Congratulations to CoachS111. This individual was the DraftKings DFS MLB GPP winner of the MLB $115K Brunch Special contest on May 30, 2018. CoachS111 won this grand prize pool and its $20000 prize when the lineup scored 195.8 points. CoachS111 is the No. 119 overall-ranked player on RotoGrinders.
Please note that this isn’t a projections forecasting. This series was created to analyze what may have gone through the minds of those who created the teams. Maybe you’ll pick up on trends that will assist you when constructing your future submissions. What kind of pivots are others making on their teams. What are their strategies? Are there any reoccurring trends?
Let’s analyze the $20000 lineup.
DFS MLB DraftKings $20K Winning Lineup: CoachS111, 5-30-18
This roster used $49700 of its $50000 salary. This slate featured four matchups.
About as chalky of a winning lineup as one will see. Not too many variations when playing such a small slate. Then consider that the two best offenses are the ones with the highest run totals. The Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox took advantage of average-at-best starters who were poised for regressions. The question was which hitters to play against those pitchers.
CoachS111 made all the right moves. He even gambled on a starter whose SIERA was due for regression.
SP: Corey Kluber ($12200, 61.2%)
SP: Junior Guerra ($6700, 12.9%)
Combined Salary: 18900
Points: 60.8
Kluber vs the Chicago White Sox needs no explanation. What may have been CoachS111’s winning pivot came when choosing $6700 Guerra (12.9-percent owned) over the opposing pitcher, Alex Reyes (48.1-percent owned). DFS MLB gamers were drooling over Reyes making his first MLB appearance in nearly two seasons following Tommy John surgery. He’s a high-grade prospect who has elite strikeout potential. His rehab assignment included 44 strikeouts through 23 innings.
Reyes exited after four scoreless innings. His two strikeouts mustered a measly 9.4 points. That’s the risk one takes when gambling on pitchers coming off injuries: short outings. Guerra led the way with six scoreless innings en route to a 25.1.
CoachS111 saved $300 to earn 15.7 more points. That’s a smart person. You know who isn’t smart? TNYooper. I saved $1300 using Patrick Corbin instead of Kluber. Corbin’s 10-strikeout performance netted me a 16.1. Kluber netted a 35.7. My ultimate weakness ($10K-plus pitchers). D’oh!
2B: Eduardo Nunez ($ 3200, 24.1%)
OF: J.D. Martinez ($ 5500, 34.6%)
SS: Brock Holt ($3200, 19.9%)
OF: Blake Swihart ($ 2900, 16.9%)
Combined Salary: $14800
Points: 59
No Mookie Betts or Mitch Moreland? Who cares! That just means that cheaper bats become more valuable. This stack featured Boston’s No. 3, 5-7 hitters. Gaviglio’s 2.30 ERA and 3.10 SIERA suggested regression. And if one looks deeper into Gaviglio’s history, his 3.10 SIERA is almost certainly misleading due to a small sample size. Betts or not, the Red Sox are built to mash RHPs. Gaviglio won’t challenge that.
1B: Edwin Encarnacion ($4100, 22.8%)
3B: Jose Ramirez ($5300, 27.0%)
OF: Greg Allen ($2900, 31.6%)
Combined Salary: $12300
Points: 52
Don’t you hate when you want two players at the same position? DFS MLB gamers had to choose between 1B Yonder Alonso and 1B Edwin Encarnacion. DraftKings prohibits DH eligibility. Both were great plays, but Encarnacion has been the hot-hitter who had the higher batting order position. Choosing between Encarnacion and Alonso was a 12-point difference.
This game featured a hot-hitting, lefty-heavy lineup teeing off against Reynaldo Lopez. Lopez entered this contest with a 2.93 ERA and 5.19 SIERA. He also featured a .218 BABIP when his career BABIP is .266. Lopez has always showcased much higher xFIPs against LHBs. RHB Encarnacion can crush pitchers of either-handedness.
Regression was imminent. CoachS111 played the Indians’ No. 1, 3-4 hitters. Another game-changing pivot came from passing on Michael Brantley ($4800). Instead, he paid up for Red Sox OF Martinez.
C: John Ryan Murphy ($ 3700, 25.3%)
Points: 24
A catcher batting cleanup against Sal Romano. Nothing to see here.
CLOSING NOTE
Anyone who’d like to discuss winning teams (whether it’s their own or someone else’s) can email me. Below are the most recent installments of the series. Visit my profile to check out the full selection. I started creating these in late April. I’ll do as many of them as time allows.
Previous MLB GPP Winners Study Guides:
TNYooper (Me!), $750, 5-22-18 (15th)
Lixitandstixit, $7.5K, 5-10-18
Joshua Huffman was born and collegiately edumacated in Middle Tennessee. That said, Huffman spent 13-plus years with the type of Northern Wisconsinites and Yoopers who turn Nashville bars into alcohol wastelands whenever NFC North teams travel to play the Tennessee Titans. This makes him the NoBro of SoBros. He has published content for Yahoo! Sports (via Contributor Network) and Titan Sized, among other venues. At SoBros, he’ll provide Daily Fantasy Sports suggestions and broad sports coverage. Check out more of his musings at his blog, Millennial on Maple Street.
