The most important part of playing any DFS game is building your lineup. There are some factors that you will need to consider when doing so, however. These are the key ones that you should be aware of.
Weather – As many baseball teams play outside, the weather is always a factor. You don’t want to spend your budget on teams that are playing in a game that is going to get rained out or deal with weather delays. The other factor that the weather presents us is that baseballs travel further the more humid the air is. For example, hot summer nights in Texas when their roof is open is going to be ideal for home runs. This is the same reason why Rockies players are more expensive when they play at home. If you would like to learn more about how the weather affects the ball, you can check this out here.
Pitchers – This item may feel obvious but that is only because it is so important. You want pitchers that are playing well on your team and you want to face pitchers that are not. Understanding the factors that could make up that pitcher’s success though is where you start to see some differentiation. Before you pick your pitcher or pitchers for your team, you should take a look at the following things for their opposition.
- How often does the team strikeout?
- How many runs has the team scored recently?
- What does the opposing team’s slugging percentage (SLG) look like recently (last three to seven days)?
Asking yourself these questions and also looking at those same questions for the pitchers themselves should help you make an informed choice and choose a good pitcher(s) on any given slate.
Hitters – Choosing the right hitters is the most important part of your process. A good lineup of hitters can help you overcome a poor pitching performance, and will also ensure that you win. Choosing hitters is difficult, however. Starting in the right place is essential. You will want to look at the pitcher they are facing and how well the hitter is performing. You should also look for an advantage in the pitcher splits (how well does a batter hit right-handed pitching or left-handed pitching). When looking at these numbers pay particular attention to their SLG, as this indicates the total number of bases the batter is getting on average. This is important because it will tell you more than just this person is hitting home runs or singles.
Stacks – Your lineups should always contain at least one stack of three players in the same lineup. Preferably in a row, but having a player who is one batting position off is fine too. Picking that hitter as discussed in the previous section and surrounding that player should be something you consider. It isn’t always possible because of the cost of other players around them. The other thing you want to be thinking about is where those players are in the lineup. The earlier they are in the lineup the more at-bats, the more at-bats, the better chances you have for that player to get you points.
