Here we go, it is Sunday. What better way to spend the day than gorging yourself on a full slate of baseball? Before jumping right into the action, we have to note how the main sites are handling today’s games. DraftKings has broken things up into a seven-game slate starting at 1 PM on the east coast followed by a five-game offering beginning at 4 PM. Fan Duel on the other hand, gets things started a half hour earlier, and runs through the entire day of games while both platforms exclude the Sunday night affair. Of course, there are other offerings as well, but that is what is considered to be the main slate.
Now that we have the logistics out of the way, there are going to be some clear games to target from an offensive perspective. Boston at Baltimore certainly stands out as a combined 10.5 runs are expected which is in direct correlation to the pitching matchup of Zach Godley against Wade LeBlanc.
That then brings us to today’s free pick, and that is Kevin Pillar ($3,800 on DK, $2,700 on FD). We are going to want to get some exposure to the Red Sox against LeBlanc, and what better way than with their likely lead-off hitter. Pillar is priced right, and he is having a solid season batting .273 with a .338 OBP entering action on Saturday with 14 runs scored.
Pitching DFS Picks for August 23, 2020
Let’s just start right at the top and go with Yu Darvish ($11,000 on DK, $10,200 on FD). With a 29.6 percent strikeout rate through five starts, along with an ERA of just 1.80 (2.04 FIP), the right-hander has been pretty close to dominant. In the 26 innings since his season debut, Darvish has allowed just three earned runs as he is regaining his “ace” status.
For our next arm, let’s look to save a little money and take a look at Corbin Burnes ($7,400 on DK, $7,300 on FD). In just his second start of the season, Burnes threw five innings of one run ball against a tough Twins lineup on Tuesday, and things should be even easier today against a weak hitting Pittsburgh team. Burnes’ 14 walks in 21 innings are of slight concern, but with 29 strikeouts, Burnes has shown the ability to work out of trouble with a more than respectable 3.00 ERA.
Infield DFS Picks for August 23, 2020
Entering Saturday, Miguel Sano ($4,800 on DK, $2,900 on FD) had six doubles in his last five games, and last night, he went deep for the fifth time this season. While the batting average is always going to be a concern, it is the power we are after. Sano faces rookie left-hander Kris Bubic on Sunday, and there is no reason not to expect him to continue said power surge.
As we stay in the infield for another pick, let’s drop down in price and continue to chase the power and the platoon advantage with Yoshi Tsutsugo ($2,600 on DK, $2,600 on FD). Again, the batting average isn’t going to win any points here at .188, but in 64 at bats, Tsutsugo has three home runs and 14 RBI. Yes, there is some risk here, but at the price, it is a risk worth taking, and Trent Thornton isn’t going to generate much fear in opposing hitters.
Outfield DFS Picks for August 23, 2020
Things have been going well for Randal Grichuk ($3,500 on DK, $2,900 on FD), but his pricing has been slow to catch up. Power is usually never an issue for Grichuk, and with six home runs and 16 RBI entering play on Saturday, that is once again true in 2020. What we aren’t used to seeing though, is the .312 batting average which only makes Grichuk that much more of an enticing option for tomorrow.
If you asked me a month ago, I never would have thought I’d be writing what follows, but Anthony Santander ($5,200 on DK, $3,600 on FD) is a legitimate option for today. Over his last 10 games, Santander has hit six of his nine home runs on the season which brought his stat line up to a .292 batting average with nine home runs and 25 RBI. There is no reason not to capitalize on his matchup against a struggling right-hander in the aforementioned Godley as the outfielder is surging to start of the 2020 season.
