RADIO
There were 20 games played in the MLB yesterday and we have a 12-game slate on the docket for DraftKings on Saturday. Gerrit Cole and Lucas Giolito are the highlights of the slate at pitcher, but there's another SP1 to consider as well as a number of viable SP2 options to choose from. On the hitting side, well, there are 12 games. There are a handful of lineups to consider stacking on this slate with (at least) six teams projected to score over five runs and plenty of suspect pitching to go around.
I'll be going through some of the best plays at each position on DraftKings with a GPP/tournament lineup build in mind. That's not to say that these players won't work in cash-game lineups, but we're looking to provide high-upside plays for the most part (it's more fun that way, anyway). As a reminder, it is best practice to stack 3-5 hitters from the same team for DFS purposes, so try to envision how the games will play out and build your lineups from there. Utilizing unique lineup combinations (i.e the nine, one, two, and three hitters) is another great way to differentiate.
In this article, I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the DraftKings main slate on 9/5/2020. 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 contact me on Twitter @kringstad19
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Lucas Giolito - SP, CWS vs KC ($10,500)
Giolito comes in $200 more expensive than Cole, but until the 2019 Cy Young runner-up fixes his serious issue with the long ball, I'm not ponying up the cash regardless of the opponent. Cole has given up at least one homer in every start, including allowing seven over his last three outings. Giolito, meanwhile, hasn't had an issue with homers. He had consecutive starts with 43.4 and 59.7 DK points before putting up "only" 20.3 DK points against the Twins his last time on the mound. He holds a 3.14 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 2.74 FIP, and a slate-high 34.4% K% and 17.3% SwStr%. This will be his first time facing the Royals, but he should have zero issues with this lineup. Kansas City is currently ranked 23rd in wRC+, 23rd in wOBA, 22nd in SLG, and 23rd in ISO. Additionally, they've struck out the 2nd-most times against RHP this season. Giolito is the prime pay-up option tonight, though Kenta Maeda against the Tigers definitely deserves consideration as a pivot SP1.
Tony Gonsolin - SP, LAD vs COL ($8,300)
Gonsolin is a viable, though somewhat risky, SP2 option on today's slate. He's viable due to the awesome numbers he's rocking: a 0.51 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 2.24 FIP, 26.2% K%, zero homers allowed, and a low 31% Hard%. He's also facing the Rockies away from Coors, where they become a bottom-tier offense as they're sporting a .651 OPS on the road (4th-worst in the MLB). They're projected to put up just 3.8 runs. The risky part of the Gonsolin play is his proverbial leash. The Dodgers have limited him to 62 to 84 pitches per start, and he hasn't pitched past the sixth inning yet. Even if limited, he should be able to hold the Rockies down and rack up his usual handful of strikeouts in the process.
Other options: Kenta Maeda (MIN vs DET) $10,100, Justus Sheffield (SEA vs TEX) $7,600
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Gary Sanchez - C, NYY vs BAL ($4,100)
Sanchez is having a brutal season, slashing .135/.245/.365, though he does have seven home runs and a .229 ISO. This play is centered around the Yankees being able to get to rookie Keegan Akin, Baltimore's #15 prospect (according to MLB Pipeline). Akin faired well in his debut, shutting out the Blue Jays over 4 and 1/3 innings while striking out six. That being said, the Yankees are a far better offense than the Blue Jays and are projected to score 5.6 runs tonight. Sanchez is due for some positive regression as he holds a .133 BABIP and he's still hitting the ball hard. He's also just the 12th-most expensive catcher on the slate.
Luke Voit - 1B, NYY vs BAL ($4,500)
Voit is another piece of the NYY stack you're going to want to take a look at. He also gets the platoon-advantage over the rookie Akin, but unlike Sanchez, Voit has been hitting well in 2020. He's at .285/.353/.634 with 13 homers, 28 RBI, and 24 runs scored on the season. He also holds a .350 ISO, .436 wOBA, and 17.1% Barrel %. His .681 xSLG is in the top 1% of the league. He had six homers in five days at one point near the end of August, and his salary isn't quite reflective of how well he has been slugging this season. Put some respect on Voit's name and make sure to consider him in this spot.
