MLB DFS Playbook: September 19

Happy Sunday everyone! While we may be in the full swing of things with NFL Week 2 action, there is still money to be won in the baseball world. We have a 12-game slate on tap today with the New York Yankees (-320) being the biggest favorites on the slate. 

Top Stacks

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Jake Arrieta

Miami Marlins vs. Max Kranick

New York Yankees vs. Eli Morgan

Core Plays

Pitching

Clayton Kershaw, SP LAD – Kershaw is having another strong season with nine wins, a 3.33 ERA, 2.93 FIP, 0.99 WHIP, and 132 strikeouts across 110.2 innings pitched. He faced the Reds earlier this season and he was dominant, firing seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts in a win. The Reds are DEAD LAST in runs scored over the past 14 days. 

Gerrit Cole, SP NYY – Cole is having another fantastic season with an AL-leading 15 wins. He also has a 2.75 ERA, 2.63 FIP, and 1.00 WHIP and 224 strikeouts across 163.2 innings pitched. He has only faced the Indians once this season, but he was dominant with seven innings of one-run ball while striking out 11. The Indians have the third highest strikeout rate over the past 14 days and are 23rd in runs scored over that same span. 

Sandy Alcantara, SP MIA – Alcantara has his ERA down to 3.10 with back-to-back great outings in which he pitched a total of 17 innings and gave up just one run while striking out 21. He has gone at least 7.0 innings in six of his past seven starts and the only time he failed to do so… he pitched 6.1 innings. In that seven start span he has a 1.55 ERA with 64 punch-outs across 52.1 innings of work. Today he faces the worst offense in baseball, the Pirates. He faced them earlier this season and hurled eight innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts. 

José Berríos, SP TOR – Berrios is having a great season with a 3.43 ERA, 3.54 FIP, and 181 strikeouts across 173.1 innings of work. He has logged four straight quality starts and in that span he has a 1.98 ERA. Today he gets to face his old ballclub, the Twins. I am sure he will be fired up for this game. 

Jordan Lyles, SP TEX – This one feels like we are getting a bit crazy. He has a terrible 5.20 ERA and he only has 131 strikeouts across 162.2 innings of work. However, he is coming off a start in which he fired seven shutout innings against the ASTROS with seven strikeouts and in his start to that he tossed seven innings of one run ball; he picked up the win in both outings. The White Sox are 25th in runs scored over the past 14 days. Can he stay in the groove? GPP only. 

Hitting

Frank Schwindel, CHC 1B – He is still an amazing price on DK and a good price on FD (too expensive on Yahoo). He is hitting .361 with 13 home runs and 36 RBI across 43 games with the Cubs. He has crushed southpaws, slashing .358/.443/.792 against lefties, compared to a .331/.355/.579 line against righties. He is currently riding an eight-game hitting streak, slashing .389/.421/.722 in that span with three long balls. 

Trea Turner, LAD 2B – Turner is having a great season, hitting .317 with 22 home runs, 30 steals, 92 runs scored and an NL-leading hit total of 172. He has crushed left-handed pitching all year, slashing .391/.437/.659 against them, compared to .292/.340/.453 against righties. Righties have done all the damage against Miley, slashing .272/.331/.423 against him with 13 home runs and 31 doubles, compared to the .195/.246/.246 line lefties have produced with one home run and three doubles. 

Kyle Tucker, HOU OF – Tucker has been ridiculously hot, slashing .400/.441/.729 over his last 24 games with five home runs, two steals, nine doubles, 16 RBI, and 20 runs scored. He is now hitting .296 on the year with 26 home runs, 13 steals, 34 doubles, and 83 RBI. He is slashing .310/.375/.571 against righties, compared to .273/.317/.521 against lefties and he is slashing .326/.386/.603 at home this season, compared to .268/.324/.506 on the road. 

Jarred Kelenic, SEA OF – Kelenic has had a solid month of August, hitting .250 with five home runs, two steals, and 12 RBI across 15 games played. He is slashing .179/.275/.374 against righties thus far with 10 home runs and ALL five of his steals, compared to a .156/.207/.248 line against lefties with just two home runs. He makes for a strong value play at a cheap price tag. 

Harrison Bader, STL OF – Bader is having a decent little season, hitting .248 with 12 home runs, six steals, and 41 RBI across 88 games. He is slashing .300/.344/.500 over his last eight games with a home run, three doubles, and four RBI. He has massive reverse splits this season, slashing .258/.319/.426 against righties with ALL six of his steals, compared to .203/.266/.373 against lefties. 

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