MLB DFS Early Slate – April 1st: No Fooling Plays for DraftKings/FanDuel

MLB DFS Early Slate – April 1st: No Fooling Plays for DraftKings/FanDuel

Welcome back readers of FantasyCPR, we’re going to dive into some Early Only MLB DFS. Unfortunately we only have a small two game slate starting at 1:05pm Eastern Time. The Cardinals will be traveling to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates and the Whitesox are traveling to Cleveland to play the Indians.

Both games on the early slate are two low total games where every run scored is going to completely swing the slate. One minute you could be competing for the top of the tournaments and the next you could  completely fall out of the cash line. The two-game slates are difficult. That’s why you must take ownership stands, realize the volatility of baseball.

Let’s dive into the slate:

Pitchers:

Chris Archer ($9,100 DK/ $8,600 FD):

Archer is the top overall pitcher on tomorrow’s short slate, mainly because there is nobody else that possesses his highest ability to strike out opposing batters. In 2018, Archer a K-rate of 26.9% against right-handed hitters, and he will face a team that deploys 7 right-handed batters. Although the cardinals are a below average strikeout team, there are strikeouts to be had in the lineup. Archers is the top overall play on the slate to me tomorrow.

Adam Wainwright ($7,800 DK, $7,500 FD):

Is strong option competing against Archer on the other side of the mound. While I believe Archer possesses the highest K-rate on the slate, I like Wainwright still tomorrow as a pitcher who can go a strong 6 innings pitched and limit the damage. Wainwright is a heavy sinker and curveball pitcher, which the Pirates do not hit well. I love Wainwright as an SP2 tomorrow on DraftKings.

Mike Clevinger ($8,700 DK, $10,000 FD):

Clevinger is the other pitcher on the slate that projects to strike out a lot of batter but I’m telling you, the White Sox are not a laughing stock offense. In fact the White Sox, are projecting as my best offense tomorrow and I am going to be jamming them in even against Clevinger. Clevingers 25% K-rate is going to help him tomorrow and he definitely going to be popular. This is where I’m taking my stand on the early slate tomorrow, by fading a 60% owned pitcher.

Ivan Nova ($5,800 DK, $7,100 FD) – People will consider Nova as the gas can of the slate but I really don’t believe that is the case. The Indians offense has been brutal and there is really no way I see them turning it around any time soon. The offense is simply a bad offense, and they will project for a low total on nearly any slate. By the pitch, the Indians struggle with his curveball and struggle with his sinker which are his two main pitches. I’m running from the Indians on the early slate and hoping that they are popular.

MLB DFS Early Slate – Bats:

(wOBA/ ISO/ Hard Hit %/ Contact Rate%) 

White Sox Stack:

Okay folks this is where my money is rolling with on the early slate. I am banking heavily on the White Sox’s lighting up Mike Clevinger. Let’s dive into the numbers.

v. Fastball 93 mph  

Leury Garcia (0.463/0.212/42.31%/82.28%)

Jose Abreu (0.409/0.294/40.70%/82.46%)

Yonder Alonso (0.411/0.333/40.96%/83.33%)

Daniel Palka (0.502/0.4.74/46.15%/77.33%)

Yolmer Sanchez (0.406/0.233/22.39%/80.39%)

Here is where the problems rises with the White Sox’s. If they are getting behind in the count to the fastball, we are going to struggle because Clevinger’s strikeout pitch against right-handed batters is his sliders which only one White Sox hitter hold over a 0.300 wOBA and 0.200 ISO against. The hand contact percentage also falls under 30%. If the right-handed fail to hit the fastball, we’re in big trouble and there is probably going to be a double-digit strike out day for Clevinger.

However for the lefties in the lineup, Clevinger likes to use his change up more frequently, which is favorable to both Leury Garcia and Daniel Palka.

Leury Garcia (0.247/ 0.200/ 16.67%/ 69.06%)

Daniel Palka (0.321/0.270/28.89%/53.51%)

Offense is not great on the early slates but I like the White Sox as a sneaky stack centering around Abreu, Palka, Garcia and Alonso.

One Offs:

Paul DeJong ($3,800 DK/ $3,000 FD) 

I hate shortstop on the two-game slate and I’ve played DeJong ever single day. Fastball and Slider are Archer’s two best pitches and DeJong hits the combination the best on the team. I am locking DeJong into all of my lineups tomorrow.

Jung Ho Kang ($4,300 DK/ $2,600 FD) 

Kang is going to homer tomorrow, question is basically just when is it going to happen. Kang hits the sinker and the curveball well. There is not 3rd baseman that I love to roster tomorrow, he is an easy play for me as a one-off from the Pirates.

Best of luck to those competing at the top of the leaderboards tomorrow.