DraftKings MLB Picks August 25: Which Ace Is Worth Playing?
By Mike Marteny
DraftKings MLB Picks For August 25
We have a full 15 game slate tonight, which means pitching options for all kinds of DFS players. If you want to go cheap with pitching, you can! If you want to pay up, there are plenty of options. Looking for something in between? You are covered there as well. Let’s check out how we did last night first.
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It was a rough night last night with 89.3 points getting you into the money. I had good pitching in both of my lineups, but the hitting was a mess. I stacked Twins in one. They scored just one run. The other had just 17 DraftKings points from the eight offensive players.
The winning lineup was predictably down to 169.45. He stacked Indians, most notably Yandy Diaz and his 35 DraftKings points at 0.9% ownership.
We will provide you with several options to build your lineup here. Want to spend all your money on pitchers and play bargain bats? We will highlight who is worth the money. Want to punt arms and pay up for the big boppers? We can help you with that as well, and everything in between!
For you first time players, if you would like a bonus of 25% of your first deposit, use this link for the referral bonus! Then continue reading for tips on how to turn those DraftKings dollars into more!
Next: DraftKings Pitcher Plays
Top Tier:
Zack Greinke was blasted by the Twins in his last outing, but now he is back at home with an excellent matchup. The Giants are hitting a solid .246 against Greinke in 195 career at bats, but they only have four homers and 16 runs. The 36 strikeouts leave something to be desired. For whatever reason though, Greinke has dominated at home this year. He is 11-1 with a 2.34 ERA in 14 starts at Chase Field. For a Giants offense that is struggling anyway, this is going to be a really tough game for them. Greinke looks to be worth the little extra tonight.
I know that Justin Verlander is facing the White Sox, but I also know that even this so called ‘watered down’ version of the Sox is still hitting .280 with four homers and nine runs against Verlander in 93 at bats. The 27 strikeouts means that Verlander has a pretty high floor, but his ERA is 5.24 on the road. He also has a career 4.18 ERA in New-Comiskey-US Cellular-Guaranteed Rate-Park-Field or whatever they are calling it now. This isn’t the pushover matchup that DraftKings is pricing it as, but Verlander does have higher strikeout potential than Greinke.
The Nationals are hitting a pathetic .167 against Jacob deGrom in 90 at bats, but they have ten runs. Still, the sheer number of outs, the absence of Bryce Harper, and the 24 strikeouts still portray this as a good matchup. deGrom is also 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA in five starts at Nationals Park. Just because deGrom is taking on the Nationals doesn’t mean you should avoid. He may give you some separation because of low ownership.
Jose Quintana has been solid for the Cubs, but I’m not paying $100 less than deGrom for him in a hitter’s park. The Phillies have some right handed power. Quintana may shut them down, but I would rather roll the dice with deGrom for practically the same price. For that matter, I would much rather go with a red-hot Kenta Maeda for $1,300 less against the strikeout-prone Brewers.
Middle Tier:
There is a lot not to like about this tier tonight. Rick Porcello has allowed 13 homers and 34 runs in only 231 at bats to Baltimore. The Twins are hitting .318 against J.A. Happ with three homers and seven runs in the game he started against them, and this one is in Target Field. The Angels are hitting .285 with four homers and 14 runs in 123 at bats against Collin McHugh so far, so this leaves some risk. Chase Anderson is a good pitcher, but the Dodgers have 13 runs scored in just 49 at bats against him. I’m also nervous about Chad Bettis in his first start at SunTrust Park.
Now that I have highlighted the bad, let’s get to the good! Adam Conley posted his first career double digit strikeout game in his last start against the Mets. The Padres aren’t a whole lot better against lefties than the Mets are. He also has a great chance for a win with Travis Wood on the mound opposite him.
Michael Wacha is way too low on DraftKings. His last two starts have not been very good, but he is taking on a Rays team that strikes out a lot. They are also hitting just .167 off of Wacha in 30 at bats with two runs and six strikeouts. Don’t expect a dominant performance here, but he could come up with around 20 DraftKings points here. That is great value for his price!
A.J. Cole is worth a look against the Mets only because everyone is worth a look against the Mets right now.
Bargain Pitchers:
Jake Odorizzi was smoked by the Mariners in his last start, but his ERA is over a run better on the road, and the current Cardinals are hitting just .118 against him in limited exposure. If Matt Carpenter is out again, this play becomes even more enticing since that is the only Cardinal to drive in a run off of him (with a solo homer).
Travis Wood was brilliant at home against the Nationals in his last outing, but they were without Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper. However, Miami’s offense really only has one big weapon, and Marlins Park is a nice pitcher’s park much like his home digs. He isn’t going to tip the scale with strikeouts which means there isn’t much to mitigate the damage if he gets hit hard, but he could provide another really good outing for a really low price.
Ryan Merritt is an interesting one to watch here. The Royals offense isn’t exactly great. They are even weaker against left handed pitchers. If Merritt can get out of the fifth inning, he has a great chance for a win. He wont rack up strikeouts or anything, but he could come up with double digit points for less than an elite bat costs.
