DFS MLB Baseball Picks for April 27, 2021

We’ve got a 13-game slate for Tuesday. Yesterday, the lineup construction was on the more easy side as the pitchers to both utilize and pick on immediately stood out. For today, things were more difficult as there was nothing that jumped off the page. For the first time this season, I’m paying up at both pitcher slots. Let us pray. There are six teams projected for fewer than four runs (CHC, MIA, SEA, DET, COL, and CIN). There are two teams projected for at least five runs (SD, HOU, and NYY). There is no teams projected for fewer than three runs. 

Clear skies on the weather front.

Here’s our 50-50 MLB DFS lineup for 4/27/21 (using DraftKings Values)

Salary Remaining          $600

Lucas Giolito ($9,500)

Giolito got roughed up for seven earned runs in one inning last outing. I wonder if that keeps people away from him. I’m not scared. Bad outings happen. It’s baseball. Giolito has a 15.1 percent swinging strike rate and a 55.6 percent LOB rate. Now he faces a Tigers team that is 5^th in strikeouts against right-handed pitching.

Yasmani Grandal ($5,100)

We are attacking the Tigers pitching staff today. Jose Urena has been decent to start the season, as the FIP is 3.6. The swinging strike rate is only 9.1 percent, though, and he’s walked 12 in 21.2 innings. He’s also allowed just one home run this season, which has translated to a 0.42 HR/9. In the past two seasons, that number has been 1.54 and 1.38. The Tigers bullpen has the highest FIP in MLB. Grandal is slashing .130/.286/.304. Yuck. The BABIP is only .118 so good fortune should arrive sooner than later. The plate discipline numbers have been fantastic – 17.5 percent walk rate and 17.5 percent strikeout rate. The ISO is .174 and he’s clubbed two home runs in 57 plate appearances. 

Shohei Ohtani ($4,300)

We also want to attack the Rangers pitching staff again. It was good for us last night. Why not go back? Mike Foltynewicz has an 8.4 percent swinging strike rate and 6.78 FIP. He’s gotten lucky to start the season as the BABIP is .222 and LOB percentage is 88.6 percent. He’s allowed a whopping eight home runs in 22 innings so far. Ohtani has a .Ohtani has a .377 ISO, seven home runs, and three stolen bases. Even a video game couldn’t replicate his start to the season.

Tim Anderson ($5,500)

Hi, Jose Urena and the Tigers bullpen. Anderson has never been a walker but the 1.9 percent rate is ridiculous. He’s a free swinger who is striking out 26.9 percent of the time but it doesn’t matter. That’s his game, and it’s successful for him. He has three home runs and three stolen bases on the season with a .216 ISO and .333/.346/.549 slash. The BABIP is .412 so he benefitted from good luck but he’s always had a high BABIP. 

Clint Frazier ($2,700)

We want to attack Bruce Zimmerann as well. While the swinging strike rate is 11.7 percent, the K/9 is only 6.23 while the FIP is at 5.08. He’s also walked seven and given up four home runs in 21.2 innings. He’s a lefty who has a 5.09 K/9, 2.11 HR/9, 13.6 percent strikeout rate, and .513 SLG against righties. Frazier is cheap and bats from the right side of the plate. His start to the season has been horrific, as the ISO is .042, strikeout rate is at 32.8 percent, and the slash is .146/.293/.188. He’s not this bad. In the last two seasons, he had an ISO of .222 and .244 while batting .267 in both seasons. In his career against left-handed pitching, he has a .217 ISO.

Here’s our full 50-50 MLB DFS lineup for 4/27/21 (using DraftKings Values)

Salary Remaining          $600

Cristian Javier ($9,300)

I wish he was much cheaper, but it is what it is. In 13.2 innings, he’s struck out 20, only walked three, and allowed two earned runs with no homers. The swinging strike rate is 13.1 percent and the FIP is 1.27. He faces a Mariners team that is 9^th in strikeouts against right-handed pitching.

Gavin Lux ($3,400)

Was just activated from the 10-day IL due to a wrist injury. He was the last piece to fit the puzzle so it wasn’t anything about him or the matchup that stood out. Jeff Hoffman has been decent so far this season but the Reds bullpen has the second-highest FIP.

Gio Urshela ($3,100)

Urshela was the first player I inserted. He’s facing Zimmermann who we want to pick on and he’s very cheap. He has three home runs on the season and the ISO is at .191. 

Aaron Hicks ($3,000)

Hicks has three home runs on the season but it’s been a frigid start for him. The ISO is .156. That number was .189 last season and over .200 the prior three. The slash is .172/.274/.328 but the BABIP is .190. Good times are coming. Throughout his career, he’s been better against left-handed pitching, as the ISO is .182 vs. 160. Cheap Yankees stack is the way for us since we are paying up for pitching.

Jared Walsh ($4,100)

We are attacking the Rangers pitching staff again. Walsh has four home runs on the season and the ISO is .239. The slash is .299/.382/.537. It’s been BABIP fueled, though, so expect that average to come down to the .250 range. That won’t happen in one game, though, so the good times could continue again.

Alternative Moves…

Gary Sanchez – OF ($4,900 DK) – Sanchez kind of sucks, huh? The slash is .196/.328/.33. It was .147/.253/.365 last season and he’s never been a high average hitter. The BABIP has been low over the past four years. Can’t be all bad luck, could it? Regardless, he has two home runs on the season, but the ISO is only .137. He’s always had an ISO above .200. Against left-handed pitching in his career, Sanchez has a .278 ISO.

Ian Anderson – P ($8,600 DK)         

Mr. Anderson has an 11.3 percent strikeout rate. He’s struck out 23 in 22 innings but walked 11. That’s his bugaboo. The Cubs are 11^th in ISO against right-handed pitching but they are 4^th in strikeouts.

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