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Matt Chapman

MLB DFS: Aces and Bases – 7/3 (FanDuel Main Slate)

Today’s edition of Aces and Bases focuses ONLY on FanDuel’s seven-game MLB DFS Main Slate for 7:15PM ET, hopefully finding you some green screens!

Weather is not a huge issue tonight (as much as it is for the day games), so let’s dive right in!

MLB DFS: The Aces

Top MLB DFS Ace: Clayton Kershaw ($11,000)

Kershaw is the only top MLB DFS arm we should really consider tonight, since there’s a $2,500 drop off to the next available SP (LAA RHP Alex Cobb at $8,500 — someone we can consider as a GPP pivot). Adam Strangis explains in the 7/3 Starting Rotation article why anchoring cash game lineups to Kershaw makes a lot of sense, and we can probably use the same rationale for single-entry GPP. Kershaw’s K rate is high enough that the elevated pricing on FD isn’t a dealbreaker, and the Nationals do have some K potential in their lineup.

Best GPP Value: Jake Odorizzi ($7,200)

The Indians aren’t pushovers, but Odorizzi has been pretty effective this season with and xFIP under 4.00 and a K rate over a batter an inning. Cleveland is in the bottom half of the league in OPS, wOBA, and wRC+ and they rank just 21st against the fastball — Odorizzi’s number one pitch in both effectiveness and usage. He’s a slight favorite, has averaged over 30 FD per outing over his last four starts, and his price allows us to roster basically any hitters we want in the high total games in Coors Field and/or Oakland.

Contrarian GPP Play: Alex Cobb ($8,500)

He’s a contrarian play because the price is still a little higher than we’d like to play on a slate where Odorizzi is much cheaper, but his upside is just as high. Cobb sports a 2.79 xFIP this season and the Orioles aren’t especially great at knocking around RHPs. There’s risk here, as we know this crew in Baltimore can manufacture a few runs with that potent top 4 — but if Cobb can get through that group a couple times without major incident, he’s got a great shot at eclipsing his 30 point FD projections and total of about 30 FD points. 40-45 FD points (helped by a QS and win) isn’t unrealistic,

MLB DFS: The Bases

Top Stack: St. Louis Cardinals vs. COL LHP Kyle Freeland

This lineup is filled with lefty mashers, and it’s a group that really came alive in extra innings last night — something I believe they’ll carry over into tonight’s matchup. You really can’t go wrong with Nolan Arenado ($4,400), Paul Goldschmidt ($4,300), Tyler O’Neill ($4,000 – DTD, finger) and Harrison Bader ($3,200) as your power four, with Tommy Edman ($3,700) Dylan Carlson ($3,400), Yadier Molina ($3,500) and Paul DeJong ($3,800) as your main alternates. The Rockies are all in play as well — especially Trevor Story ($4,400) , C.J. Cron ($3,900) and a cheap Yonathan Daza ($3,100 — though it will be hard to stack the entire game.

Value Stack: San Francisco Giants vs. ARI RHP Jacob Faria

The Giants were my value stack last night against the A’s, and while they did score 6 runs, they didn’t break the slate. Once again, they have enormous upside tonight with these hitters against “Journeyman Jake” Faria and his hittable ensemble of pitches: LaMonte Wade ($2,900), Mike Yastrzemski ($3,200), Buster Posey ($3,100) Alex Dickerson ($2,500), Brandon Crawford ($3,000). There are some other bats to be considered (Steven Duggar at $2,800 and a very cheap Donovan Solano at $2,300), but I’m most interested in the above four for MLB DFS.

Contrarian Stack: Oakland Athletics vs. BOS RHP Garrett Richards

There’s a great deal of leverage in stacking this entire game and fading Coors hitters, but let’s start with the Athletics bats we like: Tony Kemp ($2,800), Matt Olson ($3,700), Jed Lowrie ($3,300) and Matt Chapman ($3,600). For Boston, the top hitters are J.D. Martinez ($4,200), Kike Hernandez ($3,600), Xander Bogaerts ($3,700) and Hunter Renfroe ($3,500). Again — both sides are fine here, but the Athletics will be severely under-owned against a bad RHP, and that’s a spot I really like considering their above-average 104 wRC+ and .317 wOBA. The Sox do well against LHP (.331 wOBA, 105 wRC+), but they’re priced a little higher.

Good luck tonight, and make sure you utilize the MLB Projection models to land on your one-offs and off-the-wall value plays!

3 years ago 0 comments

MLB DFS: Aces and Bases – 6/5 (FanDuel Main Slate)

Antonio D'Arcangelis 3 years ago

written by Antonio D'Arcangelis

Today’s edition of Aces and Bases focuses ONLY on FanDuel’s six-game MLB DFS Main Slate for 7:05PM ET, hopefully finding you some green screens!

No major weather concerns, but there’s a game in Coors with an 11.5 point total and two pitchers, one — LHP Kyle Freeland — with 7 BB in 8.0 IP so far this season and the other, visiting lefty SP Cole Irvin — with a .358 career road wOBA. It goes without saying to get exposure to this game, but we’ll give you some other options to consider.

MLB DFS: The Aces

Top MLB DFS Ace: Jacob deGrom ($11,500)

It’s hard to click any other name at SP on FD, even though Kevin Gausman’s last four starts (averaging 52.5 FD points and 9 K per game) have the edge on deGrom’s last four (43.25 FD points and 8 K per game). The Mets ace costs just $300 more than Gausman and boasts a very silly 1.53 xFIP, compared to a still-impressive 3.07 for the Giants RHP. I’ll have shares of both, but deGrom is still deGOAT.

Best GPP Value: Joe Musgrove ($8,300)

He’s much harder to trust than the big dogs, but Muskrat Joe (2.08 ERA, 2.65 xFIP, 11.72 K/9 in 11 starts this season) is a dynamic pitcher who can break a slate. The salary savings allow you to get whatever Coors game stack you want, albeit with a much higher risk. There are definitely signs that regression is coming, as Musgrove’s .212 BABIP is a solid 80 percentage points lower than his career metric (.294), but I’m willing to ride out another start about this pesky DFS darling.

