The Masters 2024 Field: Your ULTIMATE Player-By-Player Preview DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski 6 days ago
The Masters 2024 Field: Your ULTIMATE Player-By-Player Preview DeepDiveGolf - David Bieleski 6 days ago
MLB DFS Stack Choices: Yankees, Braves and Cubs Oh My! Mark Paquette 5 years ago written by Mark Paquette Boston and Chicago have small rain issues tonight to watch for as you make your DFS stack builds. The wind will continue to blow out moderately to right at Wrigley.Sign up NOW for WIN DAILY Premium Gold right here! Projections, weather reports, wagering info, 24/7 expert chats and more! Yankees: This team will be the most popular DFS stack of the night for obvious reasons. Their deep and powerful lineup recently saw their two biggest right-handed bats return in Giancarlo Stanton ($4,200 FD) and Aaron Judge ($4,300). They now get left-handed starter Clayton Richard ($5,600) Tuesday night in the Bronx. Some of his statistics on the season include 25.1 innings, 29 hits, 21 earned runs, 15 walks, 14 strikeouts and five HRs allowed. Yikes, good luck tonight Mr. Richard! Braves/Cubs: I know this matchup let most people in the DFS industry down last night. But let us go back to this DFS stack again tonight, shall we? After all, 11 runs were scored last night between the Cubs and Braves with three combined HRs last night. Not a horrible performance but not the explosion we were hoping for either. Weather conditions should be almost exactly the same as they were last night, warm, somewhat muggy and a wind blowing out to right around 15 mph. This isn’t the best weather conditions we have ever seen at Wrigley but bats do get a boost here. Possible players that you may see on my DFS roster Tuesday night would be left-handed sluggers Freddie Freeman ($4,500 FD), Anthony Rizzo ($3,900), Kyle Schwarber ($3,100) and the suddenly red-hot Jason Heyward ($2,800, two or more hits in each of last three games, going a combined eight for 12 for a .667 batting average with a HR, three doubles, three runs scored and a RBI). The Braves are throwing a lefty out there in Max Fried so some of these left-handed bats from the Cubs may not play, keep that in mind for DFS stack purposes. Padres: Let’s differentiate ourselves from the crowd with this DFS stack choice. After a winter with a shakeup at all levels of the Baltimore organization, Orioles fans hoped 2019 would be different. Unfortunately, this looks like a long-term project in Maryland. Baltimore is tied for last as a pitching staff in batting average allowed at .273. They have given up an incredible 156 HRs as a staff. The next closest team is Seattle at 137. Tampa has given up fewer than half of Baltimore’s total (73). The Oriole bullpen continues to be a problem, with a 4.78 ERA which is good (bad??) for fourth worst in the league. Tonight, the Baltimore nine plan on using Jimmy Yacabonis as their opener and will string the rest of the game together with bullpen arms. Oh, and did I mention that according to ESPN’s park factors Oriole Park at Camden Yards is the third easiest park to HR in and 6th to score runs in? DFS stack with the Padres!THANK YOU FOR READING. YOU CAN READ SOME OF MY OTHER WORK AND THOUGHTS ON MY AUTHOR PAGE. FOLLOW Win Daily DFS ON TWITTER @WinDailyDFS. PLEASE CHECK OUT EVERYTHING THAT Win Daily DFS HAS TO OFFER. NEW ARTICLES, STATISTICS AND DATA ARE BEING ADDED CONSTANTLY. ALSO, DO NOT FORGET TO LISTEN TO THE WIN DAILY PODCASTS! 5 years ago 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Daily Fantasy SportsMLB DFS: Top Hitters and Prop Picks for 6/24: Cubs, Phils and Braves Cora Baylis 5 years ago written by Cora Baylis Our Monkey Knife Fight Picks and DFS recommendations have been killing it recently and we’re hoping for another strong slate here. We actually have a ton of great premium content available on our site too and you can check out those packages here. Catcher J.T. Realmuto, PHI vs. NYM DK ($3,900) FD ($2,900) Realmuto has actually had a down year by his lofty standards but it’s lowered his price to this intriguing number. What really makes him an attractive DFS option on this slate is that he gets the platoon advantage in his favor, with Realmuto providing an .879 OPS against lefties so far this season. Steven Matz is not a guy we need to worry about either, as he’s posting a 6.21 ERA and 1.59 WHIP on the road this season and will have a tough time navigating through this potent lineup in a hitter’s park. First Base Anthony Rizzo, CHC vs. ATL DK ($4,600) FD ($3,900) Rizzo’s DFS price has actually dropped about $500 on each site recently and it’s hard to understand why. Since starting with a .159 AVG after the first three weeks, Rizzo has returned to his All-Star form recently. In fact, Rizzo is posting a .324 AVG, .423 OBP and 1.054 OPS in the 47 games since that awful start. We always love when Riz faces a righty too, with the slugging first baseman posting a .920 OPS against right-handed pitching since 2017. I want to start batters against Julio Teheran for the next few weeks too, as his 5.08 xFIP and 5.09 SIERA screams major regression