Top Tier:
Ariel Miranda has given up nine homers in his last five starts. Now he heads into Yankee Stadium. Gary Sanchez is an elite play. Chase Headley and Tyler Austin are worth considering if you are pinching pennies.
A Dodgers stack may be in order against Chase Anderson if you can afford them. Justin Turner has walked and hit a three run homer in his career against Anderson. Yasmani Granal is only 3-13, but all three of those hits are home runs and he has seven RBI. Of course, Cody Bellinger is in play here as well.
Joey Votto is 6-20 with a walk, four doubles, a homer, four runs, scored, and five RBI off of Ivan Nova. Tucker Barnhart is 5-12 with two doubles, two runs scored, and five RBI off of Nova if you are looking to go cheap at catcher.
I mentioned above just how much Rick Porcello has struggled against Baltimore. Now we get to see who to play! Manny Machado can start off your Orioles stack since he is 10-33(.303) with a walk, a steal, a double, two homers, five runs scored, and four RBI against Porcello. Chris Davis is only 9-41(.220), but he has two walks, a double, three homers, six runs scored, and seven RBI. For cheap exposure, Caleb Joseph is 3-8 with a solo homer if he starts. We will get to the rest of this stack a little later.
Middle Tier:
Edwin Encarnacion is 8-29(.276) with five walks, two doubles, two homers, five runs scored, and five RBI in his career against Jason Vargas. Vargas had a great start to the season, but has a 5.64 ERA since July 1st. Yan Gomes is a cheaper catcher and he is 6-18 with a homer and three RBI off of Vargas.
Ryan Zimmerman‘s price is all the way down due to him facing deGrom, but he has two homers and seven RBI against deGrom in his career. The rest of the active Nats roster has one homer and three RBI in 74 at bats against the Mets ace.
Rhys Hoskins is still priced in this tier despite eight homers in his last 11 games. He has the platoon advantage over Jose Quintana as well. Maikel Franco and Tommy Joseph are also worth looking at in the bargain bin because of their power potential.
Alex Avila is 1-2 with a solo homer in his career against Jerad Eickhoff. For those of you eyeballing Anthony Rizzo as well, just be aware that Rizzo is only 1-11 with a single in his career against Eickhoff.
Jose Abreu comes at a bit of a discount against Justin Verlander tonight, but maybe he shouldn’t. Abreu is 12-33(.364) with four walks, two doubles, four homers, seven runs scored, a steal, and five RBI in his career against Verlander. For $3,900 in a hitter’s park like his home park, this looks like a bargain waiting to happen.
Nick Castellanos and Miguel Cabrera are both worth a look in this price range against Miguel Gonzalez. Castellanos is 6-14(.429) with two walks, a homer, three runs scored, and three RBI off of Gonzalez in his career. Miggy is 9-22(.409) with two doubles, a homer, two runs scored, and four RBI off of him.
Bargain Shoppers:
CC Sabathia has been very solid lately, but he still has a 5.68 ERA at home. Danny Valencia can take advantage of that for a very low price. He already has one career homer against CC even though his average against him is a pedestrian .258.
Buster Posey may be worth a look if you want to go cheap at first base. There are better bargain at catcher, but for $3,500 at first, he may be worth it. He is about the only Giant that has figured out Zack Greinke. Posey is 12-39(.308) with a double, two runs scored, and two RBI in his career against Greinke.
Matt Olson has good power and A.J. Griffin has allowed 15 home runs is only 60 innings pitched this season. He is a nice punt option if you are willing to boot first base with all the top options out here. At least Olson is eligible in the outfield as well!
Mitch Moreland is 4-7 with three walks and a solo homer in his career against Jeremy Hellickson. Most Red Sox are worth a look tonight considering they are hitting .352 against Hellickson in 54 career at bats with four homers and ten runs. No matter who starts at catcher, they both have good career numbers against Hellickson. Vasquez has homered off of him as well.
Top Tier:
Brian Dozier has torched J.A. Happ in his career. Dozier is 3-10 with a walk, two homers, and three RBI off of him. Switch hitters Jorge Polanco and Eduardo Escobar are worth a look as well if you need to save some money at these positions.
Just leading off a lineup like Texas is almost enough to put Elvis Andrus in the elite category. Of course, the fact that he is 5-13(.385) with two doubles, two runs scored, and two RBI in his career against Kendall Graveman doesn’t hurt either. Rougned Odor may be best left to others tonight since he is just 2-15 in his career off of Graveman.
Chase Anderson is not a bad pitcher, that’s why I’m a bit leery of stacking Dodgers against him. I may pass on Corey Seager because of the price, however, Chris Taylor has been very consistent and is having a career year while being priced in the middle tier tonight.
Middle Tier:
Ian Kinsler is a solid play against Miguel Gonzalez. He will be perched atop the Detroit lineup, and has a homer and five RBI against him in his career.
Xander Bogaerts is starting to get his bat going again, which is good news. He is 4-9 lifetime against Jeremy Hellickson, which is also good news considering that he only costs $3,700 tonight.
Tim Beckham has cooled off to the point that he is priced just out of the top range. He should be top range tonight against Porcello. He has two hits and two RBI against him in five tries.
