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Congratulations, New Yorkers! Daily Fantasy Sports are officially back in the Big Apple. Sites like FanDuel and DraftKings will take some time to start back up, but the time is near. Most definitely by the NFL season at the latest. In the mean time, we have 12 games to focus on for Thursday. Five of those games will be part of an "early" slate, and seven games will make up the "late" or "main" slate. Pitching is not at a premium on either slate, but there should be plenty of runs to go around.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball MLB lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/4/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from high-priced to low-priced options and identify options who will out-perform their expectations, including sleepers and value plays on DraftKings. I'll try to give advice for both slates at each position. Let's get to it.
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DFS Lineup Stacks to Target on DraftKings
Minnesota Twins vs. Mike Clevinger (Early)
Injuries have forced the Indians to turn to Clevinger once again, and his 7.71 ERA in 2016 might not get any better on Thursday. The Twins are hitting the stuffing out of the ball of late, and the team is led by rookie Max Kepler, who is in another great spot. Joe Mauer and Kennys Vargas hit on either side of the young lefty, and they provide plenty of upside for a stack as well. Miguel Sano might be a sneakier play, as he's struggled against RHP of late, and I always love plugging in Kurt Suzuki, as he's a high floor/high ceiling catcher. Have some fun in the early slate.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Tyler Chatwood (Late)
As good as Chatwood has been in Coors Field at times, I can't avoid this one. Besides, he's become below average in the hitter's haven recently. L.A. has a boat load of RHP mashers, and the addition of Josh Reddick only extends that list. Corey Seager, Justin Turner (reverse splits), Adrian Gonzalez, and Yasmani Grandal are all great options against conventional righties like Chatwood, and I don't see a scenario in which the Dodgers score less than five runs on Thursday.
Also Consider: Boston Red Sox vs. Ariel Miranda, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Mike Fiers, Texas Rangers vs. Wade Miley
DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider on DraftKings
Ian Kennedy, KC at TB - $8,900
There isn't much in terms of safe pitching on the early slate, so I'll simply give you a foundation. I like Kennedy's spot against a Rays team that has over performed on offense the past couple of nights. Kennedy may not give you a scoreless outing, but he's been able to rack up strikeouts consistently of late. Six innings of two-run, eight-strikeout ball should be enough to boost your team into cash game safety and GPP striking distance.
Drew Pomeranz, BOS at SEA - $9,400
Pomeranz is the chalk play at pitcher for the late slate. He finally gets to travel to a hitter's park while wearing a Red Sox uniform, and the Mariners have their struggles against southpaws. Like most lefties who face Seattle, if Pomeranz can avoid damage from Nelson Cruz and Franklin Gutierrez he should be in for a great night with plenty of strikeouts.
Jesse Hahn, OAK at LAA - $4,400
This one scares me, but I can see it working out. The Angels have been hitting the ball better of late, so they're no longer a team to pick on. However, Hahn showed us some filthy stuff last time out, and his upside is high enough to consider at this price. If Mike Trout and Albert Pujols quiet down for a game, Hahn can have a very solid outing at a price that allows you to play virtually anyone you want on the late slate.
DFS Infielders to Consider on DraftKings
Catcher (C)
Yadier Molina, STL at CIN - $3,600
Molina has been an OBP monster this year, and even more so of late. He's also showed impressive gap power that could turn into home run power in this ballpark. I love this play.
Yasmani Grandal, LAD at COL - $4,900
Another chalk play, Grandal will be the guy I make sure I fit in along with Hahn. He's shown impressive power since the All Star Break, and Tyler Chatwood is just the type of pitcher to target at Coors.
First Base (1B)
Kendrys Morales, KC at TB - $3,500
Morales hits LHP fairly well, and Smyly has been known to let up some hard contact here and there. I like Morales to hit a couple doubles in this one for a low price.
Mark Teixeira, NYY vs. NYM - $3,000
Salary relief at first base works in the late slate too. Tex is starting to come around, and this spot is ideal. Bartolo Colon is not a pitcher to avoid by any means, and the short porch in right is calling Teixeira's name.
Second Base (2B)
Ian Kinsler, DET at CWS - $3,800
This is oddly cheap for a consistently good hitter who gets a plus in the L/R splits column. Sure, Quintana is a good pitcher. Still, the Tigers should get to him in this one, and I expect Kinsler to be part of the damage.
Neil Walker, NYM at NYY - $3,700
Walker is raking right now, and he's as streaky as they come at second base. Colon and the short porch in right provide an avenue for Walker to keep it up, and his price isn't ridiculous yet.
Shortstop (SS)
Carlos Correa, HOU vs. TOR - $3,500
Nothing caught my eye on the early slate, but Correa's price on the late slate is bonkers. I understand Happ is pitching well this year, but the young shortstop is on a roll and is right in the middle of an explosive lineup. I like him in Cash and GPP contests.
Third Base (3B)
Jorge Polanco, MIN at CLE - $3,800
I'm done ignoring Polanco's production in what has turned into a very hot offense. This price is fine for the type of work he's putting in, and I expect the Twins to eat Clevinger alive.
Adrian Beltre, TEX at BAL - $4,300
Savvy, veteran, right-handed hitter gets Wade Miley in a hitter's park? And he has fire power all around him? Sign me up in Cash or GPP.
DFS Outfielders to Consider on DraftKings
Max Kepler, MIN at CLE - $5,300
Is there a price I wouldn't pay for Mad Max right now?
Lorenzo Cain, KC at TB - $4,000
Trying to perfectly time the Cain breakout will probably come back to bite me, but I'm going to go for it anyway. He's still a lefty-masher and he's showing positive signs.
Brett Gardner, NYY vs. NYM - $4,500
Contact hitter with occasional power and stolen base potential. Yankee Stadium? Bartolo Colon pitching? Sign me up.
Nick Markakis, ATL vs. PIT - $4,400
Don't look now, but Markakis is becoming relevant again. The revived Braves lineup is actually scoring runs, and Markakis is in the middle of the production. Ryan Vogelsong will be rusty, so the outfielder should be able to take advantage and keep this hot hitting alive.
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