DFS MLB DraftKings/FanDuel Lineup Advice and Pitcher Chart 8/16/2018
Pitchers
For the Pitcher Chart as well as Hitter picks and analysis, click NEXT!
Jon Gray
Gray will face the Braves in SunTrust Park. The Braves have been an overrated offense all season, and with Ronald Acuna’s dominance over the past week, they may continue to be overrated for some time. Truth is, the Braves are a good offense, ranking 10th in wRC+, but are far from elite. Gray gets a park upgrade traveling to SunTrust Park and has an OTT of four. He has a 27.1% strikeout rate this season, highest number on the slate. At $8,700, Gray is one of my favorite cash game pitchers on Thursday, and if the ownership is low enough, I’ll load up on him in tournaments as well.
Julio Teheran
Teheran will be opposite Gray in the matchup in SunTrust Park. He’ll face a Rockies offense that is much worse on the road. The Rockies rank 27th in wRC+ and take a big park downgrade. Teheran struggles against lefties, so Charlie Blackmon and David Dahl worry me a little, but there’s enough to like for $8,200. It’s reasonable to expect 16-19 DK points from Teheran. On a typical slate, I may avoid Teheran, but on a limited slate like this one, he’s viable as an SP2 for cash games and tournaments.
Clay Buchholz
I get the appeal of Buchholz, especially if you’re a game-log watcher. He has a great matchup against the Padres and a shiny 2.67 ERA. However, his SIERA is 4.12 so he’s pitching much worse than his ERA suggests. For $9,500, I can’t get behind Buchholz, especially when Teheran and Gray project similarly for a cheaper price. I will have 0% Buchholz in tournaments, and will avoid him in cash games as well.
For the Pitcher Chart as well as Hitter picks and analysis, click NEXT!
Pitcher Chart
To see my favorite hitters for today’s slate, click NEXT!
The pitching chart will be updated often. Make sure to check back for the newest information, especially if a column is currently incomplete!
Last Updated: 8/16/2018 – 10:35 AM CT
| Pitcher | Team | L/R | $Line | OTT | K | +/- | K% | IP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Lester | CHC | L | -100 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 18.4 | 5 2/3 |
| I. Nova | PIT | R | -108 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 16.5 | 5 1/3 |
| J. Gray | COL | R | -104 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 27.1 | 6 1/3 |
| J. Teheran | ATL | R | -104 | 4 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 22 | 6 |
| C. Buchholz | ARI | R | -125 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 2 | 20.9 | 5 2/3 |
| J. Nix | SDP | R | +115 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 16.7 | 5 |
| B. Snell | TBR | L | +155 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 1 | 28.4 | 5 1/3 |
| M. Tanaka | NYY | R | -168 | 3.5 | 6 | 2.5 | 25.3 | 6 |
| F. Liriano | DET | L | +141 | 5 | 4 | -1 | 18.5 | 4 2/3 |
| E. Santana | MIN | R | -156 | 4 | 3.5 | -0.5 | 15.2 | 5 |
| S. Gaviglio | TOR | R | -130 | 4.5 | 4 | -0.5 | 22 | 5 |
| G. Sparkman | KCR | R | +120 | 5 | 3 | -2 | 18.9 | 4 2/3 |
| C. Oswalt | NYM | R | +145 | 4 | 3.5 | -0.5 | 16.4 | 5 |
| R. Suarez | PHI | L | -157 | 5 | 4 | -1 | 14.3 | 5 |
| S. Matz | NYM | L | +156 | 4.5 | 6 | 1.5 | 21.2 | 5 2/3 |
| Z. Eflin | PHI | R | -170 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 2 | 23.3 | 6 |
| T. Roark | WAS | R | +118 | 4.5 | 5 | 0.5 | 20.5 | 6 |
| L. Weaver | STL | R | -128 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 5 |
Key
L/R = Lefty or Righty
$Line = Money Line
OTT = Opposing team’s run total
K = Projected Strikeouts
+/- = K-OTT
K% = Strikeout Percentage
IP = Innings Projection
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 or Facebook. I’ll do my best to get to all of them!
To see my favorite hitters for today’s slate, click NEXT!
Hitters
Royals Bats
The Royals will face Sam Gaviglio in Kauffman Stadium. Gaviglio isn’t terrible, but he has a 1.51 HR/9. They Royals have a team run total of 4.5, and while there are better offenses on the slate, the Royals have cheap prices, creating value for cash games. Salvador Perez had two home runs last night, likely increasing his ownership, but he’s the top catcher play on the slate. Alex Gordon and Lucas Duda are both underpriced as well and will have the platoon advantage against Gaviglio. Whit Merrifield is more interesting for tournaments rather than cash games, but at $4,000 he seems slightly underpriced. I will likely have at least three Royals in my cash game lineup, and will explore some Royals stacks in tournaments.
Miguel Sano
Sano is the prototypical tournament play with a high strikeout rate and immense power. Today, I’m considering him for cash games. They Twins have a team run total of five against Francisco Liriano who owns a SIERA of 5.24 this season. Sano has the platoon advantage and has a top five home run projection on the main slate. Among third baseman, only Matt Carpenter has a higher projection, but after getting hit on the hand last night, he may not play, and costs $900 more than Sano. I’ll load up on Sano in tournaments, and am strongly considering him in cash games as well.
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