Early DraftKings MLB Picks August 10: Is Gerrit Cole Worth The High Price?

CLEVELAND, OH – AUGUST 09: Trevor Bauer #47 of the Cleveland Indians pitches against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning at Progressive Field on August 9, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images) /

DraftKings Early MLB Picks For August 10

There are only two afternoon games today, so the pickings are pretty slim. However, three of the pitchers look like they may be worth using on DraftKings. The only real gamble is VerHagen, but even he is facing a middling offense. Who should we use? Past stats wont be of much help because Castillo has never faced the Pirates and Lamet has never faced the Reds.

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The money line yesterday afternoon was at 102.7. My lineup just missed mostly because I wasted the money on Kevin Gausman.

The winning lineup was a solid 168.15 points. He rolled the dice with Martin Perez against the Mets and hit big. He also had a nice outing from Trevor Bauer. What set the lineup apart was Nelson Cruz and his 30 DraftKings points.

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

CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 07: Joey Votto #19 of the Cincinnati Reds singles to right field to drive in a run in the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park on August 7, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

P: Luis Castillo ($9,400): Castillo has posted a 3.64 ERA in his first nine major league starts, including a respectable 4.50 mark in the hitter’s park he calls home. The obvious upside here is the strikeouts. Castillo has fanned 55 batters in 54.1 innings, and the Padres are a pretty free swinging bunch. They also have few lefthanders, which further plays into Castillo’s strengths. A quality start with about eight strikeouts is what we can look forward to with Castillo today.

P: Gerrit Cole ($12,000): Dinelson Lamet is going to be a popular choice given his three straight quality starts and his lower price than both of these two options. However, Lamet still has a 6.03 ERA on the road despite two of those last three starts taking place away from home. Cincinnati is notorious for being a hitter’s park. He may be the wild card, but I’m going safe with Cole. Cole has only allowed two runs to the Tigers in 48 at bats, and is riding a streak of six straight quality starts. This looks like seven here today.

C: Chris Stewart ($2,000): Day games are a great place to punt catcher since we have mostly backups going. Stewart is nothing special, but he is facing by far the weakest pitcher on the slate. I will buy that for the minimum and spend my money elsewhere.

1B: Joey Votto ($5,300): Like here. Votto has a 14 game hitting streak going into this one. He is hitting .469 with four homers, 11 RBI, seven runs scored, eight walks, and just three strikeouts in his last ten games. To say he is in a groove would be a gross understatement. Votto is the one hitter you need in your lineups this afternoon.

2B: Adam Frazier ($3,800): Frazier is hitting .500 over his last ten games with five RBI. He only starts against righties, but today’s righty, Drew Verhagen, is by far the weakest pitcher of the day. Many will go with Scooter Gennett since it is a home game, but I will go with the guy that keeps hitting in hopes of some sure points.

3B: Eugenio Suarez ($3,300): Suarez has 16 of his 19 homers on the season at home. Lamet has allowed seven of his 11 homers on the road, and this park is more hitter friendly than most. Suarez is a solid prop bet for a homer.

SS: Jose Iglesias ($2,900): Iglesias is the lowest price starting shortstop that can still hit his weight. He isn’t a big run producer from the nine hole in the lineup, but he still does a solid job of getting on base.

OF: Andrew McCutchen ($5,500): I’m not really sure why McCutchen is higher than Votto, especially at a deeper position. However, McCutchen has been on a tear himself. Not quite as strong as Votto, but good none the less. McCutchen is hitting .343 with four homers and seven RBI in his last ten games. He should be able to pad his stats against Verhagen here.

OF: Jesse Winker ($3,100): Winker is guaranteed to play against right handed pitchers until Scott Schebler returns. He comes at a low price here, but he has good plate discipline and solid power, which makes him a good dart throw whenever he is at home.

OF: Gregory Polanco ($2,600): The worst slide of Polanco’s career has him dirt cheap in DFS. If he is ever going to get it going this season, it should start today against VerHagen and an iffy Detroit bullpen. Despite Polanco not getting on base, he still has a pair of homers in his last ten games. I’m taking a shot on an accomplished hitter for this low of a price so I can pay up for Votto and McCutchen.

Next: DraftKings MLB Main Slate Picks

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!