MLB DFS Pitcher Chart & Lineup Advice – 8/18/2017
Last Updated: 8/18/2017 –Â 9:21 AM CT
The pitcher chart is located under my top plays!Â
Top Plays
Max Scherzer
Scherzer is the top option on the slate and is also the highest priced option. Scherzer will face the Padres in Petco Park. He’s a large favorite and has the lowest OTT on the slate. The Padres strike out at the third highest rate in the league against righties and have the fourth worst wRC+. Scherzer has the highest overall projection on the slate, but considering he costs $14,100, other aces are cheaper, and it’s a Coors slate, I’m not sure whether I’ll pay for him.
Corey Kluber
Kluber will face the Royals in Kauffman Stadium. The Royals have the 7th worst wRC+ against righties, but are in the bottom third in strikeout rate. Kluber has the second lowest OTT on the slate and is also a large favorite. For $700 less, you can pitch Kluber instead of Scherzer. It will be interesting to see how ownership is split between Kluber and Scherzer on Friday.
Dallas Keuchel
Keuchel is the biggest favorite on the slate and has an OTT of 3.5. He’ll face the Athletics in Minute Maid Park. The A’s strike out 24.7% of the time against lefties and have a wRC+ of just 87. It’s a solid matchup for Keuchel and the fact that he’s $3,700 less than Scherzer makes him interesting. I’ll have tournament exposure to Keuchel and am considering him as my SP1 for cash games due to his price.
Mike Trout
With Coors on the slate and with high priced pitching, Mike Trout is still my top overall bat and is in my cash game lineups. Trout is the best hitter in baseball and faces Jeremy Hellickson in Camden Yards. It’s a big park upgrade for Trout and he has the second highest home run projection on the slate. It’s hard to pay $5,400 for a bat considering the cost of pitching, but Trout seems like a lock.
Freddie Freeman
Freeman faces Sal Romano and the Reds in SunTrust Park. It’s been much easier to fit Freeman into lineups since he gained 3B eligibility on DraftKings. Today, I have him as my third baseman. He has second highest non-Coors projection on the slate, and costs just $4,600. He’ll have the platoon advantages and faces a pitcher who has a 1.68 WHIP and a 5.01 SIERA on the season.
Notes
Matt Moore is too cheap for his matchup against the Phillies. I’m considering him for both cash games and tournaments.
If Brad Miller is leading off, he’s hard to pass up at $2,500.
Trevor Story is the top option at shortstop and with most of the top SS plays priced up, Story is a solid option even at $4,600.
The pitching chart will be updated often. Make sure to check back for the newest information, especially if a column is currently incomplete!
| Pitcher | Team | L/R | $Line | OTT | K | +/- | K% | IP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. Martinez | STL | R | -117 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 2 | 25.9 | 6 1/3 |
| T. Williams | PIT | R | +108 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 17.5 | 5 1/3 |
| J. Nicolino | MIA | L | +105 | 4.5 | 3 | -1.5 | 13 | 5 |
| C. Flexen | NYM | R | -114 | 4.5 | 4 | -0.5 | 14.6 | 5 2/3 |
| S. Romano | CIN | R | +118 | 4.5 | 3 | -1.5 | 18.8 | 4 2/3 |
| R. Dickey | ATL | R | -128 | 4.5 | 3.5 | -1 | 15.9 | 6 |
| M. Garza | MIL | R | +156 | 6.5 | 2.5 | -4 | 15.8 | 4 |
| G. Marquez | COL | R | -170 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 22.1 | 5 1/3 |
| M. Scherzer | WAS | R | -196 | 2.5 | 10 | 7.5 | 35.7 | 7 2/3 |
| L. Perdomo | SDP | R | +180 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 17.3 | 6 |
| Z. Eflin | PHI | R | +135 | 4 | 3 | -1 | 12.9 | 5 2/3 |
| M. Moore | SFG | L | -146 | 3.5 | 5 | 1.5 | 19.5 | 6 |
| A. Heaney | LAA | L | +125 | 5 | 4.5 | -0.5 | 5 | |
| J. Hellickson | BAL | R | -135 | 4.5 | 2.5 | -2 | 14.8 | 5 |
| E. Ramirez | SEA | R | +119 | 4 | 3.5 | -0.5 | 18.4 | 4 2/3 |
| A. Pruitt | TBR | R | -129 | 4 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 18.4 | 5 2/3 |
| J. Montgomery | NYY | L | +124 | 4.5 | 3.5 | -1 | 22.8 | 4 2/3 |
| D. Pomeranz | BOS | L | -134 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 24.4 | 6 |
| J. Shields | CHW | R | +173 | 6 | 3 | -3 | 18.4 | 3 2/3 |
| A. Cashner | TEX | R | -188 | 5 | 4 | -1 | 12.4 | 5 |
| S. Manaea | OAK | L | +210 | 5 | 5.5 | 0.5 | 21.8 | 5 2/3 |
| D. Keuchel | HOU | L | -230 | 3.5 | 6 | 2.5 | 22 | 6 1/3 |
| C. Kluber | CLE | R | -191 | 3 | 6.5 | 3.5 | 35.8 | 6 2/3 |
| I. Kennedy | WKCR | R | +175 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0 | 20.9 | 5 |
| J. Happ | TOR | L | +160 | 5 | 5 | 22.2 | 5 1/3 | |
| J. Arrieta | CHC | R | -174 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 23 | 6 | |
| R. Hill | LAD | L | -211 | 6 | 5 | -1 | 28.8 | 5 1/3 |
| J. Zimmermann | DET | R | +193 | 4 | 3.5 | -0.5 | 15.1 | 4 2/3 |
| Z. Godley | ARI | R | -116 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 25.8 | 5 1/3 |
| E. Santana | MIN | R | +107 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 1 | 19.5 | 6 |
Key
L/R = Lefty or Righty
$Line = Money Line
OTT = Opposing team’s run total
K = Projected Strikeouts
+/- = OTT-K
K% = Strikeout Percentage
IP = Innings Projection
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Many factors can change between the time I write this article and the time lineups lock. I’ll do my best to update the article, so checking back frequently is encouraged. You can also ask questions on Twitter @fantasbeast15. I’ll do my best to get to all of them!
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