When determining which way to go with my daily lineups, there are a couple of things that I look at before even both deciding which players to roll with.
First thing’s first, I always check the Vegas odds, specifically the over/under. One thing to keep in mind is that Vegas lines are made with the intention of getting the public to bet both sides. An over/under of 8.5 is meant to entice as many people who think there will be 7 or 8 total runs as opposed to 9 or 10. With that said, the higher the over/under, the better the chances of a successful DFS lineup selection. It’s a fairly basic concept, but failing to employ it is a quick way to deplete bankrolls.
Secondly, the probable pitchers and the ballparks are factors in every decision that is made. It’s obvious that playing Troy Tulowitzki in AT&T Park against Madison Bumgarner isn’t an ideal situation. It’s not a linear process though. It’s not a mindset of “never start players facing Pitcher A, B or C.” Clayton Kershaw’s career ERA at Coors Field is over 5.00; same goes for Justin Verlander’s ERA at Yankee Stadium over the last four years. This provides a value opportunity because some DFS players might shy away from big name pitchers.
With all this said, here my value plays for Draftstreet as well as which pitchers are favorable for today. There will be a lineup at the end of the article. As is always the case, be sure to check BaseballPress.com for up-to-the-minute lineup information and always double-check the weather.
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These lineups are made with double-ups in mind.
Boston Red Sox (De La Rosa) at Baltimore Orioles (Chen)
Both pitchers are easy to pass on in this one.
The Red Sox haven’t been particularly proficient against lefties so far this year but there are a couple of guys that have been excellent at doing so. None of them are really that expensive today so using them as a cheap GPP stack isn’t a bad idea. I would look particularly at Gomes and Napoli, both are pretty cheap for their positions and both are in line to have a good day today. I’m not chasing too many of the Orioles, though. De La Rosa has pitched well enough and I’ll wait to stack against him until he falters.
Mike Napoli (BOS-1B) – $5681
Jonny Gomes (BOS-OF) – $4945
Steve Pearce (BAL-1B) – $4511
