Fantasy Baseball: DraftKings Early MLB Picks For June 3

May 17, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Mike Foltynewicz (26) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

DraftKings Early MLB Picks For June 3

We have a full slate today with nine early games. The Yankees-Jays game in the Bronx starts earlier than everyone else, so that game is only available on the all day tournament. However, we still have a few high priced pitchers with little mid-tier options. Is this the day to pay up for pitching? Let’s check some stats!

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The money line was way up to 132.2 points last night. That’s what huge offensive outbursts will do if you stacked the right lineups. I did not. The Angels and Red Sox/Orioles all combined for ten runs total. It really didn’t matter that Michael Pineda got thumped. My lineup was doomed anyway.

Predictably, the winning lineup was pretty high at 234.35. He faded Kershaw and used Mike Foltynewicz and Jimmy Nelson instead, both of whom put up big numbers. He also had eight home runs from his eight hitters, and that was without Chris Owings getting even a single point!

These picks are based mostly on statistical analysis . 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 1

May 5, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Jhoulys Chacin (46) pitches during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

P: Johnny Cueto ($12,100): Cueto is easily the best pitcher on the slate, so it’s no surprise that he has the best past stats. The Phillies are only hitting .200 against him in 50 at bats, but they have homered twice and scored seven runs. That said, the Phillies are really struggling to score runs right now. Cueto has the potential to dominate them. Then again, he does have a 5.57 career ERA at Citizens Bank Park.

P: Jhoulys Chacin ($5,700): Okay, you have 15 seconds (and the entire comments section) to call me whatever you can think of for recommending Chacin and his bloated 5.78 ERA against the Rockies. Then I get to make my case. Sound fair? Good. First off, Chacin has held his former teammates to a .219 average in 73 at bats while allowing just one run. ONE! He has also racked up 16 strikeouts. The caveat is that he has never faced Charlie Blackmon or Nolan Arenado, but hey, I’ll take that against the rest of the lineup. Next, that ERA is very misleading. Chacin has a 0.67 ERA and 0.70 WHIP in four home starts this year. He is a safe, and very cheap, option when pitching at home. Yes, even against the Rockies.

C: Willson Contreras ($3,500): Contreras is 2-5 against Mike Leake. Not bad. Both of those hits are solo home runs. Does that make you want to use him now? I’m on board!

1B: Anthony Rizzo ($4,700): Using Joey Votto against R.A. Dickey is very tempting, but I will elect to go with Rizzo for $500 less. Rizzo is 16-43(.372) with three walks, four doubles, two homers, eight runs scored, and nine RBI in his career against Leake. He could be in for another big day at Wrigley!

2B: Brandon Phillips ($3,600): This game is almost as tasty as Tigers-White Sox! They even have the park advantage! That said, both R.A. Dickey and Scott Feldman have had fleeting bouts of success this year. You can’t say that for the two starters in the other game. Phillips is 3-7 with a homer, two runs scored, and five RBI in his career against Feldman. My Braves stack didn’t work out last night, so I am going a bit lighter on this game, but I still have some exposure.

3B: Eduardo Nunez ($3,900): This isn’t based on anything besides the Giants facing Ben Lively in his major league debut. Lively has a stellar 2.40 ERA at AAA this year, but the Giants lit up Jerad Eickhoff last night. Nunez had three hits and three RBI in that one, so he is coming out of his early season swoon. He should be hitting high in the order for a low price.

SS: Brandon Crawford ($3,200): Crawford is also a bargain pick against a rookie pitcher. We all know what he is capable of offensively, though he has yet to really show it this year. This could be where Crawford gets going, or at least shows some signs of life. Hitting is contagious, and his teammates should be doing plenty of it against Lively.

OF: Adam Duvall ($5,400): A knuckleballer at Great American Ballpark? Don’t mind if I do! Dickey has never faced Duvall, but we know what kind of power Duvall has. Dickey has a career 4.43 ERA at Great American Launching Pad, and has surrendered four homers in 20 innings. Duvall is my favorite to get one today.

