Main DraftKings Picks September 6: Play Gio Over Carrasco

SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 05: Justin Verlander #35 of the Houston Astros smiles in the dugout after finishing the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners only giving up only one run at Safeco Field on September 5, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images) /

DraftKings Main MLB Picks For September 6

There are 12 games in the main DraftKings tournament today. We have a solid ace tier, and a well populated middle tier. How many of these pitchers are worth using? Let’s check it out, along with which hitters could put us over the top.

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The money line last night was solid at 111.6 DraftKings points. The winning lineup was at 214.6. He got solid value from Eduardo Rodriguez, and paid for the pitcher that was worth it in Justin Verlander. He capped that off with huge games at huge value in John Hicks, JaCoby Jones, and Mikie Mahtook. They scored a combined 100 DraftKings points, and were just 2.9%, 0.7%, and 3.2% owned respectively.

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

PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 01: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on September 1, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Gio Gonzalez has posted a 3.29 ERA in six career starts at Marlins Park, but his overall numbers against the Fish aren’t that great. The Marlins are hitting .273 against Gio in 205 at bats, but only have one homer and 18 runs. The numbers here are solid enough to us Gio Gonzalez, especially given the weak histories of other upper tier pitchers. Gonzalez has also given up just four runs in four starts against the Marlins this season.

I’m not touching Carlos Carrasco, and not just because his teammate got lit up last night. The past stats provided ample warning of that as well. While I don’t expect Carrasco to fare as poorly as Salazar did, the fact remains that the White Sox are hitting .278 with six homers and 18 runs in just 108 at bats against Carrasco. Carrasco will rack up the strikeouts, but it’s going to be hard to mitigate that kind of damage.

Jose Quintana remains an average pitcher at a well above average price. He has a ton of potential, but is that worth paying a premium for? He gets another start against the Pirates, a team that he just notched a quality start against with nine strikeouts. He could be worth the money again, but that inconsistency makes him far from a sure bet.

His mound opponent, Gerrit Cole, is a much safer play. Cole has allowed just two earned runs in 13 innings to the Cubs this season. Cole doesn’t have the strikeout upside of Quintana, but he has held the Pirates to a .207 average in 140 at bats with just one homer and nine runs to go with 33 strikeouts. In case you were wondering, the Pirates are hitting .348 against Quintana in 39 at bats. I’m going with Cole and playing it safe.

There are many that will be on Sonny Gray today because of his price here on the fringe of the top tier. I wont be one of them. Not only have the Orioles hit Gray to the tune of a .279 average with two homers and 13 runs in just 68 at bats, but Gray has struggled at Camden Yards. Gray has a 7.53 ERA in three career starts there. This is lining up for a nice day for the Oriole offense instead.

Middle Tier:

Nick Pivetta has been awful over his last ten starts. He has a ghastly 8.23 ERA in that span. So why is he on here? He’s facing the Mets, of course. Now, Pivetta doesn’t have that great of numbers against the Mets this year, but the pieces that are left are only 3-15 with one run and four strikeouts aginst Pivetta. Most of the damage was done by departed players or injured players. Pivetta started out September with a strong outing in Miami. Can he do the same in New York?

Cole Hamels is a very strong bet in Atlanta. He will have the platoon advantage over the lefty hitters that the park caters to, and Hamels gets to face Julio Teheran (allegedly). The starting pitchers are a bit in flux because of the rainout last night. Just make sure that Hamels starts this game and not the afternoon one.

Lance McCullers Jr. has a solid 3.05 ERA in four career starts at Safeco Field. The Mariners as a whole have hit him well with a .272 average in 114 at bats. However, Seattle still has not taken McCullers deep, so they only have 11 runs in that span. McCullers has picked up 36 strikeouts in thiose 114 at bats. that combined with his solid numbers at Safeco means he should be a solid play .

Dinelson Lamet has a 3.76 ERA over his last ten starts, and a 3.66 ERA at home. That bodes well for him against a Cardinals team that has been average or below on offense for much of the last two months. Lamet also owns a 3.18 ERA since the All Star Break and shut down the Dodgers in his last start. He is a strong play tonight at a reasonable price.

Bargain Pitchers:

Kyle Freeland has a 3.45 ERA over his last ten starts, and a 3.48 ERA at Coors Field this season. He has also surrendered just five runs in three starts against the Giants this year. If you are looking to save on a pitcher, Freeland could be a great value even if he doesn’t strike out many batters.

Dillon Peters shined in his major league debut against the Phillies last week. The Nationals are a much tougher draw, but this game is in Marlins Park, and the Nats are still missing Bryce Harper. Peters could have another strong outing, but there is some risk involved.

Jack Flaherty was decimated by the Giants in his debut. That should keep his ownership down should you decide to take a shot on Flaherty in another pitcher’s park. On the other hand, it may be worth it to deploy some of that cheap San Diego power against a pitcher that struggled against a worse offensive team last week.

