Today’s MLB DFS Picks: Advice, strategy for Friday’s DraftKings, FanDuel daily fantasy baseball contests
August 26, 2020
Watch ChangeUp, a new MLB live whip-around show on DAZN Editor’s Note: This is a FREE preview of Fantasy Alarm’s MLB DFS Playbook. For full analysis every day and more ways to dominate your daily fantasy baseball competition, check out DFS site-specific advice and the rest of Fantasy Alarm’s great season-long and DFS tools available to subscribers.MORE: Fantasy Alarm PRO toolsToday’s MLB DFS Picks: DraftKings, FanDuel advice for Friday, April 26Miles Mikolas, Cardinals vs. Reds. Mikolas, aka the Lizard King, has allowed three or fewer earned runs in four of his five starts this season and makes a living on his 49-percent ground-ball rate. He’s not a big strikeout pitcher by any means (17.3 percent), but a 3.9-percent walk rate always helps him limit the potential damage. Up against the Reds, who have 25-percent strikeout rate vs RHP, he should hit the upper end of his strikeout potential tonight.Jason Castro, Twins vs. Orioles. Castro should slot into the starting lineup tonight for the Twins since he will have the platoon advantage against Alex Cobb, who allowed a .330 wOBA and 1.15 HR/9 to lefthanded hitters last season. He’s great salary relief on a loaded slate.MORE: Friday DK Lineup | Friday SP rankingsJustin Smoak, 1B, Blue Jays vs. A’s. Do you want any of this Smoak? Well, you should in a matchup like this. The Blue Jays come in with an implied run total at 4.46. Smoak is up against Mike Fiers, who allowed a .305 wOBA to lefties last season along with 1.52 HR/9. Smoak had a massive .257 ISO vs RHP last year, putting him on home run watch tonight.Kolten Wong, 2B, Cardinals vs. Reds. Wong and the Cardinals are going to be one of the most popular teams on the slate since they have a high implied run total at 4.59 and are facing a struggling pitcher. That pitcher is Anthony DeSclafani, who couldn’t get lefties out last year with a .385 wOBA and 2.58 HR/9, and it’s much of the same for him this season. Wong had a .328 wOBA and a .159 ISO last season vs. RHP and is priced a bit better on FD tonight.Cole Tucker, SS, Pirates @ Dodgers. Tucker is an exciting young player for the Pirates who has hits in five of his six game this season. He is a very cheat tournament-only options tonight vs Hyun-Jin Ryu, who is allowing a sneaky bad 36-percent hard contact rate to righthanded hitters this season.Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Blue Jays vs. A’s. Today is the THE DAY. Vladdy Jr. is here and making his MLB Debut. Take all the hype out of it, he had a .227 ISO last season in Triple-A and is baseball’s top prospect. The ownership will certainly be there since the Blue Jays are in good spot overall, so know that going in. Happy Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Day! Baseball’s top prospect will be making his major league debut tonight against the A’s, and you can bet he’ll be in plenty of DraftKings and FanDuel lineups tonight. It’s a 15-game MLB DFS main slate (though a