OF: Scott Schebler ($4,400): Like Duvall, Schebler has never faced Dickey either, but this ballpark is better suited to lefty power. And did I mention that there is a knuckleballer on the hill? The Reds should end up with at least one long ball in this one, so I want some exposure.

OF: Matt Adams ($3,500): As long as Adams remains this cheap, I will keep playing him. The Braves are rolling him out there every day, and so am I. Adams wont come through every day, but in a ballpark that likes lefties and a pitcher that has allowed five homers in 35.2 inning at home this year, I will take my chances.

Next: DraftKings Early Lineup 2

May 9, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (59) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

P: Carlos Carrasco ($11,700): The Royals are only hitting .225 in their careers against Carrasco with four homers and nine runs scored in 138 at bats. Carrasco has also racked up 37 strikeouts. Those are not quite elite numbers, but the Royals offense could hit Josh Tomlin last night. I highly doubt they can do any more against Carrasco today.

P: Joe Ross ($8,200): Ross has only faced two current Oakland players. Khris Davis has homered off of him, but Davis is slumping right now. Ross is a risk since he was knocked around a little by the Padres his last time out. However, there is a chance that Oakland’s offense is even worse, and Ross is working in the best pitcher’s park in baseball for this one. I will take my chances with him here.

C: Alex Avila ($3,500): I am stacking this whole freaking game! The starting pitchers have a combined 10.90 ERA, and neither of them have good past stats. Avila is 5-13 in his career against Miguel Gonzalez with three walks, two runs scored, and a RBI. He will have plenty of opportunities again today provided he is in the starting lineup.

1B: Jose Abreu ($3,900): There are plenty of other first basemen that get more attention than Abreu, but his price being this low against Jordan Zimmerman is almost as atrocious as Zimmerman’s 6.47 ERA. Abreu is 7-12 with a walk, a double, a triple, a homer, two runs scored, and five RBI in his career against Zimmerman so far. I would be very surprised if he didn’t add to that today.

2B: Jason Kipnis ($3,900): Kipnis is 3-5 with a double, a homer, two walks, two runs scored, and two RBI in his career against Jason Hammel. Edwin Encarnacion has also hit Hammel hard, but there are so many great options at first base, that I am going somewhere else with that one. Still, with the history Kipnis has and the fact that he is hitting leadoff, I want him in there.

3B: Nick Castellanos ($2,900): Castellanos is a nice cheap punt today. He is 5-11 with two walks, two doubles, two runs scored, and two RBI in his career against Miguel Gonzalez. Castellanos is a solid bet for double digit DraftKings points, and helps you save money at the same time.

SS: Jose Iglesias ($2,700): Iglesias is finally rounding back into form. He has topped double digit DraftKings points in four of the last eight games. He also scored four runs last night and stole a base! Worried about career numbers? Don’t be. Iglesias is 8-22(.364) with a walk, three doubles, five runs scored, a steal, and three RBI in his career against Gonzalez.

OF: Justin Upton ($3,800): Upton also looks cheap considering his career numbers against Gonzalez. He is 5-10 with a walk, two doubles, a homer, four runs scored, and three RBI off of him. The Tigers racked up 15 runs last night against Derek Holland. They could come close to that again today.

OF: J.D. Martinez ($5,100): Martinez is about the only Tiger that is priced accordingly. He is 5-13 with a walk, two doubles, two runs scored, and three RBI in his career against Miguel Gonzalez. He has been on a tear practically since he came off of the disabled list near the beginning of May. There is no reason not to use Martinez.

OF: Melky Cabrera ($3,900): Melky is 5-16(.312) with a double, a homer, three runs scored, and four RBI in his career against Jordan Zimmerman. The stats of the White Sox against Zimmerman aren’t quite as good as the Tigers against Gonzalez, but Gonzalez has been marginally better this year. I wish I had about three more outfield slots so I could get Avisail Garcia and Willy Garcia in here as well. Maybe a little Leury for good measure.

Next: FanDuel MLB Picks and Pivots

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