We’ve reached the decisive Game 5 for both NLDS matchups on 10/9 DFS — here are my picks for the two-game slate and the featured Showdown.
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The games: St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves (5:02 p.m.), Washington Nationals atLos Angeles Dodgers (8:37 p.m.)
I’m focused on the home favorite for SP1 here – since home-fieldadvantage in the MLB playoffs is a real and palpable thing. The DK pricing is,thankfully, soft enough for us to find plenty of big bats. For SP2, I’ll have alittle of both Jack Flaherty (consistent value at his price) and MikeFoltynewicz, who was excellent in his start on Oct. 4. Startingpitching has been really great in the postseason thus far, so youreally can’t go wrong with any combo.
Buehler has the highest upside of any pitcher on the slate, evenif his leash is a little shorter than Strasburg’s. For the $400 discount, he’smy SP1 – and I’m fine with him being chalky.
Flahery has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since the All-star break (his .189 wOBA in the second half is almost beyond belief) and he went 117 pitches in his last start, which tells me the Cards are going to let him win or lose this thing.
Molina was thehero on Monday for the Cards, and while he’s back on the road for decuisiveGame 5, this veteran has had success against Folty in a limited sample (7-for-18,.432 wOBA with a HR) Pivot: Brian McCann (DK $3,200)
He came through for us on Monday so I’m going back to the well inGame 5. Goldy is one of the best fantasy assets in baseball over the past fiveyears and he’s a complete offensive player who can rack up the XBH. The pricehas come up a bit but he’s worth the extra expense. Pivot: Freddie Freeman
Muncy is having an electric postseason with a couple homers andthree games scoring over 20 DK points. He’s eligible at 1B if you’re stacking Dodgersand want to use Gavin Lux at second base for the discount. Pivot: Gavin Lux
I’m not a hugebeliever in BvP, but a small sample analysis within the small sample frameworkof the playoffs makes some sense. The track record against Strasburg and RHPsin general is a good one, and Turner((142 wRC+ and .294 ISO this season) has homered in his last twogames this postseason. Pivot: Anthony Rendon/Tommy Edman
There’s plenty of risk starting Seageragainst Strasburg, but he’s an exciting young player who came alive in Septemberwith a .304/.337/.646 slash line, seven homersand 23 RBI during the final month, and he has a clear affinity for playoffbaseball. He’s been getting hits but hasn’t posted the big lien yet. Today couldbe the day he breaks through with some XBH. Pivot: Paul DeJong
I won’t have to much exposure to the Nationals in this game, butone player who’s worth the risk is Soto – who had a monster Game 3 and appearsready for the big stage of a Game 5. If the Nats pull this out, he’s going tohave a lot to do with it. Pivot: Clay Bellinger
There isn’t a hotter hitter in the NL postseason than Ozuna, whohas multi-hit games in all of the NLDS tilts thus far and is coming off atwo-homer game in Game 4. He’ll be extremely chalky on this two-game slate becausehis game logs will attract plenty of attention from the masses – but you shouldhave some exposure to this slugger who hit 31 homers in 2019 and now has a.275/.341/.650 slash line against the Braves in 2019 if you count thepostseason. Pivot: Ronald Acuna
We need to find some value somewhere, so Joyce fits the bill if he’sin the starting lineup. If he’s not, you’ll have a difficult decision to make –since it could be difficult to find a viable DK OF under $3,500. Pivot: DexterFowler (DK $3,900)
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Hitters only – so we can focus on the Dodgers bats we like andplay one or two Nats hitters with upside. We’ll slap the modestly priced JustinTurner in the MVP spot, since many will be drawn to the higher priced bats at 2x.
MVP (2x) – J. Turner ($7,000) – If he homers, he’ll pay off
All-Star (1.5x) – T. Turner ($8,500) – His ability to steal basesat will could be huge today.
