MLB DFS PICKS FOR DRAFTKINGS 9/9/2020

After almost two weeks, I finally have the time to write an article to share my thoughts on tonight's MLB slate. It's been a wild past seven days as I've pulled in over $3,000 including two different slates where I was very close to the $50k take down. I have cashed five slates in a row and I don't plan on cooling off any time soon so I think now would be a great time to consider some of these picks...

Weather Concerns:

- CIN @ CHI: Very cool at Wrigley with strong winds blowing in. Nearly impossible to hit a long ball there tonight.

- HOU @ OAK/SEA @ SF: KEEP AN EYE ON THESE GAMES - FIRES CREATED TOXIC AIR IN THE BAY AREA. POSSIBLE PPD IF THEY CONSIDER IT DANGEROUS.

Pitcher

Yu Darvish $11.5k/Trevor Bauer $10.9k

Both of these aces are in great spots tonight with horrible hitting conditions at Wrigley. I'd be shocked if we saw any balls leave the yard tonight. On top of the weather, both of these pitchers are absolutely dealing this year. They're both going to be in the Cy Young conversation when it's all said and done. Yu Darvish has been untouchable this year and it's clear to see why since he throws SIX different pitches and holds the highest K% (33%) of his career. He's doing this while also having the lowest BB% (4.2%) of his career as well. So as long as he keeps these numbers up, we can possibly see a ceiling game from Yu.

Now lets discuss Bauer. What a year he's having as he has his career best K% and BB%. His matchup with the Cubs isn't the best but the conditions certainly help. As long as he continues to throw unhitable pitches then he should be able to shut this Cubs lineup down and possibly go deep into this game. The only worry is that this lineup is good at working counts and making the opposing pitcher throw a lot of pitches early. They also have some guys who are good at shortening up and dumping base hits into the outfield on a night like this. Still, Bauer is an excellent play tonight and you can get him $600 cheaper than Darvish.

Clayton Kershaw $10.5k

It looks like he is back to his normal ways as he holds a 1.50 ERA and his best BB% since 2016. This matchup with the Diamondbacks is perfect for him as they show no threat especially against left handed pitching. Kershaw's HR% is a little higher than usual but Arizona does not slug and their best bats are from the left side of the plate. The Diamondback don't strikeout as much as I'd like so a lot of contact does worry me since Kershaw has a career high HR/FB % and Hard%. If you are unable to get up to Yu or Bauer then feel free to fire up Kershaw with confidence.

Zach Davies $8.7k

What an impressive season for Davies so far and I think we get him at a bit of a discount tonight. You don't need me to tell you how bad the Rockies are away from Coors and Davies is having the best year of his career by far. The Rockies struggle against right handed pitching and I've said since the start of the year that their lineup does not scare me at all. I have no problem attacking them when they're on the road and I don't even fear their best hitters like Arenado or Story anymore. Go ahead and confidently throw Davies into your lineup tonight.

Dane Dunning $6.5k

Looking for a solid cheap option? This is where I'd go. I can't emphasize enough how terrible the Pirates are and Dunning is actually a solid pitcher who the Sox are hoping they can rely on in the playoffs. This is a guy who can really rack up strikeouts and the Pirates are very capable of getting shutout. This is actually a situation where I could see the White Sox let him loose and get him over the 90 pitch mark as long as he's performing well. He still has yet to get a decision this season but I'm confident that the CWS killer offense can put up enough runs to get him the W. If you're looking to pay up for some big bats then this is a fine play.

Catcher

Austin Nola $4.9k

He's been one of the best hitting catchers in baseball and I don't see a reason to not be on the Padres again tonight. He got to the MLB and somehow was able to put up better numbers than he did in AAA. He also prefers to hit against RH and owns a home run against Senzatela.

Pedro Severino $4.6k

The O's continue to mash and Severino has been a huge part of it. He's having his best year so far in the Majors and handles RH pitching well. I think we're lucky to be getting him below $5k right now.

Sean Murphy $3.6k

I like this spot for him and it's a good price to pay for someone who gets to go against a rookie making just his second appearance in the MLB. I'm sure Garcia will eventually be a solid pitcher but for now we can load up on A's bats.

First Base

Freddie Freeman $5.6k

I'm actually not on the Braves as much as other people due to their pricing but Freeman is certainly an exception. Pablo Lopez certainly has his weaknesses and that includes LH bats. Freeman is very hot right now and when he's hot, he's pretty automatic.

Mark Canha $4.9k/Matt Olson $4.8k

I don't mind either of these guys and honestly don't even prefer one over the other. Just know that you can't go wrong with either of them and Canha is also available on the outfield.

Renato Nunez $4.6k

I have a soft spot for the Orioles since not only have they made me money in DFS but they're also in the playoff hunt when nobody thought they would be. Nunez has ten home runs this year and they have all come against righties. Citi Field is also an underrated hitters ballpark.

Dominic Smith $4.2k

Feel free to roster some Mets tonight against Jorge Lopez. Smith is also available in the outfield and is honestly far cheaper than he should be.

Second Base

Robinson Cano $4.4k

Like I stated above, the Mets are in play here and I specifically like lefties in this spot. Although he is slightly cold, Cano is having a great season.

Donovan Solano $4.3k

This guy is on fire and you definitely can't go wrong here at this price. The Giants are in play here again tonight.

Wilmer Flores $4.1k

He has cooled off a bit but we don't usually get him this cheap against a bad lefty. I seem to usually get him on his good nights so maybe he's just a predictable hitter.

Jeff McNeil $3.5k

I expect him to be chalk especially since you can also get him in the outfield. There's just no way he should be this cheap and he's red hot.

Third Base

Manny Machado $5.6k

If you plan on stacking the Padres then it would be a good idea to fit him in your lineup. Yes, he is expensive but you can hope that it will drive ownership off of a guy with a high ceiling.

Kyle Seager $5k

Third Base just isn't a great position tonight but Seager can handle the bat against lefties well and then he gets the Giants bullpen which is pretty cool.

Rio Ruiz $4.2k

He's got pop in his bat and Porcello has been owned in his career by left handed power bats. A great piece of an O's stack and also coming off of a dinger last night.

Shortstop

Fernando Tatis Jr. $5.9k

I don't think I really have to explain this. He's in play almost every night with his power/speed combination and tonight is no different.

Corey Seager $5.7k

Clarke has been solid on the mound this year but this is a tough matchup for him against the Dodgers. I could see LA putting up some runs tonight against Clarke and the ARI bullpen and look for Seager to play a role in that.

Pat Valaika $3.3k

At this point I might as well stack the Orioles. They're just so cheap and they let you get up to the pitchers that you want. Valaika is coming off a home run last night and produces well when the Orioles are in a good spot.

Outfield

Michael Conforto $4.8k

Really great spot for him and he's having a monster year. I think this will be my home run call.

Trent Grisham $4.7k

This guy is really fun to watch and I love how much pop he has in his bat. I prefer Conforto if you're trying to pick between these two.

Wil Myers $4.1k

Coming off a two HR game and just having a really good season in general. Good to see after some struggling years.

Ryan Mountcastle $3.6k

Beast!! He will be in my lineup as long as he's this cheap and keep hitting the hell out of the ball.

Jurickson Profar $3.5k

There are better options obviously but if you want to be a little different then here's a guy who can put up a lot of points if he's on.

Cedric Mullins $2.8k

If he's leading off then that's a great piece to have in your Orioles stack. Also, he allows you to get some of the bigger bats you might want.

Thank you for reading and make sure you follow me @Rotoriley and @SportsverseHQ