The Royals’ Lorenzo Cain has been a hitting machine in the early going. (Getty)
Just when you think the warm weather is coming – BAM! – we get hit with a cold front.
Seemingly every game on the schedule for Friday (well, save for the indoor games and the Miami-Washington contest) is going to be played in chilly conditions.
We should avoid rain in almost every region, but weather can play a factor in setting your daily fantasy lineups. But don’t worry, I’m not going to recommend a player whose game is going to be rained out. And if there is a chance of a rainout, I will give you an alternate choice. I mean, you have money to make. These are also the lineups I’m using, so I have coin on the line, too.
FanDuel uses the following parameters: You get a $35,000 cap to spend on 9 players – 1 pitcher, 1 catcher, 1 first baseman, 1 second baseman, 1 shortstop, 1 third baseman and 3 outfielders.
You can find the FanDuel scoring key at the bottom of the post.
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Here are the best FanDuel lineup picks for April 24:
Pitcher
(Getty)
Shane Greene, Tigers, $8,700, vs. Indians
Greene (3-0, 0.39 ERA) won’t keep this up, not with that strikeout rate – just 11 in 23 innings. But Greene should be gold once again as the Indians and their painfully brutal offense come to town.
Catcher
(Getty)
Kevin Plawecki, Mets, $2,200, at Yankees
Mets fans are pumped for Plawecki Era. The former Purdue Boilermaker has a sweet swing and makes contact. You put the ball in play, you get on base. I needed a cheap catcher, I found one.
First Base
(Getty)
Joe Mauer, Twins, $3,000, at Mariners
I normally don’t condone using Mauer. He’s a 6-foot-5, 225 pound slap-hitter these days; all of his power is gone. The man does have a sweet swing, though. And Mauer does have Felix Hernandez’s number. The ex-catcher is 14 for 37 (.378) with 2 homers and 7 RBIs vs. the dominating right-hander of Seattle. The Royals’ Kendrys Morales was attractive here at $2,700 (plus, he’s way more productive), but I went with Mauer based on the past history.
Second Base
(Getty)
Johnny Giavotella, Angels, $2,600, vs. Rangers
Batting in the no-pressure 9 spot, Johnny G has been all that and then some for the Angels. He’s not going to have a 3-home run game, but he’s productive and that price is too good to pass up.
Shortstop
(Getty)
Jose Iglesias, Tigers, $2,800, vs. Indians
Despite the .396 average, Iglesias has cooled a bit. Instead of getting 2-3 hits per game like earlier this season, he’s only getting 1. But he’s still getting on base and has a price tag you have to like.
Third Base
(Getty)
Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays, $4,300, at Rays
In limited at-bats vs. Rays starter Drew Smyly, Donaldson has shown the lefty who is boss – 4 for 6 with a homer and 2 doubles. He homered again Friday and his 6 doubles are second in the AL. I was tempted to go with KC’s Mike Moustakas here at a much cheaper price (and excellent history vs. White Sox starter Jose Quintana), but stuck with Donaldson and his scorching bat.
Outfield
(Getty)
Lorenzo Cain, Royals, $4,000, at White Sox
Cain is 11 for 34 (.324) vs. the aforementioned Quintana and really has been the Royals MVP over the first month. His FanDuel price tag is still very manageable so Cain is a must-use until he slows.
Justin Upton, Padres, $3,900, vs. Dodgers
Upton has 2 things going for him Friday: 1) He is killing the ball at Petco Park – .400 with 2 homers, and 2) He has made a habit of giving Zack Greinke fits – 8 for 17 with a bomb. And like Cain, he’s cheap.
Matt Holliday, Cardinals, $3,500, at Brewers
Holliday gets the call based on his history vs. Brewers starter Matt Garza – .393 (11 for 28). Holliday is also quite fond of the Milwaukee pitching staff – since last year he’s batting .351 with 5 homers and 11 RBIs.
If you’re looking for a cheaper outfielder, you might be wise to focus on the Cubs’ Chris Coghlan ($3,000). He’s perfect off Reds starter Mike Leake – 8 for 8 with a homer and 3 doubles. Absurd. Surely new Cubs skipper Joe Maddon is aware of this.
Total Lineup Salary: $34,800 of an allotted $35,000
Each day, we’ll give you the rundown of who to pick for a winning lineup, so stay with us the entire season.
FanDuel Scoring
Hitters Scoring:
Single = +1 points
Double = +2 points
Triple = +3 points
Home Run = +4 points
Run Batted In = +1 points
Run = +1 points
Base on Balls = +1 points
Hit By Pitch = +1 points
Stolen Base = +2 points
Out = -.25 points
Pitchers Scoring:
Inning Pitched = +1 points (fractional scoring per out)
Strike Out = +1 points
Win = +4 points
Earned Run Allowed = -1 points
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FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball: Best Picks for April 24