UTIL – M. Muncy ($8,000)
UTIL – C. Seager ($6,500)
UTIL – G. Lux ($5,000)
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It may be beneficial to play one or two Dodgers and/or Nats batswe like, somehow fit in Buehler and pick an off-the-wall bench player on eitherteam to come through with a big hit late in the game.
Captain (1.5x) – J. Turner ($12,000)
UTIL – W. Buehler ($11,000)
UTIL – G. Lux ($4,200)
UTIL – M. Muncy ($9,000)
UTIL – J. Soto ($8,800)
UTIL – B. Dozier ($5,000)
We have a Coors Field game on this 9/14 MLB DFS slate, which as usual, leaves you two options: Fade completely and spend up on pitching, or take some chances and get some exposure to both sides of the plate. So, without further delay here is today’s finest matchups.
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On theDefense
JackFlaherty vs. Milwaukee Brewers
$10,500 FD / $10,800 DK
There a several great pitchers taking the mound on this 9/14MLB DFS slate but none in a better position to dominate than Flaherty tonight.The Brewers are striking out 25.3 percent of the time versus RHPs while batting.221 over the last seven days. With Christian Yelich out for the season thislineup looks a lot less scary facing a pitcher who has only allowed sevenearned runs in his last 11 starts with 95 strikeouts over 78 1/3 innings.
Zack Greinkevs. Kansas City Royals
$9,700 FD / $9,300 DK
When comparing pricing to upside on this 9/14 MLB DFS slate, Greinke finds himself at the top of my model. Although the Royals are only striking out 21.7 percent of the time facing RHPs, they do have a low .313 wOBA. Meanwhile, Zack has been on the attack as usual, only allowing more than two earned runs in two of his last 10 starts, going at least six innings in eight of them. All the numbers point to the Royals being completely shut down tonight.
Madison Bumgarnervs. Miami Marlins
$9,900 FD / $8,900 DK
This play is a complete fade for me on FanDuel at $9,900, but 100 percent in play at $8,900 on DK. This 9/14 MLB DFS slate is tricky salary wise, and one on which I would give serious consideration to Mad Bum as an SP1 on DK. The Marlins swim near the bottom of the league versus LHPs sporting a .304 wOBA and pathetic wRC+ of 88. With severe home/road splits favoring Bumgarner at home, combined with a bevy of solid starts going six innings or more, this one is a gem.
MerrillKelly vs. Cincinnati Reds
$7,300 FD / $7,800 DK
Looking for a GPP play on FD? How about a SP2 on DK? Luckilyfor you I have found you the answer on this 9/14 MLB DFS slate, and his name isMerrill Kelly. In an odd turn of events taking ballpark factors intoconsideration Kelly is currently posting a 3.50 home ERA opposed to his 5.89road ERA. With the Reds striking out 24.2 percent of the time versus RHPs whilesporting a wRC+ of 81 over the last seven days, Kelly is where I am looking.
TylerGlasnow vs. Los Angeles Angels
$8,200 FD / $5,000 DK
Obviously with the pitch count for Glasnow highly in question on this 9/14 MLB DFS slate he is a complete fade for me on FD. But oh boy, look at the price on DK. My hope here is that he makes it about three-to-four innings netting 12 or more fantasy points, facing an Angels team batting .212 over the last seven days.
| Name | Team | W | L | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | GB% | HR/FB | ERA | xFIP |
| Jack Flaherty | Cardinals | 10 | 7 | 168.1 | 10.48 | 2.62 | 1.23 | 38.00% | 14.20% | 2.99 | 3.8 |
| Zack Greinke | Astros | 15 | 5 | 189.1 | 7.94 | 1.38 | 0.95 | 44.20% | 11.20% | 2.99 | 3.86 |
| Madison Bumgarner | Giants | 9 | 8 | 188.2 | 8.78 | 1.86 | 1.24 | 35.90% | 12.10% | 3.77 | 4.29 |
| Merrill Kelly | Diamondbacks | 10 | 14 | 163.1 | 7.55 | 2.76 | 1.54 | 41.80% | 15.60% | 4.68 | 4.68 |
| Tyler Glasnow | Rays | 6 | 1 | 50.1 | 10.73 | 1.97 | 0.72 | 50.80% | 10.50% | 2.15 | 2.99 |
On theAttack
Obviously on this 9/14 MLB DFS slate Coors Field is going to be highly targeted, so here are some other options if you were to go a different route.
