DraftKings Early MLB Picks For July 5

We only have three afternoon games today, but we still have some star power, including the Yankees at home. Are they worth stacking? Who can we go cheap on to spend on these big hitters? Let’s check out some stats!

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The money line yesterday was at 114.55. My lineup with Jimmy Nelson, Jameson Taillon, and the Brewers stack did well at 143.8 DraftKings points. The other one was done in by a lousy outing from Daniel Gossett.

The winning lineup was down below 200 for the first time this month at 189.55. He has Happ with Taillon and also had big games from Andrew McCutchen and Franklin Barreto. The winning lineup could be around that number today, so we know what to shoot for!

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

P: Michael Pineda ($10,200): Yes, the Blue Jays are a pretty dangerous team, but have you seen the other pitching options on this slate? We only have one sure thing. The other five are a crap shoot. Blake Snell‘s great command at AAA didn’t translate to the majors, as he walked five in his return to Tampa. That kind of shoddy command and a date at Wrigley could spell disaster. Pineda has not been great this year, but he does have a 2.91 ERA at home. That makes him easily the second best option today.

P: Sonny Gray ($9,000): The White Sox are only hitting .188 against Gray in 48 at bats, but they have homered off of him twice with six RBI. Gray does have 15 strikeouts against the aggressive Sox. The Pale Hose are near the worst team in the league against right handed pitching. On this small slate, Gray plays as an elite option.

C: Gary Sanchez ($4,600): Sanchez will likely be in the lineup in some capacity today because he is 4-8 in his career against Marco Estrada. All four of those hits are home runs, and he has driven in seven. If you pay up for any Yankee, it should be for Sanchez today.

1B: Logan Morrison ($4,700): LoMo is perfect against John Lackey with a single, a solo homer, and two runs scored against him. It could be a warm day on the North Side, which should lead to more fly balls in the Friendly Confines. That makes Morrison a great option.

2B: Ian Happ ($3,900): Happ is hitting .297 with two homers in just 37 at bats against left handed pitching this season. He also has six homers in only 66 home at bats. Using him against Snell looks like a great idea right now.

3B: Evan Longoria ($3,600): Longoria is 14-40(.350) with four walks, three doubles, two homers, eight runs scored, and six RBI in his career against John Lackey. Now he gets the added benefit of facing him at Wrigley Field.

SS: Addison Russell ($3,000): Didi Gregorius has smacked three homers against Estrada, but he only has three other hits in 26 at bats. There is a significant chance of getting nothing, so I am going to save money and take a right hander against Blake Snell. Kris Byrant is obviously plan A if you can afford him, but Russell is starting to come around lately. He has a modest four game hitting streak with 21 DraftKings points over that span.

OF: Khris Davis ($4,600): Davis is 5-8 with a walk, a solo homer, and three runs scored in his career against Mike Pelfrey. Pelfrey can implode at any time, but the cavernous ballpark in Oakland is not as conducive to long balls. However, the gaps are huge, which makes hitters valuable still.

OF: Adam Engel ($3,400): Engel has more value if he stays atop the lineup, but who knows if that will happen. He did take Sonny Gray deep in the only game that he faced him, which makes him worth a shot at this price.

OF: Matt Joyce ($3,000): Joyce is 3-10 with with a walk, a double, a homer, and three RBI off of Pelfrey. Joyce homered here yesterday. He isn’t really known for his power, but he has three homers in the last ten games.

Next: FanDuel MLB Picks and Pivots

Good luck out there, and check out our picks for FanDuel baseball, along with our PGA picks. We also have plenty of NFL stuff to get you ready for football!