The Monday, April 29 DraftKings fantasy baseball slate features nine games. Get a head start on the competition by checking out the best MLB DFS stud and value picks for each position.
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PITCHER
Stud
Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox ($10,400) — The wind is blowing out in Chicago, but the White Sox are known to get blown out. Ryan is known to blow away batters and get outs. That was the case in his last start against these very same White Sox. He struck out eight and allowed two home runs in six innings. There’s risk but there’s reward. There are plenty of MLB DFS value picks below that make Ryan’s upside affordable. Ryan has a 32.8% K-Rate. The White Sox are the worst team in MLB against right-handed pitching (73 wRC+, .271 wOBA, .115 ISO and 24.2% K-Rate).
Value
Matt Waldron, San Diego Padres vs. Cincinnati Reds ($6,800) — The knuckleball is back. It’s not only back but Waldron may be a better knuckleballer than R.A. Dickey (2012 Cy Young Winner). Waldron’s pitch breakdown at Baseball Savant is fascinating. The batting average against his knuckleball is .147. Batters strike out at a 34% rate and whiff 27.9%. Waldron held the Rockies to one run in six innings at Coors Field in his last start. More impressively, his numbers were better than his season average. His Knuckleball Whiff% was 40% and his Fastball Whiff% was 50%. This is not a normal knuckleballer. Waldron has a full arsenal. Batters can’t sit on a pitch.
INFIELD
Stud
Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Angels ($6,200) — SP Griffin Canning ($6,300) will make the Phillies popular on Monday’s slate. Canning (7.50 ERA) has avoided getting canned in his last two starts. The first three were the opposite. In his first 13.2 innings, he allowed 16 runs and five home runs. Turner has hit safely in 16 of the last 17 games and has five three-hit games over that span.
Value
Rowdy Tellez, Pittsburgh Pirates at Oakland Athletics ($3,100) — A pitcher’s price says a lot. SP Joe Boyle ($6,200) is scared of lefties. He’s walked 15 left-handed batters (22.1%) and allowed nine earned runs (6.13 xFIP) to left-handed hitters. Tellez will walk or be in comfortable hitter’s counts. On Sunday, Tellez doubled twice and walked. He’s seeing the ball well.
Austin Shenton, Tampa Bay Rays at Milwaukee Brewers ($2,500) — SP Bryce Wilson ($6,600) isn’t a dumpster fire, but he has a weakness — 2.00 HR/9 and 44% Flyball%. That’s quite a weakness in a premier hitter’s park. In 5.1 innings against left-handed batters, Wilson has allowed three home runs (.500 ISO). Shenton homered and doubled on Saturday and doubled again on Sunday. He has a .241 ISO vs. RHP.
Willi Castro, Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox ($3,100) — There’s too much infield value. As mentioned above, the wind is blowing out at Guaranteed Rate Field — a premier hitter’s park. SP Garrett Crochet ($8,600) says his stuff is “electric.” That’s bold from a pitcher with a 6.37 ERA. He’s not completely wrong (2.98 xFIP). His stuff is good but he makes mistakes that pay (1.82 HR/9). Left-handed batters can’t touch the southpaw, but right-handed batters have touched them all six times and plated 20 runs in 24.2 innings. Castro has hit safely in 10 of the last 11 games with five multi-hit games in his last seven.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Richard Palacios, Tampa Bay Rays at Milwaukee Brewers ($4,700) — Tampa left-handed bats are at the top of the list on Monday’s slate. This is a great matchup and a park upgrade. They’re also affordable. Palacious homered and collected two singles on Saturday and followed with another two single game on Sunday.
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks ($6,500) — With all of the value why not spend up? Don’t worry about the lefty-left matchup. Ohtani has a .348 wOBA, .233 ISO and 121 wRC+ vs. LHP during his career. Furthermore, how long will SP Tommy Henry ($5,700) last? He’s the cheapest pitcher on the slate.
Value
Randal Grichuk, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers ($3,600) — Does SP James Paxton ($7,900) still got it? Not against right-handed batters. He’s walked 15 in 16.0 innings (6.90 xFIP). His 90.1% strand rate has saved his overall numbers, but he is playing with fire. The Diamondbacks are the wrong team to play this game with. Grichuk has a hit in seven of his last eight games and his best two games over that span were against lefty starters.
Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks ($3,200) — The rookie righty has better splits against right-handed pitching. That’s fine. Tommy Henry won’t last long. The Dodgers-Diamondbacks game has the highest total on the slate. Pages had monster power numbers in the Minors (94 home runs), and that’s translated in the Big League (.231 ISO).
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
