:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67183159/1265044822.jpg.0.jpg)
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 $400K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Patrick Corbin, WAS at NYM, $10,400 - In terms of pricing, Corbin is in a tier of his own today. Not a single other pitcher on this slate is priced above $8,800. Even if this makes him the stud pitcher on the slate by default, Corbin still makes for a strong option. He has scored over 21 DKFP in each of his first two starts of the season and pitch count doesn’t look like an issue after he was allowed to throw 102 pitches his last time out. Corbin has 16 strikeouts in 12 innings this season.
Value
Lance McCullers Jr., HOU vs. SF, $8,200 - Coming back from Tommy John surgery, the results for McCullers have not not great. He has an ERA north of 9.00 and is coming off of a -10.6 DKFP outing against the Diamondbacks. The good news is that his velocity is still decent coming and he finds himself in a great matchup against the Giants today. At -195, Houston is the second largest favorite on today’s slate.
Curious about when major leagues and events will return? Check out our DraftKings Sports Calendar for the latest updates.
CATCHER
Stud
Yasmani Grandal, CHW at DET, $4,700 - Grandal has been steady to start the season. He has reached base in eight consecutive games and today will be a bullpen game for the Tigers. Detroit’s bullpen has had to work hard recently due to some short performances from starting pitchers and a recent extra-innings game against the Pirates where the final score was 17-13. Grandal figures to face a handful of weak relievers today.
Value
Carson Kelly, ARI at COL, $3,900 - There isn’t too much analysis here. We have a cheap catcher expected to start at Coors Field. Sometimes, the quality of pitchers and hitters doesn’t matter when it comes to playing games in Denver. Any cheap hitter starting at Coors is somebody I want exposure to.
FIRST BASE
Stud
Matt Olson, OAK at LAA, $4,700 - Julio Teheran ($7,400) makes his second start of the season today and his first one didn’t look great. In limited work, he allowed two runs in 2 2⁄3 innings. While this is a really small sample size, the velocity is a major red flag. His fastball had an average velocity of just 89.2 mph. A top power hitter, Olson has four homers in his past five games and could go yard against a diminished Teheran.
Value
Howie Kendrick, WAS at NYM, $4,000 - I am almost always lower on Steven Matz ($7,300) than the public and he’s off to another rocky start. In three starts, Matz has a 5.65 ERA and Kendrick feasts on left-handed pitching. Last year, he posted a 165 wRC+ against southpaws.
SECOND BASE
Stud
Ketel Marte, ARI at COL, $5,000 - Playing at Coors Field, it seems like Marte should be more expensive. Coming off a career year, Marte is off to a slow start, but there appears to be bad luck involved. Marte is making plenty of hard contact and it isn’t leading to the same success. He has a 32.1% hard contact rating and he’s actually getting the ball in the air more this season than last year. The power numbers should come soon and playing at altitude is great way to kick start his ISO.
Value
Jonathan Schoop, DET vs. CHW, $3,700 - One of the more popular value plays lately, the pricing algorithm is overlooking Schoop on the Tigers. Despite playing on a weak offense, he’s still showing power upside and has hit three homers this season. He’s averaging 7.7 DKFP and has started the season with a 136 wRC+ against left-handed pitching.
THIRD BASE
Stud
Nolan Arenado, COL vs. ARI, $6,300 - We are going to want to get Rockies players into lineups today. After reworking his mechanics in the offseason, the fantasy community was bullish on Robbie Ray ($6,300) entering the season and he looks worse than ever. Ray allowed 11 earned runs across his past two starts and now he has to pitch in Coors Field against some of the league’s top lefty mashers like Arenado.
Value
Yandy Díaz, TB at BOS, $3,300 - Riding a modest seven-game hitting streak, Díaz is a bit too cheap for a guy who gets time as the leadoff hitter in the Rays’ lineup. Today is a bullpen game for the Red Sox and they have one of the weaker bullpens in the MLB. This is a great spot for the Rays and they could go overlooked.
SHORTSTOP
Stud
Trevor Story, COL vs. ARI, $6,100 - Story has everything going for him tonight. He’s playing at Coors Field, he’s playing against a left-handed pitcher, and it’s a lefty in Robbie Ray who is not looking too hot to start the season. Story on the other hand is off to a great start. He’s averaging 10.7 DKFP and scored at least 15 DKFP in two of his past four games. Story already has five homers and three stolen bases and getting this combination of power and speed makes for great fantasy upside.
Value
Carlos Correa, HOU vs. SF, $4,300 - After all of the controversy surrounding the Astros in the offseason, the ownership always feels a bit lower than it should be for this team. Most people don’t want to roster Houston players due to bias. It’s understandable, although Correa is one of the top shortstops in baseball and he isn’t priced like it. He’s in a plus matchup today and has started the season with a 175 wRC+.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Christian Yelich, MIL vs. MIN, $5,300 - Before long, Yelich is going to be one of the most expensive players in DFS. Following a horrendous start, he is rounding back into his MVP form. Yelich homered in three of his past four games, bringing his fantasy average up to 9.0 DKFP per game. Pitchers were never going to hold Yelich down for long and history suggest he will be on of the top fantasy players in the league from here on out.
Value
Kyle Tucker, HOU vs. SF, $3,700 - With George Springer ($4,800) dealing with a wrist injury, Tucker has moved to the top of the Astros’ lineup. If his new spot in the lineups hold, he makes for a really strong value play. The Astros have the highest implied run total of any team playing outside of Coors Field tonight.
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
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.