Contrarian GPP Play: Kevin Gausman ($11,200)

Gausman’s numbers are amazing this season, and as discussed earlier in the deGrom writeup, he’s on a helluva run with his K numbers. The Cubs strike out at a 25.2% team rate, a lot more than the Padres (21.1%), so I’m inclined to be overweight on Gausman in GPPs for the additional leverage, as deGrom should still earn more ownership. Again — pricing is pretty soft for some of the high-projected-total games, so the big spend SPs will make up about 90 percent of the ownership.

MLB DFS: The Bases

Top Stack: Colorado Rockies vs. OAK LHP Cole Irvin

The A’s are a fine choice for top spot too, with Mark Canha ($4,200), Matt Chapman ($3,800), Matt Olson ($4,400)and Jed Lowrie ($3,600) being the obvious four-man stack at or near the top of the order. But they are pretty expensive, and they might be tough to fit in some cases with deGrom or Gausman up top. Canha is an impressive hitter who sees the ball well and makes for an amazing leadoff hitter in Coors, so I’ll haver some Colorado stacks that add on him as the primary one-off for OAK, and then find a three-man stack from another game for leverage. For the Rockies, I prefer C.J. Cron ($3,700), Charlie Blackmon ($3,900), Garrett Hampson ($3,300) and Joshua Fuentes ($3,400) against Irvin (who’s given up 24 hits over his last three starts), though there may be some other necessary value plays depending on who starts.

Value Stack: New York Yankees vs. BOS LHP Eduardo Rodriguez

Rodriguez has been very “gettable” in his last three starts, and while the Yankees strike out a lot, Yankee Stadium is getting hot and humid and the wind is blowing out to right center today, aiding some of those power righty bats in the Bronx. There’s loads of value and upside in rostering a three or four-man Yankees stack tonight, with D.J. LeMahieu ($3,000), Aaron Judge ($3,600) and Gleyber Torres ($2,900) as my three favorite “spends” and Gio Urshela ($2,500), Gary Sanchez ($2,400) and Clint Frazier ($2,300) clocking in with serious bargain prices.

Contrarian Stack: Los Angeles Angels vs. SEA LHP Yusei Kikuchi

Kikuchi has been okay in 2021, but he hasn’t been missing as many bats in his last few starts, opening himself up for a possible letdown against the home team Angels and their parade of right-handed power bats, including Justin Upton ($3,000), Anthony Rendon ($3,200) and Taylor Ward. ($2,600) And there’s obviously Shohei Ohtani ($4,000), whose metrics against LHP are a bit down in ’21. But $2K punts Phil Gosselin ($2,000) and Juan Lagares ($2,000) are in play (if they play) tonight, as Gosselin boasts great numbers vs. LHP (.460 wOBA in 26 AB this season)

Good luck, and make sure you utilize the MLB Projection models to land on your one-offs and off-the-wall value plays!

3 years ago 0 comments

Daily Fantasy Sports MLB

MLB DFS: Aces and Bases – 5/22 (FanDuel Main Slate)

Antonio D'Arcangelis 3 years ago

written by Antonio D'Arcangelis

Today’s edition of Aces and Bases focuses ONLY on FanDuel’s six-game MLB DFS Main Slate for 7:05PM ET, hopefully finding you some green screens!

No weather concerns of note, so everyone should technically be “in play” from a DFS perspective.

MLB DFS: The Aces

Top MLB DFS Ace: Walker Buehler ($10,500)

I’m not sure how many folks will get thrown off by the stiff winds blowing out to center in San Francisco tonight, but that stadium minimizes wind impact with its design — and Buehler is still the top ace of the slate. There’s really no close second, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Buehler’s ZIPS projections anticipate a lot more Ks over the next few starts. His talent level is head and shoulders better than choices B and C tonight and the run support he should get with his Dodgers facing the Giants’ Matt Wisler and some bullpen arms is enough to make him the safest option on the board.

Best GPP Value: Chris Bassitt ($8,800)

The A’s are a road favorite against an Angels team missing Mike Trout — the anchor of their lineup and one of the main reasons to fear that team. Over the past seven days we’ve seen the Angels team K rate increase about three percentage points, and while Bassitt isn’t known as a high-strikeout pitcher, his K/9 has increased to 9.62 this season, and his walk rate is the lowest its been in his seven-year MLB career. There isn’t an EASY value on tonight’s slate, but if I had to pick a guy who could surprise and break through with moderately low ownership on a day with limited options, Bassitt is the guy.

Contrarian GPP Value: Robbie Ray ($9,100)

Ray has been excellent this season, and while the minor league park the Blue Jays are hosting games in is quite the bandbox, Ray’s K is up a percentage point and a half to 28.9% this season. It’s not quite where it was during his DFS heyday in 2017 — when it was a whopping 32.8 and he posted a 1.15 WHIP and 3.72 FIP — but Ray is throwing a lot of good fastballs again, limiting hard contact this season and getting his WHIP down to an impressive 1.17 through seven starts. The Rays strike out at the fourth-highest rate among MLB teams and that’s exactly the type of thing we’re looking for on FanDuel, where efficiency matters a lot less than notching strikeouts. Adam Strangis also points out in his 5/22 Starting Rotation piece that they’re especially bad against lefties. Nathan Eovaldi ($7,200) also makes sense as an off-the-wall, high-risk contrarian play against Philadelphia. The Phillies have the second-highest team strikeout rate in baseball, but Eovaldi might end up being more popular than Ray because of the salary difference.

