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We have a MASSIVE 14 game slate tonight and there are some fantastic options across the board. There are some heavy favorites on the board, and you are going to want to look at those pitchers for your cash games. Plenty of high priced bats out there, so finding value will be important.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/1/18. 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 hit me up on Twitter @DFS_Tom.
DraftKings Starting Pitchers
Chris Sale - P, BOS vs KAN (DK - $12,400)
Sale is up against the Royals tonight, who come in with a 25% strikeout rate vs left-handed pitchers this season, which is ninth worst in the league. The Royals have scored the second-fewest runs in the league, so they don't pose too much of an offensive threat. Sale has eight or more strikeouts in three of his last four starts, so we are looking at big-time point upside against this bad team. We are dealing with a slate where there are several big-name pitchers on the mound and Sale might have the easiest matchup out of all of them, making him a great cash game option, and be able to pick up the win.
Nick Tropeano - P, LAA vs BAL (DK - $6,400)
Tropeano is a bit of a cheaper option at pitcher and comes in with a favorable matchup vs a weaker team. He has three starts under his belt this season and has racked up 15 strikeouts, with seven walks. That isn't the best ratio, but he is averaging 13 DraftKings points per game, which is a solid amount if you are looking for an SP2 option. He is at home in a great pitchers park, which will play into his favor, and with the Orioles having a 25% strikeout rate vs right-handed pitchers, he should be able to keep them at bay.
DraftKings Infielders
Yasmani Grandal - C, LAD @ ARI (DK - $4,000)
Grandal has a .383 wOBA and a .241 ISO this season vs right-handed pitchers, putting him in a great spot in this hitters park. He also comes in with a super low 9% strikeout rate vs RHP, so never putting himself at a disadvantage. He is up against Koch, who has a 35% hard contact rate this season, which fourth worst on this slate.
Justin Smoak - 1B, TOR @ MIN (DK - $3,400)
The Smoak monster seems way too cheap on DraftKings tonight and we want to take advantage of that while we can. He may not be off to a blazing start this year, but he is still has a .325 wOBA and a .197 ISO vs right-handed pitchers for his career. He is up against Kyle Gibson who gave up a .358 wOBA to lefties last year.
Matt Carpenter - 2B, STL vs CWS (DK - $3,600)
Carpenter is another player who is off to a slower start but has better career numbers than what he is currently showing. This slow start has kept his price under $4K, for a player who had a .378 wOBA and a .235 ISO last season vs right-handed pitchers. Not saying he is a cash game play, but betting on his historic success against right-handed pitchers is good in GPPs.
Travis Shaw - 3B, MIL @ CIN (DK - $4,300)
Do you hear that? That's the sound of me locking Shaw into all of my lineups tonight, and you should consider it too. He comes into this game with a .408 wOBA and a massive .292 ISO vs right-handed pitchers, in a near dream spot as this game is in the Great American Small Park. Yes, one of the best hitters parks in the league will host Shaw's home run tonight, as he is up against Homer Bailey, who is giving up 1.65 HR/9 to lefties this season.
Paul DeJong - STL vs CWS (DK - $4,400)
DeJong is a reverse splits hitter, meaning he is better vs right-handed pitchers compared to left-handed pitchers, even as a right-handed batter. He comes in with a .399 wOBA and .274 ISO this season vs RHP, making this an ideal spot to target him. The Cardinals have the highest implied run total on the board sitting at 5.25, so we should see plenty of offense from them.
DraftKings Outfielders
Bryce Harper - OF, WAS vs PIT (DK - $5,300)
If you are paying up for a big name hitter tonight, you should be looking at Harper. He is up against Chad Khul, who is giving up a 35% hard contact rate, which oddly enough, is very bad and likely won't end well vs the power-hitting Harper. Speaking of power, Harper hasn't hit a home run in 12 games but is primed for big game in this spot.
Max Kepler - OF, MIN vs TOR (DK - $3,400)
Kepler comes in with .357 wOBA and a .206 ISO this season vs right-handed pitchers, and with his cheaper price, he should be a chalkier option tonight. He also has a super low 8.6% strikeout rate vs RHP, so never putting himself in a bad spot. This is a great hitter's park, so we should be seeing plenty of runs, as the Twins have an implied run total of 4.96, which is third highest on the slate.