from his 3.40 ERA. Second Base Jason Kipnis, CLE vs. KC DK ($4,000) FD ($3,000) Kipnis has quietly been a stud the last two weeks and this DFS price is not indicative of how good he’s been. Over his last seven games, Kipnis is hitting .440 while providing three homers and 11 RBI en route to a 1.437 OPS. Almost all of that production has come against right-handers and it’s no surprise when you consider the fact that he has a career OPS approaching .800 with the platoon advantage in his favor. Brad Keller’s 4.45 ERA and 1.40 WHIP is also a variable in Kipnis’ favor, as he’ll be facing an Indians team that is averaging 6.4 runs per game over their last 10 fixtures. Third Base Josh Donaldson, ATL at CHC DK ($4,300) FD ($3,000) This might be the easiest DFS play on the board, as Donaldson is the greatest value around. Donaldson has obliterated left-handed pitching throughout his career and the slugging third baseman is scorching hot right now. Over his last 12 games. Donaldson is approaching a .400 AVG while collecting seven homers and 12 RBI. That’s the MVP Donaldson that we loved in Toronto and he has a career .956 OPS against lefties in his back pocket. Jon Lester is really struggling right now too and we’ll go over that more in out outfield write-up. Also Consider: The third base position is absolutely stacked on this slate, as we also love Vladimir Guerrero Jr. against C.C. Sabathia and Nolan Arenado versus Drew Pomeranz. Both players are dominant against left-handed pitching and both guys are facing league-average arms.Shortstop Jean Segura, PHI vs. NYM DK ($3,900) FD ($3,400) This DFS play looks pretty obvious after the Realmuto write-up, as we definitely want to stack some Phillies. Matz’s road form is a major reason why and it becomes very scary for him with all of the potent righties in this lineup. Realmuto, Segura, Rhys Hoskins and Scott Kingery are all very much in play but Segura is easily one of their best values. The stud shortstop has absolutely obliterated southpaws this season, to the tune of a .644 SLG and 1.003 OPS. He’ll also be in the heart of an order that is projected for five runs. Outfield Ronald Acuna Jr, ATL at CHC DK ($4,800) FD ($4,300) We left you hanging in the Donaldson write-up, so let’s break down why we love the Braves for DFS today. The simple fact is, Jon Lester is struggling mightily right now, pitching to a 7.17 ERA and 1.59 WHIP over his last seven starts. That spells disaster against these potent righties and particularly a stud like Acuna. Not only has Acuna generated a 1.008 career OPS against southpaws, he’s actually providing a .314 AVG and 1.003 OPS over his last 19 games. Ian Desmond, COL at SF DK ($4,400) FD ($3,300) This guy has actually really turned things around recently, which is evident by his .357 AVG and 1.077 OPS over his last 38 games. That’s incredible production from a guy that many people wrote off earlier in the year and a good amount of that damage has come against left-handed pitching. In fact, Desmond has accrued a 1.103 OPS against southpaws so far this season. Drew Pomeranz is definitely a lefty we want to exploit too, pitching to a 7.08 ERA and 1.78 WHIP. Kyle Schwarber, CHC vs. ATL DK ($3,900) FD ($3,100) It’s weird that Schwarber’s DFS price hasn’t risen more, as he’s been a different player since being moved to the leadoff spot. Over his last 28 games, Schwarber has tallied 10 homers, 20 runs scored and 20 RBI. That’s all you can ask for from someone in this price range and we have to love him with the projected negative regression headed Teheran’s way. Schwarber has always been better against righties too, posting a .493 SLG and .830 OPS against them since 2017. Also Consider: Randal Grichuk has had success against the Yankees throughout his career and gets the DFS platoon advantage against C.C. Sabathia in Yankee Stadium. Monkey Knife Fight Picks of the Day I’m currently 11-6 over my last 17 MKF recommendations and I’m going to continue to ride strikeout props since those have been the most profitable for me thus far. Steven Matz Under 5.5 Strikeouts This play is just as much about the Phillies as it is Matz, especially considering his aforementioned road statistics in the DFS section. I really think Matz is going to have a hard time navigating through this righty-heavy lineup, particularly in a hitter’s haven like Citizen’s Bank Park. That’s why Vegas has Philadelphia projected for more than five runs, as the statistics don’t help Matz’s case much either. Not only do the Phillies rank 11th in K rate this season, Matz’s 21 percent K rate since 2017 is also nothing to write home about either. Play MLB Player Prop Games and Get 100 Percent Bonus!Jon Gray Over 5.5 Strikeouts Many people don’t realize how good Gray can be at times and he’s truly been brilliant on the road throughout his career. Switching from Coors Field to Oracle Park is comparable to switching from Spirit Airlines to Emirates Airlines. It’s simply the best pitching environment in the Majors and it doesn’t even take into consideration that the Giants rank 28th in runs scored and 29th in OPS. The venue, paired with Gray’s 26 percent K rate since 2016 makes this my favorite prop play of the day. 5 years ago 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