Mike Montgomeryvs. Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are the number one offense in MLB facing LHPs. They are posting a .370 wOBA with a wRC+ of 135, while only striking out 17.9 percent of the time (the lowest in MLB). Although Monty’s home/road splits are severe favoring home, he has allowed five earned runs in two of this last four starts. Facing this team, he is going to get blown up on this 9/14 MLB DFS slate.
Notable Bats
Jose Altuve has a .474 wOBA versus LHPs with a wRC+of 227. He is also 3-for-5 with a home run and 3 RBI versus Montgomery.
George Springer has five home runs and 11 RBI overthe last seven days while posting a .379 wOBA versus LHPs.
Abraham Toro comes at a low salary and gives you somecheap exposure to the Astros bats tonight.
DylanCease vs. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have been less than impressive facing RHPs this season, and the .307 wOBA shows it. There will be some people on this 9/14 MLB DFS slate who will argue Cease makes a nice GPP play. Well, this is also the case the other way. Dylan has not been chillin’, allowing 13 earned runs in his last 12 innings. Attack, Attack, Attack!
Notable Bats
Daniel Vogelbach has been colder than a Massachusetts day in January, batting .118 over the last seven. Regardless he still carries a .363 wOBA versus RHPs, making this a perfect game to break out of the slump.
Kyle Seager makes a nice option tonight with Nolan Arenado being tops at third. He is also in a prime spot for a breakout game, batting .158 over the last seven days.
Omar Narvaez has a .352 wOBA versus RHPs with a wRC+ of 124. He is batting in the cleanup spot most nights and makes a fine play at the catcher position.
| Name | Team | PA | HR | R | RBI | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | wRC+ | wOBA L | wOBA R |
| Jose Altuve | Astros | 502 | 28 | 86 | 67 | 6 | 8.00% | 15.10% | 0.305 | 143 | 0.474 | 0.352 |
| George Springer | Astros | 512 | 35 | 88 | 89 | 5 | 11.70% | 20.70% | 0.296 | 156 | 0.379 | 0.408 |
| Abraham Toro | Astros | 67 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 10.40% | 19.40% | 0.237 | 106 | 0.213 | 0.368 |
| Daniel Vogelbach | Mariners | 525 | 30 | 71 | 76 | 0 | 16.40% | 25.90% | 0.214 | 116 | 0.277 | 0.363 |
| Kyle Seager | Mariners | 385 | 22 | 50 | 59 | 2 | 10.60% | 20.30% | 0.246 | 120 | 0.385 | 0.328 |
| Omar Narvaez | Mariners | 446 | 20 | 60 | 52 | 0 | 9.60% | 19.50% | 0.28 | 119 | 0.317 | 0.352 |
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Monkey Knife Fight Prop Pick
With Milwaukee striking out over 25 percent of the timeversus RHPs, and Flaherty striking out eight or more batters in three of hislast five starts, I am going with the over here.
In Lyles’ last five starts he has only struck out five or more batters once. With the Cardinals being on the lower end of strikeouts versus RHPs, I am on the under all day.
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A flashback at some of the best performances from the Tuesday slate plus their outlooks for the remainder of the season on the 9/4 MLB DFS review and look ahead.
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As Jason chose him in our Premium Gold Cheatsheet as a value pitcher, Jack Flaherty dominated the San FranciscoGiants. Flaherty went eight shutout innings, allowing just a single base hit with a walk and eight strikeouts.
