Fantasy Baseball Picks: Top DraftKings MLB DFS Lineup Strategy for Giants vs. Padres Showdown on April 5

After a very enjoyable opening weekend of baseball action, we’re settling in for out first Monday slate of the season. Specific to this article, we’ll be looking at tonight’s Showdown matchup between the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park.

How will you be able to balance your lineups with all of San Diego’s big name, high-priced bats? Let’s break down everything you’ll need to know.

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Showdown $10K Hidden Ball Trick [$2K to 1st] (SF vs SD)

SHOWDOWN STRATEGY

Captain’s Picks

Eric Hosmer ($15,000 CP) - It’s a little odd to admit Hosmer is my favorite positional asset on a team that also features Fernando Tatis Jr. ($10,800) and Manny Machado ($10,400), but this play comes down to drastic handedness splits. Anthony DeSclafani ($9,400) pretty much struggled against everyone in his 33.2 innings in 2020 — at least that’s what a 6.53 expected ERA would suggest — however, going back to the beginning of 2018, it’s clear that the right-hander has a particular issue with left-handed bats like Hosmer. In that span, DeSclafani’s faced 692 LHBs, and he’s allowed those opponents to hit 2.1 home runs per nine with an eye-popping .361 wOBA. Hosmer’s already started the season strong with four extra-base hits in his first 12 plate appearances, and I’d expect he keeps the good times rolling on Monday.

Donovan Solano ($9,300 CP) - If you’re looking to save some salary right off the top, Solano is your guy. The middle infielder has hit third in all three of San Francisco’s games in 2021, even in Saturday’s matchup against the Mariners and the right-handed Chris Flexen. That would appear to mean that Solano’s locked into a high-leverage spot in the Giants’ batting order, which is more than enough to be viable at his modest price. However, drawing a left-handed opponent in Adrian Morejon ($10,600) only makes Solano more appealing. In 194 plate appearances within the split since the beginning of 2019, the 33-year-old is slashing .355/.392/.481 with a 135 wRC+.

Value UTIL Plays

Jake Cronenworth ($7,200) - The Padres are still experimenting with their batting order through four games, so you’ll have to keep an eye on tonight’s lineup, but it was Cronenworth who found himself slotted between Tatis and Machado in the two-spot in Sunday’s loss to Arizona. It makes sense. Cronenworth had a fantastic rookie campaign in 2020, finishing the truncated season with a .354 OBP and a huge .396 expected wOBA. The 27-year-old has also carried that success over to 2021, as the LHB is slashing .333/.529/.667 through his first 18 plate appearances. Considering DeSclafani’s much documented struggles with lefties, Cronenworth deserves some serious attention on this slate.

Austin Slater ($6,800) - After hitting a solo home run on Opening Day, Slater has had a few problems finding his swing. To wit, the outfielder has struck out in six of his last nine plate appearances. Still, with the left-handed Morejon on the mound for San Diego, it’s more than likely that Slater once again finds himself in the leadoff spot for San Francisco. It’s difficult to knock Gabe Kapler’s logic, too. In 2020, Slater posted a .469 OBP within the split, while he also managed a .342 ISO and a 200 wRC+ when getting the chance to hit off a southpaw. Maybe there’s a chance he’s pinch-hit for later in the game, but there’s more than enough upside here to offset that risk.

Fades

Adrian Morejon ($10,600)/Anthony DeSclafani ($9,400) - I wouldn’t touch either starter on tonight’s slate. There’s simply far too many scenarios where neither reaches value. In the case of Morejon, the big concern is pitch count. The LHP never threw more than 3.2 innings in Spring Training, leading me to believe that there’s little chance he makes it through the Giants order twice. Speaking of San Francisco’s bats, this is a team that led the National League with a 127 wRC+ against left-handed pitching in 2020, and they’ve only added to the roster’s depth with the return of Buster Posey ($8,000). As for DeSclafani, I don’t think many pitchers will be thriving in their matchup with the Padres this season, let alone a starter who struggled as obviously as the RHP did last year.

THE OUTCOME

This has all the makings of a contest where runs are going to be plentiful. Between the Giants’ right-handed split advantage and the Padres’ general offensive potential, I’d be leaning towards betting the over before even looking at a particular team on the moneyline. That said, San Diego is 25-8 in its last 33 games as a home favorite, and I have confidence that the Padres bullpen can gain control of this script in the later innings.

Final Score: San Diego 8, San Francisco 4

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Showdown $10K Hidden Ball Trick [$2K to 1st] (SF vs SD)

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