DraftKings MLB Picks For August 12

Aug 7, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher David Price (24) in the first second of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

DraftKings MLB Picks For August 12

The Cubs and Cardinals play a matinee at Wrigley today, but the other 28 teams are all in the main tournament. We have three aces taking the hill tonight, and another five pitchers at $7,500 or more. Who is a cheap hurler that you can take to afford an ace? Let’s explore the past 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. Check out this post from Matt McGarvey for great tips about whether to use a hot player in DFS or not.

Dylan Bundy has never faced the Giants. He has been brilliant in two August starts, giving up only two runs in 13 innings with 16 strikeouts and only one walk. And his mound opponent is Matt Cain. Bundy is a very good option tonight.

If Ariel Miranda makes his scheduled start tonight (he threw in relief in Monday’s 15 inning game), he is an intriguing play. He held the Red Sox to two runs in six innings in his Seattle debut. The A’s aren’t nearly as potent.

Francisco Liriano has been in the National League for so long that he has only faced three current Astros (they are 2-8). The upside here is an elevated strikeout rate. The downside is the Astros destroy left handed pitching. Liriano has a 5.34 ERA. He is a complete wild card today.

Joe Musgrove gave up just one hit in 4.1 innings in his major league debut against this same Blue Jays team on August 2nd. He struck out eight in that game! Can he do it again?

David Price has never faced the Diamondbacks, but four current Snakes have faced him before. They are a combined 4-31 with ten strikeouts. Paul Goldschmidt, and Yasmany Tomas are not included in those stats though.

Jake Thompson was throttled by the Padres in his major league debut. No part of you wants to use him against the Rockies.

Ross Stripling has never faced the Pirates, but he has a solid 3.79 ERA this year. He wont rack up the strikeouts, but he has done a good job so far of limiting damage.

Carlos Rodon has never faced the Marlins, but his ERA is nearly 4.5, and right handed hitters have crushed him. They are hitting .313 with 16 homers in 335 at bats. If Giancarlo Stanton is in the lineup, look out.

For you first time players, if you would like $25 worth of free entry tickets, use this link for the referral bonus! Then continue reading for tips on how to turn that $25 into more!

Next: Pitcher Picks

Jul 27, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Yu Darvish (11) throws during the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

Best Bet:

Yu Darvish ($11,200): Judging by his performance so far, you would never have guessed that he had surgery last year. Darvish is sporting a 2.78 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. The Tigers are hitting just .186 against him in 59 at bats with only four runs, no homers, and an impressive 17 strikeouts. The Tigers are reeling right now, and Darvish is rolling. Play him with confidence.

Honorable Mention:

Jon Gray ($8,900): Gray only gave up two runs against the Phillies in his first start against them at Coors Field. This time he takes the hill in Citizens Bank Park, and looks like a very good option. He struck out eight Phillies in Colorado. Don’t expect that number to go down.

Carlos Carrasco ($6,900): It seems like Carrasco has been around forever, right? So imagine my surprise when I saw that he has only faced the Angels twice. The last time was on August 4th of last year, and he pitched a one hitter while striking out seven. I’m not saying he will pitch a one hitter again, but he is a very strong play, especially at this price.

Dark Horses:

Matt Cain ($5,900): It’s tempting, isn’t it? Cain is at home where he has a 3.30 career ERA. Also, the current Orioles are hitting just .167 off of him in 48 at bats with an elevated 16 strikeouts. They have homered three times off of him, but the strikeouts help ease the pain. That said, the last two years have been all pain for Cain and his owners. If you take the plunge, good luck. I really to mean that. It could work out big in your favor.

Kyle Gibson ($5,100): Gibson has struggled against nearly everyone so far in his career, but not the Royals. Their .238 average in 160 at bats against Gibson isn’t terrible, but they have only one homer and 12 runs. Gibson only has 25 strikeouts, but he has never been, nor will he ever be, a strikeout pitcher. If you are looking for a sneaky play that will rack up some outs, Gibson could be an interesting play.

Next: Who Are The Best Stacks?

Aug 4, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) in the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fifth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

You have heard our FanDuel experts Matt Rogers and Brian Tulloch talk about “stacking” pieces of a lineup against certain pitchers. Not a stacker? You may not be alone. Matt McGarvey takes his stance against it. Here are the stacks that could work well on DraftKings today, based on past statistics.