few games will be dealing with rain), so the options, both sleepers and studs, are seemingly limitless.The two games most threatened by weather are Rays-Red Sox and Brewers-Mets, but Padres-Nationals and Marlins-Phillies could also see delays. Make sure to consult the Fantasy Alarm Weather Center before lineup lock. Cody Bellinger, OF, Dodgers vs. Pirates. Bellinger is one of the best hitters in the league and comes in with three home runs in his past seven games. He always has massive tournament upside due to his multi-HR ability and being up against Chris Archer, who allowed a .345 wOBA and 1.56 HR/9 to lefties last season.For more player recommendations and analysis, become a Fantasy Alarm subscriber today! Pos PlayerMatchupOpp. SPDKFDY!AnalysisSPJ. Paxton (L)NYY @SFFri 10:15M. Bumgarner (L)$9600$11000$56UPGRADESPC. Kluber (R)CLE @HOUFri 8:10C. McHugh (R)$8900$9600$46UPGRADESPC. Morton (R)TB @BOSFri 7:10. (TBD)$8500$8800$46UPGRADESPH. Ryu (L)PIT@ LAFri 10:10C. Archer (R)$8200$9500$44UPGRADESPM. Mikolas (R)CIN@ STLFri 8:15A. DeSclafani (R)$7400$7400$44See aboveSPJ. Eickhoff (R)MIA@ PHIFri 7:05J. Ureña (R)$7900$7800$36UPGRADECW. Contreras (R)CHI @ARIFri 9:40R. Ray (L)$4700$3800$18UPGRADECM. Zunino (R)TB @BOSFri 7:10. (TBD)$4000$2300$14UPGRADECC. Vázquez (R)TB@ BOSFri 7:10C. Morton (R)$3700$2500$10UPGRADECJ. Castro (L)BAL@ MINFri 8:10A. Cobb (R)$3300$2200$15See above1BJ. Smoak (B)OAK@ TORFri 7:07M. Fiers (R)$4700$4100$16See above1BD. Vogelbach (L)TEX@ SEAFri 10:10S. Miller (R)$4900$3800$19UPGRADE1BJ. Choi (L)TB @BOSFri 7:10. (TBD)$4200$2800$12UPGRADE1BJ. Abreu (R)DET@ CWSFri 8:10D. Norris (L)$4500$3700$18UPGRADE2BW. Merrifield (R)LAA@ KCFri 8:15T. Skaggs (L)$4900$4000$20UPGRADE2BK. Wong (L)CIN@ STLFri 8:15A. DeSclafani (R)$4200$3600$15See above2BD. LeMahieu (R)NYY @SFFri 10:15M. Bumgarner (L)$3600$3500$14UPGRADE2BC. Hernández (B)MIA@ PHIFri 7:05J. Ureña (R)$4000$3200$16UPGRADE3BN. Arenado (R)COL @ATLFri 7:20M. Fried (L)$4800$4200$18UPGRADE3BJ. Donaldson (R)COL@ ATLFri 7:20A. Senzatela (R)$4500$3900$17UPGRADE3BV. Guerrero Jr. (R)OAK@ TORFri 7:07M. Fiers (R)$4300$3200$18See above3BR. Healy (R)TEX@ SEAFri 10:10S. Miller (R)$4000$3100$19UPGRADESST. Anderson (R)DET@ CWSFri 8:10D. Norris (L)$4900$4100$19UPGRADESSF. Lindor (B)CLE @HOUFri 8:10C. McHugh (R)$4500$3800$18UPGRADESSC. Tucker (B)PIT @LAFri 10:10H. Ryu (L)$3600$2500$14See aboveSSA. Simmons (R)LAA @KCFri 8:15D. Duffy (L)$4100$3500$14UPGRADEOFC. Bellinger (L)PIT@ LAFri 10:10C. Archer (R)$5700$5000$27See aboveOFB. Harper (L)MIA@ PHIFri 7:05J. Ureña (R)$5000$4700$20UPGRADEOFT. Pham (R)TB @BOSFri 7:10. (TBD)$4800$3700$23UPGRADEOFL. García (B)DET@ CWSFri 8:10D. Norris (L)$4300$3500$13UPGRADEOFB. Buxton (R)BAL@ MINFri 8:10A. Cobb (R)$4300$3400$18UPGRADEOFB. Hamilton (B)LAA@ KCFri 8:15T. Skaggs (L)$3900$3000$10UPGRADEOFD. Fowler (B)CIN@ STLFri 8:15A. DeSclafani (R)$3900$2900$13UPGRADEOFN. Castellanos (R)DET @CWSFri 8:10C. Rodón (L)$3900$2900$15UPGRADEOFM. Smith (L)TEX@ SEAFri 10:10S. Miller (R)$4200$2800$18UPGRADEOFJ. Reddick (L)CLE@ HOUFri 8:10C. Kluber (R)$4200$3000$15UPGRADE