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We have a nine game slate to kick off the week and start MLB season. Opening day part two, and we start the main slate at 1pm, so get your lineups set early. Fanduel is now offering late swap, and non late swap contests. So be sure you have the right one selected, and get ready to set your lineups. Opening day means we have a ton of aces on the mound, so we'll look for some good hitting match ups to get around that. Always check to confirm you players are in the starting lineups. So sit back, read up, and let's win some contests.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 4/3/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on FanDuel.
You can read our DraftKings and Yahoo DFS lineup picks as well. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @DFS_Tom.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Noah Syndergaard - P, vs ATL ($11,100)
Thor is on the mound for the Mets, and he is looking to bring down the hammer on the Braves. Terrible joke, I know. This game has a run total of 6.5, so its on the lower end of totals for the day, which means this is the spot to target him. Last season Syndergaard had 10.82 K/9 at home, to go along with a 1.11 WHIP. He has huge upside when it comes to strike outs, and he isn't going to be letting many players on base. Last year in March and April, Syndergaard held opposing batters to a .220 AVG and only gave up five earned runs through 26.2 IP. Super consistent, and going to set you up nicely with some points to win a contest.
Rick Porcello - P, vs PIT ($9,800)
Pocello starts his CY Young defense at home vs the Pirates. Even though this game has one of the high run totals, nine, I still think he is worth a look. Fenway Park is known for being a bit of a hitters park around the Majors, but Porcello managed to keep opposing hitters to .239 AVG at home last year. He also had a 1.03 WHIP at home, so he keeps hitters at bay in a favorable environment. He isn't going to blow you away with how many strikeouts he gets, but the consistency is there, and the Red Sox have the run support that will allow him to get you the win. Also could be slightly under owned in GPPs, due to the game set to be high scoring.
Kevin Gausman - P, vs TOR ($8,000)
Gausman is a slightly off the board pick for today, but because of that, he has upside in GPPs. Fanduel has added Quality Starts as a stat this year, which will get you extra four points. Last year, Gausman pitched 30 games, and he had 18 quality starts, that is over half of his games, and shows the consistency. Last year he pitched 179 innings, and had 174 strikeouts. So almost one strikeout per inning, and that is the kind of production you want from your ace pitcher. Really only see him as a GPP option, because he is not a "sure thing" unlike other aces going today.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Trea Turner - SS, vs MIA ($3,700)
Turner is the highest priced option at shortstop today, and I think he is 100% worth the price. He is one of the young stars of the league and he has so many ways to get you points. Last year he only played 71 games for the Nationals, so the stats are not a full season. But, nevertheless, he had 33 SB, 40 RBI, and hit for .342 AVG. Pretty clear that he is capable of getting it done at the plate and running bases. The upside of having a base stealing threat is always needed in MLB DFS, and he is the perfect option. This game has a run total set at 7.5 runs, and could be a good spot to stack some players on the Nationals.
Nolan Arenado - 3B, @ MIL ($4,000)
Last year Arenado finished tied for sixth in the league for home runs, and we should be expecting much of the same from him this year. He is an elite play today, and should try to fit him in all your lineups. He finished last season with: 133 RBI, 116 RUNS, 41 HR. Some really big numbers there, and in a game where the run total is 8.5 runs, you want to make sure to take a look at him. He is facing off vs a right-handed pitcher, and last year he hit for .299 AVG on the road vs righties. All the signs point to him starting off the year strong, and continuing much of the same from last year.
Joey Votto - 1B, vs PHI ($4,000)
Votto has been a solid option almost every game for the past couple of seasons. You know what you are going to get from him, good average, and really strong power. Last season he ended with 29 HR, 97 RBI, and 101 RUNS. He bats high in the order, so he will see plenty of at bats. Votto is going up against a right-handed pitcher, and last year he hit for .311 AVG and 13 HR at home vs righties. This is right in his wheel house and he is getting my gut call of the day to go deep. Really like him in either cash or GPPs today, considering the run total for this game is set at nine runs.
Matt Wieters - C, vs MIA ($2,700)
When it comes to MLB DFS, most people are in agreement that you shouldn't pay up too much for the catcher spot, as not much power really comes from there. I'm fine with that thinking, and I think you need to take everything with a grain of salt. Weiters is the fifth most expensive catcher on the slate today, so he isn't super expensive, but also not the cheapest. He is with a new team and ready to have a good first impression, as I mentioned above when I wrote about Trea Turner, this game is going to be a higher scoring one, so this could be a stacking option. Most people when stacking the Nationals are going to look at Harper and Murphy, so this is a bit off the board pick and you could get him at lower ownership in some GPPs.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Yoenis Cespedes - OF, vs ATL ($3,700)
We all know what Cepedes is capable of when it comes to hitting. The guy is simply electric and has the threat to go deep every single game. He got a HUGE contract in the off season from the Mets, and this is the time for him to back it up. He really needs to have a strong season to prove that he is worth the money. Last year he finished with 31 HR, 86 RBI, and 72 RUNS. Not the best stats for someone with his potential. Last March and April, he has seven HR, and .294 AVG, to start the season. So he can get off to a hot start, and I think this is the time to roster him.
Jackie Bradley Jr. - OF, vs PIT ($3,400)
Bradley Jr. is always worth a look any time the Red Sox are playing. He isn't one of the main power hitters on Boston, so his price is slightly lower, but he is surrounded by solid players and often is the fantasy beneficiary of that. He has a good combination of hitting for average and power, but isn't going to blow you away in either category. Last year he finished with: 25 HR, 87 RBI, 94 RUNS, and hit for .267 AVG. In a game that has a run total set at nine runs, its always nice to have some exposure to an offense that can put up those numbers alone.
Odubel Herrera - OF, @ CIN ($3,300)
Herrera has been batting high up in the order for the Phillies in Spring Training, so expect him to get his chances at the plate to prove himself. He has a pretty favorable match up vs Scott Feldman today. Last season at home vs left-handed batters, Feldman allowed .404 AVG to hitters. That is so bad, and exactly the type of stat you want to key in on. Herrera isn't the most expensive player out there, but if you can get him in a favorable match up, I say this is the spot to take the chance. The Phillies could be a sneaky low owned stack in tournaments, since they don't have a ton of big names. But the game total is set at nine runs, so you may want to take a look.
Hyun Soo Kim - OF, vs TOR ($2.600)
Kim gives you a bit of savings on a full slate, along with some slight upside. He made his major league debut last year, and played 95 games for the Orioles. In those 95 games, he collected 93 hits, and 22 RBI, while batting .305 AVG. Some decent numbers for a player that hasn't totally proven himself in the majors yet. Some reports say that he will be leading off vs right-handed pitchers this year, who they are set to face today. But just double check that he is in the starting lineup, before locking him in. This game has a run total set at 8.5 runs, so there should be plenty of offense to go around, and nice to get some exposure to that, at a cheap price.
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