DraftKings Late MLB Picks For August 18
We have ten games for the main tournament, but only two pitchers are priced as aces. Are they worth paying for? Can you find a bargain in the lower tier to spend on hitting? Let’s check the past stats for some assistance.
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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.
Joe Musgrove continues his nice start to his career. He has given up just three runs in three starts in the majors so far. He will have his hands full against Baltimore, but his $7,000 price tag is enticing. Especially when you factor in the 21 strikeouts in only 18.1 innings. And before you dismiss his success because of lesser teams, he faced the Rangers twice and Toronto once. Those lineups are both very good. He could be a great option here if you are willing to take a chance.
Rob Whalen gave up six runs in five innings against this same Nationals team on Saturday. Stay far away from this one, unless you are using Nationals hitters.
Jerad Eickhoff has never faced the Dodgers, but he has fallen on hard times in August. He has given up eight runs in 11.2 innings pitched over two August starts. Even in a slightly abbreviated player pool, you can do better. Stay away from this as well.
Ross Stripling has never faced the Phillies either. He was beat on by Pittsburgh on Friday, but he was sharp against the Red Sox on August 6th. He could be good today, but he carries a healthy load of risk with him.
Arizona is 4-8 career against Paul Clemens. There is no way he is worth the risk.
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
Best Bet:
Jacob deGrom ($11,100): The Giants are a pathetic 7-50(.140) against deGrom so far. They have scored three runs, but have struck out 13 times. These numbers are approaching elite. So is deGrom’s 2.30 ERA and 1.05 WHIP on the season. While some of the Mets rotation has struggled lately, deGrom has given up just two runs in his last four starts. Start him with confidence!
Jose Fernandez ($11,900): The Reds are only hitting a solid .255 against Fernandez in 51 at bats with a homer, only four runs, and 15 strikeouts. Fernandez has not gone more than six innings since July 23rd. He will likely be held to six innings again unless he has something special going on out there, but you can’t blame the Marlins for wanting to save him. Just enjoy the strikeouts while he is in there. He pitched seven scoreless innings against the Reds on July 8th. Don’t be surprised if he blanks them again.
Honorable Mention:
Danny Salazar ($9,000): Yes, the White Sox have hit eight homers off of him but have only scored 13 runs. Salazar has given up the long ball, but he has managed to limit the damage. And he has racked up 42 strikeouts in 118 at bats. That kind of strikeout potential makes him worth the risk. Also, Carlos Sanchez is perfect against Salazar with a solo homer, but he is in the minors. Avisail Garcia and Austin Jackson are both on the DL. Combined they have two homers and five RBI against Salazar. That brings the damage down to five homers and seven RBI in 90 at bats, which borders on elite numbers. The caveat is that he is coming off of the disabled list for this start. Keep in mind that he may be a little rusty, which adds a little more risk to the equation.
Hisashi Iwakuma ($9,300): Iwakuma has a pretty good track record against the Angels. The Angels are only hitting .226 against him in 199 at bats with six homers and 12 RBI to 35 strikeouts. The strikeout total is low, but Iwakuma has given up just three runs in three August starts. He is rolling right now!
Dan Straily ($7,900): He will be off of a lot of radars because of his matchup with Jose Fernandez, but remember, this is a Marlins team without Giancarlo Stanton. Marcell Ozuna is mired in an awful slump. He only has four strikeouts in 27 career at bats against the Marlins, but he has also given up only seven hits and three runs. One of which was driven in by Stanton. He is a solid lower tier option.
Dark Horses:
Carlos Rodon ($6,300): Rodon has certainly taken his lumps so far in the majors, but they have not come via Cleveland. The Indians are hitting just .217 in 92 at bats with just four runs scored and an impressive 24 strikeouts. If you believe in past stats, Rodon should be in your lineup.
Reynaldo Lopez ($5,100): Lopez dominated the Braves in his last start, allowing just a solo homer to Freddie Freeman in seven innings. He only struck out two batters, but he still came up with 17.6 DraftKings points. If he does that for this price, you are ahead of the game.