Marcus Semien and Jed Lowrie are both reasonably priced against a pitcher that has been plagued by home runs. Oakland isn’t a park conducive to power, but both of these guys can get it out of there if a mistake is made.
Bargain Shoppers:
As usual, Alcides Escobar can be used as a punt play here against a young left hander. Whit Merrifield will cost you more, but he may be worth it batting leadoff against a pretty unproven pitcher.
Jose Iglesias is a great way to save money once again. He is 10-25 with a walk, three doubles, six runs scored, and four RBI in his career against Miguel Gonzalez. He will be hitting near the bottom of the order, but this order promises to turn over a couple of times tonight, so he is a solid play for the price.
Tyler Saladino is dirt cheap, and he is 5-10 in his career against Justin Verlander with a walk, two doubles, a RBI, and a run scored. Tim Anderson on the other hand is just 1-11 with five strikeouts against Verlander. Yoan Moncada is a tempting punt because of his ability, just realize that he has tapped into very little of it so far in his major league career.
If Adam Rosales gets the start against Ty Blach, he may be worth a look. He has a homer and a walk in his two plate appearances against Blach.
Next: Top Outfield Plays
Top Tier:
Kyle Schwarber‘s price finally puts him in the upper tier. It’s kind of a steep price to pay for a shot at a homer, but his only hit lifetime against Jerad Eickhoff is a home run. It’s all hit or miss for Schwarber, so this one is all up to you.
Justin Upton is 5-13 with a walk, two doubles, a homer, four runs scored, and three RBI in his career against Miguel Gonzalez.
J.D. Martinez is definitely worth a look with soft tossing lefty Ty Blach toeing the rubber at Chase Field. A.J. Pollock could be a nice play as well even if he has struggled lately. This is hit shance to get things going.
The Rockies are going to be a popular stack in their first ever trip to SunTrust Park with all of that left handed power. On top of that, they are facing Julio Teheran. He has been awful at home because he is awful against lefties. Charlie Blackmon, Gerardo Parra, and Carlos Gonzalez are all solid picks.
Mookie Betts is perfect in his career against Jeremy Hellickson with three singles, a double, a homer, four runs scored, and two RBI in his five at bats. If Betts plays tonight, jump on it! Andrew Benintendi is a solid option as well.
Shin-Soo Choo is priced as elite tonight. Maybe it’s because he is 2-6 with a homer and three RBI in his career against Kendall Graveman. Nomar Mazara has not homered off of him yet, but he does have three hits in ten at bats, and is worth consideration as well.
Giancarlo Stanton would look to be a great pick here, but he is only 1-10 lifetime against Travis Wood. That hit is a home run though. Christian Yelich would seem to be the better pick. Despite not holding the platoon advantage, Yelich is 4-8 with a walk, a homer, and two RBI against Wood.
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Middle Tier:
Seth Smith is always a strong bet with a righty on the mound. Especially this one. He is 10-25 with a walk, three doubles, a triple, a homer, four runs scored, and two RBI in his career against Rick Porcello. Mark Trumbo is slumping, but could break out of it here. He is 9-32(.281) with two doubles, three homers, six runs scored, and seven RBI agianst Porcello. Wondering about the most expensive Orioles outfielder, Adam Jones? He is only 11-51(.216) off of Porcello, but he has three homers and nine RBI.
Ender Inciarte is 5-11 with two walks, a double, a triple, four runs scored, and a RBI against Chad Bettis…..and he hasn’t even faced him at SunTrust Park yet! Nick Markakis may also be a nice pick. He is 5-13 with four walks, a double, two runs scored, and two RBI off of Bettis.
Zack Greinke has mostly dominated the Giants, but Denard Span is 14-49(.286) with two walks two doubles, a triple, a homer, six run scored, and five RBI against him. Hunter Pence is 8-34(.235) wtih three walks, two doubles, two homers, four runs scored, and four RBI off of Grienke.
Believe it or not, Matt Joyce is even higher priced that Khris Davis tonight. Joyce has hit all but one of his 19 home runs against right handed pitching. He also has three homers and six RBI in only 12 at bats against A.J. Griffin. Have I mentioned how many homers he has given up this year? Right handed, left handed, underhanded, in a wheelchair, it doesn’t matter. Any five A’s are good plays tonight!
Bargain Shoppers:
Jose Bautista is slumping. I get it. However, he is 6-18 with five walks, a double, a homer, three runs scored, and five RBI in his career against Bartolo Colon. He is way too cheap at $3,400.
Kole Calhoun is coming out of that horrid slump, but it still too cheap tonight against Collin McHugh. He is 10-32(.312) with two doubles and a run scored. Mike Trout is always someone to consider. Despite being only 6-21(.286) against McHugh, he does have two homers and four RBI in his career against McHugh.
Hunter Renfroe has impressive power, and may be worth taking a chance on for his low price against lefty Adam Conley. If you need to go cheap in the outfield, he is one of the better plays.
Jon Jay is leading off for the Cubs against right handers lately. For $3,000, he could be sitting atop a powder keg against Jerad Eickhoff tonight.
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!