RADIO
This Sunday has a full slate of games, so it's time to build some lineups. With several different contests being offered on DraftKings, you'll have lots of different lineup options. For our purposes, the following picks have been made for contests running all day.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/30/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings.
You can read our FanDuel and Yahoo DFS lineup picks as well. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @TroyKlauder.
DFS Lineup Stacks to Target on DraftKings
Cleveland Indians vs. Chase De Jong (RHP)
Chase De Jong will be making his first career start on Sunday, which means he's probably going to get destroyed by the Indians. De Jong is by no means a top prospect, or much of a prospect at all, and he pitched primarily in Double-A. Last year, he had just a 7.94 K/9; if you can't strike out many hitters in Double-A, major league hitters are going to hit anything you give them. For what it's worth, De Jong already has a 5.79 ERA through his first two relief appearances this year. Since it's his first start coming out of the pen, he likely won't last long, so the Mariners will have to throw a hodgepodge of relievers out on the mound early in the game. Take Francisco Lindor, Carlos Santana, and Michael Brantley as your elite tier bats, and throw in Lonnie Chisenhall and Abraham Almonte as cheaper plays. The more Indians in your lineup, the better you will likely fare.
Houston Astros vs. Jesse Hahn (RHP)
After Jesse Hahn's outstanding start to the year, many DFS players may be avoiding Astros hitters on Sunday, which is amazing news for us. Despite Hahn's 2.08 ERA, as well as his eight innings of scoreless ball against the Angels his last time out, Hahn is a pitcher to be avoiding. He only has a 6.92 K/9 with a 3.12 BB/9 in his first 26 innings, giving him a 4.08 xFIP. After all, this is a guy who had a 6.02 ERA in his nine starts in 2016. In Houston, a great park for hitters, the Astros lineup should explode against Hahn. Josh Reddick, Carlos Beltran, and Alex Bregman are outstanding value plays, while you can take Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Carlos Correa into consideration as your expensive plays. Any hitter in the Astros lineup is a good idea on Sunday.
DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider on DraftKings
Joe Ross, WAS @ NYM - $7,400
For DFS players who like Joe Ross, it is almost a good thing that his last start was at Colorado, where he gave up five earned runs. Coors Field is far and away the best hitter's park in the league, so it's not fair to judge Ross on that start. His first start of the year is much more indicative of his talent, where he struck out seven Atlanta Braves over seven innings. Ross is coming off a nice 2016 season with a 3.43 ERA so the 23-year-old is should not be given up on after two starts. The Mets lineup has been horrible this year, with a .284 wOBA against righties, 27th in the league. They are without their biggest bat in Yoenis Cespedes, as well as Lucas Duda. Ross should have no problems getting through the Mets order, and at such a cheap price, he's almost a must-own on Sunday.
Ty Blach, SF vs. SD - $6,600
After coming off of a decent first start of the season, where he allowed two runs to the Dodgers over five innings, Ty Blach has a fantastic opportunity against the Padres on Sunday. The Padres are 25th in wOBA against lefties this season and strike out 24.0% of the time against them. While Blach isn't going to blow anybody away, he can provide solid innings against such a weak lineup. AT&T Park is a great park for pitchers, which also works in Blach's favor. At this cheap a price, Blach can be slotted into your lineup and put up a nice start while your payroll can go to better hitters who can rack up points.
DFS Infielders to Consider on DraftKings
Catcher (C)
Yasmani Grandal, LAD vs. PHI - $3,600
At a price of just $3,600, Grandal is easily the most valuable catcher play on Sunday. He faces Phillies pitcher Nick Pivetta, making his major league debut. Pivetta spend most of last season in Double-A, where he had just an 8.06 K/9. He is similar to the aforementioned Chase De Jong, as they both function as organizational depth rather than as actual prospects. Grandal has a low .227 BABIP that is sure to improve, and he is still walking a ton with a 14.5 BB%. On a day where most regular catchers have the day off, Grandal should be in the lineup after receiving an off day on Thursday. He stands above the rest of the field on Sunday.
First Base (1B)
Mitch Moreland, BOS vs CHC - $4,100
Mitch Moreland is killing the ball this year, hitting .296/.380/.519 with a 145 wRC+, so it is odd that his price is not any higher than it is. That makes him a great buy on Sunday, even if he is against Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks will likely scare off other owners, which is great because he's actually been quite mediocre this year. The Cubs right-handed pitcher owns a 4.50 ERA with a 3.68 BB/9. He has not been the same pitcher, so Moreland should have a big day out of Boston's five spot.
Second Base (2B)
Tyler Saladino, CHW @ DET - $3,300
Leading off for the White Sox, Tyler Saladino should have the chance for lots of runs against Tigers starter Jordan Zimmermann on Sunday. Zimmermann has been atrocious this season with a 6.35 ERA, and he was nearly just as bad with last year's 4.87 ERA. He has clearly lost it at this point, and nobody in the Chicago lineup will face him more than Saladino. While Saladino is by no means hitting well this season, it seems like anybody can get on base against Zimmermann, and he's dirt cheap. Saladino should return more than enough value on Sunday.
Shortstop (SS)
Andrelton Simmons, LAA @ TEX - $3,700
Andrelton Simmons has never been known for his bat, but he's been swinging it quite well this season, with a 127 wRC+ and .287/.361/.414 line. Simmons' walk rate is way up from last year, now at 10.3%, and he is hitting for more power with a .126 ISO. He faces Martin Perez, who has an absurd 5.19 BB/9, in a great park for hitters in Texas. A pitcher who walks everybody against a hitter who has learned to walk is a beautiful combination. DraftKings has lagged behind in pricing Simmons accordingly, so buy while you still can on Sunday.
Third Base (3B)
Nicholas Castellanos, DET vs. CHW - $3,700
The Artist Formerly Known as Nick, Nicholas Castellanos, has a great matchup on Sunday against White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez. Gonzalez has a 4.66 xFIP and only a 6.67 K/9, surviving on a low .244 BABIP and a high 84% LOB rate. Gonzalez, at 32 years old, simply is not a better pitcher than he was last year. Castellanos has not gotten off to a great start, but he still has an above average 107 wRC+ on the year. He bats third in the Tigers order, a prime spot for run and RBI production. It is a good idea to get Castellanos in your lineups.
DFS Outfielders to Consider on DraftKings
David Peralta, ARI vs. COL - $4,000
David Peralta comes into Sunday scorching hot, with a 1.075 OPS in the last 15 days, and he gets a great matchup against German Marquez to keep it going. Marquez put up a 5.23 ERA last year and is only in the Colorado rotation as a replacement for Jon Gray. He gave up eight runs in his only start of the year, and he now goes into Chase Field, second to only Coors as an incredibly offensive environment. Peralta crushes righties with a career 134 wRC+ against them, so he's going to have a great time on Sunday.
Gregory Polanco, PIT @ MIA - $4,300
Gregory Polanco has started the season off terribly, batting .225 with no homers. However, we know Polanco is not this bad of a hitter, as he put up 22 bombs last year with a 108 wRC+. Tom Koehler, his opposition, has a 5.14 ERA through four starts. Polanco's price probably won't ever go this low again for much longer, so he's a great addition to your lineup
Hunter Pence, SF vs. SD - $4,100
When he is on the field, Hunter Pence hits, and he is not dealing with any injuries entering Sunday. Pence gets Clayton Richard, owner of a 4.45 ERA, and will bat third against him. Pence has hit lefties better throughout his career, with a 128 wRC+. He is in a great position to rack up fantasy points and comes at a good price, so get in on Pence.
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