DFS MLB Lineups for August 3, 2017 at Draftkings.com & Fanduel.com
For this daily fantasy baseball season, each day there’s a good slate of DFS MLB games, we’ll be writing up a group of pitchers and hitters that we’re considering for our cash and GPP lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. We’ll also provide a list of stacks to consider, MLB start times, starting pitchers, and game run totals to give you a good idea of where the fantasy goodness might come from on a given night. As with any DFS sport, the advice below is relevant for fantasy purposes. A player or team might be better or worse from a fantasy perspective than they are in real life due to matchup, price, park factor, etc. This is important when constructing a roster. And if you’re looking for new ways to play DFS, be sure and give BOOM Fantasy and DRAFT a try!
A quick reminder while playing DFS MLB, don’t forget baseball is a game of variance. You can make a really solid lineup and still fall short of the cash line. Even Clayton Kershaw can get lit up, and Mike Trout can still go 0 for 4. Baseball is funny like that. Trust the process and know that if you’re playing quality lineups, you’ll be a winner in the long term.
Another thing to remember outside of making sure your player is in the lineup, is to always check the weather. Always. Make this something that is part of your basic routine. Baseball games can get postponed! Your players receive no points from postponed games!
8/3/17 MAIN SLATE TOURNAMENT RUNDOWN
DraftKings Fastball: $33 buy-in, $200k guaranteed
DraftKings Rally Cap: $8 buy-in, $110k guaranteed
DraftKings Four Seamer: $4 buy-in, $110k guaranteed (20 Entry Max)
FanDuel Home Run: $217 buy-in, $300k guaranteed
FanDuel Rally: $18 buy-in, $150k guaranteed
FanDuel Squeeze: $3 buy-in, $100k guaranteed
Best DFS MLB Pitchers for August 3, 2017
Corey Kluber vs. NYY ($11.0k DraftKings, $11.1k FanDuel)
Granted he’s facing the slugging Yankees at a somewhat hitter-friendly stadium, but Kluber shouldn’t be cheaper than any other SP on DK for this slate. He’s been downright dynamic since struggling over the first couple months of the season, posting a 1.78 ERA and a .166 BAA over the course of June and July. He’s been able to limit offenses with a 2.38 ERA and 13.63 K/9 ratio at Progressive Field this season and is 3-0 with a minuscule 0.82 ERA over his last 3 starts against the Yanks leading into tonight’s matchup.
Sonny Gray @ CLE ($8.8k DraftKings, $9.1 FanDuel)
The same can be said about Gray on DK in that he’s very much underpriced because he takes on a hot-hitting team. Yet he’s posted 6 consecutive starts with a stellar 1.37 ERA during that span and he’ll certainly be motivated to look sharp in his Yankees debut this evening. Gray is more effective with a .220 BAA and 3.01 FIP when facing LHB this season and that bodes well for his chances against a lefty-heavy Indians lineup that is a combined 28-for-123 (.228) with a weak .253 wOBA in their careers against him.
Collin McHugh vs. TB ($7.5k DraftKings, $8.2k FanDuel)
After predictably shaking off some rust in his season debut on July 22, McHugh demonstrated his upside with a strong 6-inning, 7-strikeout effort in Detroit. Now he’ll pitch at home, where the Astros league-leading offense hits .282 with a .350 wOBA on the season. Houston’s offense should be all over vulnerable lefty Blake Snell, who sits at 0-6 over 13 appearances this year, so if McHugh is able to post another Quality Start he’s far more likely to earn a win tonight.
Other pitchers to consider: Alex Wood, Parker Bridwell, Trevor Cahill
Best DFS MLB Hitters for August 3, 2017
Jose Altuve vs. TB ($5.5k DraftKings, $4.5k FanDuel)
The Astros have slowed since the ASB and Altuve has been absent from our recommendations by appearing human at times, but he’s clearly worth a look in tonight’s matchup. As mentioned above, Blake Snell is really struggling in his second year with the Rays and he’s giving up a lot of production with a 1.63 WHIP and 1.56 HR/9 ratio when facing RHB. Altuve is a lefty killer with surprising power and he could also burn Snell if he’s issued any free passes or continues to spray singles, as he’s done quite frequently to maintain his absurd .365 batting average.
Mookie Betts vs. CWS ($5.0k DraftKings, $4.1k FanDuel)
You can begin to sense when Betts is getting hot and he’s certainly been productive over his last several appearances to snap a somewhat lengthy funk. Tonight he’s a fantastic choice to target White Sox RHP Miguel Gonzalez, who throws a fastball without much movement and is giving up a 33% Hard Contact Rate this season as a result. Somehow, Betts has struggled to time up that pitch, going 3-for-17 with a HR in his career against Gonzalez, but with such a small sample, we expect talent to prevail.
Adrian Beltre vs. MIN ($4.1k DraftKings, $3.8k FanDuel)
Beltre’s price tag seems to be low because the Twins haven’t officially selected a SP for Thursday night at the time of DK’s salaries being released, but there’s a good chance he’ll be facing weak southpaw Adalberto Mejia. The young lefty has posted a 1.54 WHIP with a 1.40 HR/9 ratio at home and Beltre is hitting .343 off LHP this season. If Mejia is given the nod, feel free to lock Beltre into the third base slot in lineups of any format.
Other hitters to consider: Joey Votto, Eduardo Nunez, Corey Seager, Marwin Gonzalez, Elvis Andrus, Whit Merrifield, Buster Posey, Trey Mancini, Rafael Devers
8/3/17 DFS MLB STACKS
Royals vs Yovani Gallardo
A few of the Royals are cheaper than you might expect tonight given how hot they’ve been as a unit and the quality of their opponent. Yovani Gallardo has not done well with age and is posting an ERA over 5 for the second consecutive season, while giving up a ton of production to RHB, so strongly consider Whit Merrifield as an elite option at 2B if you don’t want to pay all the way up for Altuve. Eric Hosmer is cheaper than he’s been in days and he’ll have the platoon advantage along with Alex Gordon and potentially Melky Cabrera. We could even see Jorge Bonifacio or Brandon Moss enter the lineup if Lorenzo Cain (hamstring) sits out this home game.
Reds vs Chad Kuhl
While he’s managed to turn his season (and likely his career) around at this juncture of the season, Kuhl does not match up well against tonight’s opponent. He’s giving up a .382 wOBA with a 36.6% Hard Contact Rate and a troubling 1.71 WHIP when facing LHB this season, so beginning with Joey Votto, the Reds should be able to make him pay for any mistakes tonight. Scooter Gennett is a GPP play to consider given his ability to get hot on some nights, while Billy Hamilton could get on base and wreak havoc from there. Also consider solid RHB Jose Peraza, who is heating up again, and Adam Duvall if you want to fully commit to this stack.
Other Stacks to consider:
Astros vs. Blake Snell
Orioles vs. Matt Boyd
Tigers vs. Chris Tillman
Red Sox vs. Miguel Gonzalez