Outlook for the rest of the season: Jack Flaherty has been one of the best pitchers in MLB in his last seven games. In that span, he has a 0.59 ERA in 46 innings, while allowing less than a hit every two innings. He has pitched like an ace in 2019 and has not shown any signs of slowing down. Expect Jack Flaherty to continue this excellence throughout September.
Another value pick by Jason, this time at the second base slot, Whit Merrifield had a good day at the plate against the Detroit Tigers. Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
Outlook for the rest of the season: Merrifield is having a great season on a largely mediocre Royals team. He upped his average to .302 for the year and is able to play anywhere on the field. He will be a huge asset for an up-and-coming Kansas City team with a great contract. Expect Whit Merrifield to continue to get on base as he ranks in the Top 50 in OBP.
Here is a screenshot of all the second basemen listed on our Hitter Projection Model, available for all premium users. Adam Frazier was one of the more expensive second basemen on the slate, but he delivered against the Miami Marlins, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI from the leadoff spot.
Outlook for the rest of the season: Incredibly this is a down year batting-wise for Frazier compared to last year. The Pittsburgh Pirates are having a down year as a whole but Fraizer, in the leadoff spot with nine HRs and 41 RBI and a .335 OBP is solid. He is in the midst of a hot streak, so expect him to ride this out for a while and build momentum into 2020.
The Washington Nationals had an incredible ending to their game last night against the New York Mets. The team combined for 11 runs on 15 hits with three walks and added a stolen base as well. Kurt Suzuki (2-for-5, 4 RBI) and Juan Soto (3-for-4, 3 RBI) each hit a home run as well.
Outlook for the rest of the season: The Washington Nationals have superb starting pitching, only comparable to Houston. They don’t need to ask their offense for much on a given night. The team averages 5.31 runs a game and have scored the third-most runs in the National League behind the Dodgers and Braves. It may be difficult for the Nats to compete for the N.L. East but expect them to continue to win down the stretch and secure the top Wild Card spot.
This 9/3 MLB DFS slate is going to be one full of excitement for sure. We have a bunch of incredible starting pitchers taking the mound tonight, and the prices that go along with it. The good news is with the Rockies are in Los Angeles getting pummeled by my Dodgers, so we have no Coors Field Game. So I bring you today’s pitching picks.
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On the Defense
Mike Clevingervs. Chicago White Sox
$12,000 FD / $12,200 DK
This 9/3 MLB DFS slate is going to make you face some tough decisions as to who you are going to pay up for. I see no way that Clevinger is not that guy tonight. He is facing a White Sox team striking out 25.8 percent of the time versus RHPs while posting a wRC+ of 70 over the last seven days. Over his last 18 2/3 innings spanning three starts he has 28 strikeouts while only allowing one earned run. This one is easy.
Max Scherzervs. New York Mets
$10,500 FD / $11,700 DK
If you wanted to save a few bucks in cash games and GPPs, while still having that high strikeout upside, then I would use Mad Max. On DK I would rather pay up for Clevinger. Regardless, Scherzer faces a highly unpredictable Mets team falling in the middle of the pack offensively versus RHPs. The good news on this 9/3 MLB DFS slate is that over three starts versus New York this season Mad Max has 28 strikeouts over 20 innings with a 2.70 ERA.
Jack Flahertyvs. San Francisco Giants
$10,000 FD / $10,500 DK
With so many bigger names going on this 9/3 MLB DFS slate I suspect Flaherty will make a great GPP play at his price-point on both sites. The truth here is he gets a fantastic matchup tonight facing a Giants team striking out 23 percent of the time versus RHPs. Also, over the last seven days the Giants have a pathetic wRC+ of 70. With Flaherty having 16 strikeouts over his last 12 innings I see a ton of strikeout upside here at low ownership.
