DraftKings Early MLB Picks For May 11

We only have two games this afternoon, which makes the early DraftKings slate play like a playoff NBA slate. At least there is late swap and it takes place on the same day! All we are looking for today is the two pitchers out of the four that will hurt us the least, and a few hitters that are likely to come up big. Then we have to hope that not everyone else plays our lineup. Simple enough, right?

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The money line for the early slate yesterday was at 115.35. My lineup was not interested, thanks to just 25 total points from my eight hitters. Today’s early slate will likely have a money line here or a bit lower, so this is a good mark to shoot for.

The winning lineup was only at 196.2. He hit big with Buster Posey, Danny Valencia, Robinson Cano, and Aaron Altherr to go with two solid pitchers in Joe Musgrove and Andrew Triggs.

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: Jason Vargas ($9,000): Identifying the best and worst pitchers on a slate like this is the most important thing you can do for your lineup. Jake Odorizzi has the most strikeout potential, but the Royals are hitting .294 against their former top prospect in 68 at bats with two homers and 12 runs. Of course, the Royals had a good history against Chris Archer too and couldn’t touch him last night. Even if you do decide to go with Odorizzi, I would still use Vargas. The Rays are the worst in the American League against left handed pitching, and strike out more against lefties than any team in the majors.

P: Eduardo Rodriguez ($8,400): Rodriguez has turned in three straight quality starts, indicating that what we saw at the end of 2015 is what he will do as opposed to his hit-or-miss 2016. He has just as much strikeout potential as Odorizzi against a team that strikes out more. The Brewers do have a lot of right handed power, so he will likely give up a few runs. The strikeouts should offset that without a problem, and he has a great shot at a win against the slate’s worst starter, Jimmy Nelson.

C: Manny Pina ($3,100): Jett Bandy started last night, so it seems as though Pina will be in for the matinee today. Both Brewers catchers are hitting well, so I want whichever one plays against the Boston lefty Rodriguez.

1B: Eric Hosmer ($4,300): Hosmer is 5-12(.417) with two walks, a double, a homer, five runs scored, and two RBI against Jake Odorizzi so far in his career. Despite the collective struggles of the Royals offense, Hosmer is still having a solid year so far. He is hitting .293 with three homers and 14 RBI. He should get something here today.

2B: Nick Franklin ($3,300): Franklin is the only Brewer that has faced Eduardo Rodriguez so far from his Seattle days. Franklin was perfect against Rodriguez with a single, a double, and three RBI. Does that success carry over?

3B: Evan Longoria ($4,300): Longoria has always hit lefties well, and Vargas is no exception. Longoria is 7-23(.304) with two walks, a double, a homer, and four RBI in his career against Jason Vargas.

SS: Alcides Escobar ($2,900): Escobar has had modest success against Odorizzi, going 3-12 with a run scored. I am more saving money here so I can use a couple of the Red Sox’ big bats this afternoon.

OF: Mookie Betts ($5,800): This is a lot to spend on just one hitter, but if you are stacking today, the Red Sox are the way to go. Jimmy Nelson has a 4.83 ERA on the season, so he can be had. If anyone is going to have a big day at the plate this afternoon, it looks like it will be Betts.

OF: Andrew Benintendi ($5,000): Benintendi continues to hit at the top of a potent lineup. That alone makes him worth a look most days. On a day where they are facing a struggling pitcher, that makes him a great option. On a day where they are facing a struggling pitcher on a two game slate, Benintendi becomes a must-play.

OF: Alex Gordon ($3,700): Gordon is a tricky play today. He is 3-9 with a homer and five RBI in his career against Jake Odorizzi. On the other hand, Gordon is hitting a pathetic .165 this year with no homers and seven driven in. Then again, Gordon only hit .220 all of last season, so his days of contributing on offense could be over. I may pull a switch here to Domingo Santana just because of his power potential.

Next: FanDuel MLB Picks and Pivots

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