Daily Fantasy Baseball Top Pitchers on DraftKings & FanDuel

MLB’s 2021 regular season is in full swing, and the Awesemo.com Spotlight Pitchers article is here to help guide the slate of pitching decisions for both DraftKings and FanDuel. Each day will feature breakdowns of starting pitchers using Awesemo’s MLB Top Pitchers Tool by identifying some of the best daily fantasy baseball starting pitching plays on each slate based on Awesemo’s top value and top-scoring projections for the slate, relative to their projected ownership.

Check out more of Awesemo’s daily fantasy baseball tools and projections.

[UFC261]

Top Daily Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers | April 17

Clayton Kershaw: LAD at SD — DraftKings $10,000, FanDuel $10,700

Coming off a 12-inning duel at Petco Park, the Dodgers call upon their veteran ace Clayton Kershaw in the second game of a three-game weekend series in San Diego. In his three starts this season, Kershaw has thrown 7.71 K/9 with a 21.2% strikeout rate, a 1.3% walk rate, .253 average against, 2.89 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 1.59 FIP while averaging 19.3 DraftKings and 35.33 FanDuel Fantasy Points. However, taking on the San Diego Padres proves to be a daunting task, with Fernando Tatis Jr. returning from injury leave to rejoin an already-potent batting order (and hitting a home run in his return last night).

Awesemo Top Pitchers Tool forecasts Kershaw a 38.7% chance of being a top-two pitcher on DraftKings and a 15.5% chance of being the top pitcher on FanDuel. Awesemo projects Kershaw for 20.73 DraftKings and 35.70 FanDuel points, coinciding with his top pitcher projections that see him as the first and second-best option on both sites. Awesemo’s Top Pitcher Tool also projects Kershaw as a top-two value of 18.1% on DraftKings while just a 3.5% of being the top-value pitcher on FanDuel with his steep salary cost. Kershaw’s projected ownership of 40.0% on DraftKings and 27.1% on FanDuel make him one of the most popular selections for Saturday’s main slate.

The assignment will be a chippy one, to say the least (inclusive of a bench-clearing affair in late innings on Friday night), with Kershaw slated to face a mixed bag of five right-handed hitters, three lefties, and one switch-hitter. Looking at his resume from last season, Kershaw achieved a 24.5% strikeout rate with 7.98 K/9, .180 average against, 3.8% walk-rate, 0.75 WHIP, 3.80 FIP, and .171 BABIP while also surrendering a concerning 1.84 HR/9 against fellow lefties. Facing right-handed hitters last year, Kershaw struck out 29.2% with 10.10 K/9, 2.80 xFIP, 0.87 WHIP, 1.03 HR/9, and .252 BABIP. The Padres facing left-handed pitchers from this season through last have swung for a .252 batting average, 23.1% strikeout-rate, .330 wOBA with a 108 wRC+, which proves a manageable matchup for Kershaw. Projected as a top option while garnering much attention, Kershaw has one of the higher fantasy ceilings on the Saturday main slate against an opponent he most recently dominated in the postseason.

Awesemo’s FanDuel Grades: Points A, Value D

Awesemo’s DraftKings Grades: Points A, Value B

Latest MLB DFS Content

Yu Darvish: SD vs. LAD — DraftKings $9,400, FanDuel $9,900

Facing off with one of his former clubhouses, Yu Darvish takes the mound for the San Diego Padres to try evening the series against the rival Dodgers. Settling into his rhythm in the last two starts after an opening dud, Darvish has achieved a 27.5% strikeout rate with 9.68 K/9, a .212 average against, and 0.96 WHIP (nearly identical of 2020), and stranding 85.9% of batters-faced with a .250 BABIP. Taking on a deadly Dodgers batting order, Darvish will have to pitch some of his best work to dispatch the current best team by the numbers.

Awesemo Top Pitchers Tool projects Darvish a 37.3% chance of being a top-two pitcher on DraftKings and a 15.9% chance of being the top pitcher on FanDuel. Awesemo’s projections of 20.31 DraftKings and 34.99 FanDuel points for Darvish make him one of the top pitching options on Saturday’s main slate despite his lethal opponent. As a top-two value of 21.6% on DraftKings, Darvish provides a fair asking price alongside admirable point projections, yet a 5.0% of being the top-value pitcher on FanDuel given lesser salary forgiveness. However, Darvish’s projected ownership of 47.5% on DraftKings and 29.1% on FanDuel signify a lack of hesitation on behalf of the field regardless of the potent Dodger batting order.

