Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks: Lineup advice for April 4, 2018


(Photo credit: Keith Allison)

Yesterday was a mixed bag. Our pitcher picks were money, with both Cole Hamels (11K) and Garrett Richards (9K) picking up big wins. Unfortunately none of our hitters popped, and while a steal from Yadier Molina was a fun return on investment, it wasn't quite what we wanted.

Today sees the bulk of games in the early 1pm ET slot, with six games to pick from it gives us the most challenges, and thus the biggest room for value and most importantly, profit.

Dallas Keuchel Vs. Baltimore Orioles: $10,500

There are a lot of big names on the mound today. Noah Syndergaard is the priciest at $11,600, closely followed by Luis Severino and Corey Kluber. Then there is Keuchel, a full $600 cheaper than Kluber, which is why he is our pick of the aces.

His first game was a less than ideal six-inning loss against the Rangers, and as we saw last night the Orioles can hit, but if you want to buy high-end pitching he is the best value. I don't mind Thor's price at home against the Phillies if you really want to push the boat out.

Aaron Nola @ New York Mets: $8,500

Nola's first game was a brief 68-pitch outing against the Braves in which he gave up just one run. There is a worry that this might become the norm for the Phillies rotation under Gabe Kapler, but Nola is a strikeout-per-inning starter who has been pretty reliable.

He is coming off a 2017 that featured 27 starts and a 3.54 ERA, and this Mets lineup doesn't strike the fear of God into anyone. He is up against a brilliant opponent in Noah Syndergaard, so the win will be tough to get, but he should have a strong outing here.

Tyler Skaggs Vs. Cleveland Indians: $7,100

Let's double-down on this Angels-Indians series and run with Tyler Skaggs today.

The issue for Skaggs has been more health than ability, he can steal some strikes with control and good mixing of pitches, but he is not a guarantee here like Richards was yesterday. There are limited offerings today though, so if you want to go cheap on pitching he is probably your best bet.

Mike Trout Vs. Cleveland Indians: $4,900

Any time Trout is under $5,000 you have to be interested. He hit his second homer of the season last night, taking his extra-base hits up to five in six games. He's also swiped a base already. I know Corey Kluber is great, but this price is too tempting to say no. He's $500 cheaper than Giancarlo Stanton today, and given the continued bad weather in New York that is crazy.

Mike Moustakas @ Detroit Tigers: $4,200

The Tigers-Royals series is far from exciting, but the Tigers are rolling out Daniel Norris to start today, a young leftie with flyball issues. Normally a leftie-leftie matchup would be avoided, but Moustakas' splits are actually very minimal, and with a solid chance at getting a meatball or two he is worth the risk today.

Jonathan Schoop @ Houston Astros: $3,300

Schoop has a double and his first homer of the season last night in a 3-5 performance. Making his status as the #11 second baseman today far too good to turn down. He may only be hitting .227 on the season so far, but if this is him getting his eye in then jumping on him early will be incredibly valuable.

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