MLB DFS: The Bases

Top Stack: Boston Red Sox vs. PHI RHP Spencer Howard

The Red Sox continue to mash and represent the safest stack of the 5/22 MLB DFS slate. They also boast one of the higher projected team run totals and have a 2-5 stack that rivals any in the bigs at the moment. Alex Verdugo is out today (hamstring) but Xander Bogaerts ($3,800), J.D. Martinez ($4,300) and Rafael Devers ($3,800) should all be rostered confidently. It’s an expensive stack that will probably need some value to offset that type of spending. Value options for your fourth hitter on Boston include Kike Hernandez ($3,200) — who has 2B/OF positional flexibility — Christian Vazquez ($2,500), and sluggers Bobby Dalbec ($2,400) and Hunter Renfroe ($2,200)

Value Stack: San Diego Padres vs. SEA LHP Justus Sheffield

The Padres aren’t normally a value play as a team stack, but Eric Hosmer is just $2,700 and Fernando Tatis Jr. ($4,500) is the only real spend-up hitter we’ll encounter here. The rest of my preferred stack includes Manny Machado ($3,200) and Tommy Pham ($2,100). Pham’s price is way too low given his upside and the fact that that his offense came alive for 34.2 FanDuel points last night. Right handed Austin Nola ($2,900) is also an option, and I would prefer leadoff hitter Trent Grisham ($3,400) to Jake Cronenworth ($3,000) since the former is better vs. lefties and the latter sometimes gets a day off against southpaws anyway — but Grisham is nursing a heel injury that had him removed in the fifth inning against Seattle yesterday.

Contrarian Stack: Oakland Athletics vs. LAA LHP Patrick Sandoval

It’s difficult to say just how many innings Sandoval will pitch tonight, but the A’s are better against LHP this season and their productive core of Mark Canha $3,100), Ramon Laureano ($3,400) and Matt Chapman ($2,700) could get some early scoring off the mediocre southpaw. I’m fine adding Matt Olson ($3,400) to the mix or even take a shot on Seth Brown ($2,200), who homered a couple games ago and offers some great value.

Good luck, and make sure you utilize the MLB Projection models to land on your one-offs and off-the-wall value plays!

3 years ago 0 comments

Daily Fantasy Sports MLB

9/26 DFS Hitting Picks and Stacks: Indians Can’t Cease Fire

jason mezrahi 5 years ago

written by jason mezrahi

The main slate for 9/26 DFS is just a simple, five-game assembly of MLB DFS matchups featuring some playoff implications and some sneaky stacks! Let’s find the best one-off plays and a couple quality stacks to get you on the road to cash!

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9/26 DFS Hitting Stacks ofthe Day

Cleveland Indians at DylanCease

With Jose Ramirez back, the Indians have another titanic bat in their lineup as they try to sneak into the playoffs via the Wild Card. Eliminated from securing their fourth straight AL Central title with Wednesday’s loss (coupled with a victory by the Minnesota Twins), the Indians have a Thursday night matchup that bodes well for the bats facing a hittable Dylan Cease (5.79 ERA). Expect Francisco Lindor to erase that poor showing last night and get some exposure to the 2-5 bats, along with Franmil Reyes and a dirt-cheap Mike Freeman ($3,200 DK, $2,500 FD) at the bottom of the order.

Oakland Athletics atSeattle Mariners

We’ve come to expect a lot from the A’s as September winds down, and this is a prime opportunity for the bats to come alive and pile on some runs on this 9/26 DFS slate. Mark Canha left the game early last night and Khris Davis is battling a stomach bug, but there are plenty of bats to go to in their stead, and while Felix Hernandez is a historically solid pitcher, he’s nearing the end of his career (6.51 ERA this season) and just isn’t the same old King Felix. The A’s also hit well on the road, with a .329 wOBA as a team. I like Matt Olson, Matt Chapman and Marcus Semien.

Houston Astros at JaimeBarria

The Astros plan on sitting Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer, but that just means you can grab some value at the top of their lineup with Kyle Tucker and mix in some “next man up” types who’ve performed well in limited duty this season. They’re not my favorite stack for 9/26 DFS, but they’re certainly viable and a little cheaper to fit in without all the regulars.

9/26 DFS Hitting Stacks toConsider

Chicago Cubs at Joe Musgrove – The Cubs face ahittable pitcher who can hand out free passes and get lit up as easily as hecan rack up the Ks.

New York Mets vs. Jordan Yamamoto – Yamamoto isn’t a bad young pitcher, but he struggles with RHBs and the Mets have a bunch of really good ones.

9/26 DFS HittingCatcher

Wilson Ramos, NYM vs. MIA

DK ($3,600) FD ($2600)

Unfortunately, the pickings are slim at catcher today, so I’ll be looking to Wilson Ramos and his power upside. The Mets regular catcher is slashing .286/.350/.415 this season and Yamamoto has trouble with right-handed bats (.322wOBA vs. RHBs, .250 wOBA vs. LHBs). Just make sure he’s in the lineup before you lock him in.

9/26 DFS Hitting FirstBaseman

Matt Olson, OAK at SEA

DK (4,600) FD ($3,700)

My affinity for Matt Olson is well-known among my peers, and he’s deliveredfor me time and again in GPPs. This matchup is an interesting one, because Olsonhas a .293 ISO and 150 wRC+ against righties. Olson, who’s been hitting forpower this month with a .345 ISO, will likely face a couple of RHPs and has agood chance at going deep in this game.

9/26 DFS Hitting SecondBaseman

Aledmys Diaz, HOU at LAA

DK($4,100) FD ($2,900)

With some Astros sitting, Diaz probably gets another start tonight and is carrying a decent slash line (.271/.349/.457) into the 9/26 contest. He has a 122 wRC+ against RHPs this season, is fairly priced on DK and is unbelievably cheap on FD. It looks like I may give him a shot in about half my lineups this evening.

9/26 DFS Hitting ThirdBaseman

Matt Chapman, OAK at SEA

(DK $4,100) FD ($3,600)

Mr. Chapman homered last night, is very affordable on both sites, and is slightly better against RHPs (124 wRC+ vs. RHPs, 122 wRC+ vs. LHPs). While he had a relatively quiet September, I like the matchup for Chapman against King Felix here here — and there are not many 3B who stick out in this slate other than him, Alex Bregman (who’s available at SS on DK), and Yoan Moncada.

