Welcome to the Core 4! My name is Michael aka @MadnessDFS on Twitter, make sure to give me a follow as I’ll occasionally make updates to the article throughout the day as news breaks and lineups come out. But, you’ll mostly find me in our VIP coaching forums where I provide detailed lineup maneuvers and answer all lineup questions. With that said, let’s get it started!
Purpose of the Core 4: These four players are guys that I want to get high exposure to in my cash game lineups and if doing multi-entry, using the Domination Station to either lock them in or set high exposure percentages to them. These are players that I see as underpriced, in great matchups, good conditions, or simply just have a hunch. I also need to mention that these plays are normally geared toward Draftkings pricing and scoring, however, the stats and reasoning behind liking them stay true no matter the site. Be sure to compare this article with the players mentioned on our Coaches Notes/Player Picks every night to get a sense of where you stand and to get multiple coach’s outlooks on the slate. With that said, let’s jump in!
While you’re here, go check out all the NFL strategy we have at DFSArmy, which has you covered for all of your NFL fantasy needs.
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CORE 4:
Mike Clevinger (SP) – $11,400
I always hate to just plug in the highest-priced pitcher on the slate as part of the core because, to be honest, he’s priced up for a reason and it’s not because he’s bad. But tonight is a different story, I’m suggesting that you start your lineups with Mike Clevinger and just move on and don’t look back. Clevinger gets a matchup with the Detroit Tigers who we have been streaming pitchers against all season long, why stop here? The Tigers have an implied run total of just 3.1 runs here in Cleveland. The Tigers are striking out at a 26.4% rate which is above league average. This combined with the elite strikeout rate of Mike Clevinger at 35.3% and you have yourself a recipe for success. Not to mention he has completely destroyed Detroit this season, AVERAGING 37.5 Draftkings points per game in two starts against them. Don’t get cute here, just play Clevinger. Nilly’s Carnage Report isn’t out at the time I’m writing this, but be sure to give it a look and check out where he ranks!
-> NILLY’S CARNAGE REPORT <-
Jordan Luplow (OF) – $5,000
Spending up at all four spots is not going to be easy so I’ll try and keep the other two core spots a little cheaper but anytime Luplow gets a matchup with a lefty I will have a ton of interest. Not only does he match up with a lefty here, but a bad lefty in that. Daniel Norris will start for the Tigers as the Indians have an implied run total of six runs and are probably my favorite stack on the slate. There is no good relief after Norris either as the Tigers have one of the worst bullpens in the league. Now we get to the good part, Luplow’s numbers against lefties on the season; a .714 slugging percentage, .466 wOBA, and a .397 ISO. Luplow is also in good form, averaging 8.4 Draftkings points per game over his last ten games. Get yourself some Luplow here.
Jonathan Schoop (2B) – $4,000
This may be the first time I’ve used Schoop all season long, but it’s hard not to like him here. The Twins draw a matchup with Mike Montgomery and the Royals poor bullpen. Minnesota has an implied run total of 6.3 runs which leads the slate at the moment. Schoop really never draws a ton of ownership because he hits in the lower part of the lineup, but if you’re expecting him to get four at-bats, which I am, it’s not a huge deal especially when he’s priced at a discount compared to the rest of the lineup. Schoop has hit left-handed pitching well all season long with a .561 slugging percentage, .388 wOBA, and a .281 ISO. It also allows you to get a nice value at the second base position which can be a tough one to fill, get some Schoop here.
I’m going to continue to drive home the coaches notes/player picks here, these are something you need to look at before submitting your lineups! Often times we don’t have enough time to write big long write-ups on every single player on our coaching sheets, but trust me the research is there behind every pick! The Coaches Notes have a little bit of everything no matter what type of player you are. They have Draftkings notes, FanDuel notes, Showdown slate notes, and CashKeg’s Main Slate cash notes (see results below). Take these and compare them to the rest of the tools we offer on the site and you have already strengthened your chances of doing something like bobbywow did here when he won $50,000.
Michael Hermosillo (OF) – $3,300
Alright, so we went expensive with the first two pieces of the core, so we are going to really bargain hunt here and free up some salary for the rest of the lineup. Raise your hand if you’ve played Michael Hermosillo this season, alright cool.. me either. The price tag is really nice here for a guy playing in small Yankee Stadium. The Angels lost some bang in their lineup with the loss of Mike Trout, but I think they can get to Tanaka here and put some runs up. Hermosillo has really been pretty good lately and has at least six points in three of his last four games. I know that doesn’t seem like a ton, but for the price tag and what it allows us to do with the rest of the lineup is really nice. He’s also crushed right-handed pitching this season with a .625 slugging percentage, .488 wOBA, and a .250 ISO. It may be a little scary, but I really like paying down for Hermosillo here.
Simple Coaching = Simple Results
Our coaches build their sheets with their own “Core” plays in them (blue in color). You can use these to form your own foundations, or as a consensus across coaches to solidify your own thoughts. However, I definitely recommend upgrading to a Full VIP member so you can access our coaching discussions in rooms like, #cash-keg-allsports where our coaches explain when and why they change some of their thoughts based on late lineup confirmations. These pivots dramatically increase your edge as a player!
As always I appreciate everyone who gave the article a read! Feel free to mix it up with me in our coaching forums as news breaks and lock approaches. Let’s win some cash, whaddya say?!