After an odd Thursday slate last week in which every game was on the main slate, this Thursday gets back a more even split among day and night games. That makes every slate playable, so I'll be breaking today's action from an all day slate perspective. It's a light day for pitching, so jamming bats in won't be difficult and that's good news with plenty of horrific pitching likely to go down.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 9/14/17. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. Let's get to it, shall we?
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @DanMarcus3.
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DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider
Andrew Cashner vs. SEA (DK $7,400, FD $7,600)
Every advanced metric suggests that Andrew Cashner shouldn’t be doing what he’s doing. However, there comes a time in every season where advanced metrics and regression have to be given less value based on the actual performance of a player. Cashner will still make me hold my breath throughout his start, but he has consistently put up decent numbers that include three straight starts with over 30 FanDuel points and over 18 DK points. On a night where there aren’t a ton of standout pitching options, Cashner is at a price point to get elite hitters into your lineups on Thursday’s slate.
Zach Godley, vs. COL (DK - $10,500, FD - $9,400)
After a slight stumble in two consecutive starts, Goldey got himself back on track in his last start against San Diego. Though the Rockies are a much better lineup than San Diego, they have had their issues on the road. Specifically, they have just an 84 wRC+ away from Coors Field, and a 24.4% strikeout rate. Godley should be able to stay on track with this matchup, making him a nice cash game play despite his price tag.
DFS Infielders to Consider
Travis d'Arnaud - C, @ CHC (DK - $3,300, FD - $2,700)
The Mets lineup doesn’t have a whole lot of positives right now, but Travis d’Arnaud is one of them. In the month of September, he has a solid .536 slugging percentage,113 wRC+, and .342 wOBA. The price hasn’t caught up to those solid marks, and with Jen Ho-Tseng making his major league debut for the Cubs on Thursday, the matchup should work out nicely.
Jose Abreu - 1B, @ DET (DK - $4,800, FD - $4,000)
There’s nothing sneaky about this play, but there’s no reason to overthink it. Jose Abreu has smashed lefties all season long to the tune of a 194 wRC+ and .301 ISO. Chad Bell is hanging on as a respectable MLB pitcher by a thread, so there is no reason to shy away from Abreu.
Starlin Castro - 2B, vs. BAL (DK - $3,600, FD - $2,800)
Castro hasn’t been swinging a hot bat of late, but a matchup with Wade Miley and a trip back home should go a long way in helping him get back on track. Castro has posted a 122 wRC+ against lefties and a 133 wRC+ at Yankee Stadium this season, making him a bargain on both sites.
Alex Bregman - 3B, @LAA (DK - $3,800, FD - $3,800)
Bregman isn’t someone I normally want to target as he is overpriced based on name value. However, tomorrow he will have the chance to go up against Ricky Nolasco who has allowed 2.52 HR/9 against right-handed hitters this season. Despite the Astros slowing down as a team from their hitting pace from earlier this season, they are an interesting stacking option on Thursday with Bregman being a potential centerpiece piece of the stack.
Jose Iglesias - SS, vs. CWS (DK - $2,800, FD - $2,700)
Iglesias certainly isn’t known for his bat, but he’s been on absolute fire this month posting a .539 wOBA and 245 wRC+. Those numbers aren’t sustainable over a long stretch, but his price is still very low and a matchup against James Shields means now isn’t the time to shy away from Iglesias.
DFS Outfielders to Consider
Matt Holliday - 1B/OF, vs. BAL (DK - $3,500, FD - $2,800)
Holliday has slowly worked back from injury this month, and hasn’t exactly been hitting well. However, much like Castro, matchups at home and against lefties bring out the best in him. Both of those factors will be in his favor Thursday, making him a lower-end salary option with pop.
Jose Martinez - OF, vs CIN (DK - $4,700, FD - $2,800)
Martinez used to be a lefty specialist, but has been on an absolute tear against everyone in the second half of the season, posting a 184 wRC+. His price has yet to catch up with that performance on FanDuel, making him an easy play. It’s a bit more difficult to squeeze him into lineups on DK, but with low-priced pitching it is plenty possible.
Marcell Ozuna - OF, @PHI (DK - $4,600, FD - $3,900)
Jake Thompson has been very home run prone in his first run as a major-league pitcher as he has allowed 2.03 HR/9 for the season. Of course, Giancarlo Stanton comes to mind first when thinking of power on the Marlins, but Ozuna is very capable of going deep and offers a bit more salary relief as an alternative to Stanton.
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