DFS MLB Lineups for August 5, 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!
8/5/17 MAIN SLATE TOURNAMENT RUNDOWN
DraftKings Grand Slam: $444 buy-in, $175k guaranteed
DraftKings Saturday Slugfest: $40 buy-in, $250k guaranteed
DraftKings Four Seamer: $4 buy-in, $100k guaranteed
FanDuel Papa Squeeze: $9 buy-in, $125k guaranteed
FanDuel Grand Slam: $66 buy-in, $150k guaranteed
FanDuel Monster: $366 buy-in, $120k guaranteed
Best DFS MLB Pitchers for August 5, 2017
Taijuan Walker @ SFG ($9.8k DraftKings, $8.1k FanDuel)
Walker has been much better on the road this season, posting a 2.94 ERA in his nine starts that were not at Chase Field this season. That should be helpful for Walker, who is on the road facing the last place Giants, whose .286 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season is an MLB-worst.
Drew Pomeranz vs CHI ($9.0k DraftKings, $8.6k FanDuel)
Pomeranz has struck out 119 batters in 114.1 innings this year. It seems like he’s been a bust, but Pomeranz has actually put up at least 14 DK points in 13 of his last 14 starts. He’s also limited the long ball of late, giving up only two bombs in his last eight starts. The White Sox are tanking, so they are the perfect target here. Their .287 wOBA in the second half is an MLB-worst.
Gerrit Cole vs SDP ($11.0k DraftKings, $9.6k FanDuel)
After some struggles in early June, Cole has really turned his season around. He owns a 2.83 ERA over his last nine starts while holding the opposition to a measly .626 OPS. Since he is facing the San Diego Padres, whose .292 wOBA against right-handers is the second worst in the big leagues, Cole could put together another strong outing.
Other pitchers to consider: Charlie Morton, Dinelson Lamet, Lance Lynn, Tyler Skaggs
Best DFS MLB Hitters for August 5, 2017
Rafael Devers vs CHI ($4.1k DraftKings, $3.7k FanDuel)
This is a 20-year-old with 10 games of big league experience and yet, he is already batting in the heart of a first place team’s lineup. That’s because he has been hitting exceptionally well, posting a .543 wOBA against righties. Through 94 pro games this season, Devers had bashed 23 home runs. He could bash another tonight off of James Shields, who owns a 6.19 ERA in 11 starts this season.
Gerardo Parra vs PHI ($4.7k DraftKings, $3.7k FanDuel)
Parra is hitting over .400 in the second half and for those who need a more advanced stat to go by, the left-handed batter owns a .448 wOBA at home this season. That should help him do some damage against Phillies starter Nick Pivetta, who owns a 5.42 ERA in 15 starts this season. That man probably won’t fare well at Coors Field.
Justin Upton vs BAL ($5.5k DraftKings, $4.1k FanDuel)
Upton is raking against lefties this year; he owns a .451 wOBA against them. That makes him a weapon any time that a lefty steps onto the mound, especially when that lefty is Wade Miley, whose ERA is over 9.00 in his last nine starts. Miley’s exceptionally high walk rate makes him a prime target every time he toes the rubber.
Other hitters to consider: Eduardo Nunez, Josh Reddick, James McCann, Eddie Rosario, DJ LeMahieu, Alex Bregman, Odubel Herrera
8/5/17 DFS MLB STACKS
Astros vs Marco Estrada
It’s funny to think Estrada was actually an All-Star last year and was throwing quite well in April and May. Meanwhile, however, he has a 7.86 ERA in his 11 starts since June 1 and the Astros remain baseball’s top-hitting team. Their .363 wOBA against righties and .214 ISO cannot be matched, making anyone in the lineup a viable option.
Red Sox vs James Shields
Pretty sure Shields wouldn’t be in a big league rotation if he pitched elsewhere. In 33 career starts for the White Sox, he owns a 6.88 FIP. Oh, and he has surrendered 36 runs and 11 home runs over his last seven starts totaling 34.1 innings. The Red Sox .317 wOBA against righties this year might be a tick below average, but they have been hitting well this week and should be able to take advantage of a pitcher this incompetent.
Tigers vs Wade Miley
Over his last 11 starts, Miley has let up 51 runs in 48.2 innings and allowed 10 home runs. The opposition has an OPS of .992 against him, so he has to be targeted every single time he goes out to the mound until he proves he can pitch again. Plus, the Tigers .360 wOBA and .221 ISO against southpaws are MLB-best marks, so they should be able to punish his incompetence.
Other Stacks to consider:
Twins vs Cole Hamels
Rockies vs Nick Pivetta
