MLB DFS DraftKings.com & FanDuel.com Lineups & Picks for April 15, 2018
Baseball is back with a great slate of MLB DFS games scheduled for Friday, 4/13/18. The main slate on DraftKings includes 11 games starting at 1:05 p.m. EST, and FanDuel’s main slate also includes 11 games starting at 1:05 p.m. EST.
For today, we’re listing our top MLB DFS pitchers, hitters, and stacks to target in Cash and GPP lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. The info below can also be used for crafting your daily fantasy baseball strategy at FantasyDraft.
Please note the advice below is relevant for daily fantasy purposes. A player or team might be better or worse from a fantasy perspective than in real life due to matchup, price, and lots of other factors. This is important to consider when constructing a roster. Remember that more than in other sports, variance is a huge part of baseball. Even Jose Altuve can go 0-for-4 on a given night, and Max Scherzer can get lit up by a weak team.
Weather can also play a huge role in MLB DFS on a nightly basis, and lineups are constantly shifting. So always, always check the starting lineups and weather reports when playing for an MLB slate. If a game gets rained out, your player gets zero points!
*Note: The Twins-White Sox and Blue Jays-Indians games have been rained out. The first half of the Yankees-Tigers doubleheader has also been postponed.
4/15/18 MLB DFS TOURNAMENT PICKS
Sunday Nifty Fifty: $50 entry, $200k guaranteed (DraftKings)
Knuckleball: $5 entry, $150k guaranteed (DraftKings)
Grand Slam: $44 entry, $150k guaranteed (FanDuel)
Squeeze: $4.44 entry, $125k guaranteed (FanDuel)
Click here for FantasyDraft MLB DFS Contests – $4 free entry!
Best MLB DFS Pitchers for April 15, 2018
Chris Sale vs. BAL ($12.4k DraftKings, $11.2k FanDuel)
This is one of the more clear-cut plays of the season thus far and while baseball is prone to unpredictable results, you should feel more than comfortable rolling with Chris Sale at home today. The Orioles have been one of the worst offensive teams in baseball with a collective .285 wOBA and the highest K-Rate (27.5%) in the Majors. Baltimore posted a 23.9% K-Rate against LHP last year and current O’s are a meager 33-for-159 (.208) with an astounding 36.5% K-Rate in their careers against Sale. The only concern here is his low pitch count through three games as new manager Alex Cora seems to be preserving Sale for later in the season. So you can consider him as more of a strong Cash play than a GPP option with elite upside.
Shohei Ohtani @ KC ($11.0k DraftKings, $10.5k FanDuel)
Since giving up a homer to Oakland’s Matt Chapman in the second inning of his first MLB start, Shoehi Ohtani has allowed 1 ER with 18 Ks over his last 11 innings of work. The fact that he dominated the same Athletics team one week later indicates that he’s able to make adjustments quicker than MLB hitters, who are still trying to figure him out and find a way to hit his ridiculous splitter. Ohtani starts today at spacious Kauffman Stadium against a Royals team that scored the second-fewest runs (339) amongst A.L. teams with a weak 0.37 BB/K ratio when playing at home last season. His splitter also makes him even tougher on lefties, making it difficult for KC to platoon against him.
Dylan Bundy @ BOS ($7.4k DraftKings, $9.1k FanDuel)
You could go with a “studs and scrubs” at SP on DK with one of the pricey SPs listed above and a great value such as Dylan Bundy. He’s been fantastic over three starts with a 2.55 SIERA and 11.25 K/9 ratio through three starts and only appears to be this cheap because he’s facing a red-hot Red Sox offense. Yet the weather is cooling dramatically in Boston and Bundy’s been solid with a 3.38 ERA and 0 HR allowed over his last two starts at Fenway. He started this hot last year before seemingly running out of steam down the stretch and can therefore be relied upon a bit more in just his fourth outing of the year.
