RADIO
We have a large 10-game slate on DraftKings where we'll be sidestepping the two offenses that exploded for a combined 39 runs last night in the Giants and the Cardinals. No Coors Field to stack up tonight, either, so we'll have to dig a little deeper to look at offenses to target on this slate. We are fortunate to have a bevy of pitching options available today, with the big question being whether you want to pay all the way up for Max Scherzer against a potent Phillies offense.
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 9/2/2020. 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
Dinelson Lamet - SP, SD vs LAA ($9,900)
Lamet is the SP1 I'll be pivoting to off of the likely-chalk of Scherzer. Lamet has been mostly lights-out for the Friars this year, amassing a 2.35 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 3.25 FIP, and a 32.9% K%. He has 51 strikeouts in 38 and 1/3 innings. He's throwing his slider 51.2% of the time and opponents simply can not hit it with a .108 batting average, .110 expected batting average, and an absurd 48.1% Whiff% against the pitch. The Angels are a middle-of-the-pack offense overall and are projected to score just four runs in their home park tonight. Obviously Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon loom as dangerous sluggers, but the other high-priced arms either have tougher matchups (Gallen, Scherzer) or are returning from injury and could have their innings capped (Buehler). Lamet clearly has the strikeout upside and, with the Padres favored by 1.6 runs, the win-equity to stick with Scherzer as the top point-scorer on the slate.
Triston McKenzie - SP, CLE vs KC ($6,700)
McKenzie is just 23-years-old but he's set to make his third start for the Indians and make his case for being a mainstay in the rotation. He has been impressive so far as he holds a 2.70 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and a slate-high 34.4% K% over 10 innings. The Indians' ninth overall prospect's 12.8% SwStr% ranks only behind future-HOF'er Max Scherzer on today's slate, as he has been able to miss a ton of bats with all three of his most-used pitches (31.5% or better Whiff% on Four Seamer, Changeup, and Curve). He was inefficient in his last turn on the mound against the Cardinals, but he still only allowed three hits and two earned runs in the outing. His matchup against the Royals is a great one, as the light-hitting Kansas City squad ranks 22nd in wOBA, 22nd in wRC+, 20th in ISO, and 11th in K%. They have the fifth-worst OPS against RHP in the league, and their 266 strikeouts against RHP comes in at second in the MLB. Fire up McKenzie as a high-upside SP2 as he is looking like the real deal. His price has not at all reflected the ceiling he possesses and getting to him allows you to snag a high-priced SP1 and/or load up on whatever bats you desire.
Other options: Max Scherzer (WAS vs PHI) $10,400, Kyle Hendricks (CHC vs PIT) $8,700
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Xander Bogaerts - SS, BOS vs ATL ($5,100)
Bogaerts is quite hot and he'll be facing a pitcher that he can tee off on, it's pretty simple. He's hitting .340/.392/.681 with four homers, four doubles, 10 RBI, eight runs scored, and a stolen base in the last 14 days. He's had five games with at least 14 DK points in his last 11 contests, and he holds a .258 ISO, .396 wOBA, and a career-high 21.1% HR/FB in 2020. He also gets the platoon-advantage against the southpaw Robbie Erlin, as he has hit markedly better against LHP (1.130 OPS) this season. Erlin has been worse than his surface numbers indicate as he holds a 4.50 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 5.81 FIP, 5.84 xFIP, and 2.3 HR/9. That home run rate is worth attacking, as is his slate-worst 21.9% GB% and 62.5% FB%.
Johan Camargo - 2B, ATL vs BOS ($2,900)
Camargo hits a little higher in the order (sixth or seventh) against LHP, though he has pretty much equal splits against both LHP and RHP. He is having a brutal season at the plate, there's no questioning that. However, fantasy baseball is all about opportunity, and Camargo will get a chance to provide value on a dirt-cheap salary against a journeyman pitcher on Wednesday. He's hitting .375 with two doubles and three runs scored in his last four games, so he could be finding a groove. Kickham hasn't pitched in the bigs since 2014 and he hasn't been particularly effective during his time in the minors.
Bobby Dalbec - 1B/3B, BOS vs ATL ($2,500)
Dalbec is the Mitch Moreland replacement and he's already winning over Red Sox nation. He blasted a two-run homer in his debut on Sunday as part of a 19 DK point debut, and the power is certainly real. He hit a combined 27 home runs in Double-A and Triple-A last year and he had 32 combined homers the year prior. He should slot in sixth in the order against LHP Robbie Erlin, who holds a 4.50 ERA that's not backed up by his 5.81 FIP and 5.84 xFIP. His 2.3 HR/9 rate is also something we're looking for Dalbec to exploit here, and with the Sox projected for 5.1 runs and playing in their home park, another Dalbec bomb is certainly possible.
Other options: Erik Gonzalez (PIT vs CHC) $3,300, Austin Riley (ATL vs BOS) $3,600, Ryan O'Hearn (KC vs CLE) $3,200
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Mike Tauchman - OF, NYY vs TB ($3,100)
Tauchman is mostly a platoon-only hitter who has been forced into regular playing time due to all of the injuries in the Bronx. He has had extremely drastic splits this year, hitting for a .829 OPS against RHP while he's at a .222 OPS against LHP. He has been slumping in a major way as of late; he has compiled just four hits in his last 14 games and has seen his slash line drop to .263/.354/.333 on the year. He had 13 homers on just 260 at-bats in 2019, so it should just be a matter of time before Tauchman finds his power stroke. Charlie Morton seemingly fell off the cliff prior to his IL stint, holding a 5.40 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and a slate-leading 53.7% Hard% on the season. Tauchman should slot in at the sixth spot in the order and is a cheap hitter to include in NYY stacks. He also adds a speed element with five stolen bags this season.
Marcell Ozuna - OF, ATL vs BOS ($4,300)
Ozuna's phenomenal performance last night somehow got overshadowed by Alex Dickerson, but he went 3-for-5 with three homers and six RBI (48 DK points). He had been hitting well prior to Tuesday as he holds a .366/.409/.854 line with six homers, 16 RBI, and nine runs scored over the last 14 days. He holds a .310 ISO, .389 wOBA, and a 50% hard-hit rate that ranks in the top 5% of the MLB. The Braves are projected to score a slate-high 6.1 runs tonight and get to face off against Mike Kickham, who is making his first MLB appearance since 2014. The Braves look like an elite team to stack up tonight.
Byron Buxton - OF, MIN vs CWS ($3,500)
Buxton made his return from a lengthy IL stint on Tuesday, going 2-for-4 with an RBI in the win. He's not having a great year at the plate as he's slashing .236/.240/.458, but he holds a solid .222 ISO and his matchup against the struggling Reynaldo Lopez couldn't get much juicier. Lopez holds a 9.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 7.02 FIP, and a 52% Hard% on the season, though he has only made three starts and thrown eight innings. The Twins already beat Lopez into submission earlier this year, and it seems likely to happen again with the Twins currently projected for 5.4 runs. For what it's worth, Buxton is 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI against Lopez in his career.
Other options: Jose Peraza (BOS vs ATL) $2,400, Shin-Soo Choo (TEX vs HOU) $2,800, Brett Gardner (NYY vs TB) $2,800
DraftKings DFS Stacks
The top stacks of the night are the Braves, Padres, and Twins. The Red Sox and Cubs also deserve consideration in their positive matchups and with their high projected run totals.
Good luck in your DraftKings contests and make sure to give me a follow on Twitter!
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