*cue siren noise and guitars*
Stridin’ the storm out
Waitin’ for the strikeouts
On a humid night at the Green Monster of Fenway
Ok so I may not be Weird Al with my song parody ideas, but who is? I am someone who has been playing baseball DFS for years. One of the DFS skills that comes with experience is the ability to identify certain types of slates. Having mental shortcuts helps jump right to the type of lineups to build. Tonight on DraftKings, there are 5 games to sink our spikey teeth into, and astute readers might see from my introduction that Spencer Strider is the juicy dark meat I’m adding to my plate.
Ignoring that strained metaphor, Spencer Strider has reached peak Jacob deGrom salary status at $12,700 and faces a tough matchup in a tough park environment. This is the mental shortcut that fired for me when I looked at the overall outlook for tonight. The combination of salary and projection will have optimizer users only getting to Strider by forcing him in, and our hand-building opponents avoiding him. He won’t be completely ignored, but I want to capitalize on the opportunity. Today’s other DFS picks will be focused on how to squeeze him in.
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Alex Wood / Hogan Harris, SP: $6,000/5,3000 – One of the easiest ways to fit a high-priced pitcher with risk is to add a cheap one. These two guys project for minimal points, but we’re hoping to make up ground with Strider and bats. Does it feel great? No, but they’re pitching in a friendly park on a cold evening.
Kyle Higashioka, C: $2,700 – The Yankees stand out as a stack to pair with Strider for their projected points per dollar ratio. José Quintana is still a question mark as he takes the mound for his second start since the rib issues. He might still have a little left in the tank, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a 34-year-old lefty with a low strike-out rate.
Cody Bellinger, 1B: $4,600 – Rumors are swirling that Lance Lynn might be packing his bags for Florida soon, but if this matchup happens, Bellinger is in a great place to put one over the fence.
Gleyber Torres, 2B: $4,900 – An expensive piece of the Yankees stack we are building, but a great bat to anchor the stack.
Oswald Peraza, 2B/3B: $3,000 – Peraza’s Razzball projection is the third highest for a Yankees hitter, has multiposition eligibility, and has a great salary. Another core piece of the stack. Pop him at 2B if you can’t get up to Gleyber.
Dansby Swanson, SS: $4,100 – Returning from a heel injury, Dansby’s production has picked up right where it left off, but his salary is suppressed by the DK pricing algorithm from the time missed. Try to take advantage of these scenarios when you can.
Giancarlo Stanton, OF: $5,000 – The other expensive piece of the Yankees stack, but you’ll be kicking yourself when he takes Quintana deep that you didn’t include him if you skip him.
Ramón Laureano, OF: $2,300 – Lauereano is a placeholder player for any Athletic hitter. If you’re not going to pair Strider with a cheap pitcher, the prices of the As are so low that you can afford better pitching along with a Yankees stack. It’s gross, but hold your nose and click.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
The forecast looks good.
Doing Lines In Vegas
The game environment in Oakland tonight points to a low-scoring game, the total is 8.5, but I might lean toward the under.
