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Saturday night's DraftKings slate will feature 10 games with the Mets and Yankees game being postponed. We've had a rash of high-run total games in recent slates and that should continue tonight with a limited number of trustworthy arms mixed in with a ton of gas-cans that are ready to ignite. As has been noted here at RotoBaller, the west coast teams have had extremely hot weather as of late and that can serve to pump up an offense, so make sure to give a little weight to that factor. Seattle and Arizona come to mind as they have very attackable matchups and are playing on that side of the country.
I'll be going through some of the best plays at each position on DraftKings with a GPP/tournament lineup build in mind. That's not to say that these players won't work in cash-game lineups, but we're looking to provide high-upside plays for the most part (it's more fun that way, anyway). As a reminder, it is best practice to stack 3-5 hitters from the same team for DFS purposes, so try to envision how the games will play out and build your lineups from there. Utilizing unique lineup combinations (i.e the nine, one, two, and three hitters) is another great way to differentiate.
In this article, I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the DraftKings main slate on 8/22/2020. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel and other sports too. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me on Twitter @kringstad19
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Zac Gallen - SP, ARI vs SF ($9,600)
Zack Wheeler is the most expensive pitcher on the slate, but Gallen has a significantly higher ceiling and is in a much better position to notch a win. Gallen's slate-leading 30.3% K% is an astonishing 18.3% higher than Wheeler's, and his matchup against the Giants is much more favorable than having to face the (albeit depleted) Braves. Gallen doesn't have a decision through five starts (30 innings), but he holds an impressive 2.40 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 3.84 FIP, 3.24 xFIP, 3.42 SIERA, and a 13% SwStr%. He also limits hard contact at a solid 31.1% Hard%. The Giants have certainly been hitting well lately, but they're still ranked just 20th in team OPS (.708) and 23rd in team ISO (.145) vs RHP this season. The only downside is that their 21.8% K% vs RHP is a bit low, but Gallen has picked up six to nine punchouts in each start and should be expected to finish in that range tonight. The DBacks' offense should offer plenty of support for Gallen as they're facing Tyler Anderson, putting the promising hurler in an excellent position for his first win in 2020.
Kyle Hendricks - SP, CHC vs CHW ($8,800)
In a slate full of uncertainty at pitching, Hendricks comes in as an affordably priced, reliable option on Saturday. He holds a 3.31 ERA, 0.92 WhiP, 2.71 FIP, 19.7K%, and 13.7% SwStr%. That strikeout rate isn't great, but his swinging strike rate is the highest on the slate as his changeup and curveball are generating a 33% or better whiff rate for the season. The White Sox are not the easiest matchup in the world, but they have the third-most strikeouts to RHP and the eighth-highest strikeout rate overall at 25.3%. Hendricks has also limited hard contact, walks, and home runs, which matters against a team that hits for power as the white stockings do. Like Gallen, Hendricks should receive ample run support to qualify him for the win as the Cubs should eat against Reynaldo Lopez.
Other options: Zach Davies (SD vs HOU) $8,900, Randy Dobnak (MIN vs KC) $8,600
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Carlos Santana - 1B, CLE vs DET ($4,400)
Santana isn't the sexiest name to roster as he's off to a .200/.329/.398 start to the year, with just three homers and 12 RBI. However, he has been heating up in a hurry lately with hits in six straight games and two homers in his last four. He holds a .345 wOBA and a great walk rate (23.9%) and strikeout rate (16.8%). Santana actually hits LHP's better as a reverse-splits hitter, swatting .324/.428/.551 against them in 2019. Boyd is a LHP to take advantage of as he ranks poorly in just about every metric imaginable, but perhaps most importantly, he has given up an insane 3.1 HR/9 on the season. Load. Up. On. Indians. Bats.
Joey Bart - C, SF vs ARI ($3,100)
Taking a player against a popular pitcher (or a pitcher you're starting) can be a great way to gain leverage on the field. Enter Joey Bart, the 23-year-old #2 overall pick in the 2018 draft. He's a top catching prospect and will be getting his chance at an everyday role with the Giants moving forward. In two games, he has two doubles and a walk, and his price on DraftKings hasn't caught up with his hot start. He's a great value at the mandatory catcher position.
J.P. Crawford - SS, SEA vs TEX ($3,300)
Crawford should hit leadoff and will have the platoon advantage over RHP Jordan Lyles, making him an attractive SS option at his salary. He hasn't had a great start to the year as he's slashing just .222/.320/.367, but he has two triples and four stolen bases so far this year so the speed is apparent. His 12.2% walk rate and 17.4% strikeout rate are also great marks, and he should be able to get on base and do some damage against Lyles. Lyles has a 8.25 ERA, 7.21 xFIP (slate-worst), and a 5.4% SwStr% (slate-worst).
Other options: Cesar Hernandez (CLE vs DET) $4,700, Kyle Seager (SEA vs TEX) $3,300, Danny Santana (TEX vs SEA) $3,300
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Franmil Reyes - OF, CLE vs DET ($4,500)
Ride the Statcast darling's hot streak while it lasts! He's hitting .390/.489/.805 with five homers and 12 RBI over the last 14 days, including a massive two-homer (33 DK point) outing on 8/16 against Detroit. He holds a .374 wOBA, .231 ISO, and a 47.6% hard-hit rate on the season. He's barreling up balls at an 87th percentile rate and, most impressively, his 93.3 mph average exit velocity ranks in the top 3% of the MLB. His "similar batters" are Nelson Cruz, Yoan Moncada, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Ronald Acuna Jr. He holds the platoon advantage over Matthew Boyd, who has struggled mightily through five starts this season with a 9.63 ERA and 3.1 HR/9 (25.8% HR/FB).
Jesse Winker - OF, CIN vs STL ($3,700)
The Reds are in a good spot against Kwang Hyun Kim and Winker is off to a tremendous start to the year, slashing .328/.463/.656 with six homers, 10 RBI, and one steal on the season. He holds a .328 ISO (14th among qualified hitters), .468 wOBA (third among qualified hitters), and a 14.9% barrel rate (top 7% of the league). In short, he's absolutely crushing the ball, and you want to take a hard look at him in this positive matchup before his price starts to match his production.
Nelson Cruz - OF, MIN vs KC ($5,700)
Cruz (once again) makes a lot of sense as a pay-up option on Saturday's slate. He's having a terrific season at .333/.418/.656 with nine homers, 25 RBI, and 20 runs scored. He holds a .323 ISO, .458 wOBA, and a 45.5% hard-hit rate. The lefty-masher Cruz will matchup against the RHP Brady Singer, who holds a 4.56 ERA and has allowed 1.8 HR/9 and a 48.6% Hard% this season. Singer may not last all too long in this one, leaving Cruz to feast on the Royals' middle-of-the-pack bullpen the rest of the way.
Other options: Jordan Luplow (CLE vs DET) $3,100, JaCoby Jones (DET vs CLE) $2,900, Tyler O'Neill (STL vs CIN) $3,500
DraftKings DFS Stacks
The Indians are the top stack on Saturday, facing the gas-can known as Matthew Boyd and his homer-happy ways. The Cardinals and Twins also look intriguing in their matchups, while the Seattle Mariners could prove to be the sneaky stack of the night against the struggling Jordan Lyles.
Good luck in your DraftKings contests and make sure to give me a follow on Twitter!
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