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Happy Monday, Rotoballers! Another week begins as the countdown to the postseason marches on. It's hard to believe we only have three weeks of regular-season baseball DFS left. Today, MLB provides seven games for the featured slate on DraftKings. It all begins with a first-pitch in Washington D.C between the Marlins and Nationals, and we go all night until the Red Sox and Mariners start their West Coast matchup at 10:10 pm Eastern.
There seems to be some confusion between DraftKings and the Red Sox today as MLB.com, ESPN, and the Red Sox website list Eduardo Rodriguez as the starter. Meanwhile, DK has Nathan Eovaldi listed as the starter. If Eovaldi starts, I am getting him in my lineups as my SP1 anchor against the Mariners. However, I don't feel the same about Rodriguez and would caution him even against the free-swinging Ms. Check back later to see if DraftKings updates or if they genuinely know something the rest of us don't.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/13/2021. 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
Sandy Alcantara - P, MIA at WAS ($9,600)
While it'll be great to see Clayton Kershaw ($10,400) back on the mound, there's no way I'm spending an extra $800 to get him in my lineup over Sandy Alcantara. If anything, the prices should be switched. The Miami ace is putting some of his best work in as the season winds down, and he shouldn't slow down against the Nationals. He's coming off a dominant performance over the Mets, where he threw a complete game of one-run baseball with 14 strikeouts and 42.7 fantasy points. The 26-year-old has pitched into the seventh inning in each of his previous three starts, and it's that kind of floor combined with his strikeout upside that makes Alcantara an easy SP1 recommendation.
Jake Odorizzi - P, HOU at TEX ($7,600)
The Houston Astros are looking to take home another AL West title, and they aren't going to let their in-state rivals stand in their way. Jake Odorizzi has the best odds of any pitcher to pick up a win on Monday, and coupling that with his recent performances makes him a sturdy SP2 option among the seven games on tap. Odorizzi has 23 strikeouts in his last 20 2/3 innings of work and averages 17.4 fantasy points per game in the same four-outing stretch. The right-handed hurler has pitched at least five innings in six consecutive starts, so we know we can count on him to at least qualify for those bonus points. All we need is the Astros offense to come through and put some crooked numbers on the board.
Other options: Adam Wainwright at NYM ($9,000), Eduardo Rodriguez at SEA ($ - TBD), A.J. Alexy vs. HOU ($6,700)
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Buster Posey - C, SF vs. Yu Darvish ($4,100)
Catcher is a little all over the place for my liking, so I'm taking the easy way out and rostering Posey at $4,100. He hits third for a Giants team that just keeps on rolling along to a surprising postseason berth, and he feels like the safest option as my backstop. The 2012 NL MVP has been consistently there for us all year as his .300/.391/.503 slash line indicates. Yu Darvish isn't the ideal pitcher to go against, but Posey has been a reliable source of fantasy points all year, and I'm going to that well one more time to start the week.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - 1B, TOR vs. Drew Rasmussen ($6,000)
There are bolder and braver DFS analysts than myself who will fade Vladito at $6,000. However, to those analysts, I ask, "Why?". Guerrero has been unstoppable for the entire year, but this recent stretch is one of his best of the season. Guerrero is slashing .380/.436/.680 with five home runs, six RBI, and a massive 15 runs in September. The Blue Jays are a well-oiled machine right now, and Vlad Guerrero is the catalyst to keep it continuously churning.
Javier Baez - 2B, NYM vs. Adam Wainwright ($4,800)
The calendar flipped to September, and Javier Baez became a superstar again. Of course, at $4,800, you're not getting him in your lineup at a discount, but his recent results are deserving of his $4,800 cost. This month, the 28-year old has racked up four doubles, four home runs, four stolen bases, eight RBI, and 14 runs in 12 games while sporting a 1.258 OPS. In addition, he's averaging 15.8 FPPG in his last 10 games and has four straight contests with at least two hits.
Alex Bregman - 3B, HOU vs. A.J. Alexy ($4,200)
Unless DraftKings still believes Alex Bregman is injured, this price is awfully confusing to my eyes. Over the last two weeks, the 27-year old leads all qualified third basemen in average (.394), slugging percentage (.636), and weight on-base average (.439). There's not too much to question here with Bregman. The Astros should score a lot of runs tonight, and he will be a big reason. So grab the discount, and load up at other spots in the lineup.
Brandon Crawford - SS, SF vs. Yu Darvish ($4,400)
Note: Crawford is considered day-to-day with a wrist injury. Check his status later on Monday.
Crawford missed Sunday's game with wrist soreness, so it's a little up in the air if he plays at all on Monday. However, if he gets on the lineup card, he can certainly pay dividends against Yu Darvish and his up-and-down performances. Crawford leads all qualified shortstops with a .456 wOBA over the last two weeks, and his .993 OPS over his last 10 games also catches the eye. This is a risky recommendation because of the injury status, but I believe Crawford can sneak under the radar and be a big surprise to DFS lineups to start the week.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Kyle Tucker - OF, HOU at A.J. Alexy ($5,000)
It's wild to see how good the Astros lineup is to afford Kyle Tucker as their seventh hitter in the lineup. This is a player who's slashing .424/.486/.788 in September and still can't crack the top half of this offensive juggernaut. However, in Tucker's last 10 games, he's recorded nine runs, nine RBI, eight extra-base hits (three home runs), and a stolen base. All those numbers come out to 13.2 FPPG and a significant contribution to our DFS rosters. He's the priciest of my outfield recommendations but well worth the cost if you can afford it on Monday.
Tyler O'Neill - OF, STL at Rich Hill ($4,400)
I want some exposure to the Cardinals offense this evening because I think they can hammer Rich Hill. Paul Goldschmidt ($4,500) and Nolan Arenado ($4,800) are solid options, but I like O'Neill and his role as the three-hole hitter. Before a recent three-game stretch against the Marlins and Nationals, Hill averaged 6.3 FPPG over seven starts. Meanwhile, O'Neill has a 1.069 OPS with four home runs in his last 10 games. So the jigsaw pieces fit together quite well in my mind, and I'm running with it tonight and getting O'Neill on the team.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - OF, TOR vs. Drew Rasmussen ($3,600)
I had Lourdes Gurriel in my DraftKings picks last Wednesday at $3,300, and it's shocking to see his salary is in a similar range after such a big weekend. In the four-game set with the Orioles, the Blue Jays outfielder went 7-for-13 with seven runs, a double, three home runs, and 10 RBI. He obliterated Baltimore's pitching in Camden Yards and returns home in great form. He has a .836 OPS in home games compared to .771 on the road, so I'm incredibly excited to see what he does for an encore north of the border tonight.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Houston Astros at Texas Rangers (A.J. Alexy, RHP)
- Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays (Drew Rasmussen, RHP)
- Sneaky stack: St. Louis Cardinals at New York Mets (Rich Hill, LHP)
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