MLB DFS DraftKings.com & FanDuel.com Lineups & Picks for April 28, 2018

Baseball is back with a full slate of MLB DFS games scheduled for Saturday, 4/28/18. The main slate on DraftKings includes eight games starting at 7:05 p.m. EST, while FanDuel’s main slate includes the same number, also starting at 7:05.

For today, we’re listing our top MLB DFS picks at pitcher, hitter, 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 Mike Trout can go 0-for-4 on a given night, and Max Scherzer can get lit up by an unsuspecting 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.

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Best MLB DFS Pitchers for April 28, 2018

Lance McCullers vs. OAK ($11.2K DraftKings, $8.8k FanDuel)

Lance McCullers is insanely expensive at DraftKings, as they’ve more than priced in his upside. But you can afford him at FanDuel, where he is just $8.8K. His strikeout upside is one of the highest on the slate, and he gets an Oakland team that strikes out right around the league average. Over the past three seasons, McCullers is 13-4 at home compared to 6-12 on the road. The ‘Stros are more than 2:1 favorites to win this game, and McCullers should walk away with a quality start and a win. He’s a very strong Cash game and GPP play over at FanDuel, while his lofty salary makes him a contrarian pick at DraftKings.

Masahiro Tanaka @ LAA ($8.9k DraftKings, $9.1k FanDuel)

Tanaka has more strikeouts per game over his last 10 starts than any other pitcher on the main slate. In fact, his 6.7 K/game over his last 10 is nearly one full strikeout more than the second highest average (5.8) on the slate. The Yankees veteran has also found success against this current Angels roster, striking them out at a rate of nearly 30% over 84 at bats, while allowing just two home runs. And Tanaka, weirdly, has allowed one run over 14.1 at Angels Stadium over the past three years, and just three runs over 21.1 innings total against the Angels (again, over the past three seasons). He’s an excellent Cash play at both sites, and frankly I think you can roster him in GPPs on both sites as well, though I prefer the added value at DK.

Walker Buehler vs. SF ($7.1k DraftKings, $5.5k FanDuel) — Early Slate

Like the aforementioned McCullers, Buehler is much more expensive on DraftKings than FanDuel. Unlike McCullers, you can still roster him without much trouble on DK. As of this writing, Buehlers’s opponent, the San Francisco Giants, have the lowest implied total on the slate. The top prospect has 17 strikeouts in 14.1 Big League innings, including five strikeouts over five innings in his first career start, a No Decision against the Marlins last week when he allowed four hits, three walks, and zero runs. Buehler is specifically interesting in tournaments since he could flash some strikeout upside, but the Vegas numbers make him also appealing in Cash if you want to take the savings, specifically on FanDuel where I think he’ll be one of the more efficient plays.

Joey Lucchesi vs. NYM ($7.8k DraftKings, $8.4k FanDuel)

The lefty Lucchesi is a slight home favorite against the New York Mets tonight. The rookie has started five games this season (the first five of his career), and he’s 2-1 over that span with an ERA of 2.70 and 29 strikeouts over 26.2 innings. The Mets are in the bottom 10 in strikeouts per game (as in, they strike out more than 20+ teams on average per game), and they’re averaging 10 strikeouts per game on the road this year. The Mets also have a .621 OPS against left-handed pitchers this season compared to an OPS of .716 vs. RHPs. In pitcher-friendly Petco Park, I think Lucchesi is primed for 6+ strikeouts and another solid performance. He’s a very good tournament option at DraftKings according to RotoQL, but you can play him on FanDuel as well. As for Cash games, I’m only going with him on DK.

Jack Flaherty @ PIT ($7.2k DraftKings, $6.2k FanDuel)

Salaries are all over the map on this slate, so let’s get it out of the way: Flaherty is another guy cheap enough across the industry that you can probably afford to play him in any format. However, he’ll almost certainly be a more efficient play on FanDuel. But with two spots for pitchers on DraftKings, he’s an excellent tournament option if you want to pivot down from Tanaka or away from Buehler/Lucchesi. Flaherty gets a Pirates team that really does not strike out much (sixth fewest strikeouts per game), but they’re also coming off an extra innings game last night in which they allowed starter Miles Mikolas to rack up seven strikeouts. I’ll happily roll the dice on Flaherty as a road favorite, given his strikeout potential.

