MLB DFS action on Tuesday, April 20, features 16 games across six slates with giant contests on Yahoo, DraftKings and FanDuel. Before locking in MLB DFS picks and lineups, make sure to check out Awesemo’s daily fantasy baseball top stacks, picks, rankings and projections. Let’s dig into some MLB DFS picks and daily fantasy baseball stacks, including the Marlins, Nationals and Angels.
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MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Hitters and Stacks, Tuesday, April 20th
Yahoo Stack of the Day: Washington Nationals vs. RHP Adam Wainwright — 4.8 implied runs
In August, Adam Wainwright will celebrate his 40th birthday. While he never had a dominant fastball – which topped out just shy of 92 mph in his best year – he still has an above-average curveball. He has used his changeup more this year than he has in a decade, but it is still a small sample size to know if that is a trend or just an anomaly. While his home run rate the last two seasons is just above league average, it is a far cry from his amazing 0.73 HR/9 rate.
Trea Turner $22 and Juan Soto $21 have top-shelf salaries on Yahoo today, but that can be mitigated with Josh Bell $8 and Kyle Schwarber $13 while still getting the top half of the order. While he tends to limit the big innings, targeting the Nationals bats against Wainwright is still a prudent move.
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Main Slate
Miami Marlins vs. RHP Matt Harvey — 4.9 implied runs
The good news for Matt Harvey is that he has allowed just two home runs in his three starts spanning 14.1 innings. The bad news is that while he has walked only three batters, he has allowed 16 hits, culminating in a 5.02 ERA. On FanDuel, the Marlins are at a “buy one, get one free” salary level. While DraftKings is not as egregious, only Adam Duval tops the $4,000 mark.
The roof should be open tonight in Marlins Park, and there is a 7- to 10-mph breeze blowing out to left field, with game-time temperatures coming in around 80 degrees. This is a phenomenal matchup for Corey Dickerson, Jesus Aguilar and Adam Duvall, as Harvey’s offerings do not miss many bats these days. In addition to this trio, gamers can also consider Miguel Rojas or Brian Anderson for differentiation, and Jorge Alfaro is fine as a catcher in the stack or as a one-off on DraftKings for just $2,800.
Late Slate
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. RHP Jordan Lyles — 5.0 implied runs
Jordan Lyles is unfairly remembered for his time with the Rockies when he was actually an above-average hurler. However, it looks like the decline is real with his increased home run rate, and now the strikeouts seem to be dependent on the composition of the opposing lineups.
The 2021 iteration of the Angles is an interesting one because they have some extreme player archetypes, so looking at that composite lineup rates can be misleading, particularly if Shohei Ohtani is hitting. Tonight he is pitching, and there is a decent chance he will not be active as a hitter.
Since the beginning of the 2019 season, the projected lineup has an above-average walk rate of 9.0%. However, most of that is buoyed by Mike Trout (16.7%), Luis Rengifo (12.8%), Justin Upton (9.4%) and Kurt Suzuki (8.6%). The 20.2% projected strikeout rate is also off because Albert Pujols, David Fletcher, Jose Iglesias and Suzuki all strike out 15% or less.
The mix of guys who get on base and guys with power depends heavily on hit sequencing for results. That means if there are ducks on the pond and one of the high-strikeout guys comes up, they may strand the runners. Or, if Trout, Ohtani and Walsh are up to bat with nobody on and they produce an extra-base hit, the damage is limited.
The focus should be on the top of the order with Trout, Walsh, Fletcher and Pujols. If he is in the lineup, Suzuki is fine since he will likely be at the bottom of the order and can serve as part of a wrap-around stack. Keep in mind that even if Ohtani is hitting, most of the DFS sites have him designated as a pitcher only for today.
Final Thoughts for the Tuesday, April 20th MLB DFS Slate
There is some nasty weather in the Midwest with rain mixed with snow in the forecast for the games in Cincinnati and Cleveland, so be on the lookout for potential delays or even postponements. Minnesota and Oakland are playing a doubleheader today, so know scoring rules on your DFS site of choice. Keep in mind that salaries and scoring formats differ across the various fantasy sites, and a home run play on Yahoo may be a below-average MLB DFS pick on DraftKings or FanDuel.