MLB MLB DFS Hitting Picks for 6/12: Let’s Go O’s Cora Baylis 5 years ago written by Cora Baylis Wednesday slates are almost always based off a full schedule, but we have just 11 games here for some reason. That’s the perfect amount for a DFS slate though, as we have games spread all throughout the day. The good news is that we really don’t have much weather concerns, with Philly and Atlanta looking like the only questionable forecasts. For more info on that, check in with Mark Paquette prior to submitting lineups. Catcher Victor Caratini, CHC at COL DK ($4,200) FD ($3,100) With Willson Contreras playing Tuesday night, we have to assume that Caratini will enter the lineup in a day game here. That makes him a heck of a bargain, as Caratini is not priced up like most Coors Field bats. This guy has quietly been a fantastic backup catcher too, posting a .333 average and .977 OPS in 54 at-bats this season. That’s all you can ask for from someone in this price range, especially considering he gets to face a pitcher with a 4.95 ERA and 1.53 WHIP, pitching in a hitter’s haven like Coors Field. Also Consider: Pedro Severino and Danny Jansen are both in play in the Baltimore-Toronto matchupFirst Base Chris Davis, BAL vs. TOR DK ($2,900) FD ($2,100) Alright, let’s get crazy. Davis has been one of the laughingstocks of baseball for over a year now but I’m calling my shot here and predicting that he goes yard at a near minimum price. The main reason for that is because he gets to face Edwin Jackson, who’s pitching to an 11.90 ERA and 2.24 WHIP so far this season. Those are embarrassing numbers and we love Davis’ power potential with the platoon advantage in his favor. We’re still talking about a guy who has an .821 OPS against righties and a .490 SLG while providing a .230 career ISO. His recent numbers aren’t even close to that, but facing Jackson could help him to rewind to some of that power potential. Also Consider: If you’re looking for someone safer, Anthony Rizzo is hard to overlook against a gas can like Antonio Senzatela in Coors Field. Second Base Lourdes Gurriel Jr. TOR at BAL DK ($4,500) FD ($2,800) Let’s keep the value plays rolling, as Gurriel has been a different player since his demotion to the minors. Since being called up on May 24, Gurriel is hitting .327 while accruing a 1.100 OPS in those 15 games. Those are elite numbers and the Blue Jays have rewarded him by moving him up to the three-hole. What we like about him here is that he gets to face David Hess, who’s posting a 7.08 ERA and 1.51 WHIP to match his .391 wOBA and .394 xwOBA. Also Consider: Cesar Hernandez has taken over leadoff duties in the absence of Andrew McCutchen and gets a quality matchup against Merrill Kelly at an affordable price. Third Base Nolan Arenado, COL vs. CHC DK ($5,100) FD ($4,800) It’s weird to say that Arenado is a value on DraftKings but that’s the case here. His price actually dropped about $500 and it’s hard to understand why. Arenado is quite simply one of the best hitters in the league and we love him at Coors Field with the platoon advantage in his favor. Since the beginning of 2017, Arenado has a 1.237 OPS against southpaws while generating a 1.082 OPS at home in that same span. That means we’re looking at an OPS approaching 1.500 when he faces a lefty at home, which is obviously absurd. The slugging third baseman is scorching-hot right now too, tallying a .385 average and 1.103 OPS over his last 20 games. Also Consider: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. makes a great two-man stack with Gurriel, as he too gets that spectacular matchup against Hess. Shortstop Jonathan Villar, BAL vs. TOR DK ($4,600) FD ($3,100) With Edwin Jackson’s disastrous numbers emphasized in the Davis write-up, let’s go with an Orioles bat who’s a bit safer. The main thing we love about Villar is that he gets to lead off for Baltimore, as that lineup slot alone makes him a great fantasy option with the Orioles projected for more than five runs. The leadoff role, paired with the fact that he bats better from the left side, makes Villar a premium play, with the Baltimore shortstop posting an OPS just shy of .800 against righties so far this season. Not to mention, facing a right-hander nearly triples Villar’s chances to steal a bag, which is huge for his value too. Also Consider: Manny Machado remains super cheap on both sites and will inevitably see his price increase some time down the road. Outfield Kyle Schwarber, CHC at COL DK ($5,000) FD ($3,600) This increase in price tells you everything you need to know about Schwarber, as he’s been a different player since moving to the leadoff spot. In fact, Schwarber has nine homers, 22 runs scored and 18 RBI over his last 25 games en route to a .946 OPS. The last seven games have been even more impressive, with the lefty outfielder providing a .793 SLG in that span. Elite power from a leadoff hitter is huge for DFS purposes and we haven’t even taken into consideration