Spotlight Pitchers: MLB DFS Picks for DraftKings + FanDuel |

The Following FREE MLB DFS picks for fantasy baseball lineups are based on Awesemo’s MLB Projections for today’s MLB DFS fantasy baseball slate on DraftKings. For more free DraftKings 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. Picks in green are for cash or GPP-style contests.

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MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers for DraftKings, FanDuel

Top Value Plays

Josh Lindblom – Brewers at Pirates – FanDuel $6,100, DraftKings $5,100

Starting pitcher is dreadful on this slate, with the only elite arm on the board matching up with the Astros. Lindblom was excellent in the KBO in each of the last two seasons and signed with the Brewers after winning MVP in 2019. He posted a 2.50 ERA and struck out just under 10 batters per nine innings. While we’re comparing apples to oranges with those two leagues, Vegas believes in him as well. The Brewers are -180 favorites over the Pirates, who trot out one of the league’s worst overall lineups.

With Starling Marte gone, this Pirates lineup lacks any type of power punch or ability to string together hits. Josh Bell can always go deep, but the rest of the lineup is filled with unintimidating options that strikeout close to 25% of the time, if not more. Lindblom isn’t expected to be on any restrictions in his first start, but I also expect him to be around 80-85 in his first few starts. At the dirt-cheap price tag, Lindblom is our safest option in cash games.

Patrick Sandoval – Angels vs. Mariners – FanDuel $5,600, DraftKings $6,600

The route to success tonight certainly looks to be finding the cheap starting pitcher option or two that outscores the rest. Patrick Sandoval is another very intriguing option, and he presents a ton of upside. He struck out 9.61 batters per nine innings last year (rookie season) and sported just a 4.02 xFIP. The young lefty was solid against both sides of the plate, holding both righties and lefties under a .340 wOBA.

The Mariners are coming off a murderer’s row of pitching, and Sandoval certainly won’t provide the same intimidation that the Astros did. With that being said, Sandoval strikes out nearly 13 lefties per nine innings, and the Mariners will trout out at least four or five of them. Sandoval is extremely cheap on FanDuel and impossible to ignore in tournaments. I’ll say cash games as well on such an ugly pitching slate.

Walker Buehler – Dodgers at Astros – FanDuel $10,500, DraftKings $11,300

This is a tough one. If later in the season, I would be a lot more willing to play Buehler. In his first start, I’m just not sure the upside is there against the Astros. Even if he dominates for five or six innings, the inevitable 45 or so FanDuel points may not be enough. It certainly won’t be if any of the popular cheap options come through, as they open a ton up offensively. However, there will always be value in paying up for starting pitcher, and there’s a good shot each and every one of those cheap plays disappoints.

Early in the season, we’re seeing a ton of pitchers get pulled after 75 or so pitches. It’s safe to project Buehler closer to 100 if he’s pitching well, and 10 strikeouts wouldn’t shock anyone. While I certainly like the value on Sandoval and Lindblom more, it’d be silly to sleep on Buehler in any format. If you’re in love with a cheap offense tonight, you shouldn’t think twice about where you’re going at SP.

Top GPP Target

Merrill Kelly – Diamondbacks at Rangers – FanDuel $7,800, DraftKings $10,000

Kelly made a smooth transition to the MLB in 2019 after spending four season overseas with the SK Wyverns of the KBO. He was middling with a 4.50 xFIP and 7.76 K/9 but was able to go rather deep in plenty of games and did show some upside from time to time. While his profile doesn’t come off as such, Kelly is a pretty boom-or-bust pitcher. If on his game, it’s fair to expect seven innings of clean work. If he’s off, he’ll walk a batter or two in each inning and will be gone before the fourth. In large-field tournaments, Kelly is projected as the best value on FanDuel by Awesemo.