I wrote the optimal DFS lineups article a couple of weeks ago, and I was really surprised by the reaction it garnered. I expected to get a lot of comments on the DFS Playbook—and I did—but I had no idea how much our readers rely on the optimal lineups.
I admittedly don’t use the optimal lineups much myself. I read the Playbook and the Pitching and Hitting coaches, and I find the daily projections invaluable, but I do not usually get around to the optimal lineups. I feel the Playbook and coaches—and my own research—let me know which players to target, and I can take it from there and fill out my lineups. I also like the challenge of trying to fit the players I like under the salary cap. Once you identify the players to target, the rest is kind of like putting together a puzzle. I like it.
Judging by the comments in my optimal lineup article, I am a bit of an outlier. There is no surprise there, but since I firmly believe the world would be better off if everybody was more like me, I feel this MLB DFS Strategy article is a good opportunity to discuss how I construct my MLB DFS lineups. You know how it goes; if you teach a man to fish, blah, blah, blah. With that in mind, here are the guidelines I use in constructing a DFS MLB lineup.
Pitching First
I always fill my pitching slot(s) first. When my lineup is complete I may go back and change my pitchers if I need to, but usually once I identify the pitchers I like I can fill the hitters in around them. I always need at least one above-average pitcher, though I won’t necessarily always get an ace. I’m fine with somebody like Sonny Gray, A.J. Burnett or Jake Arrieta anchoring my lineup, but my days of starting Lance McCullers and Mike Foltynewicz together on two pitcher sites are long gone.
No-Brainers Next
Sometimes—but not always—there are players I know I will use no matter what, like Ryan Raburn facing a weak lefty or Pedro Alvarez while he is on a hot streak. The last thing you want to do is price yourself out of the best plays, so I fill those in right away. If you always fill your OF slots last, you may not have money for Adam Jones even though you really want to play him.
Outfield Last
Speaking of which, I usually do fill my outfield spots last. Simply put, I like having as many options as possible. If I get to my last two spots with $8,800 to spend on two outfielders, I have a lot more options than if I have the same amount left to spend on a second baseman and a catcher. This is less of a concern on FantasyAces; on that site I just make sure to choose my catcher fairly early on.
Make Scarcity a Priority
I usually fill my catcher and middle infield spots before I move onto the corners, especially on FantasyAces. The odds are good I will find more third basemen I feel comfortable starting than shortstops, so third base can wait.
Bargains Before Studs
Say you read the DFS MLB Playbook and you see Paul Goldschmidt, Albert Pujols and Freddie Freeman all listed. Rather than putting one in your lineup right away and then having to choose from the junk pile at shortstop, put a pin in first base and find cheap guys at other positions first. When you get towards the end you can let the salary cap make the decision for you. If you can afford Goldschmidt, more power to you. If you only have enough money left to spend on Albert Pujols, you should still be just fine.
The purpose of all of these guidelines is to make things easier for yourself as you go along. I don’t want to ever put myself in a position where I have to choose between Emilio Bonifacio and Alberto Callaspo. In that regard, people should definitely strive to be more like me.