this stellar matchup. Not only does Schwarber get the platoon advantage against Senzatela, he also gets to rake in the best hitter’s park in the Majors. Wil Myers, SD at SF DK ($4,100) FD ($2,800) One may look at Myers’ season-long numbers and be discouraged, but there are things I like. The first is he has 11 homers and eight steals, as that puts him right on track for about 28 homers and 20 steals. You can’t argue with numbers like that and he’s been seeing the ball much better recently. Over his last 15 games, Myers has four homers, four steals and 10 runs scored en route to a .390 OBP and .890 OPS. Shaun Anderson is not a pitcher we need to worry about either, posting a 4.71 FIP, 1.36 WHIP and .367 xwOBA so far this season. Yordan Alvarez, HOU vs. MIL DK ($4,000) FD ($2,900) Let’s marvel at these minor league statistics real quick. In Triple-A this season, Alvarez led all hitters with 23 homers and 71 RBI in 56 games played. That led to a .443 OBP and 1.185 OPS, which are simply bonkers statistics. That’s why he got the call-up and batted fifth in his debut, rewarding his manager with a dinger in each of his first two games. Facing Brandon Woodruff is no easy chore but it’s hard to argue with that sort of production from a player priced so reasonably. Also Consider: Nelson Cruz is on a homer streak and remains too cheap on both sites. 5 years ago 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
MLB DFS Hitting Stacks for 6/12: Let Loose on Lynn Wes Anderson 5 years ago written by Wes Anderson Chicago CubsThe ColoradoRockies’ Antonio Senzatela is struggling this season with a slate high 5.43SIERA. The Rockies’ right-hander is producing just a 16.29% whiff rate and willbe pitching in hitter-friendly Coors Field tonight. Senzatela has particularlystruggled with lefties this season with a .416 wOBA and a 1.93 HR/9 allowed tothem.So, start your Cubs stack with Anthony Rizzo (FanDuel: $4,700, DraftKings: $5,600). The power hitting left-handed first baseman has a .301 ISO and a .418 wOBA versus righties this season. But also consider that Senzatela is primarily a fastball pitcher as he has thrown that pitch on 64.6% of the time. That also plays into Rizzo’s strong suit. The first baseman has a .315 ISO this season against the fastball.Otherleft-handed bats to consider are: Kyle Schwarber (FanDuel: $3,900, DraftKings:$5,000) and Carlos Gonzalez (FanDuel: $3,300, DraftKings: $3,300). Both outfieldershave ISOs greater than .220 against righties this season. Of course, you can pick from some of the right-handed sticks as well as Kris Bryant (FanDuel: $4,500, DraftKings: $5,500), Javy Baez (FanDuel: $4,300, DraftKings: $5,500) and Willson Contreras (FanDuel: $3,900, DraftKings: $5,200) are always in play. The Cubs will likely be the chalk on Wednesday but for good reasons. Load up on Chicago bats. Cleveland IndiansThe Cincinnati Reds’ Anthony DeSclafani is a pitcher you definitely want to stack against whenever he takes the bump. The veteran right-hander is allowing a 43.2% flyball rate that has resulted in 2.12 HR/9 so far in 2019. DeSclafani has really struggled with left-handed batters. The Reds’ starter is allowing a .414 wOBA, a 44.8% hard contact rate and 2.93 HR/9 to the lefty sticks this season.Your Cleveland build will start with Carlos Santana (FanDuel: $3,500, DraftKings: $4,600) and Francisco Lindor (FanDuel: $3,900, DraftKings: $5,200). Both of these lefty sticks have ISOs over .245 against right-handed pitching this season. Over theirlast seven the Cleveland offense has a .313 ISO and a .343 wOBA. So feel freeto make this a three or four man stack and include the likes of Jose Ramirez (FanDuel:$3,100, DraftKings: $3,500) and Jake Bauers (FanDuel: $2,600, DraftKings: $3,200).Boston Red SoxTexas’ Lance Lynn has a respectable 4.39 ERA this season but is getting hit hard. Most notably, he is allowing a 42.1% hard contact rate to RHBs The Boston build, of course, will need to include Mookie Betts (FanDuel: $4,200, DraftKings: $4,400). The Red Sox outfielder homered on Tuesday and has a .222 ISO against right-handed pitching in 2019. Also keep in mind that the Rangers’ Lynn is throwing his fastball almost 49% of the time. This is a bonus for Betts, as he has a .256 ISO against such pitch this season.Also consider Xander Bogaerts (FanDuel: $4,000, DraftKings: $4,300), as he has a .363 wOBA versus righties. J.D. Martinez (FanDuel: $4,000, DraftKings: $4,500) owns a .324 batting average against fastballs this season, so he clearly needs to be in your player pool as well. Rafael Devers (FanDuel: $3,800, DraftKings: $4,100) also has killed the fastball this season, with a .256 ISO. You can use Andrew Benintendi (FanDuel: $3,600, DraftKings: $4,000) as well.The Red Sox should provide plenty of hard contact againstLynn. Other Stacks to Consider: Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins.Value Stacks: Baltimore Orioles (FanDuel), Toronto Blue Jays (FanDuel), San Diego Padres (FanDuel), Cincinnati Reds (FanDuel/DraftKings). 5 years ago 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
