Every day is unique for daily fantasy baseball, which is both a blessing and a challenge. Although we can’t simply plug and play our favorite studs day in and day out, each slate presents us with a chance for a new gem to vault us up the leaderboards.
Through the use of numberFire’s tools, we can better identify the players primed to succeed each day, making the process of filling out a lineup just that much easier. In addition to our custom optimal lineups, you can check out our batting and pitching heat maps, which show the pieces in the best spot to succeed on that slate. Put on the finishing touches with our games and lineups page to see who's hitting where and what the weather looks like, and you'll have yourself a snazzy looking team to put up some big point totals.
Which names stand out for today on the DraftKings main slate? Let’s check it out, starting with the pitchers.
Pitchers to Target
High-Priced Pitcher
Chris Sale ($12,700 on DraftKings): Justin Verlander has been awesome, using the $600 in savings and going Sale is the play tonight. At 34 percent, he's got the best strikeout rate on the slate and there is nothing to be concerned with his peripheral numbers, either with his 0.97 WHIP, 2.81 xFIP or elite 24.9 percent hard-hit rate. He's taking on the Minnesota Twins, a relatively average team across the board, but Sale is matchup-proof anyway.
Mike Clevinger ($10,800): Mike Clevinger is coming off of an 11-strikeout game and gets to take on one of the most strikeout-heavy teams in the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox have struck out at a 25.5 percent clip, which is the third-most in the Majors and that bodes well for Clevinger, who isn't normally the biggest strikeout pitcher out there, as his 21.9 percent strikeout rate isn't the greatest. However, the Cleveland Indians are -183 favorites, third-highest on the slate.
Low-Priced Pitcher
Rich Hill ($6,600): There are so many issues with Rich Hill that it seems crazy to use him. But then you look at the price, and you wonder, "How do I fade him?" It is a tough game against the Chicago Cubs and he's coming off the disabled list, so be weary of a pitch count. However, he has plenty of upside at this cheap, cheap price. In 2017, Hill had a very good 30.1 percent strikeout rate, 1.09 WHIP and a 3.88 xFIP while having a good-not-great 30.2 hard-hit rate.
Hitters to Target
High-Priced Hitters
Mike Trout ($6,000): It is easy to recommend Mike Trout. But, sometimes, there are matchups that are just so good it needs to be reiterated. So Matt Koch has been alright for the Arizona Diamondbacks with just a 1.17 WHIP, but that is kind of where the good things end. He has a horrific 14.2 percent strikeout rate and a 46.5 percent hard-hit rate, which has led to a 90.6 mile-per-hour average exit velocity. He has given up an 18.7 percent home run to fly-ball rate despite a modest 36.1 percent fly-ball rate. On the other hand, Trout has destroyed righties with an absolutely beast .462 weighted on-base average (wOBA) and .345 isolatd power (ISO). Additionally, over Trout's last 10 games, he has hit for a .471 average, 1.440 on-base plus slugging (OPS), and 4 home runs.
Nolan Arenado ($5,700): Another night in Coors Field, and another night where Nolan Arenado gets to take on a left-handed pitcher in Jason Vargas. This is the best recipe for Arenado, as he has destroyed southpaws with a .505 wOBA and .346 ISO. Vargas has been brutal this season with a 1.70 WHIP, 4.71 xFIP and is unable to strike anybody out with his 19.5 percent strikeout rate. Furthermore, he has a brutal 37.1 percent hard-hit rate, 39.8 percent fly-ball rate and a 190-foot average batted-ball distance. Those do not bode well for him in the best hitters' park in the Majors.
Ozzie Albies ($4,700): Ozzie Albies has cooled off a bit against left-handed pitchers after just destroying them earlier in the year. But he still has great numbers, with a .375 wOBA and a .267 ISO. Taking on Jaime Garcia in Toronto this evening is a fantastic matchup as, despite a couple decent games, Garcia has once again struggled. He's given up an abysmal 41 percent hard-hit rate and a 90.7 mile-per-hour average exit velocity -- numbers that have led to a 1.56 WHIP and 4.79 xFIP.
Value Hitters
Elvis Andrus ($3,600): Here we have an underpriced hitter that came off the DL for yesterday's game. Elvis Andrus had been solid this season before his injury, hitting a .409 wOBA and a .205 ISO against right-handed pitching in 52 plate appearances. He'll be taking on Jason Hammel, who has been brutal with a 4.86 xFIP, 45.7 percent hard-hit rate, 89 mile-per-hour average exit velocity and a 193-foot average batted-ball distance. The Rangers strike out a lot, but Hammel's 14.9 percent strikeout rate should limit that and allow Andrus and company to have a big game.
Chad Pinder ($3,400): Chad Pinder is somehow the best hitter on the Oakland Athletics against left-handed pitching. He doesn't have the best numbers overall, but they are solid with a .385 wOBA and a .200 ISO. Pinder has hit second in the order in the last three games, which were all against lefties, so one could assume that he will be there again but be sure to check the starting lineup. He's taking on Eric Lauer of the San Diego Padres who has a slate-worst 1.98 WHIP and among the bottom with a 4.91 xFIP, 41.3 percent hard-hit rate and 29.3 percent line-drive rate. Pinder is very cheap and in a great spot.
Pablo Sandoval ($3,300): Has anybody written up Pablo Sandoval this season? He's in a platoon situation, but he has had plenty of success against the right-handed pitching that he's expected to do well against. He's got a respectable 3.66 wOBA and .200 ISO, and he gets a cupcake matchup against Miami Marlins right-hander Dan Straily. Straily has been horrible, giving up a disastrous 47.7 percent hard-hit rate, 89.4 mile-per-hour average exit velocity and a 191-foot average batted-ball distance.
Ryan Sheppard is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Ryan Sheppard also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username donkshow_. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.