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Happy Friday, Rotoballers! We’ve got a substantial 14-game slate on tap to start the weekend, but first, I want to give a massive shout-out to MLB for last night’s Field of Dreams game. It was a great spectacle between the Yankees and White Sox, and I hope they do it again. Plus, the game was fantastic, and watching baseballs fly into the cornfields was something we have never seen before. I hope they keep it going.
With 14 games, there’s plenty of pitching to choose from. An early glance at the schedule gives us several avenues to construct a pitching duo. Zack Wheeler, Julio Urias, and Robbie Ray top the list as three of the four pitchers priced $9,000 and above. Anthony DeSclafani is the fourth arm, and while he has a fantastic matchup against the Rockies in San Francisco, his first start off the IL gives me a slight pause.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/13/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It’s also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, find me on Twitter and ask away.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Robbie Ray - P, TOR at SEA ($9,200)
Early in the season, we targeted Seattle every time they faced a lefty. Today, we bring the strategy back and deploy Ray against the Mariners. The Blue Jays southpaw has topped 19 fantasy points in 11 of his last 15 starts and averaged 23.2 fantasy points per game in his previous six. That kind of performance has a great chance of continuing tonight. Since June 1, Seattle is mustering a 98 wRC+ and striking out 25.9 percent of the time versus righties.
Charlie Morton - P, ATL at WAS ($8,300)
This is one of those tricky rematch spots, but I trust Morton to come through for our lineups. He just faced the Nationals on Sunday and twirled six innings of shutout baseball while allowing three hits and two walks. The veteran righty struck out seven Nats in the contest and now has at least seven Ks in eight of his last 10 outings. So while Washington's low strikeout rate will cause people to fade Morton, I'm running it back and trusting the vet to be a suitable SP2 for our Friday rosters.
Other options: Zack Wheeler vs. CIN ($10,300), Anthony DeSclafani vs. COL ($9,000), Cole Irvin at TEX ($8,200)
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Martin Maldonado - C, HOU at Patrick Sandoval ($2,200)
I’ve stared down Maldonado a few times this season as a punt play at the catcher spot, but I’ve never pulled the trigger. So, tonight, I’m throwing caution to the wind and rolling with the $2,200 backstop. I love grabbing any piece of the Uber-dangerous Astros lineup and pairing Maldonado with any of the right-handed hitters atop the Houston lineup makes too much sense to pass up.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - 1B/OF, TOR at Chris Flexen ($3,400)
Rostering Gurriel follows the same logic as Maldonado, but with far more upside. The Toronto attack is primed to explode any night it takes the field. Therefore, we want as many pieces of the offense as possible, and Gurriel fits the bill exceptionally well. He's only $3,400, and, despite being anchored in the bottom third of the lineup, he's producing blistering results. Over his last 10 games, the outfielder is slashing .313/.353/.688 with six runs, three doubles, three homers, and seven RBI. There are far more attractive options in this Blue Jays lineup, but none of them come anywhere close to the discount you can get with Gurriel.
Ozzie Albies - 2B, ATL at Josiah Gray ($4,900)
Albies has been on a tear this week, and he will look to continue his hot-hitting ways with a second look at Josiah Gray in less than a week. When he saw the pitching prospect last weekend, he hit one over the fences in the third inning, and he hasn’t stopped since. Over his last four games, the second baseman has four home runs, six RBI, and a stolen base. He’s leading off for a resurgent Braves team, and even with a $4,900 salary, I like Albies as a ceiling play in my infield.
Rafael Devers - 3B, BOS vs. Spenser Watkins ($5,800)
When Rafael Devers is in the zone, he’s one of my favorite plays in DFS. And after going 6-for-18 with five runs, three doubles, three RBI, and a homer over his previous five games, I feel confident in saying he is in the zone. No disrespect to Spenser Watkins, but 5.13 SIERA and 8.3 percent walk rate will be no match for this Red Sox lineup. I expect Boston to score early and often and for Devers to be an integral part of the offensive onslaught.
Carlos Correa - SS, HOU at Patrick Sandoval ($4,000)
Most of the season, Dusty Baker has kept Correa hovering between third and fifth in the Astros lineup, and the upside at $4,000 is too significant to let slide on Friday night. He's battling back from a terrible July where he hit .178 and is up to a .258 average this month. In fact, over his last six games, he has two multi-hit efforts with five runs, a double, two home runs, and three RBI. I believe the corner is being turned, and Houston is ready to put up some crooked numbers in Anaheim.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Starling Marte - OF, OAK at Dane Dunning ($6,100)
Fitting Marte into any roster construction will bring challenges. However, he's simply been one of the best hitters in the game since his trade from Miami to Oakland. In the 12 games since he slipped on the A's uniform for the first time, the All-Star outfielder is slashing .415/.456/.585 with 10 runs, nine RBI, nine stolen bases, and five extra-base hits. Of course, $6,100 is a tough price to swallow in a full slate, but the 14.7 fantasy points per game he's averaging on the West Coast makes it extremely tempting.
Cedric Mullins - OF, BAL at Nick Pivetta ($4,300)
Baltimore should be a manageable contest for Pivetta, but I still like Mullins as a one-off in Fenway Park. He’s on a 19-game hit streak, but it’s not all slap-hitting singles during this stretch. The All-Star is slashing .364/.424/.597 with 16 runs, nine extra-base hits (four home runs), and six stolen bases. While the Orioles aren’t a team to stack, Mullins is in the type of form that’s hard to ignore, and he is an incredible discounted floor player to get in some lineups.
Lewis Brinson - OF, MIA vs. Adbert Alzolay ($2,000)
Because I've gone and recommended Starling Marte, it's imperative to find a value play. So let's look to where Marte used to play his home baseball and get some of the red-hot Lewis Brinson on our squads. While he's had a miserable start to his professional career (for a couple of years now), it's always worth noticing when a player with his amount of prospect hype gets anything going. He was the centerpiece of a Christian Yelich trade at one point. Now, in August, he's slashing .390/.432/.711 with a .504 weighted On-Base Average and a 224 wRC+. The .444 BABIP indicates regression is in the cards, but at $2,000, you'll be hard-pressed to find a player with a higher ceiling between $2,000 - $4,000.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Toronto Blue Jays at Seattle Mariners (Chris Flexen, RHP)
- Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels (Patrick Sandoval, LHP)
- Sneaky stack: Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals (Josiah Gray, RHP)
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