MLB DFS action on Sunday, April 11, features 28 teams in action across three slates with giant contests on Yahoo, DraftKings and FanDuel. Before locking in MLB DFS picks and lineups, make sure to check out Awesemo’s daily fantasy baseball top stacks, picks, rankings and projections. Let’s dig into some MLB DFS picks and daily fantasy baseball stacks, including the Cardinals, Indians and Giants.
Don’t forget to head over to the Awesemo MLB DFS HOME PAGE for more great written daily fantasy baseball content, including FREE daily article series: Spotlight Pitchers, MLB DFS Tournament Strategy and MLB Cheat Sheets for all the major DFS sites.
MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Hitters and Stacks, Sunday, April 11th
Yahoo Stack of the Day: St. Louis Cardinals vs. LHP Brett Anderson — 4.3 implied runs
Every year it seems that one of the hallmarks of the Cardinals is their righty-heavy lineup. Fortunately that plays into their favor today against Brett Anderson. This is Anderson’s 13th season, and there are no mysteries as to what to expect from the crafty lefty. With a fastball in the upper-80s, Anderson relies on a mix of breaking balls and changeups to keep hitters off balance and to induce weak contact. That said, he can be exploited by the correct hitting profile.
The nice thing about the addition of Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals is that he will likely be hitting in an adjacent lineup spot to noted lefty masher Paul Goldschmidt. This duo has favorable salaries and will provide some built in synergy. While batter-versus-pitcher stats are fun, they are not particularly meaningful since it is a relatively limited sample size. However, it is worth noting that Goldschmidt is 10-for-18 in his career against Anderson with two home runs. Arenado has also found success, going 6-for-15 with a pair of round-trippers as well.
For those looking to make a full stack from St. Louis on Yahoo, then Paul DeJong at $12 is a value batting cleanup. Tyler O’Neil has light-tower power and works as well if he is in the lineup.
[JOINMLB+]
Main Slate
Cleveland Indians vs. RHP Jose Urena — 5.2 implied runs
There are potential weather issues in New York, where the Mets are hosting the Marlins, and in Florida, where the Blue Jays are hosting the Angels. This has led to taking a long look at Cleveland against Jose Urena. While he has an above-average ground ball rate, approaching 50% in his last 602 righty/lefty matchups, Urena gives up a lot of hard contact and has a 1.62 HR/9 with little strikeout potential. The switch-hitting duo of Cesar Hernandez and Jose Ramirez will provide the foundation for full stacks. Lefty Eddie Rosario has a .257 ISO in his last 613 plate appearances against opposite-handed hurlers, and he should be in the cleanup spot today.
Ben Gamel will likely be leading off, and if this comes to fruition, he is a steal at his near-minimum salary across the DFS sites. Finally, gamers can consider Franmil Reyes, who has a .255 ISO in his last 600 matchups against same-handed hurlers. As a bonus, Detroit used righties Michael Fulmer and Buck Farmer for 68 and 22 pitches yesterday. That makes it likely that one of the Tigers’ four lefty relievers will be the first pitcher out of the bullpen, which bodes well for Reyes.
Late Slate
Colorado Rockies at RHP Anthony DeSclafani — 3.9 implied runs
The three-game late slate should be a fun one. Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer and their half-dozen combined Cy Young Awards are squaring off in Los Angeles. In Arizona, it looks like their is a decent chance that the Chase Field roof will be open, and gamers will be defaulting to batters in that matchup since it has the highest projected run total. That leaves the Rockies on the road in San Francisco against Anthony DeSclafani as differentiation bats.
In his last 704 righty/lefty matchups, DeSclafani has ceded a 2.07 HR/9 rate. He also has a mediocre 20.7% strikeout rate and a subpar 9.7% walk rate. This has resulted in a 5.24 ERA and a 5.18 xFIP, which indicates the results have been as expected. Charlie Blackmon is no longer a threat on the basepaths, with just four steals in his last 207 games, but he does have power and should be in the heart of the order today for Colorado.
The two other primary targets swinging the stick from the left side of the plate will be Ryan McMahon and Raimel Tapia. McMahon has quietly posted a .201 ISO against righties across his last 514 matchups, with his 11.4% walk rate indicating good plate discipline. Tapia does not offer much in the way of power, but he makes good contact and has the green light to steal when on base.
While DeSclafani has been steady against same-handed hitters, posting a 24.0% strikeout rate and a low 4.6% walk rate, he does allow some power, with a 1.32 HR/9. Trevor Story is arguably the best hitter on the Rockies and one of the 12 best batsmen in the league. Do not be afraid to use him as a one-off along with slugger C.J. Cron in the hope that they can run into one. The Giants bullpen is loaded with lefties, so there is a chance this duo will have the platoon advantage at some point during the game.
Final Thoughts for the Sunday, April 11th MLB DFS Slate
Today should be a fun one with a dozen games on the main slate. Keep in mind that salaries and scoring formats differ across the various fantasy sites, and a home run play on Yahoo may be a below-average MLB DFS pick on DraftKings or FanDuel.