Francisco Liriano vs. NYY ($5.5k DraftKings, $6.4k FanDuel)
Perhaps no SP comes with more risk today than Francisco Liriano, but he could also provide ample returns if he handles the Yankees strikeout-prone lineup. The southpaw is off to a solid start with 7 Ks and 3 ER allowed over two 6-inning starts, including a solid outing in Cleveland against the tough Indians lineup on Monday. Now he’ll return to Comerica Park, which has a bit of extra space in center field to try and contain some of the Yankees massive sluggers. While Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez could all be worth deploying in GPPs against Liriano, they could also pad his stats by striking out often, as the Yanks are posting a modest 9.7% BB Rate when facing lefties this season.
*Liriano’s scheduled start in the first half of the double header has been rained out. A good value pivot would be Julio Teheran against an overrated Cubs offense missing Anthony Rizzo (back). For a value play in Cash games, consider Pittsburgh’s Ivan Nova against the weak Marlins lineup.
Other pitchers to consider: Luis Severino, Noah Syndergaard, Ivan Nova, Julio Teheran
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Best MLB DFS Hitters for April 15, 2018
Ozzie Albies @ CHC ($4.4k DraftKings, $4.2k FanDuel)
The Braves elite prospect is starting to showcase his five-tool talents lately and is cooking at the plate with seven hits, including four doubles and a HR, over his last three appearances. Ozzie Albies will have the platoon advantage today at hitter-friendly Wrigley Field against Cubs RHP Tyler Chatwood, who posted a 5.29 FIP with a startling 26.2% HR/FB ratio against lefties last season. Chatwood is also a bit slow to the plate and if his battery mate is Willson Contreras, Albies and fellow infielder Dansby Swanson ($3.3k, $3.6k) would be recommended options with upside due to their speed.
Jose Martinez @ CIN ($3.7k DraftKings, $3.5k FanDuel)
While Reds RHP Homer Bailey found his stride in a tough matchup at Philadelphia on Tuesday, rolling with the vulnerable righty on four full days of rest would be a very risky proposition. Especially when you consider he’s facing a dangerous Cardinals lineup that is a collective 54-for-122 (.443) with 5 HRs and a staggering .504 wOBA in their careers against him. Jose Martinez is a relative newcomer and is a modest 3-for-4 with one of those homers, but he’s an excellent bargain relative to his upside. The huge 6-foot-7 RHB is 6-for-9 with a HR and two doubles since returning to his starting role after suffering a bruised Achilles and seems poised to thrive at a hitter’s park tonight.
Jay Bruce vs. MIL ($3.8k DraftKings, $3.5k FanDuel)
Brewers RHP Jhoulys Chacin has been so bad through three starts this year that you have to wonder if he’s long for the Majors at this point. The 30-year-old RHP is posting a 4.83 SIERA with a 30% HR/FB ratio and an alarming 96.8% Z-Contact Rate while getting knocked around in 13 innings. Chacin has been particularly bad against the platoon and posted a 5.55 xFIP with a 1.29 HR/9 ratio against LHB last year, so targeting him with a lefty slugger in Jay Bruce makes sense. You could stack against Chacin with the more expensive Michael Conforto ($4.6k, $4.0k) as well as hot-hitting infielder Asdrubal Cabrera ($3.9k, $3.9k).
Mallex Smith vs. PHI ($3.0k DraftKings, $2.4k FanDuel)
If you’re looking for a cheap outfielder with upside, the Rays can provide two in Kevin Kiermaier ($3.0k, $2.5k) and Mallex Smith. The speedy Smith has more upside due to his abilities on the base paths and he’s actually flashed some power this season with a four-hit game in which he registered two XBH at the White Sox on Monday. Smith should be in the lineup against young RHP Ben Lively, who has been solid this year, but is allowing LHB to post a .408 wOBA with a 2.00 WHIP and 31.8 percent line drive rate against the platoon.
Other hitters to consider: Mike Trout, Giancarlo Stanton, Gregory Polanco, Yoenis Cespedes, Paul DeJong, Ryan Zimmerman, Howie Kendrick, Ender Inciarte, Matt Duffy
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MLB DFS Stacks to Consider for April 15, 2018
Mets vs. Jhoulys Chacin (Brewers)
Braves vs. Tyler Chatwood (Cubs)
Cardinals vs. Homer Bailey (Reds)
Angels vs. Eric Skoglund (Royals) – will be chalk, but Angels have good RHB to deploy.