Darvish is due to face a balanced assortment of Dodgers bats coming by way of four right-handed hitters and five lefties. Last season Darvish comprised a 26.1% strikeout rate with 9.26 K/9, 3.02 FIP, 0.77 HR/9, 5.4% walk-rate, .211 average against, and 0.99 WHIP against left-handed hitters. Facing fellow righties, Darvish achieved an 0.98 FIP, stranding 89.8% of those reaching bases, with an impressive 13.81 K/9 and 39.8% strikeout rate while walking just 3.5% of same-handed hitters. The Dodgers haven’t cooled off from their World Series Championship run last season, swinging for a .265 batting average, .503 slugging rate, .362 wOBA, and 130 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers from now through 2020. Yet still without star lefty Cody Bellinger in the Dodgers batting order, Darvish’s day is slightly more manageable but terrifying nonetheless. Yet with few other pitching options providing as high of a potential fantasy ceiling, much like his opponent in Kershaw, Darvish remains a top selection for Saturday’s main slate with excellent projections.

Awesemo’s FanDuel Grades: Points A, Value C

Awesemo’s DraftKings Grades: Points A, Value B

[JOINMLB+]

Dean Kremer: BAL at TEX — DraftKings $6,000, FanDuel $6,500

Not every slate comes inclusive of bargains at starting pitcher, but Dean Kremer provides exactly that option on Saturday’s main slate for both DraftKings and FanDuel. So far in his young career in the Majors beginning last season, Kremer has earned a 3.87 FIP, 10.9 K/9 with a 26.1% strikeout rate, 0.70 HR/9, and a worrisome 6.20 ERA through just 24.2 innings pitched. Heading into Globe Life Park to take on the Texas Rangers, Kremer has an intriguing matchup at stake while offering salary relief to daily fantasy owners.

Awesemo Top Pitchers Tool gives Kremer a surprising 21.20% chance of being a top-two pitcher on DraftKings and a 10.10% chance of being the top pitcher on FanDuel. Awesemo projects Kremer for 15.85 DraftKings and 28.25 FanDuel points, translating to the third-best overall option on both sites. With his top-two value of 38.0% on DraftKings and a 15.5% top-value pitcher projection on FanDuel, Kremer takes the cake for combined salary relief and solid point projections. Kremer’s savings align with his projected ownership of 23.7% on DraftKings and 8.7% on FanDuel, as he allows for spend-up hitting options to fantasy owners with ease.

Texas is looking to throw the mutual batting order of four righties, four lefties, and one switch-hitter at Kremer, while his short resume has shown a better stint against fellow right-handers. With a 26.0% strikeout rate against lefties and 26.2% against righties, Kremer has shown some promise while raising some red flags as well. Earning a 5.93 xFIP and 1.64 HR/9 facing opposite-handed batters while notching a 1.76 WHIP and 4.44 xFIP against right-handed hitters, Kremer’s discount doesn’t come without its blemishes. When matched up against right-handed pitchers since 2020, the Rangers have not proven threatening, swinging for a .216 batting average, 26.3% strikeout rate, .286 wOBA, and 79 wRC+, Kremer is in an advantageous spot given his price point. Although his inexperience and shaky numbers may induce some second thoughts, the matchup and salary relief are far too great to overlook on Saturday’s five-game main slate.

Awesemo’s FanDuel Grades: Points C, Value A

Awesemo’s DraftKings Grades: Points C, Value A

Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more great Awesemo content.

Looking for more daily fantasy baseball and MLB DFS picks content? We have loads of daily fantasy baseball articles, data, cheat sheets and more on the Awesemo MLB DFS home page.

Author

Chris Giordani

Once a man of 12-team teaser parlays and an abundance of season-long fantasy leagues, Chris "TopherSquints" Giordani gradually honed his fascination for sports and plus-money wagers toward Daily Fantasy Sports. A homegrown Awesemo student from the early stages of the site's inception, he became infatuated with the contrarian DFS mindset and eventually combined his passion for writing with Daily Fantasy at the Sports Gambling Podcast's website blog. Currently, Chris Giordani resides in Orange County, California, enjoys binging on stand-up comedy, and long strolls through the DraftKings lobby.