9/26 DFSHitting Shortstop

Alex Bregman, HOU at LAA

DK ($2,600) FD ($2,000)

Some of the veteran Astros players will get spelled tonight, but Bregman is slated to stay in the lineup and is red hot at the plate (3-4, two 2B, RBI, R last night). He sports a robust 168 wRC+ and is slashing .298/.421/.595 triple-slash line with 119 runs scored, 40 homers, 110 RBI and five steals this season. The hard-hitting Bregman is a fine place to anchor your SS slot.

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9/26 DFS HittingOutfielders

Kyle Tucker, HOU at LAA

DK($4,800) FD ($2,900)

Tucker draws the leadoff spot for 9/26 DFS a night after launching a solo homer against the Mariners. With Jose Altuve getting the day off, he takes over a prime spot in the Astros lineup and has done ell with his chances so far: The 22-year-old rookie outfielder is hitting .304/.339/.571 with 11 runs scored, three HRs, 10 RBI and five SB in 59 plate appearances this season. The price on DK is fair, but on FD he’s just way too cheap.

Brandon Nimmo, NYM vs. MIA

DK ($3,900) FD ($2,900)

I love Nimmo in the leadoff spot today for the Mets, who don’t havea lot to play for but still have an exciting group of young hitters. Nimmo hasa 133 wRC+ against RHPs in his career and will have plenty of run scoringopportunities here. He also has a 16.4 BB% facing RHPs in his career and a 19.7BB% this season against righties – a nice patience complement to his burgeoningpower.

Kyle Schwarber, CHC at PIT

DK ($3,800) FD ($2,700)

While he’s not much of a contact/average hitter, Schwarber has been heating up at the plate (2-4 last night with a pair of singles on Wednesday) just in time for his team to be eliminated from the playoffs. Schwarber is hitting .248/.337/.527 with 37 homers, 91 RBI and 80 runs scored in 152 games overall in 2019, and he’s got a great matchup vs. RHP Joe Musgrove.

9/26 DFS Additional StackOptions:

C: Wilson Contreras ($4,700 DK, $3,000 FD), Sean Murphy ($4,000DK, $2,900 FD)

1B: Anthony Rizzo ($4,900 DK, $3,900 FD), Pete Alonso ($5,000 DK,$4,000 FD)

2B: Ian Happ ($4,000 DK, $2,600 FD), Yolmer Sanchez ($2,700 DK) ($2,300FD)

3B: Yoan Moncada ($4,800 DK, $3,500 FD), David Fletcher ($3,900DK, $2,800 FD)

SS: Francisco Lindor ($4,600 DK, $4,200 FD), Jack Mayfield ($2,600 DK, $2,000 FD)

OF: Yordan Alvarez ($5,400 DK, $4,400 FD), Nick Castellanos ($4,600DK, $3,800 FD), Michael Brantley ($4,000 DK, $3,500 FD), Oscar Mercado ($4,900DK, $3,400 FD), Michael Conforto ($4,600 DK, $3,500 FD), Robbie Grossman, ($3,500DK, $2,400 FD),

5 years ago 0 comments

Daily Fantasy Sports MLB

9/17 DFS Hitting Picks and Stacks: Mets Marauding Melville

jason mezrahi 5 years ago

written by jason mezrahi

We’ve got a loaded 14-game 7:05 EST main slate for MLB 9/17 DFS – one that we’ve got some high game totals for, including another big-time stack at Coors. The lineups get unstable toward the end of the year, but that just gives us more opportunities to embrace the variance and make it fun on this enormous slate.

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9/17 DFS Hitting Stacks of the Day

NewYork Mets at Tim Melville (NYM at COL)

The Mets are expensive but have the highest implied total on the slate. Last night they scored just four runs in Coors but on Tuesday get to face Melville, who’s been torched in his three home starts (.516 xwOBA, 9.00 ERA, 6.31 xFIP). I’ll be applying a liberal smattering of Mets hitters in most of my lineups, with most of my exposure coming with the first five hitters: Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto, Robinson Cano and Pete Alonso. Wilson Ramos is a very affordable $2,900 on FD as well, where he can be used in one of two spots.

Boston Red Sox vs. Logan Webb (BOS vs. SF)

The Sox may be missing Mookie Betts (foot) but they’re still a powerful bunch of bats in a hitter’s park. Logan Webb has been tuned up for a .400 xwOBA vs. RHP) during his short time in the Majors, and he’s not going to like the ballpark shift from Oracle. The usual suspects (Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez and Andrew Benintendi) are all $5,000 or under on DK, and Mitch Moreland is just $4,200.

Toronto Blue Jays at Dylan Bundy/Chandler Shepherd

The Blue Jays are a sneaky stack in a slate with Coors Field on the docket, and they’ll be playing in Baltimore, where the homers fly out and the Orioles pitching staff has reached a new nadir in allowing the long ball. I’m stacking the 1-5 with occasional shares of Randal Grichuk ($4,300 DK) and Billy McKinney ($3,300 DK).

Cleveland Indians vs. John Schreiber/Spencer Turnbull (CLE vs.DET)

The Indians are underpriced for the matchup on this 9/17 DFS slate, whether it’s against Schreiber (the possible opener) or Turnbull, who’s really struggled this season (3-15 in 27 starts with a 4.77 ERA and 1.48 WHIP). I’m leaning toward mini-stacks considering there are so many other great matchups on this slate, but feel free to grab shares of the 1-5 hitters and get some exposure to the value bats (Franmil Reyes, Mike Freeman and Jordan Luplow, if he’s in the lineup).

9/17 DFS Hitting Stacks to Consider

Atlanta Braves at Vince Velazquez (It’s tough to fadeFreeman and Co. in a hitter’s park)

Miami Marlins at LHP Alex Young (all the righties –including my guy Starlin Castro)

Colorado Rockies vs. Marcus Stroman (The contrarian side ofCoors against a decent RHP)

9/17 DFS Hitting Catcher

J.T. Realmuto, PHI at ATL

DK ($4,600) FD ($3,900)

I’m a huge fan of Realmuto, who sports a .443 xwOBA and .227 ISO against LHPs over the past two seasons. It’s a one-off play that should command low ownership and provide a decent floor – as well as immense upside in GPPs.

