Fansided

FanDuel Lineups and Picks for Tuesday, May 1

By Adam Strangis

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 20: Max Scherzer
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 20: Max Scherzer /
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Welcome into the Tuesday edition of the FanDuel daily fantasy MLB column! We have a massive 14 game slate tonight so let’s jump right in.

Last night was a bummer as the  lineups were so incredibly chalky for a larger slate. Most players were over 40 percent(or more) owned and there just wasn’t much room for wiggle. The only players we had that nobody else had was Joey Wendle, Alex Verdugo and Rhys Hoskins. Those three players combined for six points, so we fell short of the cash line. I personally hate slates where everything is so closely grouped because there’s just no room for error. Yesterday is done with so let’s move on to today!

BOSTON, MA – APRIL 15: Chris Sale #42 of the Boston Red Sox delivers during the fourth inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on April 15, 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 15: Chris Sale #42 of the Boston Red Sox delivers during the fourth inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on April 15, 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

Starting Pitcher, High End Spend

Max Scherzer, $11,500

.182(12 for 66), 32.9 strikeout rate 

The number one option for tonight’s slate with a bullet point is Nationals starter Max Scherzer. He’s historically dominated the Pirates and he’s been the model of consistency so far this season. he had one start that was 30 points against the Braves and every other time out has been at least 50 points. His strikeout rate is spiked at over 13 per nine innings his ERA is under 2.00. His season low is seven and he’s hit double digits in four of six starts. The Pirates offense is worse against righty pitching and there’s really nothing to pick at with the matchup tonight. Scherzer has the inside track at the N.L. Cy Young and tonight could be one of his signature starts of 2018.

Also Consider – Chris Sale, $11,300

Mid-Range

Tyson Ross, $7,500

.281(41 for 146), 19.8 strikeout rate

Many players may overlook Ross tonight since he’s coming off a bad outing against the Rockies. It’s important to remember that that particular start came in Coors Field, so I’m giving Ross a pass for that one. His strikeouts are up and the walks are down. The ground ball rate is as good as it ever was and he gets to pitch in AT&T Park tonight, which is a pitcher’s dream. The San Francisco Giants offense is not good against righty pitching. They are in the top 10 in strikeout rate while being 20th or lower in many offensive categories other than batting average. Ross is quietly in a great spot this evening.

Also Consider – Kyle Gibson, $7,800

Value

Sean Newcomb, $7,400

.286(12 for 42), 26.5 strikeout rate

I’ll admit I have a bit of a soft spot for this fireballing lefty but he’s got a great matchup on paper tonight. The Mets have been awful against lefties so far this year and will likely be without Yoenis Cespedes. They strikeout 26 percent of the time against lefties and rank 26th in average, 29th in OPS, last in ISO and 29th in wOBA. The chances of a win aren’t the best since he’s being opposed by Noah Syndergaard and the quality start chance is a little risky because Newcomb has a history of walks. Still, the upside for a double digit strikeout game is always there with Newcomb and the metrics are working in his favor.