MLB

FanDuel Pitching Primer: Tuesday 4/6/21

Matt Kupferle  —  @MKupferle Apr 6th, 2021
Taking a peek at the pitching slate, there's quite a few money arms ready to rock. Who should we target in particular?

In daily fantasy baseball, success starts with nailing the starting pitcher spot in your lineup.

When compared to hitters, pitching performance tends to be much more predictable and stable throughout the course of the season. You know what you're getting from a top-level ace when you roster him: probably a dominant effort with only one or two implosions per season. In contrast, even the game's best hitters have days at the plate when they go 0-for-4.

As a result, lineup construction should begin with the starting pitcher. Which pitchers should you consider on today's main slate?

High-Salaried Option

Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox

at Seattle Mariners
FanDuel Salary: $9,600

Shooting for the AL Cy Young moniker, Lucas Giolito takes the ball for the injury-riddled Chicago White Sox, and he will look to build on an impressive first start.

Giolito will face a team that possibly possess more injuries than his own -- namely, middle-of-the-order bat Kyle Lewis will also be missing from this contest, and it's a lineup that whiffed 25.0% of the time a season ago.

It was also an offense that lacked quite a bit of punch -- namely, a .144 isolated power (ISO) mark isn't going to carry its weight.

Expect Giolito, projected for the second-most points on the main slate, to score big.

Mid-Salaried Play

James Paxton, Seattle Mariners

vs. Chicago White Sox
FanDuel Salary: $8,500

Another day, and another lefty hurler looking to generate a pile of swings and misses for the Seattle Mariners, this time in the form of southpaw veteran James Paxton.

After finishing the Cactus League with nine strikeouts in four scoreless innings, Paxton looks to regain his form against a Chicago White Sox team that is both explosive and ready to strike out -- they hit a mark of 25.2% a season ago.

Now, buyer beware -- it may be hard for Paxton to notch that quality start, as he only hit four innings in that last start. But if he lasts deeper into the game, it could mean a big night.

Low-Salaried Play

Adbert Alzolay, Chicago Cubs

Vs Chicago Cubs
FanDuel Salary: $6,200

Rounding out the Chicago Cubs rotation, right-hander Adbert Alzolay takes the ball for the North Siders, and he will look to build on a quietly strong spring.

First, the Milwaukee Brewers are looking to shatter all kinds of records -- and not necessarily good ones. After striking out at a hefty 26.6% clip last year, the Brew Crew has whiffed 48 times in their opening four games.

Alzolay showcased his tremendous upside with five Dodger strikeouts in his final outing over 3 2/3 innings pitched, so consider the youngster as an upside play.

Matt Kupferle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matt Kupferle also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username MKupferle. 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.