9/17 DFS Hitting First Baseman

Rowdy Tellez, TOR at BAL

DK ($3,900) FD ($2,600)

Tellez has four homers in his last 11 games, crushes right-handedpitching (.453 xwOBA, .245 ISO since 2018), and bats fourth between Lourdes Gurrieland Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. Tellez is my double-dinger call of the day, and he’snot really thrown off by lefty relievers, either (.430 xwOBA against LHPs since2018).

9/17 DFS Hitting Second Baseman

Cavan Biggio, TOR at BAL

DK ($4,500) FD ($3,700)

Biggio is another Jays bat I want exposure to in Camden Yards, where he’s already got three homers in five career games and a 168 OPS+ that screams GPP play. As part of stack or simply a value bat at a reasonable price, Biggio makes a solid play for his speed and power.

9/17 DFS Hitting Third Baseman

Matt Chapman, OAK vs. KC

DK ($4,200) FD ($3,600)

Chapman and his surging power numbers (4 HRs in September so far) couldbe overlooked on this slate, and if you’re wary of spending more than $5K for J.D.Davis but still want to get some other Coors bats in, he could be a big help.All these games matter for the A’s, and Chapman (.423 xwOBA and .250 ISO vs.RHPs since 2018) is the heart and soul of their lineup along with Matt Olsonand Marcus Semien, the other two Oakland bats with 30+ homers this year.

9/17 DFS Hitting Shortstop

Francisco Lindor, CLE vs. DET

DK ($4,800) FD ($4,000)

Lindor is my favorite shortstop of this slate. He gets lotsof ABs and benefits from a circular Indians lineup that has some decent hittersat the bottom of the order – giving him some run-creating opportunities alongwith table-setting ability. His price is cheaper than Xander Bogaerts, Trevor Storyand Bo Bichette on DK (with just as much GPP upside) and he’s playable in allformats at home (where he owns a .386 wOBA and .403 xwOBA sine 2018) against theTigers.

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9/17 DFS Hitting Outfielders

J.D. Martinez, BOS vs. SF

DK ($4,000) FD ($3,200)

Idiscussed the Red Sox stack up top, but if there’s one bat from Boston I’d likein this matchup, it’s J.D. His .506 xwOBA vs. RHPs since 2018 (over a hugesample of 998 plate appearances) means he can hit all types of pitching (it’s apreposterous .560 vs. LHPs) and he’s still surrounded by Bogaerts andBenintendi, who both hit RHPs well. I’m banking on a three-run homer for the RedSox OF/DH in hitter-friendly Fenway against young Logan Webb (.400 xwOBA vs. RHP).

Oscar Mercado, CLE vs. DET

DK ($4,100) FD ($3,000)

Thehome numbers for Mercado are impressive (.290/.340/.477) and his bat has beenshowing some life again (10 hits in his last 26 AB). You’re getting thetalented young OF at a discount on both sites, and he’s a great piece to havein Indians mini stacks along with Lindor and Carlos Santana.

Garrett Hampson, COL vs. NYM

DK ($3,500) FD ($3,200)

Hampson is red-hot at the plate and is dirt cheap onDK. He’s played much better since getting more regular time, starting in theRockies’ last five straight and games and going 11-for-22 over that stretch(counting Monday night). He’s easy to overlook in the lineup as the No. 7 hitterand makes plenty of sense in both cash games and GPPs.

Additional options:

C:Roberto Perez ($3,600 DK, $2,900FD), Reese McGuire ($3,900 DK, $2,800 FD)

1B: Pete Alonso ($5,600 DK, $4,300 FD), Carlos Santana($4,300 DK, $3,900 FD)

2B: Robinson Cano ($4,700 DK, $3,600 FD), Jonathan Villar($4,700 DK, $3,800 FD)

3B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr, ($3,900 DK, $2,900 FD), EugenioSuarez ($4,500 DK, $3,900 FD)

SS: Bo Bichette ($5,400 DK, $3,900 FD), Xander Bogaerts ($5,000DK, 3,800 FD)

OF: Austin Meadows ($5,600 DK, $4,400 FD), Yordan Alvarez ($5,200DK, $4,100 FD), Brandon Nimmo ($4,500 DK, $3,900 FD), Khris Davis ($3,800 DK,$3,200 FD), Michael Brantley ($4,000 DK, $3,800 FD), Matt Joyce ($4,100 DK, $2,400FD)

5 years ago 0 comments

MLB

9/4 MLB DFS Pitching and Prop Picks

5 years ago

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It’s Wednesday, and along with it we have a shortened slate of MLB split into two. As usual we will focus on the main slate for tonight’s action which features eight exciting games. So I bring you today’s 9/4 MLB DFS Pitching picks.

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On the Defense

Shane Bieber vs. Chicago White Sox

$11,000 FD / $11,500

I am pretty sure everybody is going to have “Bieber Fever” on this 9/4 MLB DFS slate. Despite his checkered past versus the White Sox this season allowing eight earned runs over 12 2/3 innings, this should be the cash game play of the night. The White Sox are still striking out 25.8 percent of the time versus RHPs with a sub-par .311 wOBA. With Bieber having a current 11.9 K/9 and striking out batters left and right in every start, even if he was to give up some runs today the strikeout upside alone still could land him the top SP slot on the slate.

Zac Gallen vs. San Diego Padres

$8,500 FD / $9,600

The Padres are 12^th in MLB over the last seven days in offense. That is a fact. They also strike out 25.8 percent of the time versus RHPs, another fact. Gallen has 22 strikeouts over his last 16 innings while only allowing six earned runs, all versus much tougher opponents. His price is a bit high for a SP2 on DK to pair with Bieber, but on this 9/4 MLB DFS slate he sure makes a fine pivot off of him in GPPs.

Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. Colorado Rockies

$8,400 FD / $9,200

Despite Hyun-Jin Ryu pitching more like Hyun-Jin Pyu as of late, for the deflated price on FD I will be using him in a few large field GPPs. The Rockies still strike out 22.4 percent of the time versus LHPs, and outside of Coors Field have a .292 wOBA to complement a pathetic wRC+ of 76. I have confidence Ryu rights the ship on this 9/4 MLB DFS slate at home where is ERA is 1.54.

Jacob Junis vs. Detroit Tigers

$7,900 FD / $7,500 DK

The Detroit Tigers are a team you can attack most days. They strike out 27.3 percent of the time versus RHPs with a low .292 wOBA. In case you missed it Junis has 19 strikeouts versus Detroit this season over 19 innings while allowing five earned runs. With the 9/4 MLB DFS slate offering limited choices Junis shines as the clear cut SP2 option and great value play on FD.

On the Attack

Anthony Senzatela vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

This is certainly the 9/4 MLB DFS chalk stack of the night. Senzatela has allowed a whopping 33 earned runs over his last 13 1/3 innings. Now he goes into Dodger Stadium to face one of the most powerful offenses in MLB. He is going to take an absolute shellacking tonight.

Notable Bats

A.J .Pollock is 4-for-9 with one home run off Senzatela, but keep in mind he hits lefties better than righties.

Gavin Lux now has a wOBA of .695 versus RHPs with 343 wRC+. It may be a small sample size by why not ride the hot bat before the scouts catch up with him.

Cody Bellinger, if you use your budget wisely, is the top play, and price. With a .434 wOBA versus RHPs over this long season he should feast tonight.

Patrick Sandoval vs. Oakland Athletics

Prior to his great last outing versus the Rangers, Sandoval allowed seven earned runs over 7 1/3 innings. I see clear regression on this 9/4 MLB DFS slate facing an A’s team with a .331 wOBA versus LHPs.

Notable Bats

Matt Chapman has .376 wOBA versus LHPs with a wRC+ of 139 this season.

Khris Davis has a decreased price as of late and is posting a .355 wOBA versus LHPs.

Mark Canha is batting cleanup with little surprise carrying a .342 wOBA versus LHPs. He also has five straight games without a home run, he is due.

Edwin Jackson vs. Kansas City Royals

My sneaky stack on this 9/4 MLB DFS slate is the Royals. The last time he faced Kansas City he only allowed one earned run over 6 1/3 innings while striking out four, this may scare some people off. After watching him get rocked for 12 earned runs in his last two starts versus the Twins in 7 1/3 innings, I am on the attack here.

Jorge Soler is the Nelson Cruz of the Royals. He has a .370 wOBA versus RHPs this season and is batting .348 with three home runs over the last seven.

Hunter Dozier, who in my opinion has the best name for a third baseman in baseball, mashes RHPs to the tune of a .363 wOBA with a wRC+ of 166. He also has two home runs and seven RBI over the last seven days.

Alex Gordon may have slowed down but he is only striking out 14.8 percent of the time versus RHPs and has a solid shot at some real hard contact today.

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Monkey Knife Fight Prop Pick

I am going with the over with Junis facing a Tigers team that is leading MLB in strikeouts versus RHPs.

Miguel Cabrera has had some success versus Junis, going 4-for-14 lifetime. The Over is where I am looking.

