DFS MLB Baseball Picks for April 9, 2021

We’ve got a six-game slate for this Friday. No morning games on the main slate. Sad face. There are no studs on the mound today but plenty of good options to choose from. That also means that there are plenty of pitchers to pick on, and I’ve identified the two I want to focus on. We stacked the Rockies yesterday. We’ve got a double-stack for Friday.

As for weather, things looks fine right now but I’m writing this the night before so definitely check on updates throughout the day.

Here’s our 50-50 MLB DFS lineup for 4/9/21 (using DraftKings Values)

Salary Remaining          $300

Zach Plesac ($9,600)

Plesac wasn’t great in his first outing, allowing six hits and two earned runs while striking out four in six innings. That game was against the Tigers, who he faces again today. Over the last two seasons, the swinging strike rate was 14.3 and 9.5 percent while the K/9 was 9.27 and 6.85. So there’s been variance to his game. The Tigers have been 1^st in strikeouts and 29^th in ISO against right-handed pitching, so I’m going to side with the matchup and hope he rediscovers his bat-missing ability.

Max Stassi ($3,000)

In 2020, Stassi posted a .256 ISO in 105 plate appearances. So far in 2021, he has a .273 ISO in 13 plate appearances. Prior to arriving the Angels two seasons ago, Stassi was a low-average, high strikeout player who would take his fair share of walks. Since arriving in Anaheim, the walks have remained but the strikeout rate has plummeted while the average has sky rocketed. It remains to be seen which is the real Stassi, but he’s maintained the average and low strikeouts so far. He faces off against T. J. Zeuch, who is one of the pitchers I want to pick on today. Zeuch has a career swinging strike rate of 8.7 percent and is projected for a K/9 of 5.95, a BB/9 of 3.64, and a FIP of 5.09.

Shohei Ohtani ($4,600)

Ohtani is the Eighth Wonder of the World. He throws 100 mph from the mound and launches home runs 400 feet from the plate. He has two home runs already on the season in 21 plate appearances. He’s batting second and is facing Zeuch, who I went over in the Stassi blurb.

Ha-Seong Kim ($3,100)

With the injury to Fernando Tatis, Kim should see plenty of playing time. While he’s slated to bat seventh in the lineup, he’s a cheap piece to fill in the stacks I wanted. So far in 16 plate appearances, Kim has three singles. The strikeout rate has been 18.8 percent, so nothing too alarming. In his years in the KBO, he always exhibited excellent plate discipline. He now faces Kohei Arihara who has pitched five innings in MLB and allowed three earned runs on six hits (one home run) and struck out one. The swinging strike rate has been 5.5 percent. 

Eddie Rosario ($4,300)

Rosario has one home run in 20 plate appearances so far. The walk rate has been 15 percent while the strikeout rate has been 10 percent. Over the prior two seasons, the strikeout rate has been 14 percent and the ISO has been over .200. He bats fourth for my favorite stack of the day, picking on Julio Teheran and the Tigers bullpen. In 31.1 innings last season, Teheran posted a 5.74 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, and allowed 3.45 HR/9. Over his career, lefties have mashed him to the tune of a .443 SLG. As for the Tigers bullpen, they are fourth in FIP at 5.02 over the 2020-2021 seasons.

Here’s our full 50-50 MLB DFS lineup for 4/1/21 (using DraftKings Values)

Salary Remaining          $300

Charlie Morton ($7,900)

Morton gets a rematch against the Phillies. In the first meeting, he allowed six hits, three earned runs, and struck out five in five innings but only threw 76 pitches. The Phillies aren’t the greatest matchup, as they are 18^th in strikeouts, 19^th in ISO, and possess some big bats in the lineup. With that said, Morton has had a swinging strike rate above 12 percent in each of the last three seasons. The price is good for the upside that he has, especially if he pitches deeper into this game.

Cesar Hernandez ($4,500)

Hernandez bats second in my favorite stack of the day against the pitching staff I want to pick on. He’s not a big threat to pop one over the yard or steal bases, although he can do a little of both, but he has the potential to get on base and score some runs.

Jose Ramirez ($5,700)

The main piece to the Indians stack, Ramirez can do it all. He’s a 30/20 player with an 11 percent walk rate, 15 percent strikeout rate, .270 batting average, and .250 ISO. I went over the pitching matchup earlier in the piece.

Jared Walsh ($4,200)

Walsh has clubbed two home runs in 18 plate appearances so far this season. Normally a high strikeout player, so far in 2020 and 2021, over a span of 126 plate appearances, the strikeout rate has been in the 15 percent range. Throughout his minor league career, it was in the high-20 percent range, and in 2019 when he got his first taste of the majors, it was 40 percent. The sample size has been too small to say that he’s a changed player so have some skepticism in that regard and be aware that futility could come at any moment. With that said, the power is real and he gets to face off against T. J. Zeuch, who I went over in the Stassi blurb. 

Ben Gamel ($2,800)

Is slated to bat leadoff for the Indians and completes the Indians stack. Julio Teheran and the Tigers bullpen is where I want to attack today. Gamel is uninspiring as a player. He’s a .245 hitter and had a high of 11 home runs and four stolen bases in a season back in 2017. He’s super cheap, though, and batting at the top of the order for my favorite stack.

Alternative Moves…

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B ($4,500 DK) Vlad has been mashing the ball so far this season. The barrel rate has been 13.3 percent and the launch angle has been at 21.3 degrees. That was the knock on him last year, that he murdered gophers by pounding the ball into the ground. The plate discipline has always been there and he’s posting a 12.4 percent walk rate with a 16.7 percent strikeout rate. Andrew Heaney is a good pitcher who has the ability to miss bats, but he has been known to give up a long ball from time to time. 

Lance McCullers Jr. – P ($9,100 DK) The bugaboo for McCullers is control, which contributes to a high walk rate and prohibits him from working deep into games. With that said, the ability to miss bats has been his forte, as the swinging strike rate has been over 11 percent in each of the prior four seasons. The Athletics are 19^th in strikeouts and 11^th in ISO, which is why this is an alternative suggestion.

Go win your lineup and tell us how you did. Twitter (@FantasyDFSX) is a good place for that.