Next: Who Are The Best Stacks?
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.
Since the White Sox have hit eight homers against Danny Salazar, you know there are some players to stack hoping for more long balls. The best bet would be Jose Abreu ($4,500). Abreu is 6-16(.375) with a double, three homers, and four RBI against Salazar. Todd Frazier ($3,500) and J.B. Shuck ($2,700) have both hit solo shots off Salazar, but they are a combined 2-16 against him. Adam Eaton ($4,100) is 4-12 with two walks and a RBI.
Kole Calhoun ($3,200) is 8-27(.296) with two solo homers against Hisashi Iwakuma. Johnny Giavotella ($2,900) is 5-12 with a walk, a double, and a solo homer. Yunel Escobar ($2,400) is 6-14(.429) with two walks and a RBI. Mike Trout ($5,500) is only 9-42(.214), but he has three walks, a homer, and two RBI. Albert Pujols ($2,900) is a pathetic 6-45(.133), but he has three doubles, a homer, and five RBI against Iwakuma.
Matt Shoemaker had a great start to the season, but he has come back to earth lately. The Mariners have also hit him well in his career. Nelson Cruz ($4,600) is 6-17(.353) with a double, a homer, and four RBI against Shoemaker. Leonys Martin ($3,000) is 7-17(.412) with two doubles, a homer, and three RBI. Kyle Seager ($4,900) is 5-20 with a walk, two homers, and five RBI. Seth Smith ($3,300) is 5-14(.357) with two solo homers against Shoemaker.
The Royals have hit Tyler Duffey well so far in his career. Billy Burns ($2,500) is 2-2 with a triple and a RBI. Alcides Escobar ($3,900) is 5-7 with a double and a RBI. Salvador Perez ($3,600) is 2-5 with a walk, two doubles, and a RBI. Cheslor Cuthbert ($3,800) is only 1-6, but that one hit off of Duffey is a solo homer.
Dillon Gee was roughed up by the Twins on Saturday. There is little reason to think it wont happen again. Brian Dozier ($5,000) hit his 100th career homer against Gee on Saturday, and is now 4-11 with a walk, a double, and two solo homers against Gee. Robbie Grossman ($3,700) is 3-5 with a homer and two RBI against Gee. Joe Mauer ($4,900) is 5-10 with a walk and a double, but he has no counting stats. Eddie Rosario ($4,000) is 2-4 with a homer and two RBI. Miguel Sano ($4,900) is only 1-6, but the hit was a two run homer. Kurt Suzuki ($3,100) is 5-14(.357) with a double and a RBI.
Don’t forget to check out the DFS Lineup Optimizer over at FantasyPros. You can also pick your favorite players or favorite stack, and it will optimize the lineup around that! It really is an invaluable tool for you DFS players!
Next: More Notes For 8-18
Rene Rivera ($2,000): is 2-3 with a double, a homer, and five RBI against Madison Bumgarner. Jay Bruce ($2,900) is just 3-18, but he has a homer and four driven in.
Brandon Phillips ($3,800) is 3-10 with a solo homer against Jose Fernandez in his career.
Christian Yelich ($5,100) is a perfect 2-2 with a double, a homer, and two RBI against Dan Straily. Can he carry the Marlins by himself? He may need to.
Derek Norris ($2,600), Alexei Ramirez ($2,600), and Yangervis Solarte ($3,900) have all homered against Archie Bradley, but Bradley has struck out 10 of the 32 Padres he has faced.
Trea Turner ($4,900) went 3-3 with a triple and a solo homer against Rob Whalen on Sunday. Daniel Murphy ($5,200) was 1-2 with a homer and four RBI.
Brandon Belt ($3,400) is 2-6 with three walks and a RBI against Jacob deGrom. Hunter Pence ($) is 2-8 with a walk, a double, and two RBI.
George Springer ($4,200) is 2-3 with two solo homers against Kevin Gausman.
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!
Next: DFS Strategy - Take Your Game to the Next Level
Good luck out there, and check out our picks for FanDuel baseball!