We have seven games on the slate for opening day with the first pitch at 4:05 PM EST. Today’s slate of games is highlighted by Juan Soto and the Washington Nationals, and Mike Trout and the Angels in play.
As always this time of year keep an eye on the weather, with rain and cold weather always playing a role in April baseball.
Here is a selection of today’s Core Players 50-50 MLB DFS lineup for 4/7/22 (using DraftKings Values)
| Pitcher | Shane Bieber | $8,300 |
| Pitcher | ||
| Catcher | ||
| First Base | ||
| Second Base | Ozzie Albies | $5,500 |
| Third Base | ||
| Short Stop | Nolan Arenado | $5,900 |
| Outfield | Juan Soto | $5,000 |
| Outfield | ||
| Outfield |
Shane Bieber ($8,300) – Bieber lands in the sweet spot today of a pitcher who has a high strikeout upside mixed with a good chance of getting the win. Bieber struck out 33 percent of the batters he faced last year, and while the Guardians aren’t expected to be a good team this year, the Royals team they are facing likely won’t be any better which will give him an advantage.
Ozzie Albies ($5,500) – While this Braves team will be different than the one that won the World Series, they shouldn’t lack any offensive punch. Albies hit 21 of his 30 home runs at home last season, and we should expect the Braves to have lots of energy in their home opener.
Nolan Arenado ($5,900) – Arenado had a nice season last year for the Cardinals in the first season of his career where he wasn’t playing half of his games in Coors Field. Look for another solid season from Arenado, and maybe even see him hit for more average as he will have had a full season to make adjustments. This is a good matchup for him tonight facing a Pirates team that likely still be among the worst pitching teams in the league.
Juan Soto ($5,000) – Few players have the upside of Soto. He is arguably the best hitter in MLB, and him getting to face Megill instead of Scherzer or DeGrom should feel like a big win for the Nationals.
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The Pitchers
Yu Darvish ($9,500 DK) Darvish finds himself in a similar position as Bieber, only he is coming at a higher price and he has typically struck out fewer batters. With that said it is a game the Padres are very capable of winning, and this game is also in Arizona which is a favorable place to pitch, and the Diamondbacks shouldn’t be an imposing lineup either.
Adam Wainwright($7,500 DK) – If you’re looking to save some of your budget on your second pitcher, Wainwright isn’t a bad choice. He is capable of getting outs and going deep enough to get the win, just don’t expect him to rack up a high number of strikeouts.
Max Fried ($9,000 DK) – Fried is almost like a younger version of Wainwright. He likely won’t strike out a lot of batters, but he should go deep into the game, and he doesn’t have a really good chance to get the win in this matchup, his only issue is that he does come with a much higher price tag.
The Value Players
Luke Voit ($3,500) – Voit is a player who hits lefties better than he does righties, so with the Padres facing Madison Bumgarner, he should be in a lineup and be in a spot where he can be successful. Last year, Voit had nearly the same number of hits, and he hit half of his home runs against left-handed pitching, and he did it in one-third fewer games.
Nick Senzel ($2,300) – The once top prospect, Senzel is a player you can get at a discount today. Senzel has power and speed and while he does hit at the bottom of the Reds lineup, which will limit his opportunities, it could aid him in scoring runs as well.
Dominic Smith ($2,500) – I guess someone should have told DK that Dom completely crushed lefties last year, and Patrick Corbin is left-handed and far from being dominant. He hit 0.312 against lefties last season and slugged over 0.400. He is a very solid value choice.
The Stacks
San Diego Padres – The Padres will be a different team without Tatis, but there is still enough thump in their lineup to produce runs against a team like the Diamondback. I like the stack of Trent Grisham, Manny Machado, and Luke Voit as the combination of lineup placement and skills could provide you with plenty of points.
Atlanta Braves – The defending champion Braves should see a high expected run total, and while they might miss Freddie Freeman, Matt Olson is an impact bat to replace him, and his big power can be a game-changer. Pairing Olson with Albies and you can add a player like Marcell Ozuna who still has plenty of power, and he is priced in a way that will help you get the other big bats into your lineup.
Go win your lineup and tell us how you did. Twitter (@FantasyDFSX) is a good place for that