MikeMontgomery vs. Detroit Tigers
$7,300 FD / $4,300 DK
Ok, so someone seriously fell asleep at the wheel at DraftKings for this 9/3 MLB DFS slate. That $4,300 salary is not a typo. With Montgomery facing a Tigers team striking out 27.2 percent of the time (1st in MLB) with a .292 wOBA (30th in MLB) versus LHPs, I would be baffled if anyone did not use him tonight. Besides Monty’s bad outing versus Baltimore in his start before last, he has posted four solid starts allowing only three earned runs over 24 1/3 innings with 28 strikeouts. Hello, McFly? Free Square.
On the Attack
This 9/3 MLB DFS slate offers a bevy of scrub pitchers and rookies to attack tonight. In principle I would rather attack a proven loser than a question mark. So these are my top three matchups tonight which includes one really sneaky stack that may be overlooked.
Chi Chi Gonzalez vs. Los AngelesDodgers
Wow, the Dodgers totally lit it up last night, and I see the same thing happening again on this 9/3 MLB DFS slate. Chi Chi Gonzalez has allowed 19 earned runs over his last four starts, and three were on the road dispelling the Coors Field question. With the Dodgers posting a whopping .356 wOBA and wRC+ of 115 versus RHPs, this will be a highly owned stack tonight in cash games and GPP play. Pretty much all of them.
Notable Bats
Will Smith is currently sporting a .472 wOBA versus RHPs with a wRC+ 198.
Matt Beaty is batting .318 over the last seven days with a HR and five RBI. His price is reasonable on both sites and offers you exposure at a discount.
Gavin Lux is the minimum salary on FD and a low $3,500 on DK. With the Dodgers rookies as of late offering huge upside, and Lux going 3-for-5 with a double last night, I am all in here.
Dereck Rodriguez vs. St. LouisCardinals
Rodriguez has allowed 11 earned runs over his last two starts lasting a total of nine innings. Facing a Cardinals team that can be highly explosive is not beneficial to a quality start for a scrub pitcher. With a lot of stacking options tonight on this 9/3 MLB DFS slate I see the ownership here being lower than normal.
Notable Bats
Marcell Ozuna is batting .087 over his last seven days while not launching a ball into orbit in nine games. With a .363 wOBA and wRC+ of 125 versus RHPs this is a trend that will end sooner than later.
Kolten Wong is batting .600 with a home run and seven RBI over the last seven days while posting a .344 wOBA versus RHPs on the season.
Dexter Fowler currently has a .336 wOBA versus RHPs and is seven-for-eight in his last two games.
Mitch Keller vs. Miami Marlins
Now this is a real reach here. The Marlins are deplorable versus both RHPs, and LHPs. But every now and again, they come out and put up some runs. Now this is purely a super risky boom-or-bust GPP play tonight that if it pays off will net you cheap bats with super low ownership. With the Fish facing a flop of a starting pitcher like Keller. who has allowed 15 earned runs over his last three starts facing much better opponents, this is quite viable. Regardless, on this 9/3 MLB DFS slate with a lot of options, I am getting sneaky.
Notable Bats
Garrett Cooper is the best of a crappy lineup versus RHPs posting a .340 wOBA and wRC+ of 113. He generally finds himself batting cleanup, which offers huge upside.
Miguel Rojas returned to action the day before yesterday going 0-for-4. On the season he still has a .317 wOBA versus RHPs while only striking out 13.9 percent of the time. Which is stellar for any Marlin.
Jon Berti has a .317 wOBA versus RHPs this season and offers a bit of upside at what should be low ownership. Especially for the high price on DK of $4,600.
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Monkey Knife Fight Prop Pick
I am going with both the overs here tonight.
Kelly should easily manage that strikeout total with the Marlins striking out 25 percent of the time versus RHPs.
Machado is hard to keep down most nights and tonight should be no different. I cannot see Kelly lasting the whole game which opens the door for late inning offense.
