FanDuel MLB Lineup Advice 4/17
Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all had a good day yesterday if you decided to play the short slate. One out of my two lineups cashed, thanks to having four Giants batters in my lineup in that extra innings game. By the looks of it, there’s a lot of good baseball to be played tonight so let’s hop into who you should plug into your lineups.
Pitchers
Max Scherzer, WAS – $11,000
Scherzer is tonight’s must start pitcher, and facing a weak-hitting Phillies lineup is just gravy. I think this is going to be his first elite outing of the year, where he’ll go 7.1 IP, 1 ER, and 10 K. Get Scherzer locked and loaded in your lineups and watch the fireworks.
Corey Kluber, CLE – $10,700
If you’re looking for a pitching option that is a tad cheaper than Mad Max, look no further than the Indians’ Kluber going up against the Twins. I expect the reigning AL Cy Young winner to have a field day with that lineup and he should put up numbers similar to the ones I projected for Scherzer above.
J.A. Happ, SEA – $6,600
Happ should have a sneaky good day against the lefty-heavy Rangers in the confines of pitcher-friendly Safeco Field. The lefty slinger should get the upper hand of arguably overrated players in Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo. I expect the Mariners’ offense to get to Texas starter Yovani Gallardo early and often, so a good win potential accompanies Happ tonight.
Hitters
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, LAD – $5,000
Let’s state the obvious: Gonzalez has been absolutely unconscious at the plate since Opening Day, with a ridiculous 5 HR, 9 RBI, and a 1.706 OPS thus far. Yes, the price tag is steep but with a great match-up against pedestrain Kyle Kendrick and the hotness factor, he’s a great play tonight.
Jed Lowrie, SS, HOU – $3,400
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The Astros shortstop has been off to a solid start in 2015 after his largely disappointing 2014, with a .286 BA, 3 HR, and 5 RBI. He has fared reasonably well against the Angels probable starter tonight, Jered Weaver, in his career (6 for 22, 1 HR, 7 RBI). Lowrie is beginning to bat at the top of the Astros lineup, behind Jose Altuve and George Springer and ahead of Evan Gattis and Chris Carter. The former Oakland A has a great opportunity at ample fantasy counting stats tonight, and should be considered in all lineups.
Pablo Sandoval, 3B, BOS – $3,500
Sandoval has been considered day-to-day after he missed Wednesday’s game with a minor foot injury. However, with two days of rest in between games, I think the Red Sox third baseman will be ready to go against the Orioles on Friday night. Sandoval has historically lit up Ubaldo Jimenez, having a career .324 batting average against the righty with 2 HR and 5 RBI. Kung Fu Panda could be in line for a monster night hitting in the middle of that great Boston lineup.
Recommended Stacks
Dodgers hitters vs. Kendrick (Gonzalez, Rollins, Pederson, Grandal)
Nationals hitters vs. O’Sullivan (Harper, Desmond, Zimmerman, Werth)
Tonight’s Lineup
Follow me on Twitter @FantasyRam for lineup updates up until they lock!
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