MLB DFS action on Wednesday, April 14, features 15 games 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 Astros, Blue Jays, Dodgers and more.
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MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Hitters and Stacks, Wednesday, April 14th
Yahoo Stack of the Day: Atlanta Braves vs. RHP Nick Neidert — 4.9 implied runs
The road to The Show has been a winding path for Nick Neidert. Seattle selected him out of high school in the 2015 MLB Draft, and he made his MLB debut in the abbreviated 2020 season with 8.1 total innings. According to scouting reports, his fastball is pedestrian at best, though he has a decent curve and changeup. There are not many “crafty” righties in the league for good reason, as they get feasted on by left-handed hitters and do not have the stuff to fend off same-handed batsmen. The key projection systems averaged out have him with a 4.90 to 5.00 ERA, 5.10 to 5.20 FIP, 7.5 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and 1.45 HR/9. These indicate that at best Neidert will be a back-of-the-rotation starter or long reliever.
While gamers will be paying premium salaries for Ronald Acuna Jr. and Freddie Freeman, Ender Inciarte should be in the Atlanta lineup at the Yahoo minimum salary. Ideally he would be towards the bottom of the order if not batting eighth, and he adds synergy as part of a wrap-around stack. For full stacks look to the heart of the order with the switch-hitting Ozzie Albies and righties Marcel Ozuna and Travis d’Arnaud.
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Early Slate
Toronto Blue Jays vs. RHP Corey Kluber – 5.1 implied runs
This game has the best weather by far on the early slate, as it is taking place at the Blue Jays’ spring training facility in Florida.
Most gamers will be flocking to the Yankees with their matchup against the enigmatic Ross Stripling. That is a savvy strategy, though if to get to the next level gamers should target Toronto against Corey Kluber. It is important to know that this is no longer Cy Young-caliber pitcher he once was. Kluber turned 35 years old on Saturday and has struggled since suffering a fractured right arm in May 2019. Last year, Kluber started one game for the Rangers and suffered a muscle tear in his throwing shoulder, which ended his season. In his debut this year, he did have seven strikeouts but also allowed seven runs. Only four were earned, however.
Since his last healthy season in 2018, which culminated in his third straight All-Star Game appearance and a third-place finish in the Cy Young race, Kluber has managed just 42 innings. This is definitely a “prove-it” spot, and it looks like a lot of gamers are going to be rostering Kluber rather than going against him.
Focus on the top of the order for the Jays, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette being the primary targets. Then gamers can round things out with a full stack by including a discounted Lourdes Gurriel, the power-hitting Randal Grichuk and the ever-steady Marcus Semien.
Main Slate
Houston Astros vs. RHP Michael Fulmer – 5.2 implied runs
There is a good chance that the Minute Maid Park roof will be closed tonight given a strong chances of evening rain in the Houston area. This could be a long or short night for Michael Fulmer depending on the vantage point. Over his last three seasons, Fulmer has allowed 1.56 HR/9 with a relatively even split between batters from either side of the plate. He has a mediocre 7.54 K/9 and 3.13 BB/9 rates in this same timeframe, with only a 16.5% soft-contact rate.
Look to the Astros sluggers first, with Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman leading the way. Michael Brantley should be able to make contact with his at-bats, and some line drives and potential extra-base hits will be on the menu. Yuli Gurriel and Carlos Correa thrive in same-handed matchups, which seems to go unnoticed by many gamers. Jose Altuve and Kyle Tucker are also viable as mix-and-match candidates.
Late Slate
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. RHP Jon Gray — 5.1 implied runs
With just two games on the late slate, the Dodgers will obviously be popular, though as they demonstrated last night with four home runs, it is for good reason. Jon Gray is an above-average pitcher with decent strikeouts and a mediocre walk rate. In his last 173.1 road innings since the beginning of the 2018 season, he has a 4.73 ERA, 4.12 xFIP, 1.30 HR/9, 22.8% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate. This basically works out to a decent No. 3 or 4 pitcher on most MLB staffs.
Even without Cody Bellinger, who is sidelined with a calf injury, and slugger Joc Pederson, who is now with the Cubs, the Dodgers will be rolling out a fierce lineup without any easy outs. Focusing on lefties Max Muncy and Corey Seager will be the conventional strategy, with most gamers choosing Mookie Betts next. For differentiation, skip Betts and spend up for Will Smith, as most gamers prefer to punt with their backstop. Gavin Lux and A.J. Pollock will provide salary relief, which will inflate their popularity on the late slate, but they will be lost in the shuffle on the main slate.
Final Thoughts for the Wednesday, April 14th MLB DFS Slate
The weather for the Seattle – Baltimore game looks ominous. They play again tomorrow and could squeeze in a doubleheader if necessary. Be sure to watch for weather updates leading up to first pitch. 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.
