MLB baseball is back! While the KBO held us over for a few months, we have to be honest and say it isn’t as good as the real thing. Now that we can watch baseball during hours that we are normally awake, it’s a great time to get in on some DraftKings MLB action.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: MLB $300K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Gerrit Cole, NYY vs. BOS, $11,000 - This is a slate filled with strong pitching options and Cole stands at the top of them all. With him pitching at home against the Red Sox, the Yankees are the largest favorites on the slate. This implies a lot of security with rostering Cole. Even if he hasn’t been quite as dominant as last year, Cole is still producing strong fantasy production with a high floor. He’s scored at least 20 DKFP in all of his starts and the Yankees are yet to lose with their ace on the mound.
Value
Frankie Montas, OAK at SF, $8,400 - Montas always seems a bit too cheap to me. He has some of the most electric stuff in baseball and its leading to strong results this season. Montas has a 1.57 ERA and is averaging 20.3 DKFP per start. Not only is he underpriced relative to his production, he finds himself in a good matchup. The Giants have a 94 wRC+ against right-handed pitching and Montas is pitching in San Francisco, which is a pitcher-friendly park.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Frankie Montas (back) has been scratched from the lineup for tonight’s game vs. the Giants.
Curious about when major leagues and events will return? Check out our DraftKings Sports Calendar for the latest updates.
CATCHER
Stud
Robinson Chirinos, TEX at COL, $4,700 - It’s been a few days since Chirinos last played. Yesterday was an off day and he missed the two games prior because of ankle soreness. The good news is that the injury was only considered day-to-day, so I expect him back in the lineup today. There’s no better place for him to return and produce immediate results quite like hitting in Coors Field. Consistently one of the better hitting catchers in baseball, Chirinos has posted a wRC+ over 100 in five consecutive seasons.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Robinson Chirinos (ankle) has been placed on the 10-day injured list.
Value
Austin Nola, SEA at HOU, $3,100 - Brother of Aaron Nola, Austin has been one of the better hitters in the Mariners’ lineup. In fairness, this doesn’t mean a ton since their offense is pretty poor, but Nola hits in the middle of the lineup with catcher eligibility and a cheap price. He’s scored at least 16 DKFP in four of his last six games.
FIRST BASE
Stud
Luke Voit, NYY vs. BOS, $4,500 - The Yankees are a team to get exposure to. After the Red Sox gave up 17 runs to the Rays yesterday and only got two innings of their starting pitcher, they are going to a bullpen game today. Considering that Boston has one of the weakest bullpens in baseball and figures to be thin after yesterday’s disaster, the Yankees should have no problem hanging a big number on the scoreboard today. Voit is riding a four-game hitting streak and averaging 11.25 DKFP over this stretch.
Value
Eric Hosmer, SD at ARI, $3,300 - Hosmer got off to a terrific start this season. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long because a stomach ailment forced him to the IL. There were tangible reason to buy into his hot start, most notable, a major change in his launch angle meant that he was no longer pounding the ball into the ground every at bat as he has done the last couple of years. The time on the IL caused him to be forgotten about, but after homering yesterday, I think we could see Hosmer take off again now that he’s healthy.
SECOND BASE
Stud
Rougned Odor, TEX at COL, $5,100 - Playing at Coors Field, the Rangers have the highest team total on the slate. If looking to roster an expensive offense, they are the team to turn to. Odor is off to a slow start and playing in Denver is the perfect way to get on track. More than anything, I think his slow start is related to bad luck. Odor has opened the season with a .160 BABIP and that is certain to bounce back sooner rather than later.
Value
Andres Gimenez, NYM at PHI, $2,800 - The Mets’ speedy middle infielder has been really impressive lately. Even though he won’t wow anybody with his bat, he makes contact and is fast enough to make things happen with his legs. Gimenez has stolen bases in back-to-backs and scored double-digit DKFP in four of his last five games.
THIRD BASE
Stud
Jose Ramirez, CLE at DET, $5,600 - Ramirez is off to a much better start than he got off to last year. He was so bad prior to the All-Star break last year that this isn’t too hard to accomplish, but there were some concerns with him entering the season. In a shortened year, his numbers could have looked really terrible if he started as slow as he did a year ago. Instead, Ramirez is posting a 124 wRC+ with a higher OBP and more power than he showed last season. The switch-hitter has two games this year with homers from both sides of the plate.
Value
Marwin Gonzalez, MIN vs. KC, $3,800 - Getting extra playing time with Josh Donaldson (calf) on the IL, Gonzalez is making the most of the opportunity. He has a 120 wRC+ and it stands to reason that his counting stats should be strong as long as he continues to get on base. The Twins have one of the most potent offenses in baseball and Gonzalez has a .365 OBP.
SHORTSTOP
Stud
Corey Seager, LAD at LAA, $5,100 - It wasn’t long ago that Seager was considered one of the top young players in baseball. Injuries slightly derailed his career, but he looks as good as ever this year. Seager opened the season with a 178 wRC+ and is very capable of hitting both left and right-handed pitching. I don’t mind that he’s facing a lefty today and that might limit his ownership a bit. Seager had a bit of a down year last season coming back from Tommy John surgery and he looks fully recovered now.
Value
Jorge Polanco, MIN vs. KC, $4,200 - After a slow to the start, Polanco is starting to pick up his production, although his salary remains cheap. Polanco is averaging 14 DKFP across his last two games and has a great lineup situation. He’s now hitting second in the potent Twins’ lineup which figures to be great for his counting stats going forward.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Mookie Betts, LAD at LAA, $5,600 - After launching three homers yesterday, Betts is a name that pop out when looking at the pricing. Even though he’s expensive, he’s a much preferable option to the Rockies’ bats, who are facing a tough pitcher in Lance Lynn. With yesterday’s trio of homers, Betts tied the record for most three-homer games in MLB history and he’s only 27. That’s a record that will solely be his before long. Betts is now on a five-game hitting streak and it looks like he’s settled into being a Dodger.
Value
Willie Calhoun, TEX at COL, $4,200 - In the past, Calhoun probably wouldn’t have gotten to play at Coors Field. A good young hitter without a position in the field, Calhoun is going to likely spend most of his career as a DH. He’s currently on a modest three-game hitting streak and scored at least 12 DKFP in two of those games. Calhoun is one of the cheapest bats of all the players at Coors Field tonight and he has the power to do damage in Denver.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: MLB $300K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is gehrenberg) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.