Some of you may be wondering why I didn’t recommend Stephen Strasburg against the Braves. Sounds like a good matchup, right? Well, the stats say no. The Braves are hitting .277 in 119 at bats off of Strasburg. Jeff Francoeur ($2,400) is only 2-9, but he has a homer and two RBI. Nick Markakis ($3,700) is 5-15 with a walk and two RBI. Ender Inciarte ($3,500) is 2-7 with a walk, a homer, and two driven in. Adonis Garcia (3,300$) is 5-9 off of Strasburg, but all of the hits are singles and he has no counting stats. Freddie Freeman has punished Strasburg. Freeman ($3,800) is 12-31(.387) with six walks, two doubles, three homers, and nine RBI off of Strasburg. Yes, Strasburg will get the K’s, but I don’t trust him to outscore everyone else. I will play Freeman instead.

The Rangers have clobbered Anibal Sanchez to the tune of a .328 average. You know there are some stack options here. Carlos Beltran ($4,300) is 7-24(.292) with a walk, a homer, and four RBI. Adrian Beltre ($4,300) is 7-10 with two doubles and four RBI. Robinson Chirinos ($3,500) is 3-6 with a double and a RBI. Shin-Soo Choo ($4,800) is 5-17(.294), but he only has a walk and a RBI. Ian Desmond ($3,800) is 8-30(.267) with three walks, two doubles, a homer, and three RBI against Sanchez. Jonathan Lucroy ($5,100) is 2-6 with a RBI. Mitch Moreland ($4,400) is also 2-6, but he has a walk, a double, a homer, and three RBI.

The Rays may seem like a good matchup for CC Sabathia, but I can assure you they are not. The Rays are hitting .331 with eight homers against him in 160 at bats. Logan Forsythe ($5,300) is 8-18(.444) with four doubles, two homers, and five RBI against Sabathia. However, it has been Evan Longoria ($4,500) who has pummeled Sabathia. Longoria is 26-67(.388) with thirteen walks, nine doubles, six home runs, and 14 RBI against Sabathia. You have to play Longoria today.

If you are looking to go cheap, Alex Gordon ($3,400) is 8-19(.421) with five walks, two doubles, a homer, and four RBI against Kyle Gibson. Alcides Escobar ($3,500) is 8-24 with a walk and a RBI. Eric Hosmer ($3,900) is 6-23(.261) with three walks, a double, and four RBI against Gibson.

It’s Brian Dozier ($5,100). Yet again. Dozier is 5-14(.357) with three walks, a double, and two RBI against Yordano Ventura. Eduardo Escobar ($3,100) is 5-11(.455) with two walks, a double, and two RBI. Danny Santana ($3,400) has hit the only current Twins homer against Ventura, but he is just 2-12.

Next: More Notes For 8-10

Jul 19, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun (8) at the batting cage before playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Miguel Cabrera ($5,100) is 5-15 with a walk, three doubles, and three RBI against Yu Darvish in his career.

Ben Revere ($3,100) is 3-4 with two doubles and a triple against Mike Foltynewicz. The tricky part has been cracking the starting lineup though.

J.J. Hardy ($2,700) is 5-17(.294) with a double, two homers, and five RBI against Matt Cain. Mark Trumbo ($4,200) is only 1-5, but the hit is a home run.

Ryan Braun ($4,800) is 12-34(.353) with two walks, four doubles, two homers, and seven RBI against Homer Bailey. Scooter Gennett ($3,300) is 8-24 with a walk and three doubles.

Brandon Phillips ($4,400) is 6-18 with two homers and three RBI against Jimmy Nelson. Joey Votto ($5,000) is also 6-18 with two walks and three RBI. Billy Hamilton ($5,000) is 5-18(.278) with three walks and a double. If he gets on base, look out. He has been a stolen base machine lately.

Justin Morneau ($3,300) is 3-6 with a double and a solo homer against Andrew Cashner. Todd Frazier ($3,700) is 4-8 with a walk, all four hits are doubles, and three RBI.

Brandon Guyer ($3,800) is perfect with a single, a homer, and two RBI against Tyler Skaggs. Carlos Santana ($3,600) is 2-3 with a homer and three driven in against Skaggs.

Nelson Cruz ($4,900) is 2-3 with a homer and two RBI against Sean Manaea so far.

Josh Reddick ($3,400) is familiar with Ivan Nova from his days in the American League. Reddick is 5-13(.385) with two doubles and two solo homers against Nova.

Okay, look at this line: Jacoby Ellsbury ($3,800) is 18-28(.643) with four walks, a double, a homer, and three RBI off of Chris Archer. If you think Alex Rodriguez ($2,600) is going to go out like Kobe Bryant, he is just 2-15 lifetime against Archer. However, both of those hits are home runs.

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 FanDuel without them! Don’t forget to check out the DFS Lineup Optimizer over at FantasyPros. They also have other great tools for season-long leagues!

Next: DFS Strategy - Take Your Game to the Next Level

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