DraftKings Early MLB Picks For May 5

There is the usual matinee at Wrigley today. DraftKings was still able to make an “early” tournament with the game in Cincinnati that starts a half hour before the rest of the night games. Why did they do this? Because it’s the Yankees at Wrigley with two five-digit salaried pitchers duking it out. Should we fade one because of their pending loss? Or should we roll with them both in a two game slate? Let’s check the stats!

More from DFS

The early money line was up pretty high at 125.7. My early lineup was comfortably in since I replaced Tyler Collins with Matt Joyce. Derek Holland and Max Scherzer came through!

The winning lineup was comparatively low at 196.75. He had the Holland/Scherzer tandem with big afternoons from Marwin Gonzalez and Jose Abreu.

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 Early Lineup

P: Michael Pineda ($10,500): Pineda has only faced three current Cubs. Anthony Rizzo, Jason Heyward, and Ben Zobrist are a combined 4-17(.235) off of him with two runs and one strikeout. Not much to go on, but there isn’t on the other side either. Pineda’s ERA is more than a full run lower than that of Kyle Hendricks, and he plays in a hitter’s park as well. Pineda also brings added strikeout potential to the table, so I will pay the extra $500.

P: Matt Cain ($7,500): This is more a knock on Bronson Arroyo than the praise of Matt Cain. The Reds are hitting .333 against Can in 63 at bats, but they have struck out ten times while scoring a modest seven runs. The Giants are hitting Arroyo to the tune of a .360 average and seven homers in just 89 at bats!

C: Nick Hundley ($3,600): The Giants have been toying with using both Hundley and Buster Posey in the lineup, and why not? They are getting very little production from the outfield. It seems silly to leave a potent bat like Hundley’s on the bench, especially here since he has hit Arroyo hard. Hundley is 6-11(.545) with a double, a solo homer, and two runs scored off of Arroyo.

1B: Brandon Belt ($4,300): Belt has been patrolling left field with Posey at first lately. I expect to see that setup again since all three of those involved have hit Arroyo hard. Belt is 6-12 with a walk, a steal, and two solo homers against Bronson Arroyo.

2B: Scooter Gennett ($3,600): Gennett is 3-6 with a single, a double, a triple, two runs scored, and a RBI against Matt Cain in his career. The Reds are going to score some runs here too.

3B: Chase Headley ($3,700): I really don’t trust Kyle Hendricks right now. The Yankees have a lot of power, and they just got done beating up on Toronto. They head to another hitter’s paradise for the weekend, and Headley has played well in the early going. He is hitting .304 with three homers and nine RBI. It seems more prudent to play Headley than the struggling Christian Arroyo or Eduardo Nunez just to get exposure to Bronson Arroyo. He pitched well at home his last time out.

SS: Didi Gregorius ($3,600): I took the step down from Zack Cozart just because I needed the $100. Gergorius is also hitting the ball well, and has more power than most people realize. If he gets under one, he could knock one out today.

OF: Hunter Pence ($4,600): Pence is 14-45(.311) with three walks, four doubles, a triple, two homers, five runs scored, and six RBI against Arroyo from his days in the NL Central. That’s right kids, Hunter Pence used to play for the Astros when they were in the NL Central. At any rate, Pence should be happy to see Arroyo again.

OF: Matt Holliday ($4,200): Holliday is 7-15(.467) with three homers and six RBI off of Kyle Hendricks already. He also has eight career home runs in Wrigley Field in 217 at bats. There is a solid chance that he gets a hold of one here again today.

OF: Ben Zobrist ($4,400): I really wanted Billy Hamilton here, but I couldn’t see where to satisfactorily downgrade, so I will “settle” for Zobrist. He has all three RBI that the current Cubs have against Michael Pineda, and has also stolen a base. He hasn’t really hit Pineda hard, but if he comes up with runners on, he can make something happen.

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!

Add us as a preferred source on Google