DraftKings Lineup Construction: Sept. 30 All Games
By Bill Pivetz
Sep 18, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (19) looks at outfield after giving up a home run to New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy (not picture) in the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
The fantasy baseball season is almost over. It’s been a long six months, but a lot of fun. With very few fantasy owners in the championship game, others are just sitting around with nothing to do. But there is something to do. Why not create your all-star fantasy lineup with DraftKings?
DraftKings allows you to participate in fantasy baseball without dealing with the waiver wire or injuries. And, if you don’t want to put in real money, there are a few free lineups you can try out.
With the Wednesday slate of games, there aren’t many superstar pitchers on the mound today. The most expensive pitcher is Masahiro Tanaka at $10,200 among the probable pitchers listed on DraftKings. There are other pitchers a few hundred dollars cheaper that I will be using in my lineup.
Moving on to the infielders, the catcher position is once again the most shallow. If you want guaranteed points, you will more than likely have to pay for one of the top names. I am most likely stacking up on Chicago Cubs hitters against Anthony DeSclafani. He’s been struggling in recent outings, posting a 4.55 ERA in his last 10 games.
Another stacking option is the Seattle Mariners hitting against Scott Kazmir. Kazmir posted negative nine points in his last outing. He has a 5.51 ERA in his last 10 games.
Looking at my lineup, there wasn’t much variety. Most of my players are from just three teams, one of them from the San Francisco Giants. I was able to use all of my budget. While that isn’t a requirement, I feel great about my lineup for Wednesday.
The first game of the doubleheaders between the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins vs. Cleveland Indians and game two of Toronto Blue Jays vs. Baltimore Orioles are not apart of Wednesday’s slate. The first game is the 4:05 PM between the Jays and O’s.
So, without further ado, here is the DraftKings lineup I constructed for Sept. 30.
Next: Pitchers
Sep 25, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jon Lester throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
P – Jon Lester, $9,600, @CIN
Despite scoring 20.8 points in his last game, Lester was not able to pick up the win. This time, against a Cincinnati Reds offense that is hitting .247 in September, he should have better results. He has allowed more than two runs just once in five September starts. He’s the third-most expensive pitcher, but at $9,600, he is worth the price.
P – Cody Anderson, $7,100, vs. MIN
The Twins are in the same boat as the Reds. Minnesota’s offense has been average this month. They are hitting .249, 28 home runs and 110 RBI (21st, 19th, and 17th, respectively) this month. Even though he went just 6.2 innings, Anderson picked up the win the last time he faced the Twins. He has won four consecutive games, and Wednesday should make it No. 5.
Next: Infielders
Sep 21, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) slides safely into home during the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports
C – Kyle Schwarber, $4,100, @CIN
As I mentioned, the Cubs are one of the teams I’m using to stack. They are fighting for home-field advantage in the Wild Card round. While he hasn’t hit a home run in his last 10 games, the potential is always there. The other catcher I would use is Buster Posey. With DraftKings scoring 10 points per home runs, that’s where most of your points will come from.
1B – Anthony Rizzo, $4,800, @CIN
See above. Rizzo’s power numbers aren’t where fantasy owners want them to be, zero homers and three RBI in his last 10. DeSclafani has allowed 71 hits in his last 59.2 innings. The Cubs are motivated to prove that they are contenders for the World Series. They need to get to hot and build momentum. Rizzo is one of the catalysts to this offense and he’ll get back on track in this game.
2B – Robinson Cano, $3,600, vs. HOU
Going against Kazmir at home, the Mariners have a very favorable matchup on Wednesday. Second-half Cano is better than first-half Cano (insert DirecTV commercial here). He has four home runs and 11 RBI in last 10 games. He is averaging 10.3 points per game in that span. At just $3,600 on DraftKings, you bet I’m putting Cano in my lineup.
3B – Kyle Seager, $3,500, vs. HOU
Mariners hitter No. 2. Seager has been very consistent throughout the season, averaging 7.5 points in his last 10 and throughout the season. Hitting in front of the two major power hitters, Seager scores a lot of runs. Now that they are all healthy and hitting, the Mariners have a very dangerous lineup. Seager will get his pitches to hit, and at $3,500, he’s very valuable.
SS – Francisco Lindor, $4,700, vs. MIN
Lindor is one of the top-performing rookies this season. With 11 home runs in just 93 games, he’s been a valuable add in season-long leagues. In daily fantasy, Lindor has been up or down. Over his last 10 games, he scored single-digit points five times. However, he has two three-hit games and two two-hit games. Those type of performances will score you some big points.
Next: Outfielders
Sep 27, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners designated hitter Nelson Cruz (23) celebrates with the dugout after running in a score against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
OF – Nelson Cruz, $4,700, vs. HOU
Mariners hitter No. 3. I was wrong about Cruz’s move to Seattle. He has 43 home runs this season, but just one in his last 10. Cruz is on a bit of a cold streak, seven hits in 37 at bats. But, as I said with Cano and Seager, the lineup is good enough to rock Kazmir up a bit. Cruz is the type of hitter that you are hoping for a home run because an 0-4 outing could happen.
OF – Franklin Gutierrez, $3,900, vs. HOU
Gutierrez is the fourth and final Mariners hitter in my lineup. He has shown some power this season, more than the previous four seasons. He has 15 homers and 35 RBI in 2015. He hit a home run in four consecutive games from Sept. 12 to Sept. 20. Gutierrez is also on a cold streak, but playing at home against a vulnerable hitter should snap it.
OF – Jarrett Parker, $4,000, vs. LAD
I wrote about Parker being a waiver-wire add in season-long leagues. In DFS, he’s cheap and producing. The three home-run, seven RBI game should not be expected every time, but one homer with a couple of RBI and possibly a steal is more reasonable. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Mike Bolsinger has a 4.41 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in his last 10 games, so the matchup is favorable to Parker and the other Giants’ hitters.
Next: Wrapup
September 26, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Franklin Gutierrez (30) is greeted by second baseman Robinson Cano (22) after scoring a run in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
With a $50,000 budget, I was able to build a power-friendly lineup with two pitchers that have win potential.
Pitchers – Jon Lester and Cody Anderson
C – Kyle Schwarber
1B – Anthony Rizzo
2B – Robison Cano
3B – Kyle Seager
SS – Francisco Lindor
OFs – Nelson Cruz, Franklin Gutierrez and Jarrett Parker
Like I said earlier, I stacked with the Cubs and Mariners hitters. Everyone constructs a lineup differently. Some don’t like using multiple hitters from the same team just in case the opposing pitcher is on fire. Others like it when the matchup is right. I feel that the matchups for Chicago and Seattle are right.
There are a couple of positions that I could swap out one player for another. The first base position is filled with a lot of talent, but the price tags on DraftKings are high. Luckily the middle infield positions are cheaper, allowing you to spend more on the corner infield spot.
Regardless, it’s up to you to spend your DraftKings money the way you want. At the end of the day, fantasy sports is about having fun and enjoying the game of baseball.