RADIO
Welcome to Wednesday baseball! We have eight games on the main slate, though there are plenty of options at each position. At pitcher, Gerrit Cole is in a tier of his own. He's nearly impossible to fade, as pitching is pretty scarce after him. We'll look for an option to pay down for, but you can't consider anyone safe outside of Cole.
As for hitters, there are plenty of offenses set up to score a ton of runs. Vegas hasn't released every line just yet, but we're already looking at five offenses projected for five plus runs. DraftKings has given us some huge tournaments to play with, including the $18 Bat Flip that will prize $50k to first place. Let's dive in and find the top play at each position.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 8/7/19. 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 Vegas Odds for today's slate. 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 @VarneyDFS.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Gerrit Cole - HOU vs. COL - $11,900
Gerrit Cole is in a tier of his own tonight. Priced nearly $2k more than the second option, Cole is head and shoulders above the field when it comes to both safety and upside. He gets to face off against the Colorado Rockies on the road, whom rank 29th in baseball with a .282 wOBA and 26% strikeout rate. They truly are pitiful outside of Coors Field. Cole has been the best pitcher in baseball this season, striking out 12.90 batters per nine innings while allowing just a 2.82 xFIP. He’s even better at home and this is the best match-up he’s seen all season long. Cole is the top play in every format and you won’t find a lineup of mine without him tonight.
Ivan Nova - CWS @ DET - $7,300
Nova is by no means a good pitcher, but pitching is slim on this slate and he draws a phenomenal match-up. The Tigers are a bottom five team against righties, combining for a .297 wOBA while striking out 23% of the time. Nova may not have great splits, but he’s gone five or more innings in 13 of his last 14 starts. He’s cheap on DK and if you go in with the hope of him just “getting it done”, you shouldn’t be too disappointed. Dustin May has more upside at a similar price, but the Cardinals could get to him early. Nova is a bit safer and a couple hundred cheaper.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
C - James McCann - CWS @ DET (Alexander) - $3,700
James McCann just keeps on hitting and his price refuses to move up. He's been a guy we've targeted against lefties all year long, and it won't change tonight. He's sported a .368 wOBA against lefties and has four home runs and eight doubles in under 100 at-bats. The White Sox will face off with Tyler Alexander tonight, who's been terrible in his few outings. Against righties, he's allowed a .353 wOBA and 4.97 xFIP. The White Sox are going to put up four or five runs tonight and McCann is an affordable option at one of the weaker positions.
1B - Anthony Rizzo - CHC vs. OAK (Bailey) - $4,700
The Cubs are at a point where every game matters. They're hitting the ball well and you can tell that this offense is honing in for the playoff hunt. Rizzo has quietly been one of the best hitters in baseball against righties, sporting a .402 wOBA with a .246 ISO and 43% hard contact rate. He draws a match-up with Homer Bailey today, who has held an xFIP over five runs. He's walking four batters per nine innings and is giving up over two homers per nine. Rizzo is expensive on DK, but it should keep his ownership down and he has as much upside as anyone on the slate.
2B - Ozzie Albies - ATL @ MIN (Perez) - $4,600
When the Braves are facing off with a lefty, Ozzie Albies better be on your radar. He's nearly a perfect hitter against lefties, striking out just 13% of the time while sporting a .417 wOBA. In just 105 at-bats vs lefties, Albies has accounted for six home runs, six doubles, and a triple. That's as many extra base hits as strikeouts. He now faces off with Martin Perez, who's walking four righties per nine innings while giving up a 4.59 xFIP. His price is definitely up there, but DK has to adjust for just how good he's been vs lefties.
3B - Jose Ramirez - CLE vs. TEX (Jurado) - $4,100
We've ignored the Indians up to this point, but they're facing off with one of the worst pitchers on the slate, if not the worst. Ariel Jurado has given up three or more earned runs in nine of his last 10 starts and now draws the tough Cleveland Indians. Jose Ramirez had a terrible first half, but picked things up in July with a .427 wOBA vs righties. He'll get at least one or two RBI opportunities tonight and is priced down a bit on DK. The Indians offense is going to put up runs and Ramirez has a great shot at hitting one out.
SS - Bo Bichette - TOR @ TB (McKay) - $4,400
Watching Bo Bichette has been extremely exciting night in and night out. He now has two hits in each of his last four games and has gone 17-for-41 with three homers and seven doubles. Maybe a .645 wOBA against lefties is quite unreasonable, but he's obviously going to be one of the best hitters in this game for a long time. Brendan McKay is a promising young pitcher, but he's given up four homers in just 16 innings to righties and hasn't been perfect. Bichette is raking and I don't think this is the match-up to stifle him.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Nelson Cruz - MIN vs. ATL (Fried) - $5,700
Nelson Cruz is going to cost you a pretty penny tonight, but there is nobody swinging a better bat and he draws another left-hander tonight. Cruz has sported a .464 wOBA against lefties and has hit 12 home runs in just 78 at-bats. That is absolutely insane to say the least. The Twins face off with Max Fried tonight, who's been very average. Against righties, he's allowed a .338 wOBA and 14 home runs in 86 innings of work. Cruz is a man on fire and you can afford him with value elsewhere.
Yasiel Puig - CLE vs. TEX (Jurado) - $4,000
We've already touched on Ariel Jurado, and he's even worse against righties. In 45 innings of work, Jurado has given up a .366 wOBA and nine home runs to right-handers. Puig is just as good against both lefties and righties, with a .338 combined wOBA and 22 home runs. He's the spark plug this Indians offense needs and he's going to make a huge difference down the stretch. When he has a good game, there isn't a player in baseball with more upside. His price is fair and his ownership won't rise over 15%.