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5 years ago 0 comments

MLB

8/27 DFS Hitting and Stacks

Antonio D'Arcangelis 5 years ago

written by Antonio D'Arcangelis

Hey folks! It’s my first post here at Win Daily Sports so I’m psyched to get off to a big start and make everybody some money! It’s a full schedule (15 games) so let’s embrace the variance and give you some solid plays for those GPPs in 8/27 DFS!Sign up NOW for WIN DAILY Premium Gold right here! Projections, weather reports, wagering info, 24/7 expert chats and more!8/27 DFS Hitting CatcherJ.T. Realmuto, PHI vs. PITDK ($4,600), FD ($3,600)I wouldn’t blame you for picking one of the catchers in the Coors Field game, but Realmuto is locked into a good matchup at home versus LHP Steven Brault (who has his biggest problem against RHBs and their cumulative .345 wOBA) and won’t be as highly owned as some of the other studs around his price point. The Phillies backstop sports a .294/.344/.563 slash against southpaws and is a better hitter at home as well (.375 wOBA, 132 wRC+).8/27 DFS Hitting First BasemanRhys Hoskins, PHI vs. PITDK ($4,500), FD ($3,900)You probably have an inkling who one of my non-Coors stacks is going to be at this point, but I’ll refresh your memory a bit on Hoskins and his destruction of LHPs at home this year. In 67 plate appearances, he’s hitting a ridiculous .340/.485/.680 at Citizens Bank versus southpaws with a similarly preposterous .340 ISO. He just ended a long homer drought and he’s been batting near the top of the lineup.8/27 DFS Hitting Second BasemanJason Kipnis, CLE at DETDK ($3,700), FD ($3,200)Kipnis benefits from facing a bad pitcher who struggles against lefties (Turnbull has a .373 xwOBA vs. LHB this season) and is primarily a value play that might help fit some of the more potent stacks. Hitters in Comerica Park are usually smart to avoid, but as a one-off in the middle of a dangerous lineup, Kipnis is worth a look in large-field GPPs for his reduced price on DraftKings and a tasty matchup. For BvP fans, he’s 3-for-9 career against Spencer Turnbull with a HR – the only Indians player who’s gone deep off the Tigers hurler.8/27 DFS Hitting ShortstopXander Bogaerts, BOS at COLDK ($5,700), FD ($4,100)The Red Sox are facing a pitcher making his Major League debut on Tuesday, and we’ll discuss the stack a bit later – but Bogaerts is one of the best Red Sox to start against either LHPs or RHPs (over the past two seasons he’s sporting an xwOBA of .406 against both types of pitcher with an ISO of .244 against RHPs) and he’s an excellent play in all formats if you can afford him. There’s a bevy of decent options at SS on this slate, and Bogaerts is the best of them.8/27 DFS Hitting Third BasemanMatt Chapman, OAK at KCDK ($4,800), FD ($3,600)Chapman endured a prolonged slump in July that saw him hit just two HRs and slash a measly .231/.299/.385, but he’s broken through in August with improved power (.303 ISO in 20 games this month) and is coming off a big night in Kansas City where the entire A’s lineup went wild. If you’re not too ken on going right back to the well with a full Athletics stack, Chapman makes a good one-off bat against the left-handed Mike Montgomery.Tired of losing money on your DFS and Sportsbook? Sign up today and become a winner while turning your passion for sports into a second stream of income!8/27 DFS Hitting OutfielderKhris Davis, OAK at KCDK ($3,400), FD ($2,400)Another value play that could help you fit in some of the more expensive stacks, Davis had a big Monday night in Kansas City and is starting to heat up with homers in two of his last five games. He’s one of the cheaper options who’s capable of a multi-HR game and sports a .443 xwOBA against lefties over the past two seasons. He’s a risk, for sure, but he’ll be relatively low-owned and doesn’t cost much.8/27 DFS Hitting OutfielderJackie Bradley, Jr., BOS at COLDK ($4,200), FD ($3,000)If Bradley gets the start in Coors, he makes for an excellent value play given the implied run total and the relatively cheap price. He’s homered twice in his last four games and any ball he hits into a gap could end up a triple. Bradley’s a much better hitter versus RHP and provides some much-needed salary relief in an otherwise expensive stack. You’ll have to double check to maker sure he’s in the lineup, but his price range offers some decent swap-outs (Joc Pederson and Matt Beaty are both $4,200 in the later games).8/27 DFS Hitting OutfielderMookie Betts, BOS at COLDK ($5,500), FD ($4,600)Betts is a little cheaper than both Charlie Blackmon and J.D. Martinez and should be busy wreaking havoc against the Rockies pitching staff. An excellent cash game play given his upside and baseline, Betts has a good matchup and makes for a smart anchor in Red Sox GPP stacks as well. He has a .469 xwOBA over the last two seasons facing RHPs and hits left-handers just as well – so the Rockies’ bullpen could be in for a long night.8/27 DFS Hitting Stacks8/27 Hitting Stack of the Day: Boston Red Sox: The first five hitters (Betts, Rafael Devers, Bogaerts and Andrew Benintendi – who’s DTD with side tightness – are my favorite four in that bunch) are going to be awfully expensive, so it might be best to swap out J.D. Martinez ($5,600 DK) for the aforementioned Bradley, Mitch Moreland ($4,800 on DK and $3,500 FD) Brock Holt ($4,000 DK and $2,900 FD) or even catcher Sandy Leon ($2,600 DK).8/27 Hitting Stack Runner-Up: Colorado Rockies: Rick Porcello has a lot more experience than counterpart Rico Garcia, but he’s still facing a lineup with an implied total over 6 runs and plenty of potent bats, including Charlie Blackmon ($5,700 DK, $4,500 FD, Trevor Story ($5,600 DK, 4,300 FD), Nolan Arenado ($5,600 DK, $4,600 FD) and Ian Desmond ($4,300 DK, $2,900 FD) – with value options 2B/OF eligible Garrett Hampson ($3,300 DK and $2,700 FD) and C Tony Wolters ($3,400 DK).8/27 Hitting Stack to Consider: Philadelphia Phillies: This could be an overlooked stack with Realmuto and Hoskins, Bryce Harper ($5,100 DK), Scott Kingery ($4,600 DK) and Jean Segura ($4,300) as my favorite options.

5 years ago 0 comments

MLB

DFS Stacks for Main Slate: Winning Edge for July 12

Daniel Wehr 5 years ago

written by Daniel Wehr

Welcome back everyone! I know we have a few “new” guys on the Win Daily staff, as well as a few subscribers. I just wanted to welcome all of you. This report will provide recommended DFS stacks for today’s 13-game main slate.

**Please check back this afternoon between 5-6pm EST. Possible updates to lines once starting lineups are released.

New York Yankees

vs. RHP Aaron Sanchez (TOR): 7.10 Runs

The Yankees lost two games in a row going into the All-Star break and had only lost two in their previous 18. They are clearly the best team in baseball right now, boasting a 6.5 game lead on the Rays and 9.0 on the Red Sox. We all know how tricky the AL East can be after the break. These teams can close the gap rather quickly given their talents. Look for the Yankees to keep their foot on the gas and truck their way into the post season. Aaron Sanchez carries a 6.16 ERA, 5.56 FIP, and 5.57 SIERA into tonight’s game. His splits are identical, holding .a 361 wOBA, .391 OBP, and .451 OBP on the year. Coming out of the break, The Yankees are slashing to a .364 wOBA, .247 ISO, and 126 WRC+. They are hitting well above their season averages.

Los Angeles Angels

vs. RHP Mike Leake (SEA): 5.60 Runs

Mike Leake hasn’t been awful this season, carrying a 4.32 ERA, 4.89 FIP, and 4.55 SIERA into tonight’s game. These +4.00 ERA stat lines seem more of the norm this season with the elevated scoring. Leake has identical splits, holding a .330 wOBA, .303 OBP, and .493 SLG through 114. innings pitched. He has the displeasure of facing an Angels team who hold the lowest strikeout rate in MLB. They average 6.87 strikeouts per game on the year. The Angels are slashing .to a 321 wOBA, .191 ISO, and .458 SLG to right handed pitching over a two week span coming out of the break.

Preferred DFS Stacks Build: Mike Trout ($4700 FD|$5300 DK), Shohei Ohtani ($3900 FD|$4800 DK), and Justin Upton ($3500 FD|$3800 DK).