MLB DFS Hitting and MLB Prop Picks for 6/3: Stacking ‘Stros Cora Baylis 5 years ago written by Cora Baylis I have to be honest, this is a disappointing slate. We have only four games on the schedule. Yes, FOUR GAMES! That might end up being the shortest slate that we cover all season long and it makes for a chalky day. The one bit of good news is that we have no weather to focus in on, with all four forecasts coming out clean. Catcher Robinson Chirinos, HOU at SEA DK ($3,800) FD ($3,100) It’s a nightmare to pick a catcher on a normal slate but there are actually a few good options here. We’re going to go with the best value on the board, as Chirinos has quietly been one of the best catchers in the Majors. In fact, Chirinos is one of the league leaders with an .845 OPS, which isn’t far off of his .808 OPS since the beginning of 2016. What we like here is that he gets the platoon advantage against Wade LeBlanc, with Chirinos posting an .889 OPS against southpaws since the beginning of 2017. Also Consider: Willson Contreras is the highest-priced catcher on the slate but he’s probably the best option at the position. First Base Tyler White, HOU at SEA DK ($2,800) FD ($2,500) White really hasn’t given us much reason to use him but he has too much talent to be this cheap. We’re talking about a guy who posted an .887 OPS in well over 200 plate appearances last season and that’s pretty close to the guy we saw in the minors. In fact, White had a wOBA north of .400 at Triple-A and an ISO above .210. While we haven’t seen that potential yet this season, it’s time for him to step up with Carlos Correa, George Springer and Jose Altuve all sidelined. We also love the fact that he faces Wade LeBlanc, as that gives White the platoon advantage against a guy who’s posting a 6.99 ERA and 1.66 WHIP so far this season. Also Consider: Rhys Hoskins is pricey but he has the platoon advantage against Eric Lauer.Second Base Javier Baez, CHC vs. LAA DK ($4,800) FD ($4,100) The second base selections on this slate are absolute garbage, so let’s go with a reliable Baez. Not only does Baez lead all second baseman in fantasy points per game on this particular slate, he also has one of the best matchups too. The Cubs square off against Trevor Cahill, who’s posting a 6.92 ERA and 1.37 WHIP so far this season. That’s why the Cubs have one of the highest projected team totals on the board and Baez should be a huge part of that with his .899 OPS. Also Consider: If Kike Hernandez returns to the leadoff spot against a left-hander, he’s definitely in play in the $3,000-range. Third Base Alex Bregman, HOU at SEA DK ($4,900) FD ($4,400) As you can obviously tell, I love the Astros on this slate and Bregman is probably my favorite per-dollar play on the board. Any time a player with a .945 OPS and .557 SLG faces a guy with a .410 xwOBA, he’s tough to fade. That doesn’t even consider the fact that Bregman gets the platoon advantage in his favor, with the slugging third baseman posting a .950 OPS against southpaws since his call-up to the Majors. Not to mention, Bregman has 13 homers over his last 30 games.Also Consider: Yuli Gurriel could be in the heart of the Astros order against a lefty with so many injured studs and that definitely makes him worth a shot with how cheap he is. Shortstop Jean Segura, PHI at SD DK ($4,500) FD ($3,600) Let’s stray away from the Astros here and get a Philly bat into our build. While Philadelphia has to hit in a tough pitcher’s park like Petco, they do have a ton of potent righties to oppose Eric Lauer. Segura is definitely one of those guys, as he’s the third-highest scoring shortstop on this slate. The consistency from Segura is just incredible, with the righty shortstop posting an OPS north of .750 in four-straight seasons. That pairs with the fact that he averages over 25 steals per season year, which makes him one of the best dual threats in the game. We also love that he gets to face a lefty here, with Segura posting a 1.154 OPS against southpaws so far this season. Also Consider: Manny Machado has a tough matchup against Aaron Nola but remains a nice bargain south of $4,000 on both sites. Outfield Mike Trout, LAA at CHC DK ($5,700) FD ($4,900) This play doesn’t take much explanation, as we get the best hitter in the game facing a left-hander. While Trout’s splits are pretty much even, it’s hard to argue with him facing John Lester. The Cubs lefty has allowed 16 runs and 30 baserunners over his last three starts and that spells disaster against a stud like Trout. The perennial MVP candidate is absolutely raking right now too, going 10-for-24 at the plate over his last seven games while providing seven runs scored, seven RBI, two doubles, three homers and nine walks in that span. Andrew McCutchen, PHI at SD DK ($5,400) FD ($3,600) Let’s get another Phillies righty into our mix, as McCutchen has recaptured his MVP form. Over his last 16 games, Mccutchen is posting a .423 OBP while collecting six doubles, five homers, 17 runs scored and 14 RBI. It’s crystal clear that hitting atop the Phillies order has skyrocketed his fantasy value and he’s even tougher to fade against a lefty. For his