DraftKings Early MLB Picks For April 20

We have four day games today on travel day. The early DraftKings tournament still has two pitchers priced as aces. Are either one of them worth using? Let’s check out some past stats to see what we are up against!

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The money line was up at 121.9, which is rather high for a short slate. Addison Russell‘s walkoff had me in the hunt despite two awful pitching performances. I ended up just short as Seager got a walk instead of a hit with the bases loaded. That was the difference between cash and not.

The winning lineup was also steady at 201.3 points. That was the only lineup over 200 points. He had good starts from Jesse Hahn and Michael Wacha, coupled with only one hitter having below 15 DraftKings points (Jonathan Villar‘s five).

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 $10 worth of free entry tickets, use this link for the referral bonus! Then continue reading for tips on how to turn that $10 into more!

Next: DraftKings MLB Lineup April 16

P: Chris Sale ($13,300): Toronto is a mess right now, and the only Jay that has really hit Sale hard is Josh Donaldson, who is on the disabled list. With Donaldson’s stats removed, the Blue Jays are only hitting .168 in 95 at bats with three homers and seven runs with 22 strikeouts. Sale boasts a 1.25 ERA through three starts. This looks like another good start for Sale.

P: Lance McCullers Jr. ($9,800): I am paying up for pitching again since there is a huge drop off behind the big two, and there are bargains to be had with hitters. The Angels are also struggling on offense. They are also hitting just .191 in 68 at bats against McCullers with two homers, four runs, and a staggering 20 strikeouts.

C: Jason Castro ($2,800): We will have mostly a skeleton crew at catcher again since most starters will take the afternoon off. The exception is the two backstops that got rained out yesterday. I couldn’t afford Yan Gomes, so I will take Castro for $100 less. This game could be high scoring with Trevor Bauer on the mound, and Ervin Santana, who has been hit hard by Cleveland.

1B: Mitch Moreland ($3,000): There are a lot of juicy past stats to feast on at first base, but I elected to save money and go with Moreland. He is 3-8 with two walks, a homer, and two RBI against Marco Estrada in his career. The only difference is that he now has the potency of the Red Sox offense around him.

2B: Jose Ramirez ($4,100): I splurged a little for Ramirez with good reason. Even though Ervin Santana has been lights out so far this year, but Ramirez is 9-13(.692) with a double, a triple, and a whopping seven RBI already against Santana. I’m not going to pay up for a struggling Edwin Encarnacion. I would rather spend the money on Ramirez.

3B: Evan Longoria ($4,00): Longoria is 3-4 with a walk, a double, and a RBI against Daniel Norris. The Rays have knocked around some good pitchers in the opening weeks of the season. It’s too early to call Norris good yet, but he is off to a good start, and he has the stuff to do it. Longoria better get him while the gettin’s good. It wont always be.

SS: Jose Iglesias ($2,600): Iglesias is 1-4 with a walk and a RBI against Erasmo Ramirez. It isn’t really about the stats. It’s about finding a regular who is playing well at a low price. Iglesias certainly qualifies. He has at least seven DraftKings points in every game since April 12! NOTE: We may have to pivot off of Iglesias. He left last night’s game in the ninth inning after taking a knee to the noggin during a double play.

OF: Eddie Rosario ($3,500): Rosario is off to a slow start this year, but he could get it going here if he is in the lineup. Rosario is 8-18(.444) with a double, a homer, and five RBI off of Trevor Bauer already. Keep an eye on the starting lineup though since Rosario is struggling and the Twins shuffle players regularly.

OF: Abraham Almonte ($3,400): Almonte has only faced Santana five times, but he has come away with two doubles and a walk. He doesn’t have any counting stats yet, but If Santana falters, I’m going to be on the ground floor if he does.

OF: Steve Pearce ($3,200): It’s a bit of a risk using anyone against Sale, but Sale has given up some long balls in his career. Pearce is 4-12 in his career against Sale with a walk, a double, and a RBI. You can do worse for this price.

Next: FanDuel MLB Picks and Pivots - Early Slate

Good luck out there, and check out our picks for FanDuel baseball, along with our NBA, NHL, and EPL picks!