Milwaukee Brewers

vs. RHP Shaun Anderson (SFG): 5.60 Runs

Shaun Anderson heads into tonight’s matchup holding a 4.23 ERA, 4.38 FIP, and 5.28 SIERA through 55 innings pitched. He has identical splits with a .320 wOBA, .331 OBP, and .417 SLG. I’m really hoping for a healthy Christian Yelich here tonight as he has been experiencing some lower back discomfort on and off this season. The Brewers come out of the break slashing to a .297 wOBA, .223 ISO, and .423 SLG to right handed pitching. The Brewers are only a half game back on the Cubs, who actively seem to be trying to hand the Brewers the division, but they have been having issues of their own. An unhealthy Yelich certainly does not give this lineup a ton of appeal. Look for the Brewers to get it together coming off the break.

Preferred DFS Stacks Build: Christian Yelich ($4800 FD|$5200 DK), Eric Thames ($3200 FD|$4800 DK), Yasmani Grandal ($3500 FD|$4900 DK), and Mike Moustakas ($3900 FD|$4700 DK) if you prefer a full stack on FD.

Honorable DFS Stacks Mentions

San Diego Padres vs. LHP Dallas Keuchel (ATL): 4.30 Runs

Preferred Stack: Hunter Renfroe ($3000 FD|$4700 DK), Manny Machado ($3900 FD|$4100 DK), and Manuel Margot ($2600 FD|$3600 DK).

Oakland A’s vs. RHP Ivan Nova (CHW): 5.60 Runs

Preferred Stack: Matt Chapman ($3900 FD|$4800 DK), Matt Olson ($3800 FD|$5100 DK), Mark Canha ($2800 FD|$4300 DK), and Ramon Laureano ($3100 FD|$4500 DK).

St. Louis Cardinals vs. LHP Robbie Ray (ARZ): 4.50 Runs

Preferred Stack: Paul Goldschmidt ($3200 FD|$3800 DK), Jose Martinez ($2800 FD|$3500 DK), and Dexter Fowler ($2900 FD|$3700 DK).

5 years ago 0 comments

MLB

DFS Stacks and Hitting for 6/14: Drew it Up

Alisia Gustafson 5 years ago

written by Alisia Gustafson

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Stacks

Colorado Rockies

We’re going to start with stacks as we lock in my favorite of the night, the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies are facing Cal Quantrill. He is a right-handed rookie who has yet to play in a stadium like Coors. We saw a high-scoring affair last night and you can expect another one tonight for the Rockies. Quantrill’s Splits are clearly more advantageous towards left-handed batters, as he’s allowing a .333 BA to opposing lefties with three home runs in 63 at-bats. San Diego used four of their relievers last night to carry them through 5.2 innings and allowed nine runs by the end of it all. I think you can expect a similar output tonight against the rookie right hander.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers are my late night hammer, as they face San Francisco and Drew Pomeranz. He is a shell of his former self. His ERA is up, opposing batting averages are through the roof and despite playing in a pitcher’s park, Pomeranz is still exhibiting poor numbers at home with a 5.23 ERA. Pomeranz has yet to face the Brewers this season but I fully expect Milwaukee to take advantage of this struggling starter.

Batters

First Base

Ryan O’Hearn, KAN vs. MIN

DK ($3,000) FD ($2,500)

O’Hearn has been ice cold lately. But honestly, he’s been in the lineup against a lot of tough lefties, which just isn’t his game. O’Hearn mainly performs best against hard throwing right-handed pitchers.The manager is trying to get him going with at-bats. With that said, tonight he’ll face right hander Kyle Gibson. Gibson has 4.50 June ERA and is getting killed by left-handed batters, allowing a .268 BA with seven homers to opposing lefties. Kansas City tagged Gibson for a 9.64 ERA in one start with a .364 team BA in that game. O’Hearn needs to get going and should get back on track tonight against the struggling Gibson.

Second Base

Mike Moustakas MIL at SF

DK ($5,200) FD ($4,000)

Moustakas has 21 home runs on the season, third most in the league. At a weak position on FanDuel and DraftKings, lock in a guy that will give you a high floor as well as a potentially high ceiling. Drew Pomeranz stinks. How’s that for you? I can actually just rattle off any stats. How about his .317 allowed BA to opposing righties or his 9.88 ERA over the past month? Pomeranz does NOT currently have the stuff to compete with the Brewers lineup. I do think Milwaukee is the late night hammer and stacking them would be wise. The Brewers are favored by -135 with an 8.5 under/over.

Third Base

Matt Chapman, SEA vs. OAK

DK ($4,200) FD ($3,800)

Matt Chapman owns a .385 BA in 13 at-bats against Marco Gonzales. In those at-bats, Chapman has hit four doubles. With an under/over of nine, favoring Oakland by -180, Chapman should have plenty of opportunities for runs and RBI. Chapman should be sitting in the three hole, which is the perfect spot for a killer DFS performance.

Shortstop

Paul DeJong, STL vs. NYM

DK ($4,200) FD ($3,800)

DeJong is 5-for-6 against Steven Matz with one double and two home runs. Tonight he should be sitting in the five hole and just homered last night. The only thing I would like to see is a better stadium, as it’s tough to homer in Citi Field. But I think all things considered, DeJong hits value tonight with St. Louis being slight underdogs with a 8.5 under/over.

**Remember, last night’s game will be finished from 6-7:30 tonight. They’ll be warmed up by first pitch of the second game for sure!**

Outfield

David Peralta, ARI at WSH

DK ($4,000) FD ($3,600)

David Peralta has a tough matchup against Max Scherzer tonight in Washington. Peralta actually has good numbers against Scherzer, hitting .357 in 14 at-bats with two doubles and two home runs. Peralta should be low owned and carries high upside despite facing a tough pitcher in Scherzer. The Diamondbacks are underdogs with a 7.5 under/over. Slightly risky, but a solid play at low ownership.

Adam Jones, ARI at WSH

DK ($3,900) FD ($3,100)

Adam Jones has four home runs against Scherzer and a .371 BA in 35 at-bats. If Arizona can get past Scherzer, they’ll be facing one of THE worst bullpens in the league, with a 4.66 ERA. Jones, Peralta and Marte could be an interesting, low-owned stack against one of the best pitchers in the league.

5 years ago 0 comments

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 3^rd 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 3^rd 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 2^nd 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 comments