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It’s Friday and that means I’m covering pitching. This is my favorite article of the week and I can’t wait to get into it. With that said, let’s discuss our 8/23 DFS Pitching options.
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This is the best cash game pitcher of the day. The simple fact is, you have to love any pitcher against the Tigers, particularly a great one like Berrios. A 3.37 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 8.6 K/9 rate speak for itself and it’s amazing just how reliable this guy is. We’re talking about a pitcher who’s thrown at least 5.2 innings in 23 of his 25 starts this season and the Twins let him go as deep as he wants.
It’s all about the matchup though, with Detroit establishing themselves as the worst offense in baseball. In fact, the Motor City Kitties currently rank bottom-two in runs scored, OBP, OPS, xwOBA and K rate. That’s why Berrios enters this matchup as a –210 favorite and why the Tigers are projected for fewer than four runs.
It’s so crazy to call Lynn a cash game pitcher but something has legitimately changed with this guy. A 3.60 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 10.2 K/9 rate are truly incredible numbers in a place like Texas. That’s arguably the toughest ballpark to pitch in and it says a lot about just how much he’s improved. His last 19 starts are where he’s really turned things around, pitching to a 2.90 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 10.9 K/9 rate. He’s actually thrown at least six innings and struck out at least five batters in all but one of those starts.
All of those brilliant numbers make Lynn a very enticing option in a matchup like this. The White Sox currently rank 28th in runs scored, 24th in OBP, 27th in OPS, 26th in K rate and 25th in xwOBA. They’re even worse against righties, filling out their lineup with guys like Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, James McCann and Tim Anderson.
This one really pains me because the Rockies are my team but they’re just horrendous outside of Coors Field. In fact, Colorado ranks 23rd in K rate, 26th in runs scored, 29th in OPS and last in OBP outside of Coors. Those are nightmarish numbers against a guy like Flaherty, who’s been the best pitcher in the league the last month. Over his last seven starts, Flaherty is pitching to a 0.89 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 10.9 K/9 rate. That has led to him scoring at least 32 FanDuel points in all seven of those starts, which is an unbelievably high floor from a player in this price range. That’s why Flaherty and the Cardinals enter this game as a -230 favorite.
Velasquez has been a regular in my articles over recent weeks and his numbers indicate that we’ve been getting it right with this talented pitcher. Since June 5, Velasquez is pitching to a 4.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 9.6 K/9 rate. That ERA may look like nothing special but that WHIP and K rate indicates that he’s one of the best pitchers in this rotation. Gabe Kapler really let him loose in his last start too, allowing VV to throw a season-high 108 pitches. Length has been one of the only issues with Velasquez over recent years and we’re looking at a stud if he throws over 100 pitches.
The career numbers speak loudly as well, with VV posting a 4.20 career xFIP to match his 4.05 SIERA and 25.4 percent K rate. Those great numbers make him particularly intriguing against an offense like the Marlins, with Miami ranked either 29th or dead-last in runs scored, OBP, OPS and xwOBA. That’s no surprise when you see that Velasquez has a 3.52 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 8.9 K/9 rate against them this season. Not to mention, Marlins Park is arguably the most pitcher-friendly ballpark in baseball, with Velasquez entering this matchup as a -180 favorite.
Plesac has quietly had a nice year for the Indians and it’s no wonder that they plan on keeping him in the rotation even with Carlos Carrasco returning. So far this season, Plesac is pitching to a 3.53 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. That’s really all you can ask for from someone this cheap and it looks even better when you consider that he’s faced the Yankees twice, the Red Sox twice, the Rangers twice and the Astros in his 15 starts.
We’re talking about a guy who was a stud in the minors too, posting a 1.89 ERA and 0.86 WHIP for his Double-A and Triple-A career. All of these numbers make him tough to fade against the Royals, with Kansas City ranked 27th in runs scored, 28th in OPS, 23rd in xwOBA and 27th in wOBA. That’s why they have an implied run total south of four and why the Indians enter this matchup as a –180 favorite.
