After a day off, MLB is back, and it’s a great time to get in on some DraftKings MLB action.
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Starting Pitcher
Stud
Max Scherzer, WAS at BOS, $11,000 - If you are concerned about the matchup, you shouldn’t be. This isn’t the elite Boston offense from year’s past. The Red Sox have one of the worst records in baseball and the offense is nearly as much of an issue as the pitching staff. Against right-handed pitching, they have a 92 wRC+ and a 24.3% strikeout rate.
Value
Andrew Heaney, LAA vs. SEA, $7,800 - Heaney is suffering from a ton of bad luck this season. Looking past his 5.52 ERA, he has a 3.15 FIP. What is going wrong is balls in play leading to hits more often than they should. Heaney has a .338 BABIP and his ERA figures to plummet once that normalizes. Heaney is in a plus matchup against the Mariners and he has strikeout upside. He strikes out over a hitter per inning.
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Catcher
Stud
J.T. Realmuto, PHI vs. ATL, $5,100 - Clearly the top catcher in baseball, Realmuto is putting together a fantastic season. He has a career-best 145 wRC+ and hasn’t had many off games this season. Realmuto is currently on a six-game hitting streak and has double-digit DKFP in three of his last five games.
Value
Austin Hedges, SD at COL, $3,800 - We have a cheap catcher expected to start at Coors Field. I am not sure there is more that needs to be stated. San Diego has the highest implied run total on the slate and we have enough cheap pitchers to choose from that stacking Coors Field is a viable strategy. It helps that some cheap hitters like Hedges are expected to play.
First Base
Stud
Cody Bellinger, LAD at TEX, $5,700 - That slow start from Bellinger is a thing of the past. While a slow first couple weeks will likely keep him out of the MVP discussion in a shortened season, Bellinger’s fantasy production has bounced back quickly. He’s scored at least a dozen fantasy points in seven consecutive games and has an extra base hit in all of those games.
Value
Edwin Encarnacion, CHW vs. KC, $3,800 - Here we have another first baseman rebounding from a rough start. One of the top power-hitters in the league for years, it looked like Encarnacion might have been washed up when he was an automatic out for pitchers through the first few weeks of the season. This is no longer the case and he’s hit three homers in his last six games.
Second Base
Stud
Keston Hiura, MIL vs. PIT, $5,100 - I want to target the Brewers going up against Derek Holland ($6,100) and Hiura is one of the best guys to roster. Currently on a five-game hitting streak, he has a rare combination of speed and power at second base. Hiura has hit seven homers and swiped three bags this season.
Value
Phil Gosselin, PHI vs. ATL, $3,500 - Gosselin has been sneaky good this season and this is especially true against left-handed pitching. Against southpaws, he has a ridiculous 233 wRC+. At a cheap price, he’s somebody I plug into lineups whenever the Phillies face a weak lefty.
Third Base
Stud
Manny Machado, SD at COL, $5,800 - As if Machado’s recent string of great play wasn’t enough, now we get to roster him at Coors Field. It stands to reason that Machado will end up as one of the most owned hitters on the slate, but it’ll be justified. He has double-digit DKFP in nine consecutive games and five homers in his last five games.
Value
Ty France, SD at COL, $3,900 - As one of many hitters we can roster at Coors Field, I really hope France ends up in the lineup. Not only is he too cheap for the hitting environment, he’s playing pretty well this year. France has a 123 wRC+ and a bit of power upside. Last year, he hit 34 homers across the MLB and AAA.
Shortstop
Stud
Fernando Tatis Jr., SD at COL, $6,200 - Yes, another hitter at Coors Field. Along with Machado, Tatis is one of the chalk bats on this slate. He averages more DKFP than any other hitter in baseball and is now the betting favorite to win the NL MVP. It’s hard to argue against it when you see he’s hit a league-best 13 homers and is among the leaders with six stolen bases. After a strong rookie season, Tatis has built on his talent and become a bonafide star.
Value
Adalberto Mondesi, KC at CWS, $2,800 - Signs of life? Expected to be a fantasy star this season, Mondesi has been massively disappointing. The good news is that he’s showing a bit more skill with his bat recently. As long as Mondesi gets on base every once in a while, stealing bases won’t be an issue. He’s swiped bases in back-to-back games and has a hit in six of last eight games.
Outfield
Stud
Mike Trout, LAA vs. SEA, $6,100 - Trout might go overlooked tonight. With a bevy options to pay up for at Coors Field and a number of stars in favorable spot on the slate, Trout becomes really appealing at potentially reduced ownership. Despite missing games due to the birth of his son, Trout is still near the top of the league with 10 homers.
Value
A.J. Pollock, LAD at TEX, $4,300 - I like the idea of rostering Pollock in Texas against a struggling lefty in Mike Minor ($8,300). It’s been a tough start for Minor and he has a 6.75 ERA. It shouldn’t come as a shock that the Rangers lost five of the six games Minor has started. Against southpaws, Pollock has a 160 wRC+.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: MLB $200K Gyro Ball [$50K to 1st]
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