Welcome to Sunday baseball! With all eyes on football, The Dodgers and Nationals will kick off after the Cardinals and Braves at 4 o'clock. It'll be a fun day of baseball, as both of these series are sitting at a 1-1 tie. There's a better chance than not that whoever wins this game will win the series.
Let's dive right in and find some of the top plays on this slate!
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 10/6/19. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. Be sure to also check out all the MLB Rosters for today's slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports too.
I wrote this entire piece with Max Scherzer listed as the probable pitcher. If he’s a no go and Anibal Sanchez is taking the mound, the Dodgers rise to the top as the top team on this slate to target. He’s been lucky this year and is easily the worst arm on this slate.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Hyun-Jin Ryu - LAD @ WAS - $8,900
Hyun-Jin Ryu will be handed the ball on the road in a 1-1 series tie in Washington. It was going to be Max Scherzer pitching, but it’s looking like he may get pushed back to game 4 with Anibal Sanchez taking the mound instead. That would put Ryu as a clear favorite and the top play on this slate. He’s been great on the season, holding both righties and lefties to a sub .275 wOBA. He strikes out 25% of batters and this Nationals order is a lot worse against southpaws. Ryu is the top pitcher on this slate, though the match-up is obviously scary.
Mike Soroka - ATL @ STL - $7,500
Mike Soroka isn’t a guy that’s going to light up the stat sheet, but he’s extremely effective at limiting runs and has been nails on the road all year long. In 76 innings of work, Soroka has sported a crazy 1.85 xFIP xFIP and a 20% strikeout rate on the road. The Cardinals are arguably the worst offensive team on the slate, though our options aren’t very plentiful. If you want to pay up for a couple of the more pricey bats, Mike Soroka is a great option that’s a little bit cheaper than Ryu.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Yadier Molina - STL vs. ATL (Soroka) - $3,600
Yadier Molina has been swinging the bat well, and this catcher position is sure ugly on this slate. Molina is facing off with Mike Soroka, who’s a very effective run limiting starting pitcher. He’s beaten righties up on the season, though a .258 BABIP suggests some slight regression may be due. Molina on the other hand, has hit righties better on the season and has shown off some power recently. Molina is really just a lesser of evils at catcher and makes for a solid play in all formats for the price.
Freddie Freeman - ATL @ STL (Wainwright) - $4,500
If there is one glaring weakness I will be attacking on this slate, it’s how bad Adam Wainwright is against lefties. On the season, Waino has allowed a .368 wOBA with 14 home runs in 73 innings of work. Freddie Freeman is the best left-handed bat in the order and one of the best in the entire league. A .412 wOBA with 30 home runs in 430 at-bats. Wainwright always steps it up in the playoffs, but he’s not the pitcher he used to be and Freddie Freeman should be able to find his flaws when giving every at-bat his all. Freddie is easily my top first baseman on the slate.
Max Muncy - LAD @ WAS (Scherzer/Sanchez) - $4,600
It’s very uncomfortable to target Max Scherzer. I get it. Unfortunately, we don’t have much of a choice as second base is ugly and we only have two games to choose from. We obviously saw it’s possible to do damage against Scherzer, but also know how unlikely it is to happen twice in a row. With that being said, Muncy has been over a .400 wOBA against righties and is the top play at second base off of pure talent alone. If Sanchez is pitching, all bets are off and you play the Dodgers.
Anthony Rendon - WAS vs. STL (Wainwright) - $4,600
If you can afford Anthony Rendon, he’s worth it. On the season, Rendon posted a .408 wOBA against lefties and hit 10 homers in 136 at-bats. He faces off with Hyun-Jin Ryu, whose only downfall is his .275 wOBA allowed to righties. You’re obviously nitpicking here, but that’s what we have to do on this slate. Rendon is a menace to left-handed pitching and his price will hopefully keep a few off of him.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Ronald Acuna Jr. - ATL @ STL (Wainwright) - $5,500
While Adam Wainwright is worse against lefties, Ronald Acuna Jr. doesn't care what side of the rubber you're throwing from. He's posted a .370+ wOBA against both lefties and righties while hitting 41 home runs on the season. Wainwright has held righties to a sub .320 wOBA, though a .257 BABIP tells us a bit of regression is on its way. Wainwright is easily the worst pitcher on this slate and Acuna is my choice for a pricey outfield option.
Joc Pederson - LAD @ WAS (Scherzer/Sanchez) - $4,400
Again, it's not fun targeting Max Scherzer. With that being said, if Scherzer is going to give anything up, it's probably a solo shot or two. Joc Pederson specializes in the solo shot, hitting 14 of his 366 with nobody on base. He's hit all 36 of his home runs against righties, and should be in the leadoff hole. It's a tournament-only play, but so is everyone else on this slate. Good luck today and please do reach out with any questions! If Anibal Sanchez is pitching, Pederson is a top play on the slate along with the rest of the Dodgers outfield.
Things change quickly as lineups come out. If you have any questions, hit me up on Twitter @VarneyDFS and I'd be more than happy to help.