This is a total punt play. Thornton has frustrated me all season in terms of picking hitters against him and it’s time that I get on his end of the success train. A 5.30 ERA and 1.48 WHIP looks pretty ugly, but pitching in the AL East will do that to your numbers. He’s actually allowed five runs or more to the Rays (2), Red Sox (2), Twins and Yankees. Those happen to be the only games that he’s allowed more than four runs and those six ugly outings have sky-rocketed his numbers.
If you look at his other 19 starts, Thornton is pitching to a 3.28 ERA and 1.17 WHIP en route to 29.8 FanDuel points per outing. That shows that he can perform against poor offenses and he gets just that here. In fact, the Mariners currently rank bottom-five in runs scored, OBP, OPS and K rate since the opening month of the season. Getting to face an offense like this in a pitcher’s park like Safeco Field makes Thornton one of the best punt plays on the board. Opposing Thornton is Justus Sheffield and he’s also in play with his elite minor league numbers, great matchup and dirt-cheap price.
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Here are our picks of the day:
Zach Plesac Over 4.5 Strikeouts
Trent Thornton Over 4.5 Strikeouts
Both of these plays speak for themselves when you read the previous write-ups and these props are simply too low.
MKF Record 28-21
The Win Daily Sports pitching choices for the 8/18 MLB DFS slate have one common theme: strikeouts. The three pitching suggestions from Win Daily Sports have the top strikeout percentages on the slate.
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DraftKings – $9,700 FanDuel – $10,700
The Cardinals’ hurler has a 28.6% K% on the season and has been even better than that of late. Since the beginning of July, he has 63 punchouts in 50 innings. With the Reds’ offense owning a .187 ISO and an 89 wRC+ against righties this season, Flaherty should thrive on this 8/18 MLB DFS slate.
DraftKings – $11,100 FanDuel – $10,200
Sure this is less than a stellar matchup for Sunshine, but the Indians’ pitcher has been lights out this season. Clevinger’s metrics also suggest he could be even better with a 2.77xFIP. Combine that with his 35.5% K%, highest on the 8/18 MLB DFS slate, and you have to get some Clevinger exposure.
DraftKings – $10,400 FanDuel – $9,300
It is always tough to back a Tigers’ pitcher because you never know if the Detroit offense can give enough support to pick up the win bonus. But Boyd’s strikeout upside, with a 31.2% K%, makes him safe enough to use despite the poor Tigers’ lineup. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Boyd is catching the Rays in the middle of a cold streak on this 8/18 MLB DFS slate. Over the last seven days, Tampa Bay’s offense has a .243/.310/.398 slash line.
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For today’s Monkey Knife Fight pick, we are going to do a Star Shootout Counting K’s prop. With the theme of the day being strikeouts, let’s go Jack Flaherty and Mike Clevinger to combine for more than 12.5 K’s on this 8/18 MLB DFS slate.
The 8/1 MLB DFS slate consists of just six games. Despite being light in games, the slate does have two studs on the bump. However, their matchups are less than ideal. But given the other pitching options available on this 8/1 MLB DFS slate, these are good places to start building those daily fantasy sports cash game lineups.
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DraftKings – $11,300 FanDuel – $11,700
Admittedly this is not a great matchup for the Houston Astros’ starter. Cleveland is striking out at only a 22.3% clip this season. But on this 8/1 MLB DFS slate, it is tough to ignore just how good Cole has been this season. He has a 2.88 SIERA and a 2.94 ERA to go along with a slate high 37% strikeout rate. If you like to build your Daily Fantasy Sports lineups with a player’s floor in mind, Cole is for you.
