DraftKings Early MLB Picks For May 4

There are 13 games on getaway day. For some reason, DraftKings left off the really early game (Pittsburgh at Cincinnati) and the tweener game (Colorado at San Diego). The Colorado game is available in the afternoon slate, but the only way to play the Reds-Pirates game is in the all day tournament. There are six early games in the DraftKings tournament. Where do we go since the Cincinnati, Colorado, and Pittsburgh stacks are out of the equation? Let’s check some stats!

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The money line was around the same as it was on Tuesday at 115.75 DraftKings points. My Pirates stack didn’t work out so well, and neither did the Boston one. Yes, I was disappointed when Kevin Gausman was wrongfully tossed in the second inning.

The winning lineup was all the way up to 211.6, which was a full 13 DraftKings points better than second place! He had the solid performances of Jake Arrieta and Charlie Morton, but it was the hitters that carried him. No one has less than 13 DraftKings points, and he was one of the proud 1.2% that gambled on Kennys Vargas.

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!

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P: Max Scherzer ($12,600): Scherzer is easily the best pitcher available on any slate today. The Diamondbacks are only hitting .219 against him in 96 at bats with four homers, nine runs, and an eye-popping 38 strikeouts. So what if he gives up three runs? He is a lock to get you at least 20 points in strikeouts. Arizona is calling up prospect Braden Shipley to make the start opposite Scherzer, so he has a great chance at a win as well. That also means a Nationals stack in order if you can afford it.

P: Derek Holland ($7,700): Holland has been nothing short of brilliant so far this year. He is 2-2 with a 2.17 ERA in five starts. The current Royals have hit .273 against Holland, but they have no homers and only four runs in 55 at bats. The Royals offense has struggled for most of the year, especially against lefties. I’m banking on Holland’s good run continuing here.

C: Miguel Montero ($3,200): Zach Eflin has been brilliant so far, putting up a 1.90 ERA in three starts and a stellar 0.68 WHIP. However, Wrigley Field can make great pitchers mortal. Just ask Jake Arrieta. Montero should start today given the platoon advantage, and anything can happen in a matinee at Wrigley.

1B: Miguel Cabrera ($4,500): Miggy is 10-32(.312) with two walks, a double, two homers, five runs scored, and five RBI off of Danny Salazar. The Tigers’ prices are depressed a bit because of the matchup with Salazar, but Detroit is hitting .286 with eight homers and 19 runs in 175 at bats against Salazar.

2B: Jose Altuve ($4,900): Altuve is 8-18(.444) with three walks, two doubles, two homers, seven runs scored, and three RBI against A.J. Griffin. This is Griffin’s return from the DL, so he may not be around very long, but you can bet Altuve will tear him up while he is.

3B: Maikel Franco ($3,900): Franco has seven career RBI in nine games at Wrigley Field. He had a really good game last night against a really good pitcher. Don’t be surprised if he does again today against another pretty good pitching in John Lackey. I’m staying off of Lackey because of what the Phillies were able to do last night.

SS: Trea Turner ($5,100): Turner leads off for a potent offense taking on a pitcher that has not had much success in the majors thus far. This isn’t the Nationals stack I was hoping for, but it all start with Turner, and I do want a little piece of that action!

OF: Tyler Collins ($2,500): Collins has only faced Danny Salazar five times, but he does have two hits off of him already. One of those is a solo homer. Collins is hitting second in a potent lineup that has a great history against today’s opponent. This looks good to me, especially for this price!

OF: Nomar Mazara ($3,500): A Rangers stack could be popular today against Joe Musgrove as well. Historically, only Mazara has hit Musgrove hard so far, but the rest of the team is capable of it. Mazara is 4-9 with two homers and four RBI against Musgrove already. History says that Mazara could take him deep again.

OF: Andrew Romine ($2,000): Romine is going to be one of the best bargains anywhere today. He is 5-10 in his career against Danny Salazar with a walk, a double, a homer, five runs scored, and a RBI. A Tigers stack will be less popular than a Nationals one, but one look at Salazar’s past against Detroit and current season stats will tell you that it is warranted.

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

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