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We have a split slate of games, but I will be focusing in on the 7 pm main slate, as it's larger. Plenty of good options across the board, and whether you are looking for cash game players, or some that are more GPP focused, you will find them on this slate.
I will be referring to stats and notes from last season since we have nothing to work with as of yet. As the season goes on, we'll get into all of the good stats and info, to bring the best quality I can.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 4/3/18. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me up on Twitter @DFS_Tom.
DraftKings Starting Pitchers
This is a slate which features both Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander, both of which will be popular, and also somewhat obvious plays, so I will be talking about other pitchers.
Chase Anderson - P, MIL vs STL (DK - $10,100)
Anderson is a -140 favorite at home tonight and is in a good spot to continue his solid start to the season. He is up against the Cardinals, who have a 33.7% strikeout rate vs right-handed pitchers this season. Yes, this is a small sample size this year and will regress as the season goes on, but if they are this bad now, we want to take advantage of it. Anderson had a solid first start of the year, where he only gave up one hit, with three walks and six strikeouts. If he is in this kind of form to start the season, he will be in a good spot vs the Cardinals.
Garrett Richards - P LAA vs CLE (DK - $6,500)
Richards is a cheaper option at pitcher, who has a bit of upside in tonight's matchup. He is facing off against the Indians, who have a 23% strikeout rate to start the season, which is around league average. Last season he only pitched 27 innings for the Angels, so this is a smaller sample size, but he had a .220 wOBA vs right-handed hitters, and a .219 wOBA vs left-handed hitters. We would like to see that carry over to this season, but until that happens, he will remain a riskier option, who has upside.
DraftKings Infielders
Chris Stewart - C, ATL vs PHI (DK - $2,100)
Stewart is super cheap at catcher tonight and is seeing the starting time since both Tyler Flowers and Kurt Suzuki are out with injuries. This could be considered a bit of a punt play, which truly isn't a bad thing where there are a number of high-end pitchers on the slate to pay up for. He had two hits, two RBIs, and two runs in Saturday's game.
Carlos Santana - 1B, PHI @ NYM (DK - $4,300)
Sanatan is up against Matt Harvey tonight, who is on his way back from a rough season, and not sure what kind of form he will be in. Last season, Santana had a .359 wOBA and a .214 ISO vs right-handed pitchers. Not the best park for hitters, but last season Harvey gave up 1.55 home runs per nine to right-handed hitters.
Jason Kipnis - 2B, CLE @ LAA (DK - $4,000)
Kipnis has some decent righty vs lefty splits, so you want to target him when he is up against a right-handed pitcher like tonight. Last season he posted a .316 wOBA and a .200 ISO vs RHP, with nine of his 12 home runs coming against them. More of a GPP play compared to cash since he isn't a surefire lock for consistency.
Travis Shaw - 3B, MIL vs STL (DK - $4,200)
Shaw is looking like one of the best options on the slate tonight, along with the rest of the Brewers hitters. He is up against Flaherty, who gave up a .448 wOBA to left-handed hitters, along with 3.72 HR/9 BUT, it was only a 21 inning sample size. Last season Shaw had a .373 wOBA and a .249 ISO vs right-handed hitters, so a super favorable matchup, and a player you want in all of your lineups.
Tim Anderson - SS, CWS @ TOR (DK - $3,900)
Anderson has two home runs and three RBIs to start the season and is now facing off against a right-handed pitcher, which is exactly the spot you want to target him. Last season he had a 116 wRC+ and a .157 ISO vs RHP. He is up against J.A. Happ, who you shouldn't be scared of, but also don't need to pick on, so falls into this middle area where the hitters against him may go overlooked.
DraftKings Outfielders
Nick Markakis - OF, ATL vs WAS (DK - $3,500)
Markakis certainly isn't the most exciting option in the outfield, but he is on the cheaper side and can do just enough to reach value. Last season he had a .323 wOBA and only a 16% strikeout rate vs right-handed pitchers and is facing one today. Doesn't have a ton of power upside, but usually, bats in the middle of the lineup and has the platoon advantage, and won't break the bank.
Khris Davis - OF, OAK vs TEX (DK - $4,600)
Last season Davis had a .333 wOBA and a .238 ISO vs left-handed pitchers, putting him in a great spot tonight. He is up against Cole Hamels, who have up 1.26 HR/9 last year to right-handed hitters. This isn't the best hitters park, but Davis has plenty of power to hit one deep and is slightly cheaper compared to some of the top tier outfielders.
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