It’s the last day of April and, if the nursery rhyme is to be believed, also the last day of April showers. On that note, keep on eye on tonight’s tilt between the Cubs and Mets, as there is expected to be some inclement weather in the New York City area round first pitch. Won’t be a problem tomorrow, though. Right? Right?!?
Let’s dive into this 12-game slate and find some studs and values.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Reynaldo Lopez, Atlanta Braves at Seattle Mariners, $9,500 – Lopez has been one of the best stories in baseball in April, as the 30-year-old has pitched to a 0.72 ERA in his first stint as a full-time starter since 2020. Obviously, Lopez’s velocity is down from where it sat coming out of the bullpen, yet a 12.4% swinging strike rate across 25.0 innings is a good indicator that the veteran will continue to rack up strikeouts. Specific to Tuesday, Lopez couldn’t ask for a better matchup. The Mariners can’t hit. Not only does Seattle own the league’s highest strikeout rate by a wide margin (28.5%), but it also slashing a paltry .175/.232/.358 over the past week. Woof.
Value
Cole Ragans, Kansas City Royals at Toronto Blue Jays, $7,800 – Is there a second Cole Ragans that pitches for the Royals who am I unfamiliar with? I just can not wrap my head around the LHP being this inexpensive. Ragans has made six starts in 2024 for Kansas City, pitching to a 3.29 SIERA and a 2.22 FIP. In 30.0 innings he’s racked up 37 strikeouts, thanks mostly to a 14.6% swinging strike rate. His surface numbers would also be quite a bit better if not for an opponent BABIP of .381. To be blunt, Ragans price tag should be pushing $10K every time he takes the mound — not $8K. It helps that Toronto’s bats have struggled in April, but Ragans’ viability is all about his upside and an erroneous salary.
INFIELD
Stud
Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Angels, $4,800 – Few players hit left-handed pitching as well as Bohm. To wit, since the beginning of 2023, Bohm is slashing .316/.357/.605 with a .289 ISO and a .402 wOBA in his 207 plate appearances within the split. Tyler Anderson ($7,600) has looked solid for the Angels to start 2024, yet his expected statistics scream regression. I’d expect Bohm to do some damage off the lefty on Tuesday.
Stud
Edouard Julien, Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox, $4,400 – Julien and the Twins faced Mike Soroka ($5,800) on April 25. Do you know what else happened that day? The sophomore infielder hit his sixth and seventh home runs of the season. Julien is a platoon specialist, and he currently sports a .301 ISO and a 144 wRC+ in his 85 plate appearances against RHPs. Meanwhile, Soroka has a 7.22 xERA and he’s surrendering 2.17 opponent home runs per nine. It’s not difficult to see the appeal in this spot.
Value
Carlos Santana, Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox, $3,100 – Whether or not you choose to believe the Twins’ offense has been revitalized by a magic sausage is up to you, but there’s no denying that Santana has been a different player the past week. In his last five games, Santana has four home runs, 10 RBI and he’s averaging 17.0 DKFP. With the struggling Soroka on the mound for the White Sox and Santana’s price tag hovering around $3K, I’m willing to take a chance on a hot bat. …and a magic bratwurst.
Value
Gary Sanchez, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Tampa Bay Rays, $3,000 – Sanchez had a terrible start to the season, but things have been much better since April 12. In that 40 plate appearances sample, Sanchez is slashing .286/.375/.629 with a 177 wRC+. In layman’s terms: He’s been the exact hitter the Brewers brought in to be their primary DH. Sanchez also has a career .273 ISO and .800 OPS against LHPs. Tyler Alexander ($6,000) would be wise to tread carefully with the veteran backstop.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros vs. Cleveland Guardians, $5,800 – If you’re looking for someone to blame for Houston’s slow start — it isn’t Tucker. In his 127 plate appearances to begin the season, Tucker is slashing .290/.397/.551 with a .418 expected wOBA. Do the pair of home runs he hit this weekend in Mexico come with an asterisk? Sure. Yet the point is that he’s crushing the ball. Conversely, Carlos Carrasco ($6,900) is getting crushed. The veteran’s velocity is way down from 2023 and opposing LHBs have combined for a .415 wOBA. It might be the end of the line for Cookie.
Stud
Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates at Oakland Athletics, $4,600 – Generally speaking, Reynolds has been a stronger DFS option when facing right-handed pitching throughout his career. However, that’s not been the case to begin 2024. In fact, in his 40 plate appearances versus southpaws, the switch-hitter is putting up a .371 average with three home runs. That’s good for a 207 wRC+ within the split. The lefty Reynolds will square-off with this evening is Alex Wood ($6,200). Wood has a 6.59 ERA. Need I say more?
Value
Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks, $3,300 – Pages is red-hot at the moment. Over his last eight games, the rookie outfielder has 12 hits (six for extra-bases), which has translated into a 1.010 OPS and a .303 ISO. Jordan Montgomery ($8,700) isn’t your average LHP, but getting Pages in an opposite-hand matchup at this price is a gift. Heck, getting any exposure to this Dodgers lineup at a discount is a blessing.
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 theglt13) 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.
