK), Alex Bregman ($3900 FD|5500 DK), and Yuli Gurriel ($3700 FD|$4800 DK).
vs. RHP Edwin Jackson (DET):UPDATE
This is another game that should be considered as an alternative to Coors if you’re looking to get away. I’m assuming a pretty high implied run total here with the matchup against Jackson and the 25th ranked Tigers bullpen. The Twins WRC+ of 107 is a little lower than I’d like to see from them right now but they are still slashing .210 ISO and .478 SLG for the month of August. The power is there to get the job done tonight and as we all know Jackson struggles a ton with the long ball, surrendering 3.08 HR/9 this season. Jackson gave up six earned runs in his most recent start against the Twins.
Preferred Plays: Nelson Cruz ($3900 FD|$5400 DK), Miguel Sano ($3800 FD|$5100 DK), C.J. Cron ($3000 FD|$4200 DK), and Mitch Garver ($3300 FD|$5400 DK). Jake Cave ($2300 FD|$3900 DK) offers some salary relief as well.
vs. RHP Elieser Hernandez (MIA): 6.00 Runs
**Moderate Risk
Preferred Plays: Howie Kendrick ($2600 FD|$5500 DK), Anthony Rendon ($4400 FD|$5600 DK), Juan Soto ($4000 FD|$5500 DK), and Matt Adams ($2800 FD|$4400 DK). Also consider: Kurt Suzuki ($2300 FD|$4300 DK) and Asdrubal Cabrera ($2800 FD|$4100 DK)
vs. RHP Antonio Senzatela (PIT): 6.85 Runs
**Moderate Risk
Preferred Plays: Starling Marte ($4200 FD|$5800 DK), Josh Bell ($4400 FD|$5700 DK), Bryan Reynolds ($3900 FD|$5600 DK), Jose Osuna ($3100 FD|$5200 DK), and Colin Moran ($3600 FD|$4600 DK).
Did you enjoy this piece of content? Sign up for our premium gold membership today!
Follow us on Twitter
At WIN DAILY®, our motto is to “change your game and change your life.” We want to help you win that bet, parlay, and big DFS tournament and have some fun while you do. Our goal is to help you turn your love of sports into a profit center while playing responsibly and enjoying your time with a like-minded community.
