DraftKings MLB Picks Wild Card Round

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 MLB Picks Wild Card Round

All 162 games are in the books, and hopefully you have a decent bankroll from the season. The postseason tournaments can be easy to cash in, but hard to win. It is very difficult to break from the norm when there are only two games going on, which is where we find ourselves in the wild card round.

The Monday and Tuesday wild card games are combined in this DraftKings tournament. We have a pair of aces going in the National League, and two pitchers that are barely standard league relevant in season long leagues. What is the best combination to use? Can we afford both aces in DraftKings? Let’s check the past stats to see if they are any help.

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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.

For you first time players, if you would like $20 worth of free entry tickets, use this link for the referral bonus! Then continue reading for tips on how to turn that $20 into more!

Next: Pitcher Picks

Sep 23, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) warms-up prior to the game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Best Bet:

Noah Syndergaard ($10,500): The Giants are a pathetic 9-51(.176) against Thor with one homer, four runs, and ten strikeouts. He doesn’t have the highest strikeout potential of this DraftKings slate, but Thor is definitely the most reliable option. He has by far the best past stats at a fairly reasonable price. If you are only taking one ace, Syndergaard is probably the best option.

Madison Bumgarner ($11,200): The Mets are hitting a solid .261 against Bumgarner in 157 at bats with five homers and 21 runs scored. However, they have only struck out 36 times. Also, three of those homers and seven of those RBI belong to the injured Justin Ruggiano. Strikeouts will likely be down in the post-season, but that doesn’t mean that runs will be up. I would go with the sure outs over possible strikeouts, giving Thor a little bit higher grade. MadBum may outscore him but I doubt its by much.

Honorable Mention:

Marcus Stroman ($7,800): Stroman has started to look the part of Toronto ace in the second half after a dreadful middle of the season. He has a 3.27 ERA since August 1st. The good news ends there though. The Orioles are hitting .309 with six homers and 23 runs in only 139 at bats with just 24 strikeouts. This A.L. Wild Card game looks like a high scoring game, so if you can afford both aces, it may be a good idea. Stroman gave up 18 runs in four starts against the Orioles this season in only 23 innings.

Chris Tillman ($7,600): Tillman is the cheapest pitcher on here for a reason. The Blue Jays are hitting .299 with 20 homers and a staggering 55 RBI against him in only 314 at bats. He has allowed more runs (55) than he has strikeouts (53). He is a huge risk, but the silver lining is that Tillman has only allowed three earned runs in his last two starts combined against the Jays. However, he has failed to make it through the sixth inning in either start.

Next: Hitter Notes For Wild Card Round

Sep 25, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) hits a solo home run in the fourth inning against New York Yankees at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports

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!

Chris Tillman has given up a ridiculous 20 home runs to the Blue Jays in 314 at bats. You know there are some good stacks in there! Jose Bautista ($4,300) is 12-45(.267) with eight walks, four doubles, three homers, and seven RBI. Josh Donaldson ($4,900) is 9-35(.257) with four walks, five doubles, a homer, and seven driven in. Edwin Encarnacion ($4,100) is 17-58(.293) with three doubles, four walks, three homers, and five RBI. Kevin Pillar ($3,000) is 8-23(.348) with a double, three homers, and six RBI. Michael Saunders ($3,100) is 6-21(.286) with two walks, a double, two homers and three RBI. Russell Martin ($3,000) is 6-14(.429) with seven walks, three doubles, and a RBI. Devon Travis ($3,400) is 3-8 with a walk, two doubles, a homer, and seven RBI against Tillman. Troy Tulowitzki ($3,900) is 5-12 with a double, three homers, and five RBI. Melvin Upton, Jr ($3,000) is no stranger to Tillman either. He is 3-14 with three walks, a double, a homer, and two RBI from his days with the Rays. Ryan Goins ($2,100) is 9-27(.333) with a walk, a homer, and two RBI. You can’t afford all of these guys, but I would definitely use at least two of them.

Pedro Alvarez ($3,500) is 3-8 with a solo homer against Marcus Stroman. Matt Wieters ($3,600) has five hits in 14 at bats with a walk, a double, two homers, and six RBI. Manny Machado ($4,000) has three hits in 12 at bats with a double, a homer, and three RBI. Steve Pearce ($3,700) is 4-7 with three walks, a double, a homer, and two RBI against Stroman. Adam Jones ($3,600) has six hits in 15 at bats with a walk and two RBI. Even Ryan Flaherty ($2,400) has gotten in on the action. He is 3-11 with a double, a homer, and four RBI off of Stroman.

Jay Bruce ($3,800) has just three hits in 21 at bats against Madison Bumgarner, but he has a homer and four RBI. Asdrubal Cabrera ($3,700) has been fortunate enough to get two singles and a RBI in four at bats. Yoenis Cespedes ($4,200) has three hits in 10 at bats with three walks, a double, and a RBI. Backup catcher Rene Rivera ($2,500) may get a start considering his is 2-3 with a double, a homer, and five RBI off of MadBum.

Hunter Pence ($3,300) only has one hit in five at bats against Noah Syndergaard, but it is a two run homer. Buster Posey ($3,400) has three hits in six at bats, but they are all singles and he has no counting stats.

Be sure to check out the FanDuel picks from out experts in that area! Brian Tulloch provides the picks and alternative plays if you don’t want to follow the herd. Don’t play on FanDuel before checking it out!

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

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