career, Cutch is posting a .946 OPS against southpaws, which is more than 100 points higher than his OPS against righties. Kyle Schwarber, CHC vs. LAA DK ($4,100) FD ($3,400) Like McCutchen, Schwarber has seen his value rise exponentially because he too was moved to the leadoff spot. Since May 15, Schwarber has six homers, 15 runs scored, 11 RBI and 11 walks. While his average is lacking in that span, those counting statistics has led to him becoming a dangerous fantasy option. Cahill’s ugly numbers from the Baez write-up only adds to Schwarber’s intrigue, with the slugging outfielder providing an .835 OPS and .343 OBP against right-handers throughout his career. Also Consider: If Mallex Smith leads off again, he’s worth a shot against Corbin Martin. Monkey Knife Fight Pick of the Day Aaron Nola over 6.5 Strikeouts Play MLB Player Prop Games and Get 100 Percent Bonus!With only four games on the schedule, we’re going with just one pick today. I’m actually 7-2 over my last nine recommendations and we’re hoping to continue that stellar form here. Our most successful picks have been strikeout-O/U’s, so we’re going back to the well here. Aaron Nola got off to a terrible start this season but recent results would indicate that his swing-and-miss stuff is back. In fact, Nola has 26 Ks over his last three starts, doing that damage in just 19.1 innings. He becomes particularly intriguing considering he faces a Padres team that ranks 26th in runs scored and 27th in K rate. Their most dangerous bats happen to be righties and that only adds to Nola’s K-upside. 5 years ago 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
MLB DFS Hitting and MLB Prop Picks for 5/6: Boston Pops Cora Baylis 5 years ago written by Cora Baylis This is one of the toughest hitting slates I’ve written up all season, simply because of all of the aces on the board. In fact, we have to deal with guys like Jacob deGrom, Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer, Blake Snell, Walker Buehler and Chris Paddack. That’s quite the selection of starters and it’s making our job much more difficult in terms of picking hitters. Catcher Mike Zunino, TB vs. ARI DK ($3,600) FD ($2,200) Picking catchers is always the toughest task, but Zunino’s power upside makes him a nice tournament play. That’s evident in Zunino’s .199 career ISO, which is simply one of the best marks among all catchers. That power stroke appears to in good form right now too, with Zunino hitting a dinger in three of his last nine games. Facing Merill Kelly is not a matchup we need to fear either, with Kelly posting a 4.91 FIP and .349 xwOBA this season. Also Consider: Willson Contreras homered on Sunday and could be a nice stack piece with the rest of the Cubs we are about to mention. First Base Anthony Rizzo, CHC vs. MIA DK ($5,200) FD ($4,300) Rizzo is one of the hottest hitters in the league and it’s hard to fade him in such a favorable matchup. Coming into Sunday night’s game, Rizzo homered in four of his previous six games while collecting six runs and nine RBI in that span. It was just a matter of time before he got going too, with Rizzo leading the Cubs with a .400 xwOBA. All of that makes him tough to fade and facing a guy with a 4.86 ERA and 1.56 WHIP is simply the cherry on top. Also Consider: Matt Carpenter is extremely cheap on both sites and could have success against a volatile righty like Vince Velasquez. Second Base Jose Altuve, HOU vs. KC DK ($4,400) FD ($3,900) A common trend that you’ll see in this article is banking on players who are too good for their respective prices and Altuve is one of the faces of the theory. What really killed his price was a 3-for-33 stretch coming into the week, but doubling in four of his last five games indicate that he’s out of it. What’s really impressive with Altuve is the power potential, as his .258 ISO this season is the best mark of his career. Facing Jakob Junis is a treat for any hitter in a power surge, as his 1.5 career HR/9 rate is simply terrible. Also Consider: With all of the injuries in Washington, Brian Dozier has found himself in the heart of their order and gets to hit in Miller Park. Third Base Vladimir Guerrero Jr, TOR vs. MIN DK ($3,900) FD ($2,700) Guerrero hasn’t given us much reason to use him, but his potential is impossible to overlook. Not only have many experts projecting him to have a Hall-of-Fame career, Guerrero had some of the greatest numbers in minor league history. They were especially good against lefties, with Guererro posting an 1.199 OPS against southpaws in 2017 and a 1.375 OPS against lefties before being called up this season. This is simply one of the most talented hitters of our generation and he’s too good to be priced this cheaply on both sites. In addition, Martin Perez is allowing an OPS north of .850 to right-handed batters since the beginning of 2017. Also Consider: Alex Bregman is very expensive but he’s homered five times in his last four games and is easily one of the best plays on the board. Shortstop Corey Seager, LAD vs. ATL DK ($3,600) FD ($2,900) While Seager has been a huge disappointment this season, he’s