Other pitchers to consider: Garrett Richards, Trevor Williams, German Marquez, Caleb Smith, Andrew Cashner, Johnny Cueto, Alex Woods

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Best MLB DFS Hitters for April 28, 2018

J.T. Realmuto vs. COL ($4.0k DraftKings, $3.2k FanDuel)

I don’t see much promise at the catcher position, so I’m endorsing Realmuto, even if he’ll be super chalky. Over his last three games, the Marlins catcher has four hits, three of which went for home runs. Two of those came against right-handed pitchers. Today, German Marquez, the right-handed starter for the Rockies, will look to improve on his 6.14 ERA. Unfortunately, he’s allowing an OPS of 1.044 to right handed batters. I’ll take the red-hot Realmuto in this one, especially on DraftKings where you need a catcher. He also ranks no. 1 over at RotoQL in terms of projected score, which seems to support our logic.

Pedro Alvarez @ DET ($3.1k DraftKings, $2.2k FanDuel)

Alvarez hasn’t been consistent in Baltimore, but last night he blasted two home runs against the Detroit Tigers. He’s absolutely brought his power with him from Pittsburgh. The lefty faces fellow lefty Francisco Liriano, and while Alvarez is somewhat worse against LHPs than righties, he may be turning a corner after going yard twice yesterday. With his average well below the Mendoza line, I’m hopeful there’s positive regression happening right now, and Liriano is due for some negative regression. Just make sure he makes it into the starting lineup, as the Orioles could give him the day off. We’ll update you as news becomes available, but he’s a good source of savings (especially on FanDuel) in GPPs.

Nolan Arenado @ MIA ($5.2k DraftKings, $4.3k FanDuel)

With a 6.69 ERA across his first 40 Major League innings, Caleb Smith has flashed strikeout ability but has also displayed a genuine inability to keep runners off the bases. This season, he’s been particularly bad against righties, allowing 13 hits over 61 at bats (eight for extra bases) and 12 walks. As for Nolan Arenado, he crushes lefties. Just this season, he has a 1.349 OPS against left-handed pitchers, and, for a larger sample size, over the past three years that OPS is .991. Since returning from a five-game suspension, Arenado has blasted three home runs over seven games. At these prices, I’ll take Arenado over Smith in this one. Fire away in GPPs, preferably, though I think his floor is high enough for Cash consideration.

Didi Gregorius @ LAA ($5.3k DraftKings, $5.0k FanDuel)

With the highest projected score on RotoQL for the shortstop position, Gregorius is arguably the most appealing play today. The Yankees shortstop has four home runs in his last five games, and his 2018 OPS of 1.282 vs. right-handed pitchers is pretty staggering considering it’s over 60 at bats. Will Gregorius cool down? Yes. Will it be against Garrett Richards? I don’t think so. Richards is pitching very well this season, but he’s struggled against lefties, with three of the four home runs he’s allowed coming against southpaws. Lefties are also hitting for a higher SLG% and OPS than righties against Richards, unsurprisingly. Richards has also faced some weaker offenses of late, including the Giants, Royals, and Rangers. Gregorius should continue his hot streak, and I suspect he’ll be a big piece in an all-around strong day for this Yankees club.

Other hitters to consider: Alex Bregman, Marwin Gonzalez, George Springer, Danny Valencia, Trey Mancini, Tim Anderson, Brett Gardner, Manuel Margot, Leonys Martin, Craig Gentry, Yolmer Sanchez, Derek Dietrich, Evan Gattis

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MLB DFS Stacks to Consider for April 28, 2018

Yankees vs. Garrett Richards (Angels)
Astros vs. Daniel Mengden (Athletics)
Orioles vs. Francisco Liriano (Tigers)
White Sox vs. Eric Skoglund (Royals)