RADIO
Welcome to the Sunday edition of the FanDuel MLB Breakdown! The most important thing you need to look at today is the weather. There are several games with awful conditions that could potentially lead to a postponement. We have a huge 11 game slate which will most likely turn into an 8 or 9 game slate. Let's get to it!
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 4/15/18. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.
You can also read more DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and other sports too. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to shoot me a message on Twitter @Rotogoodness.
FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Chris Sale - P, BOS vs BAL ($11,200)
There really isn't much to say about Sale that hasn't already been said so far this season. The Orioles have the lowest implied team total at 2.8 implied runs. The wind will be blowing in from centerfield at around 16 mph. Sale is the most expensive pitcher but he is definitely worth it. Don't overthink this one and just roster him no matter the ownership.
Shohei Ohtani - P, LAA vs KC ($10,500)
The early leading candidate for rookie of the year has been very impressive on both sides of the plate so far this year. It's going to be extremely cold in Kansas City which makes for perfect pitching weather. Ohtani is a -200 favorite against the Royals who are only projected to score 3.3 implied runs. The wind is blowing left to right at 20 mph. He is an excellent pivot off of Sale in tournaments.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Yan Gomes - C, CLE vs TOR ($2,700)
Gomes has some really nice recent statcast data. He has a hard hit percentage of 43% and his average batted ball speed is 3mph faster than his yearly average. The Indians have an umpire which favors hitters. Yan will have extremely low ownership and will face Jamie Garcia who gets crushed by right-handed hitters. The wind will be blowing out to left field at 18mph. I know I mention the wind often, but it's an important detail a lot of people overlook. A nice breeze can turn a fly ball into a home run easily. Keep an eye on the weather because rain is in the forecast.
Ryan Zimmerman - 1B, WAS vs COL ($2,600)
Zimmerman is one of the best values today on FanDuel. His salary has dropped $500 since the start of the month. He has a solid hard hit percentage at 41.9% and destroys left-handed pitching. The umpire for this game favors hitters. The Nationals have a high team total of 4.5 implied runs and he's projected to bat fourth behind Trea Truner, Anthony Rendon, and Bryce Harper which increases his RBI potential. He is an elite play today in tournaments.
Ian Kinsler - 2B, LAA vs KC ($3,700)
Kinsler has been terrific since returning from injury. He will have immense value if he continues to lead off for the Angels. He has the rare combination of HR and stolen base upside. The Angels are projected for one of the highest implied team totals today at 4.9 runs. I know it's an extremely small sample size and he's bound to regress but Kinsler is averaging 24.8 FD points per game. He is too cheap to ignore no matter the ownership.
Todd Frazier - 3B, NYM vs MIL ($3,800)
Frazier has been absolutely destroying the ball recently. His statcast data has been phenomenal. He has an average batted ball distance of 235 ft. A fly ball rate of 42% and a hard hit percentage of 46.9%. He is projected to hit sixth and should carry low ownership. It isn't the best hitting weather with it being pretty cold and the wind blowing in at 18mph but he makes for a very strong tournament play.
Andrelton Simmons - SS, LAA vs KC ($3,700)
Simmons has been smashing the ball to start the year and he always has low ownership. He has a hard hit percentage of 42% and is one of the more consistent hitters in the league. As mentioned previously the Angels have one of the highest implied team totals of the entire slate at 4.9 implied runs. Simmons is an outstanding tournament play with some stolen base upside sprinkled in.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
J.D. Martinez - OF, BOS vs BAL ($3,900)
No one in the entire league has hit the ball as hard as Martinez has. His insane hard hit percentage of 63.6% leads the league by a significant margin. He has an average batted ball distance of 235ft and routinely dismantles right-handed pitching. He is projected to hit fourth in the order and the Red Sox have a healthy implied team total of 4.2 runs. Martinez is a solid tournament option even though he might be popular.
Gregory Polanco - OF, PIT @ MIA ($4,500)
Polanco is obviously overpriced on FanDuel but this is a great spot to be contrarian. He is projected to hit second in the order and has solid statcast data. He has a hard hit percentage of 41% and a fly ball rate of 42%. The Pirates are projected to score 4.7 implied runs and could have lower ownership after burning everyone yesterday. It's going to be 89 degrees in Miami which is perfect hitting weather with some wind gusts up to 19mph.
Top Stacks
Los Angeles Angels - Surprise! The Angels grade out really well today. They will be popular but you can make your lineup unique by adding in variations of Andreton Simmons, Martin Maldonado, and Jefry Marte. The entire starting lineup has decent to great statcast data and crushes left-handed pitching. The high implied team total of 4.9 is very hard to ignore.
Pittsburgh Pirates - After burning everyone yesterday it's time to take advantage of some recency bias. The Pirates have a solid implied team total of 4.6 runs. It's going to be very hot in Miami and they are facing Jose Urena. The one through six hitters are all elite options on today's slate.
Other interesting stacks: Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays
Good luck today and follow the weather closely throughout the day!
