Spotlight Pitchers: MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings + FanDuel | Jacob DeGrom

Another case of the Mondays is always best prescribed a heavy dose of MLB DFS, and thankfully for sanity’s sake, we get an even-keeled eight-game slate to ease us into the work week (although we do have Monday Night Football bets to handle as well).

With a couple of stud pitchers atop the pitching menu for tonight, there’s more to be desired than breaking the bank on the best numbers available … or is there? With no desirable stack in line that will destroy your salary per player, the options aren’t quite as starched and rigid as a night with Coors Field on the itinerary. The following MLB DFS picks for fantasy baseball lineups are based on Awesemo’s MLB Projections for today’s MLB DFS fantasy baseball slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. For more free DraftKings and FanDuel MLB picks and analysis for DFS baseball lineups, check out the Awesemo.com YouTube Channel for today’s MLB Strategy Show, Deeper Dive and Live Before Lock Shows.

Top MLB DFS Pitching Plays

Adam Wainwright – Cardinals at Royals – DraftKings $9,500, FanDuel $9,500

Although his point and value grades are more than a bit concerning, Adam Wainwright enters the Monday evening main slate against the Brewers as spend-up-to-be-contrarian option with some promising numbers despite not having the strikeout stuff from his prime years. Wainwright accounts for the best WHIP numbers of his career to date with a 0.98 WHIP and a 2.87 ERA. Despite not being atop the heap when looking at strikeout leaders in the majors, Wainwright still possesses a 21% strikeout rate for the season while walking just 5.7% of batters.

The fact is Wainwright still has plenty to offer on a slate where having high-ceiling upside comes with a high price tag and/or a massive amount of field ownership. With the 15-year Cardinals veteran, you’re getting a drastically low sub-3% ownership on FanDuel and less than 1% of DraftKings, while facing a drastically not-so-good team on offense (or period, depending on your periscope). Although he isn’t cheap, the fantasy ceiling is there still, as he’s averaged 20.51 DraftKings points and 36.87 FanDuel points across his eight starts this season.

Facing a dreadful Royals order who comes in with a 24.1% strikeout rate (12th in MLB) and a 12.2% swinging strike rate (seventh in MLB), with the bonus of lacking power (.153 ISO, 22nd in MLB), Wainwright has the ability to get you different from the field while achieving some beyond-serviceable fantasy numbers, if not outstanding ones.

Awesemo’s FanDuel Grades: Points D, Value E

Awesemo’s DraftKings Grades: Points C, Value E

Jacob deGrom – Mets vs. Rays – DraftKings $10,500/FanDuel $11,500

The default top option on this slate without question (on FanDuel especially without Luis Castillo), Jacob deGrom takes on the Tampa Bay Rays at Citi Field with his ho-hum dominance throughout yet another season, albeit shortened.

DeGrom is currently standing with an incredible 36.4% strikeout rate among all batters, which is third-best in the majors. While he’s projected to face five left-handed hitters in the Tampa Bay order, deGrom’s strikeout numbers are still every bit as remarkable, striking out lefties 32.1% of the time this season (eighth in MLB). He’s walking just 6% of all batters, with that number increased to 9.2% of left-handed hitters.

DeGrom’s 0.93 WHIP maintains seventh-best in MLB, while managing a 2.09 ERA and 2.84 SIERA (second in MLB). Basically from a daily fantasy stance, deGrom has been worth every penny in nine of his 10 starts this season (okay, maybe eight), averaging 42.1 FanDuel points per game (24.5 DraftKings points per game). His opponent in the Rays, while very much a lethal opponent at the plate, offer a considerable amount of fantasy point potential given deGrom’s strikeout supremacy.

The Rays are coming into New York with a 26.3% strikeout rate on the season (second worst in majors) and a 21.4% swinging strike rate (worst in majors). This equates to double-digit-strikeout upside as a very realistic possibility, and with the real downside only being his steep field ownership (53.1% FanDuel, 67.5% DraftKings).

Awesemo’s FanDuel Grades: Points A, Value B

Awesemo’s DraftKings Grades: Points A, Value A

German Marquez – Rockies at Giants – DraftKings $7,800, FanDuel $8,300

No longer the consistent top performer he was in 2018, German Marquez has still been quietly heating up as of late while other top performers of the league have been shining bright in the spotlight. Over his past three starts, however, Marquez has been holding his own as a fantasy performer given his cost range (approximately the mid/high $7,000s to low-end $8,000s), averaging roughly 17 DraftKings points and 34 FanDuel points per game.

Thankfully for Marquez, this game will be played in what’s considered to be more of a “pitcher’s park” in stark contrast to his home-at-altitude in Coors Field. His modest 1.33 WHIP is a fair offering at his salary, while walking just 7.9% of batters makes for a bit of added hope as well. With an 8.3 SO/9 and 21.7% strikeout rate against opposing hitters in 2020, German Marquez makes for a beyond serviceable SP2 on two-pitcher sites, while functioning as a great GPP play on both FanDuel and DraftKings.

German Marquez also ranks third among pitchers for Monday on Awesemo’s Top Pitcher % Tool with a 9.3% chance of being the top fantasy performer on the mound. At the same time, facing a mediocre San Francisco Giants club who ranks 20th in strikeout rate and 16th in swinging strike rate adds little to get excited about, Marquez has an asking price that’s flexible enough to afford any stack you’d like to get to, while offering 30-fantasy-point upside at a moderate ownership standing (fourth on FanDuel, fifth DraftKings).

Awesemo’s FanDuel Grades: Points C, Value C

Awesemo’s DraftKings Grades: Points C, Value C

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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.