MLB DFS DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Lineups & Picks for May 8, 2018
We’ve got a great slate of MLB DFS games scheduled for Tuesday, 5/8/18. The main slate on DraftKings includes 14 games starting at 7:05 p.m. EST, and FanDuel’s main slate also includes 14 starting at the same time.
For today, we’re listing our best 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!
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Best MLB DFS Pitchers for May 8, 2018
James Paxton @ TOR ($11.0k DraftKings, $9.5k FanDuel)
While he may not have the same ceiling as tonight’s consensus top option at SP, Corey Kluber, James Paxton has nearly as much upside, as evidenced by his 16-strikeout performance last Wednesday. He cooled off the surprisingly hot Athletics lineup. Now, he faces a Blue Jays team posting a modest .313 wOBA against LHPs and will be without two dangerous righties in Steve Pearce (oblique) and Randal Grichuk (knee). Josh Donaldson has good career splits (6-for-15) against Paxton, but he’s not necessarily recovered from his shoulder injury. (He went 0-for-10 this past weekend.) Paxton is rocking a 13.97 K/9 ratio that leads all qualified pitchers in the Majors, which explains his lofty projected FP total (21.6) according to models on RotoQL.
Sean Manaea vs. HOU ($9.5k DraftKings, $8.6k FanDuel)
Much like Paxton is an upside play relative to the more pricey Kluber, Sean Manaea has as much upside as his adversary tonight, Astros RHP Lance McCullers. McCullers has been wild lately and is tough to trust outside of GPP formats. Meanwhile, Manaea has proven his ability to excel against even the toughest lineups this season. He held the Astros to one unearned run with 7 Ks at Minute Maid Park April 27. Now, he’ll face them at massive Oakland Coliseum, which has one of the lowest run factors in the American League. The Astros are now 34-for-161 (.211) with 39 Ks in their careers against Manaea and struggle against the LHP despite their overall success against southpaws.
Ivan Nova @ CWS ($6.4k DraftKings, $8.2k FanDuel)
After predictably struggling against the Nationals’ tough lineup, Ivan Nova is primed to bounce back tonight. He excelled in his previous four starts against weak offenses, such as the Marlins and Tigers. Thus, he’s a decent bet for a Quality Start against a White Sox team that trails only the Orioles and Marlins with a modest 125 runs scored this season. Nova is getting more ground balls (49.3% GB rate) with a higher K-Rate (19.3%) this season, and the White Sox are sporting a 24.5% K-Rate. He may not have tremendous upside, but he could really pay off as a secondary SP at such a cheap price on DK.
Jon Gray vs. LAA ($6.1k DraftKings, $7.3k FanDuel)
If Ivan Nova is a relatively safe value tonight, Jon Gray represents a boom-bust option in a similar price range. The Rockies RHP has been inconsistent over the past couple of seasons but was somehow more productive with a 3.13 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .283 wOBA at Coors Field last season. He’s posting good peripheral stats with a 9.30 K/9 ratio and 3.40 xFIP. Yet his numbers are skewed by an implosion against the Cubs two weeks ago. Since then, he’s recovered with a dominant 11-strikeout shutout of the Padres at home. Plus, there was a strong start on the road against those same Cubs. Perhaps he’s turned a corner and can continue to cool off an Angels lineup that’s struggled a bit of late. He’s a top contrarian GPP option with his proven upside and will carry extremely low ownership due to the game being in Colorado.
Other pitchers to consider: Corey Kluber, Aaron Nola, Zack Godley, Danny Duffy
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Best MLB DFS Hitters for May 8, 2018
Nolan Arenado vs. LAA ($5.6k DraftKings, $5.1k FanDuel)
The matchup for Nolan Arenado tonight is almost too good to be true. Nothing can be taken for granted in baseball, but he should be able to make hard contact against Angels vulnerable LHP Andrew Heaney, who has given up 17 HRs over his last 10 appearances. Arenado is hitting .390 with a .519 wOBA against LHP this year and hit .432 with a 38.1% HR/FB ratio against the platoon at Coors Field last season. His upside is immense in a potential slugfest tonight.
Javier Baez vs. MIA ($4.4k DraftKings, $4.3k FanDuel)
Javier Baez is right next to Arenado with a projection of 11 FPs on RotoQL tonight, and he’s obviously more of an economical option. Wrigley Field might not have the same natural aids as Coors, but it still has one of the highest HR factors in the Majors, and Baez is rocking a .404 ISO mark with 5 HRs over 13 home games this season. Marlins RHP Jose Urena is allowing a 43.1% hard contact rate this season and has been equally vulnerable in RvR matchups so far in his career. Baez is certainly hitting his stride with a HR in three consecutive games, but you’ll have to make sure he’s in the lineup after departing Monday’s contest with groin tightness.
Dee Gordon @ TOR ($4.2k DraftKings, $3.3k FanDuel)
He’s made a career of slapping hits in the fast turf at Marlins Park, and Dee Gordon should feel right at home in a series at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. He’s a career .327 hitter indoors and faces a RHP in Marcus Stroman who has really struggled with his control so far this season. Stroman is posting a 10.7% BB rate and is slow to the plate, while his battery mate Russell Martin has had trouble catching runners in recent seasons. Gordon could serve as the head of a Mariners stack tonight with the potential to steal a bag and score multiple runs.
Other hitters to consider: Mike Trout, Jose Ramirez, A.J. Pollock, Giancarlo Stanton, Eric Hosmer, J.T. Realmuto, Nomar Mazara, Howie Kendrick, Adam Frazier, Wilson Ramos, Cesar Hernandez
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MLB DFS Stacks to Consider for May 8, 2018
Rockies vs. Andrew Heaney (Angels)
Cubs vs. Jose Urena (Marlins)
Phillies vs. Derek Holland (Giants)
Nationals vs. Clayton Richard (Padres)
Yankees vs. Drew Pomeranz (Red Sox)
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