DENVER – MAY 28: A general view shows the Colorado Rockies game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field on May 28, 2007 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies won 6-2. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

If Anthony Rizzo is in the lineup, he is usually worth the price. Today is no different. Rizzo is 9-29(.310) with two walks, four doubles, two runs scored, two steals, and two RBI off of Gerrit Cole. Kris Bryant is 5-19(.263) with four walks, a double, a steal, and six runs scored off of Cole.

Justin Smoak and Kendrys Morales are both on my radar against Doug Fister. Smoak is only 4-18, but he has three walks, two homers, and four RBI. Morales is 9-27 with a walk, three doubles, three homers, seven runs scored, and five RBI off of Fister. Josh Donaldson is in play as well. Donaldson is 5-8 with two walks, three doubles, five runs scored, and two RBI against Fister.

The Royals have hammered Matt Boyd to the tune of a .331 average in 121 at bats with three homers and 19 RBI. Eric Hosmer is 7-15(.467) with a walk, a double, three runs scored, and a RBI against Boyd. Mike Moustakas is 3-11 with a double and a solo homer. Salvador Perez is only 4-15(.267), but he has a homer, three runs scored, and four RBI. This is a good start to a Royals stack! You can even add Cheslor Cuthbert at a very low price if he plays. Cuthbert is 3-5 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBI already against Boyd.

Once again, the Rockies are a popular but expensive stack. The Rockies are hitting .288 with eight homers and 27 runs in 278 at bats against Johnny Cueto. Mark Reynolds is 6-22(.273) with two walks, a double, a solo homer, and three runs scored against Cueto. I’m laying off of Arenado considering that he is just 5-26(.192) against Cueto.

I really can’t trust Matt Harvey tonight, so I would rather go with the power of Rhys Hoskins and the value of Maikel Franco. Franco is 2-6 with a solo homer against Harvey in his career.

You have a pitcher that struggles against left handed pitching in a park that caters to left handed power. Joey Gallo is worth a start in any format tonight, and could be especially fruitful on DraftKings where they reward home runs. Just make sure that Julio Teheran stars the nightcap instead of the day game of the doubleheader.

Middle Tier:

Matt Holliday is 5-12(.417) with three walks, a double, two runs scored, and three RBI in his career against Kevin Gausman. just keep in mind that he may not start with the expanded roster and the Yankees wanting to get Greg Bird out there. Bird could be a nice punt play at his price though. So could Austin Romine, who is starting again with Gary Sanchez still serving his suspension.

Josh Bell hit a homer off of Jose Quintana in his last start. Can he do it again when the venue switches to PNC Park?

The Diamondbacks hammered Kenta Maeda in his last start. He may fare a little better here at Dodger Stadium, so I’m not stacking Diamondbacks, but I still want some exposure. Jake Lamb is 9-24(.375) with a walk, three doubles, two homers, five runs scored, and six RBI in his career against Maeda. Chris Iannetta is a strong play if he starts. Iannetta is 2-3 with a walk against Maeda. Both of the hits are home runs.

All Cleveland left handers are in play against Reynaldo Lopez. Guaranteed Rate is one of the most hitter friendly venues around, and Lopez has yet to find success in the majors. That makes Carlos Santana a very good value play. So is rookie Francisco Mejia.

Jose Abreu is only 8-34(.235) against Carlos Carrasco, but he has a walk, two doubles, two homers, four runs scored, and eight RBI off of him. If Rob Brantly draws a start, I want him in my lineup. He is 1-2 with a walk and a three run homer against Carrasco.

Bargain Shoppers:

J.T. Realmuto is a solid way to save money against Gio Gonzalez. Realmuto is 6-19(.316) with a walk, two doubles, a triple, a steal, a runs scored, and a RBI off of Gonzalez. That’s a pretty good return on your investment.

If Nick Hundley is in the lineup against Freeland, I want him in mine as well. Hundley is the only current Giant to hit a homer off Freeland and is 4-9 overall with two doubles, that homer, and two RBI.

It’s hard to recommend players from a team that has not hit a home run against tonight’s pitcher, but some player’s stats are just too good to ignore, and the price is certainly right. Kyle Seager is 7-19(.368) with three walks, two doubles, three runs scored, and two RBI against Lance McCullers. Yonder Alonso is 4-5 with two walks, two doubles, a run scored, and three RBI off McCullers.

Yasmani Grandal is 3-5 with three walks, a double, and three RBI in his career against Taijuan Walker. This could be a big night for the Dodgers offense here, so Cody Bellinger, Curtis Granderson, and Chris Taylor are on my radar as well.

TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 19: Francisco Lindor #12 of the Cleveland Indians celebrates with teammate Jose Ramirez #11 after scoring a run off of a double hit by Mike Napoli #26 in the first inning against Marco Estrada #25 of the Toronto Blue Jays during game five of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on October 19, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Francisco Lindor is going to be very popular against Reynaldo Lopez, as will Jose Ramirez. If you have the money, they are likely worth it. Lopez will figure it out at some point, but he hasn’t yet. That makes Cleveland a favorite to score a bunch of runs.