DraftKings – $10,700 FanDuel – $11,400
The Dodgers’ southpaw has been locked in over the last 30 days. In four starts in that span, Kershaw has allowed a 12.6 K/9 rate as well as a 1.44 ERA and a 2.88 xFIP. And when is allowing contact, the opposing team is hitting a bunch of worm burners, as he has a 50.9% groundball rate over the last month. With the Padres’ offense owning just a .248 batting average and a 25.4% K rate versus lefties in 2019, Kershaw is a safe play for the 8/1 MLB DFS slate.
DraftKings – $8,600 FanDuel – $8,500
If you are looking to get off the beaten path a little bit on this 8/1 MLB DFS slate, look no further than the Cardinals’ Jack Flaherty. The St. Louis starter is awfully tough at home this season. Flaherty has a 10.44 K/9 ratio in St. Louis this season. The right-hander also is allowing a very low .197 batting average and a 0.91 WHIP in games at Busch in 2019. His dominance at home should continue on Thursday as the Cubs’ offense is in a funk. In the second half of the season, Chicago owns a low .239 batting average paired with a 27.6% K%.
DraftKings – $5,800 FanDuel – $7,500
If you prefer to punt the pitcher position on the 8/1 MLB DFS slate, the Braves’ Max Fried could be your guy. While it is not a sexy play, Fried should be in a position to provide value on Thursday against a depleted Reds’ lineup that just shipped out two of their better hitters in Puig and Gennett. Fried’s ceiling probably is not very high considering that he has completed six innings of work just once in his last five appearances, but at his price (especially on DraftKings) he doesn’t need a complete game to provide value.
After nailing a deGrom/Giolito over 12.5 strikeout prop last night, I will look to stay hot on MKF.
And my first pick for the 8/1 MLB DFS slate may be a surprise as it involves a Baltimore Orioles pitcher. But Asher Wojciechowski has struck out at least six batters in all but one of his appearances this season. His only miss was a ⅔ inning appearance in which he struck out two. So I feel good about the over 4.5 prop bet here.
And as I mentioned above, Kershaw was locked in in July and that should continue here today. So I’ll take the over 6.5 strikeout prop for the Dodgers’ ace. Play MLB Prop Games now and Get 100 Percent Bonus!
DraftKings For Breakfast: Steve Hillman’s Day Begins with the FBWC(Opens in a new browser tab)
My preferred DFS MLB Pitching selections for Tuesday.
Jack Flaherty vs Pittsburgh Pirates
DraftKings $7,400, FanDuel $7,700
Flaherty has been up and down this season, but he has been really solid at home. With Coors Field in the slate I really want to find a mid-priced guy I love and that’s Flaherty. Against right handed bats he has a .216 BAA and at home he has a 10.10 K/9. I’m never really scared of the Pirates and the Cardinals opening up as a -180 favorite gives me a little better DFS MLB Pitching boost.
Jordan Yamamoto vs San Diego Padres
DraftKings $9,500, FanDuel $8,700
Yamamoto has been dominant to start his career and I don’t see anything changing here. We get a huge park boost to back him up as well in DFS MLB Pitching. At home tYamamoto has a 1.64 ERA and a .139 BAA. The Padres are always a hit or miss team for me and I’m planning on them missing in this one.
Walker Buehler @ Philadelphia Phillies
DraftKings $10,200, FanDuel $10,000
The Phillies have been nothing close to the team that we have expected this season. After a rough April, Walker Buehler has been completely dominant. Other than one rough outing in a Coors, like everyone, he has only had two games under 20 points in his last 10. With a 10.54 K/9 to righties I expect him to slice through this lineup and he is my top DFS MLB Pitching arm on the slate.
Brandon Woodruff vs Atlanta Braves
DraftKings $8,700, FanDuel $9,600
This is my DFS MLB Pitching GPP play of the night. Woodruff has the potential to strike out seven or more and the Braves do strike out a good amount. I know it’s in Miller Park so that’s going to give a big boost to Freddie Freeman as a left handed bat. Woodruff has nine or more strikeouts in a game four times this season and I’m hoping tonight is number five.
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