Josh Donaldson - 3B, MIN vs DET ($3,700)
"The Bringer of Rain" mashed his first tater since his return from the IL last night, and he's in a prime spot to make it two-in-a-row here tonight. He'll have the platoon-advantage going up against Tarik Skubal. Skubal is one of the Tigers top prospects and he'll be making his fourth career start when he toes the rubber at Target Field. He just notched his first career win against the Twins on 8/29, but he holds a 6.75 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 6.58 FIP, and a slate-high 61.3% Hard% this season. He has also given up a home run in each outing and doesn't appear to have the ability to miss a ton of bats (19.1% K% and 10.5% SwStr%) or keep the ball on the ground (12.9% GB%). This should equal success for Donaldson and the reloaded Twins lineup.
Other options: Aledmys Diaz (HOU vs LAA) $2,000, Eugenio Suarez (CIN vs PIT) $4,400, Edwin Encarnacion (CWS vs KC) $4,200
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Ronald Acuna Jr. - OF, ATL vs WAS ($4,800)
Acuna, points-per-dollar, looks to be the best "stud" play on Saturday's slate. The young star went bonkers yesterday's doubleheader, going 3-for-7 with three homers, four RBI, and four runs scored. That was good for a total of 48 DK points. Acuna is slashing .279/.398/.628 with eight home runs, 14 RBI, 20 runs scored, and two steals on the season. His .349 ISO and .438 wOBA are incredible, as is his 15.5% BB% and the majority of his advanced hitting metrics. The Braves are projected to score six runs against the struggling Eric Fedde, which is the highest number on the slate. He's the 18th highest-salaried OF on DraftKings. Get him in there.
Clint Frazier - OF, NYY vs BAL ($3,700)
Frazier is getting ample playing time with the Yankees' rash of injuries and he is another piece of the NYY stack that I'm looking to get a piece of today. Frazier projects to hit cleanup and if the Yanks are going to put up runs on the rookie Akin, it's a good bet that Frazier will be a part of it. He's hitting .274/.392/.532 with four homers, 13 RBI, nine runs scored, and one steal over 62 at-bats in 2020. He has been terrible against LHP this year, but his splits since 2018 aren't quite as drastic and he's just 25 years old, so improvements will be made. Might as well start tonight!
Michael Brantley - OF, HOU vs LAA ($3,500)
Brantley has quietly been very hot at the plate as he has four multi-hit games in his last five contests and has risen his batting average from .269 to .326 since 8/23. He's slashing .326/.400/.551 with three homers, 18 RBI, 18 runs scored, and one stolen base over 89 at-bats in 2020. He also holds a career-high .225 ISO and a .412 wOBA, while his 15% K% and 11% BB% are both solid marks. He should hit high in the order for an Astros team that should put up plenty of runs on the young Griffin Canning. Canning has a 4.04 ERA and 1.35 WHIP, but his 5.19 FIP, 1.8 HR/9, and 9.4% Soft% (48.1% Hard%) are all numbers we'd like to attack. This game doesn't have a projected total yet, but it should be decently high and Brantley looks like a great value here.
Other options: Miguel Andujar (NYY vs BAL) $2,700, Mike Trout (LAA vs HOU) $6,000, Shogo Akiyama (CIN vs PIT) $2,000
DraftKings DFS Stacks
The top stacks of the night are the Braves, White Sox, and Yankees as they're all explosive offenses facing exploitable pitchers. The Blue Jays, Mets, and Astros are also in great spots and can be deployed as stacks tonight.
Good luck in your DraftKings contests and make sure to give me a follow on Twitter!
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