Jose Altuve is one of those old school Astros that is still around from their time in the NL Central. He is 5-16(.312) in his career against Mike Leake with a double, a triple, two runs scored, and a RBI. An Astros stack against Leake may be a good idea since he has struggled since a strong start.

Yep, Tim Beckham is up here again. Mostly because he is 4-8 with a double, a homer, and three RBI against Sonny Gray, but also because he is still raking in Baltimore. Jonathan Schoop isn’t a bad idea either. He is 2-3 with a run scored against Gray.

Middle Tier:

Dustin Pedroia could be a nice cheaper play. Joe Biagini dominated the Orioles in his last start. Don’t count on that happening against Boston. The Red Sox are hitting .299 against Biagini. Pedroia is 4-9 with a walk, a double, a steal, a RBI, and three runs scored.

Whit Merrifeild is 3-7 with a walk, a double, a triple, two runs scored, and four RBI in his career against Matt Boyd. Alcides Escobar could be a nice way to save some money. Escobar is 4-13 with a walk, a run scored, and two RBI off of Boyd.

Ian Kinsler is still cheap and still leading off for the Tigers. Kinsler is 5-12 with a walk, a solo homer, a steal, and four runs scored in his career against Jason Hammel.

Cesar Hernandez is 4-9 with a walk, a steal, a run scored, and a RBI in his career against Matt Harvey. Harvey was bombarded by the Astros in his return from the DL. Things may get better for Harvey here, but I wouldn’t bet on it. It seems better to use cheap Phillies. Freddy Galvis is even cheaper than Hernandez, and he is 3-11 with a walk, two runs scored, two steals, and a RBI off of Harvey.

Trevor Story is 4-15(.267) with a walk, two homers three runs scored, and six RBI already againt Cueto. DJ LeMahieu is expensive, but probably because he is 10-29(.345) against Cueto. However, he has only one RBI as a counting stat.

Bargain Shoppers:

Tim Anderson has dropped into this tier against Carrasco, yet he is 6-18 with a double, a homer, three runs scored, and three RBI off of him. Tyler Saladino could be a solid punt option as well. Saladino is 6-14(.429) with a double and a run scored against Carrasco. Yolmer Sanchez has a solo homer against Carrasco, but he is just 2-10 lifetime.

Next: Top Outfield Plays

DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 18: Charlie Blackmon #19 of the Colorado Rockies congratulates Gerardo Parra #8 after Parra scores on a base hit by Tony Wolters (not pictured) in the fifth inning of a regular season MLB game between the Colorado Rockies and the visiting San Diego Padres at Coors Field on September 18, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Russell Lansford/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Of course Charlie Blackmon is popular against Johnny Cueto. Blackmon is 10-32(.312) with two doubles, a homer, three runs scored, a steal, and three RBI in his career against him. Gerardo Parra‘s numbers are even better. Parra is 15-41(.366) with three walks, four doubles, two homers, a steal, five runs scored, and three RBI against Cueto. Carlos Gonzalez is the cheapest of them all, and he is 12-35(.343) with two walks, two doubles, a homer, four runs scored, and six RBI against Cueto.

Adam Jones is 3-11 with a homer and three RBI off of Sonny Gray. He is in the fringe of the top tier here, and could be a solid play. Of course, Seth Smith against a righty is a solid punt option.

Aaron Judge is 5-11(.455) with three walks, a double, two homers, five runs scored, and three RBI off of Kevin Gausman already. Brett Gardner is 13-40(.325) with two walks, two doubles, a homer, six runs scored, a steal, and a pair of RBI off Gausman.

I’m all over Mookie Betts today. Betts is 5-9 with a walk, two homers, two steals, and seven RBI already in his career against Joe Biagini. He should be well worth the price tonight.

Jose Bautista‘s price is steadily rising, as is his production. That should continue tonight against Doug Fister. Bautista is 7-20 with four walks, three doubles, five runs scored, and two RBI off of Fister.

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Middle Tier:

Lorenzo Cain is 5-17(.294) with a walk, three doubles, a homer, a steal, six runs scored, and five RBI in his career against Matt Boyd. Melky Cabrera is also a strong play. He is 6-17(.353) with two walks and a run scored. With as well as the Royals have hit Boyd though, there should be more to come.

Shin-Soo Choo is 2-3 with a solo homer and two runs scored in his career against Julio Teheran. Nomar Mazara is worth a look as well from the left side.

Whoever is healthy out of Jay Bruce, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Bradley Zimmer are worth rolling out there against Reynaldo Lopez.

Gorkys Hernandez could be a nice way to save money at Coors Field. Hernandez is 4-7 with two walks and a RBI in his career against Kyle Freeland.

Bargain Shoppers:

Sean Rodriguez is priced at the minimum, and he is 3-7 with a solo homer and two runs scored in his career against Jose Quintana. If Rodriguez starts here, he is an outstanding punt play!

Avisail Garcia is only 6-25(.240) against Carlos Carrasco, but he has a walk, a double, a solo homer, and an impressive six runs scored against him.

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!