Monday, Aug. 29, sees the sites handling the early evening games differently. DraftKings is electing to go with an eight-game main slate that begins at 6:40 p.m. ET, while FanDuel has chosen a six-game featured slate starting 27 minutes later. Let’s get into the top MLB DFS picks today for pitchers and stacks for DraftKings and FanDuel daily fantasy baseball lineups.
DraftKings & FanDuel MLB DFS Picks Today (8/29)
Main Slate: Cardinals at RHP Chase Anderson — 5.8 implied runs
The Stokastic Top Stacks Tool is thrilled to see that a third team has taken a chance on veteran Chase Anderson and actually elected to use him in The Show. Anderson played for Philadelphia last season, logging 48 innings with a 6.75 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. He also spent time in Triple-A for both the Phillies and Rangers, where he had a 5.01 ERA in 32.1 innings.
This year, the 34-year-old spent time in Triple-A for both the Rays and Tigers; both released him, per his request. He spent the first part of the year starting for the Toledo Mud Hens, though in his one month pitching for the Durham Bulls he was only used as a reliever. Today, he should be good for 70-ish pitches, though he may not last that long against a surging St. Louis squad. The Cardinals are 23-7 in their last 30 games, averaging 5.8 runs and scoring five or more 20 times.
Anderson never really had much strikeout stuff, and since 2018 he has allowed some pretty serious power. The Redbirds are phenomenal against southpaws, but they have quietly improved throughout the season against right-handed pitching — their 116 wRC+ ranks fifth overall. Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Tyler O’Neill are the trio to target in the heart of the order. Lars Nootbaar and Corey Dickerson should also see prominent lineup placement as lefties. Youngsters Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman will also be in the lineup, and their defensive prowess makes it unlikely they will be lifted for a pinch-hitter when one of the two lefty relievers comes in for Anderson.
Late Slate: Phillies at LHP Madison Bumgarner — 5.0 implied runs
The Phillies lineup looks dramatically different when both Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber are healthy. This duo is very much in play against fellow lefty Madison Bumgarner. Of course, the right-handed power bats are where the focus should be, with Rhys Hoskins compiling a .401 wOBA and .288 ISO in his last 271 opposite-handed matchups. Nick Castellanos is just a tick behind, and both Alec Bohm and J.T. Realmuto are fine consolation prizes. Even if he is towards the back of the order, Jean Segura can still get it done and has hits in 14 of his last 20 games after regaining his sea legs following a long injury layoff.
Bumgarner started off this season looking like he would get by on veteran savvy. Unfortunately, those moments have been few and far between since late May. Over his last five starts, the 33-year-old has logged 28.2 innings with 10 walks, five home runs and just 19 strikeouts. This works out to a 7.53 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP. Enjoy!
Best MLB DFS Pitchers
Primary Target: RHP Corbin Burnes vs. Pirates — 2.8 implied runs
- DFS Salary: DraftKings $10,400 | FanDuel $11,100
This is an easy recommendation, with the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner taking on a Pittsburgh squad that ranks in the bottom five with an 85 wRC+ when facing right-handed hurlers. The Pirates also have the fourth-highest strikeout rate (24.5%) and a .133 ISO that is in the bottom third of the league. Corbin Burnes has posted similar numbers to last season and should find this matchup to be far easier than having to face the Dodgers like he did in his last two starts.
Secondary Target: RHP Carlos Rodon vs. Padres— 3.6 implied runs
- DFS Salary: DraftKings $10,900 | FanDuel $11,000
While Sandy Alcantara is the odds-on favorite to win the National League Cy Young Award this year, Carlos Rodon has had top-five odds for the last few months. San Diego definitely has a loaded roster, but the team has been in a slump, with a 9-13 record over the last three weeks. In 14 of these games, the Padres have seen three or fewer runners cross the plate, including being shut out four times and producing a single run on three other occasions.
Though it is no indicator of future performance, it is nice to see that Rodon has held the Friars in check in two starts spanning 15 innings, with 18 strikeouts, a 1.80 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. Rodon has firmly entrenched himself as an elite pitcher, with a 2.60 ERA, 0.996 WHP and 12.0 strikeouts per nine innings over his last 49 starts.
Wild Card Target: RHP Jose Berrios vs. Cubs — 3.6 implied runs
- DFS Salary: DraftKings $7,600 | FanDuel $8,500
Jose Berrios literally is a wild card whenever he toes the rubber. Over his last four starts, he has two games with negative fantasy points, yet in his last two appearances he held the Red Sox and Yankees to a combined three earned runs as the visiting pitcher. The Cubs have been right around league average against right-handed hurlers from a run-scoring and power perspective, but they also have a top-five strikeout rate. The salary on DraftKings is quite appealing, and on FanDuel Berrios warrants tournament consideration, as he does have 13 quality starts in his 25 appearances.
Additional Opportunities
Jose Suarez currently has a 5.5 strikeout prop for his matchup with the Yankees. The Stokastic MLB Player Props Tool has him for 4.4 strikeouts and a 72% chance of failing to reach the six whiffs needed to surpass the over. In six of his last eight starts, Suarez has five or fewer strikeouts. Though the Yankees tend to swing and miss, if they are connecting tonight, they could easily turn this into a short outing for the 24-year-old southpaw.
If this wager feels a bit risky, you can still navigate things at an advantage with a RISK FREE BET up to $1,000 on BetMGM.
Other Pitching Options
- RHP Miles Mikolas at Cincinnati Reds (Main)
- RHP Frankie Montas at Los Angeles Angels (Late)
- LHP Ranger Suarez at Arizona Diamondbacks (Late)
Other Hitting Options
- Collin Moran vs. RHP Miles Mikolas (Early)
- Rafael Devers at RHP Dylan Bundy (Main)
- Max Kepler vs. RHP Brayan Bello (Main)
- Rowdy Tellez vs. RHP Robert Stephenson (Main)
- Josh Donaldson at LHP Jose Suarez (Late)
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Final MLB DFS Thoughts & MLB Weather Notes
Monday brings a fair amount of humidity to most of the outdoor venues, but with cooler temperatures (80 degrees and below), there should not be any major precipitation challenges.
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