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DraftKings Early MLB Picks For April 23

By Mike Marteny

Apr 12, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien (10) rounds the bases on a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning at the Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 12, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien (10) rounds the bases on a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning at the Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 12, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; A general view of the DraftKings sign board during the match with FC Dallas playing against New York City FC at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; A general view of the DraftKings sign board during the match with FC Dallas playing against New York City FC at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

DraftKings Early MLB Picks For April 23

There are nine games on the slate tonight, so that means a lot of stats to go through, and a lot of tough decisions to make. Who should you spend on? Let’s hit the stats!

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NOTE: these picks are based solely on statistics. Some players have never faced their opponents, or have very little experience against them. I am not saying that none of those are good picks. The highest scorer of the day could be someone with no experience against his opponent. This is based on statistical analysis only. If you have a gut feeling, then by all means, follow that. This is not an exact science. The best lineups usually have a mix of proven stats and hot players.

Mike Fiers has only faced the Red Sox players 14 times, but judging by the way he has been hit around so far this year, some may be worth using against him. The past stats just don’t give us anything to work with. Tanner Roark has never faced the Minnesota Twins, so you wont see any of them on the list.

For you first time players, if you would like a free entry into the $1 million baseball contest, use this link for the referral bonus!

Next: Pitcher Picks

Apr 19, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (19) looks on before taking on the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 19, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (19) looks on before taking on the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

Best Bets:

Masahiro Tanaka ($10,800): Tanaka has dominated the Rays so far in his career. In 50 at bats, the current Rays have just eight hits off of him and 13 strikeouts. Desmond Jennings has managed to hit a homer off of him in seven at bats, but that is about all that anyone has been able to muster off of the Yankees ace. He should put up some pretty big numbers today.

Clay Buchholz ($9,600): Buchholz had held the Astros to a meager .178 average in 101 at bats with only two homers, six RBI, and 28 strikeouts. He was very good in his last outing. The previous stats say that he could be again this afternoon.

Honorable Mention:

Carlos Rodon ($8,400): Yes, Rodon against the Rangers sounds like an unnecessary risk, but hear me out. The Rangers are hitting only .167 off of Rodon in 36 at bats with no homers, two RBI, and a whopping 15 strikeouts. In just 36 at bats! This is a fairly small sample size, but the stats say Rodon could be in for a good afternoon.

Dark Horse:

Phil Hughes ($6,700): Have I lost my mind? Maybe, but I have stats. You know this. Hughes has held the Nationals to just four hits in 36 at bats in his career for a .111 average. They have not driven in a run off of him and have whiffed nine times. Stephen Drew has the only extra base hit (a double). If you want to gamble a little, Hughes could pay off.

Next: Who Are The Best Stacks?

Apr 22, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Austin Jackson (10) hits a single against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Austin Jackson (10) hits a single against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /

You have heard our FanDuel experts Matt Rogers and Brian Tulloch talk about “stacking” pieces of a lineup against certain pitchers. Here are the stacks that could work well on DraftKings today, based on past statistics.

Consider a White Sox stack against Colby Lewis. Austin Jackson ($3,100) is struggling so far, but this could be where he gets it going. He is 13-31(.419) with a walk, three doubles, and a solo homer against Lewis. Jose Abreu ($4,400) is 4-10, but has no counting stats. Alex Avila ($2,900) is 6-17(.353) with four walks, a double, and two solo home runs against Lewis. If he is starting, he is worth playing.

Next: More Notes For 4-20

Apr 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes (10) hits an RBI single in the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes (10) hits an RBI single in the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

Yan Gomes ($3,100) is one of the few Indians to have any kind of success against Anibal Sanchez. He is 4-9 with a walk, a triple, a homer, and three RBI against him. Just make sure that Gomes is in the lineup for a day game after a night game.

Use Marcus Semien ($4,100) today. He is 7-10 with a walk, a homer, and four RBI against J.A. Happ in his career. If you are looking to go cheap, Billy Butler ($3,300) is 6-19(.316) with a pair of walks and a pair of RBI against Happ.

Next: DraftKings NBA Picks For April 21

Good luck out there, and check out our picks for the NBA playoffs and FanDuel baseball