simply too good of a hitter to be this cheap. The left-handed shortstop had an .876 OPS and ISO north of .200 before an injury-riddled 2018 and we expect to see that hitter sooner rather than later. Two doubles on Sunday is hopefully the start of something, as we always want to use him against a right-hander. This is simply a pricing play though, with Seager being priced the same as guys like Yairo Munoz and Nick Ahmed. Obviously, Seager is the cream of that crop.Also Consider: Jorge Polanco has been a nice breakout player this season and gets the platoon advantage against Marcus Stroman Outfielders J.D. Martinez, BOS vs. BAL DK ($5,100) FD ($4,300) Martinez should be priced as a Top-Five hitter on every slate but you actually have to scroll down to find him here. What makes that really hard to understand is the fact that Martinez is one of the league leaders with a .336 average and .410 OBP. That’s all you can ask for, especially considering the fact that Martinez is 7-for-13 at the plate over his last three games. Getting to face a lefty is simply the icing on the cake, with Martinez posting a 1.173 OPS against southpaws since the beginning of 2017. Randal Grichuk, TOR vs. MIN DK ($4,100) FD ($3,000) Grichuk’s price just continues to dwindle and it’s hard to understand why. Over his last seven games, Grichuk is 11-for-31 at the plate while collecting five RBI and three extra-base hits. The reason we want to use him here is the fact that he gets the platoon advantage against Martin Perez. While Grichuk’s splits are pretty much even, Perez’s are not. In fact, the southpaw is allowing a .313 average to right-handers since 2017 and an OPS approaching .900. Kyle Schwarber, CHC vs. MIA DK ($3,900) FD ($2,500) Schwarber’s season-long numbers are downright ugly but it’s lowered his price to an intriguing number. What we like about Schwarber here is the fact that he gets to face a weak righty. For his career, Schwarber owns a .498 SLG and .842 OPS against right-handers. That becomes particularly intriguing considering the fact that he faces Sandy Alcantara, who owns a 6.39 ERA and 1.89 WHIP since a fluky opening start. Also Consider: Mookie Betts has all the same advantages as Martinez but costs $400 more. Monkey Knife Fight Picks of the Day Mookie Betts over 1.5 hits+walksBetts is scorching hot right now and this is easily my favorite pick on the board. Over his last 15 games, Betts is 24-for-58 at the plate, which equates to a .414 average and .507 OBP. Don’t fade that production, especially against a lefty.J.D. Martinez 0.5 more bases than Trey Mancini This play speaks for itself after the prior write-up, as I truly believe Martinez is in for two bases or more bases. In fact, Martinez has cleared 1.5 total bases in three of his last four games and gets the platoon advantage here. While Mancini is hot too, Martinez is the far superior pick. Play MLB Player Prop Games and Get 100 Percent Bonus! 5 years ago 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
MLB 50 Top Hitters Jason Mezrahi 5 years ago written by Jason Mezrahi 50. Trea Turner – From a pure hitting standpoint, Trea is very solid sporting a .344 OBP along with an average of .271. However, it is on the base paths where he really does his damage, stealing 43 bags last season and making him a very solid SS target on most slates. 49. Joey Gallo – Mr. HR or go home is always a nice GPP option with massive HR upside, but he can also strikeout 4 times and leave you dead in the water. 48. Justin Upton 47. Justin Smoak 46. Shin Soo-Choo – The platoon specialist SSC is always a solid option in DFS when he is facing off against right handers that struggle against lefties. However, we always have to factor in the element that he may only bat 2 or 3 times before being pinch hit for if the opponent pulls out a lefty reliever. 45. Kyle Schwarber – Although the strikeouts are a major issue, there is no denying the power and potential possessed by Schwarber. 44. Edwin Encarnacion 43. Cody Bellinger 42. Yasmani Grandal – As far as catchers go, Grandal is easily top 10, but he falls to #42 on my list of total hitters with a respectable .349 OBP and a .466 SLG performance in his 2018 campaign. 41. Ben Zobrist 40. Travis Shaw 39. Didi Gregorius – As someone who can really take advantage of the Yankee Stadium design, Didi is a promising target as he heads in to his age 29 season hoping to improve on his 27 HRs from last season by finally hitting the big 30 mark. 38. Tommy Pham 37. George Springer 36. Matt Olson – Coming off a solid season where he was 1 homer shy of 30, Olson returns to a pretty stacked A’s lineup that can pack a serious punch and should be a popular stack when they are facing gas cans that have a fly ball tendency. 35. Andrew McCutchen 34. Aaron Hicks 33. Andrew Benintendi – While I wanted to put him a bit higher, Benintendi can not yet quite call himself one of the top 25 bats in all of the MLB. Improving on his power will certainly get him there in 2019, especially given the juicy stolen base upside he possesses. 32. Joey Votto 31. Scooter Gennett 30. Jose Altuve – The Houston speedster narrowly edges out the 2 Great American Small Park sticks, mainly due to that stolen base upside. He also is more patient at the plate and struck out over 20 fewer times than Votto/Gennett and as long as he can stay healthy, it is tough to see him slowing down. 29. Anthony Rizzo 28. Nicholas Castellanos 27. Nelson Cruz – At the ripe young age of 38, Cruz just continues to get it done. Spanking an impressive 37 homers to boost his OPS to .850, one of the top 30 highest figures in all of the majors. It is fair to expect a slow down at some point, but assuming the production does not fall off a cliff, Cruz could still reach the 30 HR mark this season. 26. Charlie Blackmon 25. Giancarlo Stanton 24. Matt Chapman – A member of the low-key loaded Oakland A’s lineup (Which unfortunately just took a big hit with the Matt Olson injury), Chapman will look to break the 30-homer mark as he fell just 6 shy in the 2018 season. 23. Rhys Hoskins 22. Francisco Lindor 21. Michael Brantley – Two Clevelanders back to back on the list. Mr. Brantley is getting up there in age, but has shown that he still has plenty left in the tank. Sporting a respectable .832 OPS, Brantley boasts a low strikeout rate and a solid .300+ average, but will need to leave the park a lot more in 2019 to crack the top 20. 20. Miguel Andujar 19. David Peralta 18. Javier Baez – Javi had a very impressive 2018, a year in which he reached on 176 hits, made it around the bases 101 times, and also jacked up 34 homers. Not someone that we typically consider a major power hitter, Javi benefits from playing in Wrigley, especially when the wind is in our favor. 17. Jesus Aguilar 16. Eugenio Suarez 15. Xander Bogaerts – The X man did not have an amazing 2018, but it was certainly a strong one and his position on this list also has a lot to do with potential. Bogaerts is a player that goes on streaks – Both hot and cold. If he can steady his production he should be able to improve on his power, although he was a double hitting machine in the small Fenway Park last season. 14. Freddie Freeman 13. Matt Carpenter 12. Manny Machado – Mr. Money Bags Manny Machado signed a contract heard around the world late this offseason (At least until Trout said hold my beer). So, 2018 clearly was a good year for him to reach nearly a 4 digit OPS, along with 37 home runs and 188 hits which tied him for 3rd place in the majors. 11. Alex Bregman 10. Trevor Story 9. Paul Goldschmidt – Goldy was another streaking player in 2018, but when the dust settled he finds himself in the top 10 of many 2019 hitter lists. While the humidor is always a hot topic in Arizona, MLB’s PG still posted .533 SLG and 83 RBIs, although the strikeouts (173) were a major problem area that he will need to improve on. 8. Jose Ramirez 7. Nolan Arenado 6. Bryce Harper – The last of the 3 massive contract trio is the Home Run Derby hero Bryce Harper, who will be in Philly for the LONG haul. Although his OPS was a shade under 900 and his average left much to be desired, Bryce drew a ton of walks in 2018, and if pitchers will throw him hittable pitches at just a slightly higher rate, expect that 100 RBI figure to shoot up. 5. Khris Davis – Yet another A’s batter to make the list, Khris Davis just continues to get the job done each season. After nearly breaking the 100 run, 150 hit marks in 2018, Khris sneaks into my top 5 due to the whopping 48 dingers that he smacked in the 2018 season. 4. Christian Yelich – With a top 4 OPS in the entire MLB (and one of only 4 players that finished in 4 digits), it would be tough to leave Yelich out of any top 5 hitters list. However, that is exactly what plenty of top hitter rankings are doing heading in to 2019. Yelich is my sleeper top 5 hitter in the league for the 2019 season. 3. J.D. Martinez – There are a few players in the league that it feels like hit a home run at every one of their at-bats, and JDM is certainly in that group. While he did lose the HR race in 2018, he still ended up with 43 dingers, along with the 3rd highest OPS in the entire MLB. Playing half of his games in the friendly little confines of Fenway Park should lead to another amazing 2019 season for Martinez. 2. Mike Trout – It is crazy for me to put the hitter with the highest OPS in the league in 2nd place, but from a fantasy perspective that is what I must do. Trout is headed straight to the HOF, and his hitting numbers are up there with the all-time greats. He is one of the most complete MLB players that we may ever see, and should be in the top 2 of any best hitters list. 1. Mookie Betts – Did anyone really expect me to put Trout over the GOAT Mookie Betts? I know I am in the minority here but hear me out. Yes, Trout does have a better OBP than Mookie, but many would be surprised to hear that Mookie actually has a higher SLG AND AVG than the all-star Angel. He also has the speed edge, reaching the coveted 30 SB mark in 2018, while almost never striking out, and winning that whole World Series thing. Mookie Betts is my #1 hitter for the 2019 MLB season. Go Sox! 5 years ago 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
