DraftKings Early MLB Picks For May 4

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 May 4

There are seven games in the early tournament today, 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.

The highest priced pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, has never faced the Royals before. He has only faced Omar Infante and Kendrys Morales. They are a combined 1-9 against him. Before you rush to put Steven Matz in against the Braves, realize that the current Braves roster has hit .394 off of him. It is a small sample size, but it is worth noting.

Rookie Sean Manaea is making his first career appearance against the Mariners, so none of them will be on here. Rookie Cesar Vargas is also making his first career appearance against Colorado. Zach Davies has never faced the Angels either.

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 11, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jon Lester (34) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

Best Bets:

Felix Hernandez ($10,700): The A’s are only hitting .218 off of the King in 377 at bats with seven home runs, but only 17 RBI and 87 strikeouts. Add in the fact that he is facing rookie Sean Manaea, and you have a great chance at the win as well. Felix is less of a risk than anyone else in the upper tier. If you are looking to spend big on a pitcher this afternoon, Felix is your guy.

Jon Lester ($10,400): Lester has held the Pirates to a .234 average in 124 at bats with four homers, 15 RBI, and 35 strikeouts. Those are solid numbers, and solid counts on days with lighter slates. Especially when you consider the number of players that have no stats against the opposing pitcher or batters this afternoon.

Honorable Mention:

Hector Santiago ($7,600): The Brewers have hit three homers off of Santiago in only 38 at bats, but they have struck out 11 times. Nearly all of that damage was done by the former Astros acquired in the Carlos Gomez deal (Chris Carter and Domingo Santana). Aside from those two, he has not given up a homer to the Astros.

Dark Horses:

Jake Peavy ($6,400): Peavy has struggled this year, so using him is a risk. It is worth noting that the Reds are hitting just .196 off of him in 51 at bats with only five extra base hits (all doubles), three RBI and 15 strikeouts. There is a lot of potential here if you are willing to take the risk.

Kris Medlen ($6,200): The win potential is low due to opposing Strasburg, but Medlen pitched well against the Nationals when he was in the National League. The Nats are only hitting .212 off of him in 113 at bats with two homers, eight RBI, and 28 strikeouts. Temper your expectations, but 20 DraftKings points may not be out of reach, which is a great bargain at this price.

Dan Straily ($4,700): Hear me out: Straily is taking on the struggling Peavy, and the Giants are an abysmal 1-17(.059) off of him. The downside? He does not own a single strikeout against them. This is for those of you that like to take risks and buck trends, but this is one that could put you in the big money, or waste your entry fee. There is no in between.

Next: Who Are The Best Stacks?

Mar 14, 2016; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Matt Joyce (67) works out prior to the game against the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-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.

Okay, stacking against King Felix is a risky proposition, but hear me out. There are enough stats to support this. Billy Butler ($2,900) is 10-38(.263) with three walks, two doubles, a homer, and five RBI off Hernandez. Marcus Semien ($2,800) is 4-15(.267), but two of those hits are solo home runs. And us fantasy players better hope that Stephen Vogt ($2,900) is in the lineup somewhere. Vogt is 11-24(.458)with two walks, a double, a triple, a home run, and two RBI off the King.

Let’s just say that Matt Joyce ($2,800) loves the Cubs and leave it at that. He has even hit lefty Jon Lester hard. Joyce is 4-11 with a walk, two homers, and six RBI against Lester. You can also consider Sean Rodriguez ($2,300). He is only 8-35(.229) against Lester, but he has four walks, three doubles, a home run, and five RBI off of him. Another one to consider is Chris Stewart ($2,000). The backup catcher is 3-7 with two walks, a homer, and two RBI off Lester.

Next: More Notes For 5-3

Apr 29, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Matt Kemp (27) hits a three run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /

Matt Kemp ($4,300) has been hot anyway, and he has a nice history against Tyler Chatwood. Kemp is 4-11 off of him with a walk, a homer, and two RBI. The fact that the game is in San Diego takes a little luster off of this, but Kemp still has it in his bat to hit the warehouse in left field.

Are you a little concerned about using Chris Carter ($3,700) because of his all-or-nothing approach? Here is the most compelling argument to use him yet. Carter is 5-14(.357) with two walks, a double, two homers, and five RBI off of Hector Santiago.

Jayson Werth ($3,700) is 5-18(.278) with two doubles, a home run, and two RBI against Kris Medlen in his career. He may be worth a look due to the lighter slate.

Be sure to check out the FanDuel picks from out experts in that area! Brian Tulloch provides the picks, while Matt Rogers tells you where to save in his FanDuel Economics articles. Don’t play an FanDuel without them!

